Ringing at Linford Lakes

Hello

A male House Sparrow from
the ringing session the previous
week and only the second individual
of this species to be ringed at Linford.

Last Sunday (3rd March), Kenny Cramer and team completed some more ringing at Linford Lakes on the edge of Milton Keynes close to the Northants border. This followed a successful session the week before where migrating finches showed up attracted to the feeders. Kenny reports that on Sunday the session started cold with ice-locked nets and freezing fog and finished in spring-like sunshine with accompanying bumblebees and singing Chiffchaffs! 

Once the sun burned through the cold fog and the temperatures rose the birds began to move around and the catch went up after a very slow start with one hundred and nine captures of eighteen species, of which sixty-three birds were newly-ringed.

Again the finches provided the colour and variety with fourteen Goldfinches processed plus eight Greenfinches, a Chaffinch, three Lesser Redpolls and an excellent total of twenty Siskins. Winter thrushes are difficult to catch at this time of the year but three Redwings were duly caught and processed as were six Blackbirds. Other birds included two Chiffchaffs, two Cetti's Warblers, a Treecreeper, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and two Reed Buntings.

Other birds noted on-site included a Water Rail, four Oystercatchers and three Great White Egrets.

Regards

Neil M

Stunning rainbow captured on
Saturday 2nd March during the 
course of setting up the site for
the ringing the following day.

Reed Bunting.

Male Lesser Redpoll.

Female Chaffinch.

All images courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Early March sightings

Hello

An interesting trio of ducks at Ditchford Pits today included the drake Garganey still at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows and a drake Scaup and a female Ring-necked Duck on the main lake of the complex.

A Hawfinch was reported in flight over Islip Working Men's Club at lunchtime today and at Stanwick Pits a Bittern was seen in flight over the lake at the western end of the site which then landed in reeds early afternoon.

Birds at Summer Leys LNR today included five Great White Egrets, at least eighteen Common Snipe, about three hundred Golden Plovers, eight Redshanks and four Oystercatchers. Three Oystercatchers were also at Hardwater Lake opposite Summer Leys.

A pair of Peregrines are in residence at Higham Ferrers church at this time and a live-link camera is now available to view.

This morning four Short-eared Owls and two Barn Owls were encountered in a field on Lamport Hall Estate with no public access, the field acting as a day-time roost site for the Short-eareds. Grey Partridges were heard calling at Blueberry Farm this morning and eight were located at Harrington Airfield this afternoon.

A Raven was over the Kelmarsh estate, at least one Siskin was at Kelmarsh Hall and at least two Siskins and a Woodcock were noted at Scotland Wood. At Pitsford Reservoir two female Bramblings were at the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station  and a possible Jack Snipe and thirty to forty Common Snipe were present too.

The video below is a clip of the exodus of Starlings from the Stortons Pits roost at 6.20am this morning courtesy of Graham Bentley.

Regards

Neil M

Lesser Redpoll courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Female Brambling at 
Pitsford Reservoir today
courtesy of Neil Hasdell.

A brief encounter with White Fronted Geese

Yesterday Nick Parker found 4 Adult White Fronted Geese over at Titchmarsh NR where they remained for a couple of hours before disappearing.   A great rewarding find for Nick who regularly visits this site.                                                The drake Garganey was again at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows plus  a Black Tailed Godwit.  Cattle Egrets were present near Aldwinkle and Ditchford Lane.                   Away from the Nene Valley,  an adult Mediterranean Gull and Stonechats at Hollowell Reservoir and pr Stonechats,  2 Green Sandpipers and Barn Owl below Hanging Houghton. 

Today most of the news is  from the Nene Valley.  At Clifford Hill 2 Oystercatchers and a Red head Smew, 3 Great White Egrets,  2 Dunlin and 8 Redshank at Summer Leys, drake Scaup and female Ring Necked Duck on the main lake at Ditchford and Marsh Harrier at Stanwick GP. 

It's not too late to catch the fabulous mesmerising spectacle of the Starling murmuration.  Still huge numbers gathering at Summer Leys and Stortons GP. Well worth a trip out at about 17.00hrs-18.00hrs.

Tomorrow evening at 19.30hrs the Northamptonshire Bird Club will be meeting at the Lodge, Pitsford Water.  It is the AGM but don't be put off as the business part of the meeting is a short affair.  This will be followed by a talk from local naturalist John Friendship-Taylor on the virtues of " local patch birding".  I'm sure that this will be a very interesting talk and one that strikes a chord with many of us who regularly watch/visit the same area.      A local patch can be any type of habitat but it is quite enlightening to watch the same area during the year and monitor the changes in the wildlife which may be due to the weather or land management.  I suppose that my local patch is  split between Blueberry and Harrington Airfield.  I know that Mark watches Hollowell Reservoir,  Nigel the attenuation pond at Duston where currently there are 20+ Redpolls, Steve at Stanwick,  Nick at Titchmarsh and the many more stalwarts in the county watching "their patch". 

Regards Eleanor 

A Sparse Weekend!!

It has been a quiet weekend in the county with birds seemingly playing hide and seek. The Green Winged Teal remains at Stanwick GP tucked away on the back pools viewed from the tree house hide. Just down the road at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows the drake Garganey has been elusive at times hiding away on Dragonfly Lake and Otter Lake.  Also in the Nene Valley several Cattle Egrets at Ditchford Lane and Summer Leys,  plus drake Scaup at Grendon Lakes.                                                                  Several Short Eared Owls remain around the Blueberry complex but these too are becoming more elusive and it can be quite dark before they show.

Whilst some birds have been difficult others have been quite obvious.  Lots of sightings of Blackcaps,  Siskins and Redpolls in gardens.  We have had several Reed Buntings and a Yellowhammer today visiting.  Whilst out topping up the feeding stations at Kelmarsh I had the company of several Bramblings,  Siskins and a Woodcock.                           Whilst out and about today I came across so many signs of Spring,  colourful Coltsfoot,  Celandines,  Violets and Daisies plus new shoots and blossom on the seemingly bare hedgerows.  I'm just hoping for a lengthy period of dry weather to give the saturated ground time to recover,  meaning an end to wet muddy dogs.

Regards Eleanor 

Garden birding

Hello

Another particularly wet morning didn't stop the Green-winged Teal being spotted at Stanwick Pits first thing although it wasn't seen when searched for later.

Two Short-eared Owls were on the edge of the Blueberry Farm complex this morning and one was seen this afternoon. The two Stonechats were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton where there were also two Green Sandpipers and two Grey Wagtails. This afternoon a female Merlin and another pair of Stonechats were seen from the footpath leading from Hanging Houghton to Scaldwell. A male Siskin was in our Hanging Houghton garden this morning where there was also an influx of up to a dozen Greenfinches. Yesterday two Blackcaps and two Siskins fed in a Weston Favell garden.

Birds at Summer Leys LNR today included two Cattle Egrets, a showy Barn Owl, three Great White Egrets and  six Common Snipe.

Regards

Neil M

Garden birds courtesy of
Dave Jackson with a male and
female Blackcap and male and
female Siskin as photographed
yesterday.

The below videos depict the 
impressive Starling murmuration
yesterday evening at Stortons
Pits courtesy of Graham Bentley
and also a short clip from an owl
box courtesy of Suzy Boys with a
Tawny Owl taking out a Barn Owl.

The ducks have it!

Hello

Ducks stole the show today with the drake Garganey again being seen on Otter Lake on the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve section of Ditchford Pits this morning. Nearby at Stanwick Pits Steve Fisher found a/the drake Green-winged Teal on flood water behind the Main Lake. The drake Scaup was again on Grendon Lakes on the Earls Barton Pits complex today and the 'redhead' Smew was again reported on the Main Lake at Clifford Hill Pits this morning.

This afternoon there were four mobile Short-eared Owls on the eastern edge of Blueberry Farm, Maidwell at the juncture of Lamport Farms fields - access is from footpaths from the Brampton Valley Way running up to Blueberry Farm. Six Common Snipe were present too. This morning a Short-eared Owl, presumably one of these birds, flew up from cover in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton near to 'shrike hedge', with two Green Sandpipers and two Stonechats just west of the Brampton Valley Way. 

Two Siskins were on a nyger feeder at Scotland Wood this morning and birds around Kelmarsh Hall included a Woodcock, two Ravens and some audible Siskins. A described owl seen on the events field there yesterday by staff members suggested another Short-eared Owl but it couldn't be relocated today.

Two Cattle Egrets were on the Summer Leys reserve today and other birds recorded included a Marsh Harrier, three Great White Egrets, three hundred and eighty Golden Plovers, two Redshanks, four Oystercatchers, six Common Snipe and two Chiffchaffs. 

A very impressive Starling murmuration took place again at Stortons Pits this evening, well captured on video by Graham Bentley.

Regards

Neil M

Great Crested Grebe
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Tufted Ducks courtesy
of John Tilly.

Redshank courtesy 
of Tony Stanford.

Oystercatchers courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Dull weather Wednesday

Hello

An early morning stint at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell in the mist provided some birds which included at least one Short-eared Owl, a Barn Owl, several calling Grey Partridges and two Common Snipe. Two Green Sandpipers were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

Harrington Airfield attracted hundreds of Fieldfares and Starlings feeding on the saturated fields, an influx of Chaffinches and a covey of twelve Grey Partridges.

An adult Yellow-legged Gull was again off the dam at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon and the Earls Barton Pits complex included a Scaup at Grendon Lakes and Summer Leys LNR attracted two Cattle Egrets, four Great White Egrets, five Pintail, four Oystercatchers, three hundred plus Golden Plovers, two Redshanks and two Siskins. The Mary's Lake Starling murmuration was still impressive the previous evening.

Three Siskins and a Blackcap were in a Weston Favell, Northampton garden this afternoon and a single Siskin was a visitor to a garden in Moulton.

A ringing session at Stortons Pits today provided forty-five birds which included Blue and Great Tits, Long-tailed Tits, a Chiffchaff, two Reed Buntings, two Goldfinches, a Blackbird, a Wren and four Dunnocks.

Regards

Neil M

Green Woodpecker courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Bittern courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Mute Swans courtesy
of John Tilly.

Goldfinch courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

A Garganey and some Waxwings

Hello

An early drake Garganey at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows was an excellent record this morning, later an adult Caspian Gull, two Oystercatchers and a Dunlin were on the reserve too. Nearby six Cattle Egrets were visible in a flooded field off Ditchford Lane next to the container complex and eighty-one Golden Plovers were seen in flight heading towards Neville's Lodge.

Elsewhere and a Cattle Egret was off Mary's Lane at Earls Barton Pits with birds on Summer Leys LNR amounting to two Cattle Egrets, two Great White Egrets, at least fifteen Little Egrets, five Oystercatchers, four Redshanks, four hundred Golden Plovers, four Pintail, plenty of winter thrushes and a Chiffchaff. An Otter showed very well there this morning.

Ten Waxwings turned up in roadside hedging on the Oundle bypass again today and another was seen at Brackmills Country Park, Northampton.

At Hollowell Reservoir today there were two adult Caspian Gulls, a Jack Snipe, eleven Common Snipe, a Woodcock, five Stonechats and two hundred and fifty Fieldfares moving south-east.

Garden birds today included singing Blackcaps at Brackley and Hanging Houghton, six Redpolls in a Grange Park, Northampton garden, another Redpoll on feeders in a Duston garden and two Siskins on a garden feeder in Moulton village.

Two Ravens were at Hanging Houghton first thing, another was in Cottesbrooke village and two Short-eared Owls showed briefly at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell where there was also a calling Grey Partridge.

A Green Sandpiper and a pair of Stonechats were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

Regards

Neil M

Dunnock courtesy
of John Tilly.

Robin courtesy of
John Tilly.

Drake Wigeon courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Canada Goose courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Pitsford WeBS count

Hello

It was a rather late and quiet WeBS count at Pitsford Reservoir today, the strong north-easterly wind making it feel rather cold too!

Wildfowl were in very low numbers which is the norm for the time of the year and the water levels are extremely high with lots of brown water still. A Great White Egret was in the Walgrave Bay and a Little Egret was south of the causeway. A Jack Snipe and about eighty-three Common Snipe was a decent number considering most of their usual waterside vegetative cover was in the water. Other than that there were a few Siskins and a Redpoll flying around and lots of Common Buzzard and Red Kite activity in the sunny, breezy conditions. About twenty Siskins were at the adjacent Brixworth Country Park.

At least one Cattle Egret was reported at Summer Leys LNR today and late reports from yesterday include four at Ditchford Pits again to the west of Ditchford Lane and a single near Stanford Reservoir.

Three Siskins were at Scotland Wood today with others heard at Kelmarsh Hall. A Stonechat and an Oystercatcher were at Upton Country Park.

Details of a ringing recovery received recently refers to a Tawny Owl ringed as a nestling at Kelmarsh Hall on 10th June 2023. Unfortunately it was found freshly dead having sustained injuries at Great Bowden, Market Harborough on 26th October 2023. It was tested for avian flu and the result came back as negative. Sadly this young owl didn't live long and was found at least eight km due north from where it was hatched, 138 days elapsing between the date of ringing and recovery.

Regards

Neil M

Basic map detailing
movement of the Tawny
Owl ringed at Kelmarsh
Hall and recovered at
Great Bowden courtesy
of Nick Wood.

Greylag Geese courtesy
of John Tilly.

Black-headed Gulls
 courtesy of John Tilly.

Stonechats.

Oystercatcher.

Above four images courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

A rather old Great Spotted Woodpecker!

Hello

A ringing session at Sunderland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate today yielded fifty-seven birds of nine species today made up of twenty-seven Blue Tits, nineteen Great Tits, four Coal Tits, a Marsh Tit, a Nuthatch, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Robin, a Dunnock and a Chaffinch. One of the Great Spotted Woodpeckers was a re-trapped male, first ringed at the same wood in December 2014. The exact age was not established in 2014 but this individual is at least nine years old and the national longevity record is eleven years and ten months.

Five Smew were at Eyebrook Reservoir today and birds at Summer Leys LNR today included two Cattle Egrets, at least four Great White Egrets, two Pintail, two Redshanks, two Oystercatchers and twenty-five plus Pochard.

A male Blackcap was in a Weston Favell village garden and two Common Snipe and twelve Grey Partridges were at Harrington Airfield this afternoon.

Two Woodcock were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning and a Green Sandpiper and four Stonechats were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

The Starling murmuration at Stortons Pits this evening was again impressive and an adult Yellow-legged Gull was off the dam at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon

Regards

Neil M

Adult male Great Spotted Woodpecker
at Sunderland Wood, Kelmarsh today, he is
 at least nine years old!

Images courtesy of
Lewis Aaron.

Great Crested Grebes.

Mute Swan.

Above two images taken at
Pitsford Reservoir courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Ringing at Scotland Wood today.

Hello

After a cold start (-3C) and moonlit night, today developed into a lovely winter's day with plenty of sunshine.

A ringing session took place at Scotland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate today in somewhat wet and muddy conditions and after a slow start with ice-bound mist nets a reasonable number of 151 birds were processed of thirteen species. The star of the catch was a stunning-looking Tawny Owl and other birds were a Song Thrush, a Dunnock, five Robins, two Wrens, a Goldcrest, forty-four Great Tits, seventy-one Blue Tits, nine Coal Tits, three Marsh Tits, two Nuthatches, three Chaffinches and eight bright Siskins. At least two Woodcock were present.

A Short-eared Owl was hunting next to the old Beck Dairy on the outskirts of Cottesbrooke this morning, a 'redhead' Smew was still at Eyebrook Reservoir and two Cattle Egrets were on Hawthorn Island at Summer Leys LNR where there were also two Pintail, two Great White Egrets, two Oystercatchers, two Redshanks, sixty-five Golden Plovers and at least three Chiffchaffs. Approximately thirty Siskins were in alders along the path to the Double-decker hide.

A Goosander was on the fishing lake in Wellingborough opposite Sainsbury's on the Northampton Road and four Great White Egrets and a Grey Partridge were at Ringstead Pits. A further influx of Siskins included at least twenty in a garden in Creaton and three in our garden at Hanging Houghton where there was also singles of Brambling and Reed Bunting. A pair of Stonechats were at Borough Hill Country Park, Daventry this afternoon.

Five Waxwings flew NW over Stanford Reservoir at about 4.10pm, hopefully the first of a late winter/spring passage as they consider moving back to the continent.

Regards

Neil M

Tawny Owl at Scotland Wood
 today courtesy of Bethan Clyne.

Nuthatch at Scotland Wood
today courtesy of Bethan Clyne.

Male Siskin at Scotland Wood
today courtesy of Lewis Aaron.

Marsh Tit at Scotland Wood today
courtesy of Lewis Aaron.

A dry(ish) day!

Hello

A much better day's weather today but with cooling temperatures during the night.

Two pairs of Stonechats and a Green Sandpiper were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton today and at nearby Blueberry Farm a single Short-eared Owl was seen this afternoon, perched in a field before being moved on by a Carrion Crow. Two Woodcock were noted here too.

A male Blackcap was again attracted to apples in our Hanging Houghton garden today and a Raven was heard nearby with the usual pair at Lamport village. Three Snipe and up to three calling Grey Partridges were at Harrington Airfield this afternoon.

The run of Cattle Egrets continues with two just east of Ditchord Lane in alpaca fields at Ditchford Pits and two again at Summer Leys LNR where there were also two drake Pintail. A Stonechat and two Oystercatchers were at Quarry Walk, Earls Barton.

At Hollowell Reservoir today noteworthy birds were two adult Caspian Gulls, a Jack Snipe, ten Common Snipe, eight Stonechats and seven Siskins. Stanford Reservoir hosted a Stonechat, a Peregrine, an Oystercatcher, a Water Rail and a Cetti's Warbler.

Two 'redhead' Smew remain at Eyebrook Reservoir and the 'redhead' was still at Clifford Hill Pits today. Two Goosanders and a pair of Stonechats were in the Stortons Pits/Sixfields Lake area and a Woodcock and three Siskins were at Scotland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate.

Regards

Neil M

Green Woodpecker.

Common Toad.

Common Buzzard.

Goldfinch.

Stonechat.

All images from the Stortons/
Sixfields area today courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

A day of heavy rain

Hello

Very few reports of interesting sightings today which isn't a surprise in such appalling wet weather!

A Cattle Egret was again reported from Summer Leys LNR today and the pair of Stonechats remain in the very flooded Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton. Yesterday there was a Pink-footed Goose and four Goosanders at Stanford Reservoir.

Regards

Neil M

Muntjac.

Kestrel.

Male Water Rail.

Female Water Rail.

 Six new Water Rails have been ringed in
 the Nene Valley so far this year and they
and re-trapped birds continue to be 
fitted with colour rings too.

All images courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

A wet couple of days (again)!

Hello

Rain for much of the day and potentially even more tomorrow!

At least one Cattle Egret was at Summer Leys LNR today and there was a repeat of the Starling murmuration over adjacent Mary's Lake.

At Clifford Hill Pits today a 'redhead' Smew was present as were two Oystercatchers.

A male Brambling and a singing Siskin were at Scotland Wood on the Kelmatsh Estate this morning and at least three Siskins were at Kelmarsh Hall.

A male Merlin was again in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon as were two Stonechats. The male Merlin was subsequently seen at nearby Blueberry Farm, Maidwell where it decided to have a half-hearted go at some gathering Starlings which have been feeding on the saturated fields there. Two Short-eared Owls came out hunting there this afternoon in-between the rain showers.

A subtle shift in the garden birds here at Hanging Houghton during the last few days with the arrival of a few Reed Buntings and a Yellowhammer as well as the passage Siskins.

Regards

Neil M

Long-tailed Tit courtesy
of Bethan Clyne.

Lapwing courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Reed Bunting.