Pitsford Ringing

Hello

A busy and productive ringing session at the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station at Pitsford Reservoir this morning provided 73 new birds and 26 re-traps of 17 species. Dave Francis and Neil Hasdell were the ringers on-site and among others they processed a Marsh Tit, 10 Tree Sparrows, 8 Reed Buntings, 41 Yellowhammers, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Starlings and 2 Moorhens. Generally sunny conditions make it more difficult to catch birds with mist nets but clearly the plentiful food was a significant lure and distracted them from the pretty obvious and partly sun-lit nets!

Sadly I noticed a dead Barn Owl next to A45 carriageway at Wootton this morning, but Eleanor managed to locate live specimens this morning at Blueberry Farm and also near Hanging Houghton. Other birds at Blueberry Farm included a significant arrival of Meadow Pipits and four Stonechats. This afternoon there were about 300 Golden Plovers on fields in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton (probably yesterday's birds from Harrington). Undoubtedly Eleanor's best bird of the day was an Osprey flying steadily north over Harrington Airfield at about 10.50am.

Regards

Neil M

Monday update

Hello

Birds at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning included a Barn Owl, 2 Ravens, 6+ Snipe and 6 Stonechats. A flock of about 280 Golden Plovers were on the top fields and visible from the roads at Harrington Airfield this morning and a Raven was mobile there too. The three White-fronted Geese were also still present at Pitsford Reservoir this morning, still in waterside vegetation with other geese just north of the causeway towards the Old Scaldwell Road.

Regards

Neil M

Golden Plovers
Harrington Airfield

Barn Owls and more...

Hello

Yesterday Chris Payne espied a female Peregrine over the South Northants village of Greens Norton.

Today there was a ringing session held at Stortons Gravel Pits, and although not many birds were caught a couple of House Sparrows were a welcome surprise! Good informative re-traps included birds from 2010 and 2011.

A further ringing operation was performed at Sunderland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate today, before the rain arrived. Some 46 captures were recorded, the highlights perhaps being a pair of Nuthatch, a Treecreeper and a Goldcrest. One or two Woodcock were seen flying around the wood.

An increasing trend among the Chaffinch population has been the incidence of a crumbling disease of the legs which initially causes the loss of claws and then the loss of toes and eventually feet as well. The birds tend to remain in good condition throughout all this and eventually are left with stumps for legs, and it is assumed succumb sometime thereafter as they are unable to land and perch properly. This is particularly acute during ringing activities as we are able to examine the birds properly, to the point that many are released straightaway as it is not viable or even possible to safely ring them.

Barn Owls are fairly high profile at the moment and today there were 3-4 noted at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell, another in the Brampton Valley between Brixworth and Hanging Houghton, another alongside the A508 between Lamport and Maidwell and finally another near to Scaldwell village.

Regards

Neil M

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Courtesy of John Finlayson

Pair of Nuthatch at
Sunderland Wood

Courtesy of Neil Hasdell

Woodcock and Butterfly wood

Hello

A ringing session at Sunderland Wood (Kelmarsh Estate) today provided 58 captures of nine species which included two Blackbirds, a Nuthatch, two Coal Tits and five Chaffinches. Other birds noted in the wood included 1-2 Woodcock and butterflies included Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell in the early spring sunshine.

A walk at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon yielded six Stonechats, a Short-eared Owl and three Barn Owls.

At Pitsford Res this afternoon, birds in the vicinity of the dam included a male Stonechat, two Grey Wagtails, a Green Sandpiper and the two Ruddy Shelduck flew in just before dusk.

Regards

Neil M

Drake Teal
Pitsford Res

Lesser Black-backed Gull
Pitsford Res

Maidwell Birding

Hello

A good yomp this morning around Maidwell Dales, Blueberry Farm and back to Hanging Houghton in relatively warm temperatures was enjoyable. The most notable birds were a pair of Grey Partridge, five Stonechats, three Woodcock and a Grey Wagtail. A little later and both Marsh and Willow Tit were seen at Scotland Wood (Kelmarsh Estate).

Regards

Neil M

Birds of South Northants (2)!

Hello

A further ringing session today at Bradden in South Northants provided 71 captures, perhaps the choice birds being a Treecreeper and a Goldfinch among the many Blue Tits and Chaffinches. The local male Sparrowhawk kept the birds on their toes and a Raven flew over.

This afternoon there were three mobile Barn Owls hunting at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell...

Regards

Neil M

Birds of South Northants

Hello

A bird ringing session was held at Bradden village (South Northants) today resulting in 51 captures of six common species, with Blue Tits dominating!  Among the birds two re-traps (a Chaffinch and a Blue Tit) had been ringed at Greens Norton last year, travelling about 3km from the original ringing area.

A general reconnoitre west of Bradden successfully located a pair of Raven with a nest.

Regards

Neil M

Pitsford birds

Hello

Birds noted north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir today (as noted by Neil Hasdell and Jacob Spinks) include the three White-fronted Geese, four Goosanders, a female Stonechat and a Nuthatch.

Regards

Neil M

Displaying Goosanders

Courtesy of Jacob Spinks

Spring's nearly here...honest!

Hello

Some wintry showers today and a strong cold wind. Eleanor witnessed a Common Buzzard plucking a just-taken Moorhen in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning, an event which I think takes place on an occasional basis at Pitsford Reservoir judging from the several piles of feathers on the grassy tracks recently.

A pair of Stonechat were still present in the Small/Large Redgrass field at Blueberry Farm at lunch-time.

At Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon, a Green Sandpiper was on the muddy pools below the dam and an adult Mediterranean Gull was in the gull roost off the yacht club (not quite in full summer plumage). At least one Oystercatcher was heard calling as was a redpoll sp, and the regular Grey Wagtail was still present.

Regards

Neil M

North county birding

Hello

This morning there was a Barn Owl and two Ravens in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

A visit to Blatherwycke Churchyard this morning provided good views of plenty of common birds but alas no Hawfinches. Blatherwycke Lake hosted four Mandarin Ducks, a Black Swan, two Chinese Geese, a Kingfisher, a Grey Wagtail and three Oystercatchers.

Nearby Deene Lake held fifteen Shelduck and a variety of common wildfowl plus a Grey Wagtail.

All day the Common Buzzards and Red Kites were up and about in the bright and breezy conditions as we toured some birding locations in the north of the county.

We spent some time looking for the Great Grey Shrike near Deenethorpe but drew a blank in very windy conditions. A male Brambling was consorting with a flock of Chaffinches and Yellowhammers around nearby barns and a small plantation.

Scanning from a couple of areas included from the roadside near Lyveden New Bield provided distant views of a small herd of Fallow Deer and a number of single Brown Hares were presumably preparing themselves for a hectic month?

Fermyn Woods Country Park was quiet and short term visits to Fineshade and Wakerley Woods provided few species of note. A walk around the disused Harringworth Airfield provided views of a Snipe and a Woodcock. Areas of the Welland Valley were flooded and two Oystercatchers were present in the valley below Cottingham. We finished the day looking over a rough area off Wire Lane, East Carlton village where one or two Barn Owl(s) were hunting.

Nothing scarce or rare seen today but it was good to notch up over 80 species in a different area of the county.

Regards

Neil M

Fallow Deer

Red Kite

Barn Owl

An old friend...

Hello

Despite the drizzle and light rain, I decided to try one of my favourite short walks which I haven't completed in ages. So this morning I took a circular walk around Harlestone village and Harlestone Lake which resulted in good numbers of common birds, many of them in full song. Grey Wagtail and Little Owl were perhaps the pick of the species and sadly I didn't detect a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, this venue used to be a traditional site for this diminutive and now very rare woodpecker. The habitat hasn't seemingly changed much over the years but the status of the bird has.

Eleanor was over at Staverton near Daventry this afternoon and noted a pair of very noisy Raven, clearly intent on breeding in tall conifers there.

It was a warm welcome to an old friend today when male Blue Tit X669693 turned up in a mist net in our garden today. He was first ringed as a juvenile in July 2010, caught again in August of that year and re-trapped again in 2011 but not recorded since...  During that time his wing-length had increased by two millimeters and today he was in excellent condition. Blue Tits don't live very long and their work-rate when feeding young is phenomenal to the point that they must be absolutely shattered when they finally let their fledged young wander off on their own. This bird has also endured the two cold, hard winters of 2010/2011 and 2011/12 and no doubt dodged countless attacks from predators. How far has he wandered in that time and what other life experiences can we guess at?

Regards

Neil M

Pitsford update...

Hello

The three White-fronted Geese were still present at Pitsford Reservoir this morning, just north of the causeway in waterside vegetation towards the Scaldwell Bay.

The wintering female Stonechat has managed to attract a passing male so now a pair again can be found by the water's edge anywhere between the Bird Club Hide and the causeway.

Moderate numbers of passerines remain attracted to the Old Scaldwell Road feeding station, perhaps the main attraction being the Tree Sparrows and bright Yellowhammers.

A pair of Grey Partridge were again noted at Hanging Houghton today.

Regards

Neil M

It's not just birds
that are attracted to
the feeding station seed!
Muntjac Deer continue
to habitually pop out
to feed at two of the
Pitsford feeding stations.

Images courtesy of
Neil Hasdell

Garden birding

Hello

Little to report today I'm afraid. Visiting and replenishing the local feed stations in the rain wasn't that much fun this morning, although I managed to avoid most of the really heavy stuff! Still the locals were pleased to see me with Robins singing at me and by my feet at all five locations and a Marsh Tit almost perched on my shoulder he was so impatient to get on to the feeder!

The garden was busy with birds with an impressive eight Lesser Redpolls first thing and six Reed Buntings together in the afternoon. I drew another blank at the gull roost at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon - this roost now has very few large gulls visiting and even the usual wintering adult Med Gull seems to be absent.

Ah well some more garden birding then with a coffee to sup!

Regards

Neil M

Interesting Ringing Recoveries

Hello

Chris Payne completed some bird ringing at his busy Bradden site this morning which provided 74 captures including 6 Chaffinches, 4 Robins, 2 Reed Buntings, a control Blue Tit (a bird ringed from elsewhere) and a fine female Sparrowhawk which no doubt produced a little rush of adrenalin!

Chris went on to erect and fix nest boxes at sites in South Northants in preparation of the forth-coming breeding season.

Eleanor spent some time in the NN6 district of the county but was only able to locate birds which have been in situ for much of the winter, namely two Ravens in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and a Barn Owl and two pairs of Stonechat at Blueberry Farm.

In recent days we have received details of recovered ringed birds associated with the county as follows...

1. LE85055 refers to a Starling ringed at Astcote near Towcester on 7th March 2014 and then re-captured by a ringer operating at Six House Bank, Lincolnshire on 29th December 2014, some 297 days later and 89KM in a north-east direction. Presumably very much a nomadic bird and possibly a wintering bird from the continent;

2. J614475 refers to a Great Tit ringed at Pillerton Hersey, Warwickshire on 10th November 2010 and re-captured by ringers operating in Glyn Davies Wood, Northants on 17th December 2014. This female originally hatched in 2010 so is a good age for this species and a distance of 17KM between sites is a reasonable distance too;

3. 1ET23138 refers to a Chaffinch first ringed on 26th August 2012 in Sweden at a place called Inre Fjarden near Gavleborg. It was re-captured at Stortons Gravel Pits on 17th February 2013, some 1452KM from it's ringing site. A clear example of a Scandanavian finch wintering in the warmer climes of the UK;

4. LE85059 refers to a Blackbird first caught and ringed at Stortons GP on 16th March 2014 and then found dead near Shustoke, Warwickshire on 18th January 2015, some 59KM in a westnorthwest direction;

5. LE50561 refers to a Blackbird caught and ringed in our garden at Hanging Houghton on 29th January 2013 and then being found dead on 2nd January this year at Cottingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire north of Hull. Again probably a wintering bird from the continent;

6. 7512659 refers to a Blackbird first ringed on 18th March 2014 at Bardshaugen, Skei, Surnadal, More og Romsdal, Norway and then re-captured by ringers operating at Pitsford Reservoir on 10th November 2014;

7. XP98752 refers to a Great Spotted Woodpecker first ringed on 12th May 2014 in Wormley Wood, Hertfordshire which also had colour rings attached to both legs. Robert Cave saw and photographed this bird visiting garden feeders in Crick, Northants in November 2014. British birds are thought to be sedentary but this female re-located 99KM to rural Northamptonshire - who knows what stimulated her to do this!

Neil Hasdell visited Market Harborough today in an effort to see the Otters on the River Welland but couldn't find them (there was quite a bit of disturbance).

Regards

Neil M

Cormorant
Courtesy of Robin Gossage

Female Sparrowhawk
Courtesy of Chris Payne

Pitsford Smew

Hello

A visit to Pitsford Reservoir this morning in pleasant sunshine provided views of between 3-5 Smew north of the causeway. Initially there was a drake and two 'redheads' near to the Lagoon Hide and later there was a single 'redhead' and then a single drake in the back of the Holcot Bay. A Nuthatch is holding territory near to the Fishing Lodge and in the Holcot Bay, the first time I think this has ever happened on the reserve.

Blueberry Farm near Maidwell continued to host two pairs of Stonechat and a Barn Owl this afternoon.

Yesterday, Robin and Wendy Gossage espied a Reeve's Pheasant on the roadside at Holdenby village. We are not sure if this is an escapee or a deliberate local release.

Regards

Neil M

Tree Sparrow at
Pitsford Reservoir
Courtesy of Lynne Barnett

Displaying Great
Crested Grebes
Courtesy of Robin Gossage

Coot running on water!
Courtesy of Robin Gossage