Murky Sunday

Hello

Birds noted at Pitsford Reservoir today included a Great White Egret and three Shelduck north of the causeway and both Marsh Tit and Willow Tit around the feeders in Christies Copse.

Please be aware that a birder's car was broken in to today at Pitsford, the car being parked and unattended at the top of the Old Scaldwell Road. This is a rare event at this site but occurs a couple of times most years.

Birds in the garden here at Hanging Houghton today included up to five Lesser Redpolls, a couple of Reed Buntings, a Yellowhammer and a Nuthatch. 

The afternoon was spent visiting wild bird feeding stations and whilst we were doing so a Woodcock decided to fly a couple of circuits around Scotland Wood (Kelmarsh Estate).

Regards

Neil M

Glyn Davies Wood

Hello

This morning a ringing session took place at Glyn Davies Wood, an ancient remnant of woodland in the far west of Northamptonshire. About 120 birds were captured, the majority being common tits but also included a couple of Marsh Tits and a Willow Tit. Other birds processed included a Goldcrest, a handful of Long-tailed Tits and two Nuthatches. Other birds seen/heard in the wood included a redpoll sp, 1-2 Raven and another constantly singing Willow Tit.

Birding in the afternoon was quiet, but we popped in to Boddington Reservoir and saw seven Goosanders and at Ravensthorpe Reservoir we noted a couple of Kingfishers and six Golden Plovers flying over. Despite plenty of searching we couldn't find anything of note at the Pitsford Res gull roost this afternoon but the three White-fronted Geese were again by the Fishing Lodge this morning.

Harrington Airfield provided 15 Golden Plovers and a pair of Grey Partridge, and one of the pairs of Stonechat was visible at Blueberry Farm; a Barn Owl was near Spratton early morning.

Regards

Neil M

Carrion Crow

Marsh Tit and Willow Tit are notoriously
difficult to tell from each other, and sometimes
it is not much easier in the hand! For the record
the bird on the left is a Marsh Tit and the bird on the
right is a Willow Tit - honest!

Some of the features are not obvious in these images but
the shape and colour of the cheeks and crown, the shape
and markings of the bills and the extent of the chin spot
all help. The wing length of these two birds was identical
but in British birds the Marsh Tit generally has the longer
wing and although it's not obvious in these images the
Marsh Tit in the British race is colder-toned that the creamy
and warm tones of the British race Willow Tit. Both species
are much colder-toned in North Europe and the Willow Tit on the
continent is the colder-toned bird. The secondary feathers
of Willow Tits tend to show pale edging which produces a
panelling effect but this can also be exhibited to a lesser
extent by the Marsh Tit. Other features are more subtle or
only possible to see in the hand and without doubt a calling
or singing bird is the easiest way to identify this tricky duo!

Pitsford WeBS Count

Hello

The WeBS count for Pitsford Reservoir was completed today, and although wildfowl numbers were very low, interesting birds were about and visible. The three White-fronted Geese were generally showing well in the area of the causeway and on the shoreline by the Fishing Lodge, 3-4 Smew (one drake) were present, a first winter Mediterranean Gull was on the water in the Holcot Bay, an adult male Peregrine was in hunting mode and waders included an Oystercatcher, two Jack Snipe, 59 Snipe and three fly-over Golden Plovers.

In addition the female Stonechat was in the Scaldwell Bay, a large passerine flock near the Old Walgrave Road in a stubble field included well over a hundred Chaffinches and two Ravens were around the Walgrave Bay.

Birds in the garden here at Hanging Houghton in the early afternoon included two Lesser Redpolls on feeders, two Reed Buntings and a Nuthatch.

Eleanor's visit to Blueberry Farm (Maidwell) this afternoon provided views of two Ravens, a Barn Owl and two pairs of Stonechat.

A visit to Market Harborough this afternoon failed to locate any Otters on the River Welland, but a Kingfisher and 2-3 Grey Wagtails were still present.

Regards

Neil M

White-fronted Geese
Courtesy of Pete Gilbert

White-fronted Goose
Courtesy of  Pete Gilbert

Peregrine
Courtesy of Pete Gilbert

Lapwing
Courtesy of Pete Gilbert

White-fronted Geese
Courtesy of Helen Franklin

Mist net surprises!

Hello

Chris Payne and Kim Robinson were ringing at Bradden again today and witnessed a Great Tit inspecting a nest-box erected only a few days ago. They caught about thirty birds which included a Blue Tit first ringed at Astcote in December 2013. A male Goldcrest was the highlight of the session but it would have been the Common Buzzard that was found in a 60' net, but unfortunately the raptor flapped it's way to freedom prior to the ringers reaching it.

News came through today of a Goldfinch first ringed at Astcote in February 2014, which was then found dead in October 2014 as far north as Cumbria. There is a general acceptance that many Goldfinches that breed in north England and Scotland then winter no further south than the southern half of England where there are now plenty of supplementary garden feeders, and this recovery may well help to support this theory.

Regards

Neil M

Little to report!

Hello

Very little to report today. I spent a short time ringing common birds in the garden and out and about maintaining feed stations but didn't manage to find anything of note.

Eleanor paid a visit to Harrington Airfield and located a flock of about sixty Skylarks on the top fields, a pair of Grey Partridge and good numbers of Yellowhammers, Chaffinches etc coming down to the feed.

Regards

Neil M

Otters by torchlight!

Hello

Chris Payne was active this morning down in the Bradden area in South Northants. Plenty of nest-boxes going up in preparation for the new season and some ringing too with nearly 40 birds captured which included a 'new' flock of 10 Long-tailed Tits, 4 Robins and a couple of Dunnocks. One Blue Tit was a 'Control' which means it was already ringed and from another area as yet to be ascertained. Chris reports that the Nuthatches were very vocal and the Great Spotted Woodpeckers were drumming well. I'm sure we'll have some cold weather to come, but there is plenty of evidence that the new season is not too far away now!

On Sunday evening Jim Dunkley again tried for the Otters at Market Harborough and this time he had considerable success with an active romp of a female and three pups on the River Welland not far from the railway station. Jim has been speaking with the locals and although the Otters can show at any time, and anywhere along the river, the early morning and evening seems to be their particularly active periods. Watching them by torchlight in the evening apparently doesn't put them off! The Harborough Mail newspaper is also reporting regular sightings too during the last week or so...

Eleanor was out and about at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this evening and saw two pairs of Stonechat and a hunting Barn Owl. Yesterday evening saw a roadside Barn Owl near Spratton too.

Regards

Neil M

Rook with deformed bill.
A species that seems particularly
susceptible to bill and feet deformities.

A hand-fed Robin.
Meal-worms can make
 such birds very tame!

Grey Wagtail
River Welland
Market Harborough

All images courtesy of
Jim Dunkley.

Birds in winter sunshine

Hello

John Woollett and team committed to some ringing at Stortons Gravel Pits yesterday (Sunday) and caught a good number of birds, some attracted to the feeders there. Reed Bunting was the most common bird caught, with plenty of new birds, some re-traps from previous years and a bird bearing a ring from elsewhere (not sure where yet). A marauding Sparrowhawk hit the nets but bounced out and wasn't captured.

John Gamble was up at Deenethorpe yesterday afternoon and captured some fine shots of a/the wintering Great Grey Shrike present there (please see images below).

Some ringing around the main feeding station at Pitsford Reservoir yesterday afternoon and this morning provided 49 captures which included 31 new birds. These were made up of 9 Yellowhammers, 2 Reed Buntings, 6 Tree Sparrows, 3 Chaffinches, 6 Greenfinches, 3 Goldfinches and 2 Starlings. The female Stonechat is still present in the Scaldwell Bay (the male disappeared in late December), and a singing Willow Tit was again present around the Fishing Lodge.

Regards

Neil M

Great Grey Shrike
at Deenethorpe

Courtesy of John Gamble

A sunny day in February

Hello

An improvement in the weather today with plenty of long sunny spells bringing forth plenty of bird song. Two Ravens were noted at Haselbech Hill this morning.

A visit to Brixworth Water Treatment Works provided at least a couple of Grey Wagtails and a Chiffchaff and the filter beds were busy with plenty of Pied Wagtails.

Birds noted at Pitsford Reservoir today included the three White-fronted Geese and two Ruddy Shelduck in the Pintail Bay (about 11am), a Willow Tit in trees next to the Fishing Lodge and a Woodcock at Christies Copse in the Walgrave Bay.

The day finished with a fabulous sunset and a calling Grey Partridge in a hillside field at Hanging Houghton.

Regards

Neil M

A selection of Pied Wagtail images from today

Ringing at Kelmarsh

Hello

Today a period of bird ringing took place at Kelmarsh Hall in slightly milder conditions of late. A total of 98 birds were captured which included plenty of typical woodland birds, perhaps highlighted by a male Sparrowhawk, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, three Nuthatch and a sprightly male Goldcrest. A pair of Raven were very vocal.

This afternoon a wander around in Sunderland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate provided a selection of common woodland birds including three Woodcock.

Regards

Neil M

Male Sparrowhawk at Kelmarsh Hall
today, judged to be a bird now in its
third calendar year.

Images courtesy of Jacob Spinks
 and Neil Hasdell.

Ditchford WeBS Count

Hello

This morning people representing DEFRA were again at Pitsford Reservoir, hellbent on destroying the very last male Ruddy Duck on site. So with boats and shooters all south of the causeway and access prevented to the reserve for visitors, yet again all the local wildlife was disturbed to execute what I consider a completely misguided policy. I guess they killed the innocent duck and it and I will never understand the justification when there are far more important environmental issues to tackle. I rarely enter the political world to make my comments publicly, but this whole process has made my blood boil and I know I'm not alone.

Much of the day was taken up completing the February WeBS count at Ditchford Gravel Pits. Plenty of ice on the pits but very, very muddy around the edges! In pleasant weather, the birding was quiet with the highlights being two Great White Egrets (one west of Ditchford Lane and another on the main pit between Higham Ferrers and Irthlingborough), 16 Egyptian Geese (on and around the Watersport Pit west of Ditchford Lane) and a couple of mobile Goosander. Other birds included four Kingfishers, a Little Egret, just one Chiffchaff, three Cetti's Warblers and a Water Rail.

Regards

Neil M

Fineshade Wood update and request...

Hello again

Last Friday we had some disappointing news: our legal request to Eric Pickle’s department to enforce an Environmental Impact Assessment was rejected. This means that there is now nothing to hold East Northants Council back from making a decision.  This will be on 18^thFebruary.

We have also learned that members of the council’s Development Control Committee, the councillors who actually decide Fineshade’s future, have paid a visit to Forest Holiday’s existing site at Sherwood Pines and some of them were impressed by it. On the same day they were brought here and shown parts of the Fineshade site. It was an unpleasant January day, they were not taken to key positions to see, for example, the proximity of the proposed Retreat complex to the walking track. The Forestry Commission hosted this, no local residents were allowed anywhere near them.

All this may mean that the councillors who spoke strongly against the development at the previous meeting in November may well feel differently now.

So please could we have your strong support again in a final attempt to save Fineshade Wood from this exploitation?  There is no doubt that last time councillors had been very influenced by the number and quality of the individual communications that they had received through the post. Some spoke of “all the lovely letters” they had received, which had made them aware of just how strongly Fineshade is valued by local visitors and those from further afield, as well as local residents.  Councillors know that it is much easier to fire off an email than it is to write a letter so they tend to be more influenced by things that drop onto their doormat. Could you please spare the time to write to three, five, more (or all!) members of the planning committee now?

Timing is very important! Letters need to be sent so that they arrive ideally between Friday 13^th and Tuesday 17^th  February. There are suggestions as to what you could say below.  We believe it is best to keep to one issue and develop that strongly in your own words (even though you may feel strongly about many of the issues). Names and addresses of councillors are in the attached file. Some councillors do not often check their council email accounts.

Please help us to send some more “lovely letters”. We’ll be in touch again nearer the time advising about emails you could send later.  Thanks so much for your support.

On behalf of Fineshade Residents

!! STOP PRESS !! We have just heard that local labour MP Andy Sawford will be coming to visit on Friday 13th February between 10 and 11 am. We hope local press and television will be here. If you live locally please can you come along to help make clear the depth of local opposition to this development. More details later.

Ideas for letters

Address the councillor by name. Refer to planning application 14/01704/FUL, 70 Holiday cabins in Fineshade Wood. Give your name, address and perhaps phone number. Say that you have already filed a formal objection but want to bring a particular issue to their attention.

Possible issues: Choose one to develop with passion!  Don’t forget to use different words from these!

a) Loss of your amenity.  You visit Fineshade for its tranquillity  (see point d below), because it’s a great place to come with the family/walk the dog/cycle and that you value it as it is now. (It won’t help to say that you preferred it as it was a few years ago!). Make it as personal and touching as possible. The new development will turn a large part of Fineshade into effectively a holiday camp, you’ll be able to see the buildings through the trees, there will be cars moving through the woodland night and day, noise of children playing, noise from heat source pumps, hundreds of people (352 bed-spaces)

b) Wildlife. There are very special, but elusive, species such as Dormice, Great-crested Newts, Nightjars, Adders and other reptiles, rare butterflies, that have retreated away from the visitors into the large undisturbed area that is now to be changed into what’s effectively a housing estate. All the expert wildlife agencies agree this should not happen. The Council’s own ecology advisors (the Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs and Northants) have produced the very strongest possible objection to the scheme. You do not believe that Forest Holidays will keep to their own wildlife surveyor’s very restrictive statements in their planning application e.g  She says: “Where access tracks and buildings are positioned in woodland areas unsuitable for reptiles, a fingertip search must be carried out for Amphibians prior to the commencement of works” and “Tree felling works must avoid the Crossbill and other bird nesting seasons (January through to end August).” Will East Northants be able to enforce that these necessary restrictions are carried out by this predatory applicant, who is in such a hurry? They will not.

c) Road issues. Despite the wishy-washy, non committal comment from Northants Highways, you know that the A43 junction is really dangerous (because….), that the single track lane up to the Visitor Centre is already at full capacity at peak times (because….), that the junction in front of the visitor centre is already confusing and dangerous, that running a new access route through the existing FC car park is foolhardy in the extreme, that there is an alternative access route around the Forest Road to the north of the site, that the proposed emergency access route using Duddington Lane has not been properly assessed or surveyed. (More details? see objection by Barrie Galpin on behalf of Fineshade residents.)

d) Planning policy is against this development. Refer to the detailed objection by Louise Duggan on behalf of Fineshade residents which uses the NPPF and existing local policy documents CSS, RNOTP etc.) Then point out that the new policy document which is currently out for consultation, the Joint Core Strategy 2011-2031 opposes the development. Policy 3 states that the development should preserve tranquillity within the newly recognised King’s Cliffe Hills and Valleys Landscape Character Area of which Fineshade is a part. National planning policy says there must be a presumption in favour of sustainable development… but this is not sustainable (For more detail see objection from Paul Hackett)

e) Comparison with FH Sherwood. Point out that, although they might have been impressed by Sherwood Pines, it is in old-style FC conifer woodland (the clue is in the name!). Fineshade is a mix of Ancient Woodland with naturally regenerating broadleaved woodland of very high landscape and biodiversity values. It’s a Local Wildlife Site which Sherwood certainly was not. There may be a place for such developments in low-grade plantation woodland but not here in East Northants’ wildlife gem. Also point out that once the initial Sherwood site was approved (60 cabins) there was a succession of further application and many more cabins squeezed in (now 86). Councillors will have seen that there are a lot of vehicles at the Sherwood site! You might also like to point to severe environmental problems at some of Forest Holidays other sites such as their most recent one in Norfolk. (see point f)

f) Sewage (and hot tub) problems. Refer to the way in which FH have slipped in a plan to install a Package Treatment Plant for sewage. Make a reference to the recent objection on website from Shirley Martin and in particular the photo showing industrial-scale excavation when one was installed at another FH site, the stench, the flies etc. At Fineshade the plans show that this will go in a currently unsurveyed area of coppiced woodland, thick with hazel, brambles and thick vegetation – the very best area for dormice but nobody knows if there are any there, as its almost impenetrable.  See also Mrs Martin’s most recent objection re discharge of chlorinated water from over 60 Hot tubs!

g) Fineshade Site Visit.  Point out the deficiency of their official Fineshade site visit and suggest they come to visit the site with you and/or residents. They are allowed to make "informal site visits" to properly see for themselves the problems.

h) Site of retreat. This will be immediately adjacent to one of the most used walking areas - now that there are no leaves on the hedgerows you can see its site and that of the adjacent large carpark and play area very easily indeed. Many large oaks will be felled. Prime butterfly habitat lost, close to houses etc. (More details, see objection from Tricia Galpin on behalf of Fineshade Residents)

Thank-you

Barrie Galpin

Dog-walking birds

Hello

Some incidental birding while I was out maintaining feed stations this morning provided a Raven in Kelmarsh village and a Willow Tit singing briefly at Scotland Wood (Kelmarsh Estate).

Exercising the dogs and jogging around Pitsford Reservoir south of the causeway late morning provided views of the pair of Ruddy Shelduck with Canada Geese in a grass field near to Pintail Bay. Two Snipe and two Jack Snipe were flushed and a Grey Wagtail noted.

More dog walking around Harlestone Heath this afternoon provided views of a Raven but little else of note.

Regards

Neil M

Raven
Harlestone Heath

Smew Portrait

Hello

Robin Gossage has kindly forwarded some images of three Smew at Pitsford Reservoir today (of four present). 

Pitsford is a regular winter venue for this striking 'sawbill' duck but regular birds are currently being reported at nearby Ravensthorpe Reservoir and Stanwick Lakes with a single bird at Stortons GP and a few being seen at Sywell Country Park too.

Relatively small numbers of Smew winter in the UK and Northamptonshire is an important area with both Pitsford and Ravensthorpe being ranked as nationally important for this scarce species.

Adult drakes sport the white elongated crest and are effectively known as 'white nuns' with their plumage combination and patterns of white, black and silver. The females and young males are known as 'redheads' and they display a rich chestnut crown and nape which dulls and is replaced in males as they moult in to nuptial plumage. 

Smew do not breed in the UK, probably the closest breeding area being Belarus, and occupy similar breeding habitat as the Goldeneye.

Regards

Neil M

Smew at Pitsford Reservoir
Courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Bramblings!

Hello

Yesterday Eleanor saw two Bramblings flying around at Harrington Airfield and 38 Blackbirds emerged from the bushes to feast on the distributed seed and other offerings!  This morning there was a female Brambling down on the seed by the concrete track entrance.

This morning a female Brambling visited us in the front garden here at Hanging Houghton, so it seems that small numbers of this species may be moving in response to some cold weather further to the north and east.

Regards

Neil M

The value of ringing re-traps

Hello

A ringing session took place at Brixworth Water Treatment Works today which resulted in a relatively modest catch of birds. This included six new Pied Wagtails, four Meadow Pipits and a re-trap Grey Wagtail.

Other birds noted on-site included 1-2 Chiffchaff, up to 3/4 Grey Wagtails, 2 Snipe and a Golden Plover flew over.

The ringed Grey Wagtail was first ringed there as a juvenile male on 26th August 2013 and a re-trap Long-tailed Tit was first ringed here at Hanging Houghton on 5th November 2011. 

Most Meadow Pipits that we notice moving through the county in the autumn seem to linger for a few days and then move on. An adult re-trapped today was first ringed at the same place in October 2014 and re-trapped again in December 2014. Clearly this bird is wintering successfully in and around the treatment works!

We have been fortunate to catch and ring good numbers of Pied Wagtails at this site during the winter months and await with interest any recoveries from these efforts. It is generally accepted that the southern half of the UK provides wintering quarters for Pied Wagtails that breed in northern England and Scotland.  The turn-over of birds is clearly significant to the degree that we have yet to re-trap a single individual.

Eleanor enjoyed a spectacle in the garden this afternoon when two Red Kites were attracted to some food put out for the local Jackdaws. A second helping including raw chicken ensured that one of the kites actually landed in our small enclosed garden, the first time we have actually seen one 'on the deck'!

Regards

Neil M