Owls, Brents and Feed-stations...

Hello

Eleanor took an early morning wander around Blueberry Farm today and again saw the two Short-eared Owls in Redgrass plus a Barn Owl. Two Kingfishers were on the brook in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton, with a hunting Barn Owl nearby.

Plenty of birds in the garden today which included a Tree Sparrow, half a dozen Yellowhammers, at least six Reed Buntings, a Brambling and the Canary x Goldfinch hybrid still.

After finishing a restock of the main feed station at Pitsford Reservoir this morning, I noticed a tight flock of ten Dark-bellied Brent Geese on the water in front of Maytrees Hide. These migrants were clearly resting and subsequently relocated south of the causeway on the open water in the main basin and visible from the dam (and were still present early afternoon).

Regards

Neil M

Barn and Short-eared Owls
at Blueberry Farm yesterday.
Eleanor's best efforts at long
range with a bridge camera...

Siskins and friends...

Hello

Chris Payne committed to a short but productive ringing session at Bradden this morning, quickly catching over thirty birds. Tits were noticeable by their absence, presumably because spring is in the air and they are busy bonding and finding suitable territories. Chris caught 10 Goldfinches, 6 Greenfinches, a few Chaffinches and two Siskins, this is typically a good time of the year for ringing finches. In the meantime John Woollett has been busy in his garden at Astcote, the influx in finches there including 122 Siskins caught and ringed in just this month alone!

In the garden here today at Hanging Houghton, Eleanor noticed a Tree Sparrow, four Yellowhammers and about 12 Reed Buntings amongst the more usual garden birds.

Blueberry Farm today again hosted two Short-eared Owls, 2-3 Barn Owls, a Woodcock and a pair of Stonechat with an Oystercatcher on a farm pond nearby. This evening two or three pairs of Grey Partridge were vocally holding territory at Harrington Airfield.

Anyone with any local naturalist knowledge of Stoke Bruerne village and surround is invited to contact Christine Statham - cz.statham@btinternet.com Tel 01604 863920. This follows an application to the South Northants Council to fell a 100' pine tree in the grounds of Bruerne House, Bridge House, Stoke Bruerne. Apparently this tree forms part of an active Rookery and there are concerns locally that the tree supports as many as 40 pairs of Rooks which would be lost if the tree was felled. If you feel you can provide a perspective please make contact with Christine.

Regards

Neil M

Male Siskin

Courtesy of Chris Payne.

'Redhead' Goosander
at Stanford Reservoir
from a couple of days ago.

Courtesy of Malcolm Hupman

Nene Valley Surveys

Hello

Ted Weber from the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire
and Northamptonshire has put out a call for volunteers to help with 
annual surveys of the breeding birds across the whole of our Nene 
Wetlands reserves in Northamptonshire; as you’ll appreciate, it’s a 
big area so help is required from experienced birdwatchers and 
ornithologists. Recorders must be able to identify a wide range 
of birds by sight and by their songs and calls, as some parts of 
the survey are in thickly grown areas. Ideally, volunteers would 
be able to commit to completing all the survey dates, but even 
doing one or two would be a help.

The dates concerned are:

Visit 1: 12 April - 20 April (optimum date 12/13 April)

Visit 2: 10 May - 25 May (optimum date 10/11 May)

Visit 3: 7 June -22 June (optimum date 14/15 June)

Visit 4: 5 July - 20 July (optimum date 12/13 July) 
(The purpose of the July visit is primarily to look for broods 
of water birds).


Should you think you may be able to assist in surveys in 
the Nene Valley corridor, please email Ted on 

Edward.Weber@wildlifebcn.org

Thank-you


Neil M

Cetti's Warbler

Little Grebes

Images from Pitsford

Hello

Three of us spent a fair proportion of today counting the waterbirds at Pitsford Reservoir. As with many of the WeBS counts at this time of the year, the numbers are low but of course the same amount of time is required to cover the distance. The initial murky and wet start to the morning gave way to broken sunshine and a cool north-easterly and made for an enjoyable time out and about around our local reservoir. A Rock Pipit in the vicinity of the Holly Tree was the best bird and other birds on the move from south to north included small numbers of all-sorted gulls and wagtails. A transitory flock of Meadow Pipits were on the grass at the dam and small numbers of Siskins and Lesser Redpolls were dotted about.

Two Grey Wagtails were on the dam, a Chiffchaff was singing at the adjacent Brixworth Country Park, Ravens could be heard calling from Moulton Grange and eighteen Snipe remain in residence north of the causeway.

Birds at Blueberry Farm today included two newly-arrived Short-eared Owls in Redgrass, two pairs of Stonechat, two Woodcock, two or three Barn Owls and six Golden Plovers flying over.

Regards

Neil M

Wigeon

Common Buzzard

Sometimes it was
'dewdrop' weather today!

Close-up of a Pitsford Robin

I before E.... unless there isn't an I!

Marsh Tit at Scotland Wood
Kelmarsh Estate

Grey day birding...

Hello

All the bird records today reflect Eleanor's time outside in the cool air and often cheerless conditions... 

Her first venue was Blueberry Farm which provided views again of two Woodcock and also a female Peregrine. Further records included a Chiffchaff along the Brampton Valley Way at Spring Pond below Brixworth and a Barn Owl and a pair of Stonechat in the same valley below Hanging Houghton.

A walk around Sywell Country Park produced ca50 Siskins, a Little Egret and a pair of Stonechat.

The first Wheatear must be any day now...

Regards

Neil M

Yes please!

Barn Owls and more...

Hello

Yesterday (Sunday) Eric and Debbie Graham braved a flooded Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Gravel Pits and their efforts were rewarded with sightings of a Curlew, six Little Egrets and seven Goosanders. Also yesterday Eleanor watched two hunting Barn Owls in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

Today (Monday) and two male Bramblings re-appeared in our garden at Hanging Houghton, joined by four Yellowhammers and a small gathering of Reed Buntings. Two Woodcock were flushed at Blueberry Farm this morning and this evening a Barn Owl was lingering at Easton Maudit.

Details have now come through of the ringed Barn Owl found dead alongside the A508 at Hanging Houghton on 31st January 2016. This was an old bird, first being ringed as a nestling near Guilsborough on 5th August 2004. On examination it appeared to be a male bird and although it hadn't travelled far from it's origins it was nearly 12 years old when it was unfortunately struck by a vehicle (the oldest known Barn Owl was just over fifteen years old).

Regards

Neil M

Barn Owl.

Courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Water Rail.

Kingfisher.

Male Brambling.

John Gamble kindly forwarded these
images following a recent visit to
the RSPB reserve at Titchwell, Norfolk.

Birds of the spring sunshine

Hello

A ringing session at Glyn Davies Wood well over to the west of the county was busy with about 140 birds captured and was a nice cross section of birds that utilise this small but ancient woodland site. Great Tits and Blue Tits dominated of course but other birds included a couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, two Nuthatches, a Siskin, a Treecreeper and small numbers of Coal, Long-tailed and Marsh Tits and Chaffinches. A Willow Tit was heard singing briefly.

A brief stop at Boddington Reservoir on the way home produced just a pair of Goosander. Pacing up and down the causeway at Ravensthorpe Reservoir this afternoon didn't provide any views of Otter but there were plenty of fishing Cormorants and Grey Herons. Several Goldeneye are often relatively close to the causeway and today the drakes looked super in the spring sunshine. Two Chiffchaffs included a singing bird.

Two drake Smew and a pair of Goosander were in the small section of the Moulton Grange Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this morning and two Barn Owls were hunting the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

A great deal of diurnal visible migration has been on-going during the last few afternoons, lots of high-flying gulls moving north and the Red Kites have been very mobile and nomadic. Migrant flocks of Starling, Redwing and Fieldfare are on the move and wagtails, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks are shifting in smaller numbers.

Regards

Neil M

Drake Goldeneye
Ravensthorpe Reservoir

Cormorant at Ravensthorpe Reservoir.
Courtesy of Jacob Spinks.

Red Kite at Pitsford Reservoir.
Courtesy of Jacob Spinks

Ringing in the fog

Hello

Early morning fog/mist with accompanying moisture and coldness made for a charmless start to the morning, but by late morning the visibility improved and the temperature came up with weak sunshine and a very light breeze.

Northants Ringing Group members were in action at Linford Lakes on the outskirts of Milton Keynes this morning and worked with a Beginner Birdwatching Course to present and explain some of the salient features of some of the birds captured and ringed. Despite the initial unpleasant weather, good siting of the nets provided 89 captures which included 13 crisp Goldfinches, a Lesser Redpoll, a Siskin, a Goldcrest and a Redwing amongst more routine fare.

Four ringers were active at Pitsford Reservoir today at two different subsites, finally netting 92 birds of 16 species. The highlights included 15 Yellowhammers (14 new birds), six Reed Buntings and four Tree Sparrows. Other birds on-site this morning included an early morning Curlew, an Oystercatcher, a Kingfisher, a male Brambling, a Chiffchaff and two Grey Wagtails. Nearby and Jacob Spinks noted a female Brambling in his Scaldwell garden.

Amphibians must have been active today as several Red Kites and Common Buzzards were gathered around the traditional farm pond at Blueberry Farm where they breed. The pond also attracted Little Grebe, a pair of Gadwall and Tufted Ducks and a newly excavated pond near Haselbech continues to attract at least one Oystercatcher and today also a Green Sandpiper.

Regards

Neil M

Curlew

Oystercatcher

Spring is here!

Hello

After the morning mist had cleared and some genuine spring sunshine in calm conditions materialised, so Common Buzzards began spiralling up everywhere...

Common Buzzard. A pale
individual but they can be
even whiter!

Despite seemingly reasonable conditions locally for spring passerine migrants, it was another day without new Chiffchaffs, a Wheatear or Sand Martin. However the week-end must yield these birds somewhere in the county...

Chiffchaff

Eleanor saw a Barn Owl in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon but otherwise birds were sparse on the ground.

Chris Payne committed to some garden bird ringing at Greens Norton today and it was all about finches with successful catches of Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll. These birds are on the move and are keen to bulk up on garden feeders before they embark on the next leg of their journey.

Regards

Neil M

Lesser Redpoll

Siskin

Goldfinch

Above three images courtesy
 of  Chris Payne.

Birds of the mud!

Hello

With most of the floods having subsided this morning, there was lots of lovely mud to contend with instead. A Woodcock flushed up at Kelmarsh Hall had probably been displaced by the weather and Eleanor saw a pair of Grey Partridge at Harrington Airfield and a pair of Stonechat at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

This afternoon Eleanor located 50 Golden Plovers near Newlands,Walgrave and two vocal Curlews flew over in a southerly direction. A pair of Grey Partridge were present too.

Checking the distant gull roost at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon failed to find a scarce gull; a Kingfisher was the only bird of note.

Chris Payne committed to some bird ringing at Bradden today, catching some 38 birds which included several new Chaffinches, a new Treecreeper and a Greenfinch already bearing a ring from elsewhere.

About time for some classic spring migrants please!

Regards

Neil M

After the deluge...

Hello

Like many of us today, Chris Payne spent time at home at Greens Norton watching soaked birds coming to garden feeders. He was surprised to count a good twenty Lesser Redpolls as well as more regular species.

After much of the heavy rain and wind had passed by early afternoon, leaving floods in its wake, Eleanor was out at Newlands north of Walgrave village and saw four Grey Partridges. I was up at Harrington Airfield this afternoon in sodden fields and noted just five Golden Plovers, and a solitary Siskin was all I could summon at Sunderland Wood.

The heavy rain and strong winds made a spectacle at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon with a cascade of water rushing down the dam overflow, and of course flooding the fields below.

The gull roost at Pitsford Res traditionally attracts up to about 1500 Common Gulls during the winter months, and with the recent addition of a feeding cage for the gulls they sometimes come quite close.

The pre-roost gathering of gulls there this afternoon included two neat adult Kittiwakes which later could be heard calling to each other, not a common sound in land-locked Northamptonshire! These birds remained for the roost and a third adult arrived later and plonked itself down in a different part of the roost, seemingly unaware that two of it's kin were only a few hundred metres away amongst the mass of Black-headed and Common Gulls.

Regards

Neil M

Common Gull

A cold and mizzly spring day...

Hello

Eleanor noted a Raven and a Barn Owl in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning and our garden continues to attract small numbers of Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings.

Eleanor took a good walk around the Harlestone Heath complex and estimated 80-100 Siskins in the woodland, but didn't see anything else of note. The Siskins were concentrated around the A428 entrance and the railway sidings.

At Pitsford Reservoir an Oystercatcher was present in the Scaldwell Bay, and the dam-end this afternoon continued to host the Ruddy Shelduck and Green Sandpiper with the gull roost attracting an adult Kittiwake and a first year Mediterranean Gull.

Regards

Neil M

This Great Spotted Woodpecker
was caught and ringed at Pitsford
Reservoir on 29th Feb and exhibited
aberrant feather markings to the
secondaries, primaries and greater
and primary coverts. All the feathers
should be black or brownish black rather
than the silvery/frosty appearance as
depicted by this individual.

Image courtesy of Helen Franklin.

Monday's musings

Hello

Yesterday Eric Graham located the Great White Egret at Thrapston GP again, which was spending most of its time on the Aldwincle Lake. Other birds included 5 Goosanders, 7 Lesser Redpolls and 12 Siskins.

The Siskin-fest continues at Astcote with more birds caught by John Woollett both yesterday and today. Although there were some re-traps from the week, many were new birds and another 'control' was processed too.

A newly constructed pond near Haselbech attracted a pair of Oystercatcher today and birds at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell included a pair of Stonechat and three Barn Owls. At least eight Reed Buntings remain in our garden here at Hanging Houghton, broadcast seed also attracting a couple of Yellowhammers.

Regards

Neil M

Lapwing at Summer Leys
Nature Reserve courtesy of
Simon Hales.

Breeding is just around the corner
for the few pairs that nest locally...

Ringing at Scotland Wood

Hello  

A period of ringing at Scotland Wood (Kelmarsh Estate) today provided an opportunity of handling 114 birds of 15 species. An estimated six Woodcock were flushed from this woodland habitat and two of them made contact with the nets but didn't stay in long enough for us to catch them!

The catch was made up of 26 Blue Tits, 29 Great Tits, 7 Coal Tits, 11 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Willow Tits, 4 Marsh Tits, 2 Treecreepers, a Nuthatch, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 4 Dunnocks, 6 Robins, 6 Blackbirds, a Song Thrush, 2 Siskins and 11 Chaffinches.

One of the Blackbirds was a 'control' bearing a Dutch ring and the two Siskins were both adult males.

Two more Woodcock were flushed at Sunderland Wood (Kelmarsh) this afternoon and two vocal Little Owls nearby were calling at each other over quite a distance...

John Woollett is continuing to experience an invasion of Siskins to his garden at Astcote, ringing about 64 birds during the last week!

Regards

Neil M

Nuthatch

Song Thrush

Marsh Tit

Great Spotted Woodpecker

All above images courtesy
of Cathy Ryden.

Adult male Siskin.

Courtesy of Chris Payne.

Winter is still hanging on...

Hello

This morning two Otters at Ravensthorpe Reservoir were showing from the causeway at about 8am and Eleanor went on to see four Goosanders at Daventry Country Park. A brief walk at Harrington Airfield produced just four Golden Plovers. 

A male Brambling persists here at Hanging Houghton and a Willow Tit was detected at Scotland Wood (Kelmarsh Estate).

Birds around the dam area of Pitsford Reservoir today included a Grey Wagtail and Green Sandpiper (courtesy of Jacob Spinks) and later the Ruddy Shelduck, the near-adult Caspian Gull and a first year Yellow-legged Gull.

Regards

Neil M

Another view of the
Summer Leys Bittern
courtesy of Steve Rappitt.

Red Kite

Female Greenfinch

Caspian Gull