Last day of March

Hello

A ringing session took place at Pitsford Reservoir in the Walgrave Bay today in stunning weather conditions! Some 102 birds were processed of seventeen species with perhaps the highlights being several long-lived re-trapped individuals and warblers in the shape of a Willow Warbler, five Chiffchaffs and three Blackcaps. Other birds noted included between two and four Crossbills, six or so Siskins and a similar number of Redpolls, a Swallow, a male Peregrine, two Great White Egrets, six Ravens and a Kingfisher. Bee Flies, shield bugs, butterflies, small bats and a couple of active adult Common Toads provided a distraction from the birds. Nearby there were two Swallows and a singing Blackcap in Old village and a small group of Brown Hares too.

The Otter has shown in Abington Park, Northampton both early yesterday morning and this morning and yesterday there were four Ring-necked Parakeets near to Greens Norton where three Blackcaps were caught and ringed by local ringer Chris Payne. At least one Cetti's Warbler was located in the Nene Valley at Nassington yesterday, which is believed to be a new site and an indication that they wintered well and are looking to spread further.

The weather of the last few days has certainly provided a rush of north-bound migrants - I think today was the first day this year I didn't record a Redwing or Fieldfare - and in their stead Chiffchaffs are widespread and other early summer migrants are popping up too. A flock of four thousand Sand Martins were reported in Clyde, Scotland today!

This morning two Sandwich Terns flew east at Stanford Reservoir at 8.35am, four Little Ringed Plovers were found on pools on some rough ground on the outskirts of Kettering, a Swallow was seen in Hardingstone village and a male Common Redstart was seen albeit briefly at Borough Hill Country Park, Daventry. Another male Common Redstart made an appearance and then disappeared at Harrington Airfield (along the concrete track by the Shooting Wall) and other birds noted there included a pair of Grey Partridge, six Golden Plovers and about six Bramblings.

The Nene Valley provided a suite of excellent birds, which a decade ago we would have said were classic birds of early/mid April! A drake Ring-necked Duck was an excellent find by Mark Williams at Clifford Hill Pits - whether this is either of the Ditchford or Stanwick birds or a fresh individual is anyone's guess but there is an influx of them in the UK this spring. The Dark-bellied Brent Goose remains at the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadow reserve section of Ditchford Pits where today there was also a Black-necked Grebe and a Swallow.

At Summer Leys LNR there were a pair of Avocets, a Mediterranean Gull and three Black-tailed Godwits and Thrapston Pits continued to host the Glossy Ibis on the Titchmarsh reserve plus four or five Great White Egrets, a pair of Oystercatchers, a large Peregrine, two Common Terns, a Kingfisher and plenty of singing Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs.

Phew and March used to be a dreary month for birding in the county!

Regards

Neil M

Otter Abington Park
courtesy of Jim Dunkley.

Reed Bunting courtesy
of Lewis Aaron.

Chiffchaff courtesy of
Lewis Aaron.

Willow Warbler courtesy
of Lewis Aaron.

Second calendar year
male Blackcap courtesy of
Bethan Clyne.

Second calendar
year male Blackbird
courtesy of Bethan Clyne.