Long stayers

Hello

Today Pitsford Reservoir remained the focus for many local birders with some excellent long-staying species on show. The drake Ring-necked Duck materialised again north of the causeway and eventually showed well. All eleven Whooper Swans were still present plus the adult Bewick's Swan, a Scaup, at least nine Red-crested Pochard, several Pintail, three or four Great White Egrets and two Green Sandpipers. South of the causeway both Great Northern Divers were seen simultaneously and an adult Yellow-legged Gull was present in the currently tiny gull roost.

The other site providing quality birds for some time is Stanwick Pits and today the sightings included a Marsh Harrier, a male Hen Harrier and a Merlin, the latter two possibly roosting in a hedge at the far east of the complex.

Mike Alibone located an adult Caspian Gull with other gulls around cattle sheds north of the minor road between Chacombe and the A361 and the Brambling count at Hanging Houghton was two on the feed in the Brampton Valley and a male again in our garden. And yes the Barn Owl was hunting the Brampton Valley below HH this afternoon!

Regards

Neil M

Whooper Swan.

Wigeon.

Grey Heron and
Great White Egret.

All images courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Storm Deirdre

Hello

This week-end sees our birds under stress as Storm Deirdre hits with cold and wet showers, strong winds and overnight temperature lows, so I was busy feeding the birds at the usual feeding stations. The local Common Buzzards often hunt the feeding station at the Old Scaldwell Road at Pitsford Reservoir in an effort to catch Brown Rats attracted to the bird food but this morning one was actually perched on the wooden bird table. Not surprisingly the rats were keeping a low profile!

Little in the way of opportunity for birding today but bits and pieces include the usual pair of Ravens at Staverton with a single at Great Oxendon.

A Great White Egret was still at Ravensthorpe Reservoir viewable from the causeway and of course after I said they had seemingly gone, the Chaffinch flock by the barn in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton re-appeared as fifty strong this afternoon and included at least eight Bramblings.  A male and a female Brambling were also in our garden this afternoon.

Ian Moore's efforts at Pitsford Reservoir today yielded the Bewick's Swan, ten Whooper Swans, six Pintail, three Great White Egrets and a Peregrine. Ian didn't see the Ring-necked Duck but another observer reported seeing it.

Steve Fisher again espied the male Hen Harrier at Stanwick Pits this afternoon, again at the eastern end of the complex.

Regards

Neil M

Common Buzzard.

Great Tit and Chaffinch
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Tree Sparrow courtesy
of Cathy Ryden.

Birds of mid-December

Hello

Yesterday (Thursday) and the search for the Cattle Egret seen at Pitsford Reservoir the day before sadly drew a blank. The Great Northern Diver was still in the vicinity of the dam as were a pair of Red-crested Pochard. To the north of the causeway on the reserve, much of the wildfowl was pushed up into the Walgrave Bay but wildfowl on show included the adult Bewick's Swan, eight Whooper Swans, four Great White Egrets and four Red-crested Pochard.

A Great White Egret was also seen at Summer Leys and Nick Parker saw the now regular birds at Thrapston Pits comprising of a first year Scaup, a first year Whooper Swan, five Little Egrets and a Great White Egret. Nick went on to see the male Hen Harrier at the very far east end of Stanwick Pits at 3.40pm.

Today (Friday) saw two male Bramblings in our garden at Hanging Houghton but it seems that the Chaffinch and Brambling flock in the Brampton Valley below the village may well now have dissipated.

A period of bird ringing at Woodford Halse today proved successful with the capture and processing of 77 birds of 12 species. The birds comprised of a Coal Tit, 30 Blue Tits, 21 Great Tits, 2 Robins, 6 Dunnocks, a Blackbird, 3 Redwings, a Grey Wagtail, 3 Chaffinches, 5 Goldfinches, a Nuthatch and 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers. One of the Great Tits was already bearing a ring suggesting it is not a local bird.

A WeBS count at the western section of Ditchford Pits provided views of a Great White Egret, four Little Egrets, four Water Rails (heard only), a fly-over Crossbill. two Grey Wagtails, six Cetti's Warblers and a couple of Siskins.

At Pitsford Reservoir today the Great Northern Diver was seen in the Pintail Bay and birds to the north of the causeway included the Bewick's Swan still, eleven Whooper Swans and two Great White Egrets. The drake Ring-necked Duck was also reported, apparently in the mouth of the Walgrave Bay early afternoon.

The Barn Owl was again hunting in the Brampton Valley below HH this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Coal Tit.

Long-tailed Tit.

Marsh Tit.

The beautiful Redwing.

Blue Tit.

Bullfinch.

Treecreeper.

All the above images were taken
by John Tilly during the ringing
at Pitsford Reservoir on Wednesday.

Grey Wagtail Woodford Halse
today, courtesy of Chris Payne.

Christies Copse ringing

Hello

A ringing session at Christies Copse in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir today proved to be busy with 220 birds of fifteen species (132 new birds and 88 birds ringed previously). Despite plenty of Woodcock being on-site (at least eight), we didn't manage to net one of these special woodland waders. The total was made up of 2 Blackbirds, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 22 Redwings, 3 Goldcrests, 3 Treecreepers, 3 Dunnocks, a Robin, 17 Long-tailed Tits, 62 Great Tits, 79 Blue Tits, 14 Coal Tits, a Marsh Tit, 8 Chaffinches, a Lesser Redpoll and a Bullfinch.

Many of the re-trap tits were birds that had been raised in the nest boxes on the reserve and there were also some rather long-lived birds noted.

Other birds noted in the Walgrave Bay were a noisy group of Whooper Swans, two Great White Egrets, twelve Red-crested Pochard, several Pintail, a Chiffchaff, a Grey Wagtail and a Green Sandpiper.

Other observers reported the continuing presence of the Ring-necked Duck and the Great Northern Diver at Pitsford and a Cattle Egret was reportedly in a cattle field below the south end of the dam at lunch time (not there later). This is the first time that a Cattle Egret has been recorded at Pitsford.

Eric's walk at Thrapston Pits today yielded views of two Great White Egrets, at least 12 Little Egrets, two pairs of Egyptian Geese, the juvenile Whooper Swan still and five Cetti's Warblers.

Regards

Neil M

Woodcock. This is the view
we would have enjoyed today
but sadly we were unsuccessful
at catching any of the Pitsford
 wintering population!

But of course we caught
plenty of Blue Tits...

...and plenty of Great Tits...and
also...

...quite a few Coal Tits too (this image
courtesy of John Tilly).

The ringing session today
confirmed that the feed station
at Christies Copse is clearly
supporting some high numbers
of local tits and other birds!

NN6 Birding

Hello

Local birds included a Brambling again at Hanging Houghton in the village and the Barn Owl again in the Brampton Valley. Half a dozen Siskins were at Brixworth Country Park and the village Water Treatment Works hosted a Cetti's Warbler, a Chiffchaff, a Siskin, a Water Rail or two and two Grey Wagtails.

At risk of sounding repetitive, the Great Northern Diver has been in the vicinity of the dam and Sailing Club during the day and both George Witt and Bethan Clyne saw the sometimes elusive drake Ring-necked Duck, initially off the Point between the Walgrave and Scaldwell Bays and later much closer to the Maytrees Hide. Other long-staying birds included the Bewick's Swan, six Whooper Swans, the drake Smew, at least three Great White Egrets, two Red-crested Pochard and the Ruddy Shelduck. Four Woodcock and a Redpoll were noted in Christies Copse in the Walgrave Bay (a ringing session is planned there for tomorrow).

Away from Pitsford and the male Hen Harrier was seen again at the north east end of Stanwick Pits, as was a Short-eared Owl briefly and a Cattle Egret. A Great White Egret and some Golden Plovers were at Summer Leys.

Barbara Nunn and Neil Hasdell had somewhere between nine and twelve very noisy Ring-necked Parakeets in Abington Park, Northampton this morning, plus a solitary Goosander on the lakes there.

Regards

Neil M

Grey Heron with a Jack Pike.

Great White Egret.

Bewick's Swan.

Stonechat.

All images taken at Pitsford
Reservoir yesterday by Robin
Gossage.

Birds of Monday

Hello

Birds at Hanging Houghton today included a male Brambling around the garden this morning and a Barn Owl hunting the Brampton Valley below the village this afternoon.

A walk around Ravensthorpe Reservoir this morning was very pleasant but I was unable to find Saturday's Water Pipit. Birds on-site included a Great White Egret, two Green Sandpipers, two or three Grey Wagtails and two or three Chiffchaffs.

Harrington Airfield was much quieter than of late, the hundreds of Fieldfares that have been up there seemingly now moved on after depleting the hawthorn berries!

Pitsford Reservoir again provided plenty of birds with a fresh-in drake Smew in the Scaldwell Bay, the adult Bewick's Swan, six Whooper Swans (although I could only find five this afternoon), four Great White Egrets, the Ruddy Shelduck still, the Great Northern Diver still, ten Red-crested Pochard, four Pintail, three Green Sandpipers and two Stonechats. No doubt the Ring-necked Duck is still there somewhere but it didn't seem to be in the Scaldwell Bay today.

Roger Eads has been in contact about a Pochard that he photographed at Pitsford on Friday. This bird was affixed with a blue nasal saddle (a device on the beak) which was blue in colour and displayed the letters HJL. This bird was caught and ringed in France on 15th May 2015 and the nasal saddle affixed to prompt field sightings. In between these dates this bird has been seen at Val-de-Reul in Northern France between Le Havre and Paris and many times in the summer at Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu off the Atlantic coast in West France south of Nantes. We have seen other Pochard at Pitsford with such nasal saddles over the years and they all seem to originate from France and Iberia. Sometimes the saddle letters are difficult to read as they seem to eventually fade but at least this one was marked well enough to identify which bird it referred to.

Other birds reported included a hunting male Hen Harrier at the north east end of Stanwick Pits this afternoon, and Kim Taylor again saw the Great White Egret at Summer Leys plus about five hundred Golden Plovers.

Regards

Neil M

Great White Egret
courtesy of John Tilly.

Drake Pochard.

Drake Smew courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Breezy Sunday

Hello

Some ringing sessions were underway today with Chris Payne's site at Bradden providing 61 birds made up of three Chaffinches, six Goldfinches, a Greenfinch, thirty-six Blue Tits, a Coal Tit, eleven Great Tits, a Treecreeper, a Nuthatch and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Down at Linford Lakes, Kenny and team shook off the early morning showers and went on to catch 83 birds made up of thirteen Redwings, a Blackbird, a Robin, a Treecreeper, a Goldcrest, twenty-nine Great Tits, thirty-two Blue Tits, a Long-tailed Tit, a Chaffinch and three Goldfinches. Other birds noted on-site included a Great White Egret, a Water Rail, a couple of Tawny Owls and a flock of about a hundred Siskins.

Observers at Thrapston Pits today found two or three Great White Egrets, the juvenile Whooper Swan still, the first year Scaup still on Town Lake and a Stonechat. Matt Hazleton saw two Great White Egrets at Stanwick Pits today with a Cattle Egret and a Pink-footed Goose reported earlier in the day.

Birds at Pitsford Reservoir today included two Great White Egrets, the adult Bewick's Swan and at least ten Whooper Swans in the Scaldwell Bay this afternoon plus a scattering of Red-crested Pochard and Pintail. At least one Stonechat was still present and  four Green Sandpipers were by the main feeder stream exit into the reservoir. The Great Northern Diver was keeping a low profile but late this afternoon it swam from Yacht Bay towards the dam.

A Barn Owl was hunting the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton at dusk.

Regards

Neil M

Great Crested Grebe.

Yellow-legged Gull.

Great White Egret.

Lapwing.

Great Northern Diver.

All images courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Birds of the bluster

Hello

A variety of observers visited Pitsford Reservoir today and the long-stayers in the shape of the drake Ring-necked Duck, adult Bewick's Swan, eleven Whooper Swans, two Great White Egrets and Great Northern Diver were all seen in blustery conditions.

Active Ravens displaying in the wind today were noted between Maidwell and Lamport, at Pitsford Reservoir and Staverton. Two Bramblings and a Barn Owl were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton early this morning.

Barbara Nunn visited Abington Park, Northampton today and located six Ring-necked Parakeets in the spinney between the lakes.

Eleanor visited Kentle Wood on the outskirts of Daventry and saw a pair of Stonechat, a hunting female Merlin and a male Peregrine. A walk around Ravensthorpe Reservoir this afternoon provided a surprise in the shape of a Water Pipit feeding on the water's edge by the fishing boats, a pair of Mandarin Ducks by the dam overflow and a Great White Egret.

Regards

Neil M

The acrobatic and upside-down Raven!

Ring-necked Parakeet.

Water Pipit.

Static birds

Hello

Pretty awful weather first thing which made it rather wet but still mild temperatures for the time of the year. A Barn Owl flew out of the barn in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning and several Bramblings were still with the Chaffinch flock in what was torrential rain at the time!

John Woollett had a Raven overflying the village of Astcote, something of a regular sighting in the villages of South Northants these days

The Pitsford Reservoir birds continued to entertain today, the Bewick's Swan and eleven Whoopers were still north of the causeway together with a Ruff, two Green Sandpipers and a couple of Great White Egrets courtesy of Roger Eads and others. 

At the other end of the reservoir Martin Dove and Stuart Mundy managed views of a/the Great Northern Diver in the vicinity of the dam and Sailing Club and off towards the Pintail Bay.

Nick Parker's visit to Thrapston Pits confirmed the continuing presence of the juvenile Whooper Swan and two Great White Egrets at about midday.

Regards

Neil M

Bearded Tit.

Male Sparrowhawk.

Grey Heron.

Kingfisher.

Some more birds to brighten up
our day courtesy of Robin Gossage!