Gale force birds!

Hello

An excursion to Blueberry Farm near Maidwell this afternoon provided views of birds moving fast in the very strong wind and included a pair of Raven, a Red Kite and the regular female Peregrine.

At Pitsford Res this afternoon the Great Northern Diver was seen in flight and splashing down in to the waves in the main basin and later seen fishing towards the mouth of the Pintail Bay.  An adult Mediterranean Gull was present in the gull roost off the yacht club.

Regards

E & N

 

Common Gull

 

Cormorants in breeding

plumage

Pitsford update

Hello

A meander around the reservoir at Pitsford this morning produced some birds of interest.  The Great Northern Diver was seen in flight and it splashed down near to the dam.  A Great White Egret was mostly concealed in willow bushes in the Moulton Grange Bay as were three Goosander and three Little Egrets.  Gary Burrows saw the drake Scaup but we couldn't find it and I assume it had found a nice bay to shelter from the increasingly strong gale!

A female Merlin was seen a couple of times, a Jack Snipe, a fourth Little Egret and six Smew were all south of the causeway (a pair near the Holly Tree and four concealed under willows in the Catwalk Bay).  Another two Smew were in the Holcot Bay, making a total of eight birds present today.  A pair of Red-crested Pochard were visible in the Walgrave Bay and the Bar-headed Goose was reported.  A couple of Grey Wagtails and wind-blown redpoll sp were south of the causeway.

Elsewhere, a Brambling and a Red Kite were noted at Hanging Houghton and there were two Bramblings on the seed at Harrington Airfield, albeit that the feeding area was somewhat wind-blasted!

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

Siskins and tits

Hello

Yesterday (Thursday), and a walk around Sywell Country Park provided a flock of c50 Siskins, but nothing else of note.

Today (Friday) and about c6 Siskins were around the village here at Hanging Houghton.  At Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon, the birds included 2 Red Kites, 2 Ravens and a female Peregrine.

A ringing session at Sunderland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate this afternoon provided a capture of 63 birds, 48 of which were new.  One of the first Blue Tits processed was a bird first ringed at Hanging Houghton in September last year.   Blue Tits and Great Tits made up the bulk of the captured birds, the vast majority of these tits being birds hatched just last year. 

Other birds caught and ringed included 3 Coal Tits, 5 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Treecreepers, a Bullfinch and a couple of Chaffinches.  A couple of Sparrowhawks were racing around the wood and other sightings included a Siskin and 2 Woodcock.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

Moulton Grange Bay

Hello

Scanning the Moulton Grange Bay at Pitsford Res this morning confirmed the continuing present of one Great White Egret.  Other birds included two Little Egrets and a drake Goosander.  The gull roost off the yacht club later in the day was unremarkable.  In a windy and difficult day for birding, the only other bird of note was a Grey Wagtail at Brixworth Sewer Works.

Regards

Neil M

Northants Bird Club presentation tonight on Bhutan

Hello

A reminder to Northants Bird Club members and an invitation to non-club members to attend the illustrated talk tonight on the Birds of Bhutan.  This will be a presentation delivered by our own Jeff Blincow who is a well-known and seasoned presenter as well as an excellent all-round naturalist talking about his recent visit to the poorly-known country of Bhutan.  The more obscure Asian countries probably retain more of the natural fauna and flora than the adjacent high-population countries and I know that Jeff will have tried his very best to photograph most of it!  Anyone who knows Jeff's photographic skills will know we are in for a treat!

The venue is the Moulton Village Hall off Pound Lane, Moulton on the southern outskirts of Northampton.  We gather from 7.30pm with a view to starting at 7.45pm.  Non-members may be asked to provide a small contribution for attendance.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Neil M

Bits and Bobs

Today it was a case of snatching birding moments when I could.

Firstly whilst playing football in the field behind the house with the dogs there were 2 cronking Ravens and 4 Redpolls over . Whilst drinking coffee in the garden afterwards to recover I could hear the evocative calls of a couple of Red Kites and mewing call of the Common Buzzards as they had woken up and were clearly making the most of the bright and breezy weather.

I went for a run and again heard Ravens, probably the same two birds and a Grey Wagtail.

I then made a brief visit to Pitsford Reservoir to top up the feeders.  As I walked along to the main feeding station I noticed that the water appeared empty of birds. Why?  I then met a very unhappy birder who had his first ever visit to Pitsford ruined by the presence of 3 boats and 3 + men from DEFRA who were attempting to shoot the two remaining Ruddy Ducks which have been frequenting the Scaldwell Arm.  Of course this had severely disrupted and unnerved all the wildfowl.  I think this whole issue and handling raises so many questions, and it is actually quite a distressing sight to witness.

This afternoon I took Bazra and Tor on a good walk around Blueberry Farm where there were plenty of Common Buzzards,  including the stunning white individual, 4 Red Kites, a Barn Owl, a Grey Wagtail and a female Peregrine, the raptors finding the sun and wind to their liking and clearly enjoying themselves.

Regards

Eleanor

A dry day in Northants

Hello

A Red Kite was worming at Harrington Airfield this morning and the usual woodland birds were very vocal in the woods on the Kelmarsh Estate.

This afternoon and a visit to Pitsford Res provided views of the Great Northern Diver, a drake Scaup and two 'redhead' Smew north of the dam in the vicinity of The Holly Tree . North of the causeway, birds in the Walgrave Bay included a Woodcock, a Chiffchaff and three Siskins.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

Finches galore

Hello

A ringing session at Stortons Gravel Pits this morning provided an opportunity to catch about fifty birds.  The highlights included a Water Rail, two Moorhens, and plenty of Greenfinches, Goldfinches and Reed Buntings.  Two Reed Buntings were controls from elsewhere.

I was one of a small crew that ventured down to the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire today where the weather was not quite as good as the bright and sunny conditions here in Northamptonshire!
Nevertheless we enjoyed a great day of quality woodland birding with the finch family taking centre stage.

Various sections of the forest were visited which included the viewpoint at New Fancy View and the woodland outskirts of the villages of Parkend and Brierley.

Exceptionally we saw large numbers of Hawfinches, probably in excess of forty birds which included flocks of 17 and 21.  A large mixed finch flock included many Bramblings, although they remained elusive amongst the leaf litter and beech plantations.  Crossbills were on show at almost every venue and the star birds of the day for many were about six Two-barred Crossbills in amongst one flock of Common Crossbills.  The Two-barreds emitted three different calls which included the superb nasal bugle calls.

A Dipper looked a little bizarre as it swam and fed in a shallow pond and the forest Goshawks showed very well with up to five individuals which included perched adult females and displaying males.  If only we could replicate these sightings in our own county!

Regards

Neil M

 

Water Rail at

Stortons GP by

Chris Payne

 

Male Two-barred Crossbill

 

Male Two-barred Crossbill

and nearby male Common Crossbill.

From rain to wind

Hello

Today was good inasmuch that there wasn't any sustained rain and hopefully everyone saw some sunshine, even if it was a strong, cold wind.

Brixworth Sewer Works again hosted up to three Grey Wagtails this morning, and also provided cover for a Snipe and Water Rail with a redpoll sp over.

The Great Northern Diver was seen at Pitsford Res, riding the choppy brown water near to Yacht Bay (about noon).

Four Bramblings were found along the Brampton Valley Way just north of Lamport Station and another eight were at Harrington Airfield, which also hosted a pair of Grey Partridge.

A good hike around Blueberry Farm was just that - the strong wind ensured that all the birds were keeping their heads down!

A quick visit to Market Harborough this afternoon failed to locate the Otters; the very brown River Welland was swollen but still attracted Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail and I'm sure the Otters weren't far away!

Regards

Neil M

Waterlogged Birding

Hello

Okay so it's raining well now but there was actually a break in the weather this morning when it actually wasn't raining.  Amazing!

I was in neighbouring Cambridgeshire today but managed to spend an hour or so birding at Paxton Pits, an interesting old gravel pit complex managed as a nature reserve just off the A1.  An early morning Smew trio included two very smart drakes and a couple of Goosanders were present too.  Just like the birds in Northants, the Grey Herons and Cormorants were busy sorting out their nests, the herons in particular being very vocal.

Eleanor managed to find some dry time to enjoy a walk around a waterlogged Blueberry Farm and confirmed that the usual birds were somehow still surviving the deluge and included the pair of Stonechat, a Barn Owl and two Red Kites.

A quick foray at Pitsford Res this afternoon provided views of a Great White Egret in the Moulton Grange Bay and the Great Northern Diver still in the vicinity of the Holly Tree.

Comparatively little bird ringing has taken place in the county so far this year due to the wet and windy conditions, but a couple of ringers are attracting good numbers of Reed Buntings in their respective gardens.  Several ringing records and recoveries of this species last winter proved very interesting inasmuch that several local birds were clearly mobile around the county and were recorded visiting several sites including gardens, and then later found back at the original ringing venues.  Clearly the provision of feedstuffs in the latter part of the winter and spring is proving crucial to their survival.

In one local garden red millet feeders are proving very attractive to this species and if you want to attract Reed Buntings to your garden you may wish to try this food too!

Regards

Neil M

Hosepipe ban imminent?

Hello

Well with continual rain from dawn to dusk today was never going to be a good day for birding, and it was a pretty wet and muddy affair as we tramped around the local wild bird feeding stations!

A Grey Wagtail was present at Brixworth Sewer Works and it was possible to see six Red-crested Pochard through the murk in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Res.

This afternoon a wet walk in the vicinity of the Moulton Grange Bay at Pitsford Res provided views of a drake Scaup (near the Holly Tree), three Little Egrets, four Goosanders and a Kingfisher.  A couple of foxes were very vocal.

Regards

Neil M

Soggy dogs !!

A rather wet day made birding difficult and I seemed to have spent my time drying out my optics and wet dogs !!  .
My only birds and wildlife of note were at Harrington Airfield late this afternoon.  As soon as I put the food out at least 6 Bramblings mysteriously appeared out of thin air !! . Two Redpoll sp and a huge flock of Fieldfare flew over.
Our latest canine addition Tor has a lot to learn and is already proving to be a challenge !! He seems to be a tiny percentage collie with the remainder of his make up a hound ? beagle  ? foxhound. So he goes into sensory overload when he is out and the selective deafness takes over. 
This afternoon he was clearly excited over a scent he could smell and disappeared into the bushes. Imagine my surprise when 3 superb Roe Deer walked out from behind the bushes......but where was Tor ?  , he was more interested in a Pheasant which flew up and away leaving a very bemused dog looking skywards.


Regards Eleanor

Otter odyssey

Hello

A return to Market Harborough was the order of the day, and our attendance during the late morning coincided with two Otters being located straight-away near to the Sainsbury's supermarket.  They were active for some minutes but then disappeared up on to the opposite bank and seemingly went off for a kip!

Some feeding station top-ups took up most of the day and we struggled to see any birds of note.  A couple of Woodcock flushed at Scotland Wood (Kelmarsh Estate) were fairly predictable.

The gull roost at Pitsford Res was monitored this evening, but no gulls of note were seen.  The Great Northern Diver was viewable distantly off The Pines between Moulton Grange Bay and The Holly Tree.

A Barn Owl was still present at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell yesterday afternoon.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

Pitsford WeBs Count

Hello

This morning and early afternoon was taken up completing the WeBs count at Pitsford Reservoir.  This was in mild spring-like weather and the bird song was often quite deafening!  Cormorants were ensconced on their nests and the Rooks were patching up their stick nest colony.  The Great Crested Grebes were displaying and Little Grebe and Coot were seen carrying weed and sticks.

The water levels are very high and much of the water north of the causeway is brown and these conditions probably caused the complete absence of Shoveler and Pintail.  Nevertheless there were plenty of water birds present, the majority having been present since the late autumn.

Two Great White Egrets were still in the Moulton Grange Bay and the Great Northern Diver had been pushed in to the Moulton Grange Bay from the Holly Tree area by the many yachts on the water.  Two Smew were present - a drake just off the causeway and a 'redhead' in the Holcot Bay.  A single drake Goosander flew in to the Scaldwell Bay and at least five Red-crested Pochard were mostly hidden in the waterside willows in the Walgrave Bay.

Waders included about a hundred mobile Golden Plover, a Green Sandpiper, two Redshank and c78 Snipe.  A Peregrine kept them watchful.  A Chiffchaff was in bushes near to the causeway and a pair of Willow Tit were a welcome sight in the Scaldwell Bay.  Half a dozen flighty redpoll sp were south of the causeway.

A recce at Blueberry Farm this afternoon was brought to a swift conclusion with dramatic and powerful weather hurtling in from the west and south which included very strong gusts, rain, hail and lightning and thunder!  We managed two Red Kites and a Woodcock before retreating to the car.

A period of ringing at Stortons Gravel Pits this morning with John Woollett and team resulted in 73 birds being caught, 43 of them being new birds.  Greenfinch, Reed Bunting, Blackbird and Great Tit were the most common species captured.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

 

Little Grebe at Pitsford Res

Courtesy of Jacob Spinks

Repeats

Hello

Eleanor took a wander around Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon and at risk of sounding repetitive saw a female Peregrine, a Barn Owl and a pair of Stonechat, all these species being consistently present since late autumn.  A pair of Raven were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton today and were in much the same place yesterday.

Regards

Neil M

Kumlien's Gull....maybe!

Hello

Most of today was taken up completing the WeBs count at Ditchford Gravel Pits.  The conditions under foot were very, very muddy!  Good numbers of birds were present west of Ditchford Lane including hundreds of big gulls moving between the flooded pits and the nearby landfill. 
 
An interesting individual juvenile was located amongst Herring Gulls in the field immediately east of the Viaduct Pit which superficially resembled a Kumlien's Gull.  The size and structure was similar to Iceland Gull and the general colouration and patterning was similar to a juvenile Iceland.  The primary tips were not white at all but biscuit coloured with the subtle shadowing and were classic Kumlien's.  However, we dismissed the bird as a hybrid-type bird as the bill was all dark and possibly a touch long.  However subsequent research suggests that juveniles can display all dark bills and plenty of on-line images of birds apparently depicting Kumlien's closely resemble this bird.  This bird was rather distant; it is hoped that this bird might be seen again at closer range and that an identification might be clinched.

Kumlien's Gull is generally treated as a race or form of Iceland Gull, but potentially could be a New World inter-grade between Iceland and Thayer's Gull.

Other birds seen west of Ditchford Lane include the drake Scaup on the Watersports Pit, two mobile Great White Egrets, five Little Egrets, two Egyptian Geese, two adult Peregrines and a Green Sandpiper.  Other birds present on the overall complex included an apparent influx of ten Chiffchaffs, two Kingfishers, four Grey Wagtails, two drake Smew (Skew Bridge Pit), two Goosanders, a Water Rail and three Cetti's Warblers.

A Brambling was flying around our garden at Hanging Houghton this morning.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

The Lowick Great Grey Shrike

Hello

Yesterday Phil Rogers relocated the Great Grey Shrike that was first seen several days ago near to the village of Lowick off the A6116 between Thrapston and Corby.  The bird is generally viewable from the footpath (also a vehicle track with a metal barrier) that starts from the A6116 on the opposite side of the road to the village (grid reference approximately SP978813).  It can be tricky to see if it is mobile but Phil has seen in several times by simply being patient and remaining on the footpath and scanning the field hedges and trees.

Walking the footpath from the A6116 towards the blocks of woodland on the hillside, the bird tends to show in hedgerows that cross the fields to the right.  The first hedge almost parallels pylons that cross the field, the second hedgerow is a little further up (about SP980815).  Please do not enter the fields.

Phil has kindly provided guidance and comments as follows:- 

'The bird is very mobile and disappears from view for long periods.  When it does show, it shows well and can be seen clearly from the footpath. I saw it three times today in two hours at midday.

The best viewing spot today is as follows:-

 

Walk up the track for approx 200m until you reach a large gap in the right hand hedge just before the overhead power lines. The bird showed on top of the hedge directly in front of the gap and also in the half dead tree along the hedge line. If the bird is in the tree it will be viewable distantly from the barrier at the start of the track. My first sighting today was in the hedge to the far left of the field looking from the gap. This is where I located it on Saturday.

 

Apparently birders have been walking into the fields to get closer or to try and locate it when it is out of sight. This is not necessary, a bit of patience is all that is required.'

Best of Luck!

Neil M

Monday Musing's

The weather today felt very spring-like, rather than the middle of winter.  Blue skies, sunshine, insects buzzing about and splashes of colour thanks to Dandelions, Red Nettle, Groundsel, Aconites and Snowdrops.

We even sat out in the garden to eat our lunch listening to the evocative calls of Red Kite and Common Buzzard and then to the lower base notes of a couple of cronking Ravens.

Prior to this Neil had seen 3 Grey Wagtails and a Water Rail at Brixworth Sewer Works, whilst I had been far more energetic and had ran around the big side of Pitsford Reservoir, where the Great Northern Diver and at least one Great White Egret were seen.

This afternoon a walk around the Blueberry Area produced a female Peregrine Falcon, 2 Red Kites, 2 or 3 Woodcock, a Barn Owl, pair of Stonechat and the rather stunning "white" Buzzard.

Regards Eleanor

Wildlife showcase

Hello

Neil Hasdell had another go at watching the Otters at Market Harborough today.  It seems that the animals weren't seen at all in the morning, but two finally appeared at about 1.30pm and were viewable on and off for the rest of the afternoon.  This time they were mostly downstream from the Sainsbury's car park and went a long way past the railway station.  A Kingfisher showed several times and a Grey Wagtail was also in residence.

At Blueberry Farm this morning there were four Red Kites, two Ravens, a Barn Owl, a pair of Grey Partridge and the pair of Stonechat still.  A few Siskins were noted at Hanging Houghton and half a dozen Bramblings were present at Harrington Airfield plus a couple of Red Kites and a mobile flock of a hundred or so Golden Plovers.

An hour or so looking for the Great Grey Shrike at Lowick this afternoon proved to be a failure despite pleasant viewing conditions.

The Bird Ringing Demonstration at Barnwell Country Park today was well attended and it was good to see many children and young people enjoying seeing wild birds close up.  This event was a joint effort between the Northants County Council Country Park Rangers, the RSPB and Northants Ringing Group volunteers aimed at inspiring people of all ages to appreciate wildlife and take part in wildlife recording initiatives.  Only four static nets were erected but it was sufficient to catch over two hundred small birds.  Perhaps not surprisingly, the Blue Tit was the most common bird with plenty of Great Tits and smaller numbers of Coal Tits and Long-tailed Tits plus a couple of Marsh Tits.  Chaffinches and Goldfinches were well-represented together with a single Siskin.  The Great Spotted Woodpecker and three Treecreepers were much admired and of course the common favourites of Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird and Reed Bunting look different again in the hand.

Other birds seen or heard included at least one Egyptian Goose heard calling from fields the other side of the river, a couple of Kingfishers, two singing Cetti's Warblers and a reasonable-sized flock of Siskins.

Regards

Neil and Eleanor

Otterly fantastic!

Hello

This morning Neil Hasdell and I ventured to Market Harborough in an effort to see the otters.  Two animals were very showy, mostly up-river in Welland Park and it was possible to be within ten feet of them as they played and fished, gradually moving against the current.  Some images are below.  A Kingfisher was fishing the river.

Eleanor ventured in to Brixworth Country Park at lunch-time and saw half a dozen each of Lesser Redpoll and Siskin and two Grey Wagtails as well as large numbers of Redwings.  The Great Northern Diver was viewable distantly on the adjacent Pitsford Reservoir, again by the Holly Tree.

This afternoon a male Peregrine and two Grey Wagtails were around Brixworth Sewer Works.

Regards

Neil M

 

Otters at Market Harborough

courtesy of Neil Hasdell.  They

mostly ignored the people and dogs

watching over them from the

riverside paths!