Hoopoe

Hello

A garden-visiting Hoopoe in Hanging Houghton village sadly wasn't relocated this afternoon, the photo taken with the bird just outside the window. With unprecedented numbers arriving in the south west, south and west of the UK it seems logical that a few permeate further inland. A Raven, two Swallows and a Little Owl were noted in the village whilst looking for the Hoopoe.

The Whiston Wetlands area was again the place to be with a White Stork moving over west late morning...presumably the same bird turned up at Napton, Warwickshire in the afternoon. Other birds in the Nene Valley in this area were the two Garganey, a singing Lesser Whitethroat, a Pink-footed Goose, eleven Egyptian Geese and two Little Ringed Plovers.

The Glossy Ibis was in a field opposite the Sand Martin bank at Summer Leys LNR late this morning and a Common Sandpiper and two Little Ringed Plovers were at Stanwick Pits. A Common Sandpiper and two Little Ringed Plovers were at Clifford Hill Pits this morning. Titchmarsh NR also attracted a Common Sandpiper, a Dunlin and in excess of eighty-five Sand Martins.

Away from the Nene Valley and there was a Ring-necked Parakeet visiting an Abington garden feeder in Northampton, a male Common Redstart was at Harrington Airfield in vicinity of Bunker Two and a Common Sandpiper and two Yellow-legged Gulls were at the dam at Pitsford Reservoir with a Green Sandpiper in the Scaldwell Bay. Four Golden Plovers were at Hinton Airfield and a Grey Wagtail, a Green Sandpiper and two Little Ringed Plovers were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth.

At Stanford Reservoir today there was a Pink-footed Goose, a Great White Egret, two Oystercatchers and two Cetti's Warblers and a Caspian Gull was again at Eyebrook Reservoir.

Regards

Neil M

Hoopoe courtesy
of Percy May.

A different kind
of Rouzel in flight!

Jaeger also in action.

Nuthatch courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Herring Gull courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

More passage waders

Hello

The Whiston Wetlands seemed to be the place this morning with a Common Crane flying over calling and going south, the two Garganey still, three Little Gulls, a Whimbrel, twenty Common Snipe, a Common Tern, five Little Ringed Plovers, one Ringed Plover, three Egyptian Geese, a Pink-footed Goose and a 'reeling' Grasshopper Warbler.

Nearby and at Summer Leys LNR the Glossy Ibis was still present plus a Whimbrel, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Greenshank, four Little Ringed Plovers, a Common Tern, a Hobby and Peregrine. At Stanwick Pits there was a Marsh Harrier again.

The flooded area at Lower Barnwell Lock attracted a Greenshank, a Redshank, four Green Sandpipers, a Little Ringed Plover, an Oystercatcher and a White Wagtail. Seventy Fieldfares and a Little Ringed Plover were at Clifford Hill Pits.

Two Wheatears and thirty Fieldfare and two Redwing were at Heathencote and birds for Stanford Reservoir included a Common Sandpiper, four Shelducks, two Great White Egrets and two Barn Owls.

A Barn Owl was between Lamport and Scaldwell this evening and at Pitsford Reservoir there were three Great White Egrets north of the causeway; two Little Gulls were at Eyebrook Reservoir.

Regards

Neil M

Speckled Wood courtesy
of Jonathan Pitt.

Common Snipe courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Water Rail courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Common Buzzard courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Sunny Northamptonshire

Hello

Another warm and sunny day after a cool start.

A Marsh Harrier flew north-east over Stanwick Pits and was presumably the same once seen later flying over the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits. A Cattle Egret was also seen around North Lake at Stanwick this morning.

A pair of Garganey were found at the Whiston Wetlands today and lingered to provide views, in many respects they were somewhat overdue with good numbers in the country since last month.

At Summer Leys LNR today the Bar-tailed Godwit remained and other birds included two Little Ringed Plovers, six Common Snipe and a Great White Egret.

Six Golden Plovers were at Harrington Airfield today and the Priors Hall Quarry Lake at Corby attracted a Caspian Gull and a Yellow-legged Gull. A Caspian Gull was also reported from Eyebrook Reservoir again.

An Osprey was seen at Pitsford Reservoir and Hollowell Reservoir featured a Cattle Egret which is believed to be the first ever there, two Jack Snipe and three Common Snipe. Ravensthorpe Reservoir recorded a fly-through Whimbrel and a Common Sandpiper.

A Barn Owl was on the outskirts of Scaldwell village this evening.

With all this sunshine some of the county's scarcer butterflies have emerged and includes Dingy Skipper at Stonepit Close, Old Sulehay, Green Hairstreak at Collyweston Quarry and Grizzled Skipper at Twywell Hills and Dales.

Regards

Neil M

Drake Garganey.

Woodpigeons.

Great Crested Grebes in dispute
courtesy of Dave Jackson.

Peacock butterfly courtesy
of Jonathan Pitt.

Comma butterfly courtesy
of Jonathan Pitt.

More spring waders

Hello

Spring migration continues at a pace despite the cool, cloudy conditions this morning (but then bright and sunny this afternoon).

A Spotted Redshank was at Eyebrook Reservoir today and Summer Leys LNR enjoyed another good day with an Arctic Tern, a Common Tern, a Bar-tailed Godwit, two Little Ringed Plovers and a booming Bittern, with the Glossy Ibis just off the reserve and in a field near to the Hardwater Crossing. Two Chinese Water Deer just off the reserve was an interesting local record.

Two Common Scoter were at Clifford Hill Pits this evening, a Cuckoo was at Barnwell Country Park and four Whimbrel showed well at Titchmarsh LNR, Thrapston Pits.

At Harrington Airfield there were at least five singing Willow Warblers on territory, hopefully with more to come, plus a Common Whitethroat, two Lapwings and two pairs of Grey Partridges. There were three Wheatears at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning and two in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

At Pitsford Reservoir the usual adult Yellow-legged Gull and Raven were at the dam and a second calendar year Yellow-legged Gull, a Raven, seven Lapwings and a Great White Egret were north of the causeway.

Some bird ringing at Stortons Pits yielded nearly forty birds with ten Blackcaps, five Chiffchaffs, a Common Whitethroat, two Cetti's Warblers and a Song Thrush. Two of the Chiffchaffs had been ringed there in previous years (the springs of 2022 and 2023) and one of the Great Tits was initially ringed there in November 2018.

Regards

Neil M

Common Redshank courtesy
of Jonathan Pitt.

Bar-tailed Godwits courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Whimbrel at Titchmarsh LNR today
courtesy of Nick Parker.

Black Redstart

Hello

It's always a busy time of the year trying to put finishing touches to projects ahead of the breeding season for our resident and migrant birds, but the weather has certainly helped! Most of the nest boxes we have been trying to erect, maintain and/or clear out has been achieved and today we finally finished work on trying to develop a new Swift colony. As a consequence this hasn't left much time for birding!

Sadly yesterday's Black Redstart at Old village wasn't seen today. Seemingly like most recent springs, a White Stork was seen in the Warmington area today, in flight and heading towards the Cambridgeshire border.

At Stanford Reservoir today there was a Common Tern, a Reed Warbler, a Sedge Warbler, two Oystercatchers, a Kingfisher and about fifty Fieldfares whilst at Hollowell Reservoir there were two Jack Snipe and five Common Snipe.

In the Nene Valley about a hundred Fieldfares were noted heading over Clifford Hill Pits in an easterly direction and at Earls Barton Pits the Glossy Ibis was seen again plus a Black-tailed Godwit on Summer Leys and also a Common Tern, three Oystercatchers, four Redshanks, two Little Ringed Plovers and four Common Snipe.

A male Common Redstart was at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Yesterday's male Black Redstart
in Old village, images courtesy of
Krysten Newby.

Dotterel

Hello 

It may be spring but the bird feeding continues to support those birds that require that little 'leg up' when natural food is spent and at Harrington Airfield the priority species is the Yellowhammer which readily comes to the mixed seed on offer. And that is exactly why Eleanor was at Harrington Airfield this morning, feeding the Yellowhammers and others before conducting some scanning across the fields. A smart male Wheatear was the centre of her attention until two birds appeared to land off in the distant fields behind. Unable to see them on the ground she walked further over and eventually found them again and they proved to be a pair of Dotterel, seemingly a bright female and a particularly dull male!

This duo remained in the field for a little over two hours before finally departing, by which time many local birders were able to see them. Despite the distance and heat haze, Bob Bullock and Nick Parker were successful at digitally recording their presence. This is the fourth record for Harrington Airfield, but all the others stayed for only minutes before moving on again. Other birds today included three Lapwings and a Barn Owl.

A cracking adult male Black Redstart in Old village today providing fabulous photographic opportunities vied with the Dotterel for being bird of the day!

At Pitsford Reservoir today there were two Ospreys north of the causeway plus two Great White Egrets, thirty Goldeneye, a few Common Snipe and an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

At Summer Leys LNR the Glossy Ibis was present again plus also two Little Ringed Plovers, three Common Snipe and a Common Tern. A Green Sandpiper and twenty-five Fieldfares were at Clifford Hill Pits this morning.

At Stanford Reservoir today a female Common Redstart was caught and ringed and other birds on-site were a Great White Egret, two Oystercatchers and two Sedge Warblers.

A Barn Owl and a Green Sandpiper were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Swallow courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Male Wheatear courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Female Dotterel today at
Harrington Airfield courtesy
of Bob Bullock.

The video below was taken
by Nick Parker of today's
Dotterel at Harrington Airfield.

The heat haze and distances made
both photography and videoing
challenging!

Chilly then sunny!

Hello

Another day of wall to wall sunshine after a chilly start!

A check of the Brampton Valley below Brixworth early on provided easily my earliest ever Common Whitethroat with a singing male in hedging bordering the Way. It seems that good numbers of warblers descended on the UK the night before with early Common Whitethroats, Grasshopper, Reed, Sedge and even Garden Warblers turning up on a broad front. Other birds in the valley included a Grey Wagtail, at least fourteen Teal and four species of wader including a Green Sandpiper and at least ten Common Snipe.

At Pitsford Reservoir between the causeway and the dam this morning, the Great Northern Diver was still in the Pintail Bay and other birds included an Osprey, a Redshank, two Oystercatchers, two Yellow-legged Gulls and a Raven.

At Summer Leys LNR today two Avocets were on-site plus three Black-tailed Godwits, a Common Tern and the Glossy Ibis, a Ruff was on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits and a Spotted Redshank remained on the floods at Lower Barnwell Lock, Oundle. Whiston Wetlands also provided two Avocets and two Little Ringed Plovers with a Cattle Egret between Billing Pits and Cogenhoe village.

A Blue-headed-type Wagtail and a Little Ringed Plover were at Clifford Hill Pits today and a Black-tailed Godwit was at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve this morning.

Hollowell Reservoir hosted a Jack Snipe, a Common Snipe and two early Garden Warblers and Stanford Reservoir attracted two Great White Egrets, two Oystercatchers, a Common Snipe and a Brambling. A Little Gull was at Eyebrook Reservoir and a Barn Owl was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

Regards

Neil M

Common Snipe courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Wren courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Great Crested Grebe courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Great White Egret courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Ringing at Scotland Wood

Hello

A cold start to the day but it warmed up by late morning!

Some bird ringing at Scotland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate today provided about sixty-eight captures of traditional woodland birds which included two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, three Nuthatches, two Marsh Tits, three Treecreepers, a Blackcap and two Chiffchaffs. A Redpoll and Willow Warbler were both heard in the wood and will be passage migrants. Another period of ringing at Linford Lakes on the edge of Milton Keynes also provided captures of migrants which included two Sand Martins and a Willow Warbler plus a Kingfisher.

A quieter day for obvious passage in the county today but two Little Gulls were north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon, a single Spotted Redshank, a Green Sandpiper and four Little Ringed Plovers were at the Lower Barnwell floods and two Avocets remained at the west end of Whiston Wetlands. More Swallows and Yellow Wagtails arrived in the county today and are gradually becoming more widespread.

Migrants at Summer Leys LNR today included the four Black-tailed Godwits, a pair of Oystercatchers, an overflying Greenshank at Mary's Lake, an Egyptian Goose and warblers which included a Reed Warbler and a reported Garden Warbler.

Migrants at Stanford Reservoir today were a variety of hirundines and warblers which included two Sedge Warblers and other birds were a Kingfisher, two Common Snipe and two Great White Egrets.

A Wheatear and a Yellow Wagtail were at Harrington Airfield and Barn Owls were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghon and Lamport and another was by Pitsford village early this morning.

Regards

Neil M

A female Chaffinch showing the 
awful leg disease so prevalent in
this species. During ringing sessions
such birds are released after being
extracted from mist nets. The growths
and calcification of the legs and feet
gradually becomes worse but the birds
 evolve and whilst they still have legs 
and feet they try to operate as normal.

Two male Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

Male Blackcap.

Treecreeper.

Nuthatch.

All images courtesy of
Sean Gower.

Impressive waders

Hello

It was the turn of the waders to push through the county and impress today, but there were still Little Gulls on the move too!

The flooded meadow at Lower Barnwell Lock is John's domain and with a Wood Sandpiper there yesterday and early this morning further birds included an impressive three Spotted Redshanks (never a common bird in the spring), a Ruff, a Dunlin, two Little Ringed Plovers, a Common Snipe and singles of White and Yellow Wagtails.

The Nene Valley was busy and at Stanwick Pits there was a Marsh Harrier this morning, a Yellow Wagtail, a Little Ringed Plover, two Redshanks and flocks of Little Gulls totaling ten birds flew through in the afternoon.

Summer Leys LNR is always popular at this time of the year and observations included a Glossy Ibis, a Marsh Harrier, two Greenshanks, four Black-tailed Godwits, two Little Gulls, a Whimbrel and a Yellow Wagtail.

Clifford Hill Pits attracted ten Little Gulls and a Ringed Plover today, a Yellow Wagtail and a colour-ringed Osprey were at Hollowell Reservoir and birds at Pitsford Reservoir included the long-staying Great Northern Diver, an adult Little Gull briefly, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, two Ravens and a Great White Egret north of the causeway.

Stanford Reservoir provided views of three Great White Egrets, two Oystercatchers and a Barn Owl with a mixture of common winter and summer migrants too. A Grey Wagtail was in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth, a Peregrine was in Market Harborough town centre, two Ravens were at Lamport and a Redpoll was audible at Scotland Wood.

Other birds included seven Little Ringed Plovers at Lilbourne Water Meadows, a second calendar year Caspian Gull at Eyebrook Reservoir and a dead Tawny Owl that failed to successfully cross the A508 between Maidwell and Lamport.

At Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon there was a male Ring Ouzel, a Wheatear, two Yellow Wagtails and sixty Fieldfares.

Regards

Neil M

Whimbrel at Summer Leys LNR
today courtesy of Stuart Munday.

Male Ring Ouzel courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Little Gulls

Hello

Today was all about Little Gulls as these super buoyant migrants whizzed into the county and populated gravel pits and reservoirs, gobbling up flies before moving on or lingering. Up to fourteen were at Clifford Hill Pits, at least thirteen were at the New Workings South section of Earls Barton Pits, nineteen were at Summer Leys LNR, flocks of four and five overflew Stanwick Pits, seven were at Daventry Country Park, three were at Pitsford Reservoir, a huge thirty-four were at Stanford Reservoir and two were seen flying over Irthlingborough.

Common Terns appeared today too with four on Higham Lake, Ditchford Pits and an early Wood Sandpiper was at Lower Barnwell Lock flooded fields. Other waders were four Black-tailed Godwits at Summer Leys LNR and a Ringed Plover and a pair of Little Ringed Plovers were at the New Workings. Two Egyptian Geese and two Little Ringed Plovers were at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows LNR.

A male Common Redstart, three Willow Warblers, two Wheatears, a Barn Owl and fifteen Golden Plovers were at Harrington Airfield this morning, another male Common Redstart was in the Nene Valley 100 metres up river from the Wollaston Weir this afternoon.

A colour-ringed Osprey was photographed at Summer Leys LNR this morning, a Sedge Warbler was at Thrapston Pits and an Egyptian Goose and a Green Sandpiper were in the Welland Valley below Cottingham.

Other birds at Stanford Reservoir were two Great White Egrets, three Oystercatchers and a Brambling with Swallow and Sand Martin numbers now beginning to increase in the county. One hundred and fifty Golden Plovers headed high east over Cold Ashby Golf Club early this morning. A Goosander remained at Daventry Country Park.

At Eyebrook Reservoir there was a Caspian Gull, three Common Terns and sixteen Little Gulls.

Regards

Neil M

Little Gull.

Goosander at Daventry Country
Park today courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Egyptian Geese courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Sunshine and no rain again!

Hello

Plenty of sunshine today but a lively cool breeze too!

At Pitsford Reservoir today an Osprey was north of the causeway with a fish and was mobbed by big gulls and appeared to be looking for peace and quiet to consume it's fish in the Walgrave Bay. A Great White Egret, six Sand Martins, a Swallow, a Kingfisher and an adult Yellow-legged Gull were in the Scaldwell Bay and later three Little Gulls flew in over the dam and headed towards the causeway.

The Summer Leys LNR Glossy Ibis put in an appearance again today where there were also four Black-tailed Godwits, a Dunlin and two Little Ringed Plovers. Clifford Hill Pits provided views of two Avocets, a Grey Plover, a Dunlin and a Little Ringed Plover.

A male Ring Ouzel was at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning but couldn't be found this afternoon. A passage of five hundred Fieldfares moved north over there this morning and this afternoon there was a Wheatear and two Swallows. Blackcaps seem to be present in good numbers now, there was even one singing from our garden apple tree this afternoon. We are still receiving visits from six Reed Buntings coming to seed in the garden. A Swallow was seen over Harrington Airfield.

A Caspian Gull was noted at Eyebrook Reservoir today and two Bitterns were photographed at Thrapston Pits yesterday.

Regards

Neil M

Dunlin.

Wheatear.

Black-tailed Godwit.

All images courtesy
of Dave Jackson.