Chilly again!

Hello

With stronger winds from the east and the north today, and cloud in the morning, the forecast was for a chilly day. I visited Pitsford Reservoir thinking that these conditions would provide some visible tern and gull migration with maybe a few waders too. It proved to be a little disappointing with just one (albeit lovely) adult Little Gull and an increase in the number of Common Terns. A small flock of distant terns that flew through looked to be Arctics but they were over a mile away! Bigger gulls were very much on the move and I suppose seven species of gull for an inland site isn't that bad with a Yellow-legged Gull being the second best gull on-site. A Green Sandpiper and a handful of Yellow Wagtails were added and a fisherman informed me he was watching the Great Northern Diver fishing in the shallows yesterday.

This afternoon's foray to Harrington Airfield was mostly a fairly quiet affair but a smart male Wheatear, about forty Golden Plovers and at least one lingering Brambling made it worthwhile. Stunning Yellowhammers and pristine male Reed Buntings have kept me entertained in the garden and the dry soil conditions has ensured that Starlings and Blackbirds are continually seeking out the dried mealworms.

Birds of note at Thrapston Pits today included at least five Arctic Terns, a Great White Egret and a Cuckoo and just down the road Stanwick Pits received a visitation from seventeen Arctic Terns. A Little Ringed Plover was at Summer Leys LNR this morning and Clifford Hill Pits was still the place to see three lingering Bar-tailed Godwits, two Dunlin and fifteen Yellow Wagtails. A Wheatear was seen at Borough Hill Country Park with a Shag just down the road at Daventry Country Park.

Regards

Neil M

Great White Egret versus Lapwing!

House Martin.

Common Snipe.

All images courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

The migrants continue to trickle in

Hello

A few birds noted at Pitsford Reservoir today included the pair of Garganey again by the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station, a Great White Egret in the Walgrave Bay, plus two Little Egrets, two Sedge Warblers singing at each other and a Yellow-legged Gull off the dam.

The lingering flock of about a hundred chattering and very smart Fieldfares remain still at Bluebery Farm, Maidwell and this evening there was a Jack Snipe flushed in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton plus a hunting Barn Owl.

A tour of the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits provided observers with flavours of summer with a flying Osprey, three or four pairs of Oystercatchers, two pairs of Shelduck and chattering Swallows, shouting Cetti's Warblers, repetitive Chiffchaffs, melodious Willow Warblers and mimicking Blackcaps, Reed and Sedge Warblers. A Nightingale was calling near the bridge over the river and three Great White Egrets and a Little Egret remained. A Black Tern was seen on Town Lake.

Earls Barton Pits attracted records of a Whimbrel, a second year gull which was a Mediterranean or hybrid and a Grasshopper Warbler with Stanwick Pits also recording a Whimbrel.

Clifford Hill Pits is proving attractive to the long-staying Ring-necked Duck and the three Bar-tailed Godwits from yesterday were still present together with a Dunlin. Alan was pleased to record a Ring-necked Parakeet flying over his Arbours garden in Northampton.

A female Common Redstart was a good spring find at Honey Hill, Cold Ashby this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Male Yellow Wagtail.

Grey Wagtail.

Meadow Pipit.

All images courtesy of Nathan Jones
and taken at a water treatment works
in Northamptonshire. The arrival of
 vivid male Yellow Wagtails is surely
one of the most anticipated events
 each spring.

Just a Linnet!

Hello

A ringing session was completed at Harrington Airfield today with one species dominating the operation - the humble Linnet! Small, quirky and full of song and spirit, this underated species which is often a tumble of chestnut, brown and grey hues comes into it's own in the spring when the males exhibit their almost scarlet breasts and crown. The scrub at Harrington Airfield provides suitable nesting for this species and they forage for small seeds, ganging up in post-breeding flocks and remaining communal outside the breeding season. From the known history of re-trapped birds today, the roving flocks currently on-site are likely to be a combination of passage birds and birds returning to breed locally.

Other birds caught and processed included another fifteen species with five Bramblings, six Willow Warblers, two Blackcaps and an end-of-session rush of Yellowhammers. The scrubby area around the bunkers provides suitable habitat for breeding Willow Warblers, with record numbers of singing males last year. Three of today's birds were returning individuals from previous years - they do exhibit a desire to return to their natal areas and previous territories.

Ringing on the private area of the airfield has been undertaken since 2014 and limited habitat management and supplementary feeding of birds now ensures that this small site is attractive to locally important numbers of Yellowhammers, Linnets and Willow Warblers - birds we are particularly keen to nurture and monitor as best we can. Disturbance has increased in recent years and the regular visits from quads and off-road bikes is one of our current problems.

Some five thousand birds have been ringed at Harrington Airfield including over six hundred Yellowhammers, over six hundred Redwings, twenty Green Woodpeckers, ten Common Redstarts and thirteen Tree Pipits.

Other birds noted on-site today included singles of Little Ringed Plover, Redpoll, Siskin and Wheatear.

A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was located in Black Snipe Wood adjacent to Yardley Chase today and the flock of about a hundred Fieldfares remain at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell. Birds at Pitsford Reservoir included a Great White Egret in the Walgrave Bay and four Common Terns, a Yellow-legged Gull and a Wheatear in the Scaldwell Bay.

At Thrapston Pits today a noisy Cuckoo was in residence plus a Reed Warbler and the Greenshank for a time (before flying off). Other birds included Raven, a Kingfisher and a pair of Shelducks.

At Summer Leys LNR this morning a Whimbrel and a Little Gull were on show and a Black-tailed Godwit was noted there this evening. Clifford Hill Pits still held on to the Ring-necked Duck (which had moved to Deep Water Pit) plus three Bar-tailed Godwits and two flocks of Golden Plover totalling some eighty-two birds.

Two Wheatears were at Borough Hill CP this evening, a Common Redstart at Kingsthorpe Meadows was a good local find and Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows attracted two Common Sandpipers, a Cuckoo and both Sedge and Reed Warblers. A first year Shag was again at Daventry Country Park this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Male Linnet.

Male Yellowhammer.

Song Thrush.

All images courtesy of
Lewis Aaron.

More Ring Ouzels.

Hello

Stunning weather from the word go today was a good impetus to get up and out! My first venue was Honey Hill near Cold Ashby and from the vantage point it was a great place to scan over the countryside below and watch a variety of mammals including Muntjacs and Brown Hares. A familiar call had me looking around and a female Ruddy Shelduck flew into view, circled around and flew off towards Welford, no doubt the regular bird that has been in the county for a few years now. Migrants included Meadow Pipits, a Redpoll and a Golden Plover. On my walk back three Fieldfares came into view and a male Brambling flew in with Chaffinches. The best was last though when a male Ring Ouzel hopped into view and a short time later a second bird did likewise. Thankfully they remained for much of the day and at least three Wheatears were subsequently seen there too.

An Oystercatcher was a surprise bird at Welford Reservoir and a Grey Wagtail was present too. A dead Common Buzzard on the Kelmarsh Estate looked as if it had been attacked and killed by one of it's own kind.

Two more Ring Ouzels were found in horse paddocks on the high ground between Blueberry Farm and Haselbech, with a Wheatear on Blueberry Hill and a hundred Fieldfares still at Blueberry Farm paddocks. Small numbers of Redwings and Fieldfares were roadside birds along the gated road between Haselbech and Cottesbrooke and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was both audible and visual in Cottesbrooke village.

A pair of Garganey were in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this morning plus a Great White Egret and three Curlews were seen flying over.

Stanwick Pits also attracted a drake Garganey and a Cattle Egret and a Grasshopper Warbler was at Quarry Walk, Earls Barton with a Garden Warbler singing along the railway line near to Summer Leys. The drake Ring-necked Duck and a Great White Egret were at Clifford Hill Pits and Thrapston Pits hosted a Greenshank and a singing Curlew.

A first year Shag and a first year Caspian Gull were noted at Daventry Country Park today.

A few Bramblings were still at Harrington Airfield today but there was seemingly no sign of any Redstarts or Ring Ouzels. A ringing session is planned for this site tomorrow when access to the bunkers and old airstrips will be restricted.

Maps for Kentle Wood and the Catesby area have been added to the Birdwatching Site Maps tab courtesy of Neil Hasdell.

Regards

Neil M

Mistle Thrush courtesy
of Nathan Jones.

Barn Owl courtesy
of Nathan Jones.

Male Ring Ouzel.

More incoming migrants

Hello

A ringing session by Northants Ringing Group members at Linford Lakes today provided an opportunity to assess forty-two birds of thirteen species which included twelve Blackcaps, four Chiffchaffs, a Cetti's Warbler and a female Green Woodpecker. One of the Chiffchaffs was a returning juvenile from 2019 and another was initially ringed as a fledgling there last year. A Cuckoo was on-site too.

Thrapston Pits today yielded a nice mix of birds which included a Grasshopper Warbler among many Blackcaps, Willow Warblers etc, a Nightingale, a flock of thirteen Yellow Wagtails, a Greenshank and a Bar-tailed Godwit and this afternoon the Glossy Ibis too.

At Earls Barton Pits, a Eurasian Bee-eater was heard calling over the complex as it veered west just after noon but sadly wasn't seen. Other birds included a Little Gull, a Mediterranean Gull, a possible Arctic Tern, a pair of Garganey, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Little Ringed Plover, a Reed Warbler and a Ring Ouzel.

At Stanwick Pits the Glossy Ibis was seen this morning and a Cuckoo was present and Clifford Hill Pits continued to host the Ring-necked Duck, two Shelduck and a Common Sandpiper. Two Oystercatchers at Hollowell Reservoir are not common visitors there and Harrington Airfield's birds included one or two Ring Ouzel(s) - one a female - plus at least one male Common Redstart, about a dozen Bramblings and a Wheatear.

Birds at Pitsford Reservoir today included a pair of Garganey in the Scaldwell Bay and at least one White Wagtail on the dam. A Siskin was at Harlestone Lake and two Wheatears and fifteen Yellow Wagtails were in horse paddocks at Dale Farm. Maidwell today.

Regards

Neil M

Ringed male Common
Redstart at Harrington
Airfield today, courtesy
of Jon Cook.

Adult female Tawny Owl
courtesy of Michelle Spinks.

Female Green Woodpecker
courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Pitsford CBC

Hello

The morning was taken up with a Common Bird Census around the reserve section of Pitsford Reservoir, preceded by a brief but stunning orange/red sunrise before being quickly blotted out by low cloud.

A calling Water Pipit flying over east early this morning was rather unexpected and the remainder of the survey was far more mediocre! Early morning around the reserve provides the best opportunity of seeing mammals and in addition to the many Muntjac I enjoyed good views of Red Fox, Brown Hare and a fine buck Roe Deer. Two very vocal Great White Egrets are slowly coming into summer plumage and they were mobile too, visiting all three bays. The Cormorant colony is busy and already there are begging youngsters in the nests; the Rooks also have begging youngsters in the nest.

Two Oystercatchers were still present today and other waders included two Snipe, two Green Sandpipers and a Greenshank. Passerines included several Yellow Wagtails and an excellent collection of eleven White Wagtails on the causeway - much to the dismay of the local male Pied Wagtail! Two Siskins, three Redpolls, singing Redwings and quite a number of Goldeneye were left-overs from the previous season. Adrian located the Great Northern Diver between Pintail Bay and the Sailing Club.

Harrington Airfield today remained the venue for the passage Ring Ouzel, male Common Redstart, twelve or so Bramblings and up to forty-five Golden Plovers.

The Earls Barton Pits complex included an apparent female Blue-headed Wagtail, three White Wagtails, two Mediterranean Gulls, a Curlew, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Green Sandpiper, five Little Ringed Plovers and as many as fifteen Common Terns.

Stanwick Pits attracted a fly-through ringtail Hen Harrier - ironically seen by Mark Avery - and other birds seen there included two Cattle Egrets. Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston harboured a Greenshank and a Bar-tailed Godwit today and a Green Sandpiper was at Hollowell Reservoir.

A Ring Ouzel was reported near Upton on wasteland to the north of the A4500 east of Harpole, a Woodlark was reported flying north this morning on the Warks/Northants border at Onley and a Cuckoo was reported fron Stanford Reservoir. An Otter was seen at Becketts Park, Northampton this morning.

A map for the Ecton SF/Cogenhoe Mill area has been devised by Neil Hasdell and has been added to the Birdwatching Site Maps tab.

Regards

Neil M

Brown Hare.

Common Redstart.

Ring Ouzel.

The above images are from
Harrington Airfield courtesy
of David Arden.

Kingfisher courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Repeats - but quality repeats!

Hello

It seemed to be a bit of a re-run of yesterday today with many birds still in situ -  like the weather!

Harrington Airfield was popular with birders this morning and birds included at least one male Ring Ouzel, two or three Common Redstarts, a brief Short-eared Owl, three Wheatears, about thirty-five Golden Plovers, still an unknown number of Bramblings (certainly double figures) and a Redpoll. A ringing session is planned for this site on Monday when access to the private land of the old airstrip and bunkers will be restricted - the concrete track and other footpaths will be open as usual.

Nearby the Draughton Crossing Ring Ouzel was looked for on three occasions with no sightings - a Redwing and a Grey Wagtail lingered there.

Another Redpoll was at Scotland Wood today and a flock of forty-five Golden Plovers were the only noteworthy birds after a walk around Desborough Airfield.

The birds at Pitsford Reservoir included the Great Northern Diver in Pintail Bay, the pair of Common Scoters in The Narrows, a Yellow-legged Gull, the drake Scaup off the dam and a pair of Garganey were flushed from the bank near Moulton Grange Bay and flew towards the causeway. About nine Yellow Wagtails were also present.

At Summer Leys LNR two pairs of Garganey were present and a Blue-headed Wagtail was in with the Yellows again and the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve at Ditchford Pits attracted a Cattle Egret, a Black-tailed Godwit and a Greenshank all courtesy of Tony. Stanwick served up the Glossy Ibis in flight again plus a high-flying Osprey and a Curlew. A dozen Yellow Wagtails were at nearby Raunds Water Treatment Works.

Down at Hinton Airfield, quality passerines included a male Common Redstart, a female Wheatear and more Yellow Wagtails, a Wheatear was on the dam at Hollowell Reservoir this morning and Ian saw a male Common Redstart at Fawsley Park, again at the top of the track past the Fawsley Granary. A pair of Peregrine were at a potential breeding site in the west of the county.

Regards

Neil M

Garganey at Summer Leys LNR
courtesy of John Gamble.

Common Snipe courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Common Buzzard courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Great Crested Grebe courtesy
of David Arden.

Ring Ouzels, Redstarts and more

Hello

Harrington Airfield was the initial venue this morning which paid off with the birds from yesterday still being present in the shape of a Ring Ouzel, two male Common Redstarts, two Wheatears, sixty Golden Plovers, at least a dozen wheezing Bramblings and a pair of Grey Partridges. Just down the road at Draughton Crossing, another male Ring Ouzel showed in the pony field by the car park together with other thrushes.

Blueberry Farm near Maidwell still hung on to about a hundred Fieldfares and at least one and probably two Common Redstarts were in hedging near to the empty house. A predated female Sparrowhawk was found dead near the obelisk at Naseby today. 

Our garden continues to attract plenty of Reed Buntings and several Yellowhammers and the local Swallows are back too!

Yesterday there were three drake Mandarin Ducks at Ravensthorpe Reservoir but it is likely these are free-flying birds from nearby Coton Gardens.

Richard found the pair of Garganey in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this morning and the Osprey put in an appearance too. This afternoon and a meander south of the causeway provided a party of eight Yellow Wagtails and a cracking male Wheatear in a field between the reservoir and the Brixworth to Holcot road. Scanning further south and some interesting looking birds in the Pintail Bay required a quick walk that way to confirm the presence of a first year Great Northern Diver and a pair of Common Scoter. A Yellow-legged Gull was there too and the drake Scaup was viewed distantly in the Moulton Grange Bay.

Elsewhere and Earls Barton Pits provided a pair of Garganey on the Summer Leys scrape and viewable from the Paul Britten hide plus seventeen Snipe, two Mediterranean Gulls and a Great White Egret but apparently there was no sign of the Ring Ouzel there today.

Southwick Wood was the venue for a calling Cuckoo this morning and a Nightingale trapped there today is a returning male first ringed in the spring of 2019.

The Glossy Ibis was seen in flight over Stanwick Pits again this morning and the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve provided for three Redshanks, two Little Ringed Plovers and a Common Tern.

An Osprey was seen in flight over Sixfields, Northampton at lunchtime and a ringing session at nearby Stortons Pits provided thirty-three captures with perhaps the most interesting birds being a Sedge Warbler first encountered in May 2019, two Willow Warblers, two Chiffchaffs, two Whitethroats, three Blackcaps, three Cetti's Warblers and a host of resident birds.

Birds at Hollowell Reservoir this afternoon included a White Wagtail, a couple of Yellow Wagtails and a Common Sandpiper.

Regards

Neil M

Adult Grey Heron
courtesy of John Tilly.

Tree Sparrow courtesy
of Lewis Aaron.

Reed Bunting courtesy
of Lewis Aaron.

Yellowhammer courtesy
of Lewis Aaron.

 These images come from a modest
ringing session at Pitsford Reservoir
 yesterday concentrating on the reserve
 priority species of Tree Sparrow and
 Yellowhammer.

Sedge Warbler at Stortons Pits
today courtesy of Chris Payne.
This bird was first ringed in May
2019 and not encountered last year.

Juvenile Woodpigeon - this species
 breeds virtually all year round and this
 individual will have been hatched and
reared during some very cold weather.
Image courtesy of Lynne Barnett.

Sunny Tuesday.

Hello

Birds at Pitsford Reservoir this morning included the pair of Garganey again - initially by the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station and then deeper into the Scaldwell Bay. An Osprey cruised over before heading south and other birds included an Egyptian Goose, three Shelducks, a Green Sandpiper, about ten Common Snipe, a Great White Egret, two Little Egrets and a pair of Oystercatchers.

Harrington Airfield was the location for a male Ring Ouzel which was initially between the Chippings Compound and Bunker One and then being seen briefly by the shooting wall. There were two male Common Redstarts, a Wheatear, a Peregrine, about one hundred and fifty Golden Plovers, at least twenty Bramblings plus Ravens and Grey Partridges.

Earls Barton Pits attracted another male Ring Ouzel in a field off Mary's Lane with probably two Blue-headed Wagtails in the neighbouring field for a time, and an interesting bright yellow Yellow Wagtail which resembles the rarely encountered 'lutea' race. Two pairs of Garganey were on the Summer Leys scrape and other birds on the overall Earls Barton complex included a Mediterranean Gull, a White Wagtail, a Common Sandpiper, four Little Ringed Plovers and a Common Tern. Stanwick Pits provided a White Wagtail and a Reed Warbler and the Glossy Ibis was on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston this afternoon.

Clifford Hill Pits again hosted the drake Ring-necked Duck, a Channel Wagtail, a White Wagtail, a Redshank, a Common Sandpiper, four Ringed Plovers, two Little Ringed Plovers and an Egyptian Goose.

At Hinton Airfield today there was a Curlew, one or two Common Redstart(s), a Whitethroat and a Wheatear and a Black Redstart was seen at Long Buckby this morning in a sheep paddock at the bottom of The Banks. An Osprey was seen flying north over Manton Road, Corby at about 2pm with a couple of gulls in pursuit!

Regards

Neil M

Osprey courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Sand Martins courtesy
of John Gamble.

Great Crested Grebe 
with a Perch courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Quackers!

Hello

The usual morning foray to Harrington Airfield to feed the birds was bright and sunny in cool temperatures. The flock of Golden Plovers was about two hundred and fifty strong and they were quite confiding, a fair proportion of them now moulted into summer plumage denoting them to be of the northern form with the extensive black undersides and face. A male Common Redstart was on the concrete track near to the trackside bunker and shooting wall and feeding finches included about a dozen Bramblings.

More feeding station maintenance at the Old Scaldwell Road at Pitsford Reservoir and the distinctive dry creaking call of a drake Garganey could be heard from the margins - a pair subsequently appeared and made their way into the Scaldwell Bay. A Yellow-legged Gull was the only other bird of note seen from there.

There was plenty of birding action at Earls Barton Pits and adjacent areas today with three pairs of Garganey, two Mediterranean Gulls, a Great White Egret, a Ring Ouzel discovered this afternoon, a Blue-headed Wagtail, a 'Channel' Wagtail, a White Wagtail. a Peregrine chasing a Redshank, a Whimbrel briefly, a Common Sandpiper and eighteen Snipe.

Clifford Hill Pits hung on to the drake Ring-necked Duck plus four Ringed Plovers and three White Wagtails, fifty-four Meadow Pipits, a flock of sixty-two Carrion Crows and a Wheatear. A male Common Redstart and two Wheatears were good finds at Hinton Airfield and a Green Sandpiper was seen at Kislingbury Pits/Upton Mill CP.

A/the drake Smew was on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits this morning and sightings at Hollowell Reservoir included an Osprey, a Jack Snipe, a Common Sandpiper and a flock of thirty-two Common Gulls moving north.

Regards

Neil M

Yesterday's snow on 
the Kelmarsh Estate
courtesy of Lynne Barnett.

Teal courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Gadwall courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Garganey courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Garganey courtesy of
Dave Jackson.

Drake Ring-necked Duck
courtesy of Dave Jackson.

Tufted Duck courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Interesting weather and birds

Hello

Another day of erratic weather, with perhaps the orange/red sunrise warning us of wintry weather later in the day!

More ringing today, this time at Kelmarsh Hall where one hundred and eleven common birds were processed, perhaps the most noteworthy being a Chiffchaff, six Blackcaps, ten Goldfinches and three Nuthatches. A Grey Wagtail, a Siskin and a couple of Ravens were noted.

Birds in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir included a pair of Garganey and both Great White and Little Egrets, plenty of hirundines plus an Otter!

The Glossy Ibis flew over Stanwick Pits early this morning and other birds included two Little Ringed Plovers, and this evening a Nightingale was near the underpass on North Lake.

The Earls Barton Pits complex provided views of two or three pairs of Garganey, plenty of Yellow Wagtails, four White Wagtails, a Marsh Harrier, an Egyptian Goose, a male Common Redstart, two Ringed Plovers, a Little Ringed Plover, a Common Sandpiper and two Common Terns.

Three Great White Egrets were seen on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits today and birds at Harrington Airfield included an early Garden Warbler with a Common Whitethroat along the Brampton Valley Way by the Great Oxendon tunnels.

The juvenile Glaucous Gull was seen again off the A5 DIRFT 3 complex near Lilbourne late morning and an Osprey was seen flying over Ditchford Pits at about 12 noon. The drake Ring-necked Duck was showing nicely at Clifford Hill Pits again today.

Regards

Neil M

Otter at Pitsford Reservoir
today courtesy of David Arden.

Sunrise at Kelmarsh Hall.

Blackcap courtesy
of Bethan Clyne.

Goldfinch courtesy
of Lewis Aaron.

Cold start...Redstart!

Hello

A ringing session at Harrington Airfield today provided only thirty-five birds - the adverse weather conditions in stark contrast to the given forecast! A Hawfinch was heard calling from bushes just after dawn but wasn't subsequently seen and numbers of Bramblings present were estimated at about twenty-five birds, seven of which were caught and ringed. Linnets are there in good numbers and fourteen were caught and processed and an adult male Common Redstart also found a mist net and was duly ringed. A re-trap Willow Warbler was first ringed there in 2019.

Other birds on-site included two hundred and fifty Golden Plovers, a Common Whitethroat, a few Siskins and seventy-two Meadow Pipits headed north.

Over at Stanford Reservoir another Common Redstart was caught and ringed and a Common Whitethroat and Tree Pipit were seen and at Linford Lake ringers there processed forty-two birds which included a male Fieldfare, eleven Blackcaps (including three re-traps from 2019 and 2020), seven Reed Buntings (including one ringed as a fledgling in 2018), three Chiffchaffs and a pair of Bullfinches.

There was no sign of the Ring Ouzel at Blueberry Farm this afternoon but Fieldfares and Redwings were still present. A Wheatear was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning and this afternoon a female-type Marsh Harrier flew south there towards Brixworth.

Hollowell Reservoir attracted an Osprey today plus a Common Sandpiper and a Crossbill and an Osprey was perched in a roadside tree alongside the A5199 near Chapel Brampton at 11.50am. Another Osprey with a fish was seen at Clifford Hill Pits this morning and the Ring-necked Duck was still present as was a Common Sandpiper, five Ringed and two Little Ringed Plovers, eighteen Yellow Wagtails, two White Wagtails and a Wheatear.

The day list for Stanwick Pits included the Glossy Ibis, four Cattle Egrets, a Great White Egret and a male Blue-headed Wagtail and birds in the Earls Barton Pits complex included a Blue-headed Wagtail with twenty-five Yellows and ten White Wagtails, a Mediterranean Gull, two Common Terns, Green and Common Sandpiper and at least one pair of Garganey.

Birds at Thrapston Pits included a drake Smew on Town Lake, a Goosander, three Great White Egrets and two Kingfishers.

Other sightings included an adult Mediterranean Gull in a sheep field at Chelveston Airfield plus four Wheatears and forty-two Yellowhammers coming to a snow-affected feed station at Woodford Halse.

Regards

Neil M

Linnet courtesy of
Lewis Aaron.

Male Brambling courtesy
of Lewis Aaron.

Male Brambling
courtesy of Jacob Spinks.

Adult male Common Redstart
courtesy of Lewis Aaron.