Cold weather movement

Hello

A cold night and day across Europe and the UK has undoubtedly caused some cold weather movement with fresh birds arriving in the county as a result. Over a hundred Fieldfares and small numbers of other thrushes at Harrington Airfield were probably all new arrivals as there are still a reasonable amount of berries on the bushes there.

The Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton was relatively quiet this morning with just a Barn Owl of note but this afternoon there were forty-five Golden Plovers, three hundred Lapwings, an increase in Meadow Pipits and Skylarks and large numbers of Fieldfares, Redwings and Starlings. Regulars included the female Merlin, at least six Bramblings and a pair of Stonechats.

A Tundra Bean Goose was a new bird in at Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits and later the ten European White-fronted Geese and a Marsh Harrier put in appearances too.

Thrapston Pits provided sightings of the mobile drake Ring-necked Duck, drake American Wigeon (generally Aldwincle Lake) and two Greater Scaup (Town Lake today). Two European White-fronted Geese again flew north-east at Stanwick Pits this morning. Two Marsh Harriers were seen at Summer Leys LNR today.

Clifford Hill Pits was again the venue for a drake Smew and four European White-fronted Geese.

At least sixty European White-fronted Geese were still at Stanford Reservoir today plus three Greater Scaup and with two thousand Common Gulls and a first winter Mediterranean Gull in the afternoon roost there.

A Whooper Swan arrived at Hollowell Reservoir this afternoon and a Jack Snipe was still present. A dead Water Rail was a road casualty just outside Holcot on the road to Walgrave (next to Pitsford Reservoir) and a Redpoll was at Brixworth Country Park.

Yesterday there were two Peregrines on St Dionysius church in Market Harborough and four Tree Sparrows were noted at Rectory Farm, Old.

Regards

Neil M

First year Mediterranean Gull.

Otter.

Tundra Bean Goose at
Ringstead Pits today
courtesy of Nick Parker.

Birding on New Year's Day

Hello

With further cold weather ahead of us, many birds from 2025 were found again today plus a couple of newbies too!

A Firecrest found by Nigel at the New Sandy Lane Attenuation Pool on the outskirts of Duston was a great New Year find. Another excellent passerine find by Olivia was a Black Redstart at a farm between Scaldwell and Lamport, last being seen at about 2pm. Presumably it is cold weather from the continent that is pushing these insectivorous birds around.

Thrapston Pits remains the best place for rare ducks with the drake Ring-necked Duck, the drake American Wigeon and up to three Greater Scaup plus a Marsh Harrier. Beware that a birder's car was broken into whilst parked in the Wildlife Trust Aldwincle car park today. The Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck and one of the Scaup were at the south end of Aldwincle Lake on the Titchmarsh reserve.

A Caspian Gull, a Goosander and a wing-tagged Marsh Harrier were at Summer Leys LNR and ten European White-fronted Geese were at Ringstead Pits on Kinewell Lake. A Goosander flew over Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows and Stanwick Pits recorded two European White-fronted Geese and a Marsh Harrier. A flock of Siskins and a Kingfisher were at Swanhaven Pond near Lings and a Siskin was at Little Billing, Northampton.

The drake Smew and four European White-fronted Geese were at Clifford Hill Pits, a Jack Snipe was found at Hollowell Reservoir, and Ravens were at Grange Park, Northampton and Mawsley.

A Brambling and a Blackcap were at Woodford Halse today and birds noted north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir were ten European White-fronted Geese, a Great White Egret, a Brambling and a pair of Stonechats.

An intriguing report from East Farndon was of a Wild Boar sighting, a mammal that is not known to be residing in rural Northants.

The 'ringtail' Hen Harrier showed up again in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon plus a Golden Plover, a pair of Stonechats, about twenty Siskins (Gamboro' Plantation) and several Bramblings.

Quality birding continued at Stanford Reservoir with two Glossy Ibis, an adult Caspian Gull in the roost, an amazing seventy European White-fronted Geese, four Greater Scaup, a Shelduck, two Peregrines, three Common Snipe, six Goosanders and a Chiffchaff.

Eyebrook Reservoir provided sightings of fourteen European White-fronted Geese, nine Smew and eight Greater Scaup.

Regards

Neil M

Black-headed Gulls courtesy
of John Tilly.

Carrion Crow courtesy
of John Tilly.

Black Redstart today near
Lamport courtesy of Olivia Neilson.