Birds of a cold, sunny day

Hello

Another cold day but with some smashing sunshine too!

Seven Pink-footed Geese headed east over Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning and birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton included twenty Golden Plovers in flight, two coveys of Grey Partridge with groups of ten and five and a Barn Owl.

In the Brampton Valley below Brixworth this evening there were two Barn Owls, two Grey Wagtails and a vocal Water Rail.

At Pitsford Reservoir today there was a Woodcock at Christies Copse and at the dam area this afternoon there was a Redshank, a Grey Wagtail, three Stonechats and two Chiffchaffs.

Five Hawfinches were again around the churchyard at Blatherwycke today, a Marsh Harrier was a Summer Leys LNR, a Grey Wagtail was at Kelmarsh Hall and a Woodcock was at Scotland Wood on the Kelmarsh estate.

At Stanford Reservoir today there were two Red-crested Pochard, a Mediterranean Gull, an adult Caspian Gull and a Redshank.

At Summer Leys LNR today birds included at least three Great White Egrets, three Pintail and five Common Snipe. Four Goosanders were at Rushden Lakes.

Regards

Neil M

Goosander courtesy
of John Tilly.

Blue Tit.

Chaffinch.

Pintail.

Above three images courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

November snow

Hello

A cold day with overnight rain and snow was probably a bit of a shock for people and wildlife alike!

At Stanford Reservoir there were two Red-crested Pochards and a first year Mediterranean Gull present and birds at Pitsford Reservoir amounted to a drake Red-crested Pochard between the causeway and Gorse Bushes, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, two Bramblings, about forty Goldeneye and a Grey Wagtail.

A Bittern showed from North Hide on the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits this afternoon and at least seven Cattle Egrets were in a field just north-east of Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits at lunchtime. Also in the Nene Valley a female Bearded Tit showed in the reedbed behind the open-backed hide at Stanwick Pits this morning.

A Great White Egret was at Upton Country Park this afternoon and a female Blackcap was briefly on apples in a Duston garden for the second day.

Over at Boddington Reservoir the gull roost contained a Kittiwake and an adult Caspian Gull and in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton today there were two Green Sandpipers and a Barn Owl on show this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Great White Egret.

Kestrel.

Female Red-crested Pochard.

Above three images
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Yellow-legged Gull.

Little Egret.

Kittiwakes

Hello

This morning the most notable reports in the county relate to Hawfinches with one at Cottesbrooke near the church and five birds were seen in flight in the vicinity of Blatherwycke church.

A female Red-crested Pochard and a Stonechat were at Kislingbury Pits and a Cattle Egret was at the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows.

This afternoon and gulls in the roost at Stanford Reservoir included two Mediterranean Gulls, a Caspian Gull and a first year Kittiwake, and other birds at the reservoir amounted to two Red-crested Pochards and a Great White Egret.

At Pitsford Reservoir a first year Kittiwake was flying around the dam mid afternoon and subsequently an adult was found on the water which was also joined by a first year which was probably a third bird. With dusk approaching five Kittiwakes were picked up circling over the dam and as they began to gain height two more birds joined them and they all flew off south. A minimum of seven birds were involved. Other birds included an adult Yellow-legged Gull, two Ravens and a Grey Wagtail.

Also this afternoon a Short-eared Owl was seen at Bunkers One and Two at Harrington Airfield and a Woodcock was also seen.

Regards

Neil M

Great Black-backed Gull.

First year Common Gull.

First year Kittiwakes
at Pitsford Reservoir
this afternoon.

For Julie

Hello

A week-end of ringing began yesterday (Saturday) with Kenny and a rather small team being completely immersed in ringing throughout the day at Linford Lakes. One hundred and eighteen birds of twenty-two species kept them stretched on a day when they couldn't connect with the winter thrushes but found just about everything else! Interesting birds included a Barn Owl, two Kingfishers, a Water Rail, a Jay, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Mute Swan, no less than eleven Chiffchaffs, three Blackcaps, seven Goldfinches, a Lesser Redpoll, a Goldcrest and two Treecreepers. Other things noted included two Great White Egrets and a Great Crested Newt.

Today (Sunday) and a very special ringing session took place at Stortons Pits on the outskirts of Northampton. Earlier this year we lost a very good friend and ringing colleague - Julie Donohoe - a bubbly, caring and lovely person who we all miss enormously. Julie's ringing career began at Stortons initially under the tutelage of John Woollett but she also regularly attended other sessions managed by Northants Ringing Group members. In addition to the ringing today, Julie's husband Ken and daughter Clare and son Andrew came along to see why Julie had been getting up at stupid o' clock for years! After seeing the ringers in action and even seeing and releasing a re-trap bird that Julie had originally ringed it was time to plant a nurtured two year oak tree from an acorn collected from The Mere at Holcot. Ken duly dug the little tree in and poignant, emotive words were spoken and we recounted marvellous times with such a special person to all of us.

Oh yes and the birds didn't disappoint with captures of two Chiffchaffs, a Cetti's Warblers, three Redwings, several Reed Buntings and a Grey Wagtail amongst more regular fare. Other birds on-site included a second Grey Wagtail, singles of Siskin and Redpoll, several Water Rails and more Cetti's Warblers and about two thousand Starlings flying out from their roost in the reeds.

Interesting birds seen around the county included up to five Hawfinches in Cottesbrooke village, two or three Bramblings and a Raven in Hanging Houghton village, a Siskin in Scotland Wood (Kelmarsh) and two Ravens near Haselbech.

Birds at Stanford Reservoir today included a Mediterranean Gull and a Caspian Gull in the gull roost, a drake Pintail, a female Red-crested Pochard, two Kingfishers, two Water Rails and eighteen Redpolls.

A Marsh Harrier, three Great White Egrets and a possible Jack Snipe were noted from the Paul Britten hide at Summer Leys LNR.

Regards

Neil M

Members of the Northants
Ringing Group at Stortons
Pits today with Ken, Andrew
and Clare, courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Julie's oak with Ken,
Andrew and Clare, courtesy
of Chris Payne.

Jay courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

Male Lesser Redpoll
courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Barn Owl courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Great Crested Newt
courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Finches and Pinkfeet

Hello

A day of more passage which included a movement of finches and more Pink-footed Geese.

Stanford Reservoir hosted two Caspian Gulls in the roost this evening and during the day other birds included about twenty Lesser Redpolls, a Water Rail, three Red-crested Pochard and two Kingfishers.

The Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits proved to be a good site today with eighteen Pink-footed Geese heading east there this morning, one or two Bittern(s) with birds over the Aldwincle Lake and later one on the Heronry Lake in the afternoon, at least six Great White Egrets, a Water Rail, a Shelduck, two Kingfishers, a pair of Stonechats, three Cetti's Warblers, two Chiffchaffs and hundreds of roosting Starlings.

About fifteen Bramblings were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton first thing with a Grey Wagtail in the village, four Ravens at Harrington Airfield and one at Pitsford Reservoir.

A single Pink-footed Goose was at Deene Lake this morning before flying off, and Blatherwycke hosted the female Scaup and four Red-crested Pochards on the lake and later a Hawfinch was seen adjacent to the lake from the west side of the churchyard.

Up to two Hawfinches were seen in Cottesbrooke village this afternoon, an adult Yellow-legged Gull was at Sywell Country Park this afternoon and the Earls Barton complex included a Jack Snipe visible from the Paul Britten hide on the Summer Leys LNR. The New Workings between Earls Barton and Whiston provided a Marsh Harrier, two Shelducks and a late Common Sandpiper.

More garden ringing by Chris Payne at Greens Norton provided about thirty-five Goldfinches, a male Siskin and Starlings amongst over fifty birds processed in just a couple of hours.

Regards

Neil M

The skulking Cetti's Warbler.

Male Siskin courtesy
of Chris Payne.

Starling courtesy
of Chris Payne.

More Hawfinches

Hello

A colder day of late, not unseasonal but we have become used to the mild temperatures this month!

Hawfinches continue to be seen in the county with more sites being found as these big finches exploit mature trees and particularly yew trees. One bird was seen a couple of times at Cottesbrooke village today, one or two were in the churchyard at Blatherwycke and five at Southwick Hall were viewed from the churchyard. Two were seen yesterday at St Peter's churchyard at Oundle and it seems that Northamptonshire is as good as anywhere for tracking down these big-billed nomads.

Birding at Stanford Reservoir today yielded a Stonechat, a Great White Egret, a Cetti's Warbler, a Water Rail and a Barn Owl. Four Stonechats were at Sywell Country Park this afternoon.

A female Scaup was at Blatherwycke Lake today and yesterday a Bittern and four Whooper Swans were seen on the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits where there was also a Starling murmuration.

At Hollowell Reservoir today there was a Stonechat, three Common Snipe and a Water Rail all on the north side of Guilsborough Bay. Birds visible from the dam at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon included an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Redshank, a Grey Wagtail and a pre-roost gathering of about five hundred Starlings.

Three Ravens, five Grey Partridges and a Kingfisher were all seen in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Either an extraordinarily pale
Lesser Black-backed Gull or
potentially a LBb x Herring Gull hybrid.

Skylark - not regularly
caught locally in mist nets.

A much quieter day

Hello

Seemingly a much quieter day in the county today but it started well with a Bittern seen at Stanwick Pits early this morning and Hawfinches being seen with three at Cottesbrooke and two along Longcroft Road, Corby near to the Iron Mountain warehouse this morning. Other birds noted at Cottesbrooke included two Egyptian Geese and two Ravens.

At Stanford Reservoir today there was a Rock Pipit (a much scarcer bird in the county these days), a first year Caspian Gull, a Brambling and three Cetti's Warblers.

Two Bramblings were in Haselbech village at lunchtime and a Common Snipe and a Golden Plover were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon. Five Siskins were noted in a Scaldwell village garden.

Regards

Neil M

Singing Starling.

Little Egret.

Goldfinch.

Reed Bunting.

All images courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Ringing at Stortons Pits

Hello

A very busy ringing session at Stortons Pits today targeted the Goldfinches and Redwings on-site and proved to be successful with seventeen Goldfinches and a huge haul of seventy-one Redwings being successfully mist-netted, ringed and released. Other birds were three Wrens, a Dunnock, three Blackbirds, two Great Tits, eight Blue Tits, seven Long-tailed Tits, a Cetti's Warbler, three Chiffchaffs, two Blackcaps, two Chaffinches, two Greenfinches and a Reed Bunting.

Otherwise the day belonged to Hawfinches with two being seen flying over Stanford Reservoir, eight sitting up in trees at Cottesbrooke village, one at Eurohub (Corby) and four at Short Wood near to Oundle.

At Pitsford Reservoir today there was a Stonechat, a drake Pintail and a flying Dunlin in the Scaldwell Bay and this afternoon an adult Yellow-legged Gull was in the roost off the dam plus a Stonechat below the dam and two Grey Wagtails.

At Stanford Reservoir other birds included an adult Caspian Gull in the gull roost, two Water Rails, a Great White Egret, eight Common Snipe, two Kingfishers and two Cetti's Warblers. Two Caspian Gulls roosted at Boddington Reservoir this evening and the Ruddy Shelduck was noted at Winwick Pools. A female-type Scaup was reported at Blatherwycke Lake.

The Glossy Ibis was again seen on the Summer Leys LNR this morning, visible from the Paul Britten hide, two Woodcock were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and a male Merlin was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon pursuing finches near to 'shrike hedge' which included several Bramblings and two Redpolls.

Regards

Neil M

Herring Gull.

Yellow-legged Gull.

Great White Egret.

Otter at Stortons Pits
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Stonechat courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Ditchford WeBS count.

Hello

This morning was spent completing the WeBS count at Ditchford Pits which resulted in a Jack Snipe, sixteen Common Snipe, four Great White Egrets, a Pintail, two Water Rails, five Grey Wagtails, three Siskins, seven Cetti's Warblers, five Chiffchaffs and six Stonechats.

The Glossy Ibis was seen again at Summer Leys LNR this morning and other birds included at least five Great White Egrets, five Pintail, forty-five Golden Plovers and four Common Snipe.

The 'ringtail' Hen Harrier was noted at Whiston Pits/Lock this morning but not subsequently and other birds included a Green Sandpiper, sixty Golden Plovers, four Redshanks, three Stonechats and a Grey Wagtail.

Kislingbury Pits again hosted the female Red-crested Pochard and two Ravens.

On a day of wild geese, a Brent Goose was at Eyebrook Reservoir and two skeins of Pink-footed Geese were sixty birds over Moulton Leys at 9.15am and about thirty flying north-east just north of Deene at about 2.40pm.

Four Hawfinches were on view at Deene Churchyard today, a male Brambling was at Hanging Houghton and an adult Caspian Gull was at Hollowell Reservoir.

The birds at Stanford Reservoir amounted to two adult Caspian Gulls in the roost, two Jack Snipe, seven Common Snipe, two Red-crested Pochard, a Raven, five Redpolls and a Siskin.

Regards

Neil M

Pink-footed Geese.

Jack Snipe.

Great White Egret.

Pitsford WeBS count.

Hello

A WeBS count was completed at Pitsford Reservoir today in very pleasant weather conditions with two Stonechats, fifteen Siskins and thirty-five Goldeneye south of the causeway with a Great White Egret also straying to the north of the causeway. On the reserve section there was a drake Red-crested Pochard, a Raven, a Kingfisher and a Peregrine in the Walgrave Bay and a Stonechat and at least twenty-one Common Snipe and a Yellow-legged Gull in the Scaldwell Bay.

A 'ringtail' Hen Harrier was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon, initially near to 'shrike hedge' and later briefly at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell. The 'ringtail' Hen Harrier was still present in the Nene Valley between Cogenhoe and Earls Barton and is proving a photographers favourite! Two Peregrines were on pylons near there this morning. The Glossy Ibis was in a field behind the Sand Martin bank at Summer Leys LNR early this afternoon.

Two Hawfinches were again in Cottesbrooke village this morning and wildfowl at Stanford Reservoir today included two Red-crested Pochard, an Egyptian Goose and a Ruddy Shelduck, and also a Barn Owl was seen. 

A significant Starling murmuration was reported from Stortons Pits this afternoon and at Kislingbury Pits today there was a female Red-crested Pochard and two Stonechats.

Regards

Neil M

Hedgehog in the garden
this afternoon.

Goldfinch.

Red-crested Pochard.

Reed Bunting.

Above three images
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Quality November birding.

Hello

Another very grey day in the county provided much the same birds as the last week and further proof that November can be a very rewarding time for birding inland.

The two Bearded Tits were seen at Stanwick Pits again this morning and nearby at the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve there were eight Cattle Egrets, a Goosander and a Knot. A Turnstone was at Summer Leys LNR this afternoon.

Harriers in the Nene Valley between Cogenhoe and Earls Barton included a 'ringtail' Hen Harrier and a Marsh Harrier and other birds included five Stonechats at Whiston Lock with a Pink-footed Goose with Greylags at the New Workings near Whiston. An adult male Hen Harrier was seen in the Catesby/Staverton area early this afternoon, on the county border with Warwickshire and the male Hen Harrier was again near Bozenham Mill flying towards Ashton this morning. A Green Sandpiper was seen there too.

Birds at Stanford Reservoir today included a Mediterranean Gull, a Caspian Gull, two Red-crested Pochards, a Great White Egret, two Water Rails, two Cetti's Warblers, a Stonechat, a Peregrine and a Raven.

The late Swallow remained at Station Cottages, Brixworth and up to four Hawfinches were in Cottesbrooke village, generally mobile around the village hall.

A Green Sandpiper, a Kingfisher and two Grey Wagtails were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton with at least one Raven in the village. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was off the dam at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon.

Starling roosts of about a thousand were noted at Titchmarsh reserve, Thrapston Pits and with about eight hundred in the Pintail Bay at Pitsford Reservoir with larger murmurations reported recently from Earls Barton Pits and Stortons Pits.

A Red Kite pre-roost gathering of over seventy birds were noted yesterday at Roundhay Farm with the likely roost site being Sane Copse on the county border with Bedfordshire.

Regards

Neil M

Grey Herons courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Stonechat courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Common Frog. With the current
mild temperatures many amphibians
and creatures due to hibernate are
remaining active this month.

Ringing and birding in the grey month of the year

Hello

A ringing session on Thursday at Woodford Halse provided ninety-eight birds with Blue Tits and Great Tits providing the bulk of the captures, but other birds amongst the fourteen species processed included three Goldcrests, a Chiffchaff, two Treecreepers, two Nuthatches, three Chaffinches, four Blackbirds, a Redwing, a Woodpigeon, two Grey Wagtails and a Kingfisher.

Today and a similar number of birds were processed by ringers operating at Linford Lakes on the outskirts of Milton Keynes with the highlights being a Blackcap, a couple of Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest, a number of Redwings, a Song Thrush, a couple of Blackbirds, a Water Rail, a Kingfisher and a Barn Owl. A couple of Great White Egrets were about and flights of Cormorants, Siskins and Fieldfares were regularly flying over.

Birds seen in the county included a Hawfinch at Lamport Hall and Blatherwycke churchyard, three Hawfinches at Cottesbrooke, the late Swallow still at Brixworth, eight Whooper Swans and two drake Red-crested Pochard on Blatherwycke Lake and a pair of Bearded Tits were still at Stanwick Lakes near to the main car park.

In the Nene Valley a 'ringtail' Hen Harrier and two Marsh Harriers were in the Whiston Lock area with a Whooper Swan flying over and a Grey Plover with Golden Plovers there plus a Stonechat. Nearby the Glossy Ibis and a Marsh Harrier were still at Summer Leys LNR and the Whooper Swan flew over there too. In the Bozenham Mill area a male Hen Harrier flew towards Ashton this morning.

At Harrington Airfield a Peregrine, a Common Snipe and eight hundred plus Fieldfares were present this afternoon and two Knot were at Eyebrook Reservoir.

At Stanford Reservoir today there was an adult Mediterranean Gull, an adult Caspian Gull, two Red-crested Pochards, two Pintail, a Great White Egret, two Water Rails and two Cetti's Warblers.

Regards

Neil M

Barn Owl.

Kingfisher.

Water Rail.