Birds of Easter Sunday

Hello

A good frost and cold temperatures last night soon gave way to a westerly breeze and sunshine.

And it was another fine spring day for seeing migration in action including plenty of 'redstarts'!

Desborough Airfield this morning provided for one hundred and forty-two Golden Plovers and fourteen Common Snipe. Chelveston Airfield was another venue for a Black Redstart on the county border with Beds plus four Wheatears and a Yellow Wagtail. Harrington Airfield continues to host plenty of finches of buntings which included at least four Bramblings - one of which was virtually a summer plumage male. Five Golden Plovers and a Grey Partridge were also present.

Birds at Stanwick Pits this morning included the Glossy Ibis and the drake Smew but interestingly the Glossy Ibis was back on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits at 10am this morning, where there were also four Great White Egrets and a further influx of warblers.

The Ring-necked Duck was seen again at Clifford Hill Pits together with a Ringed Plover and a Little Ringed Plover. Three Black-tailed Godwits and a Mediterranean Gull were on the Summer Leys LNR this evening.

A Black Redstart was again seen in a Wellingborough garden today and the Black Redstart and a male Common Redstart were again between Shutlanger and Alderton alongside the River Tove. This afternoon another Black Redstart was found in a field half a mile west of Kentle Wood, Daventry at SP5463. This is from a footpath that leads from Kentle Wood and a Wheatear and a Yellow Wagtail were in the same field. An Osprey overflew the wood towards Daventry town centre and at least ten Ravens were present with warblers in the wood including Willow Warbler.

Whitethroats turned up at Hardingstone Lake, Lamport and Harrington Airfield today and probably represent the first spring records for the county. An Osprey flew north through Hollowell Reservoir this morning and a Jack Snipe remained. A Hobby was seen east of Brockhall at midday and a Peregrine was again at Higham Ferrers. A Hen Harrier was reported in flight at Kettering over the A14/A43 junction at lunchtime.

The drake Scaup was off the Sailing Club at Pitsford Reservoir early this morning and a Brambling was noted in the trees there later. Late this afternoon two adult Little Gulls flew through at Daventry Country Park and there were at least one hundred and fifty Lesser Black-backed Gulls present.

Regards

Neil M

Barn Owl.

Lesser Redpoll.

Siskin.

All images courtesy of
Nathan Jones.