Friday 11 May 2018

End of week round-up...

Hello

I have been away since Sunday in the Camargue region of southern France, arriving back late last night...

During the last week Eric Graham and others have been playing regular visits to Thrapston Pits, particularly the Titchmarsh reserve. Large numbers of warblers have been present, some days with ten species singing their hearts out. A couple of Nightingales have also been proclaiming territories and a few Cuckoos have been regular too. The Hobbies have arrived there and there have been double figure numbers hawking insects on some days. Scarcer visitors have included a Wryneck for one evening and a couple of visits from an Osprey.

Last Sunday (6th May) and a ringing session took place on the south side of Stortons Pits. Thirty-six captures were very welcome as the majority were incoming and breeding warblers (seven species) and included a Willow Warbler, four Lesser Whitethroats, two Whitethroats, three Blackcaps, two Garden Warblers, seven Reed Warblers and six Sedge Warblers. One of the Lesser Whitethroats and two of the Sedge Warblers were re-traps from previous years.

Belated news has come through of a juvenile Reed Warbler which was ringed at Pitsford Reservoir by Dave Francis on 3rd July 2011. This bird was caught again 58 days later on 30th August 2011, but this time at Mata Nacional do Choupal, Coimbra in Portugal, a distance of 1463km heading in a SSW direction!

Eleanor has been visiting Harrington Airfield during the week and regular sightings include a Grasshopper Warbler, a pair of Turtle Doves, a pair of Grey Partridge and a Barn Owl...

I took a quick look at Summer Leys LNR at lunch-time today and noted four hawking Hobbies and singles of Little Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher and Redshank. A feisty (female?) Rabbit repeatedly ran at a Common Buzzard that was perched on the ground there - I suspect she had some small young hidden in a patch of nettles nearby...

Regards

Neil M



Singing Blackcap.
Courtesy of Cathy Ryden.

Bluebells at Badby Wood.
Courtesy of Cathy Ryden.

Reed Warbler.

Hobby hawking insects.
Courtesy of Dave Jackson.

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