Wood Warblers, Pied Flycatcher and terns

Hello

In a spring perhaps dominated by waders, terns and Little Gulls, it was great to turn our attention to two quality passerines in the shape of a Wood Warbler and a Pied Flycatcher which were both found in Abington Park, Northampton today. The Wood Warbler showed well this morning and then seemed to melt away and the Pied Flycatcher continued to show well following it's discovery at about 1.50pm. At least three noisy Ring-necked Parakeets were present too.

A Nightingale was discovered singing at Old Sulehay today and a Grasshopper Warbler was 'reeling' at Nassington. The east end of the county proved profitable with Thrapston Pits being the location for a pair of Common Scoters on Town Lake and an arrival of migrating terns in the shape of three Blacks and at least forty plus Arctics. A male Ring Ouzel was seen near the River Nene in a field also near Thrapston, and the Titchmarsh Reserve also attracted a Great White Egret, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, at least one Whimbrel and a Blue-headed Wagtail.

Summer Leys also experienced a passage of Common and Arctic Terns and hirundines and the Blue-headed Wagtail was still present too. Waders included two Ruff, the Spotted Redshank, three Common Sandpipers, two Ringed Plovers and four Dunlin. A Grasshopper Warbler in the car park remained elusive. A Wood Warbler was heard singing at the back of Mary's Lake, Earls Barton Pits this morning but soon went quiet. Eleven Arctic Terns flew through Stanwick Pits just before 7am this morning.

Clifford Hill Pits attracted about twelve Arctic Terns, nine Dunlin, a Greenshank and a Hobby this afternoon and an evening birdwatch at Boddington Reservoir produced a Black Tern and about one hundred and thirty terns arrived from the south comprising about two thirds Common and one third Arctic. A 'reeling' Grasshopper Warbler was there too.

The three Whimbrel remained at Hollowell Reservoir - it is very unusual for spring birds to linger for so long. An Osprey showed well there today and two Hobbies were at Cold Ashby Golf Course early this afternoon.

A Brambling was still singing at Harrington Airfield this evening and there were three pairs of Grey Partridge on territory and a good number of Brown Hares cavorting about. A ringing session is planned for this venue on Saturday when access to the bunkers and old airstrips will be restricted.

Regards

Neil M

The Abington Park
Wood Warbler courtesy
of Neil Hasdell.

The same Wood Warbler
courtesy of Dave Jackson.

The Abington Park Pied
Flycatcher courtesy of
Neil Hasdell.

The same Pied Flycatcher
courtesy of Dave Jackson.

Bar-tailed Godwits at Pitsford 
Reservoir two days ago courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

A little rain in the forecast

Hello

Some more bird ringing took place at Stortons Pits this morning resulting in twenty-eight birds being processed, seven of them being re-trapped birds from previous sessions. Twelve new Blackcaps reflect how well this species seems to be doing in recent years, and that is despite horrific human persecution in the Mediterranean basin. Other warblers included a Cetti's, a Chiffchaff, a Reed Warbler, two Sedge Warblers and three Whitethroats. A calling male Cuckoo bounced out of a net twice, so new tactics are now being planned! A Common Sandpiper was at nearby Sixfields Lake.

Over at Pitsford Reservoir some more ringing was completed by Dave Francis around the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station which yielded thirty-six birds of ten species. Fifteen Yellowhammers were probably the highlight (all new birds) plus six Reed Buntings, four Tree Sparrows, two Blackcaps, a Whitethroat and a Mallard.

Also at Pitsford Reservoir a Common Bird Census was undertaken which resulted in another fifty-four Blackcaps being noted plus small numbers of another six species of warblers. Waders included a Whimbrel, a Lapwing, two Oystercatchers and two Common Sandpipers and the best of the ducks was definitely the pair of Garganey still. Two Great White Egrets and at least two Little Egrets remained on-site as did a Black-headed Gull with a Pike lure wrapped around it's leg (still able to fly). Six Brown Hares together in an adjacent field was a great sight and Muntjacs were everywhere!

Barnwell Country Park is the current venue if you want to take close photos or simply enjoy the stunning colours of Mandarin Ducks!

Summer Leys LNR was still the venue today for a Spotted Redshank, a Wood Sandpiper, three Ruff, two Common Sandpipers and a Great White Egret. The Titchmarsh LNR hosted four Oystercatchers, a Greenshank and a Cuckoo.

Three Whimbrels remained at Hollowell Reservoir today and the Blueberry Farm area attracted a male Common Redstart, a Cuckoo, a Hobby, five Wheatears, two singing Grasshopper Warblers and about sixty Fieldfares.

Regards

Neil M

Male Blackcap.

Female Garganey.

Drake Garganey.

Redshank.

All images courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Monday's migrants

Hello

Perhaps a little quieter on the migration front today but still plenty to look for!

Harrington Airfield yesterday held fifteen Golden Plovers and a Wheatear and this morning the best we could come up with was two singing Bramblings, a Raven, a pair of Grey Partridges and a singing Lesser Whitethroat.

Birds in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir incuded short stay migrants in the form of a Sandwich Tern, two Arctic Terns and two Bar-tailed Godwits; more sedentary birds included a Great White Egret and two Common Sandpipers on the causeway with at least ten Yellow Wagtails up by the dam.

The three passage Whimbrel remained at Hollowell Reservoir today but the Bar-tailed Godwit had moved on and was replaced for a time with a Curlew feeding alongside it's smaller cousins. The Great White Egret was there too.

Early morning migration at Stanwick Pits provided brief views of a Whimbrel, five Arctic Terns and eight Siskins - all moving through. A Greenshank lingered and two more flew through and other birds included a drake Pintail and a Lesser Whitethroat.

Summer Leys LNR was the focal point again this morning with a string of quality birds such as Spotted Redshank, six Greenshanks, a Wood Sandpiper, two Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, four Little Gulls, an Arctic Tern, a Hobby and a Marsh Harrier. Ten species of warbler could be found at Earls Barton Pits today incuding a couple of Grasshopper Warblers.

It's proving a remarkable spring for many migrants and the Greenshank is no exception with the single still at Lower Barnwell and two at Thrapston Pits on the Titchmarsh Reserve with the Grey Plover still present too. A drake Goosander was at Islip Mill and two Grasshopper Warblers and Cuckoo were also noted on the Thrapston Pits complex.

A Wheatear was at Muscott Mill today and a Wheatear was at Dale Farm, Maidwell together with ten Fieldfares and a Grey Wagtail. Twenty-four lingering Fieldfares were at Brockhall plus a Grey Wagtail and Yellow Wagtails and two Shelducks and nine Common Terns were at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows LNR.

Four Wheatears and a Kingfisher were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Pied Wagtail courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Yellow Wagtail courtesy
of Nathan Jones.

Linnet courtesy of 
Nathan Jones.

Barn Owl courtesy
of Nathan Jones.

Sunday's migrants

Hello

Another cold, breezy day but with some super sunshine too!

Two Ring Ouzels and over a hundred Fieldfares were found foraging in horse paddocks at Dale Farm, Maidwell this morning - which is a hillside equestrian concern to the north of Blueberry Farm. All the thrushes had moved off from there by 1.30pm. A Redpoll was at Hanging Houghton first thing this morning.

At Pitsford Reservoir this morning an Osprey spent time cruising around the Scaldwell Bay and the pair of Garganey were again next to the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station. A Great White Egret and the pair of Oystercatchers were also present.

The Nene Valley provided two Bar-tailed Godwits at Stanwick Pits (and later two more flew over), a Whimbrel there briefly and at Summer Leys LNR the list of migrants included the Spotted Redshank, a Wood Sandpiper, up to sixteen Greenshanks, three Black-tailed Godwits, four Bar-tailed Godwits flying over (and another on the deck), a Little Gull, a Common Sandpiper and Swifts. A Grasshopper Warbler and other common warblers including Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler were present along the old railway line and two Mediterranean Gulls were over Mary's Lake.

Thrapston Pits and in particular the Titchmarsh Reserve again provided the Grey Plover, three Bar-tailed Godwits, five Arctic Terns, two Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, a Hobby and a Great White Egret.

The Bar-tailed Godwit and three Whimbrel remained at Hollowell Reservoir today and they were all busy feeding in the meadow. A Great White Egret was also present.

Three Little Gulls were at Daventry Country Park this afternoon and a male Merlin carrying prey on the Clopton/Bythorn track was a great record. A Greenshank and a Little Ringed Plover were at Lower Barnwell floods off the A605.

Regards

Neil M

Drake Garganey.

Whimbrel.

Lapwing.

All images taken locally
by Robin Gossage.

Saturday's migration highlights.

Hello

A ringing session at Linford Lakes today was successful with thirty-five captures of thirteen species. Warblers dominated with thirteen new Blackcaps, five Reed Warblers, three Sedge Warblers, a Whitethroat and a Chiffchaff. Three birds not often caught included a Common Snipe, a Sand Martin and a Yellow Wagtail. Other birds present included a Hobby, two Oystercatchers, three Green Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper. Great Crested Newts and a Weasel were the best of the non-avian wildlife on offer.

After the excitement of yesterday, today was a much more mundane birding day, but there was still plenty of migration in full swing with terns, gulls and waders on the move.

Summer Leys always comes into it's own at this time of the year and the birding highlights included a Wood Sandpiper, the Spotted Redshank still, at least ten Little Gulls this morning, two Mediterranean Gulls, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Ringed Plover, two Little Ringed Plovers and a Common Sandpiper. Two Dunlin and a Little Ringed Plover were at new workings on the gravel pit complex and a Lesser Whitethroat was near Mary's Lake.

Thrapston Pits today boasted a Grey Plover, at least fifty-four Little Gulls, a Great White Egret, five Little Egrets, a pair of Egyptian Geese, a Green Sandpiper and a Grasshopper Warbler. Clifford Hill Pits supported thirteen Little Gulls, a Jack Snipe, two fly-through Grreenshank, a Little Ringed Plover and a Common Sandpiper.

The reservoirs tend not to be able to keep up with the Nene Valley gravel pits at this time of the year but Hollowell Reservoir pulled in four lingering Whimbrel, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Redshank and a Common Sandpiper. Birds visible at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon north of the causeway included up to twenty-eight Little Gulls, a Black Tern, a Great White Egret and the pair of Garganey again.

Elsewhere and the roadside pools at Lilbourne attracted a Whimbrel and three Greenshanks, a Whimbrel was seen in fields at Wadenhoe and a Greenshank was on the A605 Lower Barnwell lock flooded field at Oundle. The elusive Short-eared Owl was flushed up at Harrington Airfield again today and there were also two Bramblings and a Wheatear present. A couple of pairs of Grey Partridge and a Barn Owl was all the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton had to offer. A pair of Mandarin Ducks were noted at Harlestone Lake today plus a pair of Ravens nearby and three Wheatears were in a sheep field near Easton Maudit.

Regards

Neil M

Sand Martin courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Yellow Wagtail courtesy
of Keny Cramer.

Common Snipe courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Sparrowhawk with growths
inside the mouth of the bird.

Little Ringed Plover
courtesy of Dave Jackson.

Swifts, Little Gulls and a Pallid Harrier

Hello

A date in the diary placed a small team of us at Kelmarsh Hall today to begin the installation of a Swift breeding tower. Working with Matt and Carl from the Kelmarsh Hall Trust staff we completed the first phase and hope to complete the work in a week's time. A couple of Swift boxes were also sited on the main building. With work completed it was time for a quick walk to appreciate the wildlife around the lake which included several species of butterfly. A couple of Blackcaps and a Treecreeper were watched in lakeside vegetation and a small bird flew into the alders and proved to be a male Pied Flycatcher! We watched it for a few minutes before it flew on to the other side of the lake. Singles of Redpoll and Siskin were fly-overs.

Lamport Hall have also allowed us to invest in providing nest sites for Swifts and a dozen boxes have been put up this spring ready for their impending arrival!

Harrington Airfield seemed to be quiet for birds at lunchtime and Eleanor's walks in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton secured sightings of two Wheatears but little else.

It was the Nene Valley that attracted all the interest this morning with a Bar-tailed Godwit, two Green Sandpipers and a Swift at Stanwick Pits, another two Swifts near Kislingbury and an excellent array of migrants at Summer Leys LNR which included the Spotted Redshank still, a Mediterranean Gull and an arrival of Little Gulls culminating in about nineteen by 3pm. A Pied Flycatcher was reported next to Mary's Lake during the early afternoon.

A flock of about twenty-five Little Gulls flew north-east at Stanwick Pits this evening.

Clifford Hill Pits attracted up to about twenty-six Little Gulls and two Bar-tailed Godwits, a Little Ringed Plover and a Common Sandpiper.

Thrapston Pits also attracted a couple of Little Gulls and a few Arctic Terns on Town Lake this afternoon.

Following a message from Jon Cooke about Little Gulls present at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon, Eleanor and I popped down to the causeway and subsequently met up with Robin and Wendy Gossage and David Arden, keeping socially distanced of course! The Little Gulls were spectacular and numbers grew as fresh birds kept arriving, reaching about seventy-five by 5pm. All three ages were on show but the majority were adults and the accompanying Common Terns included an Arctic Tern. Earlier David had seen the pair of Garganey and a Great White Egret in the Scaldwell Bay.

A calling Spotted Redshank was a surprise as it called and flew in over the causeway before heading off towards the Scaldwell Bay. But the best was yet to come...

At about 4.20pm the Little Gulls gathered together and rose up, a classic response to a predator! On looking up a Red Kite was obvious and assumed to be the reason but there was a Lesser Black-backed Gull chasing another pale bird which proved to be a remarkably pale grey male harrier! The gull quickly gave up and the harrier cruised away and eventually disappearing in a south-easterly direction. It was small, long-winged and remarkably pale grey on the upperside and white on the underside. The only black on the upperwing was restricted to a couple of primaries but not viewable on the underside at all. All the features pointed to an adult male Pallid Harrier - it is regrettable that the view was so brief and only three of us managed a view at all!

Other birds reported in the county today included five Little Gulls at Stanford Reservoir this afternoon and a White-fronted Goose in the morning. The hotspot at Lilbourne today yielded a Caspian Gull and a Bar-tailed Godwit and the Shag remained at Daventry Country Park.

Regards

Neil M

Swift courtesy of
Dave Jackson.

Chris Payne and Swift nest box
courtesy of Lynne Barnett!

Snake's Head Fritillaries
and other flowers at
Kelmarsh Hall courtesy
of Lynne Barnett.

Another photo of a 
stunning male Yellow
Wagtail courtesy of
Nathan Jones.

Birding in all directions!

Hello

I had a full day in the west and south of the county looking at both well known sites but also many places which are rarely visited by birders. Eleanor spent much of the day in the north of the county visiting some of her favourite haunts, finishing at regular sites in the centre.

A Nightingale and two Grasshopper Warblers were singing in the Westhay section of Fineshade Wood this morning plus a couple of Siskins and Ravens were on-site with a Stoat being seen too. At nearby Wakerley Wood there were ten Crossbills in the car park and several Siskins (still coming to the feeders including some stunning males). A wander in the wood in warm sunshine provided two Ravens, two Grass Snakes and a Common Lizard. Spring flowers included Bluebells, Wood Anemones, Primroses and Wood Violets

A fine adult Little Gull was at Blatherwycke Lake together with a pair of Mandarin Ducks and four Egyptian Geese plus a Little Egret with a Cuckoo and a Common Sandpiper at Deene Lake. Fifty Fieldfares were in grass fields by Gretton Weir in the Welland Valley.

Three Avocets spent a while in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir and may have been the same birds later seen at Eyebrook Reservoir just over the county border. This afternoon three Little Gulls (two adults and a first summer) arrived to the north of the causeway and these remained visible from the causeway until dusk. Other birds included a Great White Egret, a Yellow-legged Gull and a Green Sandpiper.

I arrived at Borough Hill Country Park just before dawn and it was cold! The first dog walker was alteady on site but I spent a couple of hours up there and a good number of migrants slowly shook off the morning frost and stirred. The concentration of Skylarks on this relatively small amount of unimproved pasture is excellent and a number of Meadow Pipits there looked as if they might have a go at breeding too. A Peregrine was on an early morning hunt and a Wheatear was present on the summit and Red Fox and Muntjac were noted.

Next was Daventry Country Park where the juvenile Shag was looking pretty dormant on one of the tern rafts and large numbers of Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls were coming in to wash and preen. A single Common Tern and a pair of Pintail were present.

The Catesby area provided a stunning male Lapwing in full breeding plumage and a couple of Ravens but the Hellidon area was disturbed and little of note was seen. Boddington Reservoir was a stop off for fifteen Arctic Terns and three Common Terns and a pair of Grey Wagtails were also present. I then toured several areas further south including Edgcote, Chacombe, Thorpe Mandeville and zig-zagged around various villages and agricultural areas. I spent some time at Hinton Airfield and drove on to check areas at Croughton, near Brackley and up aginst the North Bucks border. A late afternoon walk at Bucknell Wood provided plenty of butterflies, two Ravens and a couple of Siskins plus lots of Lady's Smock flowers. I just had time to visit the causeway at Pitsford to watch the always fabulous Little Gulls!

Elsewhere and a Greenshank and an Arctic Tern were seen early on at Stanwick Pits and Earls Barton Pits provided a super flock of eleven Bar-tailed Godwits for a time, a Spotted Redshank, two Whimbrel, a Dunlin, a Common Sandpiper, a Blue-headed Wagtail, a Grasshopper Warbler and a Cuckoo.

Clifford Hill Pits doubled it's Bar-tailed Godwit tally to six birds and there were two Wheatears present too. A Common Sandpiper was at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve in the Nene Valley and an Osprey was reported from Hollowell Reservoir.

Regards

Neil M

The Pitsford Avocets
today courtesy of 
David Arden.

Bar-tailed Godwit
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Siskin courtesy of
Nathan Jones.

Little Gulls.

Lady's Smock or
Cuckoo Flower.

Chilly again!

Hello

With stronger winds from the east and the north today, and cloud in the morning, the forecast was for a chilly day. I visited Pitsford Reservoir thinking that these conditions would provide some visible tern and gull migration with maybe a few waders too. It proved to be a little disappointing with just one (albeit lovely) adult Little Gull and an increase in the number of Common Terns. A small flock of distant terns that flew through looked to be Arctics but they were over a mile away! Bigger gulls were very much on the move and I suppose seven species of gull for an inland site isn't that bad with a Yellow-legged Gull being the second best gull on-site. A Green Sandpiper and a handful of Yellow Wagtails were added and a fisherman informed me he was watching the Great Northern Diver fishing in the shallows yesterday.

This afternoon's foray to Harrington Airfield was mostly a fairly quiet affair but a smart male Wheatear, about forty Golden Plovers and at least one lingering Brambling made it worthwhile. Stunning Yellowhammers and pristine male Reed Buntings have kept me entertained in the garden and the dry soil conditions has ensured that Starlings and Blackbirds are continually seeking out the dried mealworms.

Birds of note at Thrapston Pits today included at least five Arctic Terns, a Great White Egret and a Cuckoo and just down the road Stanwick Pits received a visitation from seventeen Arctic Terns. A Little Ringed Plover was at Summer Leys LNR this morning and Clifford Hill Pits was still the place to see three lingering Bar-tailed Godwits, two Dunlin and fifteen Yellow Wagtails. A Wheatear was seen at Borough Hill Country Park with a Shag just down the road at Daventry Country Park.

Regards

Neil M

Great White Egret versus Lapwing!

House Martin.

Common Snipe.

All images courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

The migrants continue to trickle in

Hello

A few birds noted at Pitsford Reservoir today included the pair of Garganey again by the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station, a Great White Egret in the Walgrave Bay, plus two Little Egrets, two Sedge Warblers singing at each other and a Yellow-legged Gull off the dam.

The lingering flock of about a hundred chattering and very smart Fieldfares remain still at Bluebery Farm, Maidwell and this evening there was a Jack Snipe flushed in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton plus a hunting Barn Owl.

A tour of the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits provided observers with flavours of summer with a flying Osprey, three or four pairs of Oystercatchers, two pairs of Shelduck and chattering Swallows, shouting Cetti's Warblers, repetitive Chiffchaffs, melodious Willow Warblers and mimicking Blackcaps, Reed and Sedge Warblers. A Nightingale was calling near the bridge over the river and three Great White Egrets and a Little Egret remained. A Black Tern was seen on Town Lake.

Earls Barton Pits attracted records of a Whimbrel, a second year gull which was a Mediterranean or hybrid and a Grasshopper Warbler with Stanwick Pits also recording a Whimbrel.

Clifford Hill Pits is proving attractive to the long-staying Ring-necked Duck and the three Bar-tailed Godwits from yesterday were still present together with a Dunlin. Alan was pleased to record a Ring-necked Parakeet flying over his Arbours garden in Northampton.

A female Common Redstart was a good spring find at Honey Hill, Cold Ashby this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Male Yellow Wagtail.

Grey Wagtail.

Meadow Pipit.

All images courtesy of Nathan Jones
and taken at a water treatment works
in Northamptonshire. The arrival of
 vivid male Yellow Wagtails is surely
one of the most anticipated events
 each spring.

Just a Linnet!

Hello

A ringing session was completed at Harrington Airfield today with one species dominating the operation - the humble Linnet! Small, quirky and full of song and spirit, this underated species which is often a tumble of chestnut, brown and grey hues comes into it's own in the spring when the males exhibit their almost scarlet breasts and crown. The scrub at Harrington Airfield provides suitable nesting for this species and they forage for small seeds, ganging up in post-breeding flocks and remaining communal outside the breeding season. From the known history of re-trapped birds today, the roving flocks currently on-site are likely to be a combination of passage birds and birds returning to breed locally.

Other birds caught and processed included another fifteen species with five Bramblings, six Willow Warblers, two Blackcaps and an end-of-session rush of Yellowhammers. The scrubby area around the bunkers provides suitable habitat for breeding Willow Warblers, with record numbers of singing males last year. Three of today's birds were returning individuals from previous years - they do exhibit a desire to return to their natal areas and previous territories.

Ringing on the private area of the airfield has been undertaken since 2014 and limited habitat management and supplementary feeding of birds now ensures that this small site is attractive to locally important numbers of Yellowhammers, Linnets and Willow Warblers - birds we are particularly keen to nurture and monitor as best we can. Disturbance has increased in recent years and the regular visits from quads and off-road bikes is one of our current problems.

Some five thousand birds have been ringed at Harrington Airfield including over six hundred Yellowhammers, over six hundred Redwings, twenty Green Woodpeckers, ten Common Redstarts and thirteen Tree Pipits.

Other birds noted on-site today included singles of Little Ringed Plover, Redpoll, Siskin and Wheatear.

A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was located in Black Snipe Wood adjacent to Yardley Chase today and the flock of about a hundred Fieldfares remain at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell. Birds at Pitsford Reservoir included a Great White Egret in the Walgrave Bay and four Common Terns, a Yellow-legged Gull and a Wheatear in the Scaldwell Bay.

At Thrapston Pits today a noisy Cuckoo was in residence plus a Reed Warbler and the Greenshank for a time (before flying off). Other birds included Raven, a Kingfisher and a pair of Shelducks.

At Summer Leys LNR this morning a Whimbrel and a Little Gull were on show and a Black-tailed Godwit was noted there this evening. Clifford Hill Pits still held on to the Ring-necked Duck (which had moved to Deep Water Pit) plus three Bar-tailed Godwits and two flocks of Golden Plover totalling some eighty-two birds.

Two Wheatears were at Borough Hill CP this evening, a Common Redstart at Kingsthorpe Meadows was a good local find and Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows attracted two Common Sandpipers, a Cuckoo and both Sedge and Reed Warblers. A first year Shag was again at Daventry Country Park this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Male Linnet.

Male Yellowhammer.

Song Thrush.

All images courtesy of
Lewis Aaron.

More Ring Ouzels.

Hello

Stunning weather from the word go today was a good impetus to get up and out! My first venue was Honey Hill near Cold Ashby and from the vantage point it was a great place to scan over the countryside below and watch a variety of mammals including Muntjacs and Brown Hares. A familiar call had me looking around and a female Ruddy Shelduck flew into view, circled around and flew off towards Welford, no doubt the regular bird that has been in the county for a few years now. Migrants included Meadow Pipits, a Redpoll and a Golden Plover. On my walk back three Fieldfares came into view and a male Brambling flew in with Chaffinches. The best was last though when a male Ring Ouzel hopped into view and a short time later a second bird did likewise. Thankfully they remained for much of the day and at least three Wheatears were subsequently seen there too.

An Oystercatcher was a surprise bird at Welford Reservoir and a Grey Wagtail was present too. A dead Common Buzzard on the Kelmarsh Estate looked as if it had been attacked and killed by one of it's own kind.

Two more Ring Ouzels were found in horse paddocks on the high ground between Blueberry Farm and Haselbech, with a Wheatear on Blueberry Hill and a hundred Fieldfares still at Blueberry Farm paddocks. Small numbers of Redwings and Fieldfares were roadside birds along the gated road between Haselbech and Cottesbrooke and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was both audible and visual in Cottesbrooke village.

A pair of Garganey were in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this morning plus a Great White Egret and three Curlews were seen flying over.

Stanwick Pits also attracted a drake Garganey and a Cattle Egret and a Grasshopper Warbler was at Quarry Walk, Earls Barton with a Garden Warbler singing along the railway line near to Summer Leys. The drake Ring-necked Duck and a Great White Egret were at Clifford Hill Pits and Thrapston Pits hosted a Greenshank and a singing Curlew.

A first year Shag and a first year Caspian Gull were noted at Daventry Country Park today.

A few Bramblings were still at Harrington Airfield today but there was seemingly no sign of any Redstarts or Ring Ouzels. A ringing session is planned for this site tomorrow when access to the bunkers and old airstrips will be restricted.

Maps for Kentle Wood and the Catesby area have been added to the Birdwatching Site Maps tab courtesy of Neil Hasdell.

Regards

Neil M

Mistle Thrush courtesy
of Nathan Jones.

Barn Owl courtesy
of Nathan Jones.

Male Ring Ouzel.

More incoming migrants

Hello

A ringing session by Northants Ringing Group members at Linford Lakes today provided an opportunity to assess forty-two birds of thirteen species which included twelve Blackcaps, four Chiffchaffs, a Cetti's Warbler and a female Green Woodpecker. One of the Chiffchaffs was a returning juvenile from 2019 and another was initially ringed as a fledgling there last year. A Cuckoo was on-site too.

Thrapston Pits today yielded a nice mix of birds which included a Grasshopper Warbler among many Blackcaps, Willow Warblers etc, a Nightingale, a flock of thirteen Yellow Wagtails, a Greenshank and a Bar-tailed Godwit and this afternoon the Glossy Ibis too.

At Earls Barton Pits, a Eurasian Bee-eater was heard calling over the complex as it veered west just after noon but sadly wasn't seen. Other birds included a Little Gull, a Mediterranean Gull, a possible Arctic Tern, a pair of Garganey, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Little Ringed Plover, a Reed Warbler and a Ring Ouzel.

At Stanwick Pits the Glossy Ibis was seen this morning and a Cuckoo was present and Clifford Hill Pits continued to host the Ring-necked Duck, two Shelduck and a Common Sandpiper. Two Oystercatchers at Hollowell Reservoir are not common visitors there and Harrington Airfield's birds included one or two Ring Ouzel(s) - one a female - plus at least one male Common Redstart, about a dozen Bramblings and a Wheatear.

Birds at Pitsford Reservoir today included a pair of Garganey in the Scaldwell Bay and at least one White Wagtail on the dam. A Siskin was at Harlestone Lake and two Wheatears and fifteen Yellow Wagtails were in horse paddocks at Dale Farm. Maidwell today.

Regards

Neil M

Ringed male Common
Redstart at Harrington
Airfield today, courtesy
of Jon Cook.

Adult female Tawny Owl
courtesy of Michelle Spinks.

Female Green Woodpecker
courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Pitsford CBC

Hello

The morning was taken up with a Common Bird Census around the reserve section of Pitsford Reservoir, preceded by a brief but stunning orange/red sunrise before being quickly blotted out by low cloud.

A calling Water Pipit flying over east early this morning was rather unexpected and the remainder of the survey was far more mediocre! Early morning around the reserve provides the best opportunity of seeing mammals and in addition to the many Muntjac I enjoyed good views of Red Fox, Brown Hare and a fine buck Roe Deer. Two very vocal Great White Egrets are slowly coming into summer plumage and they were mobile too, visiting all three bays. The Cormorant colony is busy and already there are begging youngsters in the nests; the Rooks also have begging youngsters in the nest.

Two Oystercatchers were still present today and other waders included two Snipe, two Green Sandpipers and a Greenshank. Passerines included several Yellow Wagtails and an excellent collection of eleven White Wagtails on the causeway - much to the dismay of the local male Pied Wagtail! Two Siskins, three Redpolls, singing Redwings and quite a number of Goldeneye were left-overs from the previous season. Adrian located the Great Northern Diver between Pintail Bay and the Sailing Club.

Harrington Airfield today remained the venue for the passage Ring Ouzel, male Common Redstart, twelve or so Bramblings and up to forty-five Golden Plovers.

The Earls Barton Pits complex included an apparent female Blue-headed Wagtail, three White Wagtails, two Mediterranean Gulls, a Curlew, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Green Sandpiper, five Little Ringed Plovers and as many as fifteen Common Terns.

Stanwick Pits attracted a fly-through ringtail Hen Harrier - ironically seen by Mark Avery - and other birds seen there included two Cattle Egrets. Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston harboured a Greenshank and a Bar-tailed Godwit today and a Green Sandpiper was at Hollowell Reservoir.

A Ring Ouzel was reported near Upton on wasteland to the north of the A4500 east of Harpole, a Woodlark was reported flying north this morning on the Warks/Northants border at Onley and a Cuckoo was reported fron Stanford Reservoir. An Otter was seen at Becketts Park, Northampton this morning.

A map for the Ecton SF/Cogenhoe Mill area has been devised by Neil Hasdell and has been added to the Birdwatching Site Maps tab.

Regards

Neil M

Brown Hare.

Common Redstart.

Ring Ouzel.

The above images are from
Harrington Airfield courtesy
of David Arden.

Kingfisher courtesy
of Robin Gossage.