Late August birding in the county

Hello

Little in the way of promised rain today but tomorrow's forecast looks more promising for precipitation.

The long-staying Pectoral Sandpiper and the Spotted Redshank were both at Daventry Country Park today.

A Black Tern was at Boddington Reservoir today and Stanford Reservoir had the Ferruginous Duck still, a Mandarin Duck, two Pintail, five Common Sandpipers, a Common Snipe, a Green Sandpiper, two Kingfishers and a Spotted Flycatcher.

Up to six Grey Wagtails and two Ravens were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth and at Pitsford Reservoir there was a Black Tern and at least fifteen Yellow Wagtails at the dam end and the Scaldwell Bay hosted three Black-tailed Godwits, a Greenshank, three Common Sandpipers and four Great White Egrets.

Hollowell Reservoir attracted two Ruff, a Ringed Plover, two Redshanks, a Green Sandpiper and three Common Snipe. The Caspian Gull was again reported from Naseby Reservoir.

A male Pied Flycatcher was a great find amongst some twenty Spotted Flycatchers at Lamport Hall this evening, where also two Common Redstarts and a Barn Owl.

An Osprey was seen in flight over Arthingworth, three Little Terns were seen in flight over Wollaston and nearby Summer Leys LNR hosted a Ruff, a Dunlin, a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper and four Common Snipe.

Clifford Hill Pits was the venue for two Greenshanks, a Ruff, a Ringed Plover, four Common Sandpipers and a Whinchat. A Wheatear was seen at Brackley.

Thrapston Pits provided views of a Greenshank, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Wheatear.

Regards

Neil M

Hobby courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Herring Gulls.

Mute Swan courtesy
of Tyler Atkinson.

Waders, chats and flycatchers

Hello

A very quiet WeBS count at Ditchford Pits with the only birds of note west of Ditchford Lane being a Common Sandpiper, up to nine Common Snipe, two Hobbys, a Kingfisher and a handful of Cetti's Warblers. East of Ditchford Lane and it was even quieter!

Up to about a dozen Spotted Flycatchers were at Lamport Hall this evening and two Barn Owls were located.

Two or three Common Redstarts were in the usual hedging off the footpath south of Old/Cherry Hill/Walgrave with about twenty Clouded Yellows in the lucerne field.

At Stanford Reservoir today the Ferruginous Duck was seen again plus a Mandarin Duck, a Great White Egret, two Kingfishers, six Common Sandpipers, twenty-five Yellow Wagtails and four Spotted Flycatchers.

The Pectoral Sandpiper was again located at Daventry Country Park today and the Spotted Redshank was still present too.

Hollowell Reservoir sported a juvenile Black Tern off the dam, a Ringed Plover, a Greenshank, two Redshanks, a Common Sandpiper and a family of ten Egyptian Geese! Naseby Reservoir hosted the Caspian Gull as usual plus a Ruff, two Green Sandpipers, six Common Sandpipers and a Wheatear.

Birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir this morning were an Osprey, three Greenshanks, three Black-tailed Godwits, a Ruff and a Common Sandpiper.

In the Nene Valley, Clifford Hill Pits provided for two Common Sandpipers, fifty-eight Yellow Wagtails, a Common Redstart, at least three Whinchats (please see video below courtesy of Tyler Atkinson) and a Wheatear.

The New Workings section of the Earls Barton Pits complex still had a Glossy Ibis this afternoon, a Spotted Redshank, at least seven Green Sandpipers and three Common Sandpipers. A Glossy Ibis was on the scrape at Summer Leys LNR this evening with a Marsh Harrier earlier in the afternoon.

During the last couple of evenings, Kenny Cramer and team have tried roost catching at Linford Lakes reserve on the edge of Milton Keynes and succeeded in catching and processing good numbers of warblers, Sand Martins, Swallows and Yellow Wagtails.

Regards

Neil M

Yellow Wagtail courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Egyptian Goose.

A grisly end to a Ruff at
Pitsford Reservoir, with this
image of a Grey Heron courtesy
of John Kirkelionis.

Spotted Flycatchers on the move

Hello

A day of very pleasant temperatures and sunshine, hopefully with some rain towards the latter end of the week.

The Pectoral Sandpiper was again reported from Daventry Country Park this morning.

At Stanford Reservoir today a Common Redstart was caught and ringed and birds noted on-site were seven Common Sandpipers, a Yellow-legged Gull, a Wheatear, fifteen Yellow Wagtails and at least a hundred Cormorants.

Two Great White Egrets, a leucistic Woodpigeon and a Spotted Flycatcher were noted in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir late this afternoon.

Two Whinchats and a Common Redstart were at Clifford Hill Pits this morning with later observations of two Wheatears, a Raven and a Stoat. The Earls Barton Pits New Workings was the location of a Glossy Ibis, a Spotted Redshank and three Green Sandpipers. Presumably the same Glossy Ibis was seen flying over Summer Leys LNR earlier in the morning and where also a Marsh Harrier was seen.

A Hobby was seen over Abington Park, Northampton and two Little Ringed Plovers and two Common Sandpipers were at Sywell Country Park.

A Garganey was located at Sulby Reservoir where also a Common Snipe and two Common Sandpipers and nearby at Naseby Reservoir the regular adult Caspian Gull was present plus two Green Sandpipers and six Common Sandpipers.

Spotted Flycatchers are probably at their most numerous now as they move through and linger to fatten up before moving further south - two parties of them were at Castle Ashby Lakes (where also a Kingfisher) and four Spotted Flycatchers were at Woodford Halse LNR. A very large gathering of thirty plus Spotted Flycatchers were at Lamport Hall this evening where also a Common Redstart, a Hobby and two Ravens.

A visit to Harrington Airfield provided two Spotted Flycatchers, three Common Redstarts, a Whinchat, a Wheatear and a Marsh Harrier. Two Common Redstarts and a Whinchat were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

Regards

Neil M

Lesser Whitethroat.

Common Whitethroat.

Spotted Flycatcher Lamport Hall
courtesy of David Smith.

A week-end of ringing and migration

Hello

My apologies for no blog entry yesterday, computer issues!

Bird ringing operations continued apace at Stanford Reservoir over the week-end and amongst many migrants processed the highlights were a Wryneck yesterday and a Tree Pipit today.

Yesterday (Saturday) and some ringing at Harrington Airfield provided eighty-eight captures with perhaps the highlights being a first year Grasshopper Warbler and six Lesser Whitethroats. Other warblers were four Willow Warblers, thirty Blackcaps, ten Common Whitethroats and a Reed Warbler. A juvenile House Sparrow was the first of this species to be ringed at this site and other birds were sixteen Linnets and six Yellowhammers. A Tree Pipit flew south at 6am and two Common Redstarts were heard calling but evaded the mist nets.

Today (Sunday) and some ringing at Brixworth Water Treatment Works provided one hundred and eight captures which included a smart first year male Common Redstart, two Song Thrushes, eight Chiffchaffs, two Willow Warblers (including an adult seemingly of the northern race 'acredula'), a Garden Warbler, twenty Blackcaps, eleven Common Whitethroats, two Sedge Warblers, a Reed Warbler, a Grey Wagtail and eleven Goldfinches.

Birding-wise the Pectoral Sandpiper was still at Daventry Country Park today where a Spotted Redshank was also located.

At Stanford Reservoir the Ferruginous Duck was seen again and other birds were two juvenile Water Rails, four Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, two Kingfishers, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Common Redstart and ten Yellow Wagtails.

Hollowell Reservoir attracted an Osprey, a Ringed Plover, three Dunlin, a Greenshank, three Common Sandpipers and five Common Snipe.

At Clifford Hill Pits there was a Common Redstart, four Little Ringed Plovers, three or four Common Sandpipers, seven Common Snipe and forty-eight Yellow Wagtails, and two Marsh Harriers were seen at Summer Leys LNR.

Three Yellow-legged Gulls, a Water Rail and a Common Snipe were at Priory Hall Lake, Corby.

At least a dozen Spotted Flycatchers and a male Common Redstart were at Lamport Hall today.

Family parties of Hobby were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and Harlestone/Nobottle.

Regards

Neil M

Common Redstart at Brixworth today
courtesy of Sean Gower.

Grasshopper Warbler yesterday courtesy
of Freddy Try.

Drinker moth.

Interesting birds despite a tumble in the temperature

Hello

The Ferruginous Duck was still at Stanford Reservoir today where also a female Mandarin duck, three hundred and thirty Tufted Ducks, a Common Sandpiper, a Common Snipe, twenty Yellow Wagtails and four Kingfishers, one of which was caught and ringed.

The Pectoral Sandpiper was also still at Daventry Country Park with a supporting cast of two Shelducks, an Oystercatcher, two Ringed Plovers, two Dunlin, three Green Sandpipers and four Common Sandpipers.

The Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits provided three Garganey, a Turnstone, a Black-tailed Godwit and a Greenshank.

A Glossy Ibis was seen at the Earls Barton New Workings area and then subsequently at Summer Leys LNR. Other birds at the new workings section were a juvenile Marsh Harrier, an adult Caspian Gull, a Hobby, four Green Sandpipers, four Common Sandpipers and a Greenshank.

Clifford Hill Pits produced a Common Redstart, a Spotted Flycatcher, seventy Yellow Wagtails, a Greenshank, two Ruff, a Ringed Plover, three Common Sandpipers and three Common Snipe.

A Whinchat and two Stonechats were at Borough Hill Country Park, Daventry and two Ravens were at Chapel and Church Brampton.

Two Spotted Flycatchers were located at Lamport Hall and others were heard calling in Hanging Houghton village where still a vocal Raven and a couple of Little Owls.

Two male Common Redstarts were between Gamboro' Plantation and Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and the Hobby family was still there too. Two Common Redstarts were heard calling just south of Bunker One at Harrington Airfield this evening.

At Pitsford Reservoir today there was a Ruff in the Scaldwell Bay (the second bird seemingly predated by a Grey Heron), at least five Common Sandpipers, at least four Great White Egrets and a Clouded Yellow butterfly.

Regards

Neil M

Clouded Yellow butterfly at
Pitsford Reservoir today.

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Common Sandpipers

All above images courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Marsh Tit courtesy of Tyler Atkinson.

Some showers and cooler temperatures

Hello

A day with a few showers and subsequent cooler temperatures was a nice change!

A Glossy Ibis was reported at Summer Leys LNR and presumably the same bird later at the Earls Barton New Workings complex further west.

At Daventry Country Park the Pectoral Sandpiper has remained for another day and other waders there were two Dunlin, two Ringed Plovers and singles of Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper.

Birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir were three Black-tailed Godwits, six Greenshanks, a Whimbrel, two Common Sandpipers, a Golden Plover, two Ospreys, two Kingfishers and seven Great White Egrets.

Stanford Reservoir hosted the Ferruginous Duck still, a Mandarin Duck, a Hobby, a Common Snipe, two Green Sandpipers, six Common Sandpipers, a Raven, twenty Yellow Wagtails, six Spotted Flycatchers, two Kingfishers and two of the colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls.

Three Garganey were at Titchmarsh LNR at Thrapston Pits where also a Wood Sandpiper, a Greenshank, a Black-tailed Godwit, three Common Snipe and two Common Sandpipers.

Other birds at the New Workings section of Earls Barton were a Hobby, a Greenshank, three Green Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper. Other birds at Summer Leys LNR were a Hobby, two Greenshanks and two Common Sandpipers.

A Hobby family was still in the vicinity of Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning and a Common Redstart was still between the chippings compound and Bunker One at Harrington Airfield. At least three Grey Wagtails were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth. At least one Raven remains around Hanging Houghton village.

There are plans for a ringing session at Harrington Airfield on Saturday which will mean restricted access around the bunkers between the chipping compound and the concrete track. The footpath along the concrete track remains unaffected.

Regards

Neil M

An adult Yellow-legged Gull
in full moult.

A Herring Gull taking it easy,
courtesy of John Tilly.

A first year Starling moulting
into winter plumage, courtesy
of John Tilly.

I rather assume that much of our wildlife
has suffered during the long, hot drought
and I'm sure the amphibians such as these
Common Frogs in our garden will be
 pleased to see some moisture. 

August long-stayers

Hello

The Pectoral Sandpiper was still at Daventry Country Park today, probably best viewed from the new viewing platform with the bird at the north-western end of the old reservoir.

At Stanford Reservoir the Ferruginous Duck remained. No less than three colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls were at Stanford today - the bird from Belarus, a bird so marked at Stanford and a third bird with origins in Holland. A juvenile Peregrine that was present and attempting to take a Black-headed Gull was itself a colour-ringed bird. Other birds on-site were three Kingfishers, three Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, a Hobby, thirty Yellow Wagtails and seven Spotted Flycatchers. One hundred and thirty-six birds were caught and ringed today.

The Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits is doing well hanging on to it's waders and today the Wood Sandpiper was still present plus a Greenshank, a Ringed Plover, two Common Sandpipers, a Black-tailed Godwit and a Garganey.

Summer Leys LNR provided views of a Hobby, two Greenshanks and a Common Sandpiper with another Common Sandpiper on Mary's Lake.

At Pitsford Reservoir there were two Black-tailed Godwits in the Scaldwell Bay plus two Ruff and three Greenshanks with a Common Sandpiper, at least three Ringed Plovers and two Yellow-legged Gulls in the area of the dam.

A Raven and a couple of vocal Little Owls were at Hanging Houghton village and one or two Common Redstart(s) and at least twelve Spotted Flycatchers were at Lamport Hall.

Three Common Redstarts remain in hedging adjacent to the footpath that runs south of the villages of Old, Cherry Hill and Walgrave, and where half a dozen Clouded Yellows persist.

Two Common Redstarts were between the Chippings Compound and Bunker One at Harrington Airfield this morning and a Raven was heard calling distantly. A couple of Grey Wagtails were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth.

Regards

Neil M

Garganey.

Greenshank and Wood Sandpiper.

All images from Titchmarsh reserve
at Thrapston Pits courtesy of
 Nick Parker.

Pitsford Reservoir WeBS count

 Hello

The August waterbird count was completed at Pitsford Reservoir today in quite dull but at times humid conditions. With lowering water levels and an exposed shoreline, it was great to see reasonable number of waders making use of the habitat to rest and feed.

South of the causeway there was an adult Osprey fishing, thirteen Little Egrets, a Common Redstart by the dam, a couple of vocal Ravens, a Wheatear, up to eight Grey Wagtails, a Green Sandpiper, two Common Sandpipers, two Greenshanks, a Dunlin, a Turnstone and four Ringed Plovers.

North of the causeway there were two Ospreys (adult and juvenile), a Marsh Harrier, seven Great White Egrets, thirteen Little Egrets, a Garganey, a juvenile Shelduck, two Wigeon, sixteen Black-tailed Godwits, a Golden Plover, 7-10 Greenshanks, two Ruff, four Green Sandpipers, six Common Sandpipers, five Common Snipe, two adult Yellow-legged Gulls, three Spotted Flycatchers and a Grey Wagtail.

There were two sightings of a single Osprey over nearby Brixworth today.

At Stanford Reservoir today the Ferruginous Duck remained in situ plus a Green Sandpiper, three Common Sandpipers and two Kingfishers. A colour-ringed Black-headed Gull was apparently initially ringed in Belarus in 2024.

The Pectoral Sandpiper remained at Daventry Country Park today and other waders there were a Common Sandpiper and six Dunlin.

At Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits the Glossy Ibis re-appeared and there was also three Garganey, a Wood Sandpiper and a Greenshank. One of the bird information services reported that a Glossy Ibis was at Summer Leys LNR this evening.

A Curlew, three Common Sandpipers and forty Yellow Wagtails were at Clifford Hill Pits this morning.

This afternoon saw a Whinchat, a Wheatear and a Common Redstart at shrike hedge in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and a Common Redstart and at least six Spotted Flycatchers at Gamboro' Plantation. Nearby and two Common Redstarts were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell where also a Marsh Harrier and a Hobby family party.

A Single Raven and a Grey Wagtail were both at Hanging Houghton village and in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth today.

Regards

Neil M

Greenshank.

Common Sandpiper.

Turnstone.

Grey Wagtail.

Pectoral Sandpiper bird of the day

Hello

More cloud cover this afternoon and even a few spots of rain to tease us!

Gary found a Pectoral Sandpiper at Daventry Country Park, one of a very long line of scarce and rare birds he has located over the years in the west of the county. This bird maintained a presence for much of the day and the plumage on a fairly distant view indicates it's an adult (the vast majority of previous Pec Sands in the county have been juveniles). A Common Redstart and two Dunlin were also seen there.

At Stanford Reservoir the Ferruginous Duck of unknown provenance remained today and other birds were three Great White Egrets (flying west), a Common Snipe, four Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, a Hobby, twenty Yellow Wagtails and a Cetti's Warbler. A juvenile Kestrel was ringed there today.

The Wood Sandpiper and an Osprey were seen at Thrapston Pits today, the sandpiper on the Titchmarsh reserve where also two Common Sandpipers and a Ringed Plover, and the Osprey over Elinor Lake.

Summer Leys LNR attracted a Hobby, a Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper.

An adult Caspian Gull was at Hollowell Reservoir this morning where also two Dunlin and four Common Sandpipers.

A Common Redstart was seen at Harrington Airfield and the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton provided a fly-past of fourteen Ravens this morning, and five or six Spotted Flycatchers next to the Brampton Brook this evening.

At Ecton Sewage Farm this evening there was a Greenshank, five Green Sandpipers and a Spotted Flycatcher. 

Regards

Neil M

Swallow courtesy of Tyler Atkinson.

Adult drake Mallard in eclipse plumage.

Migrant Hawker courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

August bird ringing

Hello

The weather conditions were ideal for bird ringing today with local sessions at Stanford Reservoir, Linford Lakes and Brixworth.

At Stanford Reservoir one hundred and fifty-three new birds were ringed (one hundred and ninety yesterday) which included two Grasshopper Warblers and a first year male Common Redstart.

Over a hundred birds were processed of nineteen species at Linford Lakes which included two Grasshopper Warblers, twenty-five Blackcaps, four Garden Warblers, four Common Whitethroats, three Lesser Whitethroats, nine Reed Warblers, eight Sedge Warblers (including a bird ringed elsewhere), a Cetti's Warbler, eleven Willow Warblers and a single Chiffchaff. Finches were five Greenfinches and four Goldfinches and other birds were a Treecreeper, two Goldcrests and a Reed Bunting.

At Brixworth one hundred and twelve birds were processed which included a Green Woodpecker, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a first year male Common Redstart, two Grey Wagtails, two Reed Warblers, a single Sedge Warbler, two Garden Warblers, ten Blackcaps, a Lesser Whitethroat, seventeen Common Whitethroats, four Willow Warblers and fourteen Chiffchaffs plus thirty-four Goldfinches.

Birding-wise the Ferruginous Duck was still at Stanford Reservoir plus four Kingfishers, a Peregrine, four Common Sandpipers, twenty Yellow Wagtails and a juvenile Marsh Harrier.

There was no sign of the Glossy Ibis at Titchmarsh today (but a bird not far away in Cambridgeshire), but the Wood Sandpiper and a Garganey were still present.

A juvenile Marsh Harrier and a Bittern were at Summer Leys LNR and a Turtle Dove was reported nearby near Hardwater Crossing. Other birds were a Hobby, a Common Snipe, two Common Sandpipers and a Green Sandpiper.

Six Yellow-legged Gulls and a Green Sandpiper were at Priors Hall Quarry Lake, Corby

A Hobby was chasing hirundines over Hollowell village this evening and two Common Redstarts were at Honey Hill, Cold Ashby between the gate and stone monument.

Another Common Redstart was in hedging by Alfalfa/lucerne fields from the footpath between Old and Walgrave and a Crossbill was at Wicken Wood. At least one Raven was at Brixworth.

Regards

Neil M

Grasshopper Warbler courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Common Redstart.

First year female Green Woodpecker.

Autumn Wood Warbler and supporting cast

Hello

Sadly it seems like the good birds from yesterday vacated Summer Leys LNR overnight and birders today have spread their wings to try more locations to find something a little out of the ordinary.

The Ferruginous Duck was reported from Stanford Reservoir again and it's Day One of 'Stanstock' where the regular Stanford Ringing Group ringers spend a week on-site in an effort to record and process as many migrants as they can. Both a Common Redstart and a Grasshopper Warbler were caught and ringed today (following two Common Redstarts ringed there yesterday). Other birds noted around the reservoir were four Common Sandpipers, five Pochard, four hundred and twenty Tufted Ducks, twenty Yellow Wagtails, two Hobby and two Ravens.

The best find of the day in the county was an autumn Wood Warbler at Wicken Wood, a tricky bird to find in the spring and particularly difficult in the autumn as they are usually silent. It's likely that very few of these birds move through the county each year so I consider this an excellent find and congratulations to Tyler the finder.

Potentially another new bird was a Glossy Ibis which was located at Titchmarsh LNR (Thrapston Pits) by Adrian - it's unclear whether this is the bird that was at Summer Leys LNR yesterday. Other birds at Titchmarsh were an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Garganey, a Wood Sandpiper, a Greenshank, three Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, three Common Snipe and a Marsh Harrier (which latterly flushed the ibis).

At Pitsford Reservoir today there were four Greenshanks north of the causeway plus a Green Sandpiper, a juvenile Shelduck, four Great White Egrets, four Spotted Flycatchers and a Common Redstart, all in the Scaldwell Bay. Four Yellow-legged Gulls and a Dunlin were at the dam area this evening.

A Tree Pipit was at Hollowell Reservoir this morning plus two Greenshank and two Dunlin. A Common Redstart was found in a field hedgerow just east of Boughton this morning and another was south-west of Great Brington. Three more Common Redstarts were at Harrington Airfield this morning, two betweeen the chippings compound and Bunker One and a single at Bunker Two. Another Common Redstart was at Lamport Hall where also eight or so Spotted Flycatchers.

Summer Leys LNR attracted two Cattle Egrets and two Marsh Harriers this morning. A Barn Owl was hunting in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Wood Warbler at Wicken Wood today
courtesy of Tyler Atkinson.

Spotted Flycatcher.

Common Redstart courtesy of
Tyler Atkinson.

Juvenile Red Kite.

Quality birds in the Nene Valley

Hello

The Summer Leys reserve at Earls Barton Pits was the place today with the discovery of an adult White-winged (Black) Tern this morning and then subsequently three Spotted Redshanks followed by a Bittern, the Glossy Ibis again and a showy Hobby! Other birds were two Egyptian Geese, a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, a few Common Snipe and a Common Sandpiper.

Two Common Redstarts were on show at Lamport Hall this morning where also a couple of Spotted Flycatchers and with Raven and Little Owl at Hanging Houghton. A hunting Common Buzzard in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth was seen to catch a large rat this afternoon.

At Pitsford Reservoir today there was an Osprey north of the causeway plus four or five Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper, two Common Sandpipers and three Spotted Flycatchers.

The female Ferruginous Duck was again at Stanford Reservoir and the female Ruddy Shelduck at Hollowell Reservoir where also an Osprey, a Peregrine, a Little Ringed Plover, a Dunlin, a Common Sandpiper and two Greenshanks. 

Naseby Reservoir again hosted the adult Caspian Gull, four Green Sandpipers and two Common Sandpipers with an adult Yellow-legged Gull at Ravensthorpe Reservoir and two Green Sandpipers.

The Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits continued to host a Wood Sandpiper, two Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank and a Common Snipe.

Clifford Hill Pits early this morning provided views of four Cattle Egrets, two juvenile Black Terns, a Water Rail and a Common Sandpiper.

A Whinchat was noted at Bunker Three Harrington Airfield where also Grey Partridges were encountered.

In the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton, migrants included two Whinchats, a Wheatear and a Common Redstart around shrike hedge, with three Common Redstarts at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and where also two Spotted Flycatchers and a Whinchat. A family party of Hobby were in the general area (four flying juveniles), as was a juvenile Marsh Harrier and an increase in Yellow Wagtails and Meadow Pipits.

The footpath south of Old, Cherry Hill and Walgrave provided three or four Common Redstarts in the hedges and perhaps fifteen Clouded Yellow butterflies in the fields of purple lucerne.

A juvenile Marsh Harrier was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton again this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Adult White-winged (Black) Tern at
Summer Leys LNR today
courtesy of Tyler Atkinson.

Juvenile Black Terns at
Clifford Hill Pits courtesy
of Tyler Atkinson.

Green Sandpiper Pitsford Reservoir
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Greenshank at Pitsford Reservoir
courtesy of Tony Stanford.