'Tis the nesting season!

Hello

Many of our birds are now ardently building nests, laying eggs and the early starters have young too! Checking nest boxes might seem quite mundane but local naturalists have come across a couple of surprises...

This tit nest as photographed
by Chris Payne indicates that
the builders have an attraction
to the material covering a yellow/
green tennis ball!

This tit nest as photographed
by Nick Wood contains 13
or 14 eggs! They may not all
be from the same female as
sometimes females will dump
eggs in other nests!

Mischa Cross at Pitsford Reservoir
had a surprise when she checked a
tit box on the reserve and found a
Nuthatch sitting tight! Assuming there
are eggs underneath her, this is the
first proven instance of breeding
on the reserve...

Yesterday (Thursday) and Dave Francis and Lynne Barnett checked the tern rafts at Pitsford Reservoir in the Scaldwell Bay. The terns had begun to scrape a few 'nests', the pair of Oystercatcher have three eggs and both Canada and Greylag Geese are at the egg stage on the rafts too...

Coot nest with eggs.

Oystercatcher eggs.

And the Cormorants nests have
plenty of sizable young in them
already...

Above three images courtesy of
Lynne Barnett.

And finally modern digital photography and a skilled user behind the lens is making quite an impact in relation to our understanding of wildlife these days... the below images by local naturalist Dave Jackson of a Pied Wagtail watched feeding on the dam at Pitsford Reservoir provide us with an opportunity of ageing it as a first year male. Dave managed to record enough data on the metal ring (probably S984323) to suggest that this bird was an individual caught and ringed at Brixworth Water Treatment Works on 5th February 2018. Well done Dave!

Pied Wagtail
courtesy of Dave Jackson.

Regards

Neil M

Harrington ringing.

Hello

A ringing session at Harrington Airfield today provided 104 captures of 15 species (66 new and 38 re-traps from previous sessions).

Easily the most encountered species was 55 Yellowhammers which dominated the session. Other birds were made up of a Green Woodpecker, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 15 Willow Warblers (including 8 returning breeding adults), 4 Blackbirds, a Song Thrush, 3 Dunnocks, 2 Reed Buntings, 7 Linnets, 6 Chaffinches, 3 Blackcaps, a Whitethroat, 2 Great Tits, a Greenfinch and a Robin.

Other birds noted included a pair of Grey Partridge, a 'purring' Turtle Dove and a 'reeling' Grasshopper Warbler.

Jacob again saw the Black-necked Grebe at Pitsford Reservoir today and Eric Graham has enjoyed excellent views of Hobby at Thrapston Pits both yesterday and today, potentially double figures feeding over the pits on both days. A Grasshopper Warbler was singing there yesterday.

Regards

Neil M

An adult female
Green Woodpecker,
this bird is at least
four years old.

A Spitfire was performing
acrobatics over NN6 today...

Pitsford today...

Hello

I visited the dam area at Pitsford Reservoir at about midday today when it was raining quite hard and the weather provided a flock of nearly a hundred terns skimming the water surface, with at least eighty of them being the particularly graceful Arctic Terns and the remainder Commons. As the rain subsided and the sun came out the Arctic Terns thinned down to about fifty birds and by the time I left had reduced again to about thirty-five.

Jacob came along a little later and saw the Black-necked Grebe by the Holly Tree and then found a Sanderling on the dam (plus just two Arctic Terns). A Barnacle Goose was with a Canada Goose in a field below the dam.

A ringing session is due to take place at Harrington Airfield tomorrow (Thursday) and access will be restricted with no entry to the bunker and old airstrip area. Access to footpaths and the main concrete track will be unaffected.

Regards

Neil M

Arctic Tern.

Sanderling.

Corn Bunting and friends...

Hello

My visit to the Kelmarsh area this morning provided only a view of a Raven and a slight increase in the number of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. Eleanor noted two Wheatears in the Brampton Valley between the Brampton Valley Way and Gamboro' Plantation below Hanging Houghton.

The best local bird I heard about today was the discovery of a singing Corn Bunting near Moulton. Jacob found it today and it provides a glimmer of hope that maybe just a few individuals are still hanging on locally. The bird is on private land and access is restricted.

Finally news has come through of an excellent Goldfinch ringing recovery. A first year male was caught and ringed by Dave Francis in his garden on the outskirts of Northampton on 3rd March this year. It was next recorded by the North Solway Ringing Group when they extracted it from a mist net at Leswalt, Dumfries and Galloway on 27th April. This multi-coloured gem travelled 407km in a north-westerly direction within 55 days.

Avid feeders of garden birds providing niger, sunflower hearts and other seed are used to the phenomenon of fresh pulses of finches arriving on the feeders in the late winter and spring. Often these birds only last a day or two and disappear, using our gardens to rapidly replenish themselves and then move on to their final destination.

Regards

Neil M

Raven.

Corn Bunting.

Goldfinch.
Courtesy of Chris Payne.

The migrants are still migrating!

Hello

Yesterday afternoon (Sunday) and Bob Gill and Robin Gossage saw an Osprey at Summer Leys LNR.

Eleanor's revisit to Blueberry Farm, Maidwell today confirmed the continuing presence of the male Ring Ouzel in 'The Hill' field, very much in the south west corner, sometimes vanishing in the bordering hedge. A male Redstart was also in the same place today.

The Arctic Tern was with 25 Common Terns at Pitsford Reservoir (off the Sailing Club) this afternoon and this evening Jacob and Bethan saw a further eight Arctic Terns fly north-east plus a Common Sandpiper, six Yellow Wagtails and a Wheatear (all visible from the dam).

A few new singing Lesser Whitethroats were audible today so despite the strong northerly winds it seems that migrants are still moving through.

Regards

Neil M

Ring Ouzel.

Lesser Whitethroat.

New Hookpod initiative to reduce albatross and turtle casualties...

A message from Becky Ingham from Hookpod...

I am contacting you to seek some support for a  project I am involved in to save thousands of albatrosses and turtles from a grisly death on longlines in the rich waters off the Brazilian coast. 

We are aiming to completely equip five Brazilian longliners with Hookpods. The Hookpod is an ingenious new British invention, which covers the barb of the hook during setting the lines in longline fishing operations, and thus prevents the accidental capture of seabirds, particularly albatross and also turtles. It then opens when it reaches 20m depth, beyond the diving depth of birds and the feeding depth of most turtles, to release the hook to begin safely fishing. In this way, fishermen catch fish and not birds or turtles. It is re-usable, durable for around 2-3 years and has no impact on either the fishing operation or the catch rate of target fish.

As you will see from the website we have the support of both Sir David Attenborough and Chris Packham in delivering this project and are working closely with partners in Brazil to monitor the results. If we see the expected decline in turtle bycatch, the Hookpod will be the first EVER mitigation device to prevent cross-taxa bycatch in fisheries. 

We are seeking support in the form of any level of donation - every £1 will go towards the final total. However, as this is a crowdfunded project we have to reach our target of £57,000 to receive any funds at all! The link to the website is here: https://bit.ly/2JQGmTc

Spreading the word about this project is also part of the help you could provide. Even if a donation is not possible, sharing this email, flier and information with anyone you know who might be interested in supporting this work would be incredibly helpful. 

If you have any queries about either the project or the work that Hookpod carry out, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We are confident that getting Hookpods out into longline fisheries will make the difference between survival or extinction for some of our most iconic albatross species and I very much hope that you and the group feel able to support this in some way.

With very best wishes and thanks. 

Becky

Becky Ingham

CEO Hookpod Ltd

HELP US SAVE ALBATROSSES: 

Find out more and donate at..

https://bit.ly/2JQGmTc

becky@hookpod.com www.hookpod.com

+44 (0) 1692 580068 | 07535 270077

Follow us on Twitter: @Hookpod

Black-browed Albatross.
Image courtesy of Dave Francis

Defying the weather!

Hello

Another cold, grey day and with some rain and drizzle at times. This caused issues with planned ringing sessions at Stortons Pits and Linford Lakes - the forecast had suggested far more appropriate weather conditions for this activity and both sessions concluded much earlier than usual. Birds processed at Linford included four Blackcaps, a Whitethroat, three Garden Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, five Reed Warblers, two Willow Warblers, a Chiffchaff and a Swallow.

Phil Horsnail's visit to Polebrook Airfield today paid off with sightings of a male Whinchat, five Wheatears, a Little Owl, a couple of Cuckoos and a pair of persistent Ravens trying (unsuccessfully) to intimidate a brooding Greylag Goose so they could pinch an egg!

Plenty of birders were out there defying the conditions to try and find something a little different - Eleanor heard a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker calling in Station Road, Cottesbrooke and this afternoon watched a male Ring Ouzel foraging on the edge of the field called 'The Hill' at Blueberry Farm (Maidwell). The Arctic Tern was still off the Sailing Club at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon where there were still large numbers of Swallows and Sand Martins (and some House Martins and Swifts) feeding low over the water. Two Common Sandpipers were flushed from the dam.

Nick Wood checked his nest boxes at Chase Park Farm (near Yardley Chase) today and was very pleased to find two Tawny Owl nestlings in a box only erected just over a month ago! Helen Franklin noted an early morning Barn Owl perched on a sign just east of Maidford.

Regards

Neil M

Swallow.
Image courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Two Tawny Owl nestlings.
Image courtesy of Nick Wood.

Northants BTO Spring 2018 newsletter

Hello

The latest quarterly BTO newsletter for Northamptonshire has been released today and can be read by clicking on:-

Northants BTO Spring 2018 Newsletter

Little Egret
courtesy of Neil Hasdell.

Regards

Neil M

A rather wet Saturday!

Hello

The last two days has seen large numbers of hirundines and Swifts feeding low over the water at Pitsford Reservoir, often during cold and wet conditions. A reasonable number of Common Terns have been present (including a pale bird with a mostly all-dark bill) both days and this afternoon there was also an Arctic Tern with them off the Sailing Club.

A Grey Wagtail appeared to be on territory at Kelmarsh Hall this morning and a male Redstart made a brief appearance next to the second bunker at Harrington Airfield this afternoon.

Eleanor went for a decent walk in the cool, wet conditions at Thrapston Pits this afternoon, the highlight being a singing Firecrest in ivy along the old railway line between Town Lake and the track that leads down to the reserve from the A605 opposite the Titchmarsh village turn.

Other birds included two trilling Whimbrel flying straight through, two Oystercatchers, two Hobbies hawking over Aldwincle Lake, 4-5 singing Cetti's Warbler, an easy-to-see singing Nightingale and two Cuckoos.

Regards

Neil M

Mistle Thrush nestlings
at Greens Norton.
Image courtesy of Chris Payne.

Male Starling.
Image courtesy of John Tilly.

Arctic Tern.

Singing male Firecrest.

Indoor Meeting Northants Bird Club

Hello

The next indoor meeting of the Northants Bird Club is on Wednesday 2nd May when local naturalist Jeff Blincow presents his illustrated talk 'Birding in Yunnan'.

This talk highlights the superb birds as seen on a winter birding trip to South West China. At first this would appear an unusual idea but the remaining lowland forest along the Burmese (or Myanmar if you prefer) border supports a strong resident avifauna and the region is the wintering ground for migrants from nearly all points of the compass.

The meeting commences at 7.30pm at the Fishing Lodge, Pitsford Reservoir and hot drinks and biscuits will be available. All welcome!

Regards

Neil M

White-rumped Sharma.

Rusty-fronted Barwing.

Both images courtesy of Jeff Blincow.

Ringing recoveries

Hello

Some more ringing recoveries of birds associated with the county:-

1. A young male Greenfinch was caught and ringed at Balscote Quarry, Oxfordshire on 17th November 2017 and was re-caught again, this time in Greens Norton on 12th April 2018. This is a distance of 30km in an East North East direction and it would be fair to assume that this bird wintered in central England;

2. A Tree Sparrow was caught and ringed at Pitsford Reservoir on 2nd November 2017 and then re-captured at Nettleton Beck, Lincolnshire 141 days later on 23rd March 2018. This nomad travelled 133km in a North North East direction. This bird is one of several that have moved between the east and north east coasts and Northamptonshire outside of the breeding season - quite unlike the sedentary behaviour more associated with House Sparrows;

3. A Black-headed Gull chick was ringed at Pitsford Reservoir on 26th July 2011 (on one of the tern rafts) and this bird was sighted and had it's metal ring read in the field at Rutland Water on 27th March 2018. Only 39km between the two sites but a long period of 2436 days confirming this bird will be 7 years old this year;

4. And conversely ring number EY95816 was placed on a Black-headed Gull chick at Rutland Water on 20th June 2014 and this bird was sighted with the ring being read in the field by Jacob at Pitsford Reservoir on 8th March 2018, some 1357 days later!

Regards

Neil M

Male Greenfinch.

Tree Sparrow courtesy of
Cathy Ryden.

First year Black-headed Gull.

Turtle Dove and Nightingale.

Hello

Back this evening from eight days in Provence and the Camargue in South France with warm sunshine every day. Looking at the forthcoming forecast locally it's a shame I couldn't bring some back with me! Interestingly it has been a late spring there too and the botanists in our group struggled to find some of the plants and flowers because of the lateness of the season.

Eleanor's visit to fill up the bird feeders at Kelmarsh Hall yesterday provided a surprise in the shape of Turtle Dove feeding under the feeders, a first for the site. This is probably just a re-fuelling migrant bird but it would be good if it stayed around...

Eric Graham couldn't resist another tour of Thrapston Pits and the Titchmarsh Reserve today and he found a pair of Garganey and a Nightingale was still in full song!

Regards

Neil M

A skulking Nightingale
in the Camargue yesterday...

Warblers everywhere !

After a slow start it now feels as if migration is in full flow with warblers etc adorning every bush and tree.
Yesterday Eric Graham visited Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston and writes " a very productive couple of hours on the reserve this morning, notched up 8 species of warbler. Sedge, Willow and Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat and 2 new arrivals Garden Warbler and a singing Nightingale at the footbridge.
There were large numbers of Sand and House Martin moving through as well as Swallows and at least 12 Swift.

I have been out and about over the last few days and have certainly noticed an increase in the presence of warblers with their song quite deafening at times. I lost count of how many Blackcaps and Willow Warblers were singing along the Brampton Valley Way as I went for a run.
Today at Harrington Airfield there was a singing Grasshopper Warbler between the first and second bunker. It was also very showy perched out in the open as if to say " look at me, I am here!" A Turtle Dove was again in the bushes at the second bunker and there was a singing Sedge Warbler in the bushes at the main entrance. Other birds of note were 2 Northern Wheatears, 4 Grey Partridge and several Yellow Wagtails.
This afternoon I revisited the area between Marston Trussell and Clipston and there were at least 4 Northern Wheatears and 8+ Yellow Wagtails in the sheep fields.
Obviously there has been a bit of movement of Northern Wheatears as there were up to 4 in the fields below Hanging Houghton this evening.

Regards Eleanor

4 R's !!

Raven, Rouzels, Redstart and Ringing !!!
This morning I was agility training at Staverton and I was getting concerned as several hours passed before I heard and saw Raven. I'm not sure if these birds were the resident pair as there has been quite a bit of disturbance in their favourite conifer belt and these two birds were a couple of fields away. 
Late afternoon found me walking around Borough Hill where I ended up taking a different route around due to so many people and horses.  I spent quite a while walking through the scrub/bushes above the housing estate and the main track. Plenty of common warblers and a surprise finding of a male Ring Ouzel followed a few minutes later by a male Common Redstart.  So well worth the detour!!.
A visit to Daventry Country Park only produced 2 Common Sandpiper sitting on the tern rafts which were being very well used by the Common Terns.
As it was a nice evening I couldn't resist a visit to Harrington and I'm glad that I did.  There was a male Ring Ouzel around the first bunker and yet another surprise in store as at the second bunker there was the unmistakable "purring" of a Turtle Dove which was sitting in a tree.  I think that this is the earliest that I have ever seen this species at Harrington. 
Other birds of note were Yellow Wagtail, 4 Grey Partridge, several Swallows and my first Whitethroat.

Kenny Cramer and his helpers have been ringing at their Milton Keynes site.   Kenny writes " If our last session marked the tentative start of spring then today was an explosion, starting with a riotous dawn chorus followed by glorious sunshine and soaring temperatures making it feel more like July than April.
The reserve was alive with the sound of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Cuckoos while Common Terns called raucously and Red Kites drifted lazily overhead. Our catch largely reflected the sounds we were hearing consisting of 48 birds of 16 species.
Blackcaps dominated with 16 new and 2 returning birds, one being ringed July 2016 and the other June 2017.   Other warblers included our first Willow Warbler and Sedge Warbler of the season. A Chiffchaff, 1 new/1 retrap Cettis and 2 Reed Warbler were something of a surprise being a full 16 days earlier than our previous earliest record for Linford.
Also of note was a Sedge Warbler which we released unringed due to it suffering from scaly leg lesions similar to those commonly seen in Chaffinches.
Other wildlife included a massive emergence of Ashy Mining bees and at least 7 Grass snakes."

Regards Eleanor

A day of surprises !!

A strange day. Initially there were blue skies and warm sunshine with the sound of bird song quite deafening as I walked the dogs . I had to go to Marston Trussell as I drove towards my destination it became increasingly misty and finally quite foggy !!  After my appointment I had to take a detour home due to roadworks and found myself on the single track road between Marston Trussell and Clipston. It is a road that I haven't been along for a few years but it is high up and has interesting looking grass fields at its highest point. I had my young collie with me so decided to walk him along the road as the grass fields were full of sheep/lambs and I'm trying to get him used to sheep etc.  Of course I am birding as I walk and was pleased to see 2 male Northern Wheatears. Whilst Jaeger sat and watched the sheep I scanned the fields and hopping around in the field was a lovely male Ring Ouzel. Another bird of the same size and jizz disappeared from my view over a ridge in the field . I never saw it again but suspect that it was another Ring Ouzel.
Later whilst in Kettering town centre I was very surprised to see and hear a Grey Wagtail in full song !!

Regards Eleanor

Sunshine and migrants at last !!!!

Plenty of sunshine and blue skies today and at times the temperature felt positively tropical.

An early morning walk produced lovely views of a Barn Owl below Hanging Houghton.

I spent the morning agility training at Doddington crossing which put simply a field next to Mary's lake at Summer Leys.  Whilst here several Sedge Warblers were calling and much to everyone's amusement a rather vocal Cuckoo. There were good numbers of Red Kite in the air and at one point a bit of a scuffle between 2 Red Kites and an Osprey. The only other bird of note was a Hobby.

On my way home I called in to Sywell Reservoir where there were more Sedge Warblers and a Cettis Warbler but very little else.

I visited Harrington Airfield this evening checking the rough strip and bunkers.  I flushed a stunning male Common Redstart out of the bushes and followed it to the first bunker where I left it. Other birds included a single Northern Wheatear, 2 Yellow Wagtails and 2 pairs of Grey Partridge.

Plenty of butterflies on the wing today, my first Orange Tip along with Brimstone, Comma and small Tortoiseshell.

Regards  Eleanor

Thrapston warblers

Hello

Eric's saunter around the Thrapston Pits complex today provided plenty of birds in the warm sunshine. Large numbers of warblers included plenty of Blackcaps, Sedge Warblers and Cetti's Warblers plus a Whitethroat and two Reed Warblers. Other birds of note included a pair of Shelduck, Oystercatcher, a Kingfisher and a dozen Common Terns. Plentiful butterflies including the stunning Orange-tips.

A wander around the Harrington Airfield area late morning today provided little that was new but one of the local Red Kites had somehow lost it's tail!

Regards

Neil M

Despite no rudder, this tailless
Red Kite was just as manoeuvrable
as ever!

Creatures of Bieszczady

Hello

Very little in the way of birds locally to report on, spring seems to be passing us by here in the Brixworth/Hanging Houghton area! A Grey Wagtail was at Kelmarsh Hall this evening and I saw a Raven flying over the M1 just north of Watford village this morning.

However Greg Buck from Chipping Warden kindly emailed to inform us of a Black Redstart in the village on Sunday (15th April) which remained for about an hour and a half. A very scarce bird in the UK and their status in Northamptonshire hasn't changed much over the years with regular but scant records mostly in spring and autumn.

I'm not long back from an excursion to south east Poland, in particular looking in and around the Bieszczady National Park and surrounding forests close to the Ukraine and Slovakian borders. The tour was mostly to try and find the elusive and rare mammals that inhabit this region but of course we came across plenty of birds and other wildlife of interest. I haven't formatted all the images yet but a few below for your viewing...

Regards

Neil M

Camberwell Beauty
butterfly feeding on a
Wolf scat!

Pine Marten.
The first image
shows it eating a
Common Lizard.

European Bison.

Lesser Spotted Eagle.

Some birds at Pitsford!

Hello

Jacob's birding efforts at Pitsford Reservoir today provided views of a Scaup plus a probable hybrid, a Common Sandpiper, three Yellow Wagtails, a Redpoll, two Siskins and a Raven. A big increase in Blackcaps was evident with 26 being counted and Jacob went on to find a female Redstart between the reservoir and Scaldwell village.

An evening foray at Harrington Airfield didn't provide much that was new, the best birds being a Yellow Wagtail, a pair of Grey Partridge and a hunting Barn Owl.

Regards

Neil M

Short-eared Owl
Endernel, Nene Washes,
Cambridgeshire

Bearded Tits at
Titchwell RSPB.

Brambling at
Titchwell RSPB.

All images courtesy of
John Gamble following
an Easter excursion to the
east coast and back!

Stortons Ringing

Hello

A small group of ringers descended on Stortons Pits this morning and enjoyed a quality session involving 32 birds. These were made up of three Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, nine Blackcaps, a Sedge Warbler, a Cetti's Warbler, four Long-tailed Tits, three Great Tits, two Dunnocks, a Blackbird, two Bullfinches, four Reed Buntings and a Sparrowhawk.

One of the Blackcaps was a bird first ringed there in 2016 and the Sparrowhawk was first caught in January this year. A Lesser Whitethroat was heard singing on-site.

A single Brambling was at Hanging Houghton this morning and singles of Redpoll and Grey Wagtail were noted at Kelmarsh Hall. This evening a Barn Owl was again hunting the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

Regards

Neil M

Sparrowhawk at
Stortons Pits courtesy
of Chris Payne.

Male Bullfinch
courtesy of John Tilly.

Female Bullfinch
courtesy of John Tilly.

Pair of Mallard
courtesy of John Tilly.