Lingering Siskins

Hello

A pleasant spring morning even if a little cool first thing, then a cloudier afternoon and rain this evening. Chiffchaffs have now moved into the county in plentiful numbers with birds being seen and heard in a variety of locations.

Evidence that at least some of the Siskins from this spring's influx are still with us and that many are lingering where there is a qualitative food supply before moving on again.

At Kelmarsh Hall today some ringing assessment and training resulted in one hundred and seven birds being processed, sixty-seven of them being re-trapped birds with forty newly-ringed. Of five Siskins processed, two of them were re-traps from previous sessions locally. Of fifteen Goldfinches processed, ten were re-traps from earlier in the year or the previous winter of 2022/2023. Of ten Chaffinches encountered only one was fit enough to be ringed, the remainder all suffering from the awful disease that affects their legs and feet, and these birds were released straightaway once extracted from mist nets. Two new male Nuthatches added some more style to the proceedings! A re-trapped male Great Spotted Woodpecker was initially ringed in March 2017 and so will be at least eight years old this year. It was also re-trapped at the same site in March and November 2021 suggesting Kelmarsh Hall is very much it's home! Two Ravens were noisy there today.

At Greens Norton today Chris Payne caught and processed thirty Goldfinches and six Siskins.

David enjoyed watching a male Brambling on his garden feeder at Spratton today and repeats of birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton included a Barn Owl, two Grey Wagtails and two Green Sandpipers. The lingering Peregrine remains at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and two Short-eared Owls remain on private land west of Lamport.

At Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon there was a Kingfisher in the Scaldwell Bay and an immature male Merlin arrived in the Walgrave Bay after pursuing a Pied Wagtail low over fields, then had a quick go at an unknown passerine at the boundary fence and then made a particularly sustained attack on a Sand Martin with the little hirundine being able to keep out of the way of the talons until the Merlin gave up and moved on. Two Sand Martins were also seen at the dam at Pitsford Reservoir in the morning.

At Ditchford Pits there was a Cattle Egret at Chester House Lake and a first year Caspian Gull was present at Summer Leys LNR this morning with a male Marsh Harrier at Quarry Walk.

Two Mealy Redpolls were still present with Lesser Redpolls at New Sandy Lane attenuation pond in Duston this morning with a belated report from yesterday of nine Waxwings in Northampton by the River Nene off the Southern Approach Retail Park south west of Smyths Toy Superstore.

Clifford Hill Pits today attracted three Shelduck, seven Goosanders and two Oystercatchers and a pair of Grey Partridges were seen in a field between Woodford village and the old A604 this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Male Siskin at Kelmarsh
Hall today courtesy of
Bethan Clyne.

Male Siskin at Greens Norton
today courtesy of Chris Payne.

Great Tit courtesy
of Bethan Clyne.

Kestrel courtesy of
Robin Gossage.