Barn Owls and more...

Hello

Yesterday (Sunday) Eric and Debbie Graham braved a flooded Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Gravel Pits and their efforts were rewarded with sightings of a Curlew, six Little Egrets and seven Goosanders. Also yesterday Eleanor watched two hunting Barn Owls in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

Today (Monday) and two male Bramblings re-appeared in our garden at Hanging Houghton, joined by four Yellowhammers and a small gathering of Reed Buntings. Two Woodcock were flushed at Blueberry Farm this morning and this evening a Barn Owl was lingering at Easton Maudit.

Details have now come through of the ringed Barn Owl found dead alongside the A508 at Hanging Houghton on 31st January 2016. This was an old bird, first being ringed as a nestling near Guilsborough on 5th August 2004. On examination it appeared to be a male bird and although it hadn't travelled far from it's origins it was nearly 12 years old when it was unfortunately struck by a vehicle (the oldest known Barn Owl was just over fifteen years old).

Regards

Neil M

Barn Owl.

Courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Water Rail.

Kingfisher.

Male Brambling.

John Gamble kindly forwarded these
images following a recent visit to
the RSPB reserve at Titchwell, Norfolk.

Birds of the spring sunshine

Hello

A ringing session at Glyn Davies Wood well over to the west of the county was busy with about 140 birds captured and was a nice cross section of birds that utilise this small but ancient woodland site. Great Tits and Blue Tits dominated of course but other birds included a couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, two Nuthatches, a Siskin, a Treecreeper and small numbers of Coal, Long-tailed and Marsh Tits and Chaffinches. A Willow Tit was heard singing briefly.

A brief stop at Boddington Reservoir on the way home produced just a pair of Goosander. Pacing up and down the causeway at Ravensthorpe Reservoir this afternoon didn't provide any views of Otter but there were plenty of fishing Cormorants and Grey Herons. Several Goldeneye are often relatively close to the causeway and today the drakes looked super in the spring sunshine. Two Chiffchaffs included a singing bird.

Two drake Smew and a pair of Goosander were in the small section of the Moulton Grange Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this morning and two Barn Owls were hunting the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

A great deal of diurnal visible migration has been on-going during the last few afternoons, lots of high-flying gulls moving north and the Red Kites have been very mobile and nomadic. Migrant flocks of Starling, Redwing and Fieldfare are on the move and wagtails, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks are shifting in smaller numbers.

Regards

Neil M

Drake Goldeneye
Ravensthorpe Reservoir

Cormorant at Ravensthorpe Reservoir.
Courtesy of Jacob Spinks.

Red Kite at Pitsford Reservoir.
Courtesy of Jacob Spinks

Ringing in the fog

Hello

Early morning fog/mist with accompanying moisture and coldness made for a charmless start to the morning, but by late morning the visibility improved and the temperature came up with weak sunshine and a very light breeze.

Northants Ringing Group members were in action at Linford Lakes on the outskirts of Milton Keynes this morning and worked with a Beginner Birdwatching Course to present and explain some of the salient features of some of the birds captured and ringed. Despite the initial unpleasant weather, good siting of the nets provided 89 captures which included 13 crisp Goldfinches, a Lesser Redpoll, a Siskin, a Goldcrest and a Redwing amongst more routine fare.

Four ringers were active at Pitsford Reservoir today at two different subsites, finally netting 92 birds of 16 species. The highlights included 15 Yellowhammers (14 new birds), six Reed Buntings and four Tree Sparrows. Other birds on-site this morning included an early morning Curlew, an Oystercatcher, a Kingfisher, a male Brambling, a Chiffchaff and two Grey Wagtails. Nearby and Jacob Spinks noted a female Brambling in his Scaldwell garden.

Amphibians must have been active today as several Red Kites and Common Buzzards were gathered around the traditional farm pond at Blueberry Farm where they breed. The pond also attracted Little Grebe, a pair of Gadwall and Tufted Ducks and a newly excavated pond near Haselbech continues to attract at least one Oystercatcher and today also a Green Sandpiper.

Regards

Neil M

Curlew

Oystercatcher

Spring is here!

Hello

After the morning mist had cleared and some genuine spring sunshine in calm conditions materialised, so Common Buzzards began spiralling up everywhere...

Common Buzzard. A pale
individual but they can be
even whiter!

Despite seemingly reasonable conditions locally for spring passerine migrants, it was another day without new Chiffchaffs, a Wheatear or Sand Martin. However the week-end must yield these birds somewhere in the county...

Chiffchaff

Eleanor saw a Barn Owl in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon but otherwise birds were sparse on the ground.

Chris Payne committed to some garden bird ringing at Greens Norton today and it was all about finches with successful catches of Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll. These birds are on the move and are keen to bulk up on garden feeders before they embark on the next leg of their journey.

Regards

Neil M

Lesser Redpoll

Siskin

Goldfinch

Above three images courtesy
 of  Chris Payne.

Birds of the mud!

Hello

With most of the floods having subsided this morning, there was lots of lovely mud to contend with instead. A Woodcock flushed up at Kelmarsh Hall had probably been displaced by the weather and Eleanor saw a pair of Grey Partridge at Harrington Airfield and a pair of Stonechat at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

This afternoon Eleanor located 50 Golden Plovers near Newlands,Walgrave and two vocal Curlews flew over in a southerly direction. A pair of Grey Partridge were present too.

Checking the distant gull roost at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon failed to find a scarce gull; a Kingfisher was the only bird of note.

Chris Payne committed to some bird ringing at Bradden today, catching some 38 birds which included several new Chaffinches, a new Treecreeper and a Greenfinch already bearing a ring from elsewhere.

About time for some classic spring migrants please!

Regards

Neil M

After the deluge...

Hello

Like many of us today, Chris Payne spent time at home at Greens Norton watching soaked birds coming to garden feeders. He was surprised to count a good twenty Lesser Redpolls as well as more regular species.

After much of the heavy rain and wind had passed by early afternoon, leaving floods in its wake, Eleanor was out at Newlands north of Walgrave village and saw four Grey Partridges. I was up at Harrington Airfield this afternoon in sodden fields and noted just five Golden Plovers, and a solitary Siskin was all I could summon at Sunderland Wood.

The heavy rain and strong winds made a spectacle at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon with a cascade of water rushing down the dam overflow, and of course flooding the fields below.

The gull roost at Pitsford Res traditionally attracts up to about 1500 Common Gulls during the winter months, and with the recent addition of a feeding cage for the gulls they sometimes come quite close.

The pre-roost gathering of gulls there this afternoon included two neat adult Kittiwakes which later could be heard calling to each other, not a common sound in land-locked Northamptonshire! These birds remained for the roost and a third adult arrived later and plonked itself down in a different part of the roost, seemingly unaware that two of it's kin were only a few hundred metres away amongst the mass of Black-headed and Common Gulls.

Regards

Neil M

Common Gull

A cold and mizzly spring day...

Hello

Eleanor noted a Raven and a Barn Owl in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning and our garden continues to attract small numbers of Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings.

Eleanor took a good walk around the Harlestone Heath complex and estimated 80-100 Siskins in the woodland, but didn't see anything else of note. The Siskins were concentrated around the A428 entrance and the railway sidings.

At Pitsford Reservoir an Oystercatcher was present in the Scaldwell Bay, and the dam-end this afternoon continued to host the Ruddy Shelduck and Green Sandpiper with the gull roost attracting an adult Kittiwake and a first year Mediterranean Gull.

Regards

Neil M

This Great Spotted Woodpecker
was caught and ringed at Pitsford
Reservoir on 29th Feb and exhibited
aberrant feather markings to the
secondaries, primaries and greater
and primary coverts. All the feathers
should be black or brownish black rather
than the silvery/frosty appearance as
depicted by this individual.

Image courtesy of Helen Franklin.

Monday's musings

Hello

Yesterday Eric Graham located the Great White Egret at Thrapston GP again, which was spending most of its time on the Aldwincle Lake. Other birds included 5 Goosanders, 7 Lesser Redpolls and 12 Siskins.

The Siskin-fest continues at Astcote with more birds caught by John Woollett both yesterday and today. Although there were some re-traps from the week, many were new birds and another 'control' was processed too.

A newly constructed pond near Haselbech attracted a pair of Oystercatcher today and birds at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell included a pair of Stonechat and three Barn Owls. At least eight Reed Buntings remain in our garden here at Hanging Houghton, broadcast seed also attracting a couple of Yellowhammers.

Regards

Neil M

Lapwing at Summer Leys
Nature Reserve courtesy of
Simon Hales.

Breeding is just around the corner
for the few pairs that nest locally...

Ringing at Scotland Wood

Hello  

A period of ringing at Scotland Wood (Kelmarsh Estate) today provided an opportunity of handling 114 birds of 15 species. An estimated six Woodcock were flushed from this woodland habitat and two of them made contact with the nets but didn't stay in long enough for us to catch them!

The catch was made up of 26 Blue Tits, 29 Great Tits, 7 Coal Tits, 11 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Willow Tits, 4 Marsh Tits, 2 Treecreepers, a Nuthatch, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 4 Dunnocks, 6 Robins, 6 Blackbirds, a Song Thrush, 2 Siskins and 11 Chaffinches.

One of the Blackbirds was a 'control' bearing a Dutch ring and the two Siskins were both adult males.

Two more Woodcock were flushed at Sunderland Wood (Kelmarsh) this afternoon and two vocal Little Owls nearby were calling at each other over quite a distance...

John Woollett is continuing to experience an invasion of Siskins to his garden at Astcote, ringing about 64 birds during the last week!

Regards

Neil M

Nuthatch

Song Thrush

Marsh Tit

Great Spotted Woodpecker

All above images courtesy
of Cathy Ryden.

Adult male Siskin.

Courtesy of Chris Payne.

Winter is still hanging on...

Hello

This morning two Otters at Ravensthorpe Reservoir were showing from the causeway at about 8am and Eleanor went on to see four Goosanders at Daventry Country Park. A brief walk at Harrington Airfield produced just four Golden Plovers. 

A male Brambling persists here at Hanging Houghton and a Willow Tit was detected at Scotland Wood (Kelmarsh Estate).

Birds around the dam area of Pitsford Reservoir today included a Grey Wagtail and Green Sandpiper (courtesy of Jacob Spinks) and later the Ruddy Shelduck, the near-adult Caspian Gull and a first year Yellow-legged Gull.

Regards

Neil M

Another view of the
Summer Leys Bittern
courtesy of Steve Rappitt.

Red Kite

Female Greenfinch

Caspian Gull

Siskins and more Siskins!

Hello

Kim Robinson was ringing for a short time at Great Brington yesterday and captured forty birds, the majority being Blue Tits. A Sparrowhawk was in attendance and as additional birds of farmland and wood move in to our gardens so these raptors will follow... Kim also noted two Ravens overhead.

John Woollett caught 23 Siskins in his Astcote garden yesterday, one of which was already bearing a ring from elsewhere.

Neil Hasdell was again at Summer Leys Nature Reserve today and saw the Great White Egret, a Scaup, the female Stonechat and plenty of Siskins.

Nearby Eleanor was at Sywell Country Park and saw 70 Siskins around the car park and a presumed different flock of 50+ in trees in one of the bays. Other birds included several redpoll sp, a Brambling and a Raven. Whilst at the popular Beckworth Emporium, Eleanor saw three Goosanders fly over.

A Brambling and at least seven Reed Buntings visited our garden at Hanging Houghton this morning and a brief visit to Brixworth Sewage Treatment Works this afternoon provided views of a Chiffchaff, three Grey Wagtails and a rather odd observation of a Woodcock which flew around the site a couple of times!

Finally, whilst I was filling up bird feeders at the Old Scaldwell Road, four Bewick's Swans flew over Pitsford Reservoir at 5.25pm, calling as they headed north...

Regards

Neil M

Siskins on Alder at
 Summer Leys NR
 courtesy of Neil Hasdell.

Hungry Sparrowhawks!

Hello

Chris Payne committed to some more ringing at Bradden today and netted over fifty birds which included 11 Goldfinches, 4 Greenfinches, 3 Chaffinches and 2 Nuthatch. A pair of Sparrowhawk were in the vicinity.

Cathy Ryden noted both a male and a female Sparrowhawk in gardens around her abode, the male catching a Blue Tit from a suspended feeder...

I noted a Ring-necked Parakeet at Wootton Hall, Northampton at lunchtime and watched a pair of Long-tailed Tits almost completing their moss nest at another location...spring is just around the corner!

Regards

Neil M

Male Sparrowhawk with
Blue Tit prey.

Female Sparrowhawk.

Both images courtesy of
Cathy Ryden.

Recent ringing recoveries...

Hello

Nick Wood has kindly circulated some more ringing recoveries as processed by the Ringing Unit at the BTO...

One relates to a young male Blackcap that was caught and ringed near Faro on the Algarve in Portugal on 13th October 2012, which was then next located in a mist net at Linford Lakes on the outskirts of Milton Keynes on 27th September 2015. This bird has obviously travelled a great deal during this period but the line drawn between the two sites is 1746km over a period of 1079 days. It would be fair to assume that this Blackcap was either wintering in Portugal or en-route further south when first captured. The recapture date suggests it was just about to wing it's way south when caught again...

A young female Great Tit was caught and ringed at Stanford Reservoir on 27th September 2015 and ended up being recaptured here at Hanging Houghton on 16th January 2016. In contrast to the Blackcap, she had only travelled 17km to find our feeders!

The injured Barn Owl found at Hanging Houghton on 15th February 2016 (which subsequently died) had first been ringed as an adult female at nearby Maidwell on 29th September 2011. This is fairly typical as Barn Owls tend to be rather sedentary.

Regards

Neil M

Blackcap

Great Tit

Barn Owl

In like a Lion...

Hello

A brief foray out to Harrington Airfield this morning was sufficient to locate a pair of Grey Partridge and a Snipe. A flock of Starlings and winter thrushes in a field on the outskirts of Brixworth contained a reasonable total of 102 Redwings. Although very windy in the garden today, the usual suspects were around including a smart male Brambling.

At lunchtime today a visit to Pitsford Reservoir provided distant views of the Green Sandpiper still on pools below the dam and the Ruddy Shelduck and a Grey Wagtail were in the vicinity of the Sailing Club. Cathy Ryden paid Ravensthorpe Reservoir a visit this morning and witnessed the re-appearance of the Great White Egret after quite a period of absence...

Regards

Neil M

Male Greenfinch
at Guilsborough.

Great White Egret
Ravensthorpe Reservoir.

Both images courtesy of Cathy Ryden.

Rain, bats and Siskins!

Hello

John Woollett was completing a little ringing in his garden at Astcote today and caught and ringed 13 Siskins. John has been ringing in his garden for many years but this number is unprecedented and out of character for such a location.

Neil Hasdell was at Summer Leys Nature Reserve at Earls Barton sheltering from the rain in the hides this morning and saw a Great White Egret, the female Scaup, three Oystercatchers, two Shelduck, the female Stonechat and several Siskins.

Regards

Neil M

Drake Smew

Long-billed Dowitcher.

The above three images were taken
and kindly forwarded by John Gamble on
 an excursion to Rutland Water yesterday...
The dowitcher is presumably the same individual
that has been at Wanlip in Leicestershire up
until recently. Providing the habitat is
suitable, there has to be a good chance this bird
will remain for the remainder of the winter/early
spring.

Images of a pipistrelle bat in daylight. These
images were taken and kindly forwarded by Jim
Dunkley, the venue being his house! Jim reports
that although active, the bat could be seen avoiding
the direct sunlight, facing away whenever it could.

Ringing at Pitsford Res

Hello

A targeted ringing session within Christies Copse at Pitsford Reservoir was undertaken this morning resulting in 104 birds coming to the feeders there. Not surprisingly the most common bird was Blue Tit with 49 birds plus 25 Great Tits, 10 Coal Tits, 2 Marsh Tits, 6 Long-tailed Tits, 4 Dunnocks, 3 Robins, 2 Chaffinches, a Goldfinch and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Common raptors were up and active for most of the day and other birds included a couple each of Siskin and redpoll sp, a Raven and a Water Rail.

Jacob Spinks saw a Brambling in his Scaldwell village garden today and one was present at Hanging Houghton too. Eleanor spotted an adult male Peregrine at Grafton Regis this afternoon...

Regards

Neil M

Flight images of the Bittern seen at Summer
Leys Nature Reserve yesterday, courtesy of
Alan Coles.

Nearly the last day of February

Hello

Eric Graham and Ken Spriggs were out on the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Gravel Pits yesterday (Saturday) and again saw two Great White Egrets with a supporting cast of 2 Goosanders and 4 Oystercatchers. The feeders attracted 5 Lesser Redpolls and a Siskin.

Three or four Otters were on show at Ravensthorpe Reservoir this morning as was a drake Smew; two of the Otters were still showing this afternoon...

Jacob Spinks and Eleanor Morrison were on the Summer Leys Nature Reserve at Earls Barton this morning and saw a Bittern, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Shelduck, a Raven and a female Stonechat. The well-maintained feed station there attracted 2 Marsh Tits, 20 Reed Buntings and 14 Bullfinches.

Three Stonechats were in The Hill field at Blueberry Farm this afternoon and birds visible from the dam at Pitsford Reservoir included the Ruddy Shelduck, a Kingfisher, a Grey Wagtail and a Green Sandpiper (observers being Cathy Ryden and Jacob Spinks).

Garden birds here at Hanging Houghton included a female Brambling, at least seven Reed Buntings and a Yellowhammer.

Regards

Neil M

Nuthatch at Kelmarsh
Hall (yesterday)

Female Kestrel eating
a lob-worm

Sunset at Pitsford Reservoir

All images courtesy
of Cathy Ryden.