End of the week.

 The end of another week which has been disappointingly quiet for me. I have bumped into plenty of warblers and common passerines.  The large mixed flock of Red Kites and Common Buzzards remain on the fields between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke.  This evening I counted 50 birds together.  There was a rather striking pale Common Buzzard which looked a ghostly white colour and nearby at the other end of the colour spectrum a "black " looking Buzzard plus plenty more exhibiting various shades of brown.  The Red Kites too are showing a variety of plumage.  I don't recall seeing this number of these raptors in such a small area. They are quite comical to watch as they suddenly see something of interest and either run or hop fast in their quest to catch it.

A quiet end to the week in the county. Yesterday it rained heavily all day and the only birds of note reported were an Osprey at Hollowell Reservoir and an Avocet briefly at Boddington Reservoir.                                                                     Today there were Ospreys at Earls Barton,  Stanford and Boddington Reservoirs,  a Whinchat at Clifford Hill GP, Red Crested Pochard at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows and Garganey at Summer Leys. 

We seem to have plenty of birds visiting our garden.  The young Starlings seem to have erupted and they are providing plenty of entertainment as they negotiate the meal worm feeders and the big wide world.  We did have a family of 3 young Blackbirds but we only have one youngster left, the other two succumbing to a Sparrowhawk. Sadly the female Blackbird doesn't seem to have much idea and keeps putting her offspring right out in the open where they are just a sitting target. I'm not expecting her remaining youngster to survive. 

Have a good weekend 

Regards Eleanor 

Turtle Dove courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

 Will this species make it
 to Northamptonshire
this year?

Lesser Black-backed Gull
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Waders, raptors and a Eider!

Hello

A mild, sometimes damp and humid day with just a few spells of sunlight was the weather for mid month.

At Harrington Airfield today a Short-eared Owl still lingers and other birds included a Hobby and a pair of Grey Partridge.

With the DIRFT3 pools just about gone now (the area is being prepared for a new giant 'shed') waders in that area were confined to the Wildlife Trust Lilbourne Water Meadows reserve which continued to hang on to a Wood Sandpiper, two Common Sandpipers, a Redshank, at least one Little Ringed Plover and successfully breeding Lapwings and Oystercatchers. The habitat there is also good for a good number of singing Sedge Warblers and Common Whitethroats plus three Meadow Pipit territories. It is hoped the reserve will be fully open next year.

A Black Tern, a Cuckoo and an Oystercatcher were all at Stanford Reservoir today but the most outrageous sighting was of a drake Eider found at Boddington Reservoir! This is a very occasional visitor to the county which seemingly can occur at any time of the year as birds presumably move across the width of the UK or potentially the length of the nation from one seaboard to another. Apparently this robust sea-duck flew east at about 6.30pm this evening.

A Birdguides report of a Honey Buzzard flying over Islip continues the run of scarce birds being reported in this manner from this location over the last few years.

A Little Tern at Town Lake, Thrapston Pits was a good record and there was a Dunlin on the Titchmarsh reserve. Two Grey Plovers were on the north shore of Clifford Hill Pits this morning and three Grey Plovers and an Avocet were at Eyebrook Reservoir.

A Hobby was near Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this evening and fifty-two raptors on fields in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton were made up of gleaning Red Kites and Common Buzzards. A Barn Owl was hunting nearby.

An assessment was made of the Black-headed Gulls using the rafts at Pitsford Reservoir today and there could be as many as 65 pairs nesting, which would be a significant bounce back from the last couple of years of bird flu fatalities. Sadly Common Terns are very few in number so far this spring and were severely hit from the virus.

Regards

Neil M

Drake Mallard courtesy
of John Tilly.

A  'parcel' or 'stew' of Oystercatchers
 courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Kestrel courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Common Whitethroat courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Waders, raptors and Painted Lady butterflies

Hello

A wet morning giving way to dryer conditions this afternoon.

In the Nene Valley today a Grey Plover was a good find on the north shore of the main basin at Clifford Hill Pits and birds of interest at Summer Leys LNR were a Sanderling, a Turnstone, two Ringed Plovers, a Greenshank and two Dunlin.

At Lilbourne Water Meadows today there was a Wood Sandpiper, two Common Sandpipers and two Little Ringed Plovers.

This evening an Osprey caught a trout just off the dam at Pitsford Reservoir and other birds there included a Kingfisher and three Grey Wagtails (two adults and a juvenile).

In the rain there were just a few wet raptors on the fields between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke next to shrike hedge but this afternoon that number had risen to at least forty (Red Kites and Common Buzzards). Two Painted Lady butterflies were seen nearby.

Eyebrook Reservoir attracted an Avocet and three Sanderling today.

Regards

Neil M

Song Thrush courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Red Kite courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Grey Plover courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

White-legged Damselfly
courtesy of John Tilly.

Black and Red Froghopper
courtesy of John Tilly.

The new interpretative poster
board at Lamport Hall and an
example of a Swift nest box.

The box was one of ten made by
Chris Payne for installation and they
and the poster board were created with
support and funding from the Northants
Bird Club and West Northamptonshire
Council as co-ordinated by
 Helen Franklin. Images for the
board were kindly provided by Lewis
 Aaron and Dave Jackson.

Pitsford Reservoir CBC

Hello

A Common Bird Census was completed on the reserve section of Pitsford Reservoir, an old survey method which we have maintained to ensure consistency and an opportunity for suitable comparisons year by year.

Little out of the ordinary was noticed but there was a Great White Egret and a Cuckoo in the Walgrave Bay and foraging Kingfishers in all three bays indicating three pairs along the brooks outside of the reservoir. The young from the breeding pair of Ravens have fledged and there were successful broods of early nesting water birds such as Coot, Mallard and Canada Goose. Fluctuating water levels has paid havoc with the Mute Swan nests but many pairs of Great Crested Grebes have floating nests which hopefully fare better. Grey Herons nest in all three bays these days and some of the young have already fledged.

Song-wise it was the Garden Warbler which dominated the warblers with birds singing from all suitable lush vegetation and a few pairs of Common Terns have arrived to squeeze a nesting place amongst the throng of Black-headed Gulls already on the rafts.

Common butterflies on the wing include Orange-tips and Holly Blue and Hairy Hawker and Four-spotted Chasers were the only dragonflies seen.

Birds noted at Stanford Reservoir today included two Mandarin Ducks, four Oystercatchers, a Common Sandpiper, a Cuckoo and two Hobbies.

Birding at Summer Leys LNR yielded an Osprey, a Sanderling, a Greenshank, two Ringed Plovers and two Common Sandpipers.

A Hobby was seen at Hartwell and this afternoon there were still sixty raptors occupying two fields in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton near to shrike hedge, about half each consisting of Red Kite and Common Buzzard. Worms seem to be the attraction and there were also twenty Lesser Black-backed Gulls attracted too.

Regards

Neil M

Hairy Hawker.

Cock Pheasant.

Four-spotted Chaser
with a deformed wing.

Fledged juvenile
Grey Heron.

SP54 Long Day Count

Male Cuckoo.

Juvenile Greenfinch.

Images courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

Hello

Today was mostly taken up with a Banbury Ornithological Society Long Day Count in SP54 in the south of the county. It was warm and often sunny but also a pleasant breeze too and it remained dry. Birding highlights were six species of raptor with the best being a male Peregrine at Edgcote and a Hobby at Trafford Bridge. Grey Wagtails were also at Edgecote, Yellow Wagtails at two sites, a Reed Warbler (scarce in this 10km square) and Spotted Flycatchers at Thenford, Trafford Bridge and Marston St Lawrence. Ravens were at two sites but Tree Sparrow, Marsh Tit and Kingfisher eluded us, albeit that the first species may no longer be in this part of the county.

When the birds went quiet in the heat we looked at insects and odonata were showing nicely at Farthinghoe LNR with Beautiful Demoiselles, Azure Blue Damselfly and Large Red Damselfly the most showy. Beautiful Demoiselle was also noted at Edgecote and Broad-bodied Chaser near Greatworth. Plenty of common butterflies were also on the wing today.

Yesterday and a small band of bird ringers led by Kenny Cramer were again active at Linford Pits close to the county border at Milton Keynes. The undoubted highlights were two Cuckoos captured, one a new male bird and another a re-trap male from 2022. Kenny's efforts has resulted in 37 individual Cuckoos being ringed at this site since 2017!

Warblers were made up of five Blackcaps, three Chiffchaffs, four Garden Warblers and a Reed Warbler. One of the Garden Warblers was a re-trap female ringed about the same time last year. Juvenile birds on the wing and landing in the mist nets included Greenfinch, Robin and Long-tailed Tits and a Great Spotted Woodpecker capture related to a bird initially ringed as an adult male in 2018.

Today and birds in the Nene Valley included a Marsh Harrier, an Osprey, two Greenshanks, a Turnstone and two Cuckoos at Summer Leys LNR, two Black Terns at Stanwick Pits and a Sanderling at Clifford Hill Pits. Thrapston Pits recorded an Osprey, a Greenshank, a Ringed Plover and five Common Sandpipers and three Cuckoos were at Stortons Pits.

Eyebrook Reservoir hosted a Little Gull and up to six Black Terns today.

Regards

Neil M

Red Kite - sometimes they
come so close you just can't
fit them in!

Orange-tip butterfly.

Comma butterfly.

Large Red Damselfly.

Beautiful Demoiselle.

Late spring passage.

Hello

An early morning jaunt in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning provided a Whinchat at shrike hedge, two pairs of Grey Partridges and a Barn Owl.

Summer Leys LNR attracted a Marsh Harrier, seven Black Terns, the drake Garganey, a drake Red-crested Pochard, a Grey Plover and two Greenshanks.

Clifford Hill Pits pulled in two Turnstones and two Ringed Plovers this morning.

Just over the border and Eyebrook Reservoir hosted two Black Terns, two Little Gulls and a Sanderling.

With a good aurora borealis showing last night in the county it looks to be on the cards for a repeat performance tonight!

Regards

Neil M

Ballooning Spider

Blue Tit.

Collared Dove.

All images courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Barn Owls, Willow Warblers and Black Terns

Hello

Some ringing took place at Harrington Airfield this morning around the scrubby areas close to the bunkers and yielded forty-nine captures. The most common bird was Willow Warbler with eleven new birds and four re-traps (two from 2022 and one from 2023). Other warblers included two Chiffchaffs, four Blackcaps, five Common Whitethroats and two Lesser Whitethroats. Seed-eaters included two Linnets, three Reed Buntings and two Yellowhammers. Unusual birds for the site included a fly-over Little Egret, a House Sparrow and two Mistle Thrushes. A Barn Owl and a Short-eared Owl were seen during the early hours.

A Turnstone remained at Eyebrook Reservoir early this morning and three Black Terns appeared later whilst birds at Stanford Reservoir included eight Black Terns, an Osprey this afternoon, a Hobby, three Cuckoos and three Common Sandpipers.

An Osprey was fishing north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir late this afternoon and more Black Tern action included two at Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits.

Summer Leys LNR attracted a Grey Plover,  two Greenshanks and two Little Ringed Plovers and a summer plumage Spotted Redshank was a fly-through bird at Titchmarsh Reserve, Thrapston Pits just after 9am this morning.

A Short-eared Owl and a Barn Owl were again in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Barn Owls and a Jackdaw
discovered in nest boxes by 
licensed bird ringers operating
in the north of the county today.

Images courtesy of Lewis Aaron.

More warmth and sunshine

Hello

Plenty of warmth and sunshine today brought forth the insects, good news for the birds trying to find invertebrates for their chicks!

Just over the border at Eyebrook Reservoir a gaggle of nice waders included six Avocets, a Spotted Redshank and a Turnstone. Stanford Reservoir paid host to a late Fieldfare that should really be somewhere else by now and three Cuckoos including a rufous morph female, a Hobby and three Cetti's Warblers.

Some exploratory ringing on the Althorp Estate this morning provided thirty small bird captures which included a Blackcap first ringed as a juvenile at Pitsford Reservoir on 11th September 2022.

Late news for yesterday was of a Short-eared Owl and a Barn Owl in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton in the evening and a Hobby near Blueberry Farm, Maidwell. 

A pair of Grey Partridge were at Harrington Airfield this evening - a reminder that there will be ringing on-site tomorrow (Friday) and general access is restricted.

Also today and a Grasshopper Warbler singing in the Summer Leys LNR car park is a convenient location for this now scarce warbler and six Black Terns at Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits was a good record. The working quarry at Earls Barton attracted a Great White Egret, three Shelduck, a Cuckoo and a Little Ringed Plover.

A Little Ringed Plover was seen on the dam at Ravensthorpe Reservoir and several Swift sightings indicates that they are beginning to arrive in some numbers now. Three Cuckoos at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve were in addition to a Common Sandpiper and Egyptian Goose.

Regards

Neil M

Brown Hares courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Great Crested Grebe courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Common Toad courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Banded Demoiselle
courtesy of John Tilly.

Comma butterfly
courtesy of John Tilly.

Decent weather at last!

Hello

A very pleasant day's weather following a foggy start was very welcome!

A small ringing team operating at Stortons Pits processed thirty-four birds with warblers dominating amounting to five Garden Warblers, six Blackcaps, three Reed Warblers, three Sedge Warblers, a single Common Whitethroat and four re-trap Cetti's Warblers. Other species turning up in the mist nets were Wren, Dunnock, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Blue Tit and Reed Bunting.

Another ringing session was undertaken at Linford Pits, Milton Keynes on Sunday which accounted for sixty-nine birds, thirty-nine of which were newly-ringed. Warblers here were made up of seven Blackcaps, two Garden Warblers, a single Common Whitethroat, seven Reed Warblers, one Sedge Warbler and a single Chiffchaff. Seven Greenfinches and three Goldfinches furthered the finch totals for the site this spring and two Great Spotted Woodpeckers included a bird ringed as a youngster in 2016. A Jackdaw was an unexpected capture and it was good to see juvenile Long-tailed Tits and Robins. Six Reed Buntings was a good number for this time of the year. Three Cuckoos and a Raven were seen on-site.

Back today and three Cattle Egrets were noted as singles at Summer Leys LNR, in a sheep field between Cogenhoe and the River Nene and in a field between Nether Heyford and Upper Heyford.

An Osprey and three Hobbies were noted over Summer Leys today and Clifford Hill Pits also attracted a Hobby and a Common Sandpiper. A Hobby and a Cuckoo were noted at Stanwick Pits and Spotted Flycatchers were seen in Towcester and Braunston. A Redpoll has been around the garden here at Hanging Houghton all day.

A Hobby and a pair of Grey Partridges were about the only things of note at Harrington Airfield this afternoon. There will be a ringing session there on Friday which will restrict access to the bunker and scrubby area between the Chippings Compound and the concrete track.

A remarkable litter of nine Fox cubs (or maybe two litters combined?) were watched playing out near Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this evening. Fifty-five birds of prey in a nearby field were more or less an even split between Common Buzzard and Red Kite!

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Robin courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Juvenile Long-tailed Tit
courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Singing Robin courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Sedge Warbler courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Nene Valley birding

Hello

Dave Jackson and I are just in from a Naturetrek trip to the Camargue in France and a page has been devoted for images from this trip - Camargue in Spring 2024.

A Honey Buzzard passing over in flight today was yet another Birdguides report from Islip. At Thrapston Pits a female Common Scoter was found by Nick on Town Lake this morning.

The bird list for Summer Leys LNR included a Black Tern, an Arctic Tern, a drake Garganey, a Cuckoo, three Hobbies, seven Ringed Plovers, two Little Ringed Plovers, two Common Sandpipers and two Dunlin.

An Osprey was at Stanwick Pits this evening and six Swifts were over Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows, Ditchford this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Grasshopper Warbler courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Willow Warbler courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Great White Egret
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

A Very Quiet Weekend

As I left home early yesterday morning for an agility competition I was beginning to regret being out of the county just as things appeared to be hotting up. However my fears were unfounded as it has been a very quiet weekend. Just the odd Arctic and Black Tern at Ditchford GP and Summer Leys, Cattle Egrets at Cogenhoe, Stanwick and Summer Leys,  Red Crested Pochard at Earls Barton GP, female Ring Necked Duck at Clifford Hill GP and Ospreys at Summer Leys and Stanford Reservoir. 

It's that time of year when Butterflies,  Dragonflies and Damselflies begin to emerge. Small Heath, Dingy and Grizzled Skipper have been recorded as well as Hairy Dragonfly, Banded Demoiselles and Common Blue Damselfly. 

On my return from a very successful competition where they notched up five 1st places between them we went for a wander around Blueberry area.  On one of the recently scuffled fields was an incredible 68 blobs, or more precisely a mixed flock of Common Buzzards and Red Kites!!!. I have certainly never seen this amount loafing about on the fields around here. When I looked through the birds there were so many variations in the plumage ranging from nearly white to almost black in the Buzzards and some very silvery washed Red Kites.  The Buzzards were quite comical to watch as they were seemingly running and hoping across the field whilst the Red Kites looked on.  It really was amazing to see this and as a consequence I didn't get very far on my walk. 

Regards Eleanor 

Jaeger and Rouzel on top form!

Cuckoo courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Nene Valley Birds

Today you could be forgiven for thinking that it was Autumn rather than Spring.  Not the most inspiring starts to the day, dull, grey, misty and mirky with heavy drizzle.  One of those days when you wonder whether it is worth going out. However this is exactly the sort of weather which brings us interesting birds during migration,  it is just a matter of finding them !!!                                                     The Nene Valley came into it's own today with a significant movement of Terns and Waders.  At Clifford Hill GP there were Sanderling, Dunlin,  adult Little Gull and Arctic Terns.  The female Ring Necked Duck seems to have moved here from Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows.                                Summer Leys also had plenty of birds, Little,  Arctic, Black and Common Terns ,Turnstones,  Dunlin, Common Sandpiper,  Little Ringed Plovers and Bar Tailed Godwit.       Further along the valley at Ditchford GP there were 2 Little Terns and at Thrapston GP 12 Arctic Terns.                               Other birds seen in the county today include Arctic Terns and 3 Whimbrel at Stanford Reservoir,  3 Arctic Terns at Hollowell Reservoir and Osprey at both Ravensthorpe and Hollowell Reservoir. 

Somehow I have managed to miss out on all these birds. When I realised that there was a movement of Terns etc along the Nene Valley I went to  Pitsford Reservoir to see what was happening there. Absolutely nothing,  no sign of anything.  Just a vast expanse of empty water.  I was so convinced that something was going to turn up that I visited Pitsford three times, but to no avail.    Harrington Airfield was equally as quiet and has been all week, as has Blueberry. 

The weather is looking mixed for the weekend but there should be more sunshine and hopefully more birds.  Have a good weekend. 

Regards Eleanor 

The recent Ring Ouzel
at Millers Meadow, Clifford
Hill Pits courtesy of
Dave Jackson.