Windy and warm (still)!

Hello

A very windy day and again warm this afternoon.

A visit to Welford/Sulby Reservoirs provided at least seven Little Egrets, two family parties of Great Crested Grebes, a family of four fledged juvenile Kestrels, two Grey Wagtails and a juvenile Little Ringed Plover.

A Little Tern spent the day at Eyebrook Reservoir and Hollowell Reservoir hosted a Green Sandpiper, three Common Sandpipers and three Little Ringed Plovers.

A Hummingbird Hawk-moth was noted at Wollaston and two White-letter Hairstreak butterflies were a good find at Easton on the Hill.

Regards

Neil M

Spotted Flycatcher.

Grey Wagtail.

Large Skipper.

Above images courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Common Buzzard.

Little Ringed Plover
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

The dry weather continues

Hello

A calmer day with less wind but still dry and warm in the afternoon.

Pitsford Reservoir hosted three Common Sandpipers on the causeway and a Yellow-legged Gull and two Great White Egrets north of the causeway this morning. The Scaldwell Meadow was alive with butterflies with a profusion of Marbled Whites. This afternoon there were two Yellow-legged Gulls off the dam and a glimpse of what is believed to be the only successful pair of Mute Swans on the whole reservoir showing off five cygnets.

A Grey Partridge was at Harrington Airfield this morning and there were numerous Marbled Whites there too. In such arid conditions the Common Spotted Orchids are going over already.

Two Cattle Egrets in summer plumage were at Titchmarsh reserve, Thrapston Pits early this afternoon.

A Green-eyed Hawker was seen again at Toad Pond at Summer Leys LNR.

Regards

Neil M

Common Blue Damselflies.

Large Red-eyed Damselfly.

Common Centaur.

Juvenile Robin courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Nuthatch courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Another gusty June day

Hello

Yet more strong gusts, still no rain and warm this afternoon.

At Hanging Houghton there was a family party of Spotted Flycatchers and five Ravens in the village.

A Caspian Gull was reported from Eyebrook Reservoir and three Great White Egrets were again in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir.

Two Cattle Egrets flew south-west over Stanwick Pits early this morning and a Grasshopper Warbler was reported from Ring Haw, Old Sulehay.

Two Ospreys spent some time at Hollowell Reservoir today and waders at Lilbourne Meadows reserve included Redshank, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper.

Old Sulehay butterflies included over twenty Silver-washed Fritillaries with plenty of Marbled Whites in the more open areas.

Regards

Neil M

Pyramidal Orchid at
Stortons Pits.

Large Skipper.

Grey Heron.

Great White Egret.

Above images courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Butterflies at Fermyn/Lady Wood

Hello

A visit to the Fermyn Wood and Country Park and adjacent Lady Wood ended up being blustery and initially cool but with some more regular sunshine as the day progressed. Fifteen species of butterfly were recorded with the best being several Silver-washed Fritillaries and a few White Admirals. I didn't see a confirmed Purple Emperor but other observers in Lady Wood did. Odonata included Blue Emperor, Black-tailed Skimmer and Beautiful Demoiselles.

Wandering around the blocks of woodland blocks yielded Spotted Flycatchers at four locations, all likely to be defined territories. The feeding flocks included quite a few Marsh Tits and Nuthatches and a Siskin was in Lady Wood. Two juvenile Grey Wagtails were in Fermyn Wood CP.

Failed breeding birds and already on their way south were Common Sandpipers in the county today with singles at Pitsford Reservoir, Stanford Reservoir and five on the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits. A Cuckoo and an Oystercatcher were also noted at Stanford Reservoir. A Little Owl was vocal at Hanging Houghton this evening.

Gatekeeper butterflies and a Green-eyed Hawker were at Ditchford Pits today and a Purple Emperor was photographed between Mantle's Heath and High Wood. Southern Hawker dragonflies are just beginning to emerge in the county.

Regards

Neil M

Silver-washed Fritillary.

White Admiral.

Ringlets.

Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Juvenile Song Thrush
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

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.