Pitsford WeBS Count

The numbers of Coot
wintering at Pitsford
Reservoir have been falling
for a number of years now.
Image courtesy of John Tilly.

Hello

Today was the Pitsford Reservoir waterbird and wetland count and March is traditionally a low count month. The very high water levels (above capacity and keeping the spillway busy) ensured that the margins were flooded which in itself provides fresh feeding areas for surface feeding ducks. Despite the cold temperatures and early snow flurries there was a significant hatch of small chironomid flies which kept ducks, gulls and small insectivorous birds busy in consuming this seasonal bounty.

The strong winds and sunny conditions made it ideal for raptors to display overhead and at this time of the year there is always a strong northward movement of gulls with flocks of Common and Black-headed Gulls arriving, lingering and then moving on, with a few bigger gulls tagging along. Pike were active in the shallows as their spawning season is now due, with plenty of splashing as the males try to stay close to the bigger females.

Four Chiffchaffs (two singing) south of the causeway were further signs of spring and other small birds between the causeway and dam included two Grey Wagtails, four Redpolls, six Siskins and two male Stonechats. With the first Osprey back at Rutland Water today eyes skywards failed to find one at Pitsford but birds north of the causeway included a Jack Snipe, about eighty Common Snipe, another male Stonechat, five Pintail, a Siskin and plenty of displaying Goldeneye.

The Grey Heron colony that has existed at this site for many years has during the last few years become a split unit with small colonies and individual nests in the Walgrave and Scaldwell Bays. This year a small colony is now in the Holcot Bay, the first time they have used this bay.

In the Nene Valley Stanwick Pits hosted a Curlew, nine Redshank, eleven Goosanders, three Great White Egrets and an adult Caspian Gull. At Summer Leys LNR a Curlew was there first thing and later there were three Avocets for a short time before flying off west with three Redshanks, a Common Snipe, two Dunlin, two Oystercatchers and a Great White Egret also present. Another Curlew was found at Clifford Hill Pits this afternoon and a Barn Owl was hunting in fields between Wollaston Lock and Wollaston Weirs.

Two Sand Martins flew north at Eyebrook Reservoir this morning, a male Brambling and a pair of Grey Partridges were at Harrington Airfield this afternoon and a Barn Owl was hunting in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Pike in the shallows.

Linnet courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Goldfinch courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Chiffchaff courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Ringing recoveries

Hello

I have been remiss recently in not documenting recoveries associated with activities of members of the Northants Ringers Group so here are some (quite a lot actually!):-

1.  A juvenile male Greenfinch was ringed at Stortons Pits on 24th June 2020 and this bird was found dead in nearby Duston on 21st June 2022 (727 days later);

2.  A Chiffchaff was ringed at Stanford Reservoir on 14th April 2022 and was caught again on 11th July 2022 but this time identified as a breeding male at Pitsford Reservoir (21km distance and eighty-eight days later);

3. A juvenile Chiffchaff was ringed at Pitsford Reservoir on 17th August 2022 and was next recorded in a mist net at Stanford Reservoir on 15th September 2022 (29 days later);

4.  A juvenile Starling was ringed at Hanging Houghton on 9th June 2022 and dispersed relatively quickly to Wellingborough on 8th July when unfortunately it was taken by a cat (13km distance and 29 days between records);

5.  An adult male Blackbird was ringed at Greens Norton on 26th November 2018 and was found freshly dead in the village on 23rd April 2022 (1244 days elapsed between the two records);

6.  An adult male Blackbird was ringed at Harrington Airfield on 30th December 2020 and with a 140mm wing length was very much a candidate for a continental bird. However it was caught again at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire on the unlikely date of 25th June 2022 (542 days later and 198km away from Harrington) so who knows where it originated!

7.  An adult Reed Warbler was ringed at Queen Mary Reservoir, Surrey on 8th August 2017 and caught again at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes where assessed as a breeding female on 24th June 2022 (1781 days later and 77km from where first ringed);

8.  A Blue Tit was ringed as a fledgling in a nest box at Chapel Brampton Golf Course on 19th May 2015 and the long dead remains of this bird were located in a nest box in Kingsthorpe, Northampton on 29th July 2022 (2628 days and just 2km from where first ringed);

9.  A Common Tern was ringed as a nestling on a tern raft at Pitsford Reservoir on 20th July 2017 and was found dead in a tern colony at Brandon Marsh, Warwickshire on 2nd August 2022, 1829 days later and 40km west from Pitsford;

10.  A juvenile Reed Warbler was ringed at Stanwick Pits on 23rd July 2022 and re-trapped at Stanford Reservoir on 8th August 2022 - 16 days later with this young bird wandering 37km in a WNW direction;

11.  A juvenile Blackcap was ringed at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes on 18th June 2022 and re-trapped at Stanford Reservoir on 29th August 2022 - 72 days later with this bird moving 44km in a NNW direction;

12.  A juvenile Blackcap was ringed at Chase Park Farm, Yardley Chase on 21st June 2022 and encountered again in a mist net at Dunkirk, Little Downham, Ely, Cambridgeshire 74 days later on 3rd September 2022 - moving 75km in a ENE direction;

13.  A juvenile Chiffchaff was ringed at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes on 20th August 2022 and caught again on 20th September 2022 at Jubilee River, Slough, Berks - the bird having taken 31 days to travel 66km in a southerly direction;

14.  A nestling Barn Owl was ringed at Wolverton, Milton Keynes on 10th June 2022 and caught in a mist net at nearby Linford Lakes 84 days later on 2nd September 2022;

15.  A male Reed Warbler was ringed at Linford Lakes on 16th May 2021 and was re-trapped at Cabanot, Audenge, Gironde, France on 3rd August 2022 444 days later in a direct southerly direction of 823km;

16.  A Lesser Redpoll was ringed at Greens Norton on 9th November 2022 and caught again ten days later 15km to the south at Rectory Farm, Tingewick, Bucks;

17.  A juvenile Black-headed Gull was ringed at Linford Lakes on 15th October 2022 but was found dead just 37 days later on 21st November 2022 in Haversham, Milton Keynes (just 2km away) - possibly a victim of Avian Flu;

18.  A juvenile Goldfinch was ringed at Oxonholme, Cumbria on 24th September 2022 and re-trapped at Overstone Park, Northampton fifty days later on 13th November 2022 - traveling 258km in a SSE direction;

19.  An adult Lesser Redpoll was ringed at Overstone Park on 8th April 2022 and then re-trapped on 1st December 2022 at Hick's Lodge, Moira, Leicestershire - 237 days later and suggestive that this diminutive finch has wintered in the English Midlands the last two years;

20.  A Great Tit was ringed as a nestling in a nest box at Pitsford Reservoir on 17th May 2022 and found freshly dead in Walgrave village just 3km away on 11th December 2022 (208 days later);

21.  A juvenile female Starling was ringed in Hanging Houghton on 13th June 2022 and caught again by a ringer at Sprat's Down, Fawley, coastal Hampshire on 22nd October 2022 - 131 days later with this bird having travelled 173km in a southerly direction;

22.  Three Long-tailed Tits were ringed at Stanford Reservoir on 12th October 2021 and all three birds were caught again at Kelmarsh Hall on 16th January 2023 - a duration of 461 days elapsing with these birds probably hedge-hopping for 14km in an easterly direction;

23.  An adult male Mallard was ringed at Pitsford Reservoir on 1st June 2021 and shot near Lamport on 27th January 2023 - 605 days later and with just 4km distance between records;

24.  A juvenile Magpie was ringed at Pitsford Reservoir on 21st July 2018 and trapped and killed intentionally at Holcot on 15th July 2022 - 1455 days later only 3km away;

25.  An adult female Blackbird was ringed at Pamphlet Wall, Reculver Marshes, Kent on 18th November 2021 and caught again at Overstone Park, Northampton on 23rd January 2023 - 431 days inbetween and suggesting this is a continental bird wintering successfully in the UK;

26.  A first year female Great Tit was ringed at Greens Norton on 22nd March 2022 and found freshly dead in the village 331 days later on 16th February 2023.

Birds today included two Grey Wagtails and a Yellow-legged Gull at Pitsford Reservoir and at Summer Leys LNR there were five Black-tailed Godwits and two Sand Martins briefly which then headed west.

A large Starling murmuration was recorded over Higham Ferrers this afternoon and yesterday morning a Caspian Gull was seen at Wicksteed Park, Barton Seagrave.

Regards

Neil M

Lively Pied Wagtails
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Wildlife of a mild March day

Hello

A much milder day today and with overnight rain it was great to find some frogspawn in the garden pond this morning.

A Hummingbird Hawk-moth was an excellent insect find in Jim's Sywell garden today (presumably an over-wintering individual desperate for some nectar).

A pair of Grey Partridges were the only birds of note at Harrington Airfield today and up to four birds have become regular visitors to a feeding station near Old.

Two Siberian Chiffchaffs were again at Billing Pits/Ecton SF below Cogenhoe by bridge K121 with plenty of accompanying Chiffchaffs. A Caspian Gull was at Eyebrook Reservoir yesterday and a Smew was there today.

The female Ring-necked Duck was still at Ravensthorpe Reservoir and birds at Stanford Reservoir included two Stonechats, a Great White Egret, a colour-ringed juvenile Herring Gull which was ringed near Bristol in June 2022, three Goosanders, a Water Rail and a Cetti's Warbler.

A drake Scaup was discovered at Clifford Hill Pits today where there was also a Dunlin and two Stonechats and Upton Country Park hosted a Barnacle Goose, three Pintail and two Oystercatchers. A female Goosander was at Titchmarsh LNR at Thrapston Pits, two Grey Wagtails and a Barn Owl were at Stortons Pits and a Stonechat was in the Brampton Valley at Merry Tom Lane.

A Caspian Gull was near Lilbourne this afternoon on pools behind the Royal Mail Distribution Centre and Pitsford Reservoir attracted three Stonechats, the regular adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Raven, an adult male Peregrine plus a Roe Deer in Christies Copse.

A period of garden ringing on the north-east outskirts of Northampton successfully processed three Woodpigeons, ten Goldfinches, two Reed Buntings and several common birds.

Regards

Neil M

Hummingbird Hawk-moth
at Sywell today courtesy of
Jim Dunkley.

Grey Wagtail at Stortons Pits
today courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Yellow-legged Gull.

Magpie.

Still, cold and glorious

Hello

A very still, cool morning with high cloud cover and an amazing sunrise made it worth getting up early!

Less testing conditions for our birds today but our garden still attracted plenty of Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings and Chaffinches from nearby farmland to stock up on a variety of seed.

The very long-staying female Ring-necked Duck was still at Ravensthorpe Reservoir today and Stanford Reservoir attracted a Caspian Gull, a Great White Egret, two Goosanders, a Water Rail, two Grey Wagtails and three Cetti's Warblers.

Sadly we have had a Fox and a Badger killed on the A508 at Hanging Houghton during the last few days and a dead Polecat was located on the A422 between Brackley and Banbury today.

A Blackcap was in a Wellingborough garden today and birds in the Nene Valley included two Oystercatchers and a female Goosander at Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits.

A Grey Wagtail was at Pitsford Reservoir today, a Barn Owl was near Scaldwell village, an albino Magpie must have been quite a sight at Ashton STW and at Harrington Airfield there were two Bramblings and a pair of Grey Partridges.

Regards

Neil M

Sunrise at Pitsford Reservoir.

Mistle Thrush caught and ringed
at Pitsford Reservoir today.

Peregrines courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Feeding the birds.

Hungry Rooks, Jackdaws
and Carrion Crow in a Sywell
garden, images courtesy of
Jim Dunkley.

Hello

Another day of two halves with wind and snow early morning and then a calmer and dryer latter part of the day even with some pleasant sunshine! However the amount of water we have received over the last few days is already causing flooding issues, but the good news is that it is filling the newly-created pools and workings in the Brampton Valley below Lamport, Hanging Houghton and Brixworth (one of the reasons why they were created).

More feed station visits were required today and seven locations were replenished (including our own garden) to ensure that the birds that have grown used to being supplied supplementary food had something to eat in the cold conditions.

The Great Billing/Ecton area took centre stage today with a Siberian Chiffchaff being seen again by Bridge K121 and the drake Scaup being on the pits south of Station Road, Great Billing. Also a garden in Great Billing was graced with singles of Blackcap, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll coming to feeders.

In our garden there were at least five Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings and still plenty of Pied Wagtails and even a Song Thrush was seemingly enjoying some of the food on offer.

A Kingfisher was at Kelmarsh Hall today and at a flooded Earls Barton Pits a drake Red-crested Pochard was on Mary's Lake with two Stonechats at Earls Barton Lock and five Great White Egrets and two Redshanks on the Summer Leys LNR.

The adult Yellow-legged Gull was again at Pitsford Reservoir today and probably the same bird that has been present all winter and possibly the same returning bird for the last five years when first noticed as an advanced first year bird.

Regards

Neil M

Lesser Redpoll.

Siskin.

Blackcap.

All above images taken by
Paul Jones in his Great
Billing garden today.

Adult Yellow-legged Gull
at Pitsford Reservoir today.

Snow then rain

Hello

A challenging day for wildlife and humans alike today with up to four inches of snow overnight and this morning and now plenty of rain for the next 24 hours and cold too!

Much of the morning was spent clearing the snow several times to provide a feeding area for the birds flocking to the garden, a good job I have recently been to Eyebrook Bird Foods to replenish our stocks!

The feeders at the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station, Pitsford Reservoir were empty this afternoon, despite me filling them completely on Tuesday - Robins, Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings came down almost to my feet as soon as I broadcasted the Rutland Mix blended food! Before that I trudged through the snow at Harrington Airfield and cleared the snow at the feeding areas with Dunnocks and Robins following me at every step! Their persistence paid off with a bucket of mixed food to consume. A pair of Grey Partridge were the only birds of note - a swirling flock of Fieldfares found very little to feed on - one individual defended some rotting rose hips - the only obvious berries left.

Single Barn Owls were at Stortons Pits and in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton today, the female Ring-necked Duck was visible from the causeway car park at Ravensthorpe Reservoir yesterday and today the Pink-footed Goose remained at Wicksteed Park with Greylag Geese.

Between four and six Stonechats were at Sywell Country Park today and a snowy Stanford Reservoir held two Stonechats (both fresh birds in) and a Lesser Redpoll.

Regards

Neil M

Reed Buntings.

Yellowhammer.

A couple of 'through the window'
images from the garden today - sorry
about the poor quality!

Winter strikes back!

Hello

Well a very wintry day and with further snow forecast for tonight and tomorrow before a quieter and milder week-end.

Our garden was very busy to the point it was hard keeping up with the hungry birds - lots of food going out and some of the scarcer birds included at least ten Pied Wagtails and seven Reed Buntings and a couple of Yellowhammers.

Currently there is a small murmuration of Starlings each evening in Spratton village, creating quite a stir with villagers coming out to watch the 1,000 plus birds spiraling around before going to roost in village hedges. Gorse Road junction Holdenby Road in the village is perhaps one of the best places to observe.

A Stonechat and a Great White Egret were at Stanford Reservoir today, a Barnacle Goose was at Upton Country Park and Stortons Pits was good for a Barn Owl, a Water Rail, a Jack Snipe and a Grey Wagtail. Four Great White Egrets and a Redshank were at Summer Leys LNR this afternoon.

A Raven was at Kelmarsh, a Grey Wagtail is a regular visitor to a Maidwell garden and a Water Rail was again showing well on the River Welland at Market Harborough today.

In the Brampton Valley below Brixworth choice birds were about five Redpolls, a Chiffchaff, a Grey Wagtail, a Common Snipe and a Water Rail. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was in the gull roost at Pitsford Reservoir this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Barn Owl courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Great Tit courtesy
of John Tilly.

Grey Wagtail at Stortons today
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Grey Heron at Stortons today
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Long distance Black-headed Gull.

Hello

Cold today but nothing much wrong with the weather as we avoided the snow in the region and enjoyed periods of sunshine!

The herd of fifteen Bewick's Swans were still present at Summer Leys LNR at dawn but moved off east at about 7.20am, no doubt heading off in a staged journey back to Russia. A Black-tailed Godwit was also present.

The adult Mediterranean Gull was again in the gull roost at Stanford Reservoir this evening and other birds there today included a Peregrine, a Stonechat, a fly-over Redshank, two Oystercatchers, two Great White Egrets, nine Goosanders, a Cetti's Warbler and seven Lesser Redpolls.

An Avocet and a White-fronted Goose were still at Eyebrook Reservoir again today and three adult Caspian Gulls at Hollowell Reservoir today have kept faithful to this site all winter. Four Stonechats were also present.

At Billing Pits today the drake Scaup was still present off Station Road and at the other end of the Billing Pits/Ecton SF complex two Siberian Chiffchaffs remained by the outflow and Bridge K121 with a supporting cast of thirty Chiffchaffs, eight Grey Wagtails and a Water Rail.

Harrington Airfield remained quiet with just twelve Golden Plovers on the top fields and a Barn Owl was seen briefly at nearby Lamport Hall this afternoon with a Grey Wagtail over Hanging Houghton first thing.

At Blueberry Farm (Maidwell) a large group of angry Jackdaws alerted Eleanor to a raptor in the bottom of a hedge pinning a still-live Jackdaw to the ground! A closer view confirmed a female Sparrowhawk mantling the fighting corvid and on being disturbed the Jackdaw managed to get away but was clearly injured. Interestingly the female Sparrowhawk was sporting a ring on her left leg. A first for the site (on the ground at least) was a pair of Egyptian Geese on a small pond in company with a small flock of Wigeon.

A male Stonechat was at East Fields, Hartwell and two Peregrines were in Market Harborough town centre today.

A colour-ringed Black-headed Gull photographed at Pitsford Reservoir back on 11th December 2022 originated from a Norwegian ringing project with the bird being ringed as an adult on 20th March 2022 at Frognerparken Nedre Dam near Oslo. Presumably it was a breeding bird as it was sighted twice in June just a few kilometres from the ringing site. The distance between the ringing site and Pitsford Reservoir is approximately 1105km with 266 days elapsing between the two records.

Regards

Neil M

Blue Tit. The most commonly-
ringed bird in the UK and in
Northants! Image courtesy
of John Tilly.

Dunnock courtesy of
John Tilly.

The Robin - our national bird!
Image courtesy of John Tilly.

Spring love must be in
the air! A couple of cooing
Collared Doves courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Bewick's Swans.

Hello

A cold day and with a little rain, particularly this afternoon and with a colder night ahead and a taste of winter tomorrow.

The garden birds seemed to sense this and we had at least seven Pied Wagtails and five Reed Buntings feeding on the back lawn this afternoon together with plenty of more common birds.

Early birding at Stanwick Pits today provided nine Great White Egrets and fifteen Goosanders and birds at Hollowell Reservoir included an adult Caspian Gull, eight Common Snipe and four Stonechats. Nearby Ravensthorpe Reservoir still hosted the female Ring-necked Duck and female Scaup, both south of the causeway.

A Pink-footed Goose was still at Wicksteed Park this morning, a Woodcock was at the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve but the birds of the day were the arrival of Bewick's Swans on the Summer Leys LNR this afternoon. Initially three were seen but before 4.30pm this number had shot up to fifteen birds which appeared to roost at dusk. It will be interesting to see if the regular winter flock at Slimbridge, Gloucestershire has reduced as it is assumed that the Summer Leys birds probably originate from there.

A Water Rail was showing nicely at Market Harborough along the River Welland today and birds at Stanford Reservoir included an adult Mediterranean Gull in the roost, a Stonechat, two Great White Egrets and ten Goosanders. Two Avocets were at Eyebrook Reservoir this morning and a White-fronted Goose was seen there too.

Regards

Neil M

Bewick's Swans at Summer Leys
LNR today courtesy of Jim Dunkley.

March movements

Hello

March can feel like a period of limbo between seasons with everything waiting for warmer temperatures and longer days. In the bird world there is still migration going on but it is subtle and often relatively short hops, seeking out food and shelter before settling down at a suitable place to breed.

A couple of ringing sessions were undertaken by Northants Ringing Group members in the county today and the birds processed very much illustrate this with resident birds mingling with winterers and others which will soon be moving to other parts of the UK or the continent.

Chris was ringing in his garden at Greens Norton and processed some forty-one birds which included twenty-four Goldfinches and four Greenfinches (plus two Siskins visiting but not caught) and it is likely that many of these finches are from elsewhere in the UK and even from the close continent. In Northants we quite regularly catch Goldfinches originally ringed in Scotland during the breeding season and ringers based in North England and Scotland process birds we have ringed during the winter. Ringing tells us that the Siskins that occur in the county are generally from Scotland and Scandanavia. Chris caught four Starlings and they could be either local birds or possibly from as far away as Moscow!

At Brixworth Water Treatment Works today the catch included four Lesser Redpolls. These birds no longer breed in the county and it is likely that they have originated from the northern half of the UK or near continent. Three Pied Wagtails caught and ringed could be local birds but the bulk of the Scottish breeding population winter in England. Three Grey Wagtails processed again could be locally breeding birds or from further north/east - interestingly one of these birds was originally ringed at Pitsford Reservoir in October 2022 suggesting it has remained local all winter. A Chiffchaff caught and ringed is part of an ever-increasing wintering population and who knows where it is bound! A Water Rail was caught and ringed there today and this species does not breed on-site so how far has he come?

The female Ring-necked Duck remained at Ravensthorpe Reservoir today and the first year drake Scaup was again at Billing Pits and behind Billing Garden Village this morning. A drake Goosander was at Abington Park, Northampton this morning and three Stonechats and three Green Sandpipers were good local records from Kingsthorpe Meadows in the Brampton Valley.

A pair of Grey Partridge were the only noteworthy birds at Harrington Airfield and the Brampton Valley below Brixworth provided two Egyptian Geese flying north and one or two Barn Owl(s). Another Barn Owl was at Lamport Hall and the pair of Stonechat remain in fields between Walgrave and Pitsford Reservoir.

At Earls Barton Pits there was a female Red-crested Pochard and four Great White Egrets on the Summer Leys LNR with a Raven at Stanwick Pits and a Grey Wagtail near Ecton. Birds at Stanford Reservoir today included a fly-through Curlew, a Stonechat, a Shelduck, three Oystercatchers, twelve Goosanders, a Raven, a Grey Wagtail and a Cetti's Warbler.

Regards

Neil M

North American Mink
at Stortons Pits today
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Water Rail courtesy
of Steve Wilson.

Lesser Redpoll courtesy
of Jane Neil.

Grey Wagtail courtesy 
of Steve Wilson.

Starlings courtesy of
Chris Payne.

The upper bird is a female with a pink-
based bill and pale ocular, the lower
bird is a male bird with a blue-based bill
  and all-dark eye.