Soggy birding!

Hi

Rain, rain and more rain!

This morning the Jackdaw sporting the broad silver neck braces was again present at Hanging Houghton.  Two other birds showed similar but much duller markings.

At 11am this morning the Great White Egret was showing well on the floodwater at the back of the Holcot Bay at Pitsford Res, just outside Holcot village and viewable from both the Walgrave and Hannington roads.  Two Little Egrets were also present.  At least one Brambling was present at the main feeding station at Pitsford Res this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Egrets and stuff

Hi

A visit to Harrington Airfield this morning only produced a single female Brambling amongst the feeding birds on the seed by the concrete track entrance off the Draughton Road.

Birds in and around the garden here at Hanging Houghton included a Brambling, plus a Jackdaw with plumage traits sometimes associated with north-eastern populations known as 'Nordic Jackdaw'.  An image is below - see what you think!

The Great White Egret was quite mobile at Pitsford Res late morning and seen in both the Holcot and Walgrave bays.  Five Little Egrets were near floodwater at the back of the Holcot Bay as seen from the Hannington Road.

At 3.30pm this afternoon, five Waxwings were on television aerials in Holcot village at the crossroads in the middle of the village.

Blueberry Farm seemed quiet this afternoon, three redpoll sp and a Snipe being the most notable birds.

Regards

E & N

 

Stock Dove Hanging Houghton

 

Jackdaw at Hanging Houghton

(with a sheep in the way!)

 

Little Egrets Pitsford

 

Great White Egret

Pitsford - distant

flight shots

 

Goldeneye Pitsford

 

Tufted Duck Pitsford

Pitsford birds

Hi

This afternoon birds visible from and around the yacht club at Pitsford Res included 4-5 Smew (2-3 drakes), a Kingfisher, a Barn Owl hunting at 3pm (during a short spell when it wasn't actually raining!), a first year Yellow-legged Gull and 2 Mediterranean Gulls (adult and first winter).

Regards

Neil M

Rain birds!

Hi

In very soggy conditions this morning it was time to replenish the food at the wild bird feeding stations.  Not much to report in the constant rain but there were a couple of vocal Bramblings at Kelmarsh Hall and at 10.40am the Great White Egret was in flooded fields just outside Holcot village next to Pitsford Res and best viewed from the Hanninton Road.  While I was there it was spending time standing around in the brown stubble field away from the stream.  Plenty of Grey Herons there too and 2 Little Egrets were in a grass field on the opposite side of the Hannington road.

Regards

Neil M

GWE again...

Hi

Today the only birds of note seen was the Great White Egret together with 4 Little Egrets on floodwater at the back of the Holcot Bay, Pitsford Reservoir (at 12 noon).

Regards

Eleanor

Great White Egret

Hi

At about 11.30am this morning the Great White Egret was on show on the ever increasing floodwater at the back of the Holcot Bay, Pitsford Res, best viewed from the Hannington Road out of Holcot village.

Regards

Eleanor

Smew

Hi

Very limited opportunity for birding today, but a walk around Ravensthorpe Res this afternoon in rapidly deteriorating light was sufficient to locate 2 'redhead' Smew, 40 Cormorants, a Nuthatch, a Grey Wagtail, a Siskin and a redpoll sp.

15 redpoll sp flew over Smith's Farm Shop, Boughton this morning heading for the Brampton Valley Way.

Regards

E & N

Ditchford WeBS survey

Hi

Today was taken up completing the WeBS survey at Ditchford GP, slipping and sliding in the mud as we went!

There were comparatively few large gulls in the Ditchford Lane area which was rather disappointing.  A first year Scaup was with Tufted Ducks on the Watersport Pit to the west of Ditchford Lane.  A pair of Smew were on the old Skew Bridge Pit.  Other birds included 2-3 Little Egrets, 2 Stonechats, 3 Chiffchaffs, 8 Cetti's Warblers, 6-7 Kingfishers, 3 Grey Wagtails, c60 Golden Plovers over east, 6 Water Rails, just a couple of Siskins and 4 Lesser Redpolls.

Regards

E & N

Ringing updates

Hi

On Sunday (16th), John Woollett and a team of ringers operated nets and traps at Stortons GP and captured 70 birds, 45 of which had been caught before at this site.  New birds included a Water Rail (at least the third individual to be ringed at Stortons this year), a Magpie, a Goldcrest and 2 Lesser Redpolls.  A Woodcock was flushed there yesterday (17th).

Today (18th) and Dave Francis has been ringing at Pitsford Res this morning and caught 56 birds, the majority of them new birds.  This included another 13 Yellowhammers, 17 Goldfinches, 3 Tree Sparrows, 4 Reed Buntings, a Goldcrest and a Moorhen.  Bramblings present at the feed station included an unringed bird and 37 Snipe were present in Scaldwell Meadow.

Regards

E & N

Harrington pm

Hi

This afternoon a walk around Harrington Airfield was productive with a/the female Merlin, a Short-eared Owl, a Woodcock and at least 10 Bramblings.

Regards

Eleanor

Pitsford WeBS Count

Hi

Today was another team effort at counting the waterbirds at Pitsford Res, with David Arden, Neil Hasdell, Eleanor and myself conducting a coordinated count.  The extra rain of the last few days had turned the water brown on much of the reserve section of the reservoir.  However the winter sunshine and relatively mild conditions meant it was good to be out.  Total numbers of waterbirds have yet to be added up, but birds of note included the Great White Egret (in Holcot Bay and showing well from the Goosander Hide), a 'redhead' Smew near to Pintail Bay, 3 Goosanders, a Red Kite, a Water Rail, a Kingfisher, a Chiffchaff, 2-3 Brambling and small numbers of Lesser Redpolls and Siskins.

A Brambling remains in our garden at Hanging Houghton.

Regards

Neil M

Monitoring Feed Stations

Hi

Dave Francis presided over a ringing session at the main Pitsford Res feeding station yesterday afternoon and again this morning.  The benefits to some birds of maintaining a feed station is best assessed when we can actually work out how many birds are using it.  Visually we can count the numbers we see at any one time but have no idea of the total number requiring sustenance.  Dave caught 32 new Yellowhammers during the Saturday/Sunday session, and another 10 were caught on Friday morning.  Add the retraps and another 150 or so Yellowhammers caught at this one spot during the year and I think we can begin to understand how such a project benefits a local population.  In some areas Yellowhammers are really struggling so its just great to enhance their status in central Northants.

Other birds trapped and monitored yesterday afternoon and this morning included another 4 new Bramblings, 14 Goldfinches, 5 Tree Sparrows (plus a controlled bird from elsewhere), 4 Reed Buntings, a Fieldfare and a Moorhen.  However my favourite bird of the session was a single Snipe that was flushed in to a net.  I'm a big fan of the bird species that endeavour to utilise their plumage to hide from would-be predators, and it is an incredible privilege to be able to be so close to a crepuscular species such as a Snipe (please see the below images).

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

Regards

Neil M

A muddy affair!

Hi

A ringing session at Scotland Wood (Kelmarsh Estate) today turned out to be quite a muddy affair!  We caught 60 birds which were all standard birds for the site and included a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Treecreepers, 2 Marsh Tits and 6 Goldcrests.  Other birds noted in the wood included 2 Woodcock, 2 Raven, a Brambling and a couple of Siskins.

At Harrington Airfield today there were 10 Bramblings still coming to the seed by the entrance off the Draughton Road and 2 Ravens were seen too.  A male Brambling was again in our garden at Hanging Houghton.

There were 2 Red Kites at Wellingborough Grange this afternoon and a flock of 15 Waxwings flew over calling loudly on their way towards Wellingborough town.

A relative large gull roost at Pitsford Res this afternoon included an adult Mediterranean Gull and a Kingfisher was present too.

Regards

E & N

Gloomy wet day!

Hi

Well I don't think it ever did become properly light today!  Oh well a day of chores!

Birds were few and far between today, the best being a solitary Waxwing in flight at 10.15am on the west side of the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Res.

A smart male Brambling was feeding in our garden at Hanging Houghton today and there were at least two more at the main feeding station at Pitsford.

Another Brambling and a Siskin and a Grey Wagtail were in the grounds of the yacht club at Pitsford and this afternoon there was a Barn Owl and a Grey Wagtail in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

Regards

Neil M

Cold weather birds

Hi

Birds at Sywell CP (which was mostly frozen) this morning included a Black-necked Grebe, 2 'redhead' Smew and c15 redpoll sp.

Later this morning Pitsford Res attracted the Great White Egret still and 2 Little Egrets, these birds again on the flood water at the back of the Holcot Bay.  The old Scaldwell Road feeding station attracted 4 Bramblings on the seed.  Much of the reserve section was frozen and 6 Smew (4 drakes) and 2 Goosanders were flying around at 3pm as visible from the causeway.

Regards

Eleanor

Hoarfrost

Hi

Cold but spectacular weather today with some amazing hoarfrost dazzling in the winter sunshine.

Birds were minimal today with singles of Brambling at Hanging Houghton, Harrington Airfield and Pitsford Res.  The drake Scaup was visible from the dam at Pitsford Res late morning.

A good walk around Blueberry Farm, Maidwell was eerily quiet this afternoon.  The only birds of note were singles of Woodcock and Willow Tit and unfortunately the Hen Harrier from two days ago failed to reappear.

E & N

 

Pitsford hoarfrost!

 

Well it is that

time of the year!

 

Male Yellowhammer

 

Adult Common Gull

 

Variety of Pied

Wagtail plumages

Freezing fog!

Hi

In rather cold and unpleasant conditions, a ringing session was undertaken at Pitsford Res today at the old Scaldwell Road feeding station.  The freezing fog never did clear at the reservoir today so who knows what was on the water!  Birds caught included 3 fabulous Bramblings, 3 Fieldfares, a rare catch of a Mistle Thrush, and small numbers of Yellowhammers, Chaffinches, Goldfinches etc.

Regards

Neil M

 

Bramblings Pitsford Res

Feeding Station

Good birding but no Waxwings!

Hi

This morning it was time again to visit all the feeding stations and fill up the feeders, particularly as it is supposed to be pretty cold this week.

At Harrington Airfield there were up to 6 Bramblings attracted to the seed by the Draughton road entrance plus a redpoll sp and 2 Ravens.  Another Raven was at Sunderland Wood (Kelmarsh Estate), a Brambling was at the feeders at Kelmarsh Hall and a solitary Siskin was at Scotland Wood.

A visit to Sainsburys at Kettering failed to locate any Waxwings, the only compensation being 2 Grey Wagtails a foraging Red Kite and some nectar points!

A good yomp around the Blueberry Farm area near Maidwell yielded two views of a fine adult male Hen Harrier hunting the large hillside setaside field (locally called 'The Hill').  Other birds included 2 Barn Owls and 3-4 Woodcock.

The gull roost at Pitsford Res this afternoon contained a/the gorgeous adult Mediterranean Gull and the drake Scaup was still present.

Regards

E & N

 

Pied Wagtail and Bramblings

Harrington Airfield

BTO Conference continued...

Hi

As a carry on from the last blog concerning the annual BTO week-end conference, the auk colonies have been extensively studied on the Isle of May.  During the worst years when Guillemots in particular were suffering from a lack of food, the social fabric of the colonies effectively broke down with many chicks being left unattended for long periods.  Although there was subsequently some increased predation from gulls, the social breakdown was so severe that adult Guillemots were killing chicks and even tossing them off the cliff!  Not surprisingly the survival rate was extremely low and it is thought that only the very earliest hatched youngsters had any chance of surviving during these very lean years.

Guillemots and Razorbills apparently moult just after the breeding season and become flightless for a short period.  Geolocaters indicate that they spend this time east of Scotland and drift south down the east coast of England during this time.  Puffins however spend their time off the north of Scotland and even go right the way around Scotland and Ireland to winter on the Atlantic seaboard off south west England and Ireland.

The current state of affairs on this seabird city island was summarised as follows:-

• slight recovery since the crisis of the mid 2000s
• may be associated with colder winters
• however it is predicted temperatures will rise again and food webs will change too
• effects likely will vary regionally
• offshore renewable energy will represent a threat and significant losses anticipated

A further atlas input titled 'Joining the dots' provided some worrying trends, most of which are already well-known.  This included contracted ranges for 24 out of 28 farmland birds and 15 species have seen populations tumble, all during the period 1970 - 1990.  Other birds of concern include the Short-eared Owl which has suffered a 35% reduction in numbers during the last couple of decades and the Hawfinch has suffered a significant range reduction.

A major outcome of the survey is that it provides the BTO and its partners with the knowledge of where birds are and some idea of their density.  This comes in to its own when assessing the impact of man on the environment, and Windfarm Sensitivity Maps have been created which can be assessed by would-be developers so that future conflict can be avoided.  Just round the corner, the European Bird Atlas is due to start next year, and it is thought that the results of the British and Irish 2007 - 11 atlas will be incorporated within it.

Another couple of presentations championed the use of Birdtrack and other reporting mechanisms such as Breeding Bird Surveys and National Garden Watch not only to report birds but other taxa too.  Examples include butterflies, dragonflies, mammals and amphibians, and in some cases these systems provide more records than specific taxa disciplines or organisations.  Invertebrates are important barometers and it is assessed that global warming means that many are on the march north and colonising, at a rate which averages out at five metres a day!  Small wonder that we see new species of grasshoppers and bush-crickets in the county these days!  In essence the message was that birdwatchers make a very valuable contribution providing they submit their records, and this is further enhanced through team-working and the collaboration of all the scientific and conservation organisations.

Regards

Neil M

BTO Conference

Hi

This week-end I am up at Swanwick in Derbyshire, attending the British Trust of Ornithology Conference, which is typical as flocks of Waxwings are clearly now invading Northamptonshire!  A short walk around the complex here at Swanwick was enough to find a single vocal Waxwing this morning!

Yesterday evening there was a superb and totally inspirational hour long presentation on the crusade to save the threatened Spoon-billed Sandpiper, and the extraordinary lengths and measures achieved already in bringing this enigmatic wader back from the brink of extinction.  Perhaps at least as important has been the clear definition and importance of saving what is left of the East Asian/Australasian coastal habitat, which is critical to the survival of many other waders too.

A significant part of the day today has been discussing and commenting on the preliminary results of the Bird Atlas 2007 - 11 and the mapping of Britain's and Ireland's birds.  It is anticipated that as many as 40,000 observers throughout the land participated in this study, including many in our own fair county.  Some examples of the results are as follows:-

• The biggest positive change as a group was the egret family, with a range expansion and associated breeding of Little and now Cattle and Great White Egrets;
• The highest density of registered observers was in urban Edinburgh and Belfast!
• The Isle of White failed to confirm breeding of relatively common birds such as Tawny Owl, Common Buzzard and Greylag Goose!
• 96 species on non-native birds were recorded (with Black Swans by way of example recorded in 100 squares);
• Yellow Wagtails have suffered a 32% range loss and huge reductions in population density;
• The first British breeding Cetti's Warbler was in Kent in 1973.  During the survey they were located in 421 km squares nationally in the breeding season and 375 during the winter period, reflecting a successful colonisation of England;
• Due perhaps to climate change, the Hobby population has shifted 150km north since the last atlas;
• Ireland has experienced some huge changes.  Positives include a high density of Wrens, a huge increase in Great Tit density and the natural colonisation of the green isle by Great Spotted Woodpecker.  Negatives are the virtual extinction of the Corn Bunting (and the range halved in GB), major losses in the Stock Dove population (but the GB population is stable) and a massive decline in the Curlew with 20,000 pairs in the 1970s now reduced to between 50 - 200 pairs!
• Woodcock (there is a specific survey next year) have shown a winter expansion of 37% but a breeding range contraction of 55%;
• The Kestrel is in decline across the whole of GB but with no range loss, just actual numbers.

Another presentation reflected on habitat and what exactly does a bird need?  Some of this was about comparables.  Why is it that in Germany Goshawks have moved in to the cities such as Berlin and Hamburg and breed in the parks and feed on urban birds successfully, but here they are a bird that is sensitive to human activity and can only normally be found in large tracts of forest/wilderness?  The British Willow Tit is associated with mature hedgerows, scrub and light deciduous woodland, but in northern Europe is a bird of conifers.  It also reflected on the findings of the Atlas in that birds such as the Redstart and Whinchat which have now seemingly abandoned the lowland areas of middle England during the last three decades and are now mapped to their habitat preference to the uplands of the West.  As predicted this presentation provided more questions rather than answers!

A further presentation which was well-received was the current findings on the long term study of the sea-birds breeding on the Isle of May up in the Firth of Forth.  It was entitled 'An Exultation of Auks', with a particular emphasis on the Guillemot and Puffin.  Irrefutable evidence was presented that showed that since the 1980s there had been a 3% increase in the sea temperature and in particular how this affected marine life and in consequence the food for the sea-birds.  It seems that the Lesser Sandeel which has been widely regarded as the essential diet of many sea-birds is quite rapidly disappearing and is being replaced by sprats or similar species.  This is associated with the reduced ability of the species of copepod to survive in warming waters (the staple diet of sandeels) and the increasing ability of the prey item of the sprat to sustain and exploit new waters.  This isn't the whole story but probably the main influence on the changing fortunes of at least some of our sea-birds.  Apparently Snake Pipefish have not been recorded as a prey items for Puffins etc since at least 2009, so this concerning period when they were brought in by our breeding sea-birds (they are of low nutritional value and mostly indigestible) appears to be over for the time being.

The use of miniature geolocaters and time depth recorders have been used in recent years on some of our auks, and although it is early days the initial results on post-breeding dispersal and the amount of time these birds spend underwater is fascinating (e.g. 50% of the recorded dive times of the Guillemot occur at night; Puffins seems to be only active during the daylight hours).

There is plenty more interesting info coming out of the conference but that will do for now!

Regards

Neil M

Comments

Hi

My apologies to anyone that has tried to leave comments on this blog site and failed.  It seems that there was a bit of a glitch which I think has now been resolved.  I'll soon know if it has been fixed if any comments appear!

Many thanks

Neil M

Hungry birds!

Hi

A walk around a cold and crunchy Harrington Airfield this morning produced a Short-eared Owl, about 40 Golden Plovers, a couple of redpoll sp and at least 7 Bramblings.

The cold weather of the last few days has certainly brought birds in to the garden, with particularly good numbers of Blackbirds at dawn looking for food.  Today I noticed up to 3 Pied Wagtails, a Reed Bunting and even some Fieldfares touched down briefly.  Bigger birds include the regular Jackdaws, Magpies, Carrion Crows and a mass of Woodpigeons which means the food doesn't last very long!  Add the Stock Doves, Collared Doves and Pheasants and actually a small band of Starlings (which are scarce here), then its small wonder that most of our money goes on bird food!

Scanning the gulls at the roost at Pitsford Res this afternoon produced a smart third winter Caspian Gull, and a drake Scaup was close up to the dam wall.

Regards

Neil M

 

1st year Common Gull

Harrington Airfield

 

Brambling Harrington Airfield

Up to the north

Hi

With the promise of wintery weather and decent light for a change, it was an excuse to bird at some of our favourite locations in the north of Northants today.

First we jogged around Fineshade Wood where we slipped and slid along the trails and tracks of the whole complex first thing without meeting a soul.  Although there were plenty of common birds, nothing of particular note was seen in the greater part of the woodland, a few Lesser Redpolls and Siskins and some Fallow Deer being the highlight.  At Top Lodge itself, scanning provided six species of raptor which included 2 Peregrines, one of which interacted briefly with a female Merlin over towards the Abbey.

A wander down to the wildlife hide was worthwhile with tits and other common birds coming to the feeders which are still being serviced in the now absence of the RSPB on site. 

After a well-earned 'brunch' at the Fineshade cafe, next it was across the A43 to nearby Wakerley Wood.   A short circuit failed to locate much of note, just the odd Lesser Redpoll and Siskin or two.

Next was Blatherwycke Lake which looks very bare now that many of the trees have been felled.  Plenty of wildfowl on the water, but six Mandarin Ducks were the only birds of note.  Red Kites were in double figures and visible on every horizon.

We spent a short time looking for the Waxwings at Oakley Vale, Corby but failed to connect [14 or so present yesterday].

Our last venue was Fermyn Wood CP which was absolutely full of Redwings and Fieldfares but not a great deal else.  A wander of the fields to the north east of Fermyn Wood yielded the second female Merlin of the day.  Small numbers of Siskins and just a couple of Lesser Redpolls were present in the country park but sadly no sign of any Hawfinches.

Regards

E & N

 

Blue Tit

 

Woodpigeon

 

House Sparrow

 

Pied Wagtail

 

Peregrine

 

Red Kites

 

Fieldfare

 

Redwing

Birds of the season

Hi

This morning there was a female Merlin and a Woodcock at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

At about 10.45am this morning the Great White Egret was with 3 Little Egrets on the floodwater at the back of the Holcot Bay at Pitsford Res, as viewed from the Hannington Road.

At 11.45am a Waxwing flew over the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Res, this high-flying but vocal bird was heading east.  There was a Woodcock flushed from Christies Copse.

Just after 12 noon today there were at least 10 Bramblings on the seed at Harrington Airfield, later joined by a large covey of 15 Grey Partridges.

A 1st winter Mediterranean Gull was present in the gull roost at Pitsford Res this afternoon.

Regards

E & N

Bramblings with other birds
at Harrington Airfield

Adult Common Gull

Flock of Lapwings

 

Lapwing at the water's edge
Pitsford Reservoir

Bright and beautiful (the birds that is)!

Hi

An early morning run in the gloom of a late dawn brightened up when I came across 2 Little Egrets along the brook in the Brampton Valley just north of Merry Tom Lane.

This morning there were 10 Bramblings on the seed at Harrington Airfield, most of which were stunning males.

This afternoon, at about 2pm, there were 2 mobile Waxwings at Pitsford Res which flew from Brixworth CP over the dam and disappeared towards Pitsford village.  The Black-necked Grebe was in yacht bay and other birds in the near vicinity included 2 Grey Wagtails, a Kingfisher and c15 Siskins.

Regards

Eleanor

Winter movers

Hi

This morning what was either a Snow or Lapland Bunting was heard calling in/over drilled stubble fields adjacent to the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Res.  The distinctive 'tiu' call, which both of these species emit, was heard several times during a 10 minute period from 9am but despite a search the bird was never seen and presumably moved on.  The call was most similar to Snow.

Birds visible in the Walgrave Bay today included the Great White Egret, a couple of Siskins, 1-2 redpoll sp, a Chiffchaff and with both Marsh and Willow Tits coming to the feeders in Christies Copse.

A ringing session at Stortons GP this morning captured 65 birds, the more interesting being another Lesser Redpoll and a Chiffchaff.

This afternoon there was a male Peregrine and a Woodcock in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell a small flock of 8 Dark-bellied Brent Geese flew west over Haselbech Hill at 2.40pm.  Other birds at Blueberry included a Woodcock and 2 Ravens.

Regards

E & N

Bramblings and Waxwings

Hi

Two Waxwings were in Hanging Houghton village for a short time early this morning, moving around over The Croft and in to the grounds of Lamport Grange.  However there was no sign of them later in the morning.  A Brambling again popped in to our garden during the morning but there was no sign of it this afternoon.

Also this morning a Brambling and a Kingfisher were noted at Kelmarsh Hall with just a single Siskin at nearby Sunderland Wood.  At Harrington Airfield this morning there were at least 8 Bramblings on the seed on the concrete track at the Draughton Road entrance.

Regards

E & N

Winter is around the corner!

Hi

A cold but pleasant day today but with encroaching freezing fog this evening.  Hello the winter!

Today there were a couple of Bramblings in the garden here at Hanging Houghton with several Siskins and 2 Nuthatches close by.  An adult male Peregrine was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning and a Barn Owl was hunting at Blueberry Farm this afternoon.

Dave Francis was ringing at Pitsford Res at the old Scaldwell Road feeding station and caught 36 new birds which included 10 Goldfinches, 4 Chaffinches, 3 Lesser Redpolls, 3 Tree Sparrows, 3 Yellowhammers, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Moorhen.

Regards

Eleanor

WeBS (Wetland Bird Survey) Counts

Hi

During most months of the year, volunteer birdwatchers visit key wetland sites around the country in an effort to count and record the numbers of waterbirds present.  Northamptonshire is no different with its wealth of flooded gravel pits, significant inland river systems, lakes and reservoirs attracting plenty of birds, sometimes in nationally important numbers.  The county is well-represented with counters, many stalwarts enduring a variety of conditions for many years to visit their sites and count the swans, geese, ducks, gulls, waders and Kingfisher.

Most counts are submitted on-line and there are opportunities to complete further supplementary counts in addition to core counts.  Examples might be dusk/dawn counts of Cormorant or gulls which tend to roost communally.

The WeBS process is managed by a partnership between the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the Joint Nature Conservancy Committee (JNCC) and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT).

An annual report is published which provides indices of some of the more significant species counts and endeavours to summarise the year and plot the health of the relevant counted species.  Because this is a consistent process which has been in being for more than thirty years, the data and and species assessments are credible and impossible to ignore.  The latest report, which includes the data for the 2010/11 season has recently been released. 

Pitsford Reservoir attracts nationally important numbers of Little and Great Crested Grebe, Pochard, Tufted Duck and Shoveler.  Clifford Hill GP is nationally important for Mallard, which may include the numbers which are released for shooting at or near the site.  Up until recent years, Clifford Hill attracted nationally important numbers of Golden Plovers which reflected this species dependence on the Nene Valley and adjacent farmland.  Excessive disturbance has clearly affected this site's ability to now provide the effective loafing and gathering of this charismatic species and positive action is required.

Scarcer species in nationally important numbers within the county places Blatherwycke Lake on the map for Mandarin Duck and Ravensthorpe Res, Pitsford Res, Thrapston GP and Stanwick GP for Smew which now seem to enjoy the East Midlands and Cambridgeshire as their favoured wintering region within the UK.  Thrapston GP also featured for Red-crested Pochard, with a high count of 14 on one date affecting the mean average.  Ditchford GP is consistently in the top three in the country for Kingfisher, the combination of different flooded pits, the River Nene and a variety of streams providing the necessary variety for this species. 

Moorhens have seemingly suffered significant mortality during the last two cold winters and their numbers locally and nationally are depleted.  Despite this, Pitsford remains nationally important for this species (and Stanwick GP features too) and is the 10th most important for Coot.  Gadwall numbers in the county are generally high with most sites attracting this species in significant numbers.  Due in part to a very high count of 1044 in October 2010, Pitsford is currently recognised as a site of international importance for this species.  Sadly the counts have been much lower since.

The winter of 2010/2011 was the coldest for 35 years, which nationally resulted in increased numbers of Eurasian White-fronted Geese, some waders and Smew.  It also ensured that Golden Plover and Shoveler left the UK for warmer climes.  More long-term trends are worrying for some species with an international reduction in Long-tailed Ducks by at least 20% and Velvet Scoter, Pochard and Goldeneye suffering continual declines. The reasons are not proven but climate change, eutrophication and human activity pressures are the most likely.  Ringed Plover numbers continue to tumble and even Common and Lesser Black-backed Gull numbers are showing a consistent decline.  On the plus side, the Little Egret population is at least stable and may still be increasing.

Getting out there and committing to WeBS counting has its rewards!  Occasionally we find something rare or interesting and it ensures that you tend to look in every nook and cranny; it certainly improves on your local knowledge and its birds.  The bigger sites attract multiple counters so it is a great way to improve mentored identification and as strange as it sounds, bird counting skills!  If you fancy a go let us know and we can facilitate your WeBS involvement with the local coordinator.

E & N

Merlin and Barn Owl

Hi

At about 7.40am this morning a Merlin was observed in flight towards Brixworth village from the direction of the causeway at Pitsford Res.

News has come through of the origins of the hunting colour-ringed Barn Owl seen at Pitsford Res last week.  It was a juvenile from a nest at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell, one of a late brood on site this year.

Regards

Neil M