Spoonbills

 Alan Shorrock and I took a trip over to Frampton Marsh this morning where we hoped to catch up with a passage wader or two. There was plenty of sunshine on offer but this was offset to some degree by a stiff easterly breeze. We didn't see anything rare but there was a decent selection of birds on view and we were kept entertained for most of our walk around the reserve.

Spoonbill, Small Tortie and Blackwit

Over forty Spoonbills were noted with many being young birds, it's good to know that this species is currently doing so well in the UK. Plenty of Black-tailed Godwits were also present on the main lake next to the visitor centre where Alan picked out a Water Rail. The walk round to the Reedbed Hide and the 360 Hide was fairly unproductive, a Small Tortoiseshell being the only highlight that springs to mind. We added Greenshank to the day list but not a great deal else. From East hide four Spotted Redshanks were the highlight

Avocet, Spotted Redshanks (with Blackwits) and Greenshank

Having left East Hide we braved the breeze along the sea wall noting decent numbers of Avocets as we walked. More Spotted Redshanks were seen and an additional brace of Greenshanks too. A tip off from another birder put me on to some Curlew Sandpipers and on our way to find them we saw a Whimbrel. The three Curlew Sands showed well and I was able to get a few pictures before we began the return hike back to the car.

Whimbrel and Curlew Sandpipers

On the way we saw more Whimbrels moving through and also a male Marsh Harrier. A small group of birders alerted us to the presence of a Little Stint. It treated us to some good views through the scope before flying off. Last act of the birding day was a sighting of a Cattle Egret from just outside the visitor centre. Somewhat later on whilst sitting in the Vine at Market Deeping and reviewing our photographs Alan realised that he'd photographed yet another male Southern Migrant Hawker at Priors Hall yesterday making a grand total of three so far. 

Dunlins, Little Stint and Cattle Egret

What A Belter!

 Just a relatively short walk today around Brookfield Plantation and some of the neighbouring areas. The weather was good enough to bring some insects out and good views of Raven made up for a lack of Peregrines. Nothing too exciting to report but a nice way of spending my bank holiday morning.

Raven and Common Blue

While walking through Willowbrook Industrial Estate the calls of a Raven  alerted me to one sitting on top of a pylon. It flew off before I could retrieve my camera from my backpack but did the decent thing by returning to land on the same pylon after a short flight. I grabbed a few pictures of it before continuing with my stroll. Brookfield was quiet when I arrived, a hooting Tawny Owl was the first thing of note. A male Common Blue butterfly flitted around but did not land, he seemed intent on his search for a mate. Many of the rides were shaded but in one small sunlit patch a group of eight or nine Speckled Woods were gathered and acted in a far more sociable way than they normally do. Three were perched wing to wing creating an Orion's Belt of butterflies, pretty unusual for what is normally such an aggressive species.

Speckled Woods

My walk took me to the clearing in the middle where many of the rides intersect. This area was bathed in sunshine and both Common and Ruddy Darters were enjoying the warmth. From here I took the path that brought me out of the wood near the flooded quarry on the way to Gretton. The field here harboured several late Meadow Browns and a few Small Heaths as well as another Common Blue. It was still quite breezy and in the shelter provided by the hedge Migrant and Brown Hawkers were hunting while Common Darters basked in the sunshine. A single female Willow Emerald was my only damsel of the day, they may not be the scarcities that they once were but they are still a very attractive species.

Brown Hawker, Willow Emerald and Meadow Brown

By the time I arrived back in the plantation more of the rides were sunny and as a result I saw more insects. Migrant and Southern Hawkers showed well and in good numbers, several perched up to provide photographic opportunities. New butterflies for the day included a Gatekeeper and several Small Whites nectaring on Ragwort. I'd have liked to stay longer but other commitments meant that time was limited and I had to head homewards as noon approached.

Migrant and Southern Hawkers and Gatekeeper.

Morning Walk At Priors

 After yesterday's rain it was nice to wake up to blue skies and sunshine this morning. I restricted my wandering to Priors Hall where I spent some time walking around the ponds near the golf course. Although a stiff breeze had a noticeable affect on the numbers of insects seen  there were still a few to look at in the more sheltered spots.

Record shots of Common and Green Sandpipers

I began by taking a look at the quarry lake where a Common and Green Sandpiper were noted. Around the ponds themselves a fly over Grey Wagtail may have been a migrant as I don't tend to see many here. Butterflies were keeping a low profile in the wind but I managed to see Small Heath, Common Blue, Small White and Speckled Wood on my travels. Similarly odes did not appear to enjoy the wind though good numbers of both of the common darters were showing. Three species of hawker - Brown, Migrant and Southern were also seen but the only damsels were Blue-tailed and Common Blue.

Migrant and Southern Hawkers.

It would have been rude not to visit the wobbly stones while I was in the area though I did not manage to see any Southern Migrant Hawkers, this may have been due to my being a bit early. I couldn't find any emerald damselflies either but the breeze was fairly strong and I didn't have much time before having to leave to catch my bus.

Common Blue and Small Heath

The Rain Did Not Stop Play

 The forecast today did not look too promising with heavy rain predicted to last through much of the morning. Faced with this less than enticing prospect Alan Shorrock and I decided to visit Summer Leys where the hides would at least provide shelter from the expected deluge. It was one of those times when the weather guessers hit the jackpot though the rain did not put the dampeners on the birding which turned out to be pretty decent.

GWE and Highland coo

We began in Paul Britten Hide from where a Great White Egret was the most obvious bird on the scrape, there were two more on the main lake. I picked out three Garganeys which though nowhere near as obvious as the egrets were much more interesting. I struggle to get too enthusiastic with eclipse ducks but make an honourable exception for Garganeys, I believe it was two adults and a juvenile but couldn't say for sure. Three Snipe and a Green Sandpiper also showed from the hide and I continued my bird finding exploits by picking out a Turnstone and Greenshank in Wader Bay on the main lake. Deciding that we might get a better view of the waders from Rotary Hide we made our way round there despite the continuing rain.

Turnstones

From Rotary Hide not one but four Turnstones were showing and although far from close they did provide better views than we had got from the double decker hide. While the Greenshank had gone the bay lived up to its name with Common and Green Sands, a Snipe, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers joining the quartet of Turnstones. A short stroll took us to Pioneer Hide from where the three Garganeys gave better views. Presumably the same Greenshank then appeared for a brief time on the scrape again providing better views than earlier.

Garganeys

We ended our visit by attempting to find the Wood Sandpiper that has been present on the reserve for a couple of days. Sadly we were unable to find the sandpiper but a little bit later  on we had no such trouble finding some good beer in the Coach and Horses in Wellingborough!

The Green party, shank and sandpiper.

More Migrant Chat

 Yesterday I posted pictures of the Priors Hall male Southern Migrant Hawker that was briefly joined by another during my visit. At the time I thought that it was the same one that I photographed on Saturday but having gone over the photographs it seems as if I got pictures of a second individual.

The original insect (top) and the later arrival.

At the time I did notice differences but wrongly assumed they  were natural wear and tear to the original one rather than proof that a second dragonfly was present. The first was a fairly fresh looking specimen with no signs of damage and with clear wings. The second on the other hand had almost frosted looking wings, a damaged or deformed segment 2 on its abdomen and smaller yellow antehumeral stripes. I've just learnt that the markings on segments 8,9 and 10 of the abdomen are unique to an individual and you can see the differences in the pictures. It seems as if Alan's original specimen has been driven off and usurped by the interloper though it returned briefly at least twice during our visit.

Close up of the thoraxes of both SMHs.

This constitutes the first occurrence of multiple individuals in the county, the only previous records were of single males at Finedon Pocket Park in two different years. Hopefully this attractive species will become a regular breeding member of our ode community in much the same way that Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Willow Emerald and Scarce Chaser have become. I'll await future developments with much interest.

Alan's Wobbly Stones

 Yet another visit to Priors Hall this afternoon where I spent several hours looking for the Scarce Emerald that Mark Tyrrell photographed on Friday. Things move quickly on the local ode front and this individual is no longer regarded as the county's first having been gazumped by one at Pitsford Reservoir earlier in the week. Phil Rogers was already on site but neither he nor I could catch up with the elusive emerald.

Emerald Damselfly and Southern Migrant Hawker

Alan's Southern Migrant Hawker is still hanging around though it's beginning to look a little rougher than it did. On several occasions today a second individual encroached on it's territory but was driven off by the established one. It's still showing from the wobbly stone where Shozzer initially saw it and continues to pose for photographs. Those wobbly stones will probably go down in local ode lore, it's unlikely that I'll forget them! Other dragons frequenting the area included Emperor, Brown, Migrant and Southern Hawkers while both of the common darters were present. Pick of the damsels were the Emeralds which we had to go through in search of their rarer cousin, unusually all were males and many appeared to be quite mature. Butterflies included Common Blue and Brown Argus while the best birds were Water Rail and Kingfisher.

Common Blue and Buzzard

I checked the two ponds in the old quarry and was rewarded with great views of a perched Emperor. Teneral Common Darters are still emerging in good numbers and there were ten plus Small Red-eyed Damselflies on the larger pond. Although I didn't see the target species I still enjoyed a good afternoon and might have stayed longer if I didn't have a family meal booked in the George.

Emperor and Small Red-eyed Damselflies

Back To Priors

 I began this morning at Eyebrook Reservoir in the company of Shozzer where we spent a couple of hours looking through a selection of waders and other birds. At Sam's Dyke there was a Green Sandpiper and half a dozen Yellow Wagtails while the island held a Yellow-legged Gull and a fly by Osprey. At the inflow we failed to find the Little Stint which had been present for a few days and it looks as if the bird may have moved on. What was showing was a group of five Dunlin, a Greenshank, three Ruff and another Yellow-legged Gull. While standing in the bunker we were treated to views of two Kingfishers flying past. From the Rutland bank we saw a Black-tailed Godwit and after some time the reported Avocet. The morning was by now nice and warm and we went off to Priors Hall for another crack at the Southern Migrant Hawker.

Eyebrook Selection

We arrived on site to find half a dozen other people looking out for the hawker and both their and our efforts were amply rewarded. The Southern Migrant gave great views both in flight and perched and most of us managed to get some respectable shots. Other species included Migrant and Brown Hawkers as well as several darters and a Banded Demoiselle. After a bit of time spent talking to Phil and Paul we moved on to another pond where we saw half a dozen or so Emerald Damselflies. Soon afterwards we headed off to the Samuel Lloyd where several celebratory pints were downed. Interestingly a little after I arrived home I learnt that our county recorder had photographed a Scarce Emerald at the same pond as the SMH yesterday but that the I.D had only been clinched this morning. Looks as if another visit to Priors may well be on the cards!

Southern Migrant Hawker, Emerald Damselfly and Ruddy Darter