Parrot Crossbill, Bearded Tits and sticky mud!

Hello

Today my day was taken up completing a WeBS count at Ditchford Pits in mild, muddy conditions. There was a significant Herring Gull passage all day with birds moving west along the valley and flocks occasionally resting or foraging on the pits. A Great White Egret was on the Viaduct Pit and a female Tufted Duck was seen bearing one of the bill shields that French ringers use on certain diving ducks. Hopefully I have the correct inscription to reveal the history of this particular bird! Chris Green saw another Great White Egret on the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows section of the complex.

Other birds included five Kingfishers, seven Chiffchaffs, seven Cetti's Warblers, four Grey Wagtails, two Stonechats, four Water Rails and twenty-two Common Snipe.

The Parrot Crossbill was seen at Wakerley Wood first thing but seemingly not reported since. As long as the large flock of Common Crossbills remain there has to be a good chance that this bird will also remain and be seen again.

Nick Parker saw another Great White Egret at Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits today but sadly neither the Great Northern Diver or Pink-footed Geese could be found at Hollowell Reservoir. Ten Crossbills in the bay where the Sailing Club is situated was some compensation though (plus three in the Guilsborough Bay). Two Great White Egrets were also reported.

A Snow Goose of unknown origin was located at Summer Leys LNR by Matt Hazleton this morning, a Short-eared Owl was seen somewhere near Irthlingborough and Harrington Airfield this afternoon hosted a Short-eared Owl, a Barn Owl, four Bramblings and the large flock of Golden Plovers had returned. Two Ravens were between Brixworth and the Pitsford Reservoir causeway.

Six Cattle Egrets and two Great White Egrets were reported at Stanwick Pits today and the ringers at Stanford Reservoir were delighted to catch and ring a pair of Bearded Tits today (from a reedbed on the Leicestershire bank). A Great White Egret was also seen at Stanford Reservoir today.

Regards

Neil M

The stunning Bearded Tits at
Stanford Reservoir today courtesy
of Chris Hubbard and Adam Homer.

Parrot Crossbill

Hello

Bird of the day was an apparent male Parrot Crossbill found at Wakerley Woods today at about 12.40pm in association with the large flock of up to fifty Common Crossbills present there. Tom Green took some excellent photos of the bird as it was drinking from a pool of water. Congratulations to him on a super find!

Birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir this morning included at least two Great White Egrets, nine Red-crested Pochards, eight Pintail, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, four Common Snipe, two Ravens, a Water Rail and a pair of Stonechat.

Eric's visit to Thrapston Pits today yielded five Great White Egrets (four in flight together), eleven Little Egrets and a pair of Stonechat.

The Great Northern Diver was still present at Hollowell Reservoir this morning and a Great White Egret was at Ditchford Pits on the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve.

Kelmarsh Hall today attracted a Grey Wagtail, a few Siskins and a Kingfisher and an Otter was successfully camera-trapped recently.

Regards

Neil M

Night-time camera trap footage

 of an Otter at Kelmarsh recently

courtesy of Matt Rowlatt (please

click on video).

Apparent male Parrot Crossbill
- images courtesy of Tom Green.

Wet and breezy Saturday

Hello

Harrington Airfield first thing wasn't too wet and birds in the drizzly swirl included eight Bramblings (two over Bunker Two, six by the museum), a singing Chiffchaff and just small numbers of Golden Plovers but still with good numbers of thrushes in the bushes.

Birds visible in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir were made up of two Great White Egrets, three Pintail, five Red-crested Pochards, ten Snipe, a Green Sandpiper and an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Birds at Hollowell Reservoir today included the Great Northern Diver again, six Pink-footed Geese, two Great White Egrets, a Caspian Gull and a Stonechat with a Great White Egret at neighbouring Ravensthorpe Reservoir.

Three Cattle Egret were in valley fields below Irthlingborough Church this morning and single Great White Egrets were reported at Stanford Reservoir and Stanwick Pits.

Regards

Neil M

Coal Tit.

Brambling.

Chiffchaff.

Starlings, Goldcrests and a Great Northern Diver.

Hello

Overnight and early morning rain had concluded in most places by 9am and thereafter there was a small ringing concern completed at Scotland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate. Goldcrests were the target and twenty-one were caught and ringed and thirty-seven other birds included singles of Redwing, Bullfinch and Treecreeper. Other birds noted in the wood included several Siskins, a few Redpolls and at least one Raven.

A Great Northern Diver was found at Hollowell Reservoir today and it was seen throughout the day - other birds there included three Great White Egrets and six Pink-footed Geese in adjacent fields.

The Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir hosted three Great White Egrets, ten Red-crested Pochards, three Green Sandpipers and a pair of Stonechat.

At least thirty Crossbills were in larches adjacent to the car park at Wakerley Wood early this afternoon and birds noted at Summer Leys LNR this morning included a Great White Egret, fourteen Little Egrets and a Green Sandpiper.

Starling murmurations are currently in play at Summer Leys and also Stortons Pits with small numbers noted during the week near the Fishing Lodge at Pitsford Reservoir and Lyveden New Bield.

Regards

Neil M

Starling.

Sparrowhawk courtesy
of John Tilly.

Starling murmuration at 

Stortons Pits with Sparrowhawk

attack as recorded by infra red

camera by Chris Payne. Please

click on video to view.

Crossbills, Hen Harrier and Barnacle Geese.

Hello 

A very pleasant day out there today with a breeze and plenty of sunshine and mild temperatures.

Woodpigeons were very much on the move today with flocks sometimes in their hundreds streaming south noted at a variety of locations. Gatherings of raptors included fifteen Red Kites at Blueberry Farm and thirty Common Buzzards in one field between Haselbech and the A508 this afternoon, each gathering associated with earthworms being predated.

At Harrington Airfield this morning there was an immature male Peregrine, about one hundred Golden Plovers and three Ravens plus plenty of thrushes still. Neil Underwood later in the day estimated the Golden Plover flock to be nearer five hundred birds.

At Hanging Houghton there were two Ravens and a Grey Wagtail around the village and this afternoon an adult male Peregrine and a pair of Stonechat were in the Brampton Valley below the village.

Fineshade Wood attracted about a dozen mobile Crossbills this morning, plus a Woodcock, a Brambling, a few Siskins and a couple of Redpolls plus two Ravens. Wakerley Wood was busier with at least forty Crossbills around the car park in their favourite larches - smaller numbers scattered in the wood were probably part of the same group. A few Siskins were also present and a 'ringtail' Hen Harrier was hunting over the rough area adjacent to the wood on the old mostly disused Harringworth Airfield.

Blatherwycke Lake hosted a pair of Egyptian Geese, twenty-eight Mandarin Ducks and a Great White Egret. The woodland and area around Fermyn Wood seemed quiet this afternoon.

An unprecedented flock of thirty-six Barnacle Geese were at the west end of the main pit at Clifford Hill Pits this morning - it would be interesting to know if this is a feral flock from the south or migrants from the north. Two Crossbills flew south over Scaldwell this morning and birds at Hollowell Reservoir included at least twelve Crossbills and a Chiffchaff.

Chris Payne heard a Bearded Tit calling at Stortons Pits this morning and has taken it upon himself to quickly create an additional grit tray which is now erected and available to the birds should they wish to utilise it! Chris Green saw a Great White Egret and a pair of Pintail at Ditchford Pits on the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve section.

Regards

Neil M

Barnacle  Geese.

Rook.

Red Kite.

Bob the Robin!

Hello

Debbie and Eric visited Thrapston Pits today seeing two Great White Egrets, a large number of Little Egrets (in double figures), two pairs of Stonechats and a Grey Wagtail.

At Hollowell Reservoir Mark Piper's haul of birds included the Caspian Gull again, a Green Sandpiper, seven Pink-footed Geese and three Crossbills.

A small Starling murmuration was noticed at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon near to the Fishing Lodge and a count of twenty-eight Common Buzzards in fields near Everdon was an excellent collection. It is assumed they were on the look out for earthworms, the staple diet for many of these birds during the winter.

A pair of Stonechats and two Bramblings were again in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

During the last two days Kenny and Keith committed to two mornings ringing at Linford Lakes with further spectacular captures. Seventy birds were encountered of twenty species, the majority of which were newly ringed. A further character has become a regular observer and has learned to become interactive with the ringers - Bob the Robin! Bob flies down to the ringing table picking up any crumbs but doesn't like any other birds around 'his' ringing table and shows aggressive traits towards them!

The very diverse spectrum of birds caught and ringed included a nice range of thrushes with seven Blackbirds, three Song Thrushes, twenty-three Redwings and a Fieldfare. There were still warblers out there with five Chiffchaffs and a Cetti's Warbler processed plus a Goldcrest, a Treecreeper, three Meadow Pipits, three Lesser Redpolls, two Goldfinches and two Reed Buntings. A Kingfisher added some colour as did a Green Woodpecker plus another Water Rail and a beautiful Barn Owl. What a combination which reflects the amount of time, commitment, preparation and various trapping techniques employed by the team on the ground. Deep down I'm sure Bob approved!

Regards

Neil M

Meet Bob the Robin!

Water Rail.

Green Woodpecker.

Barn Owl.

Images courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

November ringing

Hello

A ringing session completed by Dave Francis at Pitsford Reservoir today yielded 51 captures of 15 species made up of nine Greenfinches, seven Chaffinches, six Long-tailed Tits, five Blue Tits, a Great Tit, four Dunnocks, two Wrens, two Robins, three Tree Sparrows, two Blackbirds, a Fieldfare, two Reed Buntings, five Yellowhammers, a Goldcrest and a Moorhen.

Harrington Airfield was the venue for some more ringing which provided 108 captures of 17 species. It was thrushes that dominated with sixty-five Redwings, seven Fieldfares, three Blackbirds and a Song Thrush. Two male Sparrowhawks were whizzing around the bushes after the thrushes and one of them was caught and ringed. One of the Fieldfares was bearing a Norwegian ring indicating the origin of at least some of these thrushes. A Yellowhammer encountered was first ringed at the site in 2015.

Other birds present included over a hundred Golden Plovers, a Snipe or two, two Redpolls, a Brambling and a Siskin.

Two Bramblings were at Brixworth Country Park today and two Bramblings and two Stonechats were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton. At Harlestone Heath today there was a particularly well-marked male Brambling, eight Crossbills, fifteen Siskins, a Chiffchaff and a Raven. A pair of Stonechats were near the railway line in the Brampton Valley there and another pair on fallow fields between the firs and Kings Heath.

At Stanwick Pits a Crossbill flew over and a Great White Egret was present with five Cattle Egrets in the Nene Valley below Irthlingborough. Thrapston Pits hosted five Great White Egrets, a Little Owl was seen in Delapre Park, N'pton and a flock of over 250 Golden Plovers were close to Lilbourne Meadows (Wildlife Trust) reserve near to the Crick DIRFT.

Regards

Neil M

Fieldfares. The second image relates
to the first year bird bearing a 
Norwegian ring.

First year male Sparrowhawk.

More murk and mildness

Hello

Another murky but mild November day with the minimum of daylight and with drizzle and some light rain making for a very short day!

A ringing session at Brixworth Water Treatment Works was concluded this morning with twenty-five Reed Buntings and nine Lesser Redpolls and ten Redwings being processed in total among smaller numbers of common fare. Three Grey Wagtails and a Common Snipe were on-site as were variable numbers of common finches including Siskins and one Brambling briefly.

Large numbers of Redwings were again present at Harrington Airfield today together with smaller numbers of Song Thrushes, Blackbirds and Fieldfares and this will be the venue for a small scale ringing session tomorrow (covid 19 restrictions apply). As such the bunkers and old airstrip will be subject to restricted access but the main concrete track will be unaffected.

Mark Piper's venture to Hollowell Reservoir today provided views of a Caspian Gull and six Pink-footed Geese.

Regards

Neil M

Reed Bunting.

Redwing.

Lapwing.

Murky Sunday

Hello

A very mild, still and murky day in the county which has caused a reduction in sightings.

A Grey Wagtail and a singing Chiffchaff visited our garden at Hanging Houghton today with two Stonechats in the Brampton Valley below the village. Birds noted in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir included a Great White Egret, at least one Green Sandpiper, at least twelve Common Snipe, a Brambling and up to four Stonechats.

Two Bearded Tits were still at Stortons Pits today, hopefully they will stay in the excellent reedbed created by the local Wildlife Trust!

A little ringing at Brixworth today provided a capture of five Lesser Redpolls among more common fare.

Regards

Neil M

These birds were judged
to be adult male Lesser Redpolls.

Thrushes galore!

Hello

Another mild and pleasant November day with still plenty of incoming winter migrants!

At Harrington Airfield this morning the early morning mist and initially poor visibility partly hid flocks of thrushes in the bushes numbering in their hundreds. The numbers were virtually uncountable as swirling flocks flitted ahead of us and new flocks spiraled down from above. Redwings were the most common followed by Fieldfare, Blackbird and Song Thrush. With the mist lifting, many birds began to move on but there were still hundreds of Redwings on the deck when we left. Other birds included about two hundred and thirty Golden Plovers and two or three Bramblings. 

At Titchmarsh LNR (Thrapston Pits) birds seen today included four Great White Egrets, eleven Little Egrets, a couple of Siskins and a female Stonechat.

Birds at Pitsford Reservoir today included two Yellow-legged Gulls in the gull roost with the reserve section attracting five Red-crested Pochards, seven Pintail, three Great White Egrets and four Stonechats.

In the Nene Valley eight Cattle Egrets were at Stanwick Pits and Stortons Pits sported four Bearded Tits in reeds on the south side of the complex.

Two or three Bramblings and a few Siskins were at Lamport Hall this afternoon and a few Redpolls and Siskins were on the Kelmarsh Estate.

Regards

Neil M

Redwing courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Fieldfare courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Blackbird.

Song Thrush.

Yet more Crossbills...

Hello

Much quieter in the county today judging from the lack of reports but a few bits and pieces found out there...

A single Crossbill flew west over Scaldwell village on 10.30am and birds at the south end of Pitsford Reservoir included a Chiffchaff and two Yellow-legged Gulls (adult and first year).

Birds noted at Hanging Houghton today included one or two Redpoll(s), a few Siskins and two-three Bramblings with four Stonechats in the Brampton Valley below the village. Two or three mobile Crossbills were at Lamport Hall and Siskins were in small numbers at Scotland Wood (Kelmarsh estate).

A Grey Wagtail was at Brixworth and Hollowell Reservoir was the continued venue for a Crossbill and six Pink-footed Geese. A Bearded Tit was heard calling at Summer Leys LNR and a Great White Egret showed up there later.

Regards

Neil M

Crossbill.

Merlin.

Pheasant.

Hoopoe, Hawfinch and Bearded Tits

Hello

Another busy bird day in the county today! 

At Harrington Airfield this morning a Great White Egret flew NW and other birds included ca150 Golden Plovers, ca60 Linnets, 1 Siskin and a Raven. A Crossbill flew SW over Hanging Houghton where there was also a Raven and a Grey Wagtail.

At Pitsford Reservoir this morning, the best bird in the county today was a Hoopoe seen briefly in flight by Dave Jackson. This was near Christies Copse in the Walgrave Bay but it wasn't seen thereafter. Two Yellow-legged Gulls were in the gull roost this afternoon (adult and third calendar year).

Yesterday there was a ringing session at the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station at Pitsford resulting in forty captures (27 new birds) made up of two Chiffchaffs, twelve Blue Tits, five Great Tits, five Tree Sparrows, four Robins, three Dunnocks, a Chaffinch, two Greenfinches, a Song Thrush and five Moorhens. It seems that someone has pinched the suspended bird feeders at this site sometime between Monday and Wednesday!

A further ringing session took place at Linford Lakes again today with Kenny and Keith carrying on from their success of yesterday. This resulted in 36 captures including twelve Redwings, a Blackbird, a Song Thrush and yet another Mistle Thrush! Three new Cetti's Warblers materialised from somewhere and other birds included a Chiffchaff and a Skylark - probably a rarer mist net capture than the Mistle Thrush! Two Great White Egrets were on-site during the two days and late season wildlife included a Grass Snake, a Frog, plus singles of Common and Great Crested Newts.

Eleanor's excursion today took her to Fineshade Wood where a profusion of Crossbills were estimated at about fifty birds present plus good numbers of Siskins. At neighbouring Wakerley Wood there were some forty Crossbills spread about the complex plus more Siskins and at least one Hawfinch in bushes on the old airfield adjacent to the wood (a regular spot for wintering birds in small numbers). Blatherwycke Lake supported twenty-four Mandarin Ducks, a pair of Egyptian Geese, a Kingfisher, two Grey Wagtails and a Pink-footed Goose (which seem to be everywhere this year). About six Crossbills were in the Fermyn Wood complex.

Two Bearded Tits were found at Stortons Pits today and other birds in the Nene Valley included a Great White Egret at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows (Ditchford Pits) and eight Cattle Egrets and four Stonechats at the north-east end of Stanwick Pits.

Regards

Neil M

Dawn at Linford Lakes.

Song and Mistle Thrushes.

Skylark.

Images courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Ringing yesterday...

Hello

Cold but pleasant (eventually) ringing conditions caused Kenny and Keith to be out very early yesterday morning for a spot of bird ringing at Linford Lakes with spectacular results. Although a relatively low catch of 32 birds (28 birds newly ringed) it included 14 species and a number of rarely caught species. The total included the more likely three Blackbirds, a Song Thrush and eight Redwings but also two Fieldfares and a Mistle Thrush - a bird that very infrequently finds a mist net. Other birds included a solitary Chiffchaff, three Goldfinches and a super Water rail which normally would have been 'bird of the day'. However that position was rightly claimed by an early morning Long-eared Owl - surely one of the ultimate birds to have the privilege of being extra close to! Congratulations to Kenny and Keith for their frosty morning endeavours!

Over at Stanford Reservoir the ringers there were active too and produced another very special bird in the shape of a tiny but beautiful Firecrest, another special treat to appreciate up close and personal!

Jacob and Bethan strolled out to Pitsford Reservoir yesterday and found a flock of 13 Crossbills flying over the Scaldwell Bay plus two Great White Egrets and three Red-crested Pochards. Mark Piper saw two Crossbills at Hollowell Reservoir where they have been lingering around the trees next to the Sailing Club and Guilsborough Bay plus a Red-crested Pochard and six remaining Pink-footed Geese.

A flock of Bearded Tits were reported at Earls Barton Pits yesterday but apparently flew off and over a hundred Golden Plovers remain at Harrington Airfield (present the last couple of weeks). Three or four Stonechats remain in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton (still present this morning).

Finally Phil Horsnail tracked down two Hawfinches yesterday at Tansor but the area is a private site. So quality birds all about us!

Regards

Neil M

Fieldfare.

Mistle Thrush.

Water Rail.

Long-eared Owl.

Images courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

Wild and Windy

It has certainly been very wild and windy over the last week which has had a noticeable effect on the trees and hedgerows. So many leaves have fallen off which has the advantage of making it easier to see the birds especially the tit flocks. These are always worth checking through at this time of year as you never know what might be tagging along with them. I've only managed to see Chiffchaffs whereas some lucky person found a Firecrest in a tit flock at Byfield Pool today.

What I have noticed is Bramblings are appearing, only one or two birds at a time but it's a start. There have been a couple roosting behind the old cattleshed below Hanging Houghton and in the bushes at Harrington Airfield as well as odd birds flying over. There have been up to 4 Stonechat below Hanging Houghton and a pair at Harrington Airfield.      

Yesterday I visited Harrington Airfield late afternoon and there was a very vocal Barn Owl flying around. I had forgotten just how eerie their calls can be and they sent a shiver down my spine.

Whilst on holiday we stopped feeding the birds in the garden. About a week ago I filled all the feeders up and sprinkled some food out. But no birds came !! It was very strange to look out into the garden and not see a single bird and it just didn't seem right.Thankfully today they have started to return, I never thought that I would be glad to see the Starlings return, but I have missed their noisy chatter and funny antics. Hopefully things will be returning to normal in the garden which is more than can be said for our normal daily life as we face another lockdown. I'm sure that we will be avidly watching the birds in our gardens and as we get out to exercise during this next period of lockdown. Even the common birds will brighten our day and keep us going.

Regards Eleanor 

Starling.

Ringing recoveries

Hello

More ringing recoveries linked to activities by Northants Ringing Group members are as follows:-

1.  A young female Goldcrest was caught and ringed at Beachy Head, East Sussex on 3rd October 2019 and then caught again at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes on 28th September 2020, 361 days later with a distance of 167km between sites;

2.  A young Reed Warbler was ringed at Wilstone Reservoir, Tring, Herts on 6th September this year and turned up at Linford Lakes 32km to the north on 28th and again on 29th September;

3.  Two Mallard ducklings from the same brood (a male and a female) were ringed at Pitsford Reservoir on 13th June this year and were both shot near Lamport on 2nd October, about 3km away;

4.  A young female Cetti's Warbler was ringed at Brandon Marsh, Warwickshire on 6th July 2019 and recaptured at Linford Lakes on 28th September, 56km to the south east, 450 days later;

5.  A young Lesser Redpoll was caught and ringed at Marston, Lincolnshire on 7th October this year and then re-trapped at Linford Lakes only four days later on 11th October, this bird having moved 99km in a southerly direction.

Another Tab has been added to the blog with images from the Naturetrek tour to Islay and Jura earlier this month...

Regards

Neil M

Kestrel.

Linnet.

Redpoll.

Thrushes, Sparrowhawks and owls

Yesterday I went for an early morning amble around Blueberry Farm area. The field hedges were alive with the excited chatter from Redwings and Fieldfares. I love just listening to them and it was whilst I was standing there that I heard the much harsher "chak chak" call of a Ring Ouzel. Hearing it was the easy part as the bird was reluctant to show itself.  It was about 15 minutes before a male Rouzel popped up on the hedge and sat in full view for a while.  

A visit to Harrington Airfield late morning was quite productive. As I wandered through the bushes I disturbed a Short-eared Owl. There were a pair of Stonechat at the third bunker and a Brambling flew over calling.

Kenny Cramer and his helpers were at Linford ringing. A small catch of 31 birds of 14 species due to the bright and breezy conditions and fewer nets used.  In the thrush department there were 4 Redwings, 3 Blackbirds and a Song Thrush.  Warblers were represented by just 2 Blackcap and 1 Chiffchaff.  But it was the raptors which provided the most excitement beginning with a pre dawn capture of a Tawny Owl. This was followed by 2 Sparrowhawks, a male and female giving the opportunity to observe the considerable size difference between the sexes.

Regards Eleanor

Tawny Owl.

Sparrowhawks.

Images courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

Islay images

Hello

Just a few images from the current Naturetrek Islay/Jura tour...

Regards

Neil M

Barnacle Geese.

Twite.

First year Pale-bellied
Brent Goose.

Adult Pale-bellied
Brent Goose.

Red-throated Diver.

Roe Deer.