More spring sunshine...

Hello

A little wander at Harrington Airfield this morning provided views of an adult female Peregrine, about sixty Golden Plovers and a pair of Grey Partridge.

Tomorrow a limited ringing session is planned for the site during the morning using the rides on the old airstrip. As such access will be restricted during this time but the usual public footpaths and concrete track remain unaffected. My apologies if this affects any planned excursions.

Regards

Neil M

Male Kestrel at Pitsford
 Reservoir yesterday.

The Goldcrest. Our smallest common
British bird. Following yet another mild
winter, there are plenty of Goldcrests around
currently and they are singing well in this bout
of spring sunshine... With lots of Chiffchaffs
about too, there are now quite a few small
green-looking birds fidgeting around in the
 bushes and trees!

Goldcrest images courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

The Chiffchaffs have arrived!

Hello

Yesterday (Sunday) and Nick Parker's jaunt around the Titchmarsh Reserve provided views of six Goosanders and calling Water Rails. Ravens are still scarce in this part of the county and two that overflew the reserve were the first that Nick had seen here since regularly birding from the 1970s.

Also yesterday a Water Rail showed at Brixworth Water Treatment Works and other birds included a Chiffchaff and two Grey Wagtails.

Today and Paul Gosling spent some time at Wellingborough Pits east of the Embankment and noted his first spring Chiffchaff plus eight Little Egrets and three Oystercatchers. The stunning weather today was another ideal opportunity to watch Common Buzzards and Paul saw six move over in a northerly direction. More birds on the move included a good number of Pied Wagtails and two Cetti's Warblers were vocal.

In a similar vein, Nick Wood watched seven Common Buzzards over Chase Park Farm near Yardley Chase and watched as four Ravens decided to chase them around!

The Pitsford Reservoir WeBS count took place today and the amazing sunny weather provided an opportunity to cover much of the site in just five hours. Lingering birds included the Slavonian Grebe in Yacht Bay, the Red-necked Grebe just north of the causeway, the White-fronted Goose just south of the causeway, a female Goosander, six Little Egrets, two Oystercatchers, two Redshanks, three Green Sandpipers, a Jack Snipe, fifty-five Common Snipe, a Kingfisher, at least seventeen Chiffchaffs, a Grey Wagtail, a Sand Martin and three Siskins.

Regards

Neil M

Jack Snipe at
 Pitsford Reservoir.

Cormorant at
Pitsford Reservoir.

Water Rail at Titchwell.
Courtesy of John Gamble.

Damp but mild Sunday

Hello

Kenny Cramer presided at a ringing session at Linford Lakes on the outskirts of Milton Keynes this morning and, whilst dodging the showers, 41 birds of 13 species were caught, processed and released. Fourteen of these birds were new and twenty-seven were re-traps. Highlights included singles of Redwing, Song Thrush, Meadow Pipit and Chiffchaff with three Reed Buntings too.

Jacob spent much of the day at Pitsford Reservoir today, again locating the Red-necked Grebe north of the causeway, a Black-tailed Godwit on the shoreline between the causeway and Maytrees Hide and one or two Sand Martin(s). Several Chiffchaffs were on-site again and waders included two Green Sandpipers, two Redshanks, two Oystercatchers and several Common Snipe.

Eleanor noted four Grey Partridges at Harrington Airfield but otherwise it was quiet for migrants. Little Owls were vocal during the day at both Hanging Houghton and Pitsford Reservoir.

Regards

Neil M

 Look at me - I'm an Oystercatcher!
Courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Green Sandpiper and Redshank
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Spring migration is underway...

Hello

Jacob was out and about all day concentrating most of his efforts at Pitsford Reservoir where he noticed significant all day diurnal migration, in particular north-bound Meadow Pipits, Starlings and gulls. The Red-necked Grebe was again north of the causeway and other bids noted included the White-fronted Goose still, seven Little Egrets, two Redshanks, a Green Sandpiper, two Oystercatchers, two Snipe, a Siskin, a Grey Wagtail, six Chiffchaffs, three Marsh Tits and a hunting Barn Owl at dusk.

Jacob also paid Harrington Airfield a visit this afternoon noting a large concentration of thrushes amounting to four hundred Fieldfares and two hundred Redwings. Other birds involved forty-five Golden Plovers, a Willow Tit and two Chiffchaffs.

Eric Graham's walk on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston today was enjoyable with several Chiffchaffs, seven singing Cetti's Warblers, seven Redpolls and a Siskin coming to the feeders and six Oystercatchers on-site.

Helen Franklin, John Woollett and Barbara and Chris Payne committed to some woodland bird ringing at Glyn Davies Wood today way over to the west of the county. They caught 78 birds of 12 species made up of a Wren, 2 Goldcrests, a Chiffchaff, 3 Long-tailed Tits, 31 Blue Tits, 29 Great Tits, 5 Coal Tits, a Robin, a Dunnock, a Chaffinch, a Nuthatch and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Two of the Great Tits were first ringed there in the winter of 2012/2013. Interesting birds noted included at least one Raven.

Two Ravens were again on territory at Staverton this morning and a single was at Hanging Houghton.

Regards

Neil M

Processing birds at Glyn Davies
Wood in comparative comfort!
Once the birds are extracted from
mist nets they are placed in a soft
cotton bag and taken to a nearby
ringing station. Here Helen is recording
 all the details whilst Chris and John
 handle and assess the birds.
Image courtesy of Barbara Payne.

Little Egret.

Blue Tit.
Image courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

The Raven, and now very
much a county bird!

Friday's offerings...

Hello

Dave Francis presided over a ringing session at the main feed station at Pitsford Reservoir today catching and processing fifty birds made up of 26 new birds and 24 birds previously ringed on-site.

Six Mallard were among the total and one of these birds was originally ringed there six years ago. A Chiffchaff appeared to be a genuine summer migrant, exhibiting pollen and nectar from flowers around it's head, a significant indicator that it has just arrived from warmer climes!

More typical birds of this venue were made up of two Reed Buntings, ten Yellowhammers, two Greenfinches, three Goldfinches, two Chaffinches, two Tree Sparrows, eight Blue Tits, four Great Tits, a Marsh Tit, eight Dunnocks and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Today I spent most of the day at Ditchford Gravel Pits, completing a WeBS count slightly ahead of the core count day. At least three Great White Egrets were on pits west of Ditchford Lane as was a female Wood Duck and three Egyptian Geese. Other birds noted included two Oystercatchers, a Jack Snipe, fifty Common Snipe, a Goosander, three Shelduck, four Little Egrets, four Water Rails, nine Kingfishers, two Grey Wagtails, seven Cetti's Warblers, three Chiffchaffs and a singing Blackcap. An active Mink was the first I've seen there in a long time...

Regards

Neil M

Kingfisher.

Common Snipe.

Chiffchaff.

Warm, sunny and breezy!

Hello

The Wildlife Trust staff at Lings House could hear three Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers calling in Lings Wood this morning, one of them showing well about a 100 yards in front of the house...

Harrington Airfield this afternoon still attracted a flock of about a hundred Golden Plovers and three pairs of Grey Partridge, and there may have been as many as seven Stonechats again in the valley below Hanging Houghton.

Several Siskins on the move at Hanging Houghton both today and yesterday and of course the strong breeze and lovely sunshine meant that Red Kites and Common Buzzards were particularly showy today. A Raven was seen between Brixworth and Holcot this morning.

The Whooper Swan was still in fields adjacent to Sywell Country Park yesterday...

Regards

Neil M

Common Buzzard.

Red Kite.

'Tis the start of the breeding season!

Hello

As we advance in to spring (I'm sure we'll have some more wintery weather to contend with yet) our resident birds are preparing themselves for the next breeding season. This includes securing a territory, finding a mate, singing and of course identifying suitable nesting sites.

Of course some birds are already well ahead with birds such as Rooks and Carrion Crows having already patched up or re-built nests, and some pairs of Robins, Blackbirds and Mistle Thrushes will have constructed their new nests of the year. Cormorants, Grey Herons, Ravens and some Tawny Owls will already be on eggs and some species such as the Woodpigeon and Collared Dove never stop or just have brief interludes in mid-winter of no breeding activity...

Regards

Neil M

John Gamble captured some
images of this Nuthatch examining
a cavity at Abington Park on Monday -
no doubt checking to see if it is a suitable
nesting site.

The Stock Dove enjoys a long breeding
season although they tend not to breed all
year round like some of their close relatives.

Image courtesy of Cathy Ryden.

Collared Dove taking advantage of
Cathy Ryden's feeding station...

Image courtesy of Cathy

Male Sparrowhawk hoping to make
use of Cathy Ryden's feeding station -
in a slightly different way!

Image courtesy of Cathy.

The Cormorant has a very long
breeding season with the construction
of nests from February and with young
in the nest as late as the end of September.

Image courtesy of Jacob.

Spring continues...

Hello

Brimstone butterflies have been on the wing in small numbers during the periods of lovely milky sunshine during the last couple of days, surely one of the highlights of early spring?

A little light on the birds today but there were still three Stonechats in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton early this afternoon and the Slavonian Grebe remains at Pitsford Reservoir, spending time late this afternoon in the Yacht Bay...

Regards

Neil M

Brimstone butterfly.

Male Stonechat.

Slavonian Grebe.

Spring sunshine!

Hello

Sadly another Barn Owl casualty was lying at the side of the road alongside the A508 between Hanging Houghton and Scaldwell this morning, only a couple of hundred yards where I picked up a Common Buzzard last week which had suffered a similar fate...

The Stonechat count went up to seven individuals in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton today and an evening wander at Harrington Airfield indicated three pairs of Grey Partridge on territory and plenty of buntings coming down for seed and grain.

Chris Payne took a couple of hours out this morning in lovely spring sunshine to commit to a little ringing at Bradden in South Northants which culminated in processing 35 birds made up of 16 Goldfinches, 4 Chaffinches, a Greenfinch, a Goldcrest, 6 Blue Tits, 6 Great Tits and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Eric Graham spent some time on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston today and saw plenty of birds including a Great White Egret, three Little Egrets, four Goosanders, a pair of Oystercatchers, three redpoll sp, six Cetti's Warblers and two singing Chiffchaffs.

Jacob saw a third winter Caspian Gull in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon plus a Green Sandpiper and two Redshanks.

Regards

Neil M

Rainbow over Maytrees
Hide at Pitsford Reservoir
on Sunday!

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker
courtesy of Chris Payne.

Great Crested Grebe versus Pike...errr
no contest really!

Pictures courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Kelmarsh Hall ringing

Hello

Jacob was at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon and saw two Shelducks, a White-fronted Goose, two Redshanks, a Green Sandpiper, a pair of courting Kingfishers and a Grey Wagtail.

Five Stonechats were in the Brampton Valley between the Brampton Valley Way and the Gamboro' Plantation today, one of which was caught and ringed.

A ringing session today at Kelmarsh Hall provided 86 birds of 14 species amounting to 57 new birds and 29 re-trapped birds. Finches were well represented with 4 Greenfinches, 12 Goldfinches, 8 Chaffinches and 3 Siskins. A House Sparrow and two Tree Sparrows were not anticipated!

Regards

Neil M

Goldfinch.
Courtesy of Cathy Ryden.

Greenfinch.
Courtesy of Cathy Ryden.

Cock Pheasant.
Courtesy of Dave Jackson.

Yet more garden birds!

Hello

Yesterday Steve Bennison noted five Mandarin Ducks and a Great White Egret at Ravensthorpe Reservoir.

Two pairs of Stonechats were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning and two Ravens were near the village later.

Today Pitsford Reservoir hosted a White-fronted Goose, two Redshank, an Oystercatcher and a male Stonechat all on the reserve north of the causeway.

Regards

Neil M

Siskin.

Robin.

Male Brambling.

Male Sparrowhawk.

It's all action in the Duston garden
belonging to Steve Bennison! Two pairs
of Brambling have remained throughout
the winter and Siskins are appearing on
passage. Today Steve thought it odd that the
garden was empty of birds, then he spotted
this stunning Sparrowhawk and realised why!
All images taken by Steve in his garden.

Finches on the move...

Hello

This morning just one pair of Stonechat were visible in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and higher water levels at Ravensthorpe Reservoir haven't put off the Otters with two animals on show from the causeway this morning.

Chris Payne enjoyed a brief spell of ringing at Greens Norton today, catching 14 Goldfinches and 2 Siskins and reported that Goldfinches were clearly on the move all day.

A ringing session at Scotland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate today caused 127 birds to be processed made up of 61 new birds and 67 re-trapped individuals. These were made up of 9 Dunnocks, 4 Nuthatches, 29 Great Tits, 3 Blackbirds, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Song Thrushes, 3 Wrens, 3 Goldcrests, 11 Robins, 31 Blue Tits, 9 Chaffinches, 3 Siskins, 16 Coal Tits, a Treecreeper and 2 Long-tailed Tits. Another dozen or so Chaffinches were released from the nets due to diseased legs.

At least one of the Chaffinches processed today was a typical continental bird and was carrying a great deal of fat and weighing on average a third more than the average bird. I think he will be on his way any day now...

Siskins seemed to be on the move with small flocks arriving and departing during the day, a Crossbill spent some time in the trees above us before moving on and other birds included anything between six to a dozen Woodcocks active just before dawn. Other birds noted include several Marsh Tits, a singing Willow Tit, a redpoll sp and a couple of Ravens.

Regards

Neil M

A stunning adult male
Siskin courtesy of Chris Payne.