Welland Valley birding

Hello

I decided that it was time to venture to the north of the county again so before it was light I loaded my four-legged companions and supplies into the car and off we went. First venue was Fineshade Wood. It is one of my favourite places to run at this time of year. It was just about light as I set off for a 2 hour run, zig zagging the many tracks in the wood. Birdwise it was disappointingly quiet, a handful of Siskins and 2 Ravens the only birds of note. I did see plenty of Roe Deer and lost count of the squirrel numbers which kept the dogs amused. Then a short hop over the road to Wakerley Great Wood where a 2 hour meander virtually mirrored the birds of  Fineshade, Siskins and Ravens. The Ravens were extremely vocal and sounded as if they were going through their whole repertoire of calls. Again more Roe Deer and Squirrels. It was such a pity that it was such a dull grey day as the trees should have looked splendid in their beautiful autumn colours.

A lunchtime stop at Blatherwycke Lake produced 24 Mandarin Duck, most of which were drakes, 2 Egyptian Geese, 2 Little Egrets, a Water Rail, a Kingfisher and a Black Swan.  A visit to the churchyard produced a few Siskins.                                                                                        

At nearby Deene Lake there were 6 Shelduck, a Green Sandpiper and a handful of Siskins.   

Decision time after I had finished at Deene Lake. Do I go home via Fermyn or the Welland Valley? I decided on the latter and it proved to be a good choice as this is where all the birds were.  Due to the recent rainfall there was a large area of flooded fields near Harringworth. It was alive with birds. There was a large mixed flock of Wigeon and Teal with Wigeon being the predominant bird. There was also at least 18 Pintail, mainly drakes and 2 Shelduck. Lots of gulls, Lapwings and 100+ Golden Plovers.

A little further along the valley near Gretton the saturated fields were covered with huge flocks of Fieldfares, Redwings and Starlings plus more gulls and Lapwings. The sound of their chattering was deafening but nothing like the noise when they all took flight when a stunning male Hen Harrier flew through and headed towards the Leicestershire border. The birds had no sooner settled down again when a female Merlin made her appearance and wreaked further havoc.

The soggy fields near to Rockingham village were equally busy with birds including a Redshank and 20 Golden Plovers. When I reached Cottingham I counted 10 Little Egrets together on a small wet area right next to the road. My final destination was East Carlton CP, but despite a slow meander it was extremely quiet with hardly any birds seen or heard. 

Two Otters were on show at Stanwick Lakes today and the Brent Goose and the Bearded Tit were present too. At Stanford Reservoir the Red-crested Pochard had reduced to two birds plus other birds were a Chiffchaff, two Cetti's Warblers, six Lesser Redpolls and a Siskin.

Two Otters, a Water Rail and a Cetti's Warbler were well photographed at Summer Leys LNR today.

At Pitsford Reservoir today the Wood Sandpiper was again in the Scaldwell Bay where there were two Great White Egrets, at least three Pintail and a male Stonechat. Some ringing there provided seven Common Snipe caught and ringed plus six Redwings, a Song Thrush, a Goldcrest, a Reed Bunting and a Yellowhammer amongst the forty birds processed.

Regards

Eleanor

Common Snipe courtesy
of Lynne Barnett.

A Lesser Redpoll was the
star bird for Nick Wood during
a period of ringing at Chase Park
Farm, Yardley Chase today.

All things Red!

Hello

The still and comparatively mild conditions this morning yielded mist which quite quickly converted to blue skies and sunshine!

A morning ringing session took place at Stortons Pits which provided over forty captures including Redwings, two Song Thrushes, some four Chiffchaffs, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits and a Lesser Redpoll as the last bird ringed. Other birds on-site included a Blackcap, two Grey Wagtails and many vocal Water Rails and Cetti's Warblers. Recent management work has created a great mosaic of pools, lagoons and channels in and alongside the extensive phragmites reedbed.

Five Red-crested Pochards and a Great White Egret were at Stanford Reservoir today and both the Brent Goose and the Bearded Tit were still at Stanwick Pits. A drake Scaup was at Eyebrook Reservoir.

An Otter showed well at Market Harborough on the River Welland yesterday and today when there were also two Kingfishers.

At Summer Leys LNR both yesterday and today there have been superb sightings of Otters, with two together yesterday. On the reserve today there were also a pair of Stonechat and a photogenic Cetti's Warbler and Water Rail.

A drake Red-crested Pochard was on the fishing lake at Wicksteed Park today and yesterday David Arden enjoyed the privilege of watching no less than five male Blackcaps bathing in his garden pond at the same time in Spratton village!

There were no reported sightings of the Black Redstart at the DIRFT 3 complex today but Eleanor found one along the concrete track at Harrington Airfield this afternoon, next to the straw bales and bunker just over half-way along from the Draughton Road entrance. There was also a Barn Owl and four Redpolls present. Another Barn Owl was showing off the A45 at Harpole this morning and a Red Admiral at Titchmarsh LNR is definitely on the late side!

Regards

Neil M

Lesser Redpoll at Stortons today.

Red Admiral.

Redwing.

Drake Red-crested Pochard.

Black Redstart.

Quiet and mild

Hello

A nice still day with warm temperatures and plenty of cloud and a day to catch up on feed stations! I also completed a little ringing in the garden this morning which is the first time for quite a while. An early afternoon visit to Harrington Airfield proved quiet with rather small numbers of winter thrushes and a Siskin with nothing else out of the ordinary.

Over at Stanwick Pits the Brent Goose and Bearded Tit were still present, the latter being vocal but still proving difficult to see.

At Stanford Reservoir there were three Mediterranean Gulls in the roost, five Red-crested Pochard, two Water Rails, two Cetti's Warblers and six Lesser Redpolls.

At Pitsford Reservoir there were two adult Caspian Gulls in the roost off the dam plus three Yellow-legged Gulls, a Common Sandpiper and three Grey Wagtails with seven Dunlin north of the causeway this morning.

Barbara's garden at Wellingborough was graced by a male Blackcap today and a Black Redstart was a good find at lunchtime on a fence near Lilbourne, at the north end of the DIRFT 3 complex next to the nature reserve. At least one Smew was still at Eyebrook Reservoir today.

Regards

Neil M

This leucistic Black-headed
Gull has been present at
Pitsford Reservoir for some
weeks now.

A rather distant Caspian Gull in
poor light at Pitsford Reservoir
this afternoon.

Redwing courtesy of
John Tilly.

Waxwings!

Hello

Ten Waxwings perched in a roadside birch tree early this morning in Long Buckby was a pleasant surprise for Eleanor this morning! They flew off and Eleanor was on her way to Middleton Cheney for a dog agility competition and didn't have the time to relocate them. Sadly they weren't seen again despite some searching in the village by other birders.

I completed a WeBs count at Ditchford Pits today, starting with the complex west of Ditchford Lane. As always there were plenty of birds along the old railway line opposite Broadholme Treatment Works including lots of tits, thrushes and many more. At the metal barrier some 400m along the track (and where the old railway track comes to an end) there was quite a flock of small birds which included a vocal Siberian Chiffchaff with its hollow, piping call. Another five Chiffchaffs were nearby with one of these latching on to the Siberian and continually chasing it and consequently it was impossible to obtain an image.

Other birds west of Ditchford Lane included three Great White Egrets, two Egyptian Geese, a Water Rail, a Kingfisher, at least six Cetti's Warblers, a Grey Wagtail, a pair of Stonechats, a Siskin and a Redpoll.

East of Ditchford Lane the best birds were a Jack Snipe, just three Common Snipe, three Water Rails, two Kingfishers, a Cetti's Warbler and a couple of Grey Wagtails.

A female Blackcap came for a wash in Jim's garden in Sywell today and a pair of Peregrines were hunting pigeons at Daventry.

Stanwick Pits remained the venue for a juvenile Dark-bellied Brent Goose and the male Bearded Tit whilst the Marsh Harrier and four Great White Egrets remained visible at Summer Leys LNR, as was a very photogenic Water Rail.

Stanford Reservoir was again good for it's gulls with a Mediterranean Gull and two Caspian Gulls in the gull roost plus a Great White Egret, five Red-crested Pochard and a Cetti's Warbler.

There were two Smew (including a drake) at Eyebrook Reservoir today.

Regards

Neil M

A mostly white Carrion Crow
at Ditchford Pits today.

Long-tailed Tit.

Blackbird on haw berries.

Goldfinches on Burdock.

Bathing female Blackcap
courtesy of Jim Dunkley.

Dungeness and return

Hello

Just back in from a couple of days down at Dungeness in Kent - very violent weather yesterday with strong winds and a deluge of rain in the evening, followed by a calm, sunny day today.

Yesterday was all about sea-watching as Gannets, Kittiwakes and Razorbills headed into the strong southerlies punctuated by a few Little Gulls, Great Crested Grebes and Red-throated Divers and a Sooty Shearwater. An Eider dived just off-shore and big gulls sheltered nearby hoping for some bread.

Today and a walk down to the Long Pits in warm weather provided plenty of Common Darters, Chiffchaffs, a few Goldcrests, a noisy Dartford Warbler, a couple of Cetti's Warblers, a Marsh Harrier and a significant Stock Dove passage.

In the county today and an adult Kittiwake at Summer Leys LNR was a nice find but sadly the bird looks ill. An Otter again showed very well on the reserve on and off all day and particularly well from the Rotary and Double-decker hides and the Marsh Harrier was present too.

Stanford Reservoir's gull roost continues to prove profitable with three Mediterranean Gulls and other birds included eight Red-crested Pochard, a Water Rail, two Cetti's Warblers, a Chiffchaff, four Bramblings and two Lesser Redpolls.

Another Mediterranean Gull was in the gull roost at Hollowell Reservoir this afternoon and an afternoon at Harrington Airfield was good for a Short-eared Owl, a Barn Owl and about one hundred and eighty Golden Plovers.

A juvenile Dark-bellied Brent Goose was a new bird in on the main pit at Stanwick Pits today, the male Bearded Tit showed there again and the Wood Sandpiper was seen again in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir.

Just across the border at Eyebrook Reservoir a drake Scaup and a redhead Smew plus two Red-crested Pochard were present today.

Regards

Neil M

Great Black-backed Gull.

Herring Gull.

Kittiwakes.

Dartford Warbler.

Another wet and windy one!

Hello

This is the time of the year when Otters seem to show at their best locally, the limited daylight hours presumably affecting their behaviour and feeding habits. Today an Otter was again showing from the Pioneer Hide at Summer Leys LNR and yesterday an animal was well-photographed on the River Welland in Market Harborough next to the Lidl supermarket.

Stanford Reservoir's birds today included a Mediterranean Gull in the roost plus twelve Red-crested Pochard, four Little Egrets, a Kingfisher and a Lesser Redpoll.

There was no sign of yesterday's Black Redstart at Pitsford Reservoir today but the inclement weather might have caused it to keep a low profile. An adult Yellow-legged Gull and a Grey Wagtail were off the dam this afternoon. 

The Marsh Harrier continues to show well on occasions at Summer Leys LNR from the Rotary Hide and a Barn Owl and a Woodcock were at Blueberry Farm this afternoon. Single Siskins were at Lamport Hall and Kelmarsh Hall.

Regards

Neil M

Otter.

Drake Shoveler.

Black-tailed Godwit.

All images courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Harrington ringing.

Hello

Some ringing at Harrington Airfield today provided sixty-five captures of fifteen species the main target being thrushes. Two Fieldfares were ringed as were six Blackbirds, several of which were showing features of continental birds. Twenty-one new Redwings were caught and ringed and a few finches included a male Brambling, four Linnets, three Goldfinches and three Chaffinches. Several Golden Plovers were vocal at dawn.

A Black Redstart at the Sailing Club, Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon was a good overdue find at this specific location and the wandering 'ringtail' Hen Harrier was seen at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon flying towards Maidwell. More harriers included two Marsh Harriers seen flying east over Stanwick Pits and the lingering Marsh Harrier was again at Summer Leys LNR mid-morning.

A Green Sandpiper and an all-white Magpie were good records from Ashton Treatment Works and two Woodcock were flushed at Blueberry Farm and two Bramblings and four Redpolls were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

Other birds at Stanwick Pits today included the Bearded Tit at the north end of the causeway and a Cattle Egret roosted. Birds at Stanford Reservoir today included two Mediterranean Gulls, twelve Red-crested Pochards, a Great White Egret, a Water Rail, three Ravens and a Chiffchaff.

Regards

Neil M

Fieldfare.

Redwing.

Chaffinch.

All images courtesy
of Claire Nuttall.

A wet November day.

Hello

After a dry start today deteriorated into a very wet day with few sightings during the latter part.

Bramblings were prominent this morning with several at Harrington Airfield, at least ten at Blueberry Hill and six at Lamport Hall.

The Marsh Harrier was still at Summer Leys LNR today and has been providing some excellent photograph opportunities in recent days. An Otter remains active their too with sightings from Pioneer Hide the last couple of days.

Stanford Reservoir produced some good birds again today with two Mediterranean Gulls in the roost, two adult Yellow-legged Gulls, ten Red-crested Pochard, a Great White Egret, two Kingfishers, a Cetti's Warbler and three Lesser Redpolls.

An adult Yellow-legged Gull was by the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir today, a Dunlin was at Clifford  Hill Pits and four Cattle Egrets were spotted flying over Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve this morning.

A ringing session is destined to take place at Harrington Airfield tomorrow when access to the bunkers and scrub between the chippings compound and the main concrete track will be restricted.

Regards

Neil M

Brambling.

Otter courtesy of
Dave Jackson.

Common Snipe courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Sunday's sightings.

Hello

A busy birding day at Stanford Reservoir with a Merlin through, fourteen Red-crested Pochard, a Pintail, two Water Rails, a Great White Egret, a Green Sandpiper, three Lesser Redpolls, a Siskin and two Cetti's Warblers and the gull roost provided a Yellow-legged Gull and no less than three Mediterranean Gulls!

A Marsh Harrier was seemingly present in and around Summer Leys LNR for much of the day and at Hanging Houghton a 'ringtail' Hen Harrier showed in the Brampton Valley between the village and Blueberry Farm and later in fields off the A508 between the village and Brixworth. There were also two Ravens at Hanging Houghton, a male Brambling in the village and several in hedging behind the large barn below the village near Brampton Valley Way.

Large numbers of winter thrushes were gorging themselves on hawthorn berries in the same area of the Brampton Valley and a similar thing was happening at Harrington Airfield this morning with just a fly-over Golden Plover of note there.

My team of helpers and I are busy setting up the winter feed stations now as the weather turns cooler and wetter with feeding stations in operation at Harrington Airfield, on the Kelmarsh Estate (two sites) and Pitsford Reservoir (four sites) with a couple more coming online soon.

A Bearded Tit still remains at Stanwick Pits along the causeway on the A45 pits and there were seven Cattle Egrets with cattle on the Roadside Pit. Two Little Gulls flying through Summer Leys LNR was a good record for this time of the year and a Goosander was at Abington Park, Northampton where a group of Ring-necked Parakeets continues to reside. A Merlin was seen at Stowe Nine Churches at about 8.30am this morning.

Regards

Neil M

A two metre high
Kingfisher!

Grey Heron.

Lapwing.

All images courtesy
of John Tilly.

Saturday's highlights

Hello

With relatively low windspeeds and minimal precipitation it was a day when Northants Ringing Group members were active at Pitsford Reservoir and Linford Lakes. At Pitsford some 73 birds of seventeen species were processed with the highlights being five Common Snipe, two male Stonechats, four Meadow Pipits and three Lesser Redpolls plus small numbers of thrushes and other common birds. Birds noted on-site during the ringing included a Jack Snipe and three Dunlin in the Scaldwell Bay.

At Linford Lakes 76 birds were duly processed of fourteen species, 59 of which were newly-ringed. Small birds included four Chiffchaffs and seven Goldcrests and the team were particularly successful at catching thrushes with a haul of thirty-one Redwings, three Fieldfares, a Song Thrush and five Blackbirds. However the probable highlights were no less than two Green Woodpeckers and a feisty male Kestrel. A Long-tailed Duck was seen on-site.

Away from ringing and a male Bearded Tit was located at Stanwick Pits today, an elusive bird on the causeway between the two bridges closest to the iron house. A Cattle Egret was also on the Roadside Pit.

A Marsh Harrier was at Summer Leys LNR this morning and a male Merlin was in a sustained Skylark chase in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton also this morning and there were two Kingfishers at the Brampton Brook.

At Stanford Reservoir today there were still ten Red-crested Pochard, a Whooper Swan flew through in an easterly direction, two Great White Egrets, two Kingfishers, a Water Rail, two Yellow-legged Gulls, a Pintail, a Lesser Redpoll and a roost of about a thousand Starlings.

Regards

Neil M

Male Reed Bunting.

Lesser Redpoll.

Meadow Pipit.

Common Snipe.

Male Stonechat.

Kestrel courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

Green Woodpecker
courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Fieldfare courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

The stunning Grey Wagtail.

Hello

A much better day's weather today and it reflects in the sightings too.

Eleanor again saw a 'ringtail' Hen Harrier at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning, quartering a weedy field and visible from the footpath leading from Blueberry Lodge to the Brampton Valley Way. What isn't clear is whether this is the same wandering individual from much earlier in the autumn or a new bird in.

A fly-over Great White Egret and three mobile Bramblings were the best on offer at Harrington Airfield this morning, two Dunlin were at Clifford Hill Pits and Hollowell Reservoir boasted an adult Caspian Gull, a Jack Snipe and two Stonechats.

Birds at Pitsford Reservoir today included the Wood Sandpiper in the Scaldwell Bay plus five Green Sandpipers, four Dunlin, a Redshank, a Jack Snipe, c30 Common Snipe, two Pintail, still plenty of Great White Egrets, two Stonechats and a few each of Redpoll and Grey Wagtail.

Ringing operations at Pitsford Reservoir tomorrow may cause some disturbance between the causeway and the Paul Britton seat for which we apologise in advance. The Maytrees Hide will act as the ringing station and visitors are quite welcome to see any captures that we manage in the morning prior to their release.

Regards

Neil M

Grey Wagtail courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Wet, wet, wet!

Hello

A very wet period and well into today made it very unappealing to go out and about! However a few hardy souls tried their luck and at Stanford Reservoir today there were still fourteen Red-crested Pochard, two Great White Egrets, a Yellow-legged Gull and two Kingfishers.

Six Grey Partridges were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton, these birds of wild stock rather than the coveys of released birds that are currently rummaging around the undergrowth at Pitsford Reservoir.

This afternoon an adult Mediterranean Gull and an adult Yellow-legged Gull were coming to bread just north of the dam and the Otter was showing well again at Summer Leys LNR.

Regards

Neil M

Adult Mediterranean Gull.

Little Egret.

Magpie.

All images taken in very dull
conditions at Pitsford Reservoir today.