Petrel Shortage

 Yesterday Pitsford reservoir played host to a Leach's Petrel, a county rarity and the first for over ten years. A combination of the dreadfully wet conditions and a requirement for me to work meant that I couldn't (or in the case of the weather just wouldn't!) get over to see it. Leach's normally don't stay for longer than a day so any hopes that I may have harboured of seeing it today were more the stuff of pipe dreams than anything rooted in the realms of reality. A quick check of the Northants Birds web page this morning suggested that the bird had indeed flown and so Alan Shorrock and I headed over to Summer Leys instead.

Great White and Little Egret

The Bittern that my brother David and I saw a few weeks ago is still in residence in the reeds around the scrape and a collection of photographers were waiting in Pioneer Hide in anticipation of getting a good shot. Although the bird had been seen before we arrived it did not show during our stay in the hide and nor did we have any luck from Paul Britten hide either. It transpired that birds were going to remain rather lacking in either numbers or interest, a working party of conservation volunteers having all but cleared the main lake. Two Great White Egrets and a few Snipe were the only species worthy of note while Wigeon numbers had increased substantially since my last visit.

Migrant Hawker, Common and Ruddy Darter and Willow Emerald.

While there was plenty of sunshine it was accompanied by a strong breeze which meant that most insects were found in those areas sheltered from the wind. The bushes around Mary's Lake in particular turned out to be quite productive. Common Darters lived up to their name with a good number present including one that found Shozzer's head to be a most excellent basking spot. At least one Ruddy Darter was still active while Migrant Hawkers were present in good numbers. Half a dozen Willow Emeralds were also noted with all but one being males taking up stations away from the water's edge.

Red Admiral and Speckled Wood.

Odes were not the only insects enjoying the sunshine, there were rather a lot of carder bees buzzing about as well as a few late hoverflies. Three Red Admirals showed well and there were also at least two Speckled Woods.

Carder Bees