Northants Bird Club AGM and Indoor Presentation.

Hello

The Northants Bird Club will be holding it's Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 4th March at the usual venue of the Fishing Lodge at Pitsford Reservoir, commencing at 7.30pm. Club Chairman Bob Gill will run through a brief summary of the year and committee members will be present to answer questions. All members should receive a record of accounts by email beforehand.

Following the AGM which tends to be a brief affair, the main event of the evening is a presentation by club member Jeff Blincow depicting images of mammals and some gaudy birds following his adventures in South America. Jeff's in-depth knowledge of his subject, personal style and excellent images ensures he is a popular speaker at the club and elsewhere.

Hot drinks and biscuits will be available during the evening and we look forward to seeing you there!

Neil M

Wintry Wednesday

It has been quite a wintry day today.  When I went out with the dogs early morning the grass was white and crisp with frost and there was a beautiful pink and grey sky as the sun rose.  A Barn Owl was out hunting against this backdrop and my young collie was completely mesmerized as it hunted a few feet above her head.
During the day there was a mixture of sunshine, wind, rain and snow flurries but late afternoon was definitely the best part of the day with sunshine and a gentle breeze, so I decided to take my two young collies for a good walk around Blueberry Farm area.  They loved it and I saw some good birds.
Just beyond Blueberry Farm on the track leading up to the highest point on the complex were 5 Waxwings sitting on top of the hedge. It's at times like this that I'm glad that the dogs are obedient as they sat down as soon as I asked them and didn't move which gave me time to get my binoculars onto them. I watched them for a couple of minutes before they gave their characteristic trill and flew off in the direction of Cottesbrooke.   Earlier in the day 3 Waxwings had been seen and photographed at nearby Harrington Airfield [not by me].
I always think that the view from the highest point at Blueberry is one of the best views in Northamptonshire. I never tire of pausing here for a few minutes and taking in the view.  I had the added bonus of a Short Eared Owl and 2 Barn Owls for company as they appeared and started hunting the field below me. A beautiful sight. As I returned to my car there was a Barn Owl hunting on the large grassy patch which I feel was a different bird to those hunting at Blueberry.
Other birds seen include Tree Sparrows, Grey Wagtail, 4 Grey Partridge, Woodcock and large numbers of winter thrushes in the hedgerows and feeding on the saturated fields.

Regards Eleanor

Roundup and Owls

It really has been a very quiet week for birds. They have obviously been keeping their heads down in the wet and windy weather, and who can blame them !!  Even our garden and fields/hedges nearby have been quiet.
We carried out the Webs count at Pitsford during the week and I've never seen so few birds on the big side.  There was just vast expanses of empty water and things were not much better on the small side.
Both the Short Eared Owl and Barn Owl remain at Harrington although earlier in the week the Barn Owl was giving cause for concern as it seemed in a poor state and appeared weak.  But fingers crossed that it is able to find enough food as it is still flying around trying to hunt. 
I think that the owls have been struggling to find food as the saturated fields and verges combined with the very strong winds have certainly made things difficult for them.
However this afternoon the Northants Birds Whats App was pinging off every few minutes with sightings of Short Eared Owl and Barn Owl sightings.  There were Short Eared Owls reported from Borough Hill and Brixworth and Barn Owls at Borough Hill, Brixworth, Hanging Houghton, Summer Leys, Thrapston, Islip, Irchester, Yardley Chase and the Bringtons.......phew, and these are the ones that we know about.  
The wind finally dropped this evening and this must have been such a welcome relief for these birds who must be hungry and were making the most of this opportunity.   

Regards Eleanor

Weekend Round Up

It has been a very quiet week on the birding front, the same 2 Great Egrets , Red Crested Pochard and Stonechats at Pitsford. 
The Short Eared Owl and Barn Owl remain at Harrington and I saw them both today. They were sitting quite close together in the rough grass. 
I've seen 3 different Barn Owls today as this evening there were two hunting together below Hanging Houghton.  The recent heavy rain has caused the fields to flood and this in turn has displaced the voles etc and they are easy prey.

Eric has been out on his local patch at Titchmarsh where he too saw a Barn Owl initially flying low over Aldwincle Lake then it headed off across the marsh before settling on a fence post at the southern end of the reserve.
The drake Pintail and pair of Stonechat remain on Elinor Lake and 2 or 3 Great Egrets on the Aldwincle part of the reserve.

Plenty of birds still visiting our garden and eating us out of house and home. I cannot believe how much food they are eating.  Today there were 4 Reed Buntings, 2 Yellowhammers, Pied Wagtails, Goldfinches, Tree Sparrow, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker to name but a few, plus a quick visit by a Grey Wagtail and a female Sparrowhawk who helped herself to a snack !

Regards Eleanor 

We have had a strange mixture of weather over the past week.  One minute there have been blue skies, sunshine and temperatures in double figures then today 4 degrees, gales and snow flurries !!!  The poor birds must wonder what is going on.  Last week the Great Spotted Woodpeckers were busy drumming, Great Tits in full song announcing that "spring" was here and other birds were eyeing up potential nest sites. Then over the weekend they were all keeping their heads down as gale force winds struck.  I felt really sorry for the Goldfinches who were desperately trying to hang on to the feeders in the garden.
I haven't seen anything different.  The Short Eared Owl is still present at Harrington Airfield along with Woodcock, Grey Partridge and Golden Plovers.  At Pitsford the 2 Great White Egret remain and also one or two drake Red Crested Pochard.  In the valley below Hanging Houghton a Barn Owl, Stonechat and Brambling.  

Last Wednesday the annual photographic was very well attended and those present were treated to some fabulous images from the talented photographers.  If you wish to see the winning images in each category follow this link 
 https://northantsbirdclub.blogspot.com/p/photographic-competition-winners-2019.html

Congratulations to Dave Jackson for this outstanding shot, a very worthy winner

Regards Eleanor

Another couple of quiet days where I am just bumping into the same birds.   In the valley below Hanging Houghton there has been a Barn Owl hunting and good flocks of Fieldfares feeding on the soggy stubble fields.
At Harrington this afternoon there was a Short Eared Owl . I assume that this is the same bird which has been present for weeks but can be quite elusive.  Also present were 2 Woodcock and a Brambling.

Tomorrow, Wednesday 5th February, is the members evening at the Northants Birdclub. It is a chance for the members to show off their photographs in the annual competition.   It is always a good and entertaining evening.  There is a high number of entries and there will be photographs to suit every taste.
Everyone is welcome, you do not have to be a birdclub member . 
The evening starts at 7.30pm, venue is the Lodge at Pitsford Reservoir and there will be plenty of tea/coffee and biscuits.

Hope to see you there

Regards Eleanor

Weekend Round Up

Over the last few days I've managed to get out and about a bit more. On Friday I walked around Sywell Reservoir. It is always a pleasant walk and there is always something to see and often you can get quite close to the birds.  A Cettis warbler was calling and clambering about in the reeds and as I stood watching it thinking " I wish that I had my camera" it literally ran over my feet !!
Other birds seen included Grey Wagtail, small flock of Siskins , Chiffchaff and a pair of Stonechat.

Yesterday I visited Pitsford.  I nearly got blown away as I stood on the dam and it was impossible to hold the scope steady. Needless to say that I didn't find anything of note.
The small side was sheltered and there was plenty of wildfowl loafing on the water and looking quite splendid in the winter sunshine.  In the Walgrave arm were 3 Red Crested Pochard, 2 males and a female plus a Great White Egret.  At one point the birds flew out from the very back of the bay and there was a pair of Goosander which after a short flight disappeared from view again at the very back of the bay.
There were 2 pairs of Stonechat in the Scaldwell arm.

Harrington has been very quiet, infact today it appeared to be a "birdless" zone.   The valley below Hanging Houghton hasn't been much better as this too appears to have lost all it's birds. But our garden has been extremely busy Blackcap, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Yellowhammers and Reed Bunting visiting daily.

I wonder what the coming week will bring ?

Regards Eleanor

Photographic Competition - Northants Bird Club

Hello

The annual photographic competition of the Northants Bird Club is due to be held this coming Wednesday (5th Feb) at the Fishing Lodge, Pitsford Reservoir. The meeting will start promptly at 7.30pm as there is a bumper number of images to look at! All the images have been submitted by members taken during the previous calendar year and have been placed into categories.

All the images have been assessed by an independent judge who has placed the top three in each category. However on the night it is the members who decide which winning image clinches the coveted Graham Soden shield!

Hot drinks and biscuits will be available on the night, and we might need them for sustenance with the number of images to peruse!

The meeting is open to members and non members alike, only members can vote on the night, but everyone can enjoy the undoubted photographic skills within the membership!

Neil M

Western Swamphen.

Stone Curlews.

Garden Influx

The drop in temperature has caused an influx in the number of birds visiting our garden and caused a feeding frenzy.  I have filled the bird feeders up three times today. At one point I counted over 40 Goldfinches in the garden, they were feeding on the ground, sitting on the hedge or busy on the sunflower and niger feeders. A surprise visitor today were 2 Lesser Redpolls, birds that I haven't seen in the garden for a while.  

At one point you couldn't see the lawn and garden for birds, Woodpigeons, Chaffinches, Blackbirds, 2 Reed Buntings, 2 Yellowhammers, a Tree Sparrow, Blackcap, Nuthatches, Pied Wagtails and Long tailed Tits all busy feeding.  Even a few Starlings put in an appearance as did a female Sparrowhawk.

The squirrels are also attracted by the free food and they have been quite comical to watch.  At one point 2 of them were playing tug of war with a slice of bread and eventually they both ran off with their prize. 

Again my birding has been limited. I visited Harrington yesterday morning and witnessed a superb acrobatic display by a Peregrine Falcon as she chased and hunted the small flock of Golden Plover. The Goldies gave her a good run for her money and looked stunning against the blue sky as they tried to out maneuver her and I felt quite sad when she managed to catch one.  A Short eared Owl which I assume is the long standing bird was again present near bunker two along with a Woodcock.  A couple of Bramblings and Siskins flew over.   The regular group of 4 Ravens were also in the area.

The other birds of note yesterday were a Great White Egret standing on the flooded field between Holcot and Walgrave and a Barn Owl below Hanging Houghton. Today I had a quick look at Pitsford but didn't see anything of note and late this afternoon I went to Harrington where I saw absolutely nothing !! so typical of Harrington and it was a very bleak place.

Regards Eleanor 

Big Garden Birdwatch Weekend

Another busy few days has meant little time for birding. 
A quick look at Pitsford only produced a Great White Egret.  On my walks around the fields I have seen plenty of Fieldfares, Redwings and Starlings busy feeding on the soggy fields and quite a decent sized flock of Tree Sparrows in the hedgerows.  There have been 2 or 3 Woodcock in one of the old field hedges near Blueberry and a Barn Owl hunting below Hanging Houghton.
At Harrington Airfield yesterday afternoon there was a Short Eared Owl. I presume that it is the same bird which has been present for a while but sometimes it can be very elusive and I do not see it on every visit despite the best intentions of my helpers !!.  Also present was a large brown Peregrine, Woodcock and a flock of 50 Golden Plovers flying over.

We still have plenty of birds visiting the garden, infact I think that it is the busiest that it has been for a while.  It is a full time job keeping the feeders topped up.  The male Blackcap continues to visit regularly and feeds on the suet balls and the very excitable Long Tailed Tits are daily visitors.
I think that most of us like to spend time watching the birds which visit our gardens and have no doubt got our own "garden list" and favourite visitors.  Over the years the species of birds visiting has changed. I can remember large numbers of House Sparrows, Blackbirds and Song Thrushes visiting and over the years these have been replaced by Blue Tits, Goldfinches and Great Spotted Woodpeckers.
This coming weekend is the Big Garden Birdwatch which must be one of the easiest surveys to take part in. All you need is a comfy chair by the window, a cup of coffee and a notebook, sheer luxury. And all it takes is an hour of your time.
You might be surprised to discover which birds visit your garden and any sightings will help to build up a clearer picture of our birds.

Big Garden Birdwatch | All You Need to Know About ... - RSPB

 

Taking part in Big Garden Birdwatch couldn't be easier, whether you're using ...

A busy few days which has limited my birding to Harrington and the valley below Hanging Houghton.  There is a group of 4 Ravens which I bump into each day along with a few Grey Partridge. The long standing stubble fields are attracting large flocks of Fieldfares and Redwings and there has been a noticable increase in the number of passerines using the hedgerows.
My best birds were found today. This afternoon whilst scanning the hedgerows I picked up a Ring Tailed Hen Harrier heading towards Cottesbrooke. I think that it is highly likely to be the same bird that was seen at Harrington last week.  Then at dusk whilst travelling to Stanwick from the A6 I saw a Short Eared Owl hunting the grass verge/hedge next to the road.

Regards Eleanor

Round Up

It has been a strange few days. My laptop has been playing up and I couldn't access this page !!  Fingers crossed that I've sorted it.
I am seriously beginning to think that I am never going to get rid of my wellies and that I would be better off with webbed feet.  It is hard work trekking around the fields and it is certainly a good work out for my legs and cardio system.
The saturated fields have attracted huge flocks of Fieldfares, Redwings and Starlings, their plumage looking quite splendid in the winter sunshine.  Today I happened to be near some grass fields and these were covered in Jackdaws, Crows, Rooks, Wood Pigeons and Stock Doves. I know that these are common birds which many of us barely look at, but perhaps we should take a trip back to basics and enjoy watching these characters as they go about their daily business.
There are many areas of flooded water around and birds have been displaced . The flooded field between Holcot and Walgrave has attracted a Great White Egret and I have seen it numerous times this week as I have driven past.  There is similar flooded area between Brixworth and Pitsford which also has a regular Great White Egret.
Yesterday we were very kindly informed of a Hen Harrier near Draughton.  I spent sometime checking out the area but no luck . I continued the short distance to Harrington Airfield and after feeding the birds spent late afternoon scanning the area from the bunkers.  This was how I spotted a Ring Tailed Hen Harrier flying about just beyond the shooting wall and then seemingly following the main track along. This was the same bird that had been reported earlier in the day.  A Short Eared Owl suddenly appeared over the strip which links the bunkers to the main track.
Today I visited Sywell Reservoir.  I couldn't find anything of note among the ducks etc, but did manage a couple of Grey Wagtails, Water Rail, few Siskins and a Cettis Warbler, always nice birds to watch.
We have lots of birds visiting our garden and I'm feeding them several times a day.  A male Blackcap has been a regular visitor on the fat balls. I happen to glance out of the window and could see some very small "lumps" moving about in an odd way. It took me a few minutes to work out that I was watching a flock of Long Tailed Tits which were feeding on the ground. Initially I couldn't see their tails and all I could see were little round blobs moving about !!
A couple of Ravens are very vocal in a nearby garden and are definitely taking an interest in a very tall conifer. They were going through their full repertoire of calls today and enjoying themselves tumbling about in the breeze.  Who needs TV when you can watch these ?
Other birds seen during the week include Chiffchaff, Grey Partridge, Brambling and a group of 4 Ravens which seem to be frequenting Hanging Houghton area and Harrington.

Regards Eleanor

Ringing recoveries

Hello

The latest set of ringing recoveries have come through following Northants Ringing Group activities as follows:-

1.  An adult female Reed Warbler bearing a Portuguese ring was caught at Stortons Pits, Northampton on 6th July 2019 and was presumably breeding on-site. This bird was originally ringed as an adult at Herdade dos Forninhos which is near Beja in Portugal way back on 26th August 2015. 1410 days has elapsed between the two records and the distance between the two sites is 1722km, although of course this bird will have travelled many thousands of km during it's time!

2.  A juvenile Great Tit was caught and ringed in the village of Astcote, South Northants on 23rd June 2014 and was unfortunately taken by a cat in the same village on 5th January this year. 2022 days had elapsed during this time and no doubt it had produced a number of clutches itself during the last five years. Great Tits regularly forage on the floor and this habit means they are susceptible to attacks by ground predators as well as regularly picking up ticks and other parasites;

3.  A juvenile Blue Tit was ringed at Stanford Reservoir, Northamptonshire on 21st September 2019 and was caught again and processed at Kelmarsh Hall on 10th January this year. 111 days had elapsed between the two records and this Blue Tit had moved 14km east during that time. Time will tell if Kelmarsh will be it's new home now!

Eleanor went out for a long and muddy run around the Brampton Valley Way and other footpaths this morning and notched up a singing Chiffchaff at Maidwell Sewer Works (next to Draughton Crossing on the BVW) and four Ravens in the valley below Hanging Houghton. I noted Ravens this morning in the village here at Hanging Houghton and over the Sailing Club at Pitsford Reservoir.

Regards

Neil M

Reed Warbler.

Great Tit courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Blue Tit.

Raven.

Pitsford WeBs Count.

Hello

Today was the turn of Pitsford Reservoir to be subject of a WeBs count, and with a storm brewing and heavy rain forecast for after dark we were fortunate with the weather holding for us.

With the water level beyond capacity, mild temperatures and minimal marginal habitat the waterfowl numbers were always going to be low. The scarcer birds included two Great White Egrets (on floodwater at the back of the Holcot Bay and in the Moulton Grange Bay), three or four Little Egrets, a Redshank, fifty-five Common Snipe, a Grey Wagtail and five Stonechats (two pairs and a female between the causeway and the Bird Club hide). The female Scaup hybrid remains off the Valve Tower by the dam.

A Little Owl was the only bird of note at Harrington Airfield this afternoon, a Great White Egret and Peregrine showed themselves at Summer Leys and Stanwick hung on to its two Great White Egrets and seven Redshank.

Regards

Neil M

Great White Egret
courtesy of John Tilly.

Stonechat courtesy of
John Gamble.

Ditchford WeBs Count

Hello

Today I completed the WeBs count which covers a proportion of the Ditchford Pits complex (Chris Green kindly completes the remainder). It took me seven hours toiling in the mud to complete my section, and even the two collies I had with me were tired in the end!

Breezy but with some sunshine too, it was mild out and quite a few insects were active.

Birds today included a Cattle Egret flying west over Ditchford Lane at about 9.30am, and a Little Egret and a Great White Egret were west of Ditchford Lane this afternoon. An adult female Peregrine was on pylons west of Ditchford Lane and thirty-one Snipe and a Jack Snipe were on flooded meadows south of Big Lake. Goosanders numbered thirteen but otherwise it was quiet with a Water Rail, six Egyptian Geese, two Grey Wagtails, no Kingfishers detected, only about four Cetti's Warblers and a pair of Stonechat. Chris recorded twenty Golden Plovers, five hundred Lapwings, a Kingfisher and a Grey Wagtail on his section.

Elsewhere Summer Leys hosted two Great White Egrets and a drake Red-crested Pochard still, a Great White Egret and a pair of Pintail were at Clifford Hill Pits and Pitsford Reservoir sported a female Scaup, a Great White Egret and a Stonechat north of the causeway.

The Siberian Chiffchaff remained at Ecton SF together with seven Chiffchaffs, a fly-over Great White Egret, a Kingfisher and a Peregrine. Two Goosanders and several Ring-necked Parakeets were at Abington Park, Northampton and Thrapston Pits held on to a Great White Egret, a Little Egret and a pair of Stonechat with a Barn Owl hunting there two afternoons ago.

Regards

Neil M

Common Gull.

Cormorant. There are birds
on the nest at Ditchford already!

Drake Goosander.

All images courtesy
of Robin Gossage.