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!

Thursday's birds

Hello

The last few days has seen quite an influx of Lapwings and Golden Plovers in to the county, presumably due to cold weather somewhere to the north and/or east of us. 

Birds in and around the garden this morning included a Grey Wagtail and a Brambling.

Pitsford Reservoir continues to host scarce birds, Nick Parker successfully connecting with the Ring-necked Duck (albeit briefly), an adult Bewick's Swan, eleven Whooper Swans, the Ruddy Shelduck, fourteen Red-crested Pochard, two Great White Egrets and a Green Sandpiper all north of the causeway.

At the other end of the reservoir one of the Great Northern Divers was fishing in the small section of water between the dam and the pontoon directly in front of the Sailing Club clubhouse. The gull roost was remarkably small with just a few hundred birds but it still contained an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Regards

Neil M

Bullfinches.

Greenfinch.

Red-crested Pochard.

Goldcrest.

All images courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Great birds in the gloom!

Hello

A dull, dank day that then became very wet too, in fact I'm not sure it ever managed to progress to proper daylight. These short days make it challenging to find wildlife but there are plenty of good birds out there!

An adult Bewick's Swan was found in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir by Bethan and Jacob today and other birds present included at least seven Whooper Swans (it has been a very long time since we had all three white swan species at Pitsford on the same day), an impressive count of thirty-eight Pintail and a Stonechat. Neil Hasdell saw a Great Northern Diver near the pontoons close to Yacht Bay and two Yellow-legged Gulls were again in the gull roost near there.

A Brambling was again attracted to our garden today and a Peregrine was flying at quite a pace between Brixworth and Hanging Houghton. This evening a Barn Owl was atop a telegraph pole between Scaldwell and Hanging Houghton. A wet walk at Harrington Airfield this afternoon provided a flock of ninety-seven Golden Plovers and still about three hundred Fieldfare.

Steve Fisher's patch commitment at Stanwick Pits continues to pay off and today his goose sightings included singles of a Barnacle and a Pink-foot and a small group of five White-fronts.

Regards

Neil M

Barn Owl courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Bewick's Swan.

Common Gull
courtesy of  Dave Jackson.

Great Northern Diver.

Ringing at Brixworth

Hello

Eric and Ken's birding at Thrapston Pits today provided plenty of birds in the shape of a juvenile Whooper Swan, two Great White Egrets, a pair of Egyptian Geese, a Kingfisher, a Raven and twelve Siskins. Birds noted at Pitsford Reservoir today by a variety of observers included the drake Ring-necked Duck in the Scaldwell Bay and a Great Northern Diver and Ruddy Shelduck between the dam and the causeway.

Some bird ringing at Brixworth Water Treatment Works today provided 87 captures of 17 species, undoubtedly one of the best being the very last bird when an adult male Sparrowhawk careered into a mist net! Other interesting birds included two Grey Wagtails, a Chiffchaff, three Magpies, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Treecreeper, eight Reed Buntings and eleven Goldfinches.

Other birds noted on-site included a Snipe, a couple of Water Rails and a Cetti's Warbler.

A Barn Owl was hunting in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Grey Wagtail.

Treecreeper.

Sparrowhawk.

All images courtesy of
John Tilly.

Birds of early winter...

Hello

A quick look at Pitsford Reservoir from the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding station this morning provided views of a Ferruginous Duck x Pochard hybrid, eleven Whooper Swans, a couple of Great White Egrets, a dozen each of Pintail and Red-crested Pochard, a Grey Wagtail and a calling but unseen Firecrest in the bushes of the lower feeding station.

Four cracking male Bramblings were on the seed with a large flock of Chaffinches by the barn in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and nearby Brixworth Water Treatment works attracted a Cetti's Warbler, a Chiffchaff, one or two Water Rail(s) and a couple of Grey Wagtails.

Hundreds of winter thrushes were again busy stripping the berries off the hawthorns at Harrington Airfield this afternoon. A Short-eared Owl and two Woodcock flushed between Bunkers 1 and 2 and a Peregrine was in full hunting mode.

Geoff Douglas espied four Ravens cavorting with a Red Kite between Summer Leys and Great Doddington this morning and Nick Parker's venture at Thrapston Pits provided two Great White Egrets (North Lake and Aldwincle), the juvenile Whooper Swan now on Elinor Lake and the long-staying Scaup still on Town Lake.

Regards

Neil M

Peregrine courtesy
of Cathy Ryden.

Brambling courtesy
of John Tilly.

Fieldfare courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Northants BTO newsletter

Northants BTO Quarterly Newsletter - Autumn 2018 View this email in your browser

To all BTO contacts in Northants From Barrie Galpin and Ben Reeve, Regional Representative and Regional Ambassador for the BTO in Northants Hi all, We're really proud to release the fifth of our quarterly newsletters, gosh it's been a whole year since Barrie and I decided to start releasing newsletters! The Autumn edition has some information on the next phase of Project Owl, an interesting edition to the BBS family called EWBS - a colder yet more civilised winter BBS and a really interesting article on Titchmarsh Nature Reserve written by Nick Parker. The newsletter can be viewed by clicking on the following link - Northants BTO Autumn 2018 Newsletter Or by typing the following web address in your browser - bit.do/northantsbtoautumn2018 We do hope you enjoy the newsletter and if you have any feedback including suggestions for things you'd like to see in the the next newsletter we'd love to hear from you! All the best, Barrie and Ben. Barrie Galpin BTO Regional Representative for Northants 15 Top Lodge, Fineshade, Corby. NN17 3BB Email: barrie.galpin@zen.co.uk 01780 444351 07717 446417 Ben Reeve BTO Regional Ambassador for Northants 7 Rectory Close, Crick, Northants, NN6 7SY Email: benreeve@outlook.com Twitter: @NorthantsBTO Personal Twitter: @BeardWarbler 01788 824413 07961 038455