Wildlife Images

Hello

I'm not aware of many birds of interest in the county today so I thought I would simply post a selection of images from a variety of contributors to whom we are very grateful.

I should add that Neil H continues to be very industrious and we have now added Blatherwycke Lake to the Birdwatching Site Maps tab...each map should print out in A4 format if you prefer a hard copy...

Regards

Neil M

Red Fox in winter coat.

Tawny Owl.

Brambling courtesy
of John Tilly.

Redwing.

Muntjac courtesy
of Jacob Spinks.

Kingfisher.

Robin.

Grey Squirrel courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Grey Wagtail.

Early breeders

Hello

With limited opportunities to head out to the great outdoors there is a natural limit on interesting sightings to report on.

More signs of spring ahead was evident on a couple of Starlings seen close up - both were males and the lower mandibles were turning blue in preparation for the breeding season. Brown Hares are also more evident and are gathering in twos and threes in preparation for a long breeding season with leverets potentially born from February onwards.

Jon located a flock of nine Crossbills at Hollowell Reservoir today where a flock has been consistently present since the autumn - February is the month when Crossbills often begin nesting so it will be interesting to see if they remain.

Bramblings at Harrington Airfield today included a single by the concrete track entrance and two by the museum. At Pitsford Reservoir today it was rather static with a Great White Egret, a Snipe, two drake Pintails and four Stonechats on show north of the causeway; yesterday there were three Lesser Redpolls in Scaldwell village with one still there today.

Birds in the Harlestone Lake area today included two Goosanders, a flock of Redpolls and about a hundred Siskins and at Stanwick Pits five Cattle Egrets were on North Lake.

Regards

Neil M

Starling.

Brown Hare.

Redpoll, this one a
Common Redpoll of the
 Iceland race.

Grey and breezy Monday

Hello 

A return to Harrington Airfield this morning to feed the birds provided another view of the female Merlin, this time chasing Linnets. At least one Brambling was with the Chaffinches on-site.

Birds at Hanging Houghton included a Raven but the winter thrushes had forsaken our garden with the milder weather conditions. Two pairs of Stonechat were in the Brampton Valley below the village still.

Two Great White Egrets, six Little Egrets and a Ring-necked Parakeet were on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits today and the two Bearded Tits were heard calling at Stortons Pits with a Merlin and two Red-crested Pochards at nearby Sixfields Lake. A pair of Peregrine were on the National Grid Comms tower at St Peters Way, Northampton.

Five Cattle Egrets and a Great White Egret were reported from Stanwick Pits today.

An additional map depicting Fineshade Wood has been added to the Birdwatching Site Maps tab courtesy of Neil Hasdell.

Regards

Neil M

Cock Pheasant. A significant
number of Pheasants are roaming
the countryside in unprecedented
numbers due to the autumn releases 
and the lack of shooting opportunities
due to Covid restrictions.

Chiffchaff. Small numbers
are wintering at Pitsford
Reservoir this winter, but with
the recent cold spell they
may be regretting it!

Barn Owl.

More lockdown birding

Hello

A milder day but still cold out but with warmer temperatures anticipated for the next couple of days.

Our garden continued to attract two Redwings and a Fieldfare and the valley below provided a hunting Barn Owl, a pair of Stonechat and three Roe Deer. Spring lambs were prancing around Cottesbrooke village and spring flowers included Snowdrop and Aconites. A Grey Wagtail was in the village and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling in trees between the old Beck Dairy and the outskirts of the village. 

The Great Northern Diver popped up again at Pitsford Reservoir, this time between the causeway and the Catwalk Bay and other birds included over fifty Goldeneye, two Great White Egrets (in the Holcot Bay), three drake Pintails, four Snipe, two pairs of Stonechats and two Chiffchaffs.

The female Merlin re-appeared, this time back at Harrington Airfield where it pursued a Skylark for a long period of time - the outcome of the pursuit was unknown as the duo disappeared behind trees with a Carrion Crow joining the fray. One or two male Brambling(s) were also present.

The pair of Bearded Tits were seen again at Stortons Pits, a Raven flew over Scaldwell village, at least two White-fronted Geese were at Stanwick Pits and there were four Ravens and sixteen Redpolls in the Harlestone Lake area.

Regards

Neil M

Merlin courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

Raven.

Fog!

Hello

The foggy conditions in many parts of the county played havoc with observing wildlife and no doubt played a part in the paucity of reported sightings! Where the sun did prise through the fog banks it produced entirely different conditions, but with very low wind speeds I think most places saw a return of the fog by late afternoon.

It didn't stop an eruption of people out walking everywhere with places like Pitsford Reservoir being overwhelmed with people taking their exercise and poorly parked vehicles along the road up from the causeway!

A male Brambling was again by the Chippings Compound at Harrington Airfield this morning (an area where a small amount of food is distributed) and small numbers of Siskins were flying around at Scotland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate.

Two pairs of Stonechats were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and our garden attracted a Nuthatch, two Fieldfares and a Redwing. The Fieldfares were so busy chasing each other and the Blackbirds I don't think they had time to eat anything.

Birds visible at Pitsford Reservoir today included a Redshank, seven Snipe, a Chiffchaff, eighty Fieldfares and four Stonechats.

The Birdwatching Site Maps tab has been updated with the addition of Wakerley Great Wood courtesy of Neil Hasdell.

Regards

Neil M

A 'fogbow' today at
Hanging Houghton
courtesy of Fiona Barclay.

Scotland Wood in 
sunshine today courtesy
of Lynne Barnett.

Treecreeper courtesy
 of Chris Payne.

Curlew courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Dunnock courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

A cold lockdown.

Hello

Another cold day but not as severe as yesterday with a light fall of snow for some in the county.

Birders local to Pitsford Reservoir today saw the Great Northern Diver and an adult Yellow-legged Gull off the Sailing Club plus a Pintail, sixteen Snipe, six Stonechats, a Raven and two Siskins.

In the garden at Hanging Houghton the cold conditions pushed in two Redwings and a Fieldfare and a Nuthatch. The Redwings were eating a variety of food including apples, the Fieldfare was eating apple and the berries of guelder rose. A Raven flew over the village and one pair of Stonechat and a Barn Owl were in the Brampton Valley below the village.

Elsewhere and there was a Jack Snipe and a pair of Stonechats at Wicksteed Park, ten Crossbills at Hollowell Reservoir, two Bearded Tits at Stortons Pits, six Crossbills at Harlestone Heath (showing just inside the A428 entrance on the left hand side) and the mega flock of thirty-three White-fronted Geese remaining at Stanwick Pits.

Some more ringing recoveries have come back from the BTO Ringing Unit as follows:-

1. A Mallard duckling was ringed at Pitsford Reservoir on 29th July 2020 and subsequently shot as a full grown female at Lamport on 18th December 2020;

2. A first year female Goldfinch was caught and ringed at Pen-y-Groeslon, Bryncroes, Gwynedd on 12th October 2020 and caught again in a mist net at Astcote, Towcester on 31st December 2020. During this period of the eighty days this bird travelled 257km in a ESE direction;

3. A second calendar year Blue Tit was caught and ringed at Market Harborough on 14th February 2018 and then caught again 1051 days later 14km south at Hanging Houghton on 31st December 2020.

Regards

Neil M

Female Mallard 
and ducklings.

Goldfinch courtesy of
John Tilly.

Blue Tit courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Sub zero temperatures

Hello

For most of us the daytime temperature never did improve from three degrees below Centigrade so a very cold day, particularly where the sun did not prise through the banks of fog. It's the small birds such as Goldcrests that struggle during this type of weather, particularly if there are several days of similar harsh conditions.

However it was a larger bird in distress today, causing me to wade out in rather cold water at Pitsford Reservoir to rescue a Coot caught up in fishing line. Unfortunately the cord had already cut through the bone of the leg so once back on dry land I had to fully amputate the leg before releasing the bird (which seemed strong) - I hope he/she makes it. Pitsford is a SSSI but the welfare of the wildlife is juggled with fishing interests and sadly tangled and ensnared wildlife is a regular problem with recent victims being another Coot, Grey Heron, Black-headed Gull, Goldeneye, Tufted Duck and several Cormorants. In addition we notice hooks and similar items in the feet of geese and swans which are not always easy to catch to remove the offending item.

Birds seen at the reservoir today included a Great White Egret, a Kingfisher, a Chiffchaff, about a dozen Snipe and three Redpolls.

There was no sign of the Greenland White-fronted Goose at Wicksteed Park today but the full flock of thirty-three Eurasian White-fronted Geese were still present at Stanwick Pits.

The sub zero temperatures brought plenty of birds into our small rural garden today and included four Redwings, two Fieldfares and singles of Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting. A Barn Owl was hunting in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Coot courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Drake Goldeneye courtesy
of Phillip Davies.

Red Kite.

Greenland White-fronted Goose and Bitterns.

Hello

My reward for visiting Harrington Airfield to feed the birds and complete a litter pick was to see a smart male Brambling and flushing a Woodcock!

The Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton was still busy with birds and included two hundred Fieldfares, two hundred and fifty Starlings, four Song Thrushes, fifty Redwings, eighty Linnets, fifteen Skylarks and twenty-five Reed Buntings. One of the Stonechat pair popped up and a Barn Owl was hunting first thing. Four Redpolls and a Nuthatch were brief garden visitors.

Some good birds located in the county today with local patch birding leading to an excellent find of an adult Greenland White-fronted Goose with the Greylag flock at Wicksteed Park, Kettering courtesy of Nick Parker. This race of the species is a rare visitor to Northants, most birds that fly from Greenland and the Canadian east coast travel no further than Ireland and the west coast of the UK with a bias to the north. The largest concentration away from Ireland is on the north-west mainland and islands of Scotland with Islay and Dumfries and Galloway housing the majority. It seems odd that this individual should stray to middle England just as we are experiencing a significant invasion of Eurasian or Russian White-fronted Geese from the east. Nevertheless this handsome goose is most welcome!

The other excellent find today was courtesy of Ken Prouse who saw first one and then two Bitterns fly to roost into a reedbed at Stortons Pits this afternoon - excellent stuff!

Harlestone Heath today was home to eight Crossbills in larches near to the sawmills, ca40 Siskins, two Grey Wagtails (including a singing male) and two very vocal Ravens with two pairs of Stonechats on the rough fields between the plantations and Kings Heath.

At Pitsford Reservoir there were two Great White Egrets north of the causeway and a Chiffchaff and a Kingfisher in Yacht Bay. The hides on the reserve are now closed and we await a decision as to whether the site will remain open (Rutland Water and all facilities closed today).

Stanwick Pits today still hung on to at least twenty-one White-fronted Geese, a Cattle Egret, a drake Goosander and a Chiffchaff and the Summer Leys LNR was good for two Great White Egrets, three Goosanders and a distant Cattle Egret in a sheep field next to the river. A Great White Egret was on the A605 floods at Lower Barnwell Lock.

Regards

Neil M

Greenland White-fronted Goose
at Wicksteed Park courtesy of
Nick Parker.

Kestrel courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Grey Wagtail courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Cold and sunny

Hello

Another cold day with a fresh breeze but also sunshine and blue skies too!

Harrington Airfield was home to plenty of birds today but the only noteworthy birds were a couple of Ravens, a flock of fifty Skylarks and a single Brambling.

At Pitsford Reservoir the Great Northern Diver was patrolling the Brixworth bank south of the causeway again, about two thirds from the causeway towards the Gorse Bushes. Other birds for the reservoir included a drake Pintail, a Redshank, a Green Sandpiper and a pair of Stonechats.

In the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton today bird flock counts were made of two hundred Fieldfares, a hundred each of Starling and Redwing, eighty-two Yellowhammers and seventy Linnets. The four Stonechats were still present and a Raven flew over the village.

Several Siskins were present at Kelmarsh Hall and gull stalwarts at Rushton Landfill located a third winter Iceland Gull and two Caspian Gulls with a herd of five Whooper Swans visiting Stanford Reservoir this morning.

The Nene Valley was visited by multiple observers with two Great White Egrets, a pair of Pintail and a Ring-necked Parakeet being seen at Thrapston Pits and down the road at Stanwick Pits there were at least twenty-seven White-fronted Geese, six Pintail, eleven Goosanders and three Redshanks. Summer Leys LNR hosted three Great White Egrets, a pair of Goosanders and a pair of Stonechats with a female Red-crested Pochard being located at Kislingbury Pits.

Regards

Neil M

Green Sandpiper.

Grey Heron.

Male Siskin.

Female Sparrowhawk.

All images courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Lockdown approaches

Hello 

With national lockdown looming, it is likely that the contents of this blog will become a little sparse during the next coming weeks until opportunities begin again in March! I'm sure that our gardens and footpaths close to our abodes and local patch birding will again be the main focus for wildlife sightings.

The birds at Harrington Airfield were ready and waiting for their food today with Robins, tits and even a few finches following me around as I distributed their treats. The Golden Plover flock on the top fields was about eighty strong, a couple of Ravens flew through and two or three Bramblings were again by the airfield museum.

The Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon was again full of birds which included an actively-hunting female Merlin, four Bramblings and four Stonechats.

At Pitsford Reservoir the Great Northern Diver was hugging the Brixworth bank south of the causeway and other birds there included a Grey Wagtail, two early Oystercatchers and a pair of confiding Stonechats.

The Bearded Tits were heard calling at Stanford Reservoir today, another female Merlin was seen at Helmdon, a now rare Willow Tit was recorded at Delapre Abbey and twenty Crossbills were still by the toilet block at the Wakerley Wood car park.

In the Nene Valley in excess of twenty White-fronted Geese were still at Stanwick Pits plus eleven Goosanders, four Pintail and two Cattle Egrets. Five Cattle Egrets were still in the vicinity of Wollaston Lock between Earls Barton Pits and Wellingborough with two Goosanders on the river.

Regards

Neil M

Common Gulls.

Male Stonechat.

Female Stonechat.

All images from Pitsford
Reservoir today...

New Year county birding

Hello

Another cold day and low temperatures anticipated for the week ahead although it should be mostly dry.

A day out away from people and checking poorly-watched areas in the north of the county was the agenda today. First stop was East Carlton Country Park at dawn and a quick walk around provided the usual species with good views of Redwings, drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatch, Marsh Tit and a Grey Wagtail.

We then checked the Welland Valley from Cottingham to Wakerley where the floods had mostly subsided and many of the birds of last week had moved on. Nevertheless there was a pair of Egyptian Geese, two Little Egrets and a Redpoll below Cottingham. A variety of gulls and Lapwings were in the valley fields between Rockingham and Gretton and there was a small flock of Meadow Pipits and a Grey Wagtail at Gretton Weir.

Further north and more Lapwings, gulls, a few waterfowl and at least four Golden Plovers were between Gretton and Harringworth. Leaving the valley it was time to check on the old Spanhoe/Harringworth Airfield and Wakerley Wood complex which provided views of over twenty Redpolls, thirty Siskins and about twenty-five Crossbills (mostly in larches by the car park at Wakerley Wood), several Marsh Tits, some showy Goldcrests and a pair of Ravens.

Blatherwycke Lake attracted four Egyptian Geese, a Black Swan, twenty-six Mandarin Ducks, two drake Goosanders, two Kingfishers and five Siskins. Deene Lake was good for another Egyptian Goose, nine Shelducks, a Little Egret and a Redpoll.

A concentration of Red Kites at Laxton was hugely impressive with about one hundred and twenty birds present plus another fifty over nearby woodland on the road to Deene. A flock of twenty-two White-fronted Geese flew south west over Laxton at about 3.35pm.

Geoff Douglas witnessed three Whooper Swans flying over his garden at Barton Seagrave this morning and these birds subsequently turned up at Hollowell Reservoir where they remained for a short time. Two Whooper Swans that subsequently flew SW over Pitsford Reservoir may have been different birds. The Great Northern Diver was still at Pitsford Reservoir today and showed very well and a Great White Egret was seen in flight over Pitsford village this afternoon.

In the Nene Valley Thrapston Pits boasted five Great White Egrets, a Ring-necked Parakeet and a pair of Stonechats and Earls Barton Pits provided a Bittern flight view at Quarry Walk and later a Peregrine. Five Cattle Egrets were still between Mary's Lake and Wellingborough near Wollaston Lock.

Stanwick Pits hosted four Cattle Egrets, a Great White Egret, a Pintail and at least twenty-three White-fronted Geese and a Pintail was on the A605 floods at Oundle.

Birds elsewhere included a Jack Snipe at Ravensthorpe Reservoir and three Bramblings in a field opposite the north entrance to Hollowell Reservoir.

Regards

Neil M

Great Northern Diver
at Pitsford Reservoir today
courtesy of Bethan Clyne.

Male Crossbill at 
Wakerley Wood today.

Whoopers, winter thrushes and winter trees

Hello

Some time at Harrington Airfield this morning was sufficient to locate about seventy Golden Plovers, a Common Snipe, a Raven, three Bramblings, two Redpoll and a singing Chiffchaff.

Pitsford Reservoir attracted birds and birders alike with the Great Northern Diver still in situ south of the causeway and a herd of six Whooper Swans which flew off and then went on to visit Hollowell Reservoir before flying off north and later being seen in flight in Leicestershire. Other birds at Pitsford included two Great White Egrets, two Redshanks, Snipe, a Raven and six Stonechats.

Hollowell Reservoir also hosted a Great White Egret, the female Ruddy Shelduck, a Jack Snipe, two Snipe, seven Crossbills in the Guilsborough Bay, four Bramblings in nearby fields, a Grey Wagtail and three Stonechats.

A Raven was at Hanging Houghton and there were still good numbers of birds in the Brampton Valley below the village which included a Peregrine with prey this afternoon. A walk around Harlestone Lake provided a drake Goosander, a noisy pair of Ravens, a Grey Wagtail and a Siskin. Two Water Rails, a Snipe and a Grey Wagtail remained at Brixworth Treatment Works.

With the slight rise in day temperature and depletion of hedgerow berries, Redwings and Fieldfares were very high profile feeding in sodden fields all over the county today. An adult Caspian Gull was noted at Rushton Landfill site today and the two Bearded Tits and a Jack Snipe were recorded at Stanford Reservoir.

In the Nene Valley the super-flock of now thirty-three White-fronted Geese cavorted around the Stanwick Pits complex with birds being seen on a variety of pits and feeding on fields. Also present was a Green Sandpiper, three Redshank and four Pintail. The Cattle Egrets in the valley were found generally further west today with five being located in a sheep field between Mary's Lake (Earls Barton Pits complex) and the River Nene (plus a Raven).

Elsewhere and the Goosander flock at Abington Park had inflated to fourteen today (ten drakes), a Green Sandpiper was seen at Deene Lake and over twenty Crossbills were still present at Wakerley Wood.

Afternoon birding near Lamport and Faxton was concluded when hare coursers were discovered on the farmland there - they quickly ran off and drove away once they realised they had been clocked (details passed to Northamptonshire Police).

Regards

Neil M

Redwing.

Fieldfare.

The mighty Oak.

Sweet Chestnut.

Magnificent winter trees
at Lower Harlestone.

The first day of 2021

Hello

In compliance with our new Tier 4 restrictions just two of us completed a short ringing session at Harrington Airfield this morning and were treated to three Fieldfares and eight Redwings plus a Song Thrush, a Blackbird and a couple of Starlings together with some common finches, three Yellowhammers, three Robins and of course some Blue Tits. About fifteen Golden Plovers were on-site and a first year Caspian Gull flew over relatively low in a north-easterly direction.

Abington Park (Northampton) hosted eight Goosanders (six drakes) and at least ten Ring-necked Parakeets today and Pitsford Reservoir continued to hang on to the Great Northern Diver and a Great White Egret.

Yesterday's mobile White-fronted Goose flock of twenty-six birds were located at Stanwick Pits today where there were still the original seven others plus five Cattle Egrets, two Great White Egrets, a Green Sandpiper, three Redshanks and two Pintail. Summer Leys LNR recorded a further three Great White Egrets and Ringstead Pits another two with two pairs of Pintail at the latter site.

At least ten Crossbills were around Wakerley Wood car park today with another seven behind the dam at Hollowell Reservoir; two Mediterranean Gulls roosted at Boddington Reservoir (adult and first year) and a flock of 108 Golden Plovers were located by the Banbury Lane near Potcote. 

Large numbers of passerines (including two Bramblings) were in The Hill field at Blueberry Farm (Maidwell) this afternoon attracting the attention of the female Merlin which is currently hanging around the general area. Two Shelducks were on a private lake near there and there was a good mix of finches and buntings and Tree Sparrows on the nectar/bird crop in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghon which included at least four Bramblings. Two pairs of Stonechat were in the same general area and the two long-staying Bearded Tits remained on the Leicestershire bank at Stanford Reservoir.

Regards

Neil M

Wigeon courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Song Thrush courtesy
of Chris Payne.

Drake Pintail.