Winter weather birds.

Hello

Yesterday's (Tuesday) foray to Harrington Airfield yielded c200 Bramblings, c25 Golden Plovers, a Redpoll, a few Siskins and four Woodcock.

At Stanwick Pits two Cattle Egrets were seen in flight over the complex and c100 Pied Wagtails was a decent-sized roost or pre-roost around the Visitors Centre.

The Dark-bellied Brent Goose was again at Clifford Hill Pits plus two Goosanders, two Ravens and a Ring-necked Parakeet. The two Smew were still at Ringstead Pits.

Today (Wednesday) and the Brent Goose was still at Clifford Hill Pits but the Smew were not to be found at Ringstead Pits but there were five Cattle Egrets and a Great White Egret there. Twelve Goosanders at Sulby Reservoir today was a good early winter count. Again a Caspian Gull was seen for a short time at Hollowell Reservoir and the regular Barn Owl has continued to show the last few afternoons in the Brampton Valley Way below Hanging Houghton.

At Harrington Airfield today the Brambling flock seemed to be much-reduced to about seventy birds (six birds caught and ringed), and there were c50 Golden Plovers but the only visible migration seemed to be restricted to winter thrushes and Starlings.

Regards

Neil M

Pied Wagtail courtesy
of John Tilly.

Brambling today at Harrington
Airfield courtesy of Lewis Aaron.

Goosander.

The wonderful Red Kite

Hello

Perhaps not surprisingly my first venue of choice this morning was Harrington Airfield with another bucket of mixed seed. A large number of finches were again present but well spread and difficult to count but there were a minimum of two hundred mobile and noisy Bramblings which at times showed very closely in the hawthorns. Good numbers of Greenfinches, Linnets and Chaffinches were also present with smaller numbers of Goldfinches and Siskins. Not surprisingly plenty of birders were on-site today to see the spectacle and a Ring Ouzel was reported amongst the plentiful winter thrushes. Please note that a period of bird ringing is planned for the bunker area on Wednesday this week and access will be restricted - the concrete track will be unaffected.

My next venue was East Carlton Country Park which was full of autumn colour and standard birds included Raven, Nuthatch, Marsh Tit, Grey Wagtail and Siskin.

On next to the Welland Valley and below Cottingham the more interesting birds in this under-watched valley included three Egyptian Geese, two Little Egrets and plenty of Red Kites, corvids and winter thrushes. Gretton Weir was quieter and the lack of recent rains means the valley is currently very dry and with no standing water. Another twenty Red Kites were gleaning the valley fields between Harringworth and Wakerley and the car park at Wakerley Wood seemed very quiet with just several vocal Siskins of note.

Fineshade Top Lodge attracted plenty of common birds plus a Grey Wagtail, a Redpoll, a Brambling and a few Siskins and Blatherwycke Lake just down the road held two Kingfishers, four Little Egrets, two Black Swans, forty Mandarin Ducks, four Egyptian Geese and more Siskins. A quick scan over Deene Lake provided two Shelduck.

My last venue was Laxton village and the traditional Red Kite gathering and roost. A sizeable flock of finches here contained an unknown number of Bramblings late afternoon but the Red Kites are the main attraction here with about a hundred birds gathered together (this number should increase as the winter progresses). These amazing raptors interact with each other right overhead and the noise is almost deafening!

Small numbers of Brambling were at Blueberry Farm this morning and a Barn Owl was again hunting the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton. Four Bramblings were feeding in our garden this afternoon.

The Pink-footed Goose had moved from Hollowell to Ravensthorpe Reservoir today and a Great White Egret was also at Ravensthorpe. Birds for Hollowell Reservoir included a Caspian Gull, three Great White Egrets and two Stonechats.

At Pitsford Reservoir today there were two Stonechats below the dam and north of the causeway birds included the Wood Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, thirteen Pintail, fourteen Red-crested Pochard, seventeen Great White Egrets and a Yellow-legged Gull.

Birds at Stanford Reservoir today included a Caspian Gull, an Egyptian Goose, seven Goosanders and a Pintail and the two Smew remain at Ringstead Pits on Brightwells Lake.

Regards

Neil M

East Carlton Country Park.

There are several examples
of European Spindle Tree at
East Carlton CP.

The Welland Valley 
below Cottingham.

Common Buzzard.

Red Kites.
All images taken today.

Brambling invasion

Hello

A visit to Harrington Airfield this morning was pretty special. Cooler temperatures and a gentle breeze with periods of cloud and sunshine was the setting and Woodpigeons and Stock Doves were on the move coming south and a couple of hundred feet above, at least until a female Peregrine climbed up to meet them and caused some flocks to divert.

Passerines were initially few in number but as I walked towards the bunker bushes the calls of Bramblings, lots of them, permeated through the cool air. About thirty flew up from the ringing ride next to Bunker One and perhaps another thirty were in bushes between there and Bunker Two with eighty moving around the bushes between Bunkers Two and Three. An unseen raptor spooked these birds which hurtled towards the concrete track and a large flock of finches erupted from the bushes behind me made up predominately of Bramblings, Greenfinches and Chaffinches. Together with a good number of Redwings and Fieldfares, the finches circulated around the complex with flocks settling and permitting some more accurate counting. On the walk back approximately a hundred Bramblings were feeding in the Bunker One ringing ride again. I estimated in total about three hundred Bramblings and about a hundred each of Greenfinch and Chaffinch plus fifty Linnets and ten Siskins.

Eleanor visited afterwards and saw similar numbers but also saw a 'ringtail' Hen Harrier flying from the shooting wall down towards the Brampton Valley.

A Barn Owl was hunting the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon with small numbers of mobile Siskins and Bramblings.

At Pitsford Reservoir today the birds in the Scaldwell Bay included the Wood Sandpiper still plus a Green Sandpiper, sixteen Red-crested Pochard, thirteen Pintail, sixteen Great White Egrets and an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

The pair of Smew were still in situ at Ringstead Pits today but with an absence of Cattle Egrets and at Earls Barton Pits there were two Green Sandpipers and a Common Snipe at the New Workings plus a Stonechat.

Six Redpolls were caught and ringed at Braunston this morning and other finches present included one hundred and sixty Linnets and several Bramblings.

Regards

Neil M

Shovelers.

Teal.

Drake Red-crested Pochard.

All images from Pitsford Reservoir
last week courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Saturday's ringing

Hello

The dull, mild conditions promulgated ringing sessions at Linford Lakes and Scotland Wood (Kelmarsh Estate) this morning.

Kenny and Keith's efforts at Linford Lakes provided quality captures in the form of three Chiffchaffs, seven Redwings, four Goldfinches, two Goldcrests, a Siskin and a Kingfisher plus more common fare.

At Scotland Wood we watched Woodcock flying into the wood pre-dawn from their night-time forays and processed about ninety-one small birds of fourteen species which included two Blackbirds, just a single Redwing, fourteen Goldcrests, a Blackcap, sixteen Coal Tits, three Marsh Tits, a Treecreeper, a Nuthatch and two male Lesser Redpolls. Small numbers of Siskins were in the wood. One of the Marsh Tits was an old bird first ringed in December 2014 and not recorded since 2018 and is at least seven years old (the national longevity record is eleven years three months).

At Pitsford Reservoir this morning the Wood Sandpiper was still present in the Scaldwell Bay and there were at least fourteen Great White Egrets and fifteen Red-crested Pochard. This afternoon extra birds included a Barnacle Goose and a drake Mandarin Duck with the goose flock plus a few Siskins, a Brambling and a roost flock of approximately two thousand Jackdaws.

Two Woodcock and a scattering of Bramblings were at Blueberry Farm this morning plus a Barn Owl in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and at least one Brambling in the village.

Birds visible at Sywell Country Park included 400 - 500 Golden Plovers and a Stonechat, the two Smew were still at Ringstead Pits, two drake Goosanders were on Eastfield Park Lake, Northampton and the Dark-bellied Brent Goose was again reported from Clifford Hill Pits.

Let's see what the cooler temperatures and clear skies provides for us!

Regards

Neil M

Chiffchaff courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

Goldfinch courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Treecreeper courtesy of
Lewis Aaron.

Male Lesser Redpoll
courtesy of Lewis Aaron.

Fishing at Pitsford

Hello

At Harrington Airfield this morning there were still plenty of Bramblings, probably around the fifty mark, and spread over the complex. Other birds included a Woodcock, two Ravens and 15 Siskins and a high-flying flock of c100 Golden Plovers. At Kelmarsh Hall a Kingfisher was seen and there was a Grey Wagtail and c20 Siskins with 12 Siskins, a Redpoll and c10 Bramblings at nearby Scotland Wood. A few Siskins and a Raven were at Hanging Houghton.

At Sywell Country Park today there were two Cetti's Warblers, over a hundred Siskins, a Water Rail, a Kingfisher and c400 flying Golden Plovers. Birds at Pitsford Reservoir amounted to a Wood Sandpiper, thirteen Great White Egrets and unspecified numbers of Pintail and Red-crested Pochard, mostly in the Scaldwell Bay.

A pair of Smew was a good find at Brightwells Lake at Ringstead Pits today with eight Cattle Egrets at nearby Kinewell Lake.

The birds at Hollowell Reservoir included a third winter Caspian Gull plus the Pink-footed Goose, five Great White Egrets, eleven Little Egrets, four Stonechats and five Siskins.

Regards

Neil M

A Cormorant dispatches a Pike.

A Great Crested Grebe
trying to swallow a Tench.
It's a tough life being a fish!

Great White Egrets.

All images taken at Pitsford Reservoir
 this week and courtesy of Robin Gossage

Last of the mild weather

Hello

A fairly quiet day for birds in the county today, and yet another day when I didn't have time to contribute anything!

The conditions at Pitsford Reservoir remain favourable for the long-staying Wood Sandpiper, two Green Sandpipers, sixteen Pintail, twelve Red-crested Pochard and fourteen Great White Egrets, mostly centred around the Scaldwell Bay.

Nick Parker counted forty-seven Mandarin Ducks at Blatherwycke Lake this morning and Hollowell Reservoir hung on to it's Pink-footed Goose (this species is now becoming a regular visitor to the county in small numbers), four Great White Egrets, four Stonechats, four Bramblings and a Chiffchaff with two Jack Snipe encountered near Ravensthorpe. A small flock of Bramblings were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning.

With colder weather arriving overnight Saturday into Sunday it is likely to prompt fresh arrivals from the north and east with thrushes, Woodpigeons, waterfowl and finches likely to fluctuate as they are pushed out of northern Europe.

Regards

Neil M

Coal Tit.

Fieldfare.

Redwing.

Goldeneye courtesy of
Phil Davies.

Mid-November birding

Hello

Very little opportunity for birding during the last couple of days but efforts from others shows there are fresh birds out there.

Yesterday (16th) birds noted at Summer Leys LNR included two Ruff, at least two Snipe and two Great White Egrets. A flock of 400 - 450 Golden Plovers were also circulating over Thrapston Pits (presumed from nearby fields) and a day-time Siskin migration was evident.

At Ringstead Pits the flock of Cattle Egrets reached the dizzy heights of sixteen birds and there were six Great White Egrets and eight Little Egrets too.

Two Woodcock were seen at Harrington Airfield and the flock of Bramblings remained close to the shooting wall next to the concrete track. Three Red-crested Pochard were at Stanford Reservoir where a Brambling was caught and ringed.

Today (17th) and an early morning Ring Ouzel was with other thrushes near to the large barn in the Brampton Valley Way below Hanging Houghton but it moved off with the mobile thrush flock. Eight Bramblings were also present with a larger flock of at least twenty more at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell together with two Woodcock.

Three Hawfinches were reportedly next to the gatehouse at Lilford Park this afternoon, a once traditional site for these big finches.

A Dark-bellied Brent Goose was a good find at Clifford Hill Pits this morning and the flock of at least thirty Bramblings remained at Harrington Airfield. This evening there was a hunting Barn Owl in the Brampton Valley Way below Hanging Houghton and a couple of Grey Partridges were very vocal.

A Scaup was at Daventry Country Park and at least twelve Cattle Egrets were still in paddocks north east of Kinewell Lake.

Regards

Neil M

Harrington Bramblings.

Fire Rainbow.
All images courtesy
of Jim Dunkley.

Pitsford WeBs count

Hello

The Pitsford WeBs count was completed today in mild, pleasant weather which even brought forth a nectaring Red Admiral and dragonflies and damselflies. The Wood Sandpiper was still present, initially in the Walgrave Bay and later in the Scaldwell Bay, plus three Green Sandpipers, fifty-five Snipe and a Dunlin. The number of Great White Egrets present was difficult to count and at different times there were nine in the Scaldwell Bay, three in the Walgrave Bay, one in the Middle Section, five in the Holcot Bay and one south of the causeway. These birds were mostly sedentary but the mobile individuals make it difficult to be sure of the exact number but somewhere between 16 and 20 which is a site record. Twenty-five Little Egrets were also on-site as were fifteen Red-crested Pochard, fifteen Pintail, a Water Rail, two Kingfishers, two Chiffchaffs, a dozen Bramblings and small numbers of Siskins.

Harrington Airfield this afternoon was hanging on to at least fifty Bramblings and a few hundred Redwings and Kinewell Lake at Ringstead Pits harboured seven Cattle Egrets, five Great White Egrets and seventy-three Pochard. Martin Izzard saw a Merlin zoom over Harlestone Lake this morning.

At Hollowell Reservoir a Pink-footed Goose was present plus three Great White Egrets and four Stonechats.

Regards

Neil M

Little Egret.

Great White Egret.

Birds of a grey Sunday

Hello

Members of the Northants Ringing Group were busy today with Kenny and Keith operating at Linford Lakes and John Woollett and team working the area around a new bird feeding station at Stortons Pits.

At Linford eighteen Redwings hit the nets as did two Blackbirds, a Cetti's Warbler, a Lesser Redpoll, a Blue Tit and a colourful Kingfisher. Other birds noted included two Great White Egrets and twenty Little Egrets. At Stortons Pits the catch totaled a huge ninety-six birds with the humble but successful Blue Tit making up the bulk of the catch. However other birds included ten Goldfinches, seven Lesser Redpolls, seven Greenfinches, a Cetti's Warbler, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Song Thrush and two Blackbirds. It seems the birds like the new feeding station which has been attracting Jays recently too.

At Pitsford Reservoir today the Wood Sandpiper was still in the Scaldwell Bay as was eight Great White Egrets, fifteen Red-crested Pochard, ten plus Pintail and two Woodcock. A flock of twenty Bramblings were in the Walgrave Bay near to Christies Copse (by seat 10) as was a Great White Egret, a Raven, a few Siskins, and Kingfisher with an adult Yellow-legged Gull by the dam.

Thrapston Pits attracted a Peregrine, four Stonechats and four Great White Egrets with the beginning of a Starling roost too. Ringstead Pits recorded a Raven, eleven Cattle Egrets and an excellent nine Great White Egrets. The Bittern showed again at Summer Leys LNR this morning and the growing Starling roost there this afternoon attracted a Peregrine.

Away from the Nene Valley there were still Bramblings and two Woodcock at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell, and Hinton Airfield in the south of the county attracted about seventy-five Golden Plovers, a flock of at least two hundred and fifty Linnets and a couple of Bramblings. A Goosander was at Abington Park, Northampton this morning and birds at Sywell Country Park included two hundred and eighty Golden Plovers and a Stonechat. A couple of Bramblings were in Hanging Houghton village and about thirty Siskins were at Lamport Hall.

Stanford Reservoir's birds were similar to yesterday with a Pink-footed Goose, a Richardson's Cackling Goose, an Egyptian Goose, a Water Rail, a Cetti's Warbler, a Siskin, a Kingfisher and a Chiffchaff.

Regards

Neil M

Kingfisher.

Lesser Redpoll.

Cetti's Warbler.
All images courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

 

Yet more Bramblings

Hello

A ringing session took place at Harrington Airfield this morning, the third in a week. We added more thrushes to the total including the first Fieldfare capture of the autumn, another Brambling, another Blackcap and small numbers of typical species of this habitat. I am used to seeing flocks of birds on migration at this high plateau but didn't expect to see what appeared to be a pure flock of about fifty Bramblings flying in from the north at 7.20am. Calling noisily they circled the complex and clearly had their eyes on the sunflower crop down by the concrete track. During the course of the morning, small flocks of Brambling continually flew around us, presumably splinters from the original flock. However at about 10am I counted about sixty Bramblings flying together, probably one of the biggest flocks I have seen in Northants. A Peregrine flew over at low level and other birds passing over and/or landing included a Grey Wagtail, a Raven, a Redpoll and small numbers of Siskins with a flock of about thirty-five Golden Plovers spending much of the day there.

Bramblings were scattered in hedgerows in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell. A few were coming down with Chaffinches to scattered seed by the big barn in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

At Pitsford Reservoir the Otter again put in an appearance in the Scaldwell Bay and lingering birds included the Wood Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, a Water Rail, fifteen Red-crested Pochard, two drake Goosanders, at least nine Pintail, seven Great White Egrets and fifteen Little Egrets.

A Green Sandpiper and Grey Wagtails were at the small sewer treatment works at Ashton today and the impressive egret roost count at Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits this afternoon again included fourteen Cattle Egrets and six Great White Egrets.

Birds at Stanford Reservoir today included a Pink-footed Goose, an Egyptian Goose, three Red-crested Pochard, a Pintail, five Ravens, two Water Rails, two Kingfishers, four Cetti's Warblers, six Lesser Redpolls and twelve Siskins.

Regards

Neil M

Redwing courtesy of
Lewis Aaron.

First year male Brambling
courtesy of Lewis Aaron.

Lots of egrets and another Hen Harrier.

Hello

Limited opportunities for birding for either of us today but thankfully others were out there seeing a few things. An adult male Hen Harrier was seen well and photographed at Earls Barton Pits today, mostly around the Summer Leys LNR and was wearing a transmitter and is apparently a British-breeding bird from northern England. Hopefully we will find out a little more of the history of this bird made all the easier with modern technology!

Harrington Airfield seemed quiet today but there was still a handful of Bramblings in the bushes between the bunkers. At Kelmarsh Hall this afternoon a Woodcock was seen, a Kingfisher heard and there were about thirty Siskins in the alders.

An Otter again showed in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this morning and the Wood Sandpiper remains in situ together with two Green Sandpipers, fifteen Red-crested Pochard, fourteen Pintail at least six Great White Egrets and sixteen Little Egrets.

Two Great White Egrets were at Thrapston Pits this morning and a single Stonechat was seen too. An excellent fourteen Cattle Egrets and six Great White Egrets flew to roost at Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits this afternoon. Two Stonechats and a Green Sandpiper were at Upton Country Park on the west side of Northampton this morning. A Caspian Gull was at Daventry Country Park this morning and the Pink-footed Goose remains at Stanford Reservoir.

Regards

Neil M

Great White Egret courtesy
of John Tilly.

Avocets and Redshank
courtesy of John Tilly.

Female Pintail.

Drake Pintail.