Whinchats and more

Hello

A week of breezy and partly cloudy conditions are not particularly usual for August but this lively weather is set to continue into next week. With the jet stream hurtling our way from the west it's unlikely to provide very much for us here in Northants unless some more American waders would like to show up?

A visit to Bucknell Wood in the south of the county was very much out of the wind and there were common species of butterfly and odonata on the wing as well as pollinating insects on the Ragwort and Angelica. A party of Spotted Flycatchers had attached themselves to a tit flock there and Marsh Tits and Nuthatches were pretty vocal. For me the best of the lot was an adult Slow worm, not something I'm normally able to find in the county.

At Blueberry Farm, Maidwell there were three male Common Redstarts this morning but just two Whinchats in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton near to shrike hedge.

I don't believe the Lesser Yellowlegs was reported at Lilbourne Meadows reserve today but a Green Sandpiper was on the dwindling flood pools there. At Stanford Reservoir a potential northern race ('acredula') Willow Warbler was processed by the ringers there this morning. Birds on-site included the Ruddy Shelduck still, a Common Sandpiper, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Whinchat.

Clifford Hill Pits had a good day with a summer plumage adult Black-necked Grebe and a Wood Sandpiper on the main lake. A Wood Sandpiper remained at Summer Leys LNR too.

At Pitsford Reservoir there was a Whinchat still in the Scaldwell Bay and an Osprey was seen over the Walgrave Bay and a Whinchat remained at Hollowell Reservoir too.

Regards

Neil M

Swallow in a bird hide
courtesy of John Tilly.

The very successful
Grey Squirrel courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Great Crested Grebe family
and a Pike offering.

Large Skipper.

Whinchat courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

House Sparrow courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Ditchford WeBS count

Hello

Despite being out for much of the day there wasn't much to show for it! A WeBS count at Ditchford Pits today was generally quiet although there was a male Common Redstart in bushes just south-east of Big Lake. Only about five Cetti's Warblers were vocalising, sounding very much like juveniles trying a little bit of song whilst the adults are quietly moulting. Four Kingfishers were on-site and a vicious shower late morning caught us out! The Ditchford Lane area for many years has been home to a variety of strange-plumaged Carrion Crows and today the nearly all white bird was still present as was a silvery-sheened individual.

The Lesser Yellowlegs was showing better at Lilbourne Meadows reserve today and other birds included a Green Sandpiper and a Common Redstart.

Stanford Reservoir continues to host an Osprey and the Ruddy Shelduck and a Kingfisher was present too. Three Grasshopper Warblers were caught and ringed.

Two Ospreys were north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir this morning plus a Marsh Harrier, a pair of Red-crested Pochard, two Whinchats, two Ravens and a Yellow-legged Gull.

In the Nene Valley a Marsh Harrier was seen at Thrapston Pits on the Titchmarsh Reserve, a Wood Sandpiper was on the Layby Pit at Stanwick Pits and the Wood Sandpiper was still present at Summer Leys LNR.

Two Ravens were at Cogenhoe and another was in Sywell village. Four Whinchats were keeping a low profile in the wind near shrike hedge in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and two Hobbies were over the village this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Muntjac courtesy of
John Tilly.

Chicken-of-The-Woods 
at Ditchford Pits today.

Ring-necked Parakeets today
at Abington Park, Northampton
 courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Cataloguing the migrants.

Hello

Members from the Northants Ringing Group joined Stanford Ringing Group enthusiasts at Stanford Reservoir today to assist in the cataloguing of migrants moving through the site and just short of two hundreds small birds were processed, the majority being common warblers. Highlights were a Whinchat, three Grasshopper Warblers and a Kingfisher. Birds seen on-site included an Osprey which successfully caught a fish before departing, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Common Sandpiper and six Ravens.

At Pitsford Reservoir there were three Ospreys again early morning mostly centred around the Scaldwell Bay and single birds were seen during the day. Three Yellow-legged Gulls and a Common Sandpiper were at the dam area this evening. A Whinchat and a Common Sandpiper were at Hollowell Reservoir this evening.

A Green Sandpiper was calling over Hanging Houghton at 5am this morning and birds in the Brampton Valley below the village included four Whinchats near shrike hedge plus a Common Redstart with still two Common Redstarts and a Wheatear at nearby Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

Harrington Airfield hosted similar birds with a Tree Pipit, a Common Redstart, a Wheatear and two Whinchats this morning.

Summer Leys LNR provided for three Garganey, a Wood Sandpiper, a Greenshank, three Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, four Ringed Plovers, two Little Ringed Plovers, two Common Snipe, a Marsh Harrier and a Great White Egret.

Clifford Hill Pits was in on the action today with a Wood Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, a Barnacle Goose and at least fifteen Common Swifts all this morning.

The Lesser Yellowlegs was reported from Lilbourne Meadows reserve today, seen both this morning and this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Grasshopper Warbler at
Stanford Reservoir today
courtesy of Michelle Spinks.

Two nicely-marked juvenile
Common Buzzards at Hardingstone
yesterday courtesy of 
Tony Stanford.

An interesting day!

Hello

The Lesser Yellowlegs was again seen at Lilbourne Meadows reserve this morning and a leucistic Marsh Harrier initially caused some confusion as to it's identity.

At Stanford Reservoir today the Ruddy Shelduck was still present as was two Common Sandpipers, a Kingfisher and two Ravens.

A Wood Sandpiper was located at Summer Leys LNR today and other birds included two Greenshanks, a Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper.

Harrington Airfield hosted two Common Redstarts including a new bird at Bunker Three, two Whinchats, a Marsh Harrier, a Peregrine, five or six Ravens and an adult Grey Partridges with four young. At least one Whinchat and a Barn Owl were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and a Common Redstart and at least eight Spotted Flycatchers were at Lamport Hall.

Two Common Redstarts remained elusive at Honey Hill, Cold Ashby this morning seemingly more vocal than visual.

A large raptor seen near Harlestone this morning was thought to have possibly been a White-tailed Eagle.

At Pitsford Reservoir today an Osprey was over the Scaldwell Bay early this afternoon and a Whinchat was still present. A brief ringing session there this morning yielded common warblers and finches before the strengthening breeze concluded business.

At Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes Kenny and his ringing team processed 123 birds of eighteen species. Migrant warblers were made up of six Garden Warblers, thirty-nine Blackcaps, seven Sedge Warblers, fifteen Reed Warblers, seven Willow Warblers, five Chiffchaffs and a Common Whitethroat. A Kingfisher, three Treecreepers and a juvenile Bullfinch were other highlights.

Regards

Neil M

Migrant Hawker courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Juvenile Bullfinch courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Willow Warbler courtesy of
Kenny Cramer. One of the 
Willow Warblers processed
at Linford Lakes today was
 bearing a ring from
 elsewhere - details awaited.

Dock Bug courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Apparently the first county
records of the Scarce Emerald damselfly
photographed this month at Priors Hall, Corby
 and Pitsford Reservoir, the lower image
courtesy of Mark Tyrrell.

Migrants passing through the county

Hello

Some ringing at Pitsford Reservoir this morning proved there were migrants in the margins and bushes and procured eight species of warbler including two Lesser Whitethroats, ten Common Whitethroats, three Garden Warblers, six Blackcaps, twelve Sedge Warblers and thirty-three Reed Warblers. One of the Reed Warblers was already ringed from elsewhere (details awaited). These migrants quickly melted away on release and we were left to catalogue twenty Goldfinches and thirty-two Greenfinches which turned up mostly afterwards. A further ringing session will take place tomorrow morning.

At least one Osprey spent time in the Scaldwell Bay whilst we were there and other observations during the day were four Red-crested Pochards (two drakes), two Green Sandpipers, several Great White Egrets,  two Whinchats, two Yellow-legged Gulls, a Hobby and a Kingfisher.

The ringers were active over at Stanford Reservoir, the beginning of an intense two week period with efforts being made to ring as many migrants as possible, and star captures today included two Tree Pipits, a Common Redstart and a Grasshopper Warbler. The Osprey was at Stanford Reservoir again today as was the Ruddy Shelduck, a Common Sandpiper and a Hobby.

Hot on the heels of the Southern Migrant Hawker, a Scarce Emerald Damselfly was identified today at the same place at Priors Hall, Corby, potentially the first record for the county.

Two individual Tree Pipits were picked up flying over Brackley this morning, both moving south.

Summer Leys LNR recorded a Cuckoo, a Marsh Harrier and five Swifts and two Barnacle Geese, an Egyptian Goose and a Common Sandpiper were noted at Clifford Hill Pits.

The two long-staying Common Redstarts were still at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning and the two Whinchats were in the Brampton Valley near shrike hedge below the village of Hanging Houghton.

Harrington Airfield provided sightings of a Wheatear, two Whinchats, a Common Redstart and a Marsh Harrier this morning. There was no sign of any Spotted Flycatchers at Lamport Hall this evening but the two Common Redstarts were still present.

The Lesser Yellowlegs was seen again at Lilbourne Meadows reserve again this morning for patient observers.

A Marsh Harrier was seen flying over Hollowell village towards Creaton this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Southern Migrant Hawker
courtesy of Mark Tyrrell.

Brown Hare.

Grey Heron courtesy
of Robin Gossage,

Great White Egret courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Harvesting back on

Hello

Following the rain blip yesterday the harvesting is back on and most farmers are now concentrating on the wheat crop. Much of this year's oats were planted late because of the wet spring and summer and will probably be the last of the cereals to be collected locally this year.

The Lesser Yellowlegs was still present at Lilbourne Meadows reserve but the bird only shows sparingly! Four Green Sandpipers were there too as was one of the long-staying Common Redstarts. Six Green Sandpipers were at Daventry Country Park.

The Little Stint was still at Eyebrook Reservoir and an excellent odonata find was a Southern Migrant Hawker at the Gullet Nature Reserve, Priors Hall, Corby.

At least three Ospreys were at Pitsford Reservoir this morning and there have been ones and twos all day long north of the causeway with several fish being caught...it's difficult to say how many birds might be involved! Several Great White Egrets remain as does the drake Red-crested Pochard in the Scaldwell Bay and a Whinchat and a Hobby and a Marsh Harrier were seen too. There will be some ringing around the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station tomorrow morning and also Sunday morning.

For the first time in a long while an Osprey wasn't reported at Stanford Reservoir today but birds noted were two Little Ringed Plovers, a Great White Egret, two Common Sandpipers, a Peregrine and a Hobby.

Harrington Airfield hosted a Cuckoo flying rapidly south this morning plus a Common Redstart and a Grasshopper Warbler with just two Spotted Flycatchers and a Common Redstart were seen at Lamport Hall. A Wheatear was just north east of Braunston.

Two Whinchats and three Barn Owls were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Yellow-legged Gull.

Southern Hawker.

Speckled Wood butterfly
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Green Sandpipers at Daventry
Country Park courtesy of Tony
Stanford.

Windy then wet!

Hello

A breezy day gave way to some rain this evening as a front moved across the country west to east.

The Lesser Yellowlegs seemingly showed better today on one of the flood pools at Lilbourne Meadows reserve and other birds included two Green Sandpipers, a Common Snipe and three Swifts.

Two Ravens were at Hanging Houghton this morning and urban individuals were at Little Billing and Abington, Northampton.

The Little Stint was still at Eyebrook Reservoir today and Stanford Reservoir's birds again included Osprey, a Ruddy Shelduck, a Marsh Harrier and two Kingfishers.

Birds at Pitsford Reservoir were an Osprey, several Great White Egrets, the drake Red-crested Pochard still, two Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, a Kingfisher, three Yellow-legged Gulls and two Whinchats with most of these birds on show in the Scaldwell Bay. A juvenile Marsh Harrier and a Whinchat were at Hollowell Reservoir.

Four Cattle Egrets were at Stanwick Pits this morning and a Garganey and a Marsh Harrier remained at Summer Leys LNR.

A windy Harrington Airfield still provided for a Common Redstart, a Wheatear and two Whinchats with only about four Spotted Flycatchers sheltering in the bushes at Lamport Hall.

A Wheatear and two Whinchats were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and the two male Common Redstarts were still at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

Regards

Neil M

Common Darters
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Kingfisher at Pitsford
Reservoir courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Holly Blue courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Juvenile Common Tern
at Pitsford Reservoir courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Large Red-eyed Damselfly.

Dull weather but good birding!

Hello

A cooler, duller day with a few bits of drizzle didn't seem to change the bird dynamics much.

Pitsford Reservoir attracted at least three Ospreys today (three seen together this evening) with birds being on and off all day long from about 5.40am. and probably involving up to four or five birds. A juvenile female Peregrine was there early this morning, the drake Red-crested Pochard was still in the Scaldwell Bay as was the juvenile Whinchat and at least one adult Yellow-legged Gull.

At Lilbourne Meadow reserve the Lesser Yellowlegs was seen a couple of times again today but there were no reports of the Pectoral Sandpiper.

An Osprey was at Stanford Reservoir this evening as was the Ruddy Shelduck, a Common Sandpiper and a Raven and a Little Stint spent the day at Eyebrook Reservoir. Hollowell Reservoir this evening hosted two Great White Egrets and a Whinchat.

Birds in the Nene Valley were a Marsh Harrier at Stanwick Pits late this afternoon, an Osprey at Thrapston Pits late this morning plus three Yellow-legged Gulls and Summer Leys LNR fielded a Marsh Harrier again plus three Great White Egrets, two Garganey, two Greenshanks, two Green Sandpipers, four Common Sandpipers, two Common Snipe and a Water Rail.

Away from water and a Common Redstart was a good find at Desborough Airfield - four Yellow-legged Gulls were on fields there too. At Harrington Airfield today there was a Marsh Harrier, a Tree Pipit, a Grasshopper Warbler, two Common Redstarts and two Whinchats. The two male Common Redstarts were still at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Great White Egret at
Summer Leys LNR 
today courtesy of
Neil Hasdell.

Eyed Hawk-moth caterpillar
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Blue Emperor courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Bar-headed Goose courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Long-tailed Tit with a rather
large snack courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Great Crested Grebe courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Full flow passerine migration

Hello

A small but busy band of ringers were at Stortons Pits this morning and were taken by surprise by the number of birds on hand, quickly processing one hundred birds before it became too hot and windy. As is normal at this time of the year the warblers took over with five Willow Warblers, six Chiffchaffs, four Common Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats, six Garden Warblers, thirty-one Blackcaps, a Sedge Warbler and eight Reed Warblers. Most of the other birds of eighteen species are more typically resident birds and included Bullfinch, Goldfinch and Reed Bunting. Ninety of the birds were newly-ringed.

A similar story at Stanford Reservoir today as the ringers there quickly worked through 261 new birds (one of them another Grasshopper Warbler), fourteen re-trapped birds and three birds known as 'controls' as they were ringed previously elsewhere. Other birds seen at Stanford Reservoir included an Osprey, a Common Sandpiper and a fly-through Common Redshank.

The Lesser Yellowlegs and Pectoral Sandpiper were both reported from Lilbourne Meadows reserve today and at Hollowell Reservoir star birds were one or two Marsh Harrier(s), an Osprey and a Whinchat.

Pitsford Reservoir provided a couple of Osprey sightings by the dam and on the reserve where there was also a Marsh Harrier and a Whinchat. The evening 'gull roost' attracted five Yellow-legged Gulls (three adults, two juveniles) and two Common Gulls.

Ravensthorpe Reservoir didn't miss out on the Osprey action with one fishing there at midday plus an adult Yellow-legged Gulls and two or three Lesser Emperor dragonflies.

Harrington Airfield offered up a Tree Pipit or two, two Common Redstarts, two Whinchats and a Marsh Harrier with still two Common Redstarts at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell. Up to six Spotted Flycatchers and a Common Redstart were at Lamport Hall.

In the Nene Valley Clifford Hill Pits provided for a Little Ringed Plover, two Common Sandpipers and a Barnacle Goose with two Garganey again at Summer Leys LNR plus two Common Sandpipers, a Greenshank and two Great White Egrets.

Four Yellow-legged Gulls were following the plough in a field near to Elinor Lake, Thrapston Pits. Two Whinchats and a Barn Owl were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Peacock butterfly courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Orange Swift moth courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Great White Egret
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Osprey at Pitsford Reservoir
yesterday surrounded by
Common Terns (with sharp beaks)!

Common Emerald damselfly.

Pitsford WeBS count

 Hello

The Pitsford Reservoir WeBS count was completed today, most of it completed before it became too hot. Birding highlights included three Ospreys trying to fish but attracting a great deal of attention from the still-breeding Common Terns, a juvenile Marsh Harrier, seven Great White Egrets, the drake Red-crested Pochard still and the juvenile Whinchat near to the Bird Club hide. A couple of Kingfishers and three Common Sandpipers were on-site and odonata on the wing included Banded Demoiselle and Emerald Damselfly. Most of the wildfowl were north of the causeway and the Great Crested Grebes have plenty of young this year, in contrast to the Mute Swans which on the reserve have only one cygnet from the six pairs or so breeding!

Fifteen Spotted Flycatchers and a Common Redstart were showing nicely at Lamport Hall this evening and two vocal Common Redstarts remain at Woodford Halse LNR.

Both the Pectoral Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs were reported as being present at Lilbourne Meadows reserve today, with occasional telescope views across a field and via two gates and with restricted viewing of the floodwater due to hedges both sides and no potential elevation. Three Green Sandpipers were also present.

The easterly airflow may have been responsible for six Black Terns at Eyebrook Reservoir and three at Hollowell Reservoir and six that flew through Stanford Reservoir early this morning.

Stanford Reservoir also hosted it's daily Osprey, the Ruddy Shelduck and a Common Sandpiper with one hundred and fifteen new birds ringed there today.

An Osprey was over the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits today and the Summer Leys  reserve attracted a Marsh Harrier, a Garganey, a Common Sandpiper and two Greenshanks.

Twelve Ravens were at Woodford Halse village early this morning and Harrington Airfield was still home to a Whinchat and a Common Redstart.

Regards

Neil M

Black-tailed Godwits (and Avocet).

Moon birds (Knot) courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Ruff.

Red Admiral on bramble.

Common Darter.