The long days of summer

Hello

A cooler and much windier day, seemingly similar to what we were experiencing earlier in the month.

Records of Osprey persist with singles at Hollowell and Pitsford Reservoirs today and over at Stanford Reservoir there was a Marsh Harrier, two Cuckoos including the rufous morph female and a Common Sandpiper.

Six Shelduck appeared at Pitsford Reservoir at lunchtime and an adult Yellow-legged Gull was at Wicksteed Park lake mid-afternoon. A Hobby, a Cuckoo and seventy Common Swifts were at Summer Leys LNR today

Scarlet Tiger moths seem to be spiraling around everywhere at the moment and Green-eyed Hawkers were found at Toad Pond, Summer Leys LNR and again at Wicksteed Park lake where also a Variable Damselfly. Marbled Whites continue their excellent summer with a fresh hatch at Eydon today.

Regards

Neil M

Bee Orchid at
Harrington Airfield.

Privet Hawk-moth.

Tree Bumble-bee
courtesy of John Tilly.

Mallard with ducklings.

Red Kite.

Summer Solstice

Hello

The summer solstice and the longest day of the year was as hot as predicted but with some cloud and breeze and even some light afternoon showers for a bit of heat relief.

A ringing session at Linford Lakes on the edge of Milton Keynes was good for both numbers and variety. Juveniles of small passerines dominated proceedings but bigger birds included a Jay, a Woodpigeon, a Carrion Crow and two newly-ringed Cuckoos. Glamour came in the shape of two Kingfishers and a Great Spotted Woodpecker and variation was enhanced with a couple of Treecreepers, Cetti's Warblers, Garden Warblers, a couple of Sedge Warblers and a Common Whitethroat. An adult Toad was seen and some of this year's Toadlets too. 

At Stanford Reservoir there was an Osprey fishing this morning and other birds included three Oystercatchers and three Cuckoos.

An Osprey was again in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this morning plus an Oystercatcher and three Great White Egrets. A Spotted Flycatcher and a Little Owl were in Hanging Houghton village and another Spotted Flycatcher was in the Brampton Valley below the village by the brook and small wood. Moth-trapping from overnight at Brixworth yielded a haul of no less than twenty-eight Elephant Hawk-moths!

Regards

Neil M

Adult and juvenile Little Grebes
outside the Bird Club hide at
Pitsford Reservoir today courtesy
of Neil Hasdell.

This formidable-looking corvid
resembles a Raven, particularly
with the shape and size of the bill,
but the biometrics indicate it was
a large Carrion Crow! Image courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Woodpigeon.

Cuckoo.

Jay.

Reed Warbler courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Sedge Warbler courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Heatwave wildlife

Hello

A few birds of interest in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this morning included an Osprey, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, four Great White Egrets, a Grey Wagtail and at least one Green Sandpiper. The Scaldwell meadow was alive with butterflies including plenty of Marbled Whites.

The floating rafts were checked today and there are large numbers of young and fluffy Black-headed Gull chicks and four pairs of Common Terns are nesting with the first chicks now hatched. The Common Terns are still at a very low ebb after being hit very hard with the bird flu a few years ago and their numbers seem to be low everywhere regionally.

The Sand Martin bank at Pitsford now has birds working on their second broods, with the majority of the first brood youngsters already flying and away. There are no Tree Sparrows nesting on the reserve this year and with only one known pair nesting just off the reserve.

Two Little Terns were again at Eyebrook Reservoir and Hollowell Reservoir this morning provided for a Common Sandpiper and four Little Ringed Plovers.

In the Nene Valley at a site not disclosed, a Cattle Egret was seen feeding two well-grown youngsters and the complex at Earls Barton New Workings/Whiston Wetlands supported five Avocets, a Green Sandpiper and a drake Red-crested Pochard.

Green-eyed Hawkers (or Norfolk Hawkers if you like) have turned up today in the Welland Valley west of Gretton Weir, Billing Pits and again at Ditchford Pits...Scarce Chasers now seem to be common along the Nene Valley east of Northampton...we are still waiting for our first record of either species of these dragonfly at Pitsford! 😶

Regards

Neil M

Common Blue Damselfly
and Large Red-eyed Damselfly.

Four-spotted Chaser.

Five-spot Burnet.

Red Admiral.

Harrington Airfield wildlife

Hello

I popped up to Harrington Airfield this morning before it became too hot and took a gentle meander around the bunkers. A Grey Partridge was accidently flushed and I saw the briefest views of a bird by Bunker Two that may have been a Common Redstart but it declined to show itself again. Despite the arid conditions there is a reasonable bloom of flowers there which includes various vetches, Common Spotted Orchid, Bee Orchid and Common Centaur.

Butterflies were in abundance with lots of Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Small Heath, Marbled White, Small and Large Skippers etc. Five-spot Burnet and Cinnabar were among the day-flying moths active on the flowers. A Common Toad is a rare sight up there and I managed to ambush a Brown Hare hopping along the edge of an oat field - I don't think it ever really knew I was there!

A Spotted Flycatcher was in Hanging Houghton village, two Barn Owls were near Cottesbrooke and an Osprey made a couple of fishing forays again at Pitsford Reservoir.

A Black Tern made a brief appearance at Eyebrook Reservoir today and Stanford Reservoir hosted a Curlew, two Oystercatchers, a Common Sandpiper and two Cuckoos.

Regards

Neil M

Bittern on the Titchmarsh
reserve at Thrapston Pits
yesterday courtesy of
Nick Parker.

Marbled White at Harrington
Airfield today.

Brown Hare at Harrington
Airfield today.

Turning up the heat

Hello

A very warm day and with more to come it seems! 😮

Few migrants on the move as far as spring is concerned but post-breeding movement is certainly occurring. A Common Sandpiper was at Stanford Reservoir today, a Siskin passed over Hanging Houghton calling and Pitsford Reservoir still had a fishing Great White Egret in the Scaldwell Bay and a Ringed Plover was heard.  Small numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gulls are already drifting south.

Marbled White butterflies are experiencing an amazing early flight period with good numbers at many sites including Pitsford Reservoir.

Two good birds at Thrapston Pits today were a Bittern on the Titchmarsh reserve and a Black Tern on Town Lake. At Clifford Hill Pits one of the Nene Valley Avocets was there early this morning plus two Shelducks and a Little Ringed Plover. Seven Avocets were at the Earls Barton New Workings South/Whiston Wetlands later in the morning.

At Stortons Pits this morning two male Cuckoos were engaged in a territorial dispute.

Regards

Neil M

Images from Pitsford Reservoir
today...fishing Grey Heron and 
Marbled White butterfly courtesy
of Neil Hasdell.

Common Mallow courtesy
of John Tilly.

Pond Turtles at Rushden Lakes,
possibly Common Slider (non native)
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Chiffchaff courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

The warmth brings the insects

Hello

At Pitsford Reservoir today an Osprey made a series of forays during the day, again preferring the Scaldwell Bay for it's fishing. Two Great White Egrets and two Hobbies and a Raven were also on the reserve north of the causeway. Marbled Whites were also quite numerous and odonata included Blue Emperor, Black-tailed Skimmer, Broad-bodied Chaser, Four-spotted Chaser, both demoiselles and at least three species of damselfly.

A Barn Owl, a pair of Grey Partridge and a few Marbled Whites were at Lamport Hall with a Raven and a Spotted Flycatcher in Hanging Houghton village. Two Little Terns spent much of the day at Eyebrook Reservoir. A Spotted Flycatcher was noted at High Wood.

Hazelborough Forest sounded the place to be for butterflies today with a dozen White Admirals, some Silver-washed Fritillaries and six Wood Whites amongst many common species.

Three Green-eyed Hawkers at Ditchford Pits represented a new county site for this species and Scarce Chasers were seen in the Welland Valley a mile south east of Melbourne. More Marbled White butterflies were seen at Chelveston Airfield and Summer Leys LNR.

Regards

Neil M

Comma butterfly.

A brood of three
Red Kites were ringed
in the south of the county
today. Despite now being a
widespread species, Red Kites
are still Schedule 1 birds and can
only be disturbed at the
nest for monitoring and 
ringing by special permit.

Red Kite images courtesy
of Chris Payne.

Harlequin Ladybird larvae
courtesy of John Tilly.

Scarlet Tiger moth - quite a 
hatch at Hanging Houghton today.

Elephant Hawk-moth.

Harrier on the loose

Hello

An Osprey was again seen fishing in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir and this evening a Green Sandpiper was visible from the Bird Club hide in the same bay. Good numbers of Marbled White butterflies were on the wing south of the causeway this morning.

An unidentified male harrier, perhaps a third calendar year Hen Harrier, was seen hunting at Harrington Airfield this evening. It was initially visible from Bunker One but headed west and was last seen disappearing over the Shooting Wall.

Two Grey Wagtails were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth and at Clifford Hill Pits there were two Common Sandpipers and a Little Ringed Plover. Ten Avocets were together at Earls Barton New Workings/Whiston Wetlands this morning.

A pair of Peregrines nesting on the church of Saints Peter and Paul in Kettering have successfully fledged a brood, with nestlings taking their maiden flight today.

At least two Black Hairstreaks were still at Old Poor's Gorse, Mawsley this afternoon and butterflies on the wing at Bradlaugh Fields included Marbled White, Essex Skipper and Ringlet.

Regards

Neil M

House Sparrows courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Great Mullein at
Harrington Airfield.

Small Copper courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Osprey with trout.

Morning sky near Cottesbrooke.

Bird ringing at Harrington Airfield

Hello

A bird ringing session took place at Harrington Airfield this morning and seventy-four captures were made of twelve species, the majority of them being birds newly-ringed. The scrubby area around the bunkers supports a colony of Willow Warblers which these days are relatively scarce and localised in the county. Fourteen Willow Warblers were captured, all but one being adults and included two birds first encountered in 2024 and one ringed in 2022 and it is very likely they were breeding on-site. Five Common Whitethroats included two returning birds from last year and two Blackcaps were juvenile birds as was a Treecreeper. Juvenile Blue Tits and a large flock of Long-tailed Tits made up the majority of the catch but juvenile Dunnocks and Robins were processed too.

Interesting insects on-site included Beautiful Demoiselle, Small Heath, Small Tortoiseshell, Marbled White, Ringlet and Cinnabar moth.

Two Crossbills flew over Hanging Houghton this afternoon and Crossbill was heard at Bucknell Wood this morning. The Wood Sandpiper was again at Lilbourne Meadows reserve as was a Redshank, a Little Ringed Plover and four Oystercatchers.

Black Hairstreak butterflies were again at Old Poor's Gorse, Mawsley, a White Admiral was at Fermyn Woods and Red-belted Clearwing moths came to a pheromone lure in a Pitsford village garden. We have a few Scarlet Tiger moths in our Hanging Houghton garden and with others scattered in the village.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Treecreeper.

Adult male Common Whitethroat.

Adult Willow Warbler.

Images taken at Harrington Airfield
today courtesy of Peter Walmsley.

Wildlife of mid-June

Hello

Another bright and breezy June day provided a Wood Sandpiper at Lilbourne Meadows reserve plus three Oystercatchers, a Redshank and two Little Ringed Plovers.

A Crossbill was over the Holcot Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this morning and a Hobby and a Barn Owl were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon.

A bird ringing session at Harrington Airfield tomorrow (Sunday) will restrict access to the areas around the bunkers between the chipping compound and the main concrete track. Access along the concrete track itself will remain unaffected.

Insect news today was that further Black Hairstreaks have been discovered at Courteenhall and Old Poor's Gorse near Mawsley. There were still four Green-eyed Hawkers at Wicksteed Park, Kettering and Marbled White butterflies were noted at Summer Leys LNR and Harrington Airfield also today.

Regards

Neil M

Black-headed Gull breeding
success at Pitsford Reservoir
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Four-spotted Chaser
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Broad-bodied Chaser
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Red Kite.

Osprey, Avocets and orchids

Hello

A very warm day tempered with a lively breeze still and most of the birds reported have been present for a while.

An Osprey made several visits to Pitsford Reservoir today and successfully fished three times north of the causeway with the Scaldwell Bay seemingly being it's favoured fishing area, even if it does become the centre of attention from the gulls and terns whilst doing so! Two or three Hobbies were present this morning.

Stanford Reservoir continues to host a Cuckoo, two Spotted Flycatchers, a Cetti's Warbler and a Marsh Tit - the first recorded there since 2021

The Avocets at the Earls Barton/Whiston complex remain and it seems possible that the six adults still in situ are trying to breed again. A surviving youngster from the first breeding efforts is still there. Several Redshank and a Green Sandpiper were also present.

Clifford Hill Pits provided views of a drake Red-crested Pochard, an Avocet, two Little Ringed Plovers and a Yellow-legged Gull.

Regards

Neil M

Southern Marsh Orchid
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Bee Orchids courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Wren courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Harlequin Ladybirds
courtesy of John Tilly.