Hello
I'm just in from completing two Naturetrek tours in Iceland supporting Dave Jackson as we circumnavigated around a fair amount of this amazing island and it's wildlife...a few images for starters!
Regards
Neil M
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| Glacier landscape. |
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| Puffin. |
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| Fulmar. |
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| Pink-footed Goose. |
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| Slavonian Grebe. |
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| Ptarmigan. |
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| Red-necked Phalarope |
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| Cathedral at Reykjavik. |
It has been an extremely quiet week for birds in the county, although this is only to be expected as the bulk of the spring migration is over and our birds are busy breeding. My best bird of the week was a male Common Redstart found on one of my numerous visits to Harrington Airfield in my quest for a particular species which I failed to find. Our garden has been full of young Starlings, which are both entertaining and noisy. I don't think that we are popular with the neighbours as the Starlings arrive in the garden at first light and always wake me up. I certainly do not need an alarm clock but it would be nice to have a lie in !! Whilst watching the antics of the young Starlings as they were running around from adult to adult begging for food I saw one being fed by a male Blackbird which was trying to find food for his own young. I suspect that the Blackbird either fed the Starling by mistake or just got fed up with it pestering it for food and he just rammed it in the open beak to keep it quiet.
At this time of year many birders turn their attention to butterflies and there are plenty species around at the moment. Brimstone, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Common Blue, Orange Tip , Brown Argus and Small Copper have all been recorded this week. One lucky person managed 5 species of Skipper, Small, dingy,grizzled, large and chequered at Westhay Wood which is part of the Fineshade complex. There are guided walks each day to view the Chequered Skipper. The walks leave the visitor centre at Fineshade 11am and this is the recommended way to view these rather smart butterflies.
Regards Eleanor
Hello
Kenny Cramer and team have completed a couple of ringing sessions at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes this month, netting a variety of interesting birds for conservation and scientific purposes.
On the 14th May fifty-four birds included seven Blackcaps, five Garden Warblers, twelve Reed Warblers, four Sedge Warblers and singles of Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. A Cuckoo was also caught and ringed as was a Carrion Crow which are rarely caught during such sessions.
On the 22nd May some forty-five birds were processed which included sixteen Reed Warblers, three Garden Warblers, two Blackcaps and two more Cuckoos!
Regards
Neil M
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| Garden Warbler. |
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| Carrion Crow. |
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| Cuckoo. All images courtesy of Kenny Cramer. |
Whilst preparing lunch today my attention focused on the bird box in my garden hedge, there is a well-developed brood of Great Tits in it. I have been concerned about them as the local Jays have been showing a great deal of interest in them, so far to no avail. The arrival of a large bird had me reaching for my binoculars for a better view. To my surprise the intruder was a female Blackbird with a beak full of what appeared to be worms. She repeatedly pushed her head into the nest box, once whilst both parents were inside. This behaviour went on all afternoon without any sign of the nestlings taking any of the proffered food. The adult Great Tits showed no concern regarding the Blackbird’s behaviour and continued to feed the young as normal.
It’s fascinating to watch but impossible to divine what the Blackbird’s reasons are.
Has anybody else come across this sort of behaviour?
The video was all phonescoped from a bedroom window without disturbing the birds.
Regards,
Neil H.
Yesterday (Saturday) had me heading over to Pitsford to look for the Black-necked Grebes. They had been seen this morning having been discovered on Friday evening.
After scanning from the Old Scaldwell Road feed station area and spotting the birds performing in front of the James Fisher hide I headed off in their direction for a better view. As frequently happens I got distracted on the way, initially by the small white flowers of Pignut in amongst the buttercups and clover.
Pignut equals Chimney Sweeper moths and so I started hunting around for them. After a few minutes I spotted one and attempted to photograph it to no avail. Despite several moths being present not one landed. After about 20 mins of this I returned to my original quest and headed off to the JF hide.
Distraction 2 was a singing Whitethroat in one of the bankside trees. I decided to try and phonescope it to see if it was possible to catch the song at relatively long range. It seems the answer is yes, although it’s not the clearest recording.
Finally arriving at the JF hide I watched the Black-necked Grebes diving and resting just off the bund for some time. It’s hard to beat one of these stunning summer plumaged birds for ‘showiness’.
Neil H
It has been a strange sort of day where my birding was likely to have been non existent due to other commitments. However when I opened the curtains this morning the first bird which I saw and heard was a Spotted Flycatcher sitting on a post next to the pond. I thought that I was dreaming but it stayed around the garden for most of the day and interestingly another Spotted Flycatcher visited another garden in the village. I wonder if they knew of each others presence?. I managed a very brief visit to Pitsford Reservoir and caught up with the 2 Black Necked Grebes which are such super birds to see at this time of year. Not much else of note, just lots of very noisy Black Headed Gulls which have successfully bred on the tern rafts. The poor Common Terns have no chance of getting onto these rafts this year.
When I returned home late this afternoon I had a dilemma, a desperately needed cup of tea or take my old crocs out for a walk? In the end my old crocs won me over and as they seemed quite lively for them I decided to take them across the fields, albeit slowly. As we came back I picked Bobbie up to carry her the last bit as I desperately needed that cuppa. I heard a very quiet alarm call from a Blue Tit and automatically looked up and saw a raptor coming over. Poor Bobbie nearly got dropped as I knew by it's distinctive jizz of longer wings, longer broad tail pinched in wing base giving a S shape and slim neck with a protruding head what the bird was, a Honey Buzzard . Luckily as I had taken the crocs across the fields I had also taken my binoculars and I had a good look at the birds. It had a pale grey head, pale underbody and distinctive dark oval wrist patches which would suggest a male bird. I couldn't believe it and was so glad that I hadn't sat down and had a cup of tea before taking the crocs out for a walk.
After tea it was the turn of my young collies to go out so I went up to Harrington Airfield. It was a lovely evening and we just took a very slow amble as I was looking for a specific species, but no sign. It was whilst I sat around the bunkers enjoying the peace and tranquility, the only sound being the birdsong, that I had a Marsh Harrier fly over and as far as I could tell it kept on flying towards the A14. A good day for raptors in the county as I understand that a White Tailed Eagle was seen at junction 15a of the M1. So someone else was also in the right place at the right time.
Regards Eleanor
It seems to have been a much quieter week in the county with very few new birds. A couple of Black Necked Grebes turned up at Stanwick yesterday and I presume that the same two appeared at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon. I caught up with them yesterday as I happened to be in that part of the county and they looked resplendent with their golden ear tufts. I still haven't managed to visit DIRFT3 but others have as it is still attracting a good variety of waders including Grey Plover, Dunlin and over 20 Ringed Plovers. There seem to be good numbers of Hobby, Cuckoo and Swifts getting about now. Of course there are plenty of fledglings making themselves known. Our garden is alive with young Starlings who are extremely vocal and very comical to watch. Although I really enjoy watching them and laughing at their antics they have attracted some unwanted attention from the local Crows and Sparrowhawk and several have met a grisly end. Surprisingly we still have good numbers of Yellowhammers visiting the garden daily.
Have a good weekend. Regards Eleanor
Goodness knows where this week has gone to ?!. However for various reasons my birding has been limited and having no internet has been quite frustrating not being able to keep in touch.
This morning I went for an early morning run before anyone else was up and about. A beautiful Barn Owl sat on a post at Blueberry totally oblivious to my presence as it gazed intently into the grass. As I ran through Cottesbrooke village there was at least one Spotted Flycatcher and a further one just outside the village at the old Beck Dairy. Then this evening whilst walking my old crocs through the village there was another Spotted Flycatcher, fingers crossed that it is going to be a good year for these lovely birds. I visited Harrington Airfield this afternoon coincide with the end of a shower of rain in the hope that some birds may have been grounded. But no matter how hard I tried I simply couldn't find anything, it was barren!!!! However yesterday an unexpected Short-eared Owl was flushed at bunker one.
Bird news over the weekend has been a bit sparse. For many the weekend starts on Friday and there were a few birds around on that day. Two drake Red Crested Pochard at Stanford Reservoir, Turnstone, Bar Tailed Godwits and Dunlin at Pitsford Reservoir, Turnstone at Lilbourne meadows, Sanderling, Cattle Egret and Shelduck at Summer Leys and the Glossy Ibis at Stanwick. But undoubtedly bird of the weekend and indeed bird of the day was a Honey Buzzard at Byfield. Although it wasn't seen again after the initial sighting it is possible that it could still be in the area or further afield in the county as it drifts around on it's migration journey. So keep your eyes peeled.
Regards Eleanor
I cannot believe that it is mid week already, I just feel as if the last few days have passed me by without stopping!!!! I have been out and about but haven't seen many good birds. Harrington Airfield seems to be going through one of it's extremely quiet patches. Pitsford Reservoir too has been quiet with only 2 Bar tailed Godwits remaining in the Scaldwell bay. Today I walked around Sywell CP and apart from a very vocal and showy Cetti's Warbler and several Sedge Warblers it was quiet. It sounds like I should have ventured further down the road to Summer Leys as a Pectoral Sandpiper turned up there this afternoon and appeared to be keeping company with several other waders including Ruff, Dunlin, Ringed Plovers and Common Sandpiper. Nearby at Clifford Hill were Ringed Plovers and Dunlin and a Sanderling at Stanwick. The long standing Glossy Ibis is still at Stanwick GP along with 4 Cattle Egrets and the wandering White Stork was again at Barnwell on the floodwater. But well away from the Nene Valley at DIRFT3 there were a staggering 46 Ringed Plovers, 5 Sanderlings and 5 Dunlin. This is an area which I have personally never visited but I may have to seriously think about having a recce over there. Watch this space!!....
Regards Eleanor
After a busy day yesterday it was a much more relaxed and quiet day for me and the dogs. I started with an early morning wander around Blueberry and enjoyed a beautiful sunrise whilst being serenaded by Skylarks, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Dunnocks to name but a few. There was no one else up and about so I felt as if I was their captive audience, not that I minded as the perfect way to start my day. As I sat at the highest point of Blueberry enjoying the view and planning my day my thoughts were interrupted by the evocative call of a couple of Whimbrel which flew over and headed towards Pitsford Reservoir.
I managed to fit in a visit to the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir. Plenty of birds around especially Black Headed Gulls and Common Terns. The noise from the gulls was quite deafening as they argued amongst each other for prime positions on the Tern rafts. They appear to have completely taken over the Tern rafts leaving nowhere for the Common Terns to nest. The Common Terns were sitting on the muddy shoreline as that was the only place available to them. Also on the shoreline were 3 Bar Tailed Godwits, a Sanderling, Oystercatcher and 2 Common Sandpipers. A nice surprise was a Black Tern at the mouth of the bay
The only other birds of note today were a Hobby over the house this afternoon and I came across a Spotted Flycatcher in the village whilst walking my old crocs.
Kenny Cramer had an interesting ringing session at Linford Lake yesterday. A modest 34 birds caught of 15 species and 15 new birds. Reed Warblers were top of the list with 11 birds processed, most of which were returning birds from the past couple of years. Other warblers included 2 Sedge, Cettis, Blackcap and 3 Chiffchaff, one of which had been ringed as an adult back in 2018 making it at least 5 years old. Quite remarkable for a small delicate bird and I wonder how many miles it has flown during this time. Other birds of interest caught were a pair of Kingfishers, a new Water Rail which was a surprise and the star bird , a smart male Cuckoo which was was the first for this year and the 23rd to be ringed at this site.
Regards Eleanor
A successful day for me involving the White Stork and agility!! I headed towards Peterborough early this morning and my route took me along the A605 . Luckily I was able to pull off the road near Barnwell to check the small flooded meadow adjacent to the lock. The first bird I saw was the White Stork feeding ,pottering about and looking very much at home. I thought to myself that it didn't look out of place at all. I know that this bird has been giving folk run around, myself included so I was delighted to finally catch up with it. I spent most of the day competing at an agility competition near Peterborough with my two young collies Jaeger and Rouzel. They had both done fairly well but on his last run of the day Jaeger was awesome and a lovely clear round and second place, beaten by 1 second by the winning dog. So a successful time for me. On my way home I checked the fields around Hemington and Polebrook but all seemed quiet, my luck had run out!!
It would seem that all the action has been in the Nene Valley again with a couple of mobile Avocets being seen at Stanwick, Clifford Hill, Summer Leys and finally they appeared to have settled at Ditchford.
Yesterday I walked around Sywell CP but it was very quiet. A few Common Terns are nesting on the Tern raft, a Cettis warbler was very vocal and several Sedge Warbler were very showy. Harrington Airfield was extremely quiet, in fact there were more birds in our garden than on the airfield. I counted 6 Yellowhammers and 2 Reed Buntings plus young Song Thrush and Blackbirds in the garden.
Regards Eleanor
It would seem that the Nene Valley has been the place to be over the past few days with a good variety of Waders and Terns lingering or flying through on passage. Traditionally this area far surpasses the woodlands and reservoirs and this year has been no exception.
On Monday there were Turnstones, Dunlin Ruff and Bar Tailed Godwits at Clifford Hill, Dunlin, Whimbrel and Common Sandpiper at Titchmarsh . Yesterday sounded like an amazing day in the Nene Valley with Bar Tailed Godwits, Ruff, Dunlin and 3 rather splendid Spotted Redshank at Summer Leys/Hardwater crossing. Ringed Plovers, Dunlin and Common Sandpipers at Clifford Hill and 3 Turnstone at Stanwick. But the Terns stole the show yesterday with Little Tern at Ditchford, Sandwich Terns at Stanwick, Arctic Terns at Summer Leys, Clifford Hill, Ringstead and Stanwick. Outside the Nene Valley there were a few Black Terns at Boddington Reservoir. Today there has been Wood Sandpiper at Summer Leys and Lilbourne Meadows, Sanderling at DIRFT3 and Black Tailed Godwits at Pitsford Reservoir, Hardwater Crossing and Ditchford.
The long standing Glossy Ibis remains at Stanwick along with Cattle and Great White Egrets, Garganey at Summer Leys and Titchmarsh, Mediterranean Gulls at Summer Leys and Female Ring Ouzel at Honey Hill. Quite a few Northern Wheatear recorded around the county. I bumped into 2 males at Harrington Airfield this morning but otherwise it was very quiet there. A few Whinchat have been moving through at Hollowell, Corby and Elkington, always a very smart looking bird.
Tonight the Northamptonshire Bird Club will be meeting at the fishing lodge, Pitsford Reservoir. This will be our first indoor meeting since 2020 !!!. We will be meeting at 7.30pm where club member Jeff Blincow will be presenting a talk on "The Wildlife of Finmark", the most northerly and easterly part of Norway. Jeff is an excellent speaker and photographer so I think that we will be in for a treat. Tea/coffee/ biscuits available. We look forward to welcoming back our members and any visitors. Everyone is very welcome to come along.
Regards Eleanor
Hello
We have details now of a series of ringing recoveries associated with the activities of Northants Ringing Group members as follows:-
1. A juvenile Robin ringed at Pitsford Reservoir on 8th September 2021 was found dead in Earls Barton on or about 27th April this year, this bird moving 13km in a south easterly direction post ringing. Two hundred and thirty-one days had elapsed between the two records;
2. A young Magpie was ringed at Brixworth on 3rd August last year and was destroyed near Lamport on or about 10th April this year 'for Nature Protection', this bird moving 3km from where first ringed and displacing in a north-easterly direction before it's demise two hundred and fifty days later;
3. A first year Redwing was caught and ringed at Harrington Airfield on 12th December 2021 and was found dead as a suspected road casualty in Norway at Hjellestad, Bergen 129 days later and 952km from where first ringed on or about 20th April 2022. This bird had survived the winter and had headed back in a NNE direction;
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| Redwing movement. |
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| Juvenile Robin courtesy of Chris Payne. |
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| Magpie courtesy of Lewis Aaron. |
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| Redwing courtesy of Lewis Aaron. |
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| Juvenile Coal Tit. |
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| Reed Bunting. |
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| Lesser Redpoll courtesy of Lewis Aaron. |
Hello
I have recently arrived home following an eight day Naturetrek tour in Provence, South France where we were treated to 280 species of plants and flowers, a selection of interesting insects, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and of course over 140 species of bird. I have created an additional Tab or Page on the blog entitled 'Provence in Spring' with an initial selection of images from the trip.
Yesterday (Friday) and it was a Naturetrek day trip to Rectory Farm, Great Easton and the neighbouring Eyebrook Reservoir courtesy of the Johnson family at Eyebrook Wild Bird Foods. In just a few hours we recorded over sixty species of bird, watched several cavorting Brown Hares and listened intently to the principles of successful hand in hand farming and conservation. Lots of raptors included a fishing Osprey and we also encountered Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper, the long-staying summer plumage Slavonian Grebe and a cracking male Whinchat.
Today (Saturday) and Kenny Cramer and team completed some ringing at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes experiencing a hard frost first thing and lovely sunshine later! Fifty-nine birds of eighteen species were processed, twenty-eight of which were newly-ringed. However it was the re-trapped birds that provided the most interest amongst the captures.
Warblers made up the bulk of the birds with three Willows Warblers, three Reed Warblers, seven Sedge Warblers, three Garden Warblers, fifteen Blackcaps, three Cetti's Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Common Whitethroat. Other birds included a Green Woodpecker, three Greenfinches and five Reed Buntings. One of the Blackcaps was a returning bird first ringed in 2019 and captured every year since, a Cetti's Warbler that was first ringed there in 2020 and a control Sedge Warbler first ringed somewhere in the UK as a juvenile in 2016 making it an impressive six years old! One of the Reed Buntings was first ringed there in 2018 and the male Green Woodpecker was a ringed adult bird from way back in 2015 (and hadn't been encountered since) making it at least eight years old.
Other birds noted on-site included three Common Terns and singles of Hobby, Raven, Cuckoo and Barnacle Goose with other wildlife disciplines joining in with three Grass Snakes, two Great Crested Newts, a Common Toad and a probable Hairy Hawker dragonfly.
My brief wanderings today in the county yielded an Arctic Tern off the dam at Pitsford Reservoir this morning and a Wheatear in a small grassy field next to the Brampton Brook below Hanging Houghton this afternoon. The Stanwick Pits Glossy Ibis remains and an Osprey was seen flying high north over Duston, Northampton at lunchtime today. A pair of Ruff were at Summer Leys LNR today, the male displaying to the female, surely a rare sight in the county? A Cuckoo was at nearby Mary's Lake.
Birds at Stanford Reservoir today included a Cuckoo, a White Wagtail, two Curlews over east and a Cetti's Warbler.
Regards
Neil M
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| Sedge Warbler. |
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| Male Green Woodpecker depicting unusual and individually different eye colouration (should normally be a pale iris). |
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| Lesser Whitethroat. |
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| Common Whitethroat. All images courtesy of Kenny Cramer. |
I have been away for a few days indulging in my other passion, agility, although after this weekend I sometimes wonder why I bother!!. But the dogs thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Now I am playing catch up with the birds which have been seen over the last few days. I was aware of the birds around due to the whats app messages and was keeping my fingers crossed that a mega didn't turn up which was quite possible at this time of year. I did manage to miss the White Stork which turned up at Earls Barton on Thursday (21st). When the news broke I was in the middle of something and then when I could go the bird had flown off. Not expecting it to be found again in Northants I went off topping up the feeding stations and didn't realise that it had landed at Stanwick until it was too late. It was seen again at Stanwick the following day before it disappeared. It was a female bird GB46 from the White Stork Project Reintroduction Scheme. If the bird is currently moving about then it might turn up again in the county, so keep your eyes peeled.
It has been a good weekend for the Nene Valley with Little Gulls, Sandwich Terns, Arctic Terns, Whimbrel, Bar Tailed Godwits, Sanderling, Dunlin, Ruff, Grey Plover and Bittern all being recorded. Plus the long standing Glossy Ibis, Great White Egrets, Cattle Egret and Garganey.
Away from the Nene Valley there were Arctic Tern and Little Gulls at Boddington Reservoir, Little Gulls at Daventry Country Park, Bar Tailed Godwits at Byfield and DIRFT3 and Little Gulls at Pitsford Reservoir. But the place to be was Honey Hill, not just for the amazing views but for Ring Ouzel. Several birds were present over the weekend viewed from the Jurassic way footpath looking towards the small undulating sheep field. It is a very interesting looking area and is high up so I'm not at all surprised that it is attracting these gorgeous birds. A single Ring Ouzel has been showing from a footpath near West Farndon. Plenty of summer migrants have now arrived, Cuckoo, Sedge Warbler, Yellow Wagtails, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Swallows and no doubt there will be more to come. Definitely an exciting time of year as absolutely anything could turn up anywhere and may not necessarily be found by a birdwatcher. I have learnt never to dismiss anything that a non birder might tell you about. Many years ago a colleague at work said that she had a very pretty bird feeding in her garden. I went to have a look and nearly choked on my tea when a Waxwing dropped in!!
On my return yesterday it was a case of feeding the birds in the garden and at Kelmarsh and Harrington Airfield. Although the feeders were empty I had barely finished topping them up before the birds descended. I was very surprised when a Brambling started calling near to our garden and infact has been feeding in the garden today along with several Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings. Yesterday evening as I walked from the chipping compound towards the feeding areas at Harrington Airfield I came across a lovely male Common Redstart in the bushes and a Grasshopper Warbler at bunker 2.
Think that I have just about caught up now !! I wonder what this week will bring ?
Regards Eleanor
Hello
Cooler air temperatures, a north-easterly airflow and still sunny conditions prevailed for most of the day.
An early morning walk at Harrington Airfield provided three Wheatears in bean fields, a singing Lesser Whitethroat and two pairs of Grey Partridge.
Later in the morning a male Marsh Harrier was flying slowly in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and it meandered off towards Maidwell. A singing Sedge Warbler was alongside the Brampton Brook.
Birds at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and the summit of Blueberry Hill included a Grasshopper Warbler, two Wheatears, four Yellow Wagtails, a Lesser Whitethroat and a calling Cuckoo.
An Osprey was at Hollowell Reservoir late morning where there was also a Jack Snipe and two Common Snipe. Birds at Stanford Reservoir today included a Cuckoo, a Grasshopper Warbler and an Oystercatcher
At Earls Barton Pits today there was a Cuckoo at Quarry Walk, a Little Ringed Plover and a Bar-tailed Godwit on Hardwater Lake and with a Ruff and a Pintail on Summer Leys LNR.
The female Ring-necked Duck and a pair of Mandarin Ducks were at Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits this morning and birds at Thrapston Pits included the pair of Garganey still, a Common Sandpiper and two fly-through Curlew. Two Whimbrel were on the north shore of the main barrage lake at Clifford Hill Pits late this morning.
The Glossy Ibis was still on the main lake at Stanwick Pits this morning plus eight Cattle Egrets and four fly-through Arctic Terns.
Regards
Neil M
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| Male Marsh Harrier. |
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| Swallow. |
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| Lesser Whitethroat. |
Hello
A subtle change in the weather from today onwards provides an opportunity for more migration action as the breeze swings north east and there is a mixture of weather systems around us. This should bring arrivals of terns, interesting gulls and waders and more interesting passerines too. The alarm bells are ringing for some anticipated summer arrivals already - what has happened to the Sand Martins this year? It seems that with year on year decreases, drought conditions in Africa and cold weather in the Mediterranean, the smallest of the hirundines is really struggling. Hopefully there will be a late arrival of these buzzy, busy little birds.
A drake Garganey was new in at Stanford Reservoir today and there was also a drake Mandarin Duck, a Green Sandpiper and three Oystercatchers. The Upton Country Park Wood Sandpiper was seen again today and at Earls Barton there was still a Bar-tailed Godwit on Hardwater Lake and at least three Arctic Terns on the Summer Leys reserve plus a Golden Plover and Little Ringed Plover. Nearby there was a Grasshopper Warbler and a Cuckoo singing at the back of Mary's Lake with two Egyptian Geese nearby at Wollaston Lock and a calling Cuckoo at Quarry Walk.
The female Ring-necked Duck was seen again at Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits and three Great White Egrets were at Ditchford Pits on Higham Lake and the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve. A Marsh Harrier was on the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits at about 12.50pm.
Congratulations go to Dave Jackson for winning this week's Birdguides Photograph of the Week award with the Sparrowhawk and Snipe shot which is similar to Robin's image of the same incident which currently features on the header of this blog.
Regards
Neil M
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| A stunning close spring drake Long-tailed Duck would be a good and long-awaited county find! Image courtesy of Dave Jackson. |
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| Arctic Tern. |
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| Marsh Harrier courtesy of Robin Gossage. |
Hello
Another bright and sunny day with a pleasant breeze and some hazy cloud.
There were no reported significant findings today, the good weather providing an opportunity for good overhead movement and for many of the long stayers to move on too.
Birds at Summer Leys LNR today included a Great White Egret, Greenshank, two Ruff, two Little Ringed Plovers, a Snipe and a Lesser Whitethroat with two Bar-tailed Godwits and two Little Ringed Plovers on nearby Hardwater Lake. The Quarry Walk section held two Cuckoos, a Grasshopper Warbler and Grizzled Skipper butterfly. Other scarce butterflies included a Green Hairstreak and Dingy Skipper at Twywell Hills and Dales Country Park.
The Glossy Ibis was at Stanwick Pits today plus eight Cattle Egrets, three Great White Egrets and two Mediterranean Gulls and birds at Stanford Reservoir today included two Grasshopper Warblers, two Lesser Whitethroats (both ringed), four Cetti's Warblers, a Reed Warbler, a Green Sandpiper and an Oystercatcher.
Clifford Hill Pits today provided a Common Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover and a Wheatear. Honey Hill at Cold Ashby was visited but no Ring Ouzels were seen today. Two Ravens were at Hanging Houghton.
At Pitsford Reservoir it all seemed pretty quiet with a few Yellow Wagtails at both the dam and north of the causeway, a Common Snipe and two Common Sandpipers and a Yellow-legged Gull off the Sailing Club. A Sedge Warbler and three Tree Sparrows were ringed on the reserve there today. A male Brambling was in a Pitsford village garden this evening.
Hollowell Reservoir hosted a Common Snipe, a Jack Snipe and a Common Sandpiper.
Regards
Neil M
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| Sedge Warbler. |
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| Common Whitethroat. |
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| Reed Warbler. All images courtesy of Robin Gossage. |
Hello
Another day of sunny conditions, even if a little hazy at times.
The White-tailed Eagle at Stanford Reservoir yesterday was still there this morning and strayed into Northamptonshire before departing to the south. This bird was confirmed as a second calendar year bird from the Isle of Wight scheme. Other birds there this morning included a Marsh Harrier briefly, three Grasshopper Warblers, a Reed Warbler and two Oystercatchers.
A Hobby was seen at Brigstock this afternoon, two Ring Ouzels were still at Honey Hill, Cold Ashby and Lesser Whitethroats were reported from Mary's Lake at Earls Barton Pits, the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits and Harrington Airfield.
Other birds reported from Earls Barton include a Garganey and a Bar-tailed Godwit on the Summer Leys scrape and two Bar-tailed Godwits on Hardwater Lake whilst a Great White Egret and Garden Warbler were noted at Stortons Pits. Other birds at Thrapston Pits included an Osprey this afternoon fishing on Elinor Trout Lake and a pair of Garganey and Garden Warbler on the Titchmarsh reserve.
At Ringstead Pits the female Ring-necked Duck was still on Kinewell Lake early this afternoon where there were also two Mediterranean Gulls (adult and second summer) and two Cattle Egrets from Woodford Church.
An Osprey caught a fish at Hollowell Reservoir early this afternoon.
Regards
Neil M
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| Brown Hare. |
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| Spitfire. |
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| Red Kite. |
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| Male Blackbird courtesy of John Tilly. |
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| Water Rail courtesy of Kenny Cramer. |
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| Grass Snake courtesy of Kenny Cramer. |
Hello
Very warm temperatures and strong sunshine are a rare recipe for Easter but I have no complaints!
I was involved in a Naturetrek Day Tour at Eyebrook Wild Bird Feeds which included a walk around the farmland at Rectory Farm, Great Easton and scanning over Eyebrook Reservoir. A full summer plumage Slavonian Grebe was on the reservoir plus a pair of Garganey and a fly-through Curlew. The fields and margins support good numbers of Brown Hares as well as plenty of Yellowhammers, Skylarks and Linnets as you might expect from a well-managed farm that cares for the environment and nature in general.
Four singing Nightingales were located in woodland in North Northants today and one that was caught and processed is a regular bird first ringed as a first year back in 2017 and caught again in 2019.
The weather ensured that lots of warblers were in song today and most common species have now been logged in the county, with a particularly large early arrival of Common Whitethroats.
Earls Barton Pits was the venue for a Great White Egret, a Greenshank, a Ruff, a drake Garganey and over ten Common Terns on the Summer Leys LNR with a Green Sandpiper and two Little Ringed Plovers on the new workings. Migrant raptors included a Hobby at Hartwell (plus two Wheatears) and an Osprey on the Elinor Lake at Thrapston Pits.
The female Ring-necked Duck and a pair of Mandarin Ducks were on Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits today, at least four Ring Ouzels were still showing at Honey Hill, Cold Ashby and a Greenshank was seen in flight between Lilbourne Meadows and the M1 motorway this morning.
Regards
Neil M
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| The five year old Nightingale processed today courtesy of Rich Goswell. |
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| Garganey at Summer Leys LNR today courtesy of Dave Jackson. |
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| Great White Egret at Summer Leys LNR today courtesy of Dave Jackson. |
Hello
A ringing session at Stortons Pits this morning yielded several interesting birds with a returning Sedge Warbler and three Blackcaps from previous years - more evidence of significant site fidelity. Another five new Blackcaps were processed as were three new Cetti's Warblers, two Chiffchaffs and an early Whitethroat. Other birds included a Song Thrush, four Blackbirds, two Goldfinches, five Long-tailed Tits and a Reed Bunting with thirteen species handled overall.
At least five Ring Ouzels and a Wheatear remained at Honey Hill, Cold Ashby today despite the antics of two people who flushed the birds whilst trespassing yesterday. Sadly they were apparently birders who had come in from a different direction than most attendees and their blundering was far from appreciated! It's difficult to watch birds when other people are wandering around in the same area but birders should know better - it pays to adhere to any guidance and instructions on-site or on websites/information services - for our benefit and the wildlife too!
Additional Ring Ouzels were found on the ridge between Blueberry Farm and Dale Farm near Maidwell this morning (plus a Wheatear, two Fieldfares and a Yellow Wagtail) and at Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits - in a sheep field on the east side of the lake between the car park and the river this afternoon. The female Ring-necked Duck popped up at Kinewell Lake again this evening, on the north side.
Birds at the Earls Barton complex today included Grasshopper Warbler and Willow Warbler at Quarry Walk, two mobile Greenshanks, a Little Ringed Plover, three Garganey, eighteen Common Snipe, a Common Whitethroat and a female Peregrine.
The Glossy Ibis was again at Stanwick Pits this morning together with two Cattle Egrets and a Great White Egret.
Pitsford Reservoir attracted twenty-two Yellow Wagtails, six White Wagtails and a Common Sandpiper around the dam this evening. A Jack Snipe and a Garden Warbler were found at Hollowell Reservoir and birds at Stanford Reservoir included a Little Ringed Plover, seven Yellow Wagtails, a Cetti's Warbler (caught and ringed), five Whitethroats and six Sedge Warblers.
The Wood Sandpiper was again present at Upton Country Park and birds at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows included two possible Sandwich Terns flying over high up, three Common Terns, a Little Ringed Plover, a Brambling, and Willow, Sedge and Garden Warblers. Two possible Sandwich Terns were also seen in flight later near Thrapston/Islip. Two Yellow Wagtails and a White Wagtail were at Ashton Sewer Works and an Osprey was seen to fly north over Daventry Country Park at about 1.50pm with a Common Whitethroat nearby at Braunston.
Up to five Bramblings were lingering at St James Park, Brackley this morning and a similar number were at Harrington Airfield where there were a pair of Grey Partridge, two singing Whitethroats, a Raven and an early morning 'reeling' Grasshopper Warbler. A male Brambling was in our Hanging Houghton garden today and other birds around the village included twenty Fieldfares and a Raven.
Regards
Neil M
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| Common Whitethroat (juvenile). |
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| Sedge Warbler courtesy of Chris Payne. |
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| Cetti's Warbler courtesy of Kenny Cramer. |
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| Grasshopper Warbler courtesy of David Smith. |
Hello
The spring of 2021 in the county was a particularly good one for exciting migrants and migration in general and it seems this spring is going that way too!
After feeding the birds at Kelmarsh Hall and checking a couple of spots in the Brampton Valley this morning, I took a quick walk around part of Harrington Airfield which supported about twenty Bramblings and plenty of Linnets and Yellowhammers and other birds coming down for seed. A few more singing Willow Warblers were in and included ringed birds and are presumably breeders from previous years. A singing Common Whitethroat is one of my earliest ever and a Raven was there too.
A Spoonbill was seen flying over Summer Leys at about 3pm this afternoon and then seen again flying up from Mary's lake almost an hour later. Other birds there and at the Earls Barton complex generally included a Grasshopper Warbler (Quarry Walk), four Sandwich Terns flying west just before 3pm, two Common Sandpipers, four Garganey and two Great White Egrets.
A pair of Garganey were on the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits at 1.30pm and four heron species on view at Woodford included seven Cattle Egrets, a Little Egret and a Great White Egret. Four Yellow Wagtails were at the Broadholme Sewer Treatment works at Ditchford.
At Upton Country Park the Wood Sandpiper was still present this afternoon as was a Green Sandpiper, three Little Ringed Plovers, two Grey Wagtails, a White Wagtail (Upton Mill) and Swallows.
Away from the Nene Valley and Honey Hill at Cold Ashby was a hotspot with five Ring Ouzels there today plus a male Common Redstart and a Wheatear. Five Wheatears and about fifty Yellowhammers were at Hartwell near the quarry track this afternoon and a Cuckoo was heard calling at Yardley Chase this morning.
Hollowell Reservoir hosted an Osprey, two Jack Snipe, eight Common Snipe, a Great White Egret and five singing Willow Warblers. A Sanderling and a Dunlin were discovered rather late on the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir and there were at least twenty-five Yellow Wagtails and a Common Sandpiper at the dam this evening.
The birds at Stanford Reservoir today included a fly-through Greenshank, a Sedge Warbler, a Common Whitethroat, three Cetti's Warblers, a Barn Owl and two Yellow Wagtails. A Swallow graced Hanging Houghton this morning with it's presence!
Regards
Neil M
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| Dark-edged Bee Fly courtesy of John Gamble. |
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| Ring Ouzel courtesy of David Arden. |
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| Sandwich Tern. |
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| Spoonbill. |
