Pitsford CBC

Hello

Kenny and team undertook a rather hectic ringing session at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve on the outskirts of Milton Keynes today, with recently fledged birds pushing the total to 108 captures of twenty species, 74 of which were new. An adult Oystercatcher managed to walk out of one of the nets which was annoying but yet again a new Cuckoo was caught and ringed (a first year male). Great numbers of warblers included a Cetti's, seventeen Reeds, a Sedge, six Whitethroats, eight Garden Warblers, fifteen Blackcaps, six Chiffchaffs and four Willow Warblers. Other birds of variety included Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Bullfinch, Song Thrush and more common fare.

Mark Williams's unseasonable find this morning was seven Snow Geese and a Barnacle Goose at Clifford Hill Pits!

I completed a Common Bird Census on the reserve at Pitsford Reservoir today. The birds were pretty unremarkable apart from a distant raptor that went north at 1.30pm - the views were too poor to confirm what appeared to be a Honey Buzzard. A nesting Spotted Flycatcher was a highlight and the numbers of singing Blackcaps and Garden Warblers on-site remains high. Six Lapwings appeared to be failed breeders from elsewhere, there was a Grey Wagtail present and the rafts were busy with jostling, downy Black-headed Gull chicks!

Large numbers of damselflies and other flying insects stole the show, many being scooped up by Black-headed Gulls and Common Terns working just above the surface of the water. At least ten Beautiful Demoiselles were hunting from vegetation, probably the most I have seen in any one day at Pitsford and further confirmation that they are well established now. Damselflies included Common Blue, Azure, Blue-tailed and Large Red and dragonflies were represented by Black-tailed Skimmer, Four-spotted Chaser, Broad-bodied Chaser, Hairy Hawker and Blue Emperor. Butterflies didn't really get going until the end of the circuit although a Meadow Brown was my first of the year and Chimney Sweeper moths were in all the meadows.

The first Black Hairstreak butterfly on the wing this year at Glapthorn Cow Pastures and hatched Scarlet Tiger moths will no doubt be the pre-cursor to many more during the latter part of June.

This evening a Rosy or Rose-coloured Starling has been found next to the Nene Barrage, Clifford Hill Pits - there is currently an invasion of this species into Europe and the UK from the east.

Regards

Neil M

A 'jewelled' Black-tailed Skimmer
that wasn't going anywhere until
the early morning dew had dried off!

Great Crested Grebe.

Azure Blue Damselfly.

Beautiful Demoiselle.

Black-headed Gull.

Common Toad.

Possibly Cheilosia grossa? 

Four Spotted Chaser.

Large Red-eyed Damselflies.

All images taken at Pitsford
Reservoir today.

Ringing recoveries

Hello

The last batch of ringing receoveries associated with Northants Ringing Group activities are as follows:-

1. A male Nuthatch was caught and ringed in Scaldwell village on 6th November 2020 and was reportedly killed by a cat in the same village on 6th May 2021, 181 days later;

2. A first year female Blackbird was caught and ringed in a Scaldwell village garden on 9th February 2021. She was subsequently found dead after colliding with a window at a place called Kristianstad in Sweden on 13th April 2021. This bird had travelled 1060km in a east/north/east direction (within 63 days). Seemingly a classic case of a Scandanavian Blackbird wintering in the UK and returning home;

3. A juvenile female Greenfinch was caught and ringed at Harrington Airfield on 26th August 2020 and found freshly dead at Rothwell on 12th May 2021, 259 days later and having travelled just 5km;

4. A juvenile Great Tit was caught and ringed at Stortons Pits on 2nd July 2020 and found freshly dead in Northampton on 22nd May 2021, some 324 days later;

5. A first year female Goldfinch was caught and ringed at Hanging Houghton on 11th December 2020 and was reportedly killed by a cat at Seafield, West Lothian, Scotland 164 days later after having travelled 428km in a NWN direction. This fits the pattern of Scottish Goldfinches wintering in middle England;

6. A first year female Blue Tit was caught and ringed at Kelmarsh Hall on 6th March 2017 and then caught again by ringers at Stanford Reservoir fourteen km to the west on 10th April 2021 (1496 days later) when she was effectively five years old;

7. An adult female Starling was caught and ringed at Hanging Houghton on 27th January 2021 and was subsequently found dead on or about 28th May near Brandenburg, Germany. During the 121 days she had flown east some 990km and represents perhaps another example of a central European passerine wintering in the UK.

A returning Green Sandpiper at Earls Barton Pits today will be a post-breeding bird from northern Europe - this species often signals the start of the autumn migration - looks like we've jumped from a cool wintry spring straight into autumn with perhaps the predicted heatwave this week-end being our summer!

Regards

Neil M

House Sparrow.

Starling.

Red Kite.

Red Fox.

All images courtesy of
John Tilly.

Pitsford update.

Hello

I have been away for over three weeks tour-leading in Scotland and am on catch-up mode now! Here in the county it has been busy for those monitoring nests and breeding birds, the initial results suggesting that the tits have suffered some real hardship during the protracted cold spring. Some mixed results though with some pairs doing well and producing healthy fledged broods.

The tern rafts at Pitsford Reservoir are having a good year with ever-increasing numbers of Black-headed Gulls taking advantage of the floating nest platforms and nesting ahead of the Common Terns. Dave Francis has been carefully monitoring activity and at this stage it seems that as many as 52 pairs of gull have nested producing at least 82 chicks and 63 pairs of Common Terns have nests and eggs - it's a bit crowded out there!

The Grey Herons have effectively moved out of their traditional nesting trees at Pitsford Reservoir and have taken to waterside willows alongside the Cormorants. One rather late nest was just at water level and the three youngsters were ringed today.

Anyone wondering why the usually mowed paths around the reserve had become so long? Well despite the provision of nearly two hundred tit boxes, a pair of Blue Tits decided to nest in the working parts of the Pitsford mower and Mischa has had to wait until such time as this small brood successfully fledged!

On the scarcity front, three Knot found at Stanwick Pits today was a good summer record and the Quail first discovered in the Brampton Valley Way below Hanging Houghton some days ago is still there and calling today.

Regards

Neil M

Grey Herons courtesy
of Lewis Aaron.

Black-headed Gull chicks
courtesy of Chris Payne.

Early June Goodies !

I thought that it had been a quiet week as I seem to have seen very little myself but when I had a quick look at the birds that had been reported I realised that there had been some "good " birds seen by others. 

In no particular order birds  seen in the county  during the week included Marsh Harrier at Harrington Airfield,  Ditchford and Summer Leys. The Purple Heron was seen a few times from quarry walk Earls Barton GP. Quail were singing near Brixworth and Geddington.  Mediterranean Gulls and Black Tern at Summer Leys.

One day wonders included a Ring Ouzel at Earls Barton, a Honey Buzzard between Market Harborough and Desborough, a Golden Oriole at Fotheringhay and a Knot at Stanwick.

This evening there was a report of a White-tailed Eagle between the villages of Walgrave and Holcot which then headed towards the reservoir. 

So all in all it has been a good week in the county for this time of year.  Shame that I only caught up with Quail and Marsh Harrier,  must try harder!!!                                               

I wonder what this week will bring?

A ringing session at Linford Lakes yesterday was very productive with two Cuckoos being caught and processed, similarly an adult Common Tern, two Garden Warblers, eighteen Reed Warblers, a Blackcap, a juvenile Goldcrest, a Treecreeper and three Reed Buntings among more common fare. Odonata noted included a Black-tailed Skimmer and a Hairy Hawker.

Regards Eleanor 

First year female Cuckoo.

Treecreeper.

Goldcrest.

Common Tern.

All images courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

Birds for yesterday

Hello

A ringing session yesterday (Tuesday) at Stortons Pits by members of the Northants Ringing Group was productive with just over fifty birds being processed which included a nice selection of warblers made up of a Cetti's Warbler, six Garden Warblers, eight Reed Warblers, six Sedge Warblers, a Whitethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat and three Blackcaps. One of the Reed Warblers was first ringed there in 2016.

The Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits yesterday provided a calling Cuckoo, a Hobby, two Black Terns and a pair of Spotted Flycatchers. Single Marsh Harriers werte seen at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows and at Summer Leys LNR and a Quail was heard calling distantly in the Brampton Valley between Brixworth and Hanging Houghton during the evening.

Regards

Neil M

Lesser Whitethroat courtesy
of Chris Payne.

Hunting Barn Owl
courtesy of Nathan Jones.

Fighting Great Crested Grebes
Billing Pits courtesy of Jim
Dunkley.

Hairy Hawker dragonfly
Billing Pits courtesy of
Jim Dunkley.

Banded Demoiselle Billing Pits
courtesy of Jim Dunkley.

Highland Cow Ardnamurchan
Peninsular, West Highlands.

Weekend Roundup

 It has certainly been a very warm and sunny Bank Holiday weekend which has been enjoyed by us all following the lengthy period of cold and rain. It is amazing how the gardens, hedgerows, fields and crops has responded to the warmth. Our lawn has gone mad but I have resisted the urge to mow it and instead am leaving it for the bee's and wildlife to enjoy,  well that's my excuse.

It has been very quiet for birding over the weekend with both the Quail and Purple Heron moving on.  However there was more excitement today and a mad dash by some to get to Summer Leys where yet again a good bird was found by a photographer, this time a Red Necked Phalarope which is  also rare in the county. Just goes show that you never know what might pop out infront of you.

Meanwhile Kenny held a ringing session at Linford Reserve, Milton Keynes yesterday. A busy session with 77 birds captured, 57 of which were new and an amazing 20 different species. Good selection of Warblers including Blackcap, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, and Garden , Reed and Willow Warbler.    But making the headlines were 5 Cuckoo's which included 1 new male and 2 female,  a retrap male from 2020 and a retrap of the female caught in the last session now carrying an egg.  Quite remarkable really as I have only heard a couple of Cuckoo's this spring whist many folk are struggling to hear or see one.

Regards Eleanor 

Cuckoo

Juvenile Robin.

Juvenile Long-tailed Tit.

Jackdaw.

Grass Snake.

All images courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

Purple Heron and Quail

 The last couple of days have been dominated by a Quail calling and seen occasionally between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke and a Purple Heron at Summer Leys. The Purple Heron was found and photographed by some of the regular photographers at Summer Leys, an amazing find and some stunning pictures posted on the Summer Leys facebook page. Despite extensive searching it was only seen again briefly yesterday but I understand that it has been seen on and off all day today. Obviously this bird is a major attraction for both birders and photographers alike and as such the hides have been rather busy.  This is the 20th record of this species in the county with the last 3 being in 2011.  I  cannot believe that it has been this long since I saw one in the county and I hope that this bird stays a bit longer to give me chance of catching up with it. 

Hopefully these birds will fuel everyone's enthusiasm to get out and about over the weekend to enjoy the birds and wildlife around us. Plus the weather is looking good  !

Regards Eleanor 

Purple Heron at Summer Leys LNR
courtesy of Magda Toruj.

Odds and Ends

I have been out and about to some of my regular places but have seen very little of note. A reeling Grasshopper Warbler made a brief appearance at Harrington Airfield. We have continued to feed the birds there but the numbers and species have greatly reduced. Plenty of Yellowhammers and Chaffinch.  Willow Warblers are still singing well and in reasonable numbers whereas every bush seems to have a Whitethroat calling from it.

Pitsford Reservoir has been very quiet as is the Valley area below Hanging Houghton, that is until this evening.  I had taken the dogs on ramble as it was such a beautiful evening and very still. I had seen several Grey Partridge, Barn Owl, Hobby and Cuckoo as well as Roe Deer and a family of foxes. I was heading back towards home and thought I'd do some training with the young collies so I was practicing their "sit and stay" whilst I walked on ahead. All was going well until I heard the unmistakable call of a Quail coming from the crops. I told them to stay whilst I went a bit closer and loitered just on the off chance it might break cover. After about 15 minutes nothing showed and I realised that the 2 collies were still sitting where I had left them, amazing self control for those two so a hefty reward of sausages was called for.

As I mentioned,  it has been quiet for a while in the County both with birds and butterflies. Hopefully with predicted changes in the wind direction and slight rise in temperatures we may see some new activity.  Eric has been watching Titchmarsh  where there have been hundreds of hirundines  and the Sand Martin Wall has been very active. There is still a Nightingale singing well and other birds include Oystercatcher, Hobby and Peregrine.

Other birds noted in the county over the last few days include Marsh Harrier, Sanderling,  Black Tern and Cattle Egret.

Watching the birds in the garden continues to be both entertaining and stressful. I could watch the antics of the young Starlings all day as they are so entertaining,  much better than any TV. They are eating me out of house and home and their constant chattering is deafening at times. There has also been a young independent Blackbird in garden but it soon became clear that he/she had absolutely no sense danger and during a Sparrowhawk attack on the Starlings it just sat in the middle of the lawn trying to peck up. I found myself regularly doing a welfare check on this Blackbird. Sadly during another Sparrowhawk attack he was snatched before my very eyes before I could do anything about it. I felt quite sad but I did think that he wasn't going to make it to adulthood.  But that is the  harsh reality for these young birds. Several folk who I have spoken to recently have reported clutches of young tits dying in their nest boxes. I suspect that these have died as a result of the cold, wet and windy weather. 

Fingers crossed that things will start to improve and that we can all enjoy some warmer weather and good wildlife sightings 

Regards Eleanor 

Lime Hawk-moth courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Hobby courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Dorset Dartford Warbler
courtesy of John Gamble.

Hard Work !!

 It is certainly hard work at the moment to find any good birds or even insects now that the weather has turned cold, wet and windy.  I do feel sorry for the fledglings and for their parents as they have to work so much harder to find enough food for them.  The next few days are predicted to remain cold and wet so I suspect that this will take its toll on many young birds.

I have birded at Pitsford, Harrington airfield and the valley below Hanging Houghton and have notched up a reasonable list of birds including Grey Wagtail, Grey Partridge, Cuckoo, Kingfisher, Spotted Flycatcher,  Hobby and Barn Owl.   Meanwhile over at Titchmarsh Reserve, Thrapston Eric has encountered a good variety of birds including Hobby, Barn Owl, Oystercatchers, Osprey, Kingfisher, Teal, Pochard, Shovelar and Wigeon. 

Perhaps I will simply watch the garden and the antics of the young Starlings and wait for the next good bird to be found . But no doubt I will be out and about trying myself to find it. !!

Regards Eleanor

New Birds at last !!

Things remain quiet on the birding front with very little bird news reported.  However there have been a couple of "new" sightings, neither of which I have caught up with.  At DIRFT 3 a second summer Baltic Gull has been present for a few days. The bird has been ringed and the details reveal that it was rung at Horsvaer Nordland, Norway 2019.  The other new bird is also a visitor and a scarce one in the county, a Hoopoe, which was found in Croyland Park in Wellingborough.   You just never know where or what might turn up.

Our resident birds are busy simply getting on with breeding and raising their young.  Our garden is full of noisy young starlings which are very comical to watch. They absolutely love mealworms and I'm constantly topping up the feeders.  As I sat having my breakfast this morning there was an almighty commotion in the garden followed by several loud bangs on the patio windows and a flurry of birds coming into the house via the open back door. !!!  A Sparrowhawk had helped himself to a Starling and I could hear the awful death throes of the bird coming from our neighbours garden. There was nothing I could do as I didn't think that the neighbours would appreciate me knocking on their door at 6am and asking "for my starling back ".   My task was trying to catch the youngsters who were in the house flying around in panic much to the bemusement of the young collies. Finally I managed to get them outside and when I looked on the lawn there were 2 further stunned young starlings who soon recovered and flew off.  After all that excitement I took some of the dogs out for a walk and when I came back and walked into the lounge I was greeted by a young starling sitting on the arm of the sofa just above where my old collie was sleeping !!!  

It is at this time of year when the birding is quiet that most of us turn our attention to other flying things, namely butterflies.  At the moment there are many butterflies out on the wing.  Plenty of Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Brimstone and Orange Tip. These are now joined by Common and Holly Blue, Dingy and Grizzled Skipper, Painted Lady, Wood White, Small Copper and Small Heath. 

Regards Eleanor

Another Quiet Day

 Another quiet day.  Again very few birds of note reported. A Sanderling at Stanford Reservoir and 4 Cattle Egrets at Stanwick being the highlights.

My birds of the day were a pair of Hobbies which were calling and displaying over my head as I sat across the fields watching the world go by. They were absolutely fantastic to watch.                                      I understand that there have been good numbers of Hobby showing well at Summer Leys and I have seen some amazing pictures of these birds posted on other sites.   The Nene Valley is always a good place to watch these birds. At Thrapston today Eric counted 11 Hobby as well as a pair of Egyptian Geese, 2 Cuckoo and a Nightingale.

Kenny had a short but productive ringing session at Linford Lakes Reserve where he caught 43 birds of 16 species.  Warblers made up the bulk of the catch with 7 species. Garden Warblers were out in force with 10 birds including a returning bird from 2019. Other warblers included Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Blackcap,Sedge, Reed and Willow Warbler. But the star bird was an adult female Cuckoo and there were two further singing males on the reserve.

Regards Eleanor

Ringing images from the week-end

Hello

A few ringing images from the week-end...

Regards

Neil M

Magpie.

Adult male Starling.

Adult male Pied Wagtail.

Reed Warbler.

Swallow.

All above images and video
footage courtesy of Lewis Aaron.

Willow Warbler courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Adult female Cuckoo
courtesy of Kenny Cramer. 
The second bird to be trapped
and processed at Linford Lakes
this year.

Although I have been out and about I have seen very little. It would seem that things have gone quiet.  The Cattle Egret remains at Pitsford Reservoir and the only other bird of note reported was a Marsh Harrier at Polebrook Airfield.

Neil undertook a ringing session at Brixworth today. 58 birds were processed including 3 retraps, a Reed Warbler and Swallow from 2019. I wonder how many miles these birds have travelled during this time.  The other retrap was a local blackbird.      Only 7 species of bird at this session, Magpie, Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler, Pied Wagtail, Blackbird, Starling and Swallow.

Regards Eleanor

End of week sightings

Hello

A grey and damp Common Bird Census was completed on the reserve at Pitsford Reservoir where there were reasonable numbers of warblers with Garden Warblers the last ones in. A Little Egret was in the Scaldwell Bay and the Cattle Egret was between the causeway and Maytrees Hide and a Hobby was by the Fishing Lodge but on the bird front it was otherwise pretty staid. Muntjac Deer proliferated all the way around the reserve and an Otter was briefly visible running along a meadow in the Scaldwell Bay at about 10.30am. Amongst the moths caught in the moth trap today was a super Lime Hawk-moth.

Three Hobbies were seen hawking over Town Lake at Thrapston Pits this morning where there was also a Cuckoo and the Nightingale was singing by the bridge to the Titchmarsh LNR. Three more Hobbies were over the south east corner of Clifford Hill Pits and a Turnstone was reported on the north side of the barrage.

A Knot was seen near Lilbourne on the A5 roadside pools.

A second camera trap video from John Boland features Otters!

Regards

Neil M

You may require x ray vision to
make them out but these images
depict a Swift in a nestbox affixed 
to John Hunt's house in Spratton.
A pair have returned to the usual box
but the exciting news is that two further birds
have been spending time in a new box.
It seems the new pair had a bit of an
argument but hopefully they'll make up
and perhaps be a second successful pair.
Images courtesy of John Hunt.

Lapwing courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Cock Linnet courtesy
of Nathan Jones.

More owls and waders and a Fox

Hello

A revisit to Pitsford Reservoir to check more of the big bird boxes provided another recapture of an adult female Tawny Owl first ringed in March 2019. She had just one owlet she was caring for and this was ringed and they were both placed back in their box.

The Cattle Egret was still on-site today although becoming a little more mobile and spending some time on the banks south of the causeway. A Kingfisher and a Redpoll were the only other birds of note reported.

Eleanor's walk around Sywell Country Park provided a Redshank on one of the tern rafts, a Common Sandpiper, a Cetti's Warbler, a Grey Wagtail and a Spotted Flycatcher.

Thrapston Pits continues to hang on to at least two Cuckoos, a Common Sandpiper, a Hobby, three Oystercatchers and a pair of Egyptian Geese. The Hobbies continued to enthrall at Summer Leys LNR where the Spotted Redshank was still present and Clifford Hill Pits continues to entertain three Whimbrel plus a Turnstone and a Caspian Gull.

The excellent scrape-like pools alongside the A5 between Lilbourne village and the DIRFT complex attracted a Knot, a Sanderling, two Caspian Gulls and two Shelduck today with the adjacent Wildlife Trust reserve at Lilbourne Meadows making provision for a Dunlin, two Ringed Plovers and five Little Ringed Plovers.

Featured below is some trail camera video footage of the first of a couple of Northamptonshire mammals courtesy of John Boland.

Regards

Neil M

Today's Tawny Owl and her
chick at Pitsford Reservoir
courtesy of Pete Gilbert.

Cattle Egret in flight at
Pitsford Reservoir today
courtesy of Dave Jackson.

Hobby courtesy of
Robin Gossage.