Birds of the April showers

Hello

Considering the time of the year it has been a fairly quiet couple of days in the county as we are now used to the songs of Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap all over again and Sand Martins and Swallows have now been seen hawking over most of our gravel pits and reservoirs.

On Sunday a ringing session at Linford Lakes (the first this year) yielded twenty-three birds of twelve species, fifteen of which were newly-ringed. Quality rather than quantity always makes for an interesting session which provided three Song Thrushes, a Redwing, two Wrens, two Dunnocks, two Blue Tits, a Great Tit, five Chiffchaffs, a Treecreeper, a new Kingfisher, two Greenfinches, two Reed Buntings and a rather rare mist net capture of a female Kestrel.

Other birds on-site included a Barn Owl, a Great White Egret, six Common Snipe, three Oystercatchers and non avian highlights included Brown Hare, Bank Vole, a Common Shrew and eight Common Newts.

Yesterday (Tuesday 5th April) and birds at Stanford Reservoir amounted to a Goosander, two Swallows, Sand Martins, two Yellow Wagtails, a Willow Warbler, two Cetti's Warblers and a Lesser Redpoll.

Three Ravens were at Hanging Houghton and a Barn Owl was seen in the evening at the Holcot-end of the Pitsford Reservoir causeway where it has been seen regularly during the last few weeks.

The female Ring-necked Duck was still at Ravensthorpe Reservoir where there was also a first year Caspian Gull present in the morning. A Jack Snipe, six Common Snipe, two Yellow Wagtails and two Oystercatchers persisted at Hollowell Reservoir. Seven Little Ringed Plovers and a Great White Egret were noted at Summer Leys LNR and seven of the Yellow Wagtails remained at the dam-end of Pitsford Reservoir.

Harrington Airfield was quiet with a calling Grey Partridge and singing singles of Willow Warbler and Blackcap.

Today (Wednesday 6th April) and the west was best with a Caspian Gull on pools by the new Royal Mail Distribution Centre at the DIRFT complex near Lilbourne and a fly-over Osprey over Lilbourne Meadows Nature Reserve. An Osprey was also at Daventry Country Park early this afternoon and another was photographed at Hollowell Reservoir today.

Migrants at Stanford Reservoir today included thirty Swallows, two Shelducks, four Willow Warblers and three more residential Cetti's Warblers. A Yellow Wagtail overflew Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and at Wicksteed Park the long-staying Pink-footed Goose was still present. Nine Yellow Wagtails were below the dam at Pitsford Reservoir today and a pair of Mediterranean Gulls have spent time on the A45 layby pit at Stanwick Pits the last two days.

An Otter was a great sighting at Stortons Pits today and birds included a couple of Swallows and a Barn Owl and Clifford Hill Pits attracted three Goosanders, two Little Ringed Plovers, a House Martin and two Yellow Wagtails. A White Stork was reported flying east over Oundle cemetery at about 2.10pm this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Redwing courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Kestrel courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

Chiffchaff courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Common Snipe courtesy
of Dave Jackson.