Strong sunshine Saturday

Hello

A cold dawn led into a cracking day's weather with plenty of blue sky and warm sunshine and stimulating lots of bumblebees and butterflies to take to the wing, including the stunning Brimstones.

A ringing session at Linford Lakes on the edge of Milton Keynes was a resounding success with one hundred and twenty-eight birds processed of an extraordinary twenty species. Lingering migrant finches building up their fat reserves supplemented early spring migrants and the residents at a time of the year which can be lean for ringing. The finches endeavored to take centre stage with twenty-five Siskins, twenty Lesser Redpolls, nine Greenfinches, a Chaffinch and a Goldfinch. However they were competing with fourteen Reed Buntings, ten Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler and six Blackcaps and a new Cetti's Warbler. A Grey Wagtail is always a stand-out capture and the first processed on-site since 2016. Other birds included two Song Thrushes, three Blackbirds, three Long-tailed Tits, eighteen Blue Tits, six Great Tits, a Goldcrest, a Wren, two Dunnocks and three Robins.

Amongst the re-traps was a Greenfinch first ringed as a juvenile in August 2021, and perhaps a further indication that this species is beginning to fare better of late.

Three Great White Egrets were present plus a Goosander and two Common Snipe with three Grass Snakes being spotted and butterflies including Orange-tip.

A garden ringing session on the east side of Northampton today yielded ten Siskins, eight Goldfinches, a Greenfinch, two Coal Tits and a Robin. It seems that one of the Goldfinches was ringed elsewhere and we await the data accordingly.

One of the colour-ringed Waxwings present in Northampton at Far Cotton earlier this month has now been photographed in North London on 26th and 28th March indicating she is drifting south east from her previous venues this year of North Wales, Birmingham and Northampton.

A Peregrine was eating a dead Lapwing at Lilbourne Water Meadows this morning where there was also two Oystercatchers and two Shelduck with three Little Ringed Plovers on the adjacent DIRFT3/A5 pools. A Swallow was at Cottesbrooke village today.

At Harrington Airfield a Short-eared Owl and a Wheatear were seen and a Jack Snipe was still lingering at Hollowell Reservoir with a Brambling at Ravensthorpe Reservoir. A male Yellow Wagtail was at Stanford Reservoir and other birds included a Shelduck and three Ravens. A Curlew flew east over Daventry Country Park this morning.

In the Nene valley a male Common Redstart at Clifford Hill Pits was a good find and a rare March sighting, the bird frequenting the path between the Main Barrage Lake and Deep Water Lake. A Marsh Harrier and a Black-tailed Godwit were the most noteworthy birds at Stanwick Lakes this morning. Summer Leys LNR recorded a Curlew, the Grey Plover still, a Little Ringed Plover, two Oystercatchers, two Common Snipe and a Black-tailed Godwit. Two Great White Egrets and twelve Sand Martins were on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits this afternoon and nearby at least two White-fronted Geese were showing distantly at Wadenhoe Water Meadows where there were also two Egyptian Geese and singles of Sedge, Willow and Cetti's Warblers.

Regards

Neil M

Goldfinch.

Grey Wagtail.

Reed Bunting.

Willow Warbler.

Grass Snakes.

All images courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Migrants in the Nene Valley

Hello

For me the day started with two vocal Barnacle Geese flying west over the house at Hanging Houghton early this morning, presumably the birds from Pitsford Reservoir yesterday.

A subsequent visit to Scotland Wood provided views of three mobile Crossbills and at least eleven Siskins. Nearby west of Lamport the four Short-eared Owls remain in a field (these birds seemingly do not hunt by day).

The three Black-tailed Godwits were still on the main pit at Stanwick Pits early this morning and at Earls Barton Pits the new workings attracted a Little Ringed Plover, two Oystercatchers, two Green Sandpipers and three Shelducks. At Summer Leys LNR a Sandwich Tern was present briefly, there were up to seven Black-tailed Godwits (later reducing to four), a Grey Plover, two Golden Plovers, a Little Ringed Plover, a Swallow and a Sand Martin.`

A Goosander was present at Stortons Pits and a Water Shrew was an excellent record.

A Swallow and eight Sand Martins were at Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits and at Ditchford Pits a Cattle Egret was in a field near Ditchford Lane and the female Ring-necked Duck was still on the Cotton Reel Pit.

A blogsite has been created to represent the Northants Ringing Group and can be found at:-

https://northantsringinggroup.blogspot.com

Regards

Neil M

Greylag Geese courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Canada Geese courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Little Egret at Abington Park
courtesy of Dave Jackson.

Wet and windy for the most part!

Hello

Some more volatile weather again today and yet more significant rain!

Summer Leys LNR (probably with ample use of the hides by observers) proved to be the site providing most of the records today with a Black-tailed Godwit, a Grey Plover, two Little Ringed Plovers, five Common Snipe, eight Redshanks, a Little Gull, twenty Golden Plovers flying west and a Cattle Egret flying off east.

Nearby there were three Black-tailed Godwits at Stanwick Pits first thing and the 'redhead' Smew was still at Clifford Hill Pits this morning. The female Ring-necked Duck was still on Cotton Reel Lake at Ditchford Pits at lunchtime.

A singing Willow Warbler was at Castle Ashby sandpit this morning and an Osprey flew south of Hollowell village heading towards Ravensthorpe Reservoir late this morning.

At Pitsford Reservoir there were eight Sand Martins and an adult Yellow-legged Gull off the dam and two Barnacle Geese were in the Scaldwell Bay north of the causeway at noon. Twenty-five Golden Plovers was all I could see of note at Harrington Airfield this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Black-tailed Godwit
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Grey Heron courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Chiffchaff courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Rainbow at Hanging
Houghton yesterday evening.

Status Quo!

Hello

A quiet day in the county but it seems that Ditchford Pits was the place to be today with a female Ring-necked Duck on Cotton Reel Lake and the drake Common Scoter relocating to Dragonfly Lake on the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve.

A Mealy Redpoll remains at the attenuation pond off Sandy Lane, Duston and Pitsford Reservoir again produced a calling Lesser Spotted Woodpecker north of the causeway plus a Woodcock and a Barn Owl with four Sand Martins near to the dam.

The two Green Sandpipers were again in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

Regards

Neil M

Muntjac courtesy 
of Tony Stanford.

Black-headed Gull
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Drake Gadwall.

Marsh Tit.

Pitsford Reservoir CBC

Hello

The beginning of the breeding season brings with it more surveys and today was the first Common Bird Census of the reserve at Pitsford Reservoir. Robins, Wrens and Blue and Great Tits were in large numbers and there are already many 'on-territory' Chiffchaffs. Four singing Blackcaps were fresh-in and there were still small numbers of Siskin, Redwing and Fieldfare on-site. Three Kingfishers were logged and a pair of Ravens were on territory too. A calling Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was a surprise, this species is at a very low ebb in the county with very few records in recent years. Cormorants, Grey Herons and Rooks are all very busy on the reserve and there are already begging young Cormorants in some of the nests. The sunshine brough forth three Peacock butterflies and five Brimstones.

Two Green Sandpipers and two Grey Wagtails were again in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton, a couple of Siskins were at Scotland Wood and the Pink-footed Goose was still at Stanford Reservoir with a Raven there too.

Three Common Scoters were found by Mark at Ravensthorpe Reservoir today and despite plenty of fishing boats the sea-ducks pretty much ignored them and stayed all day.

The drake Common Scoter was still on Higham Lake at Ditchford Pits today and there were two Great White Egrets there too.

At Earls Barton Pits today the new workings attracted six Green Sandpipers, three Shelducks, a White Wagtail and three Grey Wagtails with Summer Leys LNR pulling in a Cattle Egret, two Black-tailed Godwits, three Little Ringed Plovers, a fly-through Merlin, a Shelduck, five Redshanks, two Oystercatchers, a Lesser Redpoll and five Siskins.

A Crossbill was heard calling at Bucknell Wood where there were also several Siskins and at least one Mealy Redpoll was still with Lesser Redpolls at the Sandy Lane attenuation pond on the outskirts of Duston, Northampton.

Quite a number of butterflies are on the wing during periods of sunshine including good numbers of Commas, 'whites' and even Speckled Woods and Orange-tips.

Regards

Neil M

Redshank courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Early morning Pheasant.

Peacock butterfly courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Comma butterfly courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

End of March birding

Hello

Migration has spluttered a bit in recent days but there was evidence that some birds are making it through.

A drake Common Scoter was on Higham Lake at Ditchford Pits today and at Earls Barton Pits there was a Curlew at Summer Leys LNR and the new workings/quarry attracted a drake Red-crested Pochard, a White Wagtail, two Green Sandpipers, a Redshank and a Shelduck.

Two Blackcaps were in a Wellingborough garden today and each day there is an increase in singing birds in the wider countryside as different populations of the same species begin to mix.

Four Short-eared Owls don't seem in a hurry to depart their field west of Lamport - there does seem to be plenty of voles about which is their staple diet. Two Green Sandpipers and two Grey Wagtails were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton with a Wheatear there briefly. A male Grey Wagtail was showing well at Upton Country Park.

A second year Caspian Gull, a drake Mandarin Duck and six Siskins were at Hollowell Reservoir this morning and a few Siskins were in Hanging Houghton village.

Harrington Airfield remained quiet with the best birds being just three Ravens and three Grey Partridges this afternoon and birds at Stanford Reservoir included four Pintail, an Oystercatcher and eight Ravens.

An Osprey was seen near Braybrooke this afternoon eating a fish on a telegraph pole (recorded by video).

Regards

Neil M

Grey Wagtail courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Coot courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Brown Hare courtesy
of John Tilly.

Cool but sunny Sunday

Hello

Cool winds but sunny weather today made it a good day to be out!

At Lilbourne Water Meadows this morning there were two Great White Egrets, two Oystercatchers, a Green Sandpiper and a Common Snipe.

An Oystercatcher was in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth first thing this morning and small numbers of Siskins were noted at Cottesbrooke and Kelmarsh Hall. 

At least one of the Mealy Redpoll was still at the Sandy Lane attenuation pool, Duston, Northampton this morning. A Swallow was seen with about twenty Sand Martins in the Nene Valley at Whiston Lock and a Wheatear was at Hinton Airfield at the south end on a ploughed field west of the barn.

Two more Wheatears were discovered at Willowbrook Industrial Estate at Corby at lunchtime and were still present early this afternoon.

Clifford Hill Pits hosted a 'redhead' Smew, a Peregrine and a pair of Oystercatchers and the Earls Barton quarry held a pair of Shelduck, five Redshanks, a Green Sandpiper, an Oystercatcher and a Little Ringed Plover. Three Cetti's Warblers were noted at Stortons Pits.

Regards

Neil M

Chiffchaff courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Mute Swans courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Rooks courtesy
of John Tilly.

Oystercatchers.

Cooler temperatures for the weekend

Hello

A much cooler and quieter day for birds today with some sharp wintry showers.

The four White-fronted Geese were at Wadenhoe Water Meadows at lunchtime, a Great White Egret being there too, but later the geese moved to the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits.

Four Wheatears were located at Borough Hill Country Park, Daventry this morning, a Little Ringed Plover was at the DIRFT3/A5 pools near Lilbourne and a Swallow was at Hollowell Reservoir this afternoon.

Two Green Sandpipers were still in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning. Small numbers of Siskins were noted at Scotland Wood, Kelmarsh Hall and Cottesbrooke today and Ravens were active at Old village, Scaldwell village, Scotland Wood, Pitsford Reservoir and Cottesbrooke. 

Sixty Goldeneye were in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon and Stanford Reservoir attracted fourteen Sand Martins and three Ravens.

Of the recent flock of fourteen Waxwings at Far Cotton two birds were colour-ringed. We still await details of one of the birds but news was soon back about the other. This is a female first ringed at Kincorth, Aberdeen on 30th November 2022 and subsequently re-sighted in Denmark on 26th January 2023. This year, prior to visiting us here this month in Northants she was sighted at Abergele in North Wales on 1st January and then Harborne, Birmingham on 1st February. These details have been supplied by the Grampian Ringing Group.

Regards

Neil M

Male Reed Bunting
courtesy of John Tilly.

Robin courtesy of
John Tilly.

Little Egret courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

March quality birds

Hello

Today a WeBS count was completed at Ditchford Pits and it initially seemed very quiet with little west of Ditchford Lane except two Egyptian Geese and two Oystercatchers a handful of Cetti's Warblers and a Grey Wagtail. To the east of Ditchford Pits it was more interesting with four Cattle Egrets, eight Little Egrets, two Jack Snipe, seventeen Common Snipe, a Kingfisher, several Cetti's Warblers and a Grey Wagtail. A Willow Warbler was at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows.

An excellent variety of scarce birds were available in the county today - it wasn't many years ago when the month of March was perhaps the least exciting month on the birding calendar but not this year!

A 'redhead' Smew was in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir today and two Sand Martins were off the causeway with three Ravens at nearby Holcot village. An Osprey was at Hollowell Reservoir early this morning and at nearby Ravensthorpe Reservoir a Glossy Ibis flew over low heading north west at 11.40am. A Pink-footed Goose and two Shelduck were at Stanford Reservoir and a drake Common Scoter graced Boddington Reservoir.

In the Nene Valley Summer Leys LNR again hosted two Cattle Egrets, six Little Ringed Plovers and a Swallow with three Shelduck, a Redshank, a Green Sandpiper and two Oystercatchers at the Earls Barton working quarry. Clifford Hill Pits attracted a drake Red-crested Pochard, a Little Ringed Plover, a Great White Egret and a Wheatear (which have been scarce so far this spring). Four White-fronted Geese at Wadenhoe Water Meadows must be the birds from Thrapston Pits last week.

An Osprey flew north near Braunston this evening and at Duston the attenuation pool off Sandy Lane was still the venue for two Mealy Redpolls, some Lesser Redpolls and Siskin.

More garden-visiting Siskins included five at Moulton, three in Duston and six in Brixworth with two at Woodford Halse in addition to a male Redpoll.

Some ringing in a garden on the east side of Northampton produced seventeen Siskins, thirteen Goldfinches, three Greenfinches and a Blackcap in addition to standard garden birds.

Four Short-eared Owls remain in a field with no public access west of Lamport village and a few Siskins were in the village at Hanging Houghton.

Regards

Neil M

Yellowhammer at Pitsford
Reservoir courtesy of Tony
Stanford.

Red-legged Partridges courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Common Snipe courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

First year male Siskin
courtesy of John Tilly.

Pitsford Reservoir at dawn (yesterday).

A White Stork and more spring migrants

Hello

A dull, cloudy day with mild temperatures and sunny spells and a couple of very light showers made today rather pleasant.

The two Mealy Redpolls were still with Lesser Redpolls at the attenuation pond off Sandy Lane, Duston today.

Daventry Country Park was the latest venue to attract a Cattle Egret and a first year Caspian Gull and a first year Yellow-legged Gull were present too. Nuthatches on-site were seen looking over a nest box.

The 'redhead' Smew was still at Clifford Hill Pits today plus a Little Ringed Plover and two Oystercatchers. Perhaps the bird of the day was John's observation of a White Stork over Hemington flying towards Barnwell at 10am this morning.

Summer Leys LNR provided sightings of a Cattle Egret, a Little Ringed Plover and twenty Sand Martins and Pitsford Reservoir hosted a drake Red-crested Pochard off the Old Scaldwell Road, about thirty Common Snipe, two Jack Snipe, several Sand Martins, a male Brambling and both Ravens and a Curlew heard calling. Two Ravens were at Hanging Houghton today and two Short-eared Owls remain in private fields west of Lamport village.

A Wheatear was at Stanford Reservoir this evening plus two Oystercatchers and two Shelduck and Hollowell Reservoir managed a pair of Pintail, two Jack Snipe and two Common Snipe. A male Blackcap was in a Woodford Halse garden, still attracted to apples despite the mild conditions.

A little garden bird ringing at Greens Norton this morning provided three Greenfinches, fifteen Goldfinches and seven Siskins as migrant finches still remain with us. One of the Siskins was a bird first ringed as a juvenile in Aberdeenshire in July last year, further evidence that this influx of Siskins seem to be bound for Scotland.

Regards

Neil M

It is that time of the year!
 Spring lambs by John Tilly.

Tree Sparrow courtesy
of Jane Neill.

 The numbers of this dapper bird
 continue to plummet in the county
 and this species seems to be going
 the same way as the Willow Tit despite
 lots of efforts locally to support them.

Basic map showing
where today's control Siskin
was originally caught
and ringed an Aberdeenshire,
and Greens Norton where
encountered this morning.

Map courtesy of
Nick Wood.

Swallows, Redpolls and Siskins.

Hello

A wet morning but mild conditions, dryer in the afternoon but more showers in the evening.

A Siskin and a Reed Bunting were in our Hanging Houghton garden this morning and yesterday a Weston Favell garden attracted a pair of Blackcaps, a Siskin and a Redpoll.

At Pitsford Reservoir today the long-staying adult Yellow-legged Gull was off the dam and north of the causeway two Swallows were seen plus about thirty Common Snipe, a Jack Snipe and an Oystercatcher.

The two 'frosty' Mealy Redpolls remained at the Sandy Lane attenuation pond on the outskirts of Duston with a dwindling Lesser Redpoll flock and the Smew was again at Clifford Hill Pits this afternoon.

Summer Leys LNR hosted a Cattle Egret, a Great White Egret, two Redpolls and a small flock of Siskins.

Fifteen Sand Martins and a Swallow were at the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits this afternoon and two Shelduck and three Little Egrets were the best at Stanford Reservoir. A Curlew flew through at Stanwick Pits this morning where there were also six Redshanks and a Goosander.

Half a dozen Siskins were at Scotland Wood today and at least three were at Kelmarsh Hall.

A flock of about a hundred Waxwings were again in the centre of Milton Keynes today (at the Milton Keynes Christian Centre) where they have been showing very well - it is likely that we have flocks in the county secreted away somewhere.

Regards

Neil M

Yep more Siskins...
fabulous little finches!
Images courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Lesser Redpoll courtesy
 of Tony Stanford.

Little Egret in all it's spring
 finery at Abington Park,
Northampton yesterday
courtesy of Dave Jackson.

Not much different!

Hello

A very spring-like day today - dull, breezy and with intervals of sunshine and the odd shower thrown in!

Chiffchaffs continue to pile in with hedgerows, copses, willows and garden vegetation all providing foraging and song-posts for these harbingers of spring! However little else seems to be different and apart from gulls, wagtails and Meadow Pipits it was difficult to witness diurnal migration today.

A few Siskins and fifty Fieldfares with up to a dozen Redwings were still with us east of Cottesbrooke village and birds showing at Harrington Airfield involved approximately one hundred and five Golden Plovers, a pair of Grey Partridge and three Ravens.

Hollowell Reservoir continues to attract two Jack Snipe and seven Common Snipe and Stanford Reservoir's birds amounted to a Pink-footed Goose, a Goosander and a Water Rail.

The two Mealy Redpolls remain at the Sandy Lane attenuation pool on the outskirts of Duston with a small flock of Lessers and a pair of Pintail and four Oystercatchers were on flooded fields next to Upton Mill.

The Earls Barton Pits complex today (including Summer Leys LNR and the New Workings) came up with two Cattle Egrets, a Great White Egret, a Shelduck, eight or nine Redshanks, eleven Common Snipe, two Oystercatchers, two Little Ringed Plovers, four Green Sandpipers, two Redpolls and five Siskins.

Two Short-eared Owls remain in a field west of Lamport but rarely fly during daylight conditions.

Regards

Neil M

Teal courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Male Pied Wagtail
courtesy of John Tilly.