Black Terns and friends

Hello

Plenty of migrants on the loose today with perhaps Black Terns dominating the action but also waders on the move too.

Two Little Gulls were at Stanford Reservoir this afternoon and other birds included a Redshank, two Oystercatchers, a Hobby and a Cuckoo.

Ravensthorpe Reservoir was the venue for eight Black Terns this morning before they moved on. A little later and ten Black Terns and five Little Gulls dropped in until they also departed.

Another twelve Black Terns were seen at Boddington Reservoir this afternoon and at Pitsford Reservoir there were two mobile Avocets this morning which left to the south and arriving migrants this afternoon/evening were seventeen Black Terns, and for a while, at least five Little Gulls before they disappeared.

Summer Leys LNR also attracted four Black Terns plus a Bar-tailed Godwit, three Black-tailed Godwits, a Wood Sandpiper, a Whimbrel and four Greenshanks with nearby Hardwater Lake hosting the Glossy Ibis (also visited Summer Leys), and a summer plumage Spotted Redshank with two Common Redshanks and two Whimbrel for a time.

The New Workings Section of the Earls Barton complex was good for two Ruff this morning plus a Greenshank and what was probably the same Spotted Redshank seen later at Hardwater Lake.

At Stanwick Pits there were again two Bar-tailed Godwits and two Greenshank and Clifford Hill Pits provided a Wood Sandpiper, three Whimbrel, a Greenshank, five Common Sandpipers, a Caspian Gull and four Wheatears. A Common Sandpiper and a Dunlin visited Titchmarsh LNR at Thrapston Pits and another Common Sandpiper was at Sixfields Lake, Northampton with a Cuckoo at neighbouring Stortons Pits.

An Osprey was at Hollowell Reservoir this afternoon and a Nightingale and Mandarin were just across the border at Castor Hanglands (Cambs).

Single Grey Wagtails were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth and at Kelmarsh Hall, and a couple of Redpolls were at Hanging Houghton and Roade.

I have just returned from an eight day tour in the south of France and a few images are depicted on the page/tab 'Provence in Spring 2026.

Regards

Neil M

Common Whitethroat courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Little Gull.

Swallow courtesy of
Nathan Jones.

A bit of a lull !!

This week seems to have started off very slowly,  probably due to the return of the northerly winds putting the brakes on migration.    Yesterday was very quiet in the county with just a few records of Little Ringed Plovers,  Whimbrel, Bar Tailed Godwit,  Common Terns,  Northern Wheatears,  Swifts, Glossy Ibis and a 2nd year Caspian Gull in the Nene Valley.       I walked a large circuit between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke checking the fields and clocked up at least 10 Northern Wheatears.                                              Today when I walked the same route I found absolutely nothing,  not a Wheatear in sight.   Harrington Airfield proved to be equally as quiet,  back to being a birdless zone!!    Looking at the birds reported today there has been a scattering of Whimbrel and Bar Tailed Godwits along the Nene Valley at Earls Barton GP (new workings), Summer Leys,  Clifford Hill GP,  Stanwick GP and Titchmarsh LNR. 

A ringing session at Linford Lakes at the weekend was productive with two Cuckoos caught and ringed, the first ones ever to be netted there in April. Other birds duly processed were a Kingfisher, seventeen Blackcaps, three Cetti's Warblers, three Sedge Warblers, a Chiffchaff, three Willow Warblers, fourteen Greenfinches and eight Goldfinches. Birds on-site included a Ring-necked Parakeet, a Great White Egret and a Bittern. 

Tomorrow is a whole new day,  hopefully it's going to be a bit warmer and it looks as if the wind direction will be more of an easterly.  What birds if any will this produce??

Regards Eleanor 

Cuckoo.

Sedge Warbler.

Juvenile Robin - the first
fledgling to be ringed this year.

Above images all courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Great White Egret.

Bar-tailed Godwit and 
Little Ringed Plover courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

A Good Weekend!!

I've had a very good weekend indulging in both my passions, agility and birding. Yesterday was devoted to agility and today birding.                                                                As usual I was up and out before the world awoke, just love being out at this time of day.  I stood around at shrike hedge below Hanging Houghton  and it was quite noisy,  especially with the sounds of Skylarks,  Meadow Pipits and Warblers etc.  I was reflecting on yesterday's agility competition where Jaeger was absolutely awesome and picked up two 1st places and a 2nd place and Rouzel, who tried her best picked up a 2nd place. These results mean they have both qualified for an agility final later in the year. Obviously Fridays extra training paid off.    It was whilst I was in this reflective mood that I was suddenly jolted back into the moment when I heard what I thought was a Common Crane.  It then seemed an eternity before I heard the call again which sent me into a bit of a panic trying to locate the bird. It is always difficult to pick up a bird against clear blue skies, no matter what size the bird is. I was very excited when I managed to get it through my bins and watch it fly away from me and I lost it to view over Hanging Houghton.  It may well have flown straight over our garden,  what a garden tick that would have been!!                                                                                                   The fields in the valley look really interesting at the moment as they have been recently scuffed and sown and they are attracting a lot of common birds.  I've been checking these regularly as I feel they have the potential to pick something good up.  The Northern Wheatears certainly like these fields and this morning there were at least 6 in the area between shrike hedge and Gamboro plantation.   Another breather at Gamboro,  my excuse for so many stops is that the old hound Tor needs a rest.  However it is also proving a good technique for finding birds and my stop at Gamboro provided a cracking male Common Crossbill.     Further on and there were another 4+ Northern Wheatears around Blueberry.                                      A quick stop at home for coffee and drop Tor off and I headed to Harrington Airfield with the others. Again I feel that the fields are currently looking interesting and again the Northern Wheatears agree as there was at least 7 birds present.  Interestingly the majority of the birds seen today have been males.

There have been a good variety of birds in the county over the weekend including a Woodcock roding at Nobottle Wood , Swift at town lake Thrapston and Ravensthorpe Reservoir.  2 Mediterranean Gulls at both Titchmarsh LNR and Summer Leys and 2 Avocets at Summer Leys which are likely to be the ones at Titchmarsh LNR on Friday.  It certainly isn't far for these birds to move along the Nene Valley.   Plenty of waders dotted around the Nene Valley,  Greenshank,  Common Sandpiper,  Dunlin, Little Ringed Plovers,  Oystercatchers and Whimbrel.   Two Bitterns were at Titchmarsh LNR and the very long standing Glossy Ibis seems to have settled at Hardwater Lake for the moment.     Away from the Nene Valley there were 4 Little Ringed Plovers, Snipe,  Siskins and Redpoll at Priors Hall Corby, a Common Sandpiper at Sulby Reservoir and Dunlin, Redshanks,  Oystercatcher and Little Ringed Plovers at Lilbourne Meadows. 

I'm hopeful that this coming week will bring us even more birds to keep us busy and on our toes . Have a good week. 

Regards Eleanor 

Red Kite.

Common Buzzard.

Small Tortoiseshell.

A Funny Friday!!

It's been a funny old day. I always go out birding with an open mind and hopefully with my ears and eyes wide open too, especially at this time of year when anything is a possibility.  I must admit that early this morning I wasn't expecting to hear and see 2 Whooper Swans flying over as I walked the dogs below Hanging Houghton.  This was quickly followed by a very tatty female Peregrine who was clearly on a mission. A quick scan of the fields produced 2 Northern Wheatears,  birds which I expect to see at this time of the year.                                                                               My morning was spent at Peterborough agility training with the collies.  We have a competition tomorrow so hopefully the extra training will pay off.                                     Whilst driving home I made a "spur of the moment " decision to visit some of our old birding haunts around Ashton Wold/Polebrook Airfield area. It has been a while since I have visited this area and access to some of the more interesting areas is quite restricted. I did manage to hear a Nightingale in full song at Ashton Wold and at least 4 Northern Wheatears at Polebrook Airfield.  We always used to visit the area to look for Dotterel in the many bean fields.   Not quite so many bean fields now but the ones I found looked perfect,  but despite extensive scanning I couldn't find anything.                                                                    Then I stopped off at Titchmarsh LNR.  The noise of the Black Headed Gulls was quite deafening as they squabbled amongst themselves vying for the best position on the islands. But this noise was superseded by the loud "booming" of a Bittern which took me completely by surprise. Once I'd recovered from this I started to scan the water and the first birds I saw were two Avocets swimming around.  I then spent a couple of hours wandering around.  Plenty of Warblers in full song, Cettis,  Blackcaps,  Chiffchaffs and Sedge Warblers. Plus plenty of hirundines constantly passing through. 

At this time of year the Nene Valley is always attractive to migrating birds and I'm sure it will only get busier. At the moment there is Little Ringed Plovers, Oystercatchers, Common Sandpipers, Dunlin, Whimbrel, Northern Wheatears,  Arctic Terns, Yellow and White Wagtails at Clifford Hill GP. At nearby Summer Leys,  Whimbrel, Arctic and Common Terns.  The new workings at Earls Barton GP have attracted Green Sandpipers,  Bar Tailed Godwit, Cuckoo,  Osprey and Yellow Wagtails. A Swift and drake Ring Necked Duck were at Titchmarsh LNR yesterday.            The Reservoirs seem to be quiet in comparison with just Common Sandpipers at Pitsford,  Hollowell and Ravensthorpe and an Arctic Tern at Stanford Reservoir.        Yesterday Stuart bumped into a Ringtail Hen Harrier at Kingsthorpe Meadows flying towards Brampton Golf Course.  It just shows that we never know what to expect and it pays to keep your ears and eyes wide open. 

Regards Eleanor 

Cuckoo.

Green-veined White.

Speckled Wood.

Orange-tip.

All images from Stortons
Pits courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Rain at last!

Hello

The last few weeks have been very dry in the county, in stark contrast to the winter and early spring. The dryness and winds caused the daffodils to experience only a short flowering season so today's rain should rejuvenate plenty of plant growth.

At Clifford Hill Pits today the migrant Whimbrel was still present and no doubt feeding up before it's next hop to Iceland or Scandanavia. Other birds were a couple of Common Sandpipers, five Wheatears and a White Wagtail.

The drake Ring-necked Duck popped up again on the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits this morning.

Birds at Summer Leys LNR included two Avocets briefly, a couple of sightings of the Mary's Lane Ring Ouzel, an adult Mediterranean Gull, eleven Common Terns and a White Wagtail. A Common Redstart was also reported but details of the sighting are not known. 

Away from the Nene Valley and a Wheatear was at Desborough Airfield, a male Stonechat near Ashton Lock was very unseasonal unless there is some local breeding going on, and five Mandarin Ducks were at Barnwell Country Park with two more on the River Nene near the north bridge at Oundle.

Four Common Terns were at Ravensthorpe Reservoir and two Arctic Terns flew north there. An Osprey fished successfully at Hollowell Reservoir where the fish of choice is the large Bream and Bream hybrids. A few Common Terns have arrived back at Pitsford Reservoir and several Siskins were at Scotland Wood with at least one nearby at Kelmarsh Hall. Three Tree Sparrows were at Rectory Farm, Old.

Regards

Neil M

Cock Pheasants dueling on a frosty morning.

Drake Tufted Duck.

Whimbrel at Clifford Hill
Pits courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Mid-April birding

Hello

A wander around Harrington Airfield this morning provided some migrants with a male Ring Ouzel along the main concrete track close the shooting wall and a male Common Redstart by Bunker One being the best. Other birds were four Wheatears, common warblers, two Yellow Wagtails and two pairs of Grey Partridge.

In the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton there were two male Wheatears near shrike hedge and six Yellow Wagtails flying over. This afternoon a female Wheatear was where the missing males had been!

At Pitsford Reservoir this morning birds north of the causeway were an Arctic Tern, a Great White Egret, two Ravens, two singing Lesser Whitethroats, a Sedge Warbler and a Redpoll.

A Grasshopper Warbler was reeling near Weekley Hall, Kettering and Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows hosted three Sandwich Terns, a Common Tern and a Greenshank. A singing Lesser Whitethroat was in a garden in the old village at Corby, and seven Wheatears were in fields between Clopton and Bythorn.

Earls Barton Pits, particularly Summer Leys LNR, provided plenty of birds with two Ring Ouzels, the Glossy Ibis, a Wheatear, a Greenshank, a Ruff, a Dunlin and a singing Nightingale.

The Whimbrel was still at Clifford Hill Pits and Stanford Reservoir recorded a Peregrine, a Great White Egret, two Oystercatchers, two Common Sandpipers and a Fieldfare.

Regards

Neil M

Blackcap.

Long-tailed Tit.

Sparrowhawk.

Above images courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Cowslips.

Large White butterfly.

More spring surveys

Hello

A very cold start today with air temperatures at -2C and with a frost at dawn but it became a very pleasant day with plenty of sunshine and low windspeeds.

A Breeding Bird Survey combined with a WeBS count at Lilbourne Water Meadows was the first task this morning and birds of interest included five Wheatears, four Yellow Wagtails, plenty of singing Sedge Warblers, two Common Snipe, ten Little Ringed Plovers, two Oystercatchers, two Redshanks, a Raven and a couple of Siskins.

A Common Sandpiper and an Oystercatcher were at Welford Reservoir where also a pair of Grey Wagtails were collecting food and four Yellow Wagtails and a couple of Siskins were present.

A Grey Wagtail was in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth, two Ravens were over Hanging Houghton and a male Common Redstart was at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

The Ring Ouzel was found again next to Summer Leys LNR and showed occasionally and the reserve held a Ruff, a Common Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plovers and three Common Terns. Two Mediterranean Gulls were present this evening.

Clifford Hill Pits was the venue for the Whimbrel still, six Little Ringed Plovers, two Oystercatchers, three Common Sandpipers, three White Wagtails, plenty of Yellow Wagtails, two Wheatears and this evening two Avocets dropped in.

Five Wheatears were in the top fields at Harrington Airfield today and modest pickings at Stanford Reservoir included a Common Tern, an Oystercatcher and a Kingfisher.

Regards

Neil M

Roe Deer shedding their winter coats.

Robin.

Female Mallard and her ducklings.

Female Grey Wagtail.

Peacock butterfly.

Images all taken today.

Pitsford Common Bird Census

Hello

It was time for a Common Bird Census around the reserve at Pitsford Reservoir today, with a cool start again which didn't put off many of the songsters. Birds of note on-site included a Great White Egret, an Osprey, a male Common Redstart in the Walgrave Bay, half a dozen Redpolls, a few Siskins and about a dozen singing Willow Warblers. Many of these birds are waiting to move north, presumably being held up due to the strong winds affecting the county. There are already plenty of singing Blackcaps around the reserve together with plentiful numbers of Robins and Wrens. The Yellow-legged Gull was also present and a Common Snipe was noted.

Early morning birding at Clifford Hill Pits secured a migrant Whimbrel and two Common Sandpipers and the Earls Barton area provided two Wheatears in a field between there and Ecton and a Common Redstart was found between the railway track and the Rive Nene from Summer Leys towards Great Doddington.

Summer Leys LNR was the venue for a female Ring Ouzel in a field off Mary's Lane, a Marsh Harrier, a Common Tern, a Common Sandpiper and three Little Ringed Plovers.

The Red-throated Diver was still at Hollowell Reservoir plus an Osprey, a Common Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover and two Yellow Wagtails. A Common Sandpiper was on the dam at Ravensthorpe Reservoir.

A Little Ringed Plover and a White Wagtail were brief visitors to Stanford Reservoir and other birds were a Redshank, three Common Sandpipers, a Great White Egret, a Raven and a Garden Warbler.

A Common Redstart was by Bunker One at Harrington Airfield this morning and other birds were a Wheatear, three Yellow Wagtails, plenty of singing warblers, two Fieldfares, five Golden Plovers and with nine Cormorants flying over.

We still have a couple of Reed Buntings visiting the garden.

Regards

Neil M

Great Crested Grebes.

Willow Warbler.

Kestrel courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Speckled Wood.

Birds of a cool and windy April day.

Hello

A cool air today and windy for much of the day but warming sunshine and a few light showers too.

A grey and cool walk at Harrington Airfield didn't produce much that was new but at least the three pairs of Grey Partridges and plenty of Brown Hares were in situ and the recently-arrived warblers were singing despite the conditions.

Summer Leys LNR was probably the optimum place to be today with three Sandwich Terns, two Arctic Terns, a Common Tern, the Glossy Ibis, a Marsh Harrier, a flock of five Black-tailed Godwits, a Ruff, a Caspian Gull, a Cuckoo, a Garden Warbler and a Wheatear all seen by a variety of observers during the course of the day.

The New Workings/Whiston Wetlands section provided a Green Sandpiper, a Redshank, two Shelduck and Grey Partridge.

Clifford Hill has been enjoying a good spring and observers there this morning listed a super Firecrest, a White Wagtail, at least twenty Yellow Wagtails, a Greenshank and eight Little Ringed Plovers.

Stanwick Pits was the venue for a fly-over Whooper Swan and birds on the main lake were a Cattle Egret, a Ringed Plover and a Common Sandpiper. Two Common Terns and three Yellow Wagtails were at Thrapston Pits today.

The reservoirs fared poorly by comparison with just the regular adult Yellow-legged Gull at the south-end of Pitsford Reservoir, an Arctic Tern and the Common Redstart still at Ravensthorpe Reservoir and the Red-throated Diver at Hollowell Reservoir. An Arctic Tern was noted at Daventry Country Park and Stanford Reservoir fielded a Great White Egret, a Redshank, four Fieldfares, two Yellow Wagtails and one hundred and twenty Swallows.

A European White-fronted Goose at Lilbourne Water Meadows is a residue of the winter invasion of this species. Four Fieldfares and two Common Snipe were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and a couple each of Redpoll and Siskin were in Scotland Wood this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Firecrest.

Greenshank.

Yellow Wagtail.

White Wagtail.

All the above images at Clifford Hill Pits
complex today courtesy of Tyler Atkinson.

Close up of an adult
Woodpigeon courtesy
of John Boland.

More April migration

Hello

More sunshine but cool conditions and with a light breeze didn't halt the migrants today.

A ringing session at Woodford Halse today yielded fifty-two birds of seventeen species and included three Redpolls, a Nuthatch, a Jackdaw, a Woodpigeon, five Blackbirds, six Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff, a Treecreeper and eleven Greenfinches.

The Red-throated Diver remained at Hollowell Reservoir today and birds at Pitsford Reservoir were a Little Ringed Plover, three Yellow Wagtails and a couple each of Redpoll and Siskin.

A male Common Redstart was at Ravensthorpe Reservoir, in the boundary hedgerow between the fishing lodge and the oak wood. A White Wagtail and seven Yellow Wagtails were in horse paddocks next to Welford Reservoir where also a Common Sandpiper was on the dam.

At Thrapston Pits the drake Ring-necked Duck was still on North Lake today and a Reed Warbler and a Grasshopper Warbler were by the heronry lake.

The Summer Leys LNR provided a Common Tern, the Glossy Ibis briefly, a Ruff and a Greenshank. The ibis turned up later at the New Workings section of Earls Barton Pits and other birds included two Grey Partridges, the drake Red-crested Pochard, a Green Sandpiper and a Shelduck.

A Marsh Harrier was at Stanford Reservoir where there was also a Great White Egret, two Water Rails, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Yellow Wagtail, two Common Snipes, a Redpoll and two Ravens. A Little Owl was noted near Broughton and just a single Tree Sparrow was at Rectory Farm, Old.

Regards

Neil M

Jackdaw courtesy
of Chris Payne.

Yellow Wagtail.

Brown Hare (with short ears)!

Warblers and waders

Hello

A wander at Harrington Airfield this morning provided plenty of singing warblers with at least eight Willow Warblers present, one or two Common Whitethroat(s), a couple of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs. Two pairs of Grey Partridges and a Raven were on-site, a couple of Redpolls were flying around and a male Common Redstart was rather elusive near to the shooting wall. Two mobile Wheatears were on field near the main concrete but later wandered more towards the chipping compound.

Birds around the village at Hanging Houghton included singles of Redpoll, Siskin, Raven and Willow Warbler.

Swallows and many summer migrants seemed to arrive in good numbers today and with some already setting up territories. The winter thrushes seem to have ebbed away but no doubt there will be a few more Fieldfares and Redwings passing through before they disappear completely. Small finches and Meadow Pipits and wagtails are still on the move during most days.

A/the Glossy Ibis popped up on the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve today and two Nightingales were singing at Old Sulehay.

Thrapston Pits was the location for the drake Ring-necked Duck today, this time on North Lake, and there were at least twenty Sedge Warblers on-site.

Summer Leys LNR attracted two Common Terns, a Little Ringed Plover, a Wheatear, a Reed Warbler  and three Garden Warblers and birds at the Earls Barton Pits New Workings included a drake Red-crested Pochard accompanying a female Mallard and ducklings, a Ruff, a pair of Grey Partridges and three Yellow Wagtails. Early in the morning there was a Whimbrel which flew north, a Curlew and Redshank, Common Snipe and Little Ringed Plover.

A Raven and two Redpolls were at Honey Hill, Cold Ashby this afternoon and a flock of twelve Yellow Wagtails were in paddocks adjacent to Welford Reservoir. A Barn Owl was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and also Spratton this evening.

Two Great White Egrets were north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir and the usual adult Yellow-legged Gull was off the dam. An Egyptian Goose was at Stanford Reservoir plus a Great White Egret, a Water Rail, two Reed Warblers and a Cetti's Warbler.

Regards

Neil M

Goldfinch courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Kestrel courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Swallow.

Sand Martin courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Warbler early arrivals

Hello 

A warm and sunny day and the dry period continues. Lots of insects on the wing including plenty of ladybirds.

During the last twenty-four hours Barn Owls have been noted at Hanging Houghton and Borough Hill Country Park and an early breeding season this year for a species that struggled to produce offspring locally and nationally last year.

The Glossy Ibis popped up at Summer Leys LNR where local waders included a pair of Oystercatchers, Redshanks and a Common Snipe with an Osprey not far away flying north-west over Castle Ashby. Other birds at Summer Leys included a pair of Grey Partridges, a Little Ringed Plover, a Common Whitethroat and a Sedge Warbler.

A Reed Warbler was located at Stanwick Pits and a Garden Warbler sang in a Nether Heyford garden, with another at Whiston. A Goosander and Sedge Warbler were on the New Workings section of Earls Barton Pits.

A female Wheatear and a couple of Sedge Warblers were at Clifford Hill Pits, a Yellow Wagtail flew north over Brackley.

A Common Redstart was by the shooting wall at Harrington Airfield with another at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell where also a Common Whitethroat and two Yellow Wagtails.

Good numbers of warblers at Stanford Reservoir included Sedge and Reed Warblers and Common Whitethroats and other birds were two Great White Egrets, a Water Rail, three Redpolls and a Siskin.

Three Redpolls and three Siskins were at Scotland Wood this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Male Common Redstart.

Common Snipe.

Redshank.

Oystercatcher.

Wader images taken at Summer
Leys LNR today courtesy of
Tony Stanford.