Cool and breezy Sunday - but sun too!

Hello

I'm afraid I had very little opportunity for any birding personally today and Eleanor was away eventing with the three collies.

I did notice a male Blackcap in our small rear garden this morning. I wasn't sure what he was eating but I have now added some more 'cut in half apples on sticks' which he may come and sample. We are still receiving regular visits from Marsh Tits, Nuthatches and three Pied Wagtails but the Bramblings seemed to have now moved on. Small flocks of Skylarks were on rape-drilled stubble fields near to Hanging Houghton today (flocks of 18 and 12) and the hedges that have not been massacred by flails continued to provide their berry crops for Blackbirds, Redwings, Fieldfares and a few Song Thrushes.

Other observers today located the long-staying Great Grey Shrike near Crick next to the DIRFT3 complex and Hollowell Reservoir continued to host the two Velvet Scoters plus a Great White Egret and the mobile Ruddy Shelduck.

Regards

Neil M

Adult male Blackbird.

A fair proportion of the
Starlings around locally
are likely to be migrant
birds from Russia, intending
to spend the winter here before
winging back north-east in the
 spring.

All images courtesy of
John Tilly.

Creatures of Abington Park

Hello

The best birds found in the county today were undoubtedly the two Velvet Scoters found by Mark Piper at Hollowell Reservoir. Despite some disturbance from watercraft these birds remained all day and were still present just gone 4pm. With the current overnight rain there has to be a good chance they will still be present tomorrow.

Summer Leys today still hosted five Ruff, three Snipe, a Red-crested Pochard, a 'redhead' Smew and a female Brambling at the feeding station. Nine Goosanders were on the ski pit at Ditchford Pits and the Ruddy Shelduck appeared at Ravensthorpe Reservoir today with Canada Geese.

Raptors today included a Peregrine over Hartwell and a 'ringtail' Hen Harrier showing well over the rough grassy area at Kentle Wood near Daventry this afternoon (plus two Ravens).

A pair of Stonechat were in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this morning and the regular third winter Yellow-legged Gull was near the dam.

Regards

Neil M

Feral pigeon (Rock Dove)

Goosander.

Grey Squirrel.

Ring necked Parakeets.

Recent images from
Abington Park, Northampton
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Ditchford WeBs Count

Hello

Yesterday (Thursday) and Chris Green returned some excellent counts of birds at the large Broadholme Water Treatment Works just off Ditchford Lane. He estimated there to be a thousand Pied Wagtails present on the filter beds which must have been an amazing spectacle, together with 96 Meadow Pipits, 500 Starlings, 7 Grey Wagtails and 3 Green Sandpipers.

Together with a little feed station maintenance, today was mostly taken up completing part of the Ditchford Pits WeBs count. High water levels and with several of the pits and the river having broken their banks there was water everywhere! Getting around was problematic and yet again more wading was required through swirling cold, brown water but this time only to knee height rather than up to the thighs last time! The stiff wind was cold and the sunshine didn't show as much as I would have liked! Nevertheless a few birds presented themselves, the best being at least twelve Egyptian Geese, six Goosanders, four Kingfishers, twelve Common Snipe, a pair of Stonechat, three Grey Wagtails, a Chiffchaff, a Raven and a handful of Cetti's Warblers.

A brief foray at Harrington Airfield this afternoon produced sightings of a Little Owl and a flock of about twenty-five Golden Plovers.

Summer Leys was badly affected by flood water today but there was a very good record of five Ruff  associating with the Lapwing flock. Other birds included Peregrine and Great White Egret.

Regards

Neil M

Carrion Crow.

Goldfinch.

Great White Egret.

Greenfinch.

All images from Summer Leys
courtesy of John Tilly.

Ringing at Scotland Wood.

Hello

Today provided a short relief from the on-going wet and windy weather and a small team of ringers ran a ringing session in Scotland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate.

One hundred and eleven birds were processed made up of a Woodcock, two Blackbirds, three Nuthatches, three Dunnocks, a Robin, twenty-six Great Tits, thirty-two Blue Tits, four Marsh Tits, nineteen Coal Tits, three Long-tailed Tits, two Treecreepers, nine Goldcrests, three Siskins and three Bullfinches.

All three Siskins were males and one of them was bearing a ring and ringed elsewhere. The Woodcock was a bird hatched this year, probably one of a reasonable number in this wet woodland. Among the more common birds were several quite aged individuals of Dunnock, Coal Tit and Great Tit.

A Great White Egret. a Red-crested Pochard, a female Brambling and three Snipe were present at Summer Leys today.

Regards

Neil M

Adult male Siskin.

Woodcock.

Drake Red-crested Pochard
at Summer Leys courtesy
of John Tilly.

Cock Pheasant
courtesy of John Tilly.

Yet more wind and rain!

Hello

Another difficult day for birding with strong winds and regular showers. Eleanor's run around Blueberry Farm caused two Woodcock to spring from one of their regular hedges.

The water levels at Pitsford Reservoir are again above 100% with water lapping over the overflow and the latest rain has ensured that the water remains very brown. The gull roost is now almost non-existent but the third year Yellow-legged Gull was still present today.

Regards

Neil M

Kingfisher in Abington
Park, Northampton. I hope it
doesn't become entangled in the
fishing line visible in the last
two images.

Images courtesy of
John Gamble.

'Tis the season for
Canine Cross eventing and
Eleanor and Tor are
ardent competitors!

Birds of a windy and wet December

Hello

Birds for yesterday (Sunday) in the county were a bit scant but included two 'redhead' Smew at Summer Leys and a Great White Egret, two Pintail and a Yellow-legged Gull at Pitsford Reservoir.

I took a wander at Upper Harlestone but it was probably too windy to find or hear the Firecrest from the day before. Still it is a smashing walk around the cottages of this traditional Northamptonshire village and there were two Goosanders on the lake there and a Raven playing around in the wind.

A Lesser Redpoll was in David Arden's garden on Saturday, attracted to a nyger seed feeder. So far this winter Redpolls of any description have been scarce locally.

Today (Monday) and the Brent Goose at/near Stanford Reservoir has been waddling and flying around either side of the Leicestershire/Northamptonshire border! Summer Leys is still the home of an adult male Red-crested Pochard and there was a Brambling at the feeding station there.

Grey Partridges today included a covey of twelve at Harrington Airfield, five in a field near Lamport Hall and a male calling in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton at dusk.

The south end of Pitsford Reservoir still retained the third winter Yellow-legged Gull and a female 'aythya' duck off the Valve Tower is probably a Tufted Duck x Scaup hybrid (first seen in November).

Regards

Neil M

Skylark courtesy
of John Tilly.

Storms and egrets!

Hello

Yesterday (Friday) and if you liked Great White Egrets and powerful storms it was a good day!

The Great Grey Shrike was still at the DIRFT3 site near Crick again and Summer Leys continued to host two Great White Egrets and a Red-crested Pochard. Two Great White Egrets flew into the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir in the afternoon and a Yellow-legged Gull stoically sat on his tree stump through all that violent and very wet weather!

The bird of the day though was a Firecrest found by Ken Prouse in a hedgerow in the pretty village of Upper Harlestone.

Today (Saturday) and Summer Leys still had two Great White Egrets, the drake Red-crested Pochard and the long-staying 'redhead' Smew. Stanwick Pits hosted another two Great White Egrets and a Goosander and there were 200 Golden Plovers off the A45 at Earls Barton.

At Thrapston Pits there were two more Great White Egrets, seven Little Egrets, a pair of Egyptian Geese, a Kingfisher and a Stonechat.

Bob Bullock relocated a Brent Goose that has been seen a few times briefly at Stanford Reservoir over the last couple of days. This time it was with Canada Geese 300m inside Leicestershire from the entrance of Stanford Hall.

Eleanor located a pair of Goosander and eight Siskins on the small lake at Marston Trussell and the gated road between Marston Trussell and Clipston (a lovely piece of Northamptonshire countryside) attracted a female Merlin and large numbers of Redwings and Fieldfares. 

Two Ravens were at Hanging Houghton today and we are lucky enough to enjoy three Pied Wagtails coming to our garden currently. Birds in the Brampton Valley below the village this afternoon included a Barn Owl, two Woodcock and two Bramblings.

Regards

Neil M

'Redhead' Smew.

Fieldfare.

Images courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Tits galore!

Hello

Yesterday's (Wednesday) birds reported in the county were pretty minimal but Pete Finden saw the Great Grey Shrike near Crick plus a Stonechat. Chris Green noted seven Goosanders at Ditchford Pits and Tom Green notched up a Jack Snipe and a Short-eared Owl at Neville's Lodge near Finedon.

Today (Thursday) and the pace didn't exactly quicken but Tom saw a Jack Snipe again at Neville's Lodge and Bob Bullock saw two Great White Egrets at Summer Leys.

I visited Brixworth Treatment Works today which produced my best bird of the day which was a Willow Tit coming to the feeders there. Two Grey Wagtails and a Snipe were also present.

Raven was the best bird at Hanging Houghton today and Pitsford Reservoir hosted two Great White Egrets, a Goosander, a Yellow-legged Gull and a Kingfisher plus a small murmuration of 300 - 400 Starlings - all these birds at the south end of the water.

Regards

Neil M

Blue Tits.

Great Tit.

Willow Tit.

All images from Brixworth
Water Treatment Works today.

Ringing at Glyn Davies Wood.

Hello

At Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon David Arden spent some time in the Scaldwell Bay noting a Great White Egret, 5-6 Pintail, a Chiffchaff and a Water Rail.

Nick Parker was at Thrapston Pits today and saw the wintering Whooper Swan, two Great White Egrets and an 'aythya' duck hybrid (possibly a Tufted Duck x Pochard).

I saw the DIRFT3 Grey Great Shrike this afternoon, albeit distantly from the very wet Lilbourne Meadows Nature Reserve. I struggled to find anywhere to park on the industrial estate even though I could see the bridleway so decided for a wander around the reserve instead. Other birds included a Short-eared Owl sparring with a crow, a pair of Stonechat and a couple of Snipe.

A ringing session took place at Glyn Davies Wood in the far west of the county. This is a small plot of ancient woodland owned by the Banbury Ornithological Society but sadly a proportion of this woodland is expected to be lost if/when High Speed 2 progresses.

Some 160 birds were caught of eleven species today dominated by tits attracted to the woodland which included three Marsh Tits, seven Coal Tits and ten Long-tailed Tits. Other birds included four Goldcrests, five Nuthatches, a Song Thrush and ten Redwings.

Regards

Neil M

Great Tits are susceptible
to growths around the face,
head and belly...

Adult Blue Tit with an
aberrant bill growth. This
bird was newly ringed today
so we don't know at what
stage it's bill began to grow.
This bird was slightly underweight
and is probably very reliant on
the feeders maintained in the wood.

Images courtesy of Helen Franklin
and Chris Payne.

A cold start to December

Hello

Another cold morning in the county and our early morning foray to Harrington Airfield produced good numbers of common birds including plenty of overflying Redwings, gulls and Woodpigeons from the north and the east. A Woodcock and a Common Snipe were flushed.

Pitsford Reservoir today provided two very mobile Great White Egrets, two Goosanders, a Redshank, a Yellow-legged Gull, a couple of Stonechats, a Kingfisher and two hunting Barn Owls to the south of the causeway on the Brixworth bank (one flying around in broad daylight this morning and two late afternoon). A small Starling murmuration of perhaps just 400 - 500 birds around the Brixworth Country Park this afternoon would be spectacular if it grew in numbers!

The Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton awoke from it's slumber this afternoon and delivered another Barn Owl, very large numbers of winter thrushes, a pair of Stonechat and a covey of eight Grey Partridge.

Chris Green found three Green Sandpipers and a Redshank at Broadholme Water Treatment Works (adjacent to Ditchford Pits) and a Grey Wagtail and a Water Rail were again at Brixworth Water Treatment Works.

Regards

Neil M

John Tilly had to endure over
six hours waiting in the cold
during three visits to finally
photograph this Bittern which
was then only on view for a
couple of minutes! Bird and
images taken at Calvert Reserve,
Bucks. Well done John!

NBC Indoor Meeting 4th Dec

Hello

The next indoor meeting of the Northants Bird Club will be this coming Wednesday (4th) when the speaker Chris Ward will be presenting Part 1 of his talk on the wildlife of the USA National Parks. Chris will return in May 2020 to deliver the second part. Chris has been an almost annual speaker at the club and we look forward to many excellent images.

The meeting commences at 7.30pm, the venue being the Fishing Lodge at Pitsford Reservoir. There will be hot drinks and biscuits available and the meeting is open to both members and non members alike. We look forward to seeing you there!

Regards

Neil M

American Redstart.

Birds of Sunday

Hello

Yesterday (Saturday) and three Goosanders were seen by David Arden at Pitsford Reservoir and today (Sunday) Fiona Barclay noted 24 Golden Plovers at a very muddy Harrington Airfield.

A Great White Egret was seen at Daventry Country Park this morning and a stubble field near Walgrave contained a flock of at least sixty Skylarks (a large flock by modern day standards).

Hunting roadside Barn Owls this afternoon were near Scaldwell and between Creaton and Brixworth.

A ringing session today at Stortons Pits netted 43 birds which included seven Redwings, a Blackbird, a Robin, two Reed Buntings, a Chaffinch and plenty of Blue and Great Tits.

Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes was the venue for Kenny Cramer's ringing efforts this morning which was all about quality if not quantity. The catch included two Water Rails, a first year Sparrowhawk, a Kingfisher, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Fieldfare, a Song Thrush, a Blackbird and eleven Redwings.

Regards

Neil M

Water Rail.

Sparrowhawk.

Fieldfare.

All images courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.