The third week of June and the heat was on, but was there owt to shout about? Well, not really …
Filling the period’s wildfowl slot, the idling drake Red-crested Pochard remained at Earls Barton GP throughout the week, the same site holding up to ten Avocets with one visiting Clifford Hill GP on 18th. At a time of year widely acknowledged as being in the migrational doldrums, last week’s Wood Sandpiper at Lilbourne Meadows NR stayed for two more days, until 15th.
A Yellow-legged Gull was present at Pitsford Res at the week’s end and a straggler of a Black Tern appeared at Thrapston GP on 18th, the latter site sporting a Bittern in the Titchmarsh area of the complex on the same date.
Cattle Egrets have again bred at a site in the Nene Valley, where an adult was watched feeding two juveniles on 20th.
Single Ospreys continued to be seen at Pitsford and were present on at least four dates this week but an intriguing report of an unidentified male ‘grey’ harrier sp. at Harrington AF on 16th elicited some speculation on its actual identity.
The Crossbill movement continued, with one in flight over Pitsford on 14th and, on 15th, one was heard at Bucknell Wood and two flew south-west over Hanging Houghton.
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