What a beautiful day!

Hello

Eric Graham's regular week-end jaunt around the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston provided birds today in the shape of a Great White Egret, a redpoll sp and six drake Goosanders. The continuation of the spring-like weather there today was sufficient to stimulate a Blackbird to commence building a nest!

Amanda Fraser located two Blackcaps along the Brampton Valley Way at Kingsthorpe today and Jacob's efforts at Pitsford Reservoir yielded a Great White Egret and four Little Egrets north of the causeway plus two Redshanks, a Green Sandpiper, three Willow Tits, two Marsh Tits and a Weasel. He watched a Common Buzzard attempting to catch Teal between the Bird Club and New James Fisher Hides.

Neil Hasdell visited Sywell village today and saw at least ten of the Waxwings which were coming down to the Rowans in twos and threes, and Cathy Ryden was in Kettering this afternoon and located a flock of 30+ Waxwings in St Mary's Road at the junction with Linden Avenue (a consistently reliable site).

Brixworth Water Treatment Works hosted a Grey Wagtail, a Snipe, several Siskins and at least two Chiffchaffs, one of which was singing well in the sunshine.

A visit to Ravensthorpe Reservoir early this afternoon was good for two Great White Egrets, a fine drake Smew, several Siskins, displaying Common Buzzards and Sparrowhawk, a Chiffchaff and two Otters showing briefly on the island nearest to the causeway.

Regards

Neil M

Blue Tit

Common Buzzard

Great White Egret

Lapwings

Pheasant

All images taken by Jacob Spinks
at Pitsford Reservoir today...

Colour-ringed Waxwing

Hello

Committed digital photographers (Doug Goddard, Jim Dunkley and John Gamble) at Sywell yesterday collectively managed to record the colour ring sequence of a marked Waxwing within the flock.

This young female has a metal ring (NW82868) on its right leg with a white colour ring above. The left leg has blue, red, green in ascending order down the leg (the blue is difficult to see).

This bird was caught and ringed at Rosemount Viaduct in Aberdeen on 29th December 2016, resighted in Harworth, Notts on 27th January 2017 and has probably been with us for a few days now.

Well done to our patient photographers in providing us with this information!

Regards

Neil M

Images courtesy of
John Gamble.

Almost spring-like!

Otter at Ravensthorpe
Reservoir this morning
courtesy of Phillip Davies.

Hello

Birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir this morning included two Great White Egrets, a couple of Redshanks and a Grey Wagtail. 

Up to 14 Waxwings were again present at Sywell in trees outside the entrance to the airport. One of them is colour-ringed (as photographed by Jim Dunkley).

A Raven was seen over Wellingborough and a pair were vocal at Hanging Houghton this afternoon. A single Brambling was noted at Hanging Houghton and a Woodcock was flushed in the Brampton Valley below the village this afternoon.

Four Otters were visible from the causeway at Ravensthorpe Reservoir this morning.

The spring-like weather of this morning sparked plenty of bird-song including Skylarks, thrushes and others all contributing but I think we have some winter weather to contend with yet!

Regards

Neil M

Weasel at Frampton Marsh
courtesy of John Gamble.

Waxwings at Sywell
courtesy of Jim Dunkley

Sywell Waxwings

Hello

Robin Gossage has updated the Northants Bird Club blog with regard to the context of  the members' photographic competition last night and the images will follow on that blog in due course...

Eleanor located a flock of 14 Waxwings at Sywell this afternoon, no doubt Jim Dunkley's birds from the day before. They were attracted to four Rowan trees alongside the main road that runs past the entrance to the airport, in particular two trees opposite the junction to Townsend Farm and Premium Wharehousing. I arrived at about 3pm in appalling light and the flock had increased to 15. They were trying to feed on the Rowan berries which were being defended by aggressive Mistle Thrushes and as such they only had time to quickly gobble a couple of berries before being chased off.

Please be aware this is a busy road and with HGVs coming in and out of commercial premises nearby.

Regards

Neil M

Waxwings at Sywell.

More Waxwings...

Hello

Rather wet and dreary at Harrington Airfield this morning and the only birds of interest were two Woodcock and just four Golden Plovers.

A brief visit to Pitsford Reservoir this morning was sufficient to see a first year Caspian Gull lounging around off the Sailing Club.

Jim Dunkley espied a flock of 12-14 mobile Waxwings on the periphery of Sywell Airport today, these birds attracted to the yellow berry variety of Rowan trees. In addition some of the Waxwings were again reported at Linden Avenue, Kettering today but none were noticed in Hanging Houghton.

This evening was the photographic competition of the Northants Bird Club and for the second year in a row Dave Jackson won, this time with a stunning image of a Nuthatch. Dave Thomas was again narrowly edged to second place with a superb image of a Crab Plover and Robin Gossage grabbed third place with a picture of a feisty Wren.

Regards

Neil M

Waxwings at Sywell Airport
courtesy of Jim Dunkley.

Birds of the rain and murk!

Hello

Yesterday Neil Hasdell took a stroll around Harlestone Heath and saw three Ravens, a small flock of Siskins and a Grey Wagtail. Today he was at Pitsford Reservoir and located a female Red-crested Pochard, two Redshanks and a few Pintail north of the causeway.

Today Cathy Ryden was pleased to see her first Siskin this winter on her garden feeders near Guilsborough. A flock of ten Waxwings were in the village here at Hanging Houghton this afternoon, seen initially at 1.30pm and then again at 4.45pm.

A very murky gull roost this afternoon at Pitsford Reservoir was clear enough to reveal an/the adult Caspian Gull and two Grey Wagtails on the shoreline.

Regards

Neil M

Waxwing.
Image taken recently in
Scotland courtesy of
Helen Franklin.

Caspian Gull.
This image was taken
at Pitsford Reservoir in
March 2016.

Brixworth ringing

Hello

A modest ringing session at Brixworth Water Treatment Works today netted 54 birds, 41 of them new. Not surprisingly Pied Wagtails dominated with 17 caught and processed and other birds included a single Meadow Pipit, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, two Goldcrests and three Blackbirds.

Other birds seen on the complex included a Snipe, four Chiffchaffs, a redpoll sp, a couple of Siskins and two or three Grey Wagtails.

Two hundred Golden Plovers were again present on the top fields at Harrington Airfield today.

Regards

Neil M

Pied Wagtail.
Cracking little birds!

Sunday round-up

Hello

A mixture of weather today which I think is going to be the feature of this coming week...

Eric Graham visited Blatherwycke Lake in the north of the county today and located a pair of Egyptian Geese and at least 12 Mandarin Ducks.

A morning walk at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve in the Nene Valley provided good numbers of common birds including a Common Buzzard feeding on what appeared to be a dead goose on one of the islands. A Kingfisher and a Water Rail and three Cetti's Warblers were all audible but sadly didn't show themselves but a mixture of common wildfowl showed well and a Siskin and a Red Fox were noted briefly.

Jacob was again at Pitsford Reservoir after completing his RSPB Big Garden Watch and located a drake Smew in the Walgrave Bay, a Great White Egret, two Green Sandpipers, two Redshanks, five Pintail, two Ravens and two Grey Wagtails. An adult Caspian Gull was chased from the afternoon gull roost by a couple of Great Black-backed Gulls. A Grey Wagtail and a Water Rail were noted at Brixworth Water Treatment Works and a male Brambling was again in the garden at Hanging Houghton.

Nick Parker found a flock of 38 Waxwings in Kettering this afternoon, at the junction of Mary's Road and Linden Avenue and Hugh Matthews located a flock of about 25 Waxwings in Northampton in the vicinity of 14 Bush Hill near Abington. Bob Bullock later relocated 21 of them at the junction of Silverdale/Ferndale Road. These birds were reportedly seen flying north at about 4.55pm.

Ringing efforts by Sarah and Kenny Cramer at Milton Keynes over the week-end at an old orchard proved very effective with 79 birds caught which included a very high number of 36 Blackbirds, 10 Redwings, 2 Fieldfares, 3 Goldcrests, 7 Long-tailed Tits and a Woodpigeon.

Regards

Neil M

Common Buzzard.

As some of the prey dwindles and the seasons
begin to tilt, Common Buzzards become more
obvious alongside our roads and wander into each
other's territories. Skirmishes and interaction
become the norm and the opportunity for close
views increase.

As you were...

Hello

Little evidence of anything new locally despite Jacob Spinks spending much of the day at Pitsford Reservoir concentrating his efforts on the reserve north of the causeway and locating two Willow Tits, at least three Marsh Tits, one or two Redshank, two Green Sandpipers, a Great White Egret, a Grey Wagtail and at least five Ravens.

Amanda Fraser saw a male Blackcap in her Kingsthorpe garden again today, still finding the cotoneaster berries palatable and Jacob watched two Lesser Redpolls first thing in his Scaldwell garden this morning.  

Two Hundred Golden Plovers were on the top fields at Harrington Airfield and Thrapston Gravel Pits hosted a Peregrine, eight Little Egrets, four drake Goosanders and a selection of finches on the feeders there included Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin and six Lesser Redpolls (observations courtesy of Eric Graham).

It was quiet at Ditchford Gravel Pits on the pits west of Ditchford Lane this afternoon, the only birds of note being a Great White Egret, a Water Rail and a Kingfisher. A Short-eared Owl showed briefly at Neville's Lodge (near Finedon) at dusk and there were two calling Grey Partridges and a Woodcock was reported.

Regards

Neil M

Goldcrest at Pitsford Reservoir.

Goldeneye at Pitsford Reservoir.

Great Crested Grebe at Pitsford Reservoir.

All images courtesy of Jacob Spinks.

Northants Bird Club Photographic Competition.

Hello

Very limited opportunities for birding today and nothing of note seen on my wanderings.

The very cold night last night reinforced the need to provide food-stuffs for small birds and of course this week-end is the annual RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch!

Next Wednesday evening (can you believe it is nearly 1st February already?) is the next indoor meeting of the Northants Bird Club. And it is the club's annual photographic competition at our venue of the Fishing Lodge at Pitsford Reservoir. All submitted images from club members which met the criteria will be shown and the audience selects the overall winner of the Graham Soden trophy from the winners of all the categories. The meeting starts promptly at 7.30pm and all are welcome.

Regards

Neil M

Male Bullfinch
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Male Bullfinch
courtesy of Clive Bowley.

The Bullfinch is very
much a garden bird that
has adapted in more recent
years to take dispensed mixed
seeds, often on bird tables or
quiet areas of the garden, but
sometimes from suspended
feeders too.

During the cold and still conditions
recently, some birds have succumbed
at Pitsford Reservoir and provide food
for others.

Here Jacob Spinks has photographed
a Carrion Crow taking advantage of an
avian casualty frozen in the ice.

John Gamble images

Hello

Birding opportunities were minimal today in very raw weather conditions, but Eleanor came across a flock of eight Waxwings in the front garden of 57 Northampton Road, Broughton this afternoon. It seems they had been reported just a short time before in nearby Carter Avenue. Eleanor went on to Kettering to then bump into a flock of about ten Waxwings, this time feeding on an ornamental Rowan tree outside Claremont Nursing Home, Holdenby, Kettering NN156XE.

Other birds today amounted to a Brambling here in the garden at Hanging Houghton and another single with Chaffinches along the concrete track at Harrington Airfield.

Regards

Neil M

Kingfisher
Abington Park, Northampton.

Little Egret
Abington Park, Northampton.

Goldcrest
Pitsford Reservoir.

Goldeneye
Pitsford Reservoir.

Great White Egret
Rutland Water.

Wigeon and Teal
Pitsford Reservoir.

Pintail and Common Gull
Pitsford Reservoir.

Foggy Day!

Hello

Very foggy day all day today prevented very much birding so the morning was taken up visiting and re-stocking feeding stations. A Woodcock was flushed up at Scotland Wood and Brixworth Water Treatment Works continued to host three Chiffchaffs and at least one Grey Wagtail.

There was no sign of the Waxwings at Hanging Houghton today, the dwindling berries probably being insufficient to support a large flock.

Regards

Neil M

White-billed Diver - images
courtesy of Robin Gossage.
This species is rare in the UK
and most records refer to birds
flying past headlands or fishing
Scottish waters. This juvenile
however was photographed on the
River Witham in Lincolnshire,
hopefully this doesn't mean this 
fine-looking bird is ill or injured.

Waxwings at Hanging Houghton.

Hello

A little ringing in Christies Copse at Pitsford Reservoir this morning provided 87 captures made up of 5 Long-tailed Tits, 16 Great Tits, 49 Blue Tits, 5 Coal Tits, 6 Robins, a Dunnock and 5 Chaffinches. A Willow Tit was attracted to the feeders there and other birds seen in the Walgrave Bay included two Great White Egrets and a couple of Bramblings.

Hanging Houghton village was again host to a flock of Waxwings this morning but the mobile flock of 14 birds were not seen after about 1.15pm. A male Brambling was in the garden and a pair of Stonechat were again below the village in the Brampton Valley.

Regards

Neil M

Sunrise at Harrington Airfield

Waxwings at Hanging Houghton
all images courtesy of Eleanor.

Pitsford WeBS count

Hello

Phil Horsnail was pleased to see two Ravens east of Polebrook Airfield today, close to the Cambridgeshire border. These are the first Ravens Phil has managed to find this far east in the county and they remain very scarce in the Oundle area. Quite different to the west of the county where you expect to see several during a day's birding.

Jim Dunkley watched a female Blackcap coming to apples in his Sywell garden today and Chris Payne committed to some ringing at Bradden in South Northants where a short session provided over fifty captures which included a fine female Green Woodpecker, a Nuthatch and a Marsh Tit.

Six of us tried our best at counting the waterbirds at an ice-affected Pitsford Reservoir today but despite the cold conditions we didn't find anything new. The Slavonian Grebe was in the Pintail Bay and other birds included a drake Goosander, one or two Great White Egret(s), six Little Egrets, ten Pintail, two Redshank, a Green Sandpiper, forty Snipe, four Kingfishers, a Grey Wagtail and a Brambling. Checking the gull roost this afternoon provided a view of a first year Caspian Gull.

A return home to Hanging Houghton this afternoon was necessary for a welcome cuppa, and the big surprise was a flock of Waxwings in the trees behind our garden! In all we counted sixteen birds and they came in to our garden, seemingly attracted to Guelder Rose berries. They stayed for a little while but then flew off and were perched in a tree off the A508 south of the village. Fourteen of them returned again later in the afternoon and a Brambling was noted too...

Regards

Neil M

Female Blackcap
courtesy of Jim Dunkley.

Marsh Tit at Bradden
courtesy of Chris Payne.

Female Green Woodpecker
courtesy of Chris Payne.

Male Blackbird courtesy
of Steve Bennison.

Song Thrush courtesy
of Steve Bennison.

Snowdrops at Pitsford Reservoir.

The frozen Walgrave Bay
at Pitsford Reservoir.