A shift in the temperature...

Hello

Noteworthy birds were minimal today, not helped by the poor visibility of course!

Harrington Airfield hosted two pairs of Grey Partridge and a Woodcock and another Woodcock was flushed in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir. A Blackcap again visited Jacob's garden at Scaldwell today.

Still plenty of Fieldfares in our garden today, eating the food almost as fast as I'm putting it out, but with a shift in the weather and temperatures overnight it will be interesting to see how long they will stay. I suspect many will disappear to forage for worms as soon as they espy fields without snow.

Like many of us, Dave Francis has been supplying his garden birds with plenty of food and fruit and his Fieldfares have been responsible for finishing off the fruit from an ornamental crab apple. Ringing operations are limited in severe weather and there are strict guidelines to ensure that particularly tired or starving birds are not targeted by ringers (when of course they are easier to catch). Dave has been assessing the health of the birds visiting his garden and opened a forty foot mist net for a short duration today, catching six Fieldfares, three Blackbirds, four Siskins, twelve Goldfinches, a Pied Wagtail and a few other common species. Interestingly a couple of these birds were re-traps from previous sessions a short time ago and they were heavier (and carrying more fat reserves) on this occasion, so clearly their feeding regimes have been successful in this cold spell. A Brambling has attached itself to a small flock of Chaffinches visiting his garden.

Two days ago there was a third hand report of three Short-eared Owls in a field near Weston (South Northants) - I just hope they have made it through as these conditions are very difficult for all the owl species.

Rather than adding yet more Fieldfare images to the blog, I've added some more bird images of a trip to Uganda in January - may you feel the warmth of the air in which they reside!

Regards

Neil M

The beautiful Marabou Stork!

Pink-backed Pelican.

Black and White Casqued Hornbills.

Pied Kingfishers.

Shoebill Stork.

African Jacana.

Long-toed Plover.

Watch out for those Drifts!

Hello

And the cold, snowy weather continues!

Birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton included a few cold-looking Lapwings and a Jack Snipe. A pair of Ravens were between Scaldwell and Hanging Houghton. 

A pair of Grey Partridge were on the feed stuff with plenty of other birds at Harrington Airfield this morning and a very young leveret was isolated and killed by a pair of Carrion Crows, despite four adult Brown Hares making half-hearted efforts at driving them off. I didn't know that hares produced young so early and I have never witnessed that behaviour before...

Fieldfares were in gardens all over Northants again today with numbers visiting further gardens in Corby, at Astcote and Rushden and we were inundated with them again today at Hanging Houghton. A very scarce visitor to our garden today was a Jay and this harsh weather was proving difficult for many birds with forlorn-looking Lapwings and Moorhens being seen at roadsides.

Jacob and Bethan visited Pitsford Reservoir today and saw a Golden Plover, two Woodcock, a Snipe and a Peregrine and noted an Icelandic race Redwing in Scaldwell village.

Regards

Neil M

Wintry scene at
Harrington Airfield.

Blue Tit.

Redwing.

The stunning Fieldfares -
our pantry is nearly empty!

Jaeger atop a snow drift
enveloping a stricken vehicle
that is not going anywhere...
unfortunately it's my vehicle!

Fieldfares and friends

Hello

The Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton produced birds again today in very hostile conditions, the best being a pair of Grey Partridge, a male Stonechat, six Snipe, a Woodcock and a Barn Owl. A Woodcock was flushed at Harrington Airfield and Brixworth Water Treatment Works attracted a Snipe and a Grey Wagtail plus a flock of Meadow Pipits working the filter beds. The resident pair of Raven were at Kelmarsh and a Little Owl was seen at Old.

It seems that Fieldfares were the stars of the show today with good numbers being reported in gardens all over the county. With little available food and having been pushed out of even more inhospitable places, these exhausted and hungry birds are roaming around for any remaining berries and apples. Fieldfares don't usually eat much in the way of mixed seed and standard bird food but these desperate birds are consuming such fare. We had over 25 in our garden today plus several Redwings, a Mistle Thrush etc and their favourite food is apples and dried mealworms. They are also eating grated cheese, fat pellets, mixed seed and soaked dried fruit is another option. Chris Payne had forty Fieldfares in his garden and Jim Dunkley (at Sywell), Nick Wood (Olney), Jacob Spinks (Scaldwell) and Helen Franklin (Priors Marston) all report Fieldfare antics in their gardens.

Jacob's garden also attracted a Moorhen, a probing Woodcock, nine Redpolls, Redwings, Mistle Thrush and a male Blackcap...not bad for garden birding!

The only birds of note at Pitsford Reservoir today were a second year Caspian Gull and a solitary, hungry and displaced Dunlin.

Regards

Neil M

This aggressive Fieldfare kept all other
birds at bay from the apples on offer, including
a visiting Blackcap.
Courtesy of Jim Dunkley from
his Sywell garden.

Fieldfares at Greens Norton today,
courtesy of Chris Payne.

Dunlin at Pitsford Reservoir
today, courtesy of Bethan Clyne.

Fieldfare at Scaldwell today,
courtesy of Jacob Spinks.

Caspian Gull at Pitsford Reservoir today,
courtesy of Bethan Clyne/Jacob Spinks.

Woodcock at Scaldwell today,
courtesy of Jacob Spinks.

Hard weather birds

Hello

Hard weather movement was evident today, Jacob counting 269 Lapwings and 72 Golden Plovers moving south west over Moulton College. Flurries of winter thrushes and Lapwings were encountered in a variety of places today, seeking refuge and food from the ruthless weather.

Our garden served as a feeding site for about fifteen Reed Buntings, two Fieldfares and a Redwing plus an influx of Starlings, and a couple of crab-apple trees near the village of Old provided a feeding frenzy for seventy Fieldfares as witnessed by Diane Freeman. No doubt gardens are providing important feeding and resting areas for countless birds in the county.

Eleanor ran around Sywell Country Park twice today with Tor the hound. Birds were in short supply but the vocal Cetti's Warbler was still alive and kicking! Just two drake Goosanders were seen by Eleanor at Pitsford Reservoir today, no other noteworthy birds being located.

Regards

Neil M

Lapwings.

Fieldfare.

Male Reed Bunting,
courtesy of John Tilly.

Brampton Valley birds and scenes

Hello

A couple of visits today to the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and extending up to Blueberry Farm produced views of two hunting Barn Owls, an adult Peregrine, three Woodcock, a dozen Snipe in the ditches and a pair of Stonechat. Yesterday a pair of Raven visited Hanging Houghton and today a pair were in Kelmarsh village.

Walking the rounds at Harrington Airfield today to feed the hungry birds at four sites also provided views of seventeen Golden Plovers and a Woodcock.

Eric Graham's visit to the Titchmarsh Reserve today confirmed the continuing presence of a Great White Egret and two Little Egrets.

Regards

Neil M

Brampton Valley
seasonal scenery!

Northants BTO Quarterly Newsletter

Northants BTO Quarterly Newsletter - Winter 2017 / 2018 View this email in your browser

From Barrie Galpin and Ben Reeve, Regional Representative and Regional Ambassador for the BTO in Northants Hi all, We're proud to announce the second of our quarterly newsletters for the BTO in the Northants region. The winter edition includes a brief overview of the regional team, some really interesting information on some of the BTO surveys undertaken in the county (including bird ringing - a glaring omission from last quarter's newsletter, sorry all!), and other interesting information including BTO Training Courses and the brilliant BTO Bird ID videos. The newsletter can be viewed by clicking on the following link - Northants BTO Winter 2017 - 2018 Newsletter Or by typing the following web address in your browser - http://bit.do/northantsbtowinter2017-18 We do hope you enjoy the newsletter and if you have any feedback including suggestions for things you'd like to see in the the next newsletter we'd love to hear from you! All the best, Barrie and Ben. Barrie Galpin BTO Regional Representative for Northants 15 Top Lodge, Fineshade, Corby. NN17 3BB Email: barrie.galpin@zen.co.uk 01780 444351 07717 446417 Ben Reeve BTO Regional Ambassador for Northants 7 Rectory Close, Crick, Northants, NN6 7SY Email: benreeve@outlook.com Twitter: @NorthantsBTO Personal Twitter: @BeardWarbler 01788 824413 07961 038455

Copyright © 2018 BTO, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: BTO 7 Rectory Close Crick, Northamptonshire NN6 7SY United Kingdom Stock Doves.

Ahead of the 'Beast from the East'!

Long-tailed Tits, courtesy
of Jim Dunkley.

Hello

Eleanor's daily morning foray in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton provided a pair of Stonechat and a Barn Owl.

A WeBS count at Pitsford Reservoir today in cold conditions provided only low numbers of wildfowl. Highlights were an Oystercatcher, two Redshank, four Snipe, a pair of Raven and sixty Siskins (fifty in the Pintail Bay). The Slavonian Grebe wasn't located but it does sometimes move around the reservoir.

The gull roost in the afternoon saw good numbers of gulls with an estimated total number of just under 10,000 birds. Mostly they kept their distance but we were able to confirm two first year Yellow-legged Gulls.

The feed station at the Old Scaldwell Road was very busy, particularly with high numbers of Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings plus good numbers of Chaffinches and Tree Sparrows too.

Our garden at Hanging Houghton is bringing in plenty of Reed Buntings and several Yellowhammers in addition to more common fare and Jacob's feeders at Scaldwell attracted at least eight Redpolls today.

Jim Dunkley has been enjoying the birds in his Sywell garden with visits from an apple-loving Blackcap, Goldfinches feeding on the seeds of his Verbena butterfly plant, Long-tailed Tits and Reed Buntings.

An afternoon revisit to the Brampton Valley and a hike around the public sections of Blueberry Farm provided views of fifty Golden Plovers, two Woodcock and four Snipe.

Regards

Neil M

Female Eurasian Wigeon,
courtesy of John Tilly.

Snipe, courtesy
of John Tilly.

Reed Buntings, courtesy
of Jim Dunkley.

Goldfinches on Verbena,
courtesy of Jim Dunkley.

Male Blackcap feeding
on apple, courtesy of
Jim Dunkley.

Sunny Sunday's wildlife

Hello

Eric Graham's efforts on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston today provided views of a Great White Egret, six Little Egrets and two Oystercatchers.

Neil Hasdell and John Tilly visited the Summer Leys reserve today and between them espied two Great White Egrets, an Oystercatcher and a female Brambling showing well at the feeding station.

Brixworth Water Treatment Works this morning attracted a Snipe, two Grey Wagtails and two Chiffchaffs and my walk at Harrington Airfield was quiet for birds with just a pair of Grey Partridge being of any note.

Eleanor's observations today included the resident pair of Raven at Staverton with Ravensthorpe Reservoir hosting a Great White Egret, the juvenile Whooper Swan, two drake Mandarin Ducks and two Otters again.

Jacob and Bethan made the long journey down to the Dorset coast today to see the stunning adult Ross's Gull which is currently showing there...

Regards

Neil M

Adult Ross's Gull
courtesy of Jacob Spinks.

Redwing courtesy
of John Tilly.

Female Brambling
courtesy of John Tilly.

Raven courtesy
of Jacob Spinks.