More plodding

With no mist this morning we toured the Grandborough valley before visiting the pond managing 60 Linnet, 6 Meadow Pipit, Red-legged Partridge, Grey Partridge and 2 Tree Sparrow. Just as we were leaving the Baseley Small Holding after chatting with Cym we had a large juvenile Sparrowhawk and presumed it was the bird that kicked up all the Lapwings, corvids and Starlings near Kites Hardwick only to arrive at Draycote to find out it had been a Red Kite – bummer.

A walk to rainbow corner produced 3 Grey Wagtail, 16 Wigeon, 2 Golden Plover still retaining their black bellies, 3 House Martin and a record count for me of 42 Greylag’s. Luckily we managed to get Bob on to the Little Gull we had spotted between the valve tower and ‘c’ buoy who was in toft bay at the time minutes before it flew off west.

Napton on the Hill was disappointing with no visible migration despite favorable conditions, a few local Swallows and House Martin, 2 Raven and 2 Buzzard.

Bob notified me he had tracked down the nasal saddle Tufted Duck that we saw earlier in the week and seen by him again today, it had been ringed at São Jacinto Dunes Nature Reserve (40º41’N 08º44’W) which is in Portugal for those who don’t speak longitude and latitude, surprising it should choose to migrate north to winter

It was another good catch last night with 117 moths of 23 species including my 4^th Merveille du Jour of the year along with good numbers of Lunar and Large Yellow Underwing.

Barred Sallow

Merveille du Jour