Foggy Sunday

Hello

The fog and mist certainly made birding rather challenging today but it was okay for ringing.

Birds visible in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this morning included a Great White Egret, two drake Red-crested Pochards, seven Pintail, a Woodcock, three Stonechats and a male Brambling.

Hollowell Reservoir was also suffering from poor visibility but Mark Piper managed to see the Great Northern Diver, two Great White Egrets, five Pink-footed Geese and three Stonechats.

At Summer Leys LNR there were two rather unseasonal Black-tailed Godwits plus fourteen Common Snipe. A Woodcock was seen flying along the A508 at Brixworth early this morning and up to a dozen Crossbills were seen at Wakerley Wood. A pair of Stonechats were seen at Wicksteed Water Meadows this afternoon.

Ringing efforts during Monday and Tuesday at Harrington Airfield this coming week will restrict access to the old airstrip and bunkers but the footpaths/concrete track will remain open.

Regards

Neil M

Female Stonechat.
Courtesy of Jacob Spinks.

Second year male
Sparrowhawk courtesy
of Eleanor McMahon.

Late November arrivals

Hello

A very grey and murky day but not really cold for the time of the year. Little birding opportunities for me today after completely filling the van full of bird food and re-organising the house and garage to cater for it!

Thankfully others managed some time out there and found some interesting birds many of which are lingerers and may well remain with us for much of the winter.

The Nene Valley was well-represented with a juvenile White-fronted Goose associating with Greylags at Stanwick Pits, two female Common Scoters and twenty Barnacle Geese at Clifford Hill Pits, a Great White Egret, two Goosanders and a Redshank at Earls Barton Pits (plus a spectacular Starling murmuration), a Great White Egret at Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits and five Great White Egrets, eight Little Egrets, a Green Sandpiper and two Chiffchaffs at Thrapston Pits.

Away from the valley and birds at Hollowell Reservoir today included the Great Northern Diver, seven Pink-footed Geese and eleven Crossbills with six Jack Snipe found at a field pond near Ravensthorpe. 

Birds at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon north of the causeway included three Great White Egrets, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Green Sandpiper, a Jack Snipe and a pair of Stonechats.

Regards

Neil M

Jack Snipe.

Green Sandpiper.

Woodcock. We are still awaiting
the main arrival of our wintering
population (probably due to the mild
conditions on the continent) but they
are on their way with recent arrivals on the
 east coast and with cold weather predicted
 more will follow...

Friday's offerings

Hello

A period of ringing at Kelmarsh Hall today provided 121 captures of fifteen species, the majority of them common tits. Amongst the lovely Blue Tits there was a single Marsh Tit, nine Coal Tits, three Nuthatches, two Treecreepers, a male Blackcap, a male Bullfinch, six Redwings, a Song Thrush and four Blackbirds. Other birds noted on-site included two Ravens, a Grey Wagtail, a Redpoll and in excess of twenty Siskins.

At Fineshade Wood today there were thirty Crossbills, six Redpolls and fifteen Siskins and a subsequent visit to Wakerley Wood eventually provided a view of the male Parrot Crossbill with twenty Crossbills just beyond the car park, all the birds feeding silently. Other flocks were encountered in a good walk around the complex and Stewart counted fifty-eight at one stage. A few each of Redpoll and Siskin were noted and the area adjacent to Harringworth Airfield seemed quiet today.

At Blatherwycke Lake there were three adult Whooper Swans, a Pink-footed Goose, two Egyptian Geese and at least thirty-six Mandarin Ducks plus a couple of Kingfishers. East Carlton Country Park this afternoon catered for six Bramblings around the beeches, two Crossbills, half a dozen Siskins and a couple of Redpolls. Harrington Airfield this afternoon provided two Ravens and a Redpoll.

The Great Northern Diver was still at Hollowell Reservoir today plus the Ruddy Shelduck and two Great White Egrets. Single Great White Egrets were reported at Stanford Reservoir and Stanwick Pits.

I have started to use a new mobile phone today (same number) and I'm conscious that not all the comms data has transferred successfully so my apologies if you have contacted me today and I haven't responded!

Regards

Neil M

Whooper Swan.

Pink-footed Goose.

Drake Mandarin Duck.

Frosty Thursday

Hello

A cold and frosty morning followed our coolest night this autumn as we rapidly approach winter.

Pitsford Reservoir today provided views of up to four Great White Egrets, three Little Egrets, a drake Red-crested Pochard, a Pintail, two Stonechats and two Kingfishers. A Short-eared Owl remained aerial for an hour attracting plenty of birds prepared to mob it including one of the Great White Egrets!

Hollowell Reservoir continues to attract good birds with the Great Northern Diver still present, a Ruddy Shelduck, two Great White Egrets, six Pink-footed Geese and six Crossbills.

Single Great White Egrets were also seen at Summer Leys LNR and on Otter Lakes on the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve.

An 'asio owl' sp was flushed from bushes between Harrington Airfield and the Brampton Valley Way this morning and there were still a few Bramblings on the old airstrip section of the airfield. A Raven and Siskins were heard calling at Kelmarsh Hall this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Short-eared Owl.

Male Siskin.

Red-legged Partridge.

Wren.

All images courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Not much to report

Hello

Very few reports of birds in the county today in rather wet, miserable conditions.

Three Great White Egrets and four drake Red-crested Pochards were still present north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir today, three or four Bramblings were in one of the ringing rides at Harrington Airfield and two Stonechats and a Grey Wagtail were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

Regards

Neil M

Sunset pictures from 
Sywell two evenings ago
courtesy of Jim Dunkley.

Atmospheric image courtesy
of John Hunt.

Peregrine.

Lapland Bunting - the bird
to find in Northamptonshire
at this time of the year...

Pitsford WeBS count

Hello

The Pitsford Reservoir WeBS count was completed today in mild and sunny conditions. Three Great White Egrets were using all three bays north of the causeway, three Little Egrets were in the Scaldwell Bay, four drake Red-crested Pochards (one leucistic) were also in the Scaldwell Bay and other birds included three Pintail, forty-eight Common Snipe, a Green Sandpiper and an adult Yellow-legged Gull. 

Finches included a flying Crossbill, a Brambling at the main feeding station and at least fifteen Redpolls. Other small birds included two Grey Wagtails, two pairs of Stonechats and five Chiffchaffs. A couple of Kingfishers were about as were 4-6 Ravens and two Water Rails were heard calling.

The gull roost at Pitsford Reservoir is very small these days but the roost at Boddington Reservoir this afternoon included a Caspian Gull, eleven Yellow-legged Gulls and estimates of 2000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2500 Black-headed Gulls and many Common and Herring Gulls.

Two Stonechats were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning and approximately fifty Crossbills remain at Wakerley Wood, mostly around the car park area.

Birds at Hollowell Reservoir today included the Great Northern Diver still, a Caspian Gull (some of the recent photos of a reported Caspian Gull there depict a Yellow-legged Gull), six Pink-footed Geese and a Crossbill.

Regards

Neil M

Great White Egret.

Cormorant.

November birding and ringing

Hello

Yesterday Jim Dunkley saw a Short-eared Owl in a field edge on the Holcot Road, Sywell and a Grey Wagtail was in Sywell village.

Following a cold night and frosty morning, Hollowell Reservoir was the choice of venue for three observers today and between them they notched up the Great Northern Diver, five Pink-footed Geese, a Jack Snipe, two Great White Egrets, a male Crossbill and a pair of Stonechat.

Bob Bullock saw a pair of Red-crested Pochard at Clifford Hill Pits plus twenty Barnacle Geese (four colour-ringed birds). A female Stonechat was at Ditchford Meadows reserve today and two Crossbills and a Brambling were at Lamport Hall this afternoon.

Geoff Douglas watched several large flocks of migrating Woodpigeons over Barton Seagrave this morning.

At Harrington Airfield this morning a stint of visible migration by Jacob and Bethan provided totals of 1115 Woodpigeons, 610 Starlings, 32 Herring Gulls, 6 Siskins and a Grey Wagtail all going south-west. Whilst scanning they also saw about two hundred Golden Plovers and two different male Peregrines and other observations included a Snipe and two roving Crossbills. Ringing there provided sixty-three thrush captures made up of four Blackbirds, eleven Fieldfares and forty-eight Redwings.

A female Blackcap has been visiting a garden in Hanging Houghton recently and this afternoon we felt privileged to see a male in our garden - both birds have been feeding on apple.

An excellent two day ringing session at Linford Lakes provided 146 birds of 19 species, 125 of which were new. Probably the rarest bird was an apparent Siberian Chiffchaff among eight Chiffchaffs caught and ringed. Thrushes were well represented with a Fieldfare, seven Blackbirds, three Song Thrushes and fifty-five Redwings. Other notable birds included captures of a Meadow Pipit, a Reed Bunting, a Lesser Redpoll, two Goldfinches, six Goldcrests, a Treecreeper, a Cetti's Warbler and two Moorhens. A re-trap Robin was at least five years old.

'Bob' another Robin watched over proceedings landing on the ringers, the table and almost everything else - he clearly knew that Kenny had some mealworms on offer (and yes he was provided some at the end of the session)!

Other birds seen included a Great White Egrets and four Goosanders with a Peacock butterfly on the wing yesterday.

Regards

Neil M

The Hollowell Reservoir
Great Northern Diver courtesy
of Jim Dunkley.

Grey Wagtail courtesy
of Jim Dunkley.

Apparent Siberian Chiffchaff
courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Fieldfare courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

'Bob' the Robin in 
action, supervising affairs!
Courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Sunny Sunday

Hello

A lovely day with mild temperatures (at least until nightfall) and sunshine felt unseasonal with even bumblebees and butterflies on the wing.

First thing this morning and Steve Fisher watched a female Merlin pursuing a Redwing at Stanwick Pits - other birds included two Great White Egrets, a Peregrine and a Brambling.

Jim Dunkley saw the Great Northern Diver off the dam at Hollowell Reservoir today and over thirty Crossbills were still at Wakerley Wood today but the Parrot Crossbill wasn't reported.

Andrew Tyrrell noted thirteen Golden Plovers at the Nene Barrage plus a Little Egret and a Peregrine and four Brambling were ringed just east of Braunston this morning. John Friendship-Taylor located eight Crossbills and a Brambling down at Bucknell Wood in the south of the county.

Four Stonechats were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and a Raven and a Chiffchaff were near New Covert on the Kelmarsh Estate. Visible migration over Scaldwell village included a Brambling, six Redpolls, three Siskins and eight Tree Sparrows all going south.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Great Northern Diver.

Brambling courtesy of
John Tilly.

Merlin courtesy of
John Gamble.

Dry and mild out there

Hello

Congratulations to Ian Moore who managed to pin down the male Parrot Crossbill this morning at Wakerley Wood. The bird was with thirty or more Common Crossbills in larches near to the main car park.

Three Great White Egrets were at Summer Leys LNR this morning and the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir retained a Great White Egret, three Red-crested Pochards, two Green Sandpipers, an adult Yellow-legged Gull and a male Stonechat.

Eric's efforts at Thrapston Pits today yielded four Great White Egrets around Aldwincle Lake, a Chiffchaff was in the heronry and Stonechats were still present along the Harpers Brook fence line.

For me it was a day of feed stations. ringing ride maintenance and fixing things, very much taking advantage of the very mild and dry conditions. At Brixworth there was a small flock of Siskins, a Raven, a Water Rail, three Snipe, two Grey Wagtails and a Cetti's Warbler. At Kelmarsh Hall the Fieldfares were eyeing up the fallen apples in the Wilderness Orchard and a small flock of Siskins were drinking and bathing next to the upper reaches of the River Ise.

There will be bird ringing being undertaken at Harrington Airfield tomorrow (Sunday) and Monday and the area around the Bunkers alongside the old airstrip will have restricted access (the concrete track and footpath is unaffected).

Regards

Neil M

Male Siskin.

Male Stonechat.

Meadow Pipit.

Mild November birding

Hello

After filling up all the garden feeders this morning it was off to Harrington Airfield to feed the birds there and suss out what was present. Still plenty of thrushes in the bushes, passage Woodpigeons with a few Stock Doves overhead, two Bramblings along the concrete track and a flock of about a hundred Golden Plovers eventually turned up. As we were about to leave a flock of at least five noisy Crossbills flew over heading north-west.

At Hanging Houghton there was a vocal Raven and twenty-eight Golden Plovers flew over with three seen flying over Scaldwell village. Walking around Sywell Country Park and Blueberry Farm (Maidwell) produced no sightings of note in the light rain this afternoon.

At least twenty Crossbills were still present at Hollowell Reservoir this morning but potentially the bird of the day was a report of a possible Dusky Thrush near Greens Norton this morning. Details are sketchy but apparently the bird was with winter thrushes in an area of fields and light woodland off the Bradden Road. It was looked for this afternoon and although there were plenty of thrushes present the bird wasn't located.

Other birds reported today included three Great White Egrets, five Red-crested Pochards and three Stonechats in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir.

Regards

Neil M

Woodpigeon courtesy of
John Tilly.

Woodpigeon courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Woodpigeons are on the move!

Golden Plovers.

Muntjac.

Tufted Duck, Robin and Fieldfare recoveries

Hello

A quiet day in the county but Hollowell Reservoir revealed it's Great Northern Diver again plus two Great White Egrets, seven Pink-footed Geese and 12-15 Crossbills.

Steve Fisher saw an adult Mediterranean Gull fly SW over Stanwick Pits this morning and Pitsford Reservoir held at least one Great White Egret and an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

A pair of Stonechat re-appeared in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning and a good walk around Harlestone Heath provided only twenty Siskins. A Peregrine was seen flying over Scaldwell village today.

Details of further ringing recoveries are as follows:-

1. A female Tufted Duck with a nasal saddle at Ditchford Pits on 16th November 2020 was first ringed in South West France at Saint-Leger on 27th June 2018. The same bird was seen in the London area on 7th August this year;

2. A first year Robin was ringed at the power station on the Isle of Grain, Medway, Kent on 24th October 2019 and re-trapped as an adult at Harrington Airfield on 10th November 2020 - 383 days later and 152km to the north west. It is assumed this is a continental bird that intends to winter in the UK or further south;

3. A first year male Fieldfare was caught and ringed at Revtangen, Klepp, Rogaland, South -West Norway on 19th October 2020 and re-trapped at Harrington Airfield on 10th November 2020, a distance of 811km in a SSW direction with a period of twenty-two days elapsing between the two relevant dates.

Regards

Neil M

Tufted Duck courtesy
of Jacob Spinks.

Robin.

Fieldfare.

21st Century birding

Hello

Birds at Pitsford Reservoir this morning included two Great White Egrets, a Brambling and an adult Yellow-legged Gull in the Scaldwell Bay - the only bird of note at the south end of the reservoir this afternoon was the same or another adult Yellow-legged Gull!

Steve Starling found six Cattle Egrets at Stanwick Pits today and an adult Yellow-legged Gull was seen at Thrapston Pits by Nick Parker.

At Harrington Airfield an immature male Merlin was hunting head on into the breeze over the top fields early this afternoon and there were still about thirty Crossbills at Wakerley Wood. Two Ravens were at Hanging Houghton and Harrington Airfield.

An additional Tab or Page has been added to the blog with a few images from the Naturetrek Autumn on Mull trip.

Regards

Neil M

Yellow-legged Gull.

Raven.

Cattle Egret.

Thirty years ago none of these
birds would have been likely sightings
in the county!

More ringing recoveries

Hello

A few more ringing recoveries have come through as follows:-

1. A first year Black-headed Gull with a blue colour ring was seen and photographed at Pitsford Reservoir on 22nd August 2020. This bird was ringed as a nestling at Truskaw, GM Izabelin, Mazowieckie, Poland on 6th June 2020, the bird travelling 1463km to reach Pitsford within 77 days;

2. Three more Mallard ringed at Pitsford Reservoir were all shot near Lamport (4km from the reservoir) on or about 2nd November 2020. One was an adult female ringed on 25th September 2019 and the other two were ducklings raised at Pitsford Reservoir and ringed on 24th and 27th June 2020 respectively;

3. A juvenile Reed Warbler was ringed at Stanwick Pits on 11th July 2020 and certainly didn't hang around for long as it was caught again at Etang de Marcenay, Larrey, Cote-d'Or, Eastern France on 7th August 2020. This young bird moved 611km in a south easterly direction within 27 days.

Birds noted at Hollowell Reservoir today included a Caspian Gull, a Yellow-legged Gull, two Great White Egrets and twelve Crossbills. A huge count of fourteen Jack Snipe at Daventry Country Park is probably the highest count I can ever recall locally and a first year Caspian Gull was seen there too. A Cattle Egret and a Great White Egret were reported from Stanwick Pits. Five Little Egrets off Mill Lane, Greens Norton could be the beginning of the regular wintering flock in this South Northants locality which has reached double figures in previous years.

I spent the afternoon into dusk in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir, watching birds coming into roost. Three Great White Egrets roosted between the Bird Club and James Fisher Hides (the traditional roost site is usually in the Walgrave Bay). A Green Sandpiper and at least eight Snipe emerged onto the water's edge, and most of the diving ducks gathered in the small bay between the Maytrees and Bird Club hides. Goldeneye have certainly increased over the last couple of days with thirty on view this afternoon. Other birds included three Red-crested Pochard and a pair of Stonechat.

The Starling roost appears to be on the up with six hundred birds dropping in near to the Fishing Lodge and the regular huge roost of corvids included about a thousand very noisy Jackdaws!

Regards

Neil M

Green Sandpiper.

Marsh Tit.

Meadow Pipit.

Above images all taken at
Broadholme Treatment Works,
Nene Valley courtesy of
Nathan Jones.

Chris wasn't sure which
size ring to put on this
owl (called Mike)!

A second video clip of the 

Starling murmuration at

Stortons Pits on 12th Oct 2020

courtesy of Chris Payne. The

Sparrowhawk seems to be 

particularly adept at singling

out a Starling...

Parrot Crossbill, Bearded Tits and sticky mud!

Hello

Today my day was taken up completing a WeBS count at Ditchford Pits in mild, muddy conditions. There was a significant Herring Gull passage all day with birds moving west along the valley and flocks occasionally resting or foraging on the pits. A Great White Egret was on the Viaduct Pit and a female Tufted Duck was seen bearing one of the bill shields that French ringers use on certain diving ducks. Hopefully I have the correct inscription to reveal the history of this particular bird! Chris Green saw another Great White Egret on the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows section of the complex.

Other birds included five Kingfishers, seven Chiffchaffs, seven Cetti's Warblers, four Grey Wagtails, two Stonechats, four Water Rails and twenty-two Common Snipe.

The Parrot Crossbill was seen at Wakerley Wood first thing but seemingly not reported since. As long as the large flock of Common Crossbills remain there has to be a good chance that this bird will also remain and be seen again.

Nick Parker saw another Great White Egret at Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits today but sadly neither the Great Northern Diver or Pink-footed Geese could be found at Hollowell Reservoir. Ten Crossbills in the bay where the Sailing Club is situated was some compensation though (plus three in the Guilsborough Bay). Two Great White Egrets were also reported.

A Snow Goose of unknown origin was located at Summer Leys LNR by Matt Hazleton this morning, a Short-eared Owl was seen somewhere near Irthlingborough and Harrington Airfield this afternoon hosted a Short-eared Owl, a Barn Owl, four Bramblings and the large flock of Golden Plovers had returned. Two Ravens were between Brixworth and the Pitsford Reservoir causeway.

Six Cattle Egrets and two Great White Egrets were reported at Stanwick Pits today and the ringers at Stanford Reservoir were delighted to catch and ring a pair of Bearded Tits today (from a reedbed on the Leicestershire bank). A Great White Egret was also seen at Stanford Reservoir today.

Regards

Neil M

The stunning Bearded Tits at
Stanford Reservoir today courtesy
of Chris Hubbard and Adam Homer.