Another look at the pond

The sewage farm had a bit of bird activity with 2 Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, 5 male Blackcap and 14 Long-tailed Tit among a party of a roving Blue & Great Tits while the same hedge also had 2 Tree Sparrow. The copse opposite the entrance to the sewage farm had a Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Song Thrush and 3 Wrens.

Earlier the Common Scoter and Black-necked Grebe were seen but I could not locate the male Scaup and the only other birds of note were Ringed Plover on farborough spit, 10 Meadow Pipit and 5 Buzzard.

 JJ had a Wheatear on top of the hide

Bits and Bobs

Whitethroat in the Grandborough valley and 40+ Tree Sparrows just leaving their roost before we had the drake Common Scoter off draycote bank, Black-necked Grebe in toft bay and the drake Scaup in biggen bay from farborough spit, Draycote Water. Not brilliant views but saved on shoe leather, only other birds of note were 8 Yellow Wagtail, 10 Meadow Pipit, Yellow-legged Gull and a frustrating flyover tern which gave the impression of being a Sandwich but got on to it to late to be certain.

After seeing 9 Raven mobbing a Buzzard over the Northamptonshire border from Napton on the Hill we chatted with the Judge family at Napton Reservoir before seeing 12 Shoveler, Reed Warbler and 4 Meadow Pipit plus Southern Brown and Migrant Hawkers and the odd Common Blue Damselfly, Speckled Wood and Vapourer moth. Tawny Owl calling close by while checking on last nights catch.

latest Space Shed times

a very pale Sallow 

only just starting to appear but a worn  Black Rustic

Lunar Underwing

Scoter and Grebe still

Both the Common Scoter and Black-necked Grebe were still present at Draycote Water this afternoon but opposite ends of the reservoir and in the very blustery conditions the only other birds not being battered senseless were 4 adult or near adult Yellow-legged Gulls and a Buzzard.

Things are picking up

Black-necked Grebe by Bob Hazel

This morning dawn

Following an impressive sunrise this morning the pond came alive at last with Bob finding a Black-necked Grebe in toft bay while the male Common Scoter was still off draycote bank. Also present were 3 Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, 3 adult and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull while a Wheatear was among the sailing boats and 2 Yellow Wagtail (16 yesterday) and 10 Meadow Pipits on farborough bank or in the adjacent fields and hedgerows. Warbler activity continues to increase with 2 Whitethroat, 7 Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroat and male Blackcap plus 2 Goldcrest though the hundreds of hirundines present from yesterday cleared off at 9am as it warmed up. While Bob did his circuit I walked to rainbow via the country park checking for additional duck and insects with 25 Teal, 12 Wigeon, 6 Gadwall, 10 Shoveler noted. Raven and 5 Buzzard added to the day list. Insects were Migrant Hawker, Southern Hawker, Common Blue Damselfly, Garden Carpet, 2 Silver Y, 4 Vapourer Moth (plus caterpillars) 20+ Red Admiral, 2 Large White, Small White and 4 Speckled Wood. Having spent over 4 hours here we were grateful the Griddle was open for a coffee and sandwich before leaving to clear down Dave’s moth trap. Since the bank holiday a few clear nights have seen a decline in catch numbers and species variety although a number of autumn moths are appearing (Brindled Green, Frosted Orange, Center-barred Sallow and Black Rustic). 

juvenile Ringed Plover by Bob Hazel

Tree sprogs and finches enjoy the harvest

Following a clear night, this morning had an autumn feel with the temperature down to 3c as we trawled the Grandborough valley finding a good flock of finches at woodbine farm with at least 100 Greenfinch and 100 Linnet feeding on spilled seed in a recently harvested field. Further along Flecknoe rd at least 75 Tree Sparrow were doing the same opposite the Baseley small holding, also Chiffchaff and 5 Buzzard in the area.

The mist was just burning off when we arrived at the pond but all we had was 5 Yellow Wagtail, Teal, Snipe and Common Sandpiper and the only thing we saw differently at Napton Reservoir from yesterdays visit was Small Copper butterfly and 2 juvenile Shoveler.

Snakes & Scoter

I spent the day with the Phillips gang seeing 2 juvenile Wheatear, Buzzard and male Common Scoter at Draycote Water (scoter been present since 31^st FF)  At least 10 Long-tailed Tit, Green Woodpecker and 2 Raven on Napton on the Hill while Napton Reservoir had Snipe and 7 Teal. Other sightings at Napton Reservoir included a probable Mink flushed off the bank, 2 Water Vole and 3 Grass Snake (different locations to last visit) including one that had recently shed its skin while insects included Meadow Brown and Common Blue butterflies, and Dragonflies represented by Brown Hawker, Southern Hawker, Common Blue Damselfly and Common Darter.

Grass Snake

Productive day on Ouse Wash

Spent the day with Dave on the Ouse Washes where unfortunately the breeding season seriously effected by summer flooding but the RSPB reserve has now become a hive of activity in recent weeks as water levels rescinds just as migration starts to picks up. Probably a couple of thousand duck of the more commoner species present but also contained at least 29 Garganey along with a few wader species mixed in as well with 64 Ruff, 28 Dunlin, 25 Greenshank, 36 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Green Sandpiper, 15 Snipe and 4 Redshank noted. On top of this we counted at least 100 Little Egret so we were in bird fest mode compared to what we having been counting locally recently. It took two hours before the juvenile Glossy Ibis decided to creep out from its hiding place us in front of the Grose hide and then showed really well but the Purple Heron that was also present did not appear till long after we left.

Also present were 5 Marsh Harrier, 5 Kingfisher, 14 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Turtle Dove, Shelduck, Common Tern, Reed & Sedge Warbler and a Sparrowhawk.

Moved down the Ouse Wash to the Welney Wildfowl and Wetland Reserve where we had lunch over looking Lady Fen watching 3 Crane and 10 Egyptian Geese feeding but the reserve its self was quiet with 20 Little Egret but no sign of the Spoonbill reported earlier in the day. Hundreds of darters were on the wing. At the beginning of the day we had a Fox cross in front of us near Lilbourne, Barn Owl near Kettering and 2 Red Kite near Oundle.

On the mothing front Dave trapped a Dotted Clay last Wednesday which we did not expect and took a while to identify followed by another on Friday night just to rub it in, that brings his macro list to 319.