Quiet March day

Hello

Another cold, grey day with spring inching closer!

The female Ring-necked Duck was again at Ravensthorpe Reservoir today, just south of the causeway, with a Redpoll present too, and birds at Stanwick Pits today included three Great White Egrets and four Redshank.

A Barn Owl was seen between Ecton and Earls Barton and another one was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton again. A Water Rail, a Grey Wagtail, a Chiffchaff and a Redpoll were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth and the adult Yellow-legged Gull remained off the Sailing Club at Pitsford Reservoir. A Grey Wagtail overflew Hanging Houghton village.

A period of ringing in a garden on the north east outskirts of Northampton provided twenty-seven captures of ten species which included eleven Goldfinches, a Siskin, a Chaffinch, a Greenfinch, a Starling, a Blackbird and five Reed Buntings.

Regards

Neil M

Chiffchaff.

Acrobatic Fieldfare!

Images courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Scarce long-staying ducks

Hello

A ringing session at Stortons Pits this morning yielded a small number of common birds which included several Reed Buntings and a Chiffchaff. Other birds there included two Peregrines, two or three Grey Wagtails, another Chiffchaff and a Redpoll and Water Rails and Cetti's Warblers were vocal.

Eight Goosanders and a Stonechat were at Stanford Reservoir, the female Ruddy Shelduck was at Winwick Pools and two Scaup were at Eyebrook Reservoir. A male Brambling was at The Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station at Pitsford Reservoir today.

The female Ring-necked Duck and the female Scaup were at Ravensthorpe Reservoir still today and birds at neighbouring Hollowell Reservoir included two adult Caspian Gulls, a first year Yellow-legged Gull, seven Common Snipe, a fly-through Curlew and five Stonechats. A first year drake Scaup was on Billing Pits this afternoon and although there is no public access it may be possible to see the bird from Station Road, Great Billing.

A Blackcap was in a Brixworth garden today and the female Red-crested Pochard was again at Summer Leys LNR with a supporting cast of three Great White Egrets, two hundred Golden Plovers, an Oystercatcher, a Redshank, ten Common Snipe and a Water Rail. A Water Rail was showing well yesterday at the River Welland in Market Harborough (by the Aldi supermarket).

A Barn Owl was showing very well in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this evening and there were just over sixty Red Kites at the regular pre-roost gathering at Laxton this afternoon. Two Ravens were in the Welland Valley just north of Rockingham and birds at Deene Lake included six Shelduck, six Egyptian Geese, three Black Swans, a drake Mandarin Duck and a Little Egret.

Regards

Neil M

Brambling.

Marsh Tit.

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Above three images taken
at Pitsford Reservoir today 
and courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Water Rail at Market
Harborough yesterday
courtesy of Don West.

Late winter birds

Hello

The Pink-footed Goose was seen again at Wicksteed Park Lakes, Barton Seagrave this morning, with the Greylag flock and at Hollowell Reservoir this morning there were two adult Caspian Gulls and five Stonechats. A pair of Goosanders and three Siskins were at Delapre Lake/Hardingstone Pits. A male Stonechat and two Oystercatchers were at Upton Country Park.

At Stanford Reservoir today the best on offer was a Great White Egret, thirteen Goosanders, an Oystercatcher and a Stonechat whilst in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton there were just two Golden Plovers in the fields this morning. Four Ravens and two Redpolls were at Lamport Hall and a ringing session at Greens Norton provided the captures of two Siskins, two Redpolls and four Reed Buntings plus another thirty plus birds of more common species.

Regards

Neil M

Male Stonechat at
Upton CP courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Redpoll.

Male Siskin.

Female Siskin.

Above three images courtesy
of Chris Payne.

First day of March

Hello

The Ring-necked Duck and the Scaup were both at Ravensthorpe Reservoir today and Stanford Reservoir hosted a Stonechat, two Oystercatchers, a Great White Egret and four Goosanders. Eight Egyptian Geese and a Shelduck were at Blatherwycke Lake today.

Summer Leys LNR today recorded a female Red-crested Pochard on the main lake, three Great White Egrets, two Oystercatchers and about two hundred and fifty Golden Plovers.

A female Peregrine was chasing the Fieldfares and Starlings at Harrington Airfield this afternoon with a Woodcock and four Grey Partridges and a Weasel also being present.

A second active Raven nest was confirmed today in the centre of the county but a third nest used last year seemed quiet so more fieldwork required! A single Raven was seen at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Raven.

Primroses at Great Oxendon.

Snowdrops at Lamport
which are already going over!

Kingfisher.

Garden birds, Ravens and a telescope!

Hello

A grey, cool day and it looks like the cloud cover is going to extinguish any more chances of seeing the Northern Lights locally again tonight.

The Bearded Tit was still at Stanwick Pits today, on the same reed-fringed pit off the A45 layby, and an Otter was sighted too. Also a Pink-footed Goose was reported with Greylags at Lilbourne, off the A5 truck stop and near the Wildlife Trust reserve. The female Ring-necked Duck was again at Ravensthorpe Reservoir today and a Shelduck and a Great White Egret were noted at Clifford Hill Pits. A Stonechat was seen at Stanford Reservoir today.

The Pink-footed Goose was again at Wicksteed Park lakes and birds at Titchmarsh Reserve, Thrapston Pits included three Great White Egrets and a pair of Oystercatchers.

Efforts at checking the regular breeding Ravens confirmed a pair at one nest in the north west of the county and with two other pairs on territory further south (nests yet to be confirmed). Our garden here at Hanging Houghton is still attracting at least six Pied Wagtails and a couple each of Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting as well as the standard birds. With the weather forecast suggesting colder weather next week I suspect these numbers will go up again!

I have a telescope and tripod for sale (on behalf of a neighbour) if you want an excellent mid-range bargain! The telescope is an Opticron ES 80 GA Waterproof 45 degree angled field telescope fitted with a 16x - 60x Opticron High Definition F zoom eye piece. It comes with an all-weather case and a Velbon Delta metal-legged tripod at an all-in price of £390. Although this combination is a number of years old they were only used about three times and are in mint condition. Please make contact should you be interested.

Regards

Neil M

Opticron telescope and
Velbon tripod for sale.

Muntjac.

Red Kite.
Sadly one of these
lays dead in the carriageway
of the A508 north of Lamport.

Cormorant. Many are already
on their nests locally.

Water Rails.

Hello

Scant reports of wildlife locally but members of the Northants Ringing Group have today continued with a project looking at Water Rails which now breed locally in small numbers at key locations. Seven birds were caught which included four new birds and three birds from previous occasions. Utilising methods to easily identify specific individuals without the need to catch again, we hope to learn much more about this retiring species, as there is a lack of information out there - particularly their breeding habits.

The Ring-necked Duck was again reported from Ravensthorpe Reservoir today and also a Caspian Gull was reported from Summer Leys LNR.

Stanford Reservoir hosted a Great White Egret, four Goosanders and two Oystercatchers and other local birds included a Woodcock at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and two Grey Wagtails and a Barn Owl were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

Ravens were still at Kelmarsh today and the adult Yellow-legged Gull was again the only bird of note in the Pitsford Reservoir gull roost.

Regards

Neil M

Six of seven of the 
Water Rails caught and
processed today. Can you easily
 tell the difference between them?
No nor can I, so ringing and hopefully
colour ringing plus an infusion of 
technology will help the project answer
questions.

Images courtesy of Chris Payne.

Pitsford ringing

Blackbird courtesy
of John Tilly.

Hello 

A period of bird ringing took place at Christie's Copse, Pitsford Reservoir today resulting in the processing of about 141 birds of fifteen species. The ringing area was nicely sheltered from the cool breeze and with regular sunshine it was a pleasant place to be. The highlight was undoubtedly an adult Woodcock which hit the nests prior to dawn. Other birds included two Blackbirds, two Redwings, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, five Goldcrests and large numbers of Great Tits, Blue Tits and a few Coal Tits and a re-trap Marsh Tit. There were also a few Long-tailed Tits and Chaffinches and a solitary Goldfinch. Other birds noted on site included singles of Siskin and Raven and the Muntjac and Brown Hares were very high profile.

Birds at Stanford Reservoir today included a Great White Egret, four Goosanders and a Kingfisher, the Ring-necked Duck and the Scaup were still at Ravensthorpe Reservoir and a Pink-footed Goose was with the goose flock at Wicksteed Park Lakes.

In the Nene Valley Stanwick still hosted the Bearded Tit, as many as thirteen Great White Egrets flew from roost early morning and the Goosander flock reached over twenty birds. Summer Leys LNR recorded a Goosander, five Great White Egrets and a female Red-crested Pochard. Blackcaps included three in a Woodford Halse garden and a pair have been regularly in a Nether Heyford garden for much of the winter.

Regards

Neil M

Coal Tit courtesy
of John Tilly.

Woodcock at Pitsford today.

Woodcock courtesy
of Jane Neil.

A cold wind from the North

Hello

Cold out there today with the wind in the north but still good weather for the time of the year.

A Great White Egret and two Goosanders were the pick of the bunch at Stanford Reservoir with another drake Goosander showing nicely at Abington Park, Northampton (long gone are the days when this was a wintering bird at Pitsford Reservoir, sometimes in good numbers).

The female Ring-necked Duck and female Scaup were both still at Ravensthorpe Reservoir today and nearby at Hollowell Reservoir there was a Jack Snipe, two Common Snipe and two adult Caspian Gulls.

What may have been a Common Crane was heard calling over Thrapston Pits this morning but wasn't seen, the calling suggesting it flew over south.

The pair of Smew were at Blatherwycke Lake again today, a Brambling was seen at Harrington Airfield and birds at Summer Leys LNR included a first year Caspian Gull, two Oystercatchers, two Redshanks, about one hundred and fifty Golden Plovers, a Shelduck and several Bramblings at the feeding station.

The adult Yellow-legged Gull presided over the gull roost again at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon and birds north of the causeway this morning included a Barn Owl, a Jack Snipe, up to about forty Common Snipe and two Stonechats (both caught and ringed). A Chiffchaff and two Grey Wagtails were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth this afternoon and Ravens were at Hanging Houghton and Kelmarsh.

Regards

Neil M

Drake Goosander Abington Park,
Northampton courtesy of John Tilly.

Grey Heron Abington Park, Northampton
courtesy of John Tilly.

Nuthatch.

Female Stonechat.

Stonechats, thrushes and Snipe

Hello

Stanford Reservoir continued to host a drake Red-crested Pochard today plus three Goosanders, a Barn Owl and a Cetti's Warbler.

A Siberian Chiffchaff was still lingering at Billing Pits/Ecton SF by bridge 'K121' and a Green Sandpiper was there too. Two Caspian Gulls were at Hollowell Reservoir today and other birds included a Jack Snipe, six Common Snipe, about a hundred Redwings, a Lesser Redpoll and three new-in Stonechats.

Approximately eighty Common Snipe were at Pitsford Reservoir today where there was also a Jack Snipe, a Raven and a female Stonechat. Two Chiffchaffs were at Stortons Pits.

In the north of the county the pair of Smew remained at Blatherwycke Lake and a pair of Egyptian Geese were in fields behind the lake. A Great White Egret was at Wicksteed Park this morning.

The long-staying female Ring-necked Duck and female Scaup were still at Ravensthorpe Reservoir again today and near the causeway.

Migrant Redwings and Fieldfares were generally conspicuous today with flocks over-flying and dropping in at a variety of sites and the spillage of grain near the village of Old has attracted up to seventy Yellowhammers during the last couple of days.

Regards

Neil M

Chiffchaff at Stortons Pits
today courtesy of Tony Stanford.

A rainbow today at
Pitsford Reservoir!

Common Gull.

Mute Swan.

Displaying and gathering wildfowl

Hello

A cooler day and the gritters were out this evening so the potential of frosty conditions before the cloud cover later in the night.

The male Bearded Tit showed again at Stanwick Pits today, in phragmites around the same pit as before, and a second bird was noted too.

The female Ring-necked Duck and female Scaup were both at Ravensthorpe Reservoir again this morning, generally viewable from the closed off car park near the causeway. Birds at Stanford Reservoir included the Red-crested Pochard still, eleven Goosanders, a Great White Egret, six Meadow Pipits and a Barn Owl with the gull roost providing a count of 975 Common Gulls.

A female Peregrine and a pair of Grey Partridge were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton, Ravens remained on the Kelmarsh Estate and two female Stonechats were fresh birds in at Pitsford Reservoir (near to the Maytrees Hide). Numerous parties of vocal and displaying Goldeneye at Pitsford Reservoir is an annual event and the beautiful trilling song of the Little Grebe echoed across the water there this evening.

I don't think that winter is quite over yet but the heralds of spring are very welcome!

Regards

Neil M

Drake Goldeneye courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Female Goldeneye courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Female Stonechat.

Little Grebe courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

A few bits and pieces!

Hello

A quiet day in the county it seems today but a few sightings of interest as follows...

Stanford Reservoir today retained it's Red-crested Pochard and an Oystercatcher was the first at the site this year; eight Goosanders were also present.

Just over the county border Eyebrook Reservoir enjoyed a good day with three Scaup, at least one Smew, a Caspian Gull, a Great White Egret and a Kittiwake. Also just inside Leicestershire there were two Grey Wagtails and a Little Egret on the River Welland at Market Harborough.

I don't think the Stanwick Pits Bearded Tit has been reported today and it was looked for - but some days it does go to ground!

A Water Rail was showing well in front of Pioneer Hide at Summer Leys LNR today, a Red-crested Pochard was present and three pairs of Mandarin Ducks at Barnwell Country Park were photographed.

Two Grey Wagtails were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth this afternoon, Ravens were seen at Harrington Airfield and Lamport village and Lamport Hall hosted a Woodcock, a Barn Owl and a gathering of twenty-eight Red Kites!

A Weasel at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell was entertaining and the adult Yellow-legged Gull off the Sailing Club at Pitsford Reservoir was again the only bird of interest at the southern end of this site.

A Hummingbird Hawk-moth was an excellent observation locally at this time of the year.

Regards

Neil M

Blackbird courtesy
of John Tilly.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth
courtesy of Jim Dunkley
(taken last year).

Male Sparrowhawk.

Weasel.

Unobtrusive migration

Hello

Some mist-netting at Pitsford Reservoir was the first such activity for a long while and the precursor to more ringing activity on-site soon. About ninety birds were processed, the majority being Blue Tits and Great Tits but also included Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Chaffinch and Marsh Tit. Other birds noted north of the causeway included a male Stonechat, a singing Siskin and a Raven. Pike moving in the shallows signaled their intention to spawn soon. A couple of Ravens were again at Kelmarsh.

The Stanwick male Bearded Tit continued to show nicely today and a Bittern was seen in flight at the west end of the lake complex at dawn. A female Peregrine was at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and a male Brambling was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and birds at Sywell Country Park included a Chiffchaff, two Cetti's Warblers, a Grey Wagtail, two Water Rails and about twenty Siskins.

Two Reed Buntings and two Yellowhammers were nice additions to our garden today and at Clifford Hill Pits there were a pair of Oystercatchers and a Shelduck. A Ring-necked Parakeet was in a garden at Hartwell at lunchtime, a pair of Smew were again at Blatherwycke Lake and Ravensthorpe Reservoir again hosted the female Ring-necked Duck and the female Scaup.

Birds at Stanford Reservoir today included the Red-crested Pochard, a Great White Egret, a Cetti's Warbler, nine Goosanders and twenty-two migrant Meadow Pipits. Other birds on the move in the county today included Skylarks, wagtails and winter thrushes - most moving over unobtrusively and heading generally north-east.

Regards

Neil M

The Stanwick Bearded Tit
courtesy of Dave Jackson.