Post-breeding dispersal

Hello

Eric Graham's foray at Thrapston Pits today provided sightings of two Great White Egrets on Aldwincle Lake, 5/6 Little Egrets and a Green Sandpiper.

Eleanor's efforts in the Brampton Valley have of late produced little in the way of interest and again it was quiet today. With the oil seed rape fields now being harvested and the cereal fields not far behind, the agricultural landscape will change locally and hopefully provide a fresh suite of birds.

At Pitsford Reservoir this evening an influx of Little Egrets provided a roost of ten birds on The Point and there were up to three Yellow-legged Gulls loafing around.

Regards

Neil M

Little Egret. Post-breeding
birds are now dispersing...

Glossy Ibis.
The conditions at Pitsford look
just right for this nomadic wanderer
but will there be anyone there to see it?
 The majority of the birds that have turned up in
 the county have only stayed a matter of minutes
or a couple of hours before moving on again!

Some juvenile birds doing well?

Hello

Dave Francis completed a little ringing in his garden on the outskirts of Northampton today catching 31 common birds which included 21 juvenile Blue Tits.

I have been monitoring a steady run of juvenile Blue Tits coming through our garden at Hanging Houghton during the last couple of weeks, providing further rather anecdotal evidence that this species has enjoyed a good breeding season locally. The number of juvenile House Sparrows here at Hanging Houghton this year is looking pretty good too and in complete contrast to the downturn of the last five years or so. It seems that this prolonged warm weather is providing a seasonal improvement in juvenile mortality of at least some of our small birds.

Another ringing recovery relates to an adult female Greenfinch that was ringed at Astcote near Towcester on 25th July 2014 and then found dead, possibly predated by a cat, on 6th July this year at nearby Showsley, also in South Northants. This means that this valuable breeding bird was at least five years old before it met it's demise which by modern standards for a Greenfinch is long-lived (a total of 1442 days between the two data sets)!

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Blue Tit.

Winter plumage male
House Sparrow.

Female Greenfinch.

Swift ringing activity
at Lamport Hall yesterday
evening courtesy of John Hunt.

And still the warm weather continues...

Lapwing.

Sandwich Terns.

Wren.

Rook.

All above images
courtesy of Cathy Ryden.

Hello

Neil Hasdell's visit to Pitsford Reservoir today concentrated on the Scaldwell Bay where five Red-crested Pochard could be found. A Common Sandpiper was present and butterflies including several Small Coppers and a Marbled White.

A couple of hours mist netting at Lamport Hall this evening provided only twenty captures made up of six Swifts, thirteen House Martins and an adult Jackdaw in heavy wing and tail moult and consequently only being able to fly with a great deal of effort!

Regards

Neil M

Swift.

House Martin
courtesy of John
Tilly.

Emperors, a harrier and Ospreys

Hello

This morning was spent at Pitsford Reservoir, initially in the Walgrave Bay where some bird ringing in a new ride at Christies Copse caught a very modest number of birds which included two Treecreepers, two Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap and a Garden Warbler.

A second calendar year Marsh Harrier showed briefly at 8.50am (presumably the same bird seen several times during the last couple of weeks) and an Osprey flew low over the bay at 8.10am but wasn't seen again. Other birds of note included three Ravens and an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

At Welford Reservoir this afternoon, an Osprey was flying away from the reservoir carrying a fish at 4.30pm and other birds noted included six Little Egrets, two Common Sandpipers and two Ravens.

Regards

Neil M

Cormorant.

Black-headed Gull.

Common Tern.
The Northants Bird
Club hide in the Scaldwell
Bay is providing excellent
photographic opportunities
at the moment...

Blue Emperor dragonflies
are in good numbers at
Pitsford currently. These
images portray a patrolling male
and an egg-laying female.

All images from Pitsford
Reservoir today.

Pitsford CBC

Hello

The last Common Bird Census of the year was completed at Pitsford Reservoir today, concentrating on the reserve north of the causeway.

A Garganey was seen briefly in the Walgrave Bay, a Little Ringed Plover flew over, there were two Common Sandpipers and a Little Egret on the causeway and singles of Yellow-legged Gull and Raven were noted.

Marsh Tits seemed to be well scattered throughout the reserve suggesting they may have enjoyed a good breeding season, but just a single Willow Tit was noted in the Scaldwell Bay. A brood of Tufted Ducks nicely confirmed breeding and there were Mute Swan, Mallard, Great Crested Grebe, Coot and Moorhen all with well-grown young.

At least eighteen species of butterfly were on the wing which included Purple Hairstreak, Marbled White and Painted Lady and seven species of dragonfly which included several of the bold and inquisitive Southern Hawkers, definitely one of my favourites! A Hummingbird Hawk-Moth was noted at Hanging Houghton this afternoon.

Eric Graham's wander at Thrapston Pits today provided views of two Great White Egrets and two Green Sandpipers on the north side of Aldwincle Lake plus at least eight Little Egrets and plenty of common warblers on show.

A pair of Grey Partridge were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this evening and a freshly killed Tawny Owl towards Blueberry Farm had been eaten down to it's breastbone.

Regards

Neil M

Male Reed Bunting
in song.

Common Buzzard in
early morning sunshine.

Great Crested Grebes.

Juvenile Wren.

Purple Hairstreak.

All images taken at
Pitsford Reservoir today.

Birds of mid July

Hello

Kenny, Sarah and Nick supported the Shenley Wood Nature Day at Milton Keynes today by providing a bird ringing demonstration. Visitors enjoyed seeing common birds in the hand which nearly included a Sparrowhawk but sadly this avian hunter spent only seconds in the mist net before flying off.

More typical birds included 18 Blue Tits, 15 Great Tits, 2 Marsh Tits, a Wren, 5 Robins, 2 Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap.

Birds of note today included a calling Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Hanging Houghton and this evening at least one Whimbrel was heard calling whilst flying south over the Bird Club Hide at Pitsford Reservoir.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Marsh Tit.
Image courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

Wren.
Courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Small birds, a frog and a cow!

Hello

Last few images from Scotland are as below...

An interesting ringing recovery relates to a young Goldfinch caught and ringed by Chris Payne at Greens Norton in October 2017 which was then seen in the field and the ring details read (somehow!) at Nogent-sur-Vernisson in the Loiret region of France (south of Paris) in March this year. The distance between the two locations is 550km with the bird having travelled in a SSE direction and with a period of 153 days duration between the two data sets.

It would be tempting to suggest that this Goldfinch was on its way south and stopped of at Chris's garden for a food stop and subsequently wintered in the south of France or even into Iberia and was on it's way back when sighted in early spring. Many British Goldfinches now winter in the UK, assisted with the provision of niger and sunflower feeders, but traditionally they often left the UK and wintered in Portugal and Spain.

Bethan and Jacob noted two Yellow-legged Gulls in the small and recently-formed gull roost at Pitsford Reservoir this evening...

Regards

Neil M

Lesser Redpoll.

Sedge Warbler.

Common Frog.

Highland Moo!

Whitethroat (and fence)!

Twite (and fence)!

Chaffinch.

More West Highlands images

Hello

Some more images from the Ardnamurchan Peninsular and the Treshnish Isles from May this year...

Regards

Neil M

Grey Heron.

Razorbill.

'Bridled' Common Guillemot.

Puffin

Shag.

Twite.

Pine Marten.

Grasshopper Warbler.

More images from the West Highlands

Hello

Some time spent at Harrington Airfield this morning provided views of Turtle Dove and a reasonable number of Linnets, Whitethroats and Willow Warblers which included juvenile birds. Of the butterflies, Small Copper and Marbled White were probably the best.

With numerous trips away this spring I am still formatting images and the following come from two weeks in May when I was fortunate to again be on the Ardnamurchan Peninsular on the west side of Scotland, from which we undertook a couple of boat trips on the Hebridean Sea to the Treshnish Islands...

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Song Thrush.

A standard sheep fence is
no real obstacle for a Red Deer!

Kittiwake.

Otter with prey.

Treecreeper.

Adult Song Thrush.

Turnstone.

Red Deer.