Great Grey Shrike still!

Hello

Eleanor's early morning patrol of the Brampton Valley between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke this morning quickly confirmed the presence of the wintering Great Grey Shrike, perched up in one of it's favourite hedges. It was till present some seven hours later, and the adult male Merlin again put in an appearance mid afternoon.

Nothing of note at Harrington Airfield this morning albeit that singing birds included Skylark, Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer.

A Raven was heard calling in Hanging Houghton and birds present at Brixworth Water Treatment Works included two Grey Wagtails, eight Snipe and a dozen Teal. Nearby a second calendar year Yellow-legged Gull was present just north of the dam at Pitsford Reservoir.

Eric's saunter around Thrapston Pits today conjured up sightings of the three Pink-footed Geese, a drake Goosander, a Little Egret, two Great White Egrets, a couple of Cetti's Warblers and two Chiffchaffs.

Regards

Neil M

Yellowhammer.

Common Snipe
courtesy of John Tilly.

Drake Teal
courtesy of John Tilly.

Back in the UK!

Hello

We returned home today following a 24 day tour of south east Asia visiting the countries of Laos, Cambodia and Thailand with friends John Dixon and Alex Lewis. This was essentially a birding trip but with an opportunity of seeing a few mammals and insects too and even a little culture with a visit to the Angkor Wat temple complex at Siem Reap in Cambodia. It was very warm out there with daily temperatures around 36 - 38 degree centigrade so our best wildlife sightings came in the early hours of the morning and the few hours before dusk. We were fortunate to see most of the birds we wanted to see and for Eleanor and I it had been a long time since we had been in this part of the world so we were a little identification rusty!

On arrival back at Hanging Houghton this morning we were greeted by a flock of about forty Fieldfares and a pair of Raven around the village. Eleanor explored the Brampton Valley below the village and up to the Blueberry Farm complex this afternoon. No sign of the Great Grey Shrike but there was still an adult male Merlin attracted to the flocks of finches and buntings still present in the area.

A couple of days ago three Cormorants were found dead at Pitsford Reservoir in suspicious circumstances suggesting intentional killing. All the birds were found by the dam and the cause of death has yet to be established but visiting birders are asked to be on high alert and to report any suspicious activity to the Police and/or the RSPB Investigations Unit.

Regards

Neil M

Fieldfare courtesy
of Jacob Spinks.

Cormorant courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Ringing Recoveries

Hello

A couple more ringing returns have filtered through recently:-

A juvenile Robin was caught and ringed at Harrington Airfield on 29th August 2018 and was found dead in the small village of Orton on 21st February this year. A young bird that had pretty much survived it's first winter seems to have fallen at the last hurdle to make it through to the spring. The bird only travelled about four km from it's ringing site;

A juvenile Reed Warbler was caught and ringed at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes on 9th July 2017 and was caught again in a mist net at Paul do Taipal, Coimbra, Portugal on 18th August 2018, a distance between the two sites of 1456km. Of course in between then this young bird would have wintered successfully in Africa during the 2017/18 winter and was on it's way again for the 2018/2019 winter. Records indicate that if they survive their first winter Reed Warblers tend to be long-lived birds with numerous trips back and forth between Europe and Africa.

A young female Goldfinch was caught and ringed at Hanging Houghton in November 2018 and it seems remained in the area and probably taking advantage of garden feeders until caught and brought in by a cat in the same village in February this year, a familiar story for many small birds and another risk associated with visiting gardens where the main predators are cats.

Regards

Neil M 

Robin.

Reed Warbler.

Goldfinches.

Northants Bird Club AGM

Hello

The Annual General Meeting of the Northants Bird Club is due to be held at the Fishing Lodge, Pitsford Reservoir on Wednesday 6th March 2019. The meeting will commence at 7.30pm and traditionally the main business of the AGM will be concluded quickly and a presentation on the wildlife of Taiwan from visiting speaker Colin Wilkinson will follow. Colin and a small team of naturalists visited this exciting Asiatic island recently and he will project images of some of the birds and other creatures they found.

Hot drinks and biscuits are to be made available during the evening as usual and everyone with an interest in wildlife is invited to attend!

Regards

Neil M

Smew courtesy
of John Gamble.

Bar-tailed Godwit.

Ringing and Willow Tits.

Hello

Our apologies for the lack of blog messages recently, we have been off-line for several days!

Last Friday (22nd) a bird ringing session took place at the feeding station at Pitsford Reservoir which successfully caused the processing of over a hundred birds. This total was made up of eight Mallard, a couple of Blackbirds, a Robin, four Dunnocks, nine Blue Tits, ten Great Tits, six Tree Sparrows, four Chaffinches, a Brambling plus a staggering twenty-nine Reed Buntings and twenty-nine Yellowhammers. An Oystercatcher was loudly proclaiming it's presence in the Scaldwell Bay!

A ringing session was then completed at Stortons Pits on Sunday 24th Feb, the group successfully netting 68 birds of thirteen species made up of eleven Great Tits, twenty-four Blue Tits, three Long-tailed Tits, three Robins, a Blackbird, a Song Thrush, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Cetti's Warbler, a Bullfinch, seven Greenfinches, six Chaffinches, two Goldfinches and seven Reed Buntings.

A major drive in the UK to try and successfully map our remaining Willow Tits is underway with localities in Northamptonshire among them. Last week a survey was completed at Pitsford Reservoir and the pair of birds known to be in the Scaldwell Bay were located using the playback method. Last year it seemed that we only had one pair on-site - further work will be completed to see if any more can be found this year.

Regards

Neil M

Willow Tit at Pitsford
Reservoir courtesy of
Dave Jackson.

Curlew courtesy of
Cathy Ryden. The next
two months should see
a trickle of Curlews moving
through the county...

Yellowhammer courtesy
of John Tilly.

Reed Bunting courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Crossbills, Cattle Egret and Chiffchaff!

Hello

The amazing weather continues!

At least a few of the Crossbills have maintained a presence at Irchester Country Park during the week and were still present yesterday (Thursday).

Also yesterday it seems that a Cattle Egret was photographed in the Nene Valley, possibly near Wellingborough but the full details are not known. Today (Friday) and Neil Hasdell saw one of the Great Northern Divers at Pitsford Reservoir, about 200m west of the causeway car park at about 10.30am.

Some more bird ringing recoveries have filtered through during the last few weeks which included a Chiffchaff ringed at Linford Lakes on 2nd Sept 2018 which was then caught again by a ringer operating at Chalk Farm, Willingdon, East Sussex 24 days later, this warbler having moved 160km in an expected SSE direction.

Regards

Neil M

With spring weather in the
air the normally quarrelsome
Coots become even more so!
Images courtesy of John Tilly.

Chiffchaff.

Mapping Great Spotted Woodpeckers and Mute Swans!

Hello

Unseasonably warm weather in the UK and Northants is hardly the conditions we expect in February and it doesn't seem to have produced any different birds locally.

Yesterday (Monday) and six Crossbills were still present at Irchester Country Park and at a time of the year when they should be breeding! Today (Tuesday) there were still at least three present, this time by the woodcutters huts.

The Great Grey Shrike wasn't reported at it's usual haunt between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke both yesterday and today despite being looked for. A Corn Bunting, fifteen Tree Sparrows and two Bramblings were in the general area today...

Also today two Great White Egrets were at Summer Leys NR with three Red-crested Pochard on nearby Mary's Lake (courtesy of Kim Taylor).

News of the Great Spotted Woodpecker caught at Glyn Davies Wood at the weekend indicates that it was initially ringed as a young bird in August 2018 as far away as Wiltshire! This seems a rather unusual movement although is not unprecedented as a few years ago a bird first ringed in Hertfordshire as an adult in the breeding season (and colour ringed) was then seen in a Crick garden.

For a little while now Mute Swans have been ringed and had orange plastic darvic rings placed on a leg at the Embankment at Wellingborough. During the last month a couple of these birds have been re-sighted at Ditchford Pits and the ringers involved invite further reports of birds should you see them (visit the BTO website>click on Ringing on LHS of page> click on reporting a colour ringed bird). Grid references are requested if possible.

Regards

Neil M

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Mute Swan.

Weekend's birds!

Hello

Yesterday (Saturday) and some ringing at Glyn Davies Wood to the west of the county took place which resulted in some good numbers of tits and other common birds, and helps to indicate how many birds are attracted to the well maintained feeders there...

Over 120 birds were processed made up of 7 Long-tailed Tits, 63 Blue Tits, 4 Coal Tits, 45 Great Tits, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers and 2 Chaffinches. One of the woodpeckers was apparently a bird first ringed elsewhere so we will find out in due course where it has come from. Other birds noted on-site included Marsh Tit and Nuthatch and a couple of Woodcock. Sadly this seems to be another local site that has lost its Willow Tits during the last year or two.

Birds noted in the county also yesterday included the Hanging Houghton Great Grey Shrike, Merlin and Barn Owl plus plenty of Skylarks, Yellowhammers and some Tree Sparrows. Martin Swannell was driving between Overstone and Moulton and saw an unidentified ibis species fly south (presumably a Glossy Ibis). The Nene Valley Ring-necked Duck showed up at Summer Leys NR and was viewable on the main lake from Rotary Hide and eight mobile Crossbills continued to entertain at Irchester Country Park. Neville's Lodge near Finedon has proved consistent this winter and yesterday afternoon a Short-eared Owl and a 'ringtail' Hen Harrier again showed in the late afternoon.

Today (Sunday) and birders were active in the county with a Great Northern Diver being seen off the dam and sailing club at Pitsford Reservoir and the Great Grey Shrike was again mobile around the hedges between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke.

At least three Crossbills were about still at Irchester Country Park (courtesy of Adrian Borley) next to the compound/woodcutters yard at 11.20am, although these birds were vocal they were mobile and rather elusive. Adrian also notched up two Great White Egrets and three Red-crested Pochard at Summer Leys NR but couldn't find the Ring-necked Duck there today.

Eric's efforts at Thrapston Pits provided threes of Pink-footed Goose, Great White Egret and Goosander and a nice mixed flock of Siskin and Redpoll...

Regards

Neil M

Grey Heron.

Yellowhammer.
This is a critical time of year for
the Yellowhammer when natural food
resources are exhausted and they suffer
a 'hunger gap' with little in the way of grain
and other seeds to eat. The provision of broadcast
 mixed seed is enough for them to survive the winter
 and spring in Northamptonshire.

Shelduck.
Prospecting pairs will be gradually building
at a number of county sites...

Oystercatcher.
Another regular breeding
bird in small numbers in the county
(mostly the Nene Valley), the first few
are back already...

All images courtesy of Robin Gossage.

February sunshine...!

Hello

The stunning weather continues with bright sunshine stimulating plenty of insect activity which included a Brimstone butterfly at Maidwell yesterday. The Hanging Houghton parish Mistle Thrush was singing strongly first thing this morning and there were several singing Skylarks at Harrington Airfield late morning.

Yesterday (Wednesday) and the Great Grey Shrike showed itself a few times between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke with as many as four Corn Buntings being seen and the usual hunting Barn Owl. Late last night another Barn Owl was active between Hanging Houghton and Scaldwell and with possibly the same one near Brixworth too.

Two Great Northern Divers and a drake Red-crested Pochard were visible from the Sailing Club at Pitsford Reservoir yesterday afternoon with a second winter Yellow-legged Gull coming in at the now very small gull roost there a little later. Also yesterday an unspecified number of Crossbills were still present at Irchester Country Park, fifty yards from the first car park. Three Bramblings visited our garden again.

Today (Thursday) and the Hanging Houghton Great Grey Shrike was still present at about 8am as were two Corn Buntings. Of interest, Stuart Baker noted a drake Wood Duck on Shelfleys Lake on the south side of Northampton this morning and a Great Grey Shrike has been reported at the inlet end of Hollowell Reservoir (via Birdguides).

Other birds for today were seen at Thrapston Pits by Eric Graham and amounted to the juvenile Whooper Swan on Town Lake, two Great White Egrets, two Little Egrets, a pair of Goosander, a pair of Oystercatcher and a Peregrine. Kim Taylor located two Great White Egrets at Summer Leys NR today

Regards

Neil M

Barn Owl.

Male Brambling
courtesy of John Tilly.

Common Buzzard.

Spring weather

Hello

Local spring-like weather today caused plenty of birds to sing which included Skylark, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush and Great Tit.

Eric's efforts at Thrapston Pits today produced sightings of an adult Peregrine, two Great White Egrets, a Kingfisher and a pair of Oystercatchers.

Birds at Pitsford Reservoir today included a drake Ring-necked Duck in the Pintail Bay, two Great Northern Divers south of the causeway near to The Pigs and nine Red-crested Pochard in the Walgrave Bay.

The Great Grey Shrike was in the Brampton Valley between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke today but was again elusive, a male Merlin flew through and a Corn Bunting and a Brambling were there too. Three Bramblings fed in our garden this morning and three Siskins were at Scotland Wood.

Elsewhere the eight Crossbills were seen again at Irchester Country Park and the 'ringtail' Hen Harrier was seen again at Neville's Lodge, Finedon.

Regards

Neil M

Song Thrush.

Mistle Thrush.

Skylark.

Great Tit.

Early harbingers of spring
or premature singing?

Birds of mid Feb

Hello

I'm just back from a birding trip in Jamaica where of course it was warm and humid. The weather here today seemed pleasant but a little cooler than I'm used to!

Eric paid a visit to Blatherwycke Lake today and notched up three Black Swans, ten pairs of Mandarin Ducks, a flotilla of thirty Little Grebes as well as the usual Red Kites. Nearby at Deene Lake there are still over a hundred Teal, a pair of Black Swans and four pairs of Shelduck.

I saw a Raven at Harrington Airfield this afternoon (but nothing else of note) and Eleanor saw the Great Grey Shrike distantly between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke this morning plus a Barn Owl and a Corn Bunting. The regular Merlin chasing the small birds had been replaced by a Sparrowhawk today!

Both the wintering drake Ring-necked Ducks in the county were seen today, Alan Coles seeing the Pitsford Reservoir bird in the Pintail Bay and Mike Alibone finding the Nene Valley bird on Grendon Main Lake just off the clubhouse. Other bits and pieces seen today included eight Crossbills at Irchester Country Park (attracted to a puddle and larches between the main entrance and the playground), a Great White Egret at Summer Leys NR, two Oystercatchers already back at Stanwick Pits and a Peregrine over Balmoral Road, Kingsthorpe, Northampton.

Regards

Neil M

Oystercatcher.

Black Swans.

Crossbill.

The weather today, wet and windy, was not the best for birding, however the dogs didn't care and still wanted their walks.
The Great Grey Shrike was perched up on a hedge early this morning. Sadly it was quite distant and was located more over towards Blueberry.
As soon as the rain stopped I headed off to Harrington Airfield [ early pm] where a female Peregrine put on a fantastic acrobatic display as she hunted a small flock of Golden Plover. I don't think she caught anything.  Once I'd recovered from this I continued my walk on the rough area and around the bunkers and flushed a Short Eared Owl and 2 Woodcock.
Because of the weather I spent more time watching the birds in the garden and we still have a few Bramblings, Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers visiting.

Regards Eleanor

Bits and Bobs

The Great Grey Shrike is still present between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke but it is becoming increasingly difficult to find. It seems to be exploring hedgerows further away from the weedy field and requires much patience and persistent scanning to locate it.
The weedy field remains attractive to large numbers of Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings, Linnets and Skylarks as well as smaller numbers of Tree Sparrows, Brambling and at least 2 Corn Bunting.  A Barn Owl and Merlin are daily visitors.
A small number of Brambling continue to feed with the Chaffinches in front of the old cattle shed.

Over at Titchmarsh a Whitefronted Goose, Pink Footed Goose, 5 Great White Egret and 5 Goosander were present a couple of days ago [Eric].

Whilst at Staverton agility training a pair of Raven were very vocal and very active collecting nesting material . A super female Peregrine Falcon came through the area at a very low height which caused a commotion.


As mentioned in my previous blog it was the members photographic competition at the Northants Birdclub.  A very good evening with excellent images of birds, other wildlife and habitat.  

The winning image was taken by new Bird Club member Matt Hazleton from the British Birds category.

Sanderling by Matt Hazleton.

The judge said, a unique and comical moment captured in great light and from a good viewpoint. The main individual is well placed between the out of focus background birds that they don't distract from the subject.

A very Well done to Matt.

Quiet Times

A visit to Titchmarsh Reserve by Eric and Nick a few hours apart produced 5 Great White Egret, Peregrine Falcon, 3 Goosander, 3 Pink Footed Geese, 19 Little Egret and a Whooper Swan.
Meanwhile I was walking/running the area between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke.  The Great Grey Shrike was hard work today and I only saw it briefly on two occasions . At least 2 Corn Buntings remain and the Merlin put in an appearance.
I couldn't locate any Brambling at the cattle shed and there wasn't any visiting our garden today, so not sure if they have moved on.

Tomorrow is a whole new day .....

A reminder that the Northamptonshire Bird Club meet tomorrow evening at 7.30pm at the Lodge, Pitsford Reservoir.  It is one of the highlights of the year , the " Photographic Competition". 
Please come along if you simply enjoy looking at bird, wildlife, insect and landscape images.  Everyone is welcome. Tea/coffee and biscuits provided.      See you there .

Regards Eleanor

This morning the Great Grey Shrike was perched on its usual hedge watching the world wake up around it.  As I stood and watched, the hedgerows and weedy field soon became alive with the sound and sight of Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings, Linnets, Skylarks, Tree Sparrows and several Corn Buntings. These birds were literally flying in from all directions which in turn proved to be a magnet for a super male Merlin who gave them all a fright. 
The regular Barn Owl also put in an appearance and this was all before breakfast !!
Early afternoon I visited the dam/ pintail bay area at Pitsford Reservoir. By this time the weather was stunning, blue skies and sunshine and warm enough to ditch the fleece and gloves. There was a surprisingly large amount of insect life about.   On the water there were 3 drake and 1 female Red Crested Pochard and a Great Northern Diver.
Late afternoon I returned to the valley where the Great Grey Shrike had moved further around the fields but at dusk it had returned to its favourite hedge.  The Barn Owl put in an appearance again and there was a noticable increase in the number of Skylarks present.

Regards Eleanor