Insects on parade!

Hello

Yesterday evening (25th) and there were no less than three 'reeling' Grasshopper Warblers at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

Not much opportunity for birding today but Harrington Airfield was quite productive this morning with two Common Redstarts lingering around the first ringing ride near to bunker one, two Turtle Doves at the end of the concrete track, a pair of Grey Partridge and a singing Grasshopper Warbler by bunker two. This afternoon at least one of the Redstarts, a juvenile male, was still showing intermittently on the edge of the ringing ride.

Two Ravens overflew Hanging Houghton this morning and five Yellow-legged Gulls were off the Sailing Club at Pitsford Reservoir this evening.

Elsewhere a Cattle Egret was at Stanwick this morning plus two adult Yellow-legged Gulls, a Little Ringed Plover and eight Common Sandpipers. Nearby at Ringstead Pits there were still four juvenile Cattle Egrets this afternoon and a Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper at Summer Leys.

This evening at 10.20pm the local Barn Owl could be heard calling as he roded around the village.

Due to the uncertain weather forecast for tomorrow (Saturday 27th), the ringing demonstration due to be held at Pitsford Reservoir close to the Fishing Lodge is now cancelled.

Regards

Neil M

Marbled White butterfly

Phasia Hemiptera.

Marmalade Hoverfly.

Silver-washed Fritillary.

Ruddy Darter.

Four spotted Chaser.

Figwort Weevil.

Hawthorn Shield Bug.

Insects of July courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Crikey that was hot!

Hello

Well the billing for the hottest day of the year proved accurate, thank goodness there was a breeze for much of it. Not surprisingly the majority of bird activity was confined to the early morning and evening.

A juvenile Common Redstart was in field hedging in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning, access by walking along the hedge that runs behind the large barn near to the Brampton Valley Way. A singing Grasshopper Warbler was nearby. Steve Fisher's daily venture to Stanwick Pits/Lakes also produced sightings of three Cattle Egrets, two Common Sandpipers and a Snipe.

Three Yellow-legged Gulls were on buoys off the Sailing Club at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon with another north of the causeway. A Common Sandpiper and a Goldeneye were also in the Scaldwell Bay.

At 8pm this evening a Turtle Dove began purring in trees two gardens along from our house at Hanging Houghton and is still purring now as I type! Somewhat bizarre but perhaps it can't find a mate and is attracted to the village Collared Doves?

Regards

Neil M

Great Crested Grebe.

Little Egret.

Cormorant.

Common Tern.

Great Crested Grebe.

Common Terns.

More images from Pitsford
Reservoir courtesy of
 Robin Gossage.

Pitsford ringing

Hello

Bird ringing activity at Pitsford Reservoir today concluded with a total of 112 birds being processed which included a boat trip out to the tern rafts and ringing 16 Common Tern chicks. Other birds of another twenty species included a Kingfisher, a Blackbird, a Song Thrush, 6 Dunnocks, 9 Robins, 10 Wrens, a Treecreeper, 2 Goldcrests, 4 Willow Warblers, 8 Chiffchaffs, 5 Garden Warblers, 8 Blackcaps, a Whitethroat, 5 Reed Warblers, 17 Great Tits, 9 Blue Tits, a Coal Tit, 2 Marsh Tits, 4 Long-tailed Tits and a Bullfinch.

Other birds noted on the reserve included a Great White Egret, an adult Yellow-legged Gull and three drake Red-crested Pochards.

Hollowell Reservoir today supported waders in the shape of a Dunlin, three Green Sandpipers, five Common Sandpipers, a Redshank and a Little Ringed Plover. Stanwick again hosted a Cattle Egret today plus two Green Sandpipers and five Common Sandpipers.

A walk in the cooling evening at Harrington Airfield was good for two moulting juvenile Common Redstarts (by the Shooting Wall and at the ringing ride near to Bunker One), a Turtle Dove, a pair of Grey Partridge, a juvenile Grasshopper Warbler, an influx of Willow Warblers and a juvenile Sedge Warbler trying it's best to sing! A Hobby raced past the garden here at Hanging Houghton this afternoon in pursuit of Swallows and a male Sparrowhawk was punching above it's weight with it's capture of a Collared Dove.

Regards

Neil M

Furtive Grasshopper Warbler
at Harrington Airfield this evening.

Sparrowhawk.

Pitsford events

Hello

Today I undertook the last Common Bird Census of the season around the reserve at Pitsford Reservoir, starting at 5am this morning. An unearthly golden glow and banks of mist awaited and enthralled me as I meandered north of the causeway. Although it was pleasant temperatures right from the word go it didn't become hot and sunny until I was about half way around.

Being towards the end of the season this last session is all about mopping up on late breeders and seeing evidence of productivity rather than mapping territories. Even now though there were odd Robins, Song Thrushes, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs still singing and holding territory but of course all the tits and many of the warblers, Treecreeper and Goldcrest offspring were gleaning the trees and bushes in large roving mixed flocks. Willow Tits were noted in the Scaldwell and Holcot Bays. Fresh-in migrants included juvenile Willow Warblers and a juvenile Grey Wagtail, and juvenile Sedge Warblers will be from elsewhere (none breeding on the reserve at all this year).

Great White Egrets were noted south of the causeway and in the Scaldwell and Walgrave Bays, probably just two mobile birds being involved in these sightings. Some fifteen Little Egrets were present as were nearly four hundred moulting Gadwall and reasonable numbers of Tufted Duck and Pochard. Kingfisher and Common Sandpiper added a little more variety and two eclipse drake Red-crested Pochard were today in the Scaldwell Bay. No doubt the summering Goldeneye is still there somewhere but I didn't see it.

Larger breeding birds included five broods of Mute Swan, two broods of Great Crested Grebe, four broods of Tufted Duck, three Common Buzzard families and two family groups of Sparrowhawk. 

The very warm conditions brought forth a host of insects which included 15 species of butterfly (perhaps the best being Purple Hairstreak) and 14 species of odonata which included Beautiful Demoiselle and another Lesser Emperor dragonfly. A fairly worn Hummingbird Hawk-moth showed well in the Holcot Bay.

The week of events celebrating fifty years of conservation at Pitsford Reservoir continues and there is an excellent free photographic exhibition at the Fishing Lodge illustrating some of the wildlife on-site including images from Robin Gossage and Dave Jackson (open 9.30am - 4pm every day up to and including Sunday 28th July). Weather permitting there will also be a bird ringing demonstration near to the Fishing Lodge on Saturday 27th July with a drop-in opportunity of coming along anytime between 8.30am and 12.30pm.

Regards

Neil M

Pitsford early this morning...
a combination of sunrise and
 overnight mist.

Great Crested Grebe.

Grey Heron.

Little Egret.

Common Blue Damselfly.

Common Darter.

Azure Blue Damselfly.

Blue Emperor.

Juvenile Grey Wagtail.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth.

All images today at
Pitsford Reservoir.

Harrington preparation

Hello

Three juvenile Cattle Egrets seen at Ringstead Pits today are the result of successful breeding in the county for the first time.

A small party of us spent some time at Harrington Airfield today preparing the site for late summer/autumn bird ringing. Birds seemed thin on the ground but we did see a Turtle Dove and a Hobby.

Regards

Neil M

Part of the Harrington team
today - photograph taken by
the fifth member Lynne Barnett!

Turtle Dove.

Hobby courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Stortons ringing

Hello

Birds reported in the county today were limited to just a few regular observers and Steve Fisher again saw two Cattle Egrets and two Common Sandpipers at Stanwick Pits. Just down the road at Kinewell Lake (Ringstead Pits) a drake Red-crested Pochard was also located.

Birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir this morning included six Little Egrets and an adult Yellow-legged Gull. A Weasel was seen briefly by the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station.

Also today a small team of ringers operated at Stortons Pits catching some 68 birds made up of a Chiffchaff, 20 Reed Warblers, 5 Sedge Warblers, 3 Cetti's Warblers, a Garden Warbler, 10 Blackcaps, 3 Whitethroats, a Blackbird, 3 Song Thrushes, 2 Dunnocks, 3 Robins, 3 Wrens, 3 Long-tailed Tits, 3 Great Tits, 4 Blue Tits and 3 Goldfinches.

Regards

Neil M

This adult female Sparrowhawk
was today watched plucking a bird at
 Pitsford Reservoir which at the time
 I thought was a pigeon or dove.

 A close up of some
of the scattered feathers suggest it
 might have been a Great Spotted
Woodpecker. This plucking post is
actually a Common Buzzard nest
which wasn't used this year

NBC Trip to Camargue 2

Hello

Very little opportunity for birding today so I've posted a few more images from the Northants Bird Club trip to the Camargue in France...

Regards

Neil M

Wild Boar.

Firecrest.

French Alps.

White Stork.

Tawny Owl.

Coypu.

Little Egret.

Cattle Egret.

Little Egret.