Mid October birding

Hello

A ringing session took place at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes on Saturday and ninety-four birds were processed by the small band of ringers there, seventy-one of which were newly ringed. Twenty species was a diverse representation which included a Water Rail, a Black-headed Gull, six Blackcaps, five Chiffchaffs, fifteen Redwings and fifteen Greenfinches. Other birds were two Goldfinches, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Green Woodpecker and a Reed Bunting. A Goldcrest was captured and at the other end of the scale so was a Mute Swan!

A small flock of Swallows passed through, a Raven was noted and three Great Crested Newts looked as if they were about to slumber for the winter.

Today some more ringing took place at Woodford Halse which was also productive producing fifty-three birds which included three Blackbirds, a Goldcrest, a Grey Wagtail and a male Sparrowhawk.

In the Nene Valley today there was a Mediterranean Gull and a Marsh Harrier at Stanwick Pits and eight Cattle Egrets were in a paddock north east of of Kinewell Lake at Ringstead Pits. Great White and Little Egrets were noted at Upton Country Park.

At Pitsford Reservoir a very weak-looking Black Tern was in the vicinity of the causeway this morning plus two Common Sandpipers were on the dam with flocks of Redwings passing over. Two Grey Wagtails were at Hanging Houghton.

Two adult Caspian Gulls were at Hollowell Reservoir today and Stanford Reservoir recorded a Yellow-browed Warbler (seen just briefly), four Red-crested Pochards, a Stonechat, a Reed Warbler, two Cetti's Warblers, two Water Rails, an adult Caspian Gull and two hundred and fifty Redwings.

This afternoon there was a female Merlin and six Stonechats in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton near to 'shrike hedge'.

Regards

Neil M

Black-headed Gull.

Dunnock.

Water Rail.

Great Crested Newt.

Images courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

Back in the county

Hello

Now back in the county after three weeks down on the Scillies with plenty of good birding!

Locally the long-staying Glossy Ibis remains at Summer Leys LNR although it seems to visit other areas of the complex and may be the bird seen briefly at Stanwick Pits yesterday. Other birds for Summer Leys today include a Stonechat and nine Pintail.

A Bittern and a Mediterranean Gull were both on the main pit at Stanwick Pits this morning and Thrapston Pits hosted a Marsh Harrier, a Common Sandpiper and a Dunlin, all on the Titchmarsh reserve.

A female Merlin, a Brambling and a Stonechat were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning, in the vicinity of 'shrike hedge'.

Two female Scaup were reported at Eyebrook Reservoir this morning and at Stanford Reservoir four Whooper Swans were present early this morning before flying off east. Four Red-crested Pochard and two Water Rails were also present.

Some ringing at Pitsford Reservoir yesterday morning (Sunday) provided a male Sparrowhawk, two Redwings, four Reed Buntings and fourteen Long-tailed Tits amongst other birds.

Regards

Neil M

Stonechat Summer Leys LNR
courtesy of John Tilly.

Great White Egret courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Reed Bunting courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Cock Pheasant courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Firecrest caught and ringed 
in the Isles of Scilly this autumn.

Scilly images

Hello

A few images from our recent trip to the Scillies...

Regards

Neil M

Little Egret (Cornwall).

Brown Trout (Cornwall).

White Wagtail.

Mediterranean Gull.

Yellow-legged Gull.

Mediterranean Gull.

Small Copper.

Great White Egret.

Red-backed Shrike.

Rock Pipit.

Osprey.

Harrington between the rain

 I timed my walk at Harrington perfectly this morning and managed to avoid a soaking.

 

Getting out of the car by the chippings compound the first thing I heard was a calling Golden Plover, my first locally this autumn. I couldn't locate the bird(s) and didn't hear it again.

3 Kestrels were hunting together over the field making me wonder if they were a family group. 

Further on a Hare popped out in front of me before disappearing back into the undergrowth, the first of 3 sightings, all equally brief.

A flock of Linnets and Goldfinches, roughly 40 strong were on the wing and vocal for most of the walk.

 

A Common Blue butterfly was taking advantage of the weather window to get some nectar.

A Peacock, Red Admiral and unidentified White were also on the wing along with a pair of mating Common Darter dragonflies.

2 separate, very vocal Ravens were both heading elsewhere at speed, whilst the improved conditions saw multiple Buzzards and a lone Kite taking advantage of the thermals to gain height. One of the Buzzards, although extremely distant stood out as being a noticeably paler bird.

Reports from elsewhere in the county have been somewhat limited with sites in the Nene Valley suffering severe flooding.

Boddington Res has had Red-crested Pochard, Common Sandpiper, Stonechat and Yellow-legged Gull today.

The 4 Black Terns were again on the Main Barrage Lake at Clifford Hill. Also present 2 Northern Wheatears, 2 Common Sands and a Hobby.

The Stanford Reservoir Bittern was seen again in reed on the south side of the Res along with 7 Red-crested Pochard.

    Regards,

              Neil H.

Birds of the season

Hello

Another quiet day in the county today but at Stanford Reservoir a Bittern was seen several times and other birds were six Red-crested Pochard still, a Common Sandpiper, a Kingfisher, a Water Rail, two Cetti's Warblers and singles of Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler.

A regular adult Caspian Gull was again at Naseby Reservoir and single Hobbies were seen at Piddington and just inside Bedfordshire at Poddington and over the village of Cogenhoe. At Summer Leys LNR there were two Hobbies there too plus singles of Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper and two Pintail. The Hobbies are no doubt feeding up before they follow the martins and Swallows south to Africa.

A Garganey and a Turnstone were at Eyebrook Reservoir today.

Regards

Neil M

Hobby courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Bittern courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Yellow-browed Warbler 
courtesy of Robin Gossage.
A major arrival is occurring in the
north and east of the nation with
a scattering elsewhere...

Rock Pipit courtesy of
Tony Stanford.
This is the best time of year and
into October to chance across
this scarce species in the county.
They seem to have become much
more difficult to see in recent years.

September marches on

Hello

A Black-necked Grebe at Daventry Country Park is presumably a fresh bird in with these NNE winds.

The six Red-crested Pochard remain at Stanford Reservoir today with other birds being two Pintail, an influx of Wigeon, a Common Sandpiper, a Hobby and two Cetti's Warblers. A Garganey was recorded at Eyebrook Reservoir.

Three Yellow-legged Gulls, a Dunlin and two Ringed Plovers were in the dam area at Pitsford Reservoir today and there were at least two Great White Egrets north of the causeway. A Grey Wagtail was at Hanging Houghton.

A Bittern was seen at Layby Pit North at Stanwick Pits this morning with a remaining Black-tailed Godwit and a Pintail on the main lake. Summer Leys LNR provided a female Stonechat and three Green Sandpipers.

A significant influx of Great White Egrets nationally is having some influence on birds locally with one bird seen flying over Brackley town at 8.30am this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Dunnock courtesy
of John Tilly.

Stonechat courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Sparrowhawk courtesy
of Jim Dunkley.

Starling courtesy of
John Tilly.

Long-tailed Tits courtesy
of John Gamble.

A quiet Wednesday in September

Hello

A quiet day in the county today with little that is new.

Stanwick Pits led the way with two Cattle Egrets, two Black-tailed Godwits and a Yellow-legged Gull on the main lake early this morning. An adult Yellow-legged Gull and three Dunlin were still on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits. A Hobby was noted at Clifford Hill Pits.

Away from the Nene Valley there were three Yellow-legged Gulls off the dam at Pitsford Reservoir early this afternoon and two Ravens were about all that was noteworthy at Harrington Airfield this afternoon.

In the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning two Whinchats and two Stonechats were still in situ plus a Marsh Harrier, a Little Egret, a Green Sandpiper and two Grey Wagtails.

Regards

Neil M

Dunlin courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Goldcrest courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Common Buzzard courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Kestrel courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Brown Hawker dragonfly
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Late surge of butterflies and odonata

Hello

Birds of interest at Stanford Reservoir saw the Red-crested Pochard flock increase to six birds, two Pintails, a Common Sandpiper, a Hobby and a Cetti's Warbler. Ringers operating at the reservoir this morning ringed another huge total of 367 new birds, this following 193 new birds ringed yesterday, demonstrating the sheer number of passerine migrants passing through there.

A much more humble ringing session at Pitsford Reservoir this morning however didn't fail on quality with forty-six birds processed by one ringer around the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station which included ten Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest, two Sedge Warblers, four Reed Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat, fifteen Blackcaps and a Meadow Pipit. A Great White Egret and a Kingfisher and a Raven were in the Walgrave Bay with Willow Emerald Damselflies amongst other odonata on show in the shelter of Christies Copse. Two Ravens were on the outskirts of Scaldwell village and a Grey Wagtail was at Hanging Houghton.

Willow Emerald Damselflies seem to have very much colonised much of Northamptonshire during the last few years and eleven were seen at Sywell Country Park this afternoon. This sunny weather seems to be providing a late fling of butterflies after such an awful season and there are plenty of Large Whites, Red Admirals, Speckled Woods and Commas on the wing. Concentrations of Small Coppers have shown very well on the grassy banks of the dams at both of Pitsford and Ravensthorpe Reservoirs the last couple of days.

At Stanwick Pits today the best birds noted were two Cattle Egrets, an adult Caspian Gull, five Yellow-legged Gulls and a Black-tailed Godwit. Just down the road at Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston there was an adult Yellow-legged Gull, three Dunlin and a Hobby.

Birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton today included four Whinchats, two Stonechats and two Ravens and there were two Ring-necked Parakeets yesterday.

Regards

Neil M

Long-tailed Tits.

Jay courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Chiffchaff courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Male Bullfinch courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Male Greenfinch courtesy 
of Robin Gossage. Locally
 they appear to have enjoyed a
very productive breeding season.

A visit to Barnwell Country Park

Hello

A recce out to the east of the county for a change found us at Barnwell Country Park where the stunning weather brought forth many insects with odonata comprising of a late Brown Hawker, Migrant Hawkers, a couple of Southern Hawkers, Common Darter, Banded Demoiselle and Willow Emerald. Plenty of common butterflies were on the wing including Comma and Small Copper and the birds provided a splash of colour with at least two Kingfishers, a Spotted Flycatcher, a couple of Nuthatches and a Reed Warbler. As elsewhere in the county there were plenty of shrill-sounding Chiffchaffs gleaning the bushes and trees.

An adult Peregrine was perched on the spire of St Peter's church in Oundle and a Marsh Harrier and a Cetti's Warbler were noted at Wadenhoe Water Meadows.

Eleanor's morning visit to Harrington Airfield provided a view of a 'ringtail' Hen Harrier which then headed towards the Brampton Valley, a pair of Stonechats, a Wheatear, two Ravens and numbers of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits on the move.

A subsequent visit to the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton produced four Whinchats, a Common Redstart, common warblers, lots of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits and a Marsh Harrier. Three silent small geese flew over Hanging Houghton early morning, quickly disappearing from view before optics could be brought to bear!

Four Red-crested Pochard remained at Stanford Reservoir today and other birds amounted to a Hobby, a Common Sandpiper and a Cetti's Warbler.

Two Whinchats and a Stonechat were at Priors Hall, Corby today late morning and migrants at Borough Hill CP, Daventry included a Stonechat, a Whinchat and a Wheatear. Two Ravens were over Mawsley village at lunchtime.

Regards

Neil M

Drake Mallard.

Willow Emerald Damselfly.

Cormorant.

Robin.

Brown Rat.

All images from Barnwell
Country Park today.