Early spring migration.

Hello

A little bit of passage evident today with a few Meadow Pipits, Pied Wagtails, finches and thrushes on the move overhead, mostly going north or north-west.

Birds in the general Hanging Houghton area today included two Ravens, a singing Blackcap, a Woodcock, three Barn Owls and four Stonechats and nearby Harrington Airfield sported two Ravens, two hundred and fifty Golden Plovers, a female Brambling and three male Stonechats which were fresh in.

In the Nene Valley the Glossy Ibis was seemingly hidden for much of the day at Thrapston Pits but there was a lunchtime sighting of it in flight. Easier to find were a group of seven Great White Egrets on the Titchmarsh Reserve and another three on the Summer Leys LNR.

A Pink-footed Goose was still at Ringstead Pits near Woodford Mill and Stanwick Pits supported another Pink-footed Goose, the Bar-tailed Godwit still, six Redshanks and seven hundred Lapwings including a leucistic bird which if the same one has been doing the rounds along the Nene Valley and Pitsford Reservoir.

Adrian had a look for the Ring-necked Duck on the Main Pits (Higham Pit) at Ditchford Pits but with no joy (just a Goosander of note), but did bump into an adult Yellow-legged Gull on the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve. The juvenile Iceland Gull was reported at Rushton Landfill again this morning (sadly it is limited and awkward viewing and parking opportunities at this spot alongside a busy road).

In some sheltered places today the weak sunshine and relatively high temperatures brought forth quite a number of Brimstone butterflies. Already in the UK there have been sightings of Swallow, Sand Martin and Wheatear and with more southerly winds there will no doubt be more soon!

Regards

Neil M

Barn Owl at Hanging Houghton
courtesy of Nathan Jones.

Redwing courtesy of
Robin Gossage. Plenty of
these birds were moving north
today.

Shoveler courtesy of
Robin Gossage. A much
scarcer bird in the county
these days with now just
a couple of focused areas
in the Nene Valley where they
still occur in some numbers.

Tree Sparrow. Another scarce
and declining bird in the county
with recent absences in most parts of South
Northants, once the regional 
stronghold in the county. The supported
colonies at Pitsford and Stanford
Reservoirs are now even more
important if we are to keep this
as a breeding species in Northamptonshire.
Image courtesy of Robin Gossage.