Fur versus feather

Hello

Dave Francis and Neil Hasdell were busy today checking the owl boxes at Pitsford Reservoir. Some Tawnies were in residence and an adult was caught in one box and subsequently ringed (please see an image below). A Stock Dove nest with eggs was a pleasant surprise in another box but the majority of boxes had again been taken over by Grey Squirrels and were subsequently evicted. There can be little doubt that the squirrels adversely affect nesting opportunities for the resident Tawny Owls.

Eleanor was out and about today and her daily excursion in to the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning provided views of a Wheatear, a pair of Grey Partridge, a pair of Raven and about 50 Golden Plovers. This afternoon she spent some time at Harrington Airfield which produced another Wheatear, about a 100 Golden Plovers and a 'ringtail' (probably a female) Hen Harrier hunting the rough borders adjacent to the main concrete track.

John Finlayson spends much of his time monitoring the local wildlife at Titchmarsh Local Nature Reserve near Thrapston. Always armed with a camera, below are some images of a confiding Water Rail taken on the reserve...

Regards

Neil M

Tawny Owl
Pitsford Reservoir

Courtesy of Neil Hasdell

Water Rail
Titchmarsh LNR

Courtesy of John Finlayson

More spring migrants

Hello

Early afternoon today saw us dropping in to Summer Leys Local Nature Reserve for a quick look around. Kim Taylor had earlier seen an adult Mediterranean Gull and went on to see a Great White Egret. Birds visible from the Pioneer Hide included a drake Pintail, two Little Egrets, a pair of Oystercatcher, a pair of Redshank and a Shelduck. A calling Water Pipit dropped in to waterside vegetation (to the LHS of the hide as you approach) at about 1.15pm. At least one Chiffchaff was present.

A good walk around Blueberry Farm this afternoon provided views of a Wheatear, lots of Meadow Pipits, two Woodcock and two Barn Owls. Birds at Brixworth Sewer Works included a Snipe and a Chiffchaff.

Scanning through the gulls at the roost at Pitsford Reservoir this evening produced a second winter Caspian Gull.

Chris Payne spent some time ringing at Bradden again today catching both new and re-trap birds of several species - tits and common finches dominating. A couple of Nuthatch were the highlights.

Regards

Neil M

Bathing Blackbird

Eleanor McMahon

Rook

Spring lambs!

Nuthatch

Courtesy of Chris Payne

Information from ringing

Hello

Some wild bird ringing took place at Pitsford Reservoir today, the venue again being the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station. Some 32 birds were caught of 12 species which included Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Tree Sparrow, Goldcrest and Willow Tit. A re-trap Blue Tit was 6 years and 10 months old, very old for this species.

Some Great Tits are beginning to show signs of an avian disease causing swellings around their head and often affecting their eyes. In previous years some birds of this species have suffered quite horrific growths and lesions so we will continue to monitor this latest development.

Local ringers are reporting catching small numbers of continental Chaffinches currently, the males at least of which are subtly distinct. They tend to be marginally larger than our birds and in the hand routinely have long wing lengths. The breast/belly is often a pale and bright pink, rather than the brick-red pink of more local birds, or a combination of the two. These birds are often 6-7 grams heavier than local birds and examination in the hand provides useful clues with the high amount of fat amassed around the breast. This serves as on-board flight fuel as they prepare to migrate back from where they originated.

An all-time high of at least ten Reed Buntings feeding in our garden this afternoon was very pleasing and made up for the lack of interesting gulls in the gull roost at Pitsford Res this evening - a third winter Yellow-legged Gull being about the best.

Regards

Neil M

Chaffinch and Great Tit

Courtesy of Robin Gossage

Wren

Courtesy of John Finlayson

Ditchford WeBS

Hello

This morning a hike around Borough Hill Country Park at Daventry provided lots of cows but not too many birds - two Ravens and plenty of Skylarks were about the best. Similarly a walk around Blueberry Farm provided plenty of common birds but with just a single Woodcock being the only noteworthy item.

This afternoon was taken up completing a belated WeBS count at Ditchford Gravel Pits. As usual the pits west of Ditchford Lane were the more interesting and attracted two Great White Egrets (together some of the time), a Little Egret, 3-4 Egyptian Geese, an Oystercatcher and a first year female Peregrine. Other birds noted on the overall complex included another Little Egret, just one Kingfisher, a Grey Wagtail, six Sand Martins, at least eleven Chiffchaffs, 4+ Cetti's Warblers, two Water Rails and three Shelduck.

Birds attracted to our garden at Hanging Houghton today included a gang of Reed Buntings still plus a Marsh Tit, and a Raven flew through the village last thing this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Drake Tufted Duck

First year female Peregrine

Forest of Dean

Hello

Ten members of the Northants Bird Club travelled down to the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire today to see some of the bird specialities of the area.

The first venue was the village location of Parkend, and we quickly located small numbers of Hawfinches in trees and bushes near to the church and also under yews by the cricket pitch. Dave Jackson managed some fine images of the birds feeding under the yew trees.

A Dipper showed on the stream in the village and three Crossbills perched up on bushes by the church. Siskins were everywhere and other birds included Nuthatch and Grey Wagtail.

Our next location was the look-out at New Fancy View and although the conditions were far from ideal, two Goshawks were on view. A male flew past a couple of times and a big female sat perched distantly in a larch tree. Siskins continued to show well and numerous Ravens careered past. A Hawfinch flew below the look-out a few times.

Next on to Cannop Ponds and an excellent show of Mandarin Ducks were probably the birds of the day as they displayed and called right in front of us. More Siskins here too and Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Grey Wagtail were all very showy.

A bit of a drive to Symonds Yat Rock always provides dramatic views over the River Wye, and we enjoyed good close views of acrobatic Ravens, a pair of Peregrines and with the supporting cast of more Mandarins, a Hawfinch and Nuthatches chiseling out a nest-box.

The last venue was the open landscape of Crabtree Ridge yielded Woodlarks for some but alas no sign of the wintering Great Grey Shrike. Crossbills, Bramblings and plenty of redpolls and Siskins ensured that finches dominated here and 13 Goosanders were on the nearby lake.

Regards

Neil M

Hawfinch

Courtesy of Dave Jackson

Hawfinch

Crossbill

Mandarin Duck

Birds of a cool north-easterly

Hello

A varied day today with plenty of time outside in quite cool and breezy conditions but it remained essentially dry.

A Barn Owl was hunting around the outskirts of Scaldwell village first thing, and a flock of about 125 Golden Plovers flew west there at 5.30pm.

Birds noted at Blueberry Farm today included 2 Barn Owls, 2 Woodcock and two pairs of Stonechat.

A sustained period of ringing at Kelmarsh Hall today provided 126 recorded captures of 14 species. At least three Siskins were on-site and two were caught and ringed, four Nuthatch were caught as were two Marsh Tits and two Grey Wagtails caught included a bird originally ringed elsewhere.

Eleanor paid a brief visit to Ravensthorpe Reservoir and saw two Smew (one drake and one 'redhead') and also saw a pair of Raven at Staverton near Daventry.

With a cold, blocking north-easterly air-stream and after seeing a significant movement of gulls all day, it seemed to make sense to survey the gull roost at Pitsford Reservoir. For once it paid off with a stunning adult Mediterranean Gull early-on and later a classic adult Iceland Gull arrived and settled on the water.

Regards

Neil M

Adult male Siskin
Kelmarsh Hall

Courtesy of Jacob Spinks

Subtle Spring migration

Hello

Yesterday evening (Thursday), an adult Yellow-legged Gull was present in the gull roost at Pitsford Reservoir (but no sign of any Meds).

Today Neil H visited Summer Leys Nature Reserve at Earls Barton and notched up a Peregrine, 3-4 Redshank, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Shelduck, 2 Grey Wagtails, 3 Chiffchaffs and a Cetti's Warbler.

Birds in our garden at Hanging Houghton today included now 8 Reed Buntings, 2 Yellowhammers, a Tree Sparrow, a Marsh Tit and a Chiffchaff. Lots of Meadow Pipits and winter thrushes and Starlings were visibly on the move over the NN6 area today.

The Kelmarsh Estate provided a Raven and two Grey Wagtails at Kelmarsh Hall and a Woodcock at Sunderland Wood and birds at nearby Harrington Airfield included 2 Ravens, 2 Grey Partridges and ca50 Golden Plovers.

Blueberry Farm provided the best birds this afternoon with an adult male Merlin, a Short-eared Owl (Hill Field), 2 Barn Owls, 3 Woodcock and 6 Stonechats.

Regards

Neil M

Pitsford WeBS count

Hello

Chris Payne and team committed to a ringing session at Bradden in South Northants today and caught something like 78 birds. The catch included Treecreeper, Nuthatch and eight Chaffinches, at least one of which showed characteristics of continental origin.

Two Ravens were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton again today and there were two Barn Owls and two Stonechats at Blueberry Farm.

Some of the day was taken up completing a WeBS count at Pitsford Reservoir, which was mostly quiet for wetland birds. The three White-fronted Geese were still present north of the causeway and two Ravens were south of the causeway. Waders included 2 Jack Snipe, 34 Snipe, 2 Oystercatchers and a Green Sandpiper. A pair of Nuthatch were present in the Holcot Bay.

Regards

Neil M

Treecreeper

Courtesy of Chris Payne

Oystercatcher

White-fronted Geese

Mute Swan

Greylag Geese

Rook

Pitsford Ringing

Hello

A busy and productive ringing session at the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station at Pitsford Reservoir this morning provided 73 new birds and 26 re-traps of 17 species. Dave Francis and Neil Hasdell were the ringers on-site and among others they processed a Marsh Tit, 10 Tree Sparrows, 8 Reed Buntings, 41 Yellowhammers, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Starlings and 2 Moorhens. Generally sunny conditions make it more difficult to catch birds with mist nets but clearly the plentiful food was a significant lure and distracted them from the pretty obvious and partly sun-lit nets!

Sadly I noticed a dead Barn Owl next to A45 carriageway at Wootton this morning, but Eleanor managed to locate live specimens this morning at Blueberry Farm and also near Hanging Houghton. Other birds at Blueberry Farm included a significant arrival of Meadow Pipits and four Stonechats. This afternoon there were about 300 Golden Plovers on fields in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton (probably yesterday's birds from Harrington). Undoubtedly Eleanor's best bird of the day was an Osprey flying steadily north over Harrington Airfield at about 10.50am.

Regards

Neil M

Monday update

Hello

Birds at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning included a Barn Owl, 2 Ravens, 6+ Snipe and 6 Stonechats. A flock of about 280 Golden Plovers were on the top fields and visible from the roads at Harrington Airfield this morning and a Raven was mobile there too. The three White-fronted Geese were also still present at Pitsford Reservoir this morning, still in waterside vegetation with other geese just north of the causeway towards the Old Scaldwell Road.

Regards

Neil M

Golden Plovers
Harrington Airfield

Barn Owls and more...

Hello

Yesterday Chris Payne espied a female Peregrine over the South Northants village of Greens Norton.

Today there was a ringing session held at Stortons Gravel Pits, and although not many birds were caught a couple of House Sparrows were a welcome surprise! Good informative re-traps included birds from 2010 and 2011.

A further ringing operation was performed at Sunderland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate today, before the rain arrived. Some 46 captures were recorded, the highlights perhaps being a pair of Nuthatch, a Treecreeper and a Goldcrest. One or two Woodcock were seen flying around the wood.

An increasing trend among the Chaffinch population has been the incidence of a crumbling disease of the legs which initially causes the loss of claws and then the loss of toes and eventually feet as well. The birds tend to remain in good condition throughout all this and eventually are left with stumps for legs, and it is assumed succumb sometime thereafter as they are unable to land and perch properly. This is particularly acute during ringing activities as we are able to examine the birds properly, to the point that many are released straightaway as it is not viable or even possible to safely ring them.

Barn Owls are fairly high profile at the moment and today there were 3-4 noted at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell, another in the Brampton Valley between Brixworth and Hanging Houghton, another alongside the A508 between Lamport and Maidwell and finally another near to Scaldwell village.

Regards

Neil M

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Courtesy of John Finlayson

Pair of Nuthatch at
Sunderland Wood

Courtesy of Neil Hasdell

Woodcock and Butterfly wood

Hello

A ringing session at Sunderland Wood (Kelmarsh Estate) today provided 58 captures of nine species which included two Blackbirds, a Nuthatch, two Coal Tits and five Chaffinches. Other birds noted in the wood included 1-2 Woodcock and butterflies included Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell in the early spring sunshine.

A walk at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon yielded six Stonechats, a Short-eared Owl and three Barn Owls.

At Pitsford Res this afternoon, birds in the vicinity of the dam included a male Stonechat, two Grey Wagtails, a Green Sandpiper and the two Ruddy Shelduck flew in just before dusk.

Regards

Neil M

Drake Teal
Pitsford Res

Lesser Black-backed Gull
Pitsford Res

Maidwell Birding

Hello

A good yomp this morning around Maidwell Dales, Blueberry Farm and back to Hanging Houghton in relatively warm temperatures was enjoyable. The most notable birds were a pair of Grey Partridge, five Stonechats, three Woodcock and a Grey Wagtail. A little later and both Marsh and Willow Tit were seen at Scotland Wood (Kelmarsh Estate).

Regards

Neil M

Birds of South Northants (2)!

Hello

A further ringing session today at Bradden in South Northants provided 71 captures, perhaps the choice birds being a Treecreeper and a Goldfinch among the many Blue Tits and Chaffinches. The local male Sparrowhawk kept the birds on their toes and a Raven flew over.

This afternoon there were three mobile Barn Owls hunting at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell...

Regards

Neil M

Birds of South Northants

Hello

A bird ringing session was held at Bradden village (South Northants) today resulting in 51 captures of six common species, with Blue Tits dominating!  Among the birds two re-traps (a Chaffinch and a Blue Tit) had been ringed at Greens Norton last year, travelling about 3km from the original ringing area.

A general reconnoitre west of Bradden successfully located a pair of Raven with a nest.

Regards

Neil M