Early spring migration

Hello

Yesterday (13th) and Dave Francis completed a little ringing in his garden on the outskirts of Northampton, successfully processing two Siskins, eleven Goldfinches, a Bullfinch, four House Sparrows and an unexpected male Sparrowhawk among more common fare!

Today (14th) and Eleanor watched two Barn Owls hunting this morning in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and later there were two Ravens in the village and a male Brambling graced our garden. Chris Payne hosted two female Bramblings in his Greens Norton garden and small numbers of Siskins were seemingly wherever I went today with birds in the Kelmarsh Estate woods, Hanging Houghton and Pitsford Res. A Siskin singing at Scotland Wood included Chiffchaff and Redpoll song phrases in it's repertoire!

The most notable north-bound migrants today were Starlings, Fieldfares, Redwings and Meadow Pipits with a constant light movement all day. Harrington Airfield seemed quiet although a flock of 16 Golden Plovers did drop in.

Pitsford Reservoir was well-watched today by a number of observers which resulted in sightings of a male Peregrine, a drake Mandarin Duck, the Slavonian Grebe still, two Oystercatchers, a Woodcock, two Snipe, a Jack Snipe, three Sand Martins, a Chiffchaff, a Redpoll and a first winter Yellow-legged Gull in the gull roost.

Regards

Neil M

Drake Mandarin Duck at
Pitsford Reservoir, sticking
remarkably close to three
Greylag Geese!

Male Muntjac.

Female Muntjac.
All images from
Pitsford Res today...

Iceland Gull and friends

Hello

Eric Graham has been busy the last two days at Titchmarsh Reserve, Thrapston. Yesterday (12th) provided views of a Great White Egret, a pair of Egyptian Geese, a female Goosander, 150 Pochard, two Oystercatchers and three calling Cetti's Warblers. Today (13th) and there were two Great White Egrets, an increase of three pairs of Egyptian Geese plus a Water Rail and a Cetti's Warbler.

Eleanor today flushed two Woodcock from hedging at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

The gull roost at Pitsford Reservoir was productive this afternoon with a couple of cracking gulls in the shape of an adult summer plumage Mediterranean Gull and a stunning juvenile Iceland Gull, just rewards for the amount of 'blank' gull roosts at Pitsford this winter. Other birds there included the Slavonian Grebe, fifty Golden Plovers in flight and a Grey Wagtail.

Regards

Neil M

The Mediterranean Gull
at Pitsford Reservoir today,
courtesy of Jacob.

The Snowy Owl seen
recently on the Norfolk
coast courtesy of observer Jacob!

A petition to ban driven grouse shooting

A message from Dr Mark Avery...

This is a note to many of the groups to which I have spoken in the last few years about the problems associated with driven grouse shooting - environmental damage and wildlife crime.

To cut to the chase - there is another e-petition putting pressure on this government to act on this matter, and I am trying to give that e-petition some help in reaching a good target.  It's already at over 36,000 signatures, and although 100,000 looks impossible, a good showing somewhere between 40,000 and 50,000 is possible.  It closes on 2 April.

This is the link to the e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/201443

Thank you.

Dr Mark Avery

Red Grouse.

Merlin,
courtesy of
John Gamble.

Dull and wet but still some birds!

Hello

A dull, dank day with yet more rain today! Despite the rain and relatively high temperatures of the last week we still have lying snow in NN6, an indication of how big the drifts were two week-ends ago!

Our garden hosted twenty Reed Buntings today plus small numbers of Yellowhammers and common finches and we still seem to be feeding plenty of migrant Blackbirds as they tuck in to the food in order to gain more weight prior to their departure north and east of here.

A walk at Harrington Airfield this afternoon during a spell of no rain was productive with sightings of a hunting Barn Owl, a fly-over Raven, two pairs of Grey Partridge and a migrant Chiffchaff.

The gull roost at Pitsford Reservoir later this afternoon contained a first winter Mediterranean Gull.

A Blue Tit ringed at Stortons Pits on 12th January 2014 turned up in a mist net at Brigstock in the garden of ringer Colin Graham of the Rockingham Forest Ringing Group on 20th February 2018. Where it has been during the interim four years is a mystery. Colin explained that he had an influx of Blue Tits at the time ahead of the forthcoming cold weather. Many tits it seems leave the woods and open countryside during the autumn and seek out easy food placed out for them in gardens in our villages and towns. At the end of the winter and early spring these birds begin to filter back in to breeding habitat and of course some of them re-locate into pastures new...

Regards

Neil M

Blue Tit
courtesy of John Tilly.

Chiffchaff
courtesy of Cathy Ryden.

Mediterranean Gull
 (right hand bird).

More images from Uganda...

African Pied Wagtail.

Hello

Well the week has started on a wet, dull note so I thought I would add some more photos of wildlife from Uganda in January where it was much warmer, mostly dryer and brighter!

Neil M

Yellow-billed Kite.

Saddle-billed Stork.

Impala.

Lappet-faced Vulture.

Giraffe.

Topi.

Warthog.

Zebra.

Hippo.

butterfly sp.

Wattled Lapwing and
African Rock Python.

Birds of Sunday

Hello

This morning a small team of ringers were operating at Linford Lakes near Milton Keynes where they caught 44 birds of nine species. A new Great Spotted Woodpecker's behaviour was typical of the species, these individuals nearly always try and peck the fingers and hands of the ringer - and it hurts!

A Lesser Redpoll was probably the highlight of the captures and other birds seen on-site included Siskin and a Great White Egret.

Visiting feed stations on the Kelmarsh Estate today provided views of a Woodcock flying out of Sunderland Wood and at Scotland Wood a Willow Tit was the first recorded there this year and the trees attracted small numbers of Siskins.

The gull roost at Pitsford Reservoir was mostly distant this afternoon and with very few large gulls, a second winter Caspian Gull was the only bird of note that I could see...

Regards

Neil M

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Lesser Redpoll
courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Willow Tit.

Waterlogged birding!

Hello

Plenty of north-bound migration today, the most obvious being the gulls, Fieldfares and a few pipits and wagtails.

A waterlogged Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton witnessed fifteen Golden Plovers flying north and a hunting Barn Owl. A Grey Wagtail flew north over the village at Hanging Houghton and a Raven was heard calling.

The only birds of note at Harrington Airfield which was similarly waterlogged was a flock of nineteen Golden Plovers and a pair of Oystercatcher are now in residence north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir.

Regards

Neil M

Plenty of moisture in
the air and a low sun provides
the perfect end of the day...

Ringing at Kelmarsh Hall

Hello

Today saw some bird ringing at Kelmarsh Hall in rather cool conditions - I'm not sure my toes ever did warm up!

Just three mist nets caught 148 small birds of 13 species, the majority of them being common tits. Initially we caught plenty of birds already bearing rings from previous operations and they easily outnumbered unringed birds but as the session progressed we began to catch a larger proportion of new birds. In the end it ended up being 74 re-trapped and 74 new birds!

These totals were made up of 3 Blackbirds, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 8 Dunnocks, 12 Robins, a Treecreeper, 2 Nuthatches, 40 Great Tits, 54 Blue Tits, a Coal Tit, 9 Long-tailed Tits, 6 Chaffinches, 8 Goldfinches and 3 Siskins.

One of the Chaffinches was first ringed there on 13th January 2013 when it was assessed as a bird hatched in 2012, so if it survives until this summer it will be six years old. Interestingly it has only ever been re-trapped once during the relevant period. One of the Blue Tits caught today was originally caught and ringed as a juvenile at Harrington Airfield in June 2017.

A flock of up to fifty Siskins were present for a short time and a Raven was seen and vocal on and off during the day.

Regards

Neil M

Male Chaffinch. Hopefully
we'll see some fresh leaves and
blossom soon!
Courtesy of Cathy Ryden.

Robin. Twelve caught
today no doubt were
assisted through the cold
weather of last week due to
the local feed station maintained
 within the grounds of Kelmarsh Hall.
Image courtesy of
Cathy Ryden.

Blue Tit, image courtesy
of John Tilly. Fifty-four
were processed at Kelmarsh
Hall today.

Great Tit, image courtesy
of John Tilly. Forty birds
processed today was a high
number with quite a number
of birds showing tick infestations
around the head.

Spring is still around the next bend!

Hello

Eric's efforts at Titchmarsh reserve yesterday (7th) provided views of two Great White Egrets, three Little Egrets, an Egyptian Goose and two Redpolls and today (8th) he visited Blatherwycke Lake and saw 15+ Mandarin Ducks and three pairs of Shelduck at nearby Deene Lake. There didn't seem to be any sign of the Hawfinches at Blatherwycke churchyard.

Jacob was at Pitsford Reservoir today but with the possible exception of Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a few pipits and wagtails didn't witness much migrational movement. After an effort he saw the Slavonian Grebe in the Pintail Bay (it soon disappeared again), a drake Mandarin Duck, a Redshank, a Raven, a Grey Wagtail and a sub-adult Caspian Gull in the gull roost. A dead Dunlin may have been a casualty of the recent cold weather - it seems that waders in particular suffered with many casualties reported nationally.

On a positive note I saw some big congregations of thrushes today, with some of the mixed Fieldfare and Redwing flocks numbering a couple of hundred and surely an indication that the majority survived the freezing maelstrom of last week. Plenty of Reed Buntings in our garden with smaller numbers of Yellowhammer, Tree Sparrow and common finches will hopefully be part of the scene for a little while yet!

A visit to Cottesbrooke village at lunch-time confirmed the continuing presence of Hawfinches with two vocal but furtive birds keeping to the yews off Station Road almost opposite the playing field. One did perch up in the tall ash tree for a short time. Ravens, Nuthatches and Red Kites are daily birds here...

Regards

Neil M

Hawfinch in Forest
of Dean 24th Feb
courtesy of Jacob.

Goldcrest courtesy
of Jacob.

Drake Mandarin Duck
courtesy of Bethan Clyne.

Ringing at Sunderland Wood.

Hello

Four of us enjoyed a small ringing session in Sunderland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate today in almost spring-like weather conditions and at times quite warm sunshine. We caught nearly eighty birds with common tits predominating. One Blue Tit had been ringed originally as a nestling in nearby Rabbit Hill Spinney in May last year.

Highlights were re-trap singles of Marsh Tit and Nuthatch, a couple of new Chaffinches and appreciating the vivid azure blues in the plumage of many of the male Blue Tits in preparation for the breeding season. A walk in the wood provided views of at least four Woodcock, a Tawny Owl and more common fare.

Small numbers of Siskins were present in three different woodland settings on the Kelmarsh Estate today...

Regards

Neil M

A male Nuthatch, first ringed in 2015.

                                    

Bits and pieces at Pitsford

Hello

Jacob's birding at Pitsford Reservoir yesterday (5th) provided views of an Oystercatcher, two Dunlin, six Snipe, 386 Lapwings flying north, two Caspian Gulls and a Little Owl.

Today (6th) and birds seen at Pitsford Reservoir included the Slavonian Grebe, an Oystercatcher, a Redshank and 110 Lapwings flying north. A pair of Raven and a few Redpolls and Siskins were in Brixworth Country Park.

A Barn Owl has been active around Hanging Houghton the last couple of days, including plenty of vocalisation!

Regards

Neil M

Grey Heron.
Courtesy of Jacob.

Caspian Gulls
courtesy of Jacob.

Mallard
courtesy of Jacob.

Mute Swan.
Courtesy of John Tilly.

Cormorant.
Courtesy of John Tilly.

Feed Station Sunday

Hello

Well the temperature may have shot up and the snow is melting fast, but it was a day dominated by visiting some of our feed stations today.

After feeding the birds in the garden, and saying good-bye to the Fieldfares as they largely departed, off then to Scotland Wood. Cold, loads of snow and foggy but the Marsh Tits flew towards me as I placed their sunflower seeds in the prescribed position on the wooden gate and I wandered deeper into the wood filling up the feeders as I went. Lots of footprints in the snow indicate large numbers of Pheasants, some deer and a Fox or two.

At Kelmarsh Hall the Siskins and Goldfinches were pleased to see me as the niger feeders were mostly empty, and after dispensing two bucket loads of niger, mixed seed, sunflower seed, peanuts and fat it was on to Sunderland Wood. This is a rather isolated ash wood and it was still pretty precarious with heavy drifted snow and untreated minor roads but we made it! Sadly we seem to have lost a couple of the Robins at one spot in the wood but the Nuthatches flew to me immediately I entered the wood and most of the other birds came on cue too!

Later in the day I visited the feeding station at the Water Treatment Works on the outskirts of Brixworth, no access with a vehicle being possible still with a big drift across the entrance. After checking the feeders I noticed Grey Heron, Snipe and Teal on the small marsh plus a male Stonechat (the first for the site I think) and at least one Grey Wagtail. The Magpies and Crows waited for their treats and after feeding the smaller passerines it was off to Pitsford Reservoir.

The feeders at Christies Copse were topped up yesterday so no need today, but the main feeding station situated at the bottom of the Old Scaldwell Road has required daily visits since the harsh weather. Some of the apples I placed out yesterday were still there but some had been consumed, hopefully by hungry Fieldfares.  Tree Sparrows, Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings depend on this sub-site and were present in good numbers today. A calling Curlew flying north is definitely an indication of spring!

My last feeding station for the day was in the exposed grounds of the Sailing Club where the easterly winds have been particularly bitter and as a consequence not many birds have spent long feeding there. This is also one of two waterfowl feeding areas at the reservoir and the Mute Swans, Coots, Moorhens and Mallard enjoyed their fodder!

After several days of not seeing it, the Slavonian Grebe was again back in the Pintail Bay!

Eleanor saw the Barn Owl again in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon and Eric and Debbie's patrol of the Titchmarsh Reserve today produced sightings of a Water Rail, two Oystercatchers and several Snipe plus a pair of Goosander and a Siskin.

Regards

Neil M

Marsh Tit.

Magpie.

Curlew.