Hoopoe, Hawfinch and Bearded Tits

Hello

Another busy bird day in the county today! 

At Harrington Airfield this morning a Great White Egret flew NW and other birds included ca150 Golden Plovers, ca60 Linnets, 1 Siskin and a Raven. A Crossbill flew SW over Hanging Houghton where there was also a Raven and a Grey Wagtail.

At Pitsford Reservoir this morning, the best bird in the county today was a Hoopoe seen briefly in flight by Dave Jackson. This was near Christies Copse in the Walgrave Bay but it wasn't seen thereafter. Two Yellow-legged Gulls were in the gull roost this afternoon (adult and third calendar year).

Yesterday there was a ringing session at the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station at Pitsford resulting in forty captures (27 new birds) made up of two Chiffchaffs, twelve Blue Tits, five Great Tits, five Tree Sparrows, four Robins, three Dunnocks, a Chaffinch, two Greenfinches, a Song Thrush and five Moorhens. It seems that someone has pinched the suspended bird feeders at this site sometime between Monday and Wednesday!

A further ringing session took place at Linford Lakes again today with Kenny and Keith carrying on from their success of yesterday. This resulted in 36 captures including twelve Redwings, a Blackbird, a Song Thrush and yet another Mistle Thrush! Three new Cetti's Warblers materialised from somewhere and other birds included a Chiffchaff and a Skylark - probably a rarer mist net capture than the Mistle Thrush! Two Great White Egrets were on-site during the two days and late season wildlife included a Grass Snake, a Frog, plus singles of Common and Great Crested Newts.

Eleanor's excursion today took her to Fineshade Wood where a profusion of Crossbills were estimated at about fifty birds present plus good numbers of Siskins. At neighbouring Wakerley Wood there were some forty Crossbills spread about the complex plus more Siskins and at least one Hawfinch in bushes on the old airfield adjacent to the wood (a regular spot for wintering birds in small numbers). Blatherwycke Lake supported twenty-four Mandarin Ducks, a pair of Egyptian Geese, a Kingfisher, two Grey Wagtails and a Pink-footed Goose (which seem to be everywhere this year). About six Crossbills were in the Fermyn Wood complex.

Two Bearded Tits were found at Stortons Pits today and other birds in the Nene Valley included a Great White Egret at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows (Ditchford Pits) and eight Cattle Egrets and four Stonechats at the north-east end of Stanwick Pits.

Regards

Neil M

Dawn at Linford Lakes.

Song and Mistle Thrushes.

Skylark.

Images courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Ringing yesterday...

Hello

Cold but pleasant (eventually) ringing conditions caused Kenny and Keith to be out very early yesterday morning for a spot of bird ringing at Linford Lakes with spectacular results. Although a relatively low catch of 32 birds (28 birds newly ringed) it included 14 species and a number of rarely caught species. The total included the more likely three Blackbirds, a Song Thrush and eight Redwings but also two Fieldfares and a Mistle Thrush - a bird that very infrequently finds a mist net. Other birds included a solitary Chiffchaff, three Goldfinches and a super Water rail which normally would have been 'bird of the day'. However that position was rightly claimed by an early morning Long-eared Owl - surely one of the ultimate birds to have the privilege of being extra close to! Congratulations to Kenny and Keith for their frosty morning endeavours!

Over at Stanford Reservoir the ringers there were active too and produced another very special bird in the shape of a tiny but beautiful Firecrest, another special treat to appreciate up close and personal!

Jacob and Bethan strolled out to Pitsford Reservoir yesterday and found a flock of 13 Crossbills flying over the Scaldwell Bay plus two Great White Egrets and three Red-crested Pochards. Mark Piper saw two Crossbills at Hollowell Reservoir where they have been lingering around the trees next to the Sailing Club and Guilsborough Bay plus a Red-crested Pochard and six remaining Pink-footed Geese.

A flock of Bearded Tits were reported at Earls Barton Pits yesterday but apparently flew off and over a hundred Golden Plovers remain at Harrington Airfield (present the last couple of weeks). Three or four Stonechats remain in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton (still present this morning).

Finally Phil Horsnail tracked down two Hawfinches yesterday at Tansor but the area is a private site. So quality birds all about us!

Regards

Neil M

Fieldfare.

Mistle Thrush.

Water Rail.

Long-eared Owl.

Images courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

Wild and Windy

It has certainly been very wild and windy over the last week which has had a noticeable effect on the trees and hedgerows. So many leaves have fallen off which has the advantage of making it easier to see the birds especially the tit flocks. These are always worth checking through at this time of year as you never know what might be tagging along with them. I've only managed to see Chiffchaffs whereas some lucky person found a Firecrest in a tit flock at Byfield Pool today.

What I have noticed is Bramblings are appearing, only one or two birds at a time but it's a start. There have been a couple roosting behind the old cattleshed below Hanging Houghton and in the bushes at Harrington Airfield as well as odd birds flying over. There have been up to 4 Stonechat below Hanging Houghton and a pair at Harrington Airfield.      

Yesterday I visited Harrington Airfield late afternoon and there was a very vocal Barn Owl flying around. I had forgotten just how eerie their calls can be and they sent a shiver down my spine.

Whilst on holiday we stopped feeding the birds in the garden. About a week ago I filled all the feeders up and sprinkled some food out. But no birds came !! It was very strange to look out into the garden and not see a single bird and it just didn't seem right.Thankfully today they have started to return, I never thought that I would be glad to see the Starlings return, but I have missed their noisy chatter and funny antics. Hopefully things will be returning to normal in the garden which is more than can be said for our normal daily life as we face another lockdown. I'm sure that we will be avidly watching the birds in our gardens and as we get out to exercise during this next period of lockdown. Even the common birds will brighten our day and keep us going.

Regards Eleanor 

Starling.

Ringing recoveries

Hello

More ringing recoveries linked to activities by Northants Ringing Group members are as follows:-

1.  A young female Goldcrest was caught and ringed at Beachy Head, East Sussex on 3rd October 2019 and then caught again at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes on 28th September 2020, 361 days later with a distance of 167km between sites;

2.  A young Reed Warbler was ringed at Wilstone Reservoir, Tring, Herts on 6th September this year and turned up at Linford Lakes 32km to the north on 28th and again on 29th September;

3.  Two Mallard ducklings from the same brood (a male and a female) were ringed at Pitsford Reservoir on 13th June this year and were both shot near Lamport on 2nd October, about 3km away;

4.  A young female Cetti's Warbler was ringed at Brandon Marsh, Warwickshire on 6th July 2019 and recaptured at Linford Lakes on 28th September, 56km to the south east, 450 days later;

5.  A young Lesser Redpoll was caught and ringed at Marston, Lincolnshire on 7th October this year and then re-trapped at Linford Lakes only four days later on 11th October, this bird having moved 99km in a southerly direction.

Another Tab has been added to the blog with images from the Naturetrek tour to Islay and Jura earlier this month...

Regards

Neil M

Kestrel.

Linnet.

Redpoll.

Thrushes, Sparrowhawks and owls

Yesterday I went for an early morning amble around Blueberry Farm area. The field hedges were alive with the excited chatter from Redwings and Fieldfares. I love just listening to them and it was whilst I was standing there that I heard the much harsher "chak chak" call of a Ring Ouzel. Hearing it was the easy part as the bird was reluctant to show itself.  It was about 15 minutes before a male Rouzel popped up on the hedge and sat in full view for a while.  

A visit to Harrington Airfield late morning was quite productive. As I wandered through the bushes I disturbed a Short-eared Owl. There were a pair of Stonechat at the third bunker and a Brambling flew over calling.

Kenny Cramer and his helpers were at Linford ringing. A small catch of 31 birds of 14 species due to the bright and breezy conditions and fewer nets used.  In the thrush department there were 4 Redwings, 3 Blackbirds and a Song Thrush.  Warblers were represented by just 2 Blackcap and 1 Chiffchaff.  But it was the raptors which provided the most excitement beginning with a pre dawn capture of a Tawny Owl. This was followed by 2 Sparrowhawks, a male and female giving the opportunity to observe the considerable size difference between the sexes.

Regards Eleanor

Tawny Owl.

Sparrowhawks.

Images courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

Islay images

Hello

Just a few images from the current Naturetrek Islay/Jura tour...

Regards

Neil M

Barnacle Geese.

Twite.

First year Pale-bellied
Brent Goose.

Adult Pale-bellied
Brent Goose.

Red-throated Diver.

Roe Deer.

Quiet Days

Lack of birds, problems with the internet connection and agility training means that this will be a very short blog. Personally I have seen very little apart from a pair of Stonechat below Hanging Houghton and a noticable presence of Skylarks, Redwings and Fieldfares.

Eric visited Titchmarsh Reserve today and saw a single Great White Egret at least 20 Little Egrets and a pair of Stonechat. Also a couple of Common Darter on the wing.

There appear to be two small flocks of Pink Footed Geese in the county, 4 on the Titchmarsh Reserve and 7 at Hollowell Reservoir.

If you are anywhere near Summer Leys Reserve in the evening keep your eyes peeled for the acrobatic and mesmerising display courtesy of a large murmuration of Starlings. 

Regards Eleanor

Autumn Glory

The only problem with going on holiday for a few weeks is that it takes a few days to catch up. The last couple of days have been spent doing the mundane chores of shopping, washing, opening the mail etc etc.  Hopefully I am now up to date.

Today I managed a fair amount of birding and it was lovely to be out and about on such a glorious day.  My first outing was an early run where I noted a pair of Stonechat below Hanging Houghton and good numbers of skylark, starlings, corvids and winter thrushes feeding on the newly sown crop fields.

I had to go to Duston late morning and my route took me past Harlestone Firs so it seemed the perfect opportunity to stop off for a walk. I very nearly didn't stop as there were so many cars parked on the road near the entrance, but my two young collies needed a walk so the decision was made for me.  Once I got off the main track I hardly met anyone. All I can say is "wow", the trees looked magnificent in their autumn colours, such a wonderful mixture of green, reds, orange, yellows and gold, although I think that the best is yet to come. Probably in a couple of weeks time the trees will look at their best. I must remember to take my camera !!  After a 2 hour amble I had notched up quite a list of birds including 4 Crossbills, 2 Ravens, Chiffchaff, pr Stonechat , Jays and at least three large mixed tit flocks.  The other thing that I noticed was the amount of different fungi present. A lovely array of shapes, colours and sizes. Such a shame that I didn't know all their names, perhaps I need to put this on my "to do" list !!!

As it was such a beautiful afternoon I went to Harrington Airfield where again the autumn colours of the bushes/trees contrasted against the deep rich brown earth of the deeply ploughed fields creating a stunning backdrop. All the while I was there small flocks of Golden Plover were flying around and filling the air with their evocative calls. They settled on the fields between the airfield and Lamport and a rough estimate was 200 birds.  Plenty of Redwings and Fieldfares in the bushes plus a single Chiffchaff.  I came across a pair of Stonechat near bunker 3 and as I stood scanning the fields picked up a male Merlin hunting the numerous skylarks.

It was no great surprise to find a few butterflies on the wing today. I saw Speckled Wood, Peacock and 2 Red Admirals in a sunny sheltered spot near the dam at Pitsford..

Regards Eleanor

Loch Hogganfield

Hello

Ahead of a Naturetrek tour to the islands of Islay and Jura, I took the opportunity to pop to Loch Hogganfield on the outskirts of Glasgow today. Although raining for some of the time, this site provides some excellent opportunities for photographing habituated wild birds coming for regular food hand-outs!

Regards

Neil M

Goosander.

First calendar year
Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Second calendar year
Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Adult Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Tufted Duck.

Juvenile Whooper Swan.

Adult Whooper Swan.

Back from the Scillies

Hello

Kenny and team committed to a bout of bird ringing at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes yesterday which resulted in 91 birds of 19 species being processed, the majority of which were new birds. The highlights were 5 Blackbirds, 7 Song Thrushes, 16 Redwings, 8 Chiffchaffs, a Cetti's Warbler, a Blackcap, 2 Moorhens, 4 Goldcrests and singles of Siskin, Meadow Pipit, Treecreeper, Goldfinch and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

A Great White Egret was also on site and non avian interest included Grass Snake, Great Crested and Common Newts and Toads.

Regards

Neil M

Male Siskin courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Great Spotted Woodpecker
courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Bishop Lighthouse Isles of Scilly.

Pied Flycatcher, St Mary's
Isles of Scilly.

Stonechat, St Martin's,
Isles of Scilly.

An electric vehicle on
Tresco, the Isles of Scilly
called Boris!

The Scillies Photo Diary Part 3

Hello

A few more images from the latter half of our three week stay on the Scillies. The weather improved and the storms from the west brought in some American birds. During the last week the weather system emanated from the east and this brought migrants from the continental shelf mostly from northern climes. October also brought the usual influx of birders to the isles and the extra eyes ensured more birds were found...

Neil M

Barred Warbler.

Common Rosefinch.

Boat trips Covid-19 style!

Great Black-backed Gull.

Hugh Town, St Mary's,
Isles of Scilly.

Merlin.

The Scillies Photo Diary Part 2

Hello

The main issue relating to the Scillies this autumn is the weather! Gale force winds have swept the islands for over a week! The wind direction has been from the north and west and like much of the mainland it has been accompanied with plenty of rain too! Few birds have left the island albeit many have arrived since the weather abated. Fortunately there are quite a few common birds on the islands so at times like this I go about trying to photograph some of the common species, some of which are more common than on the mainland.

Regards

Neil M

Female Blackbird digging
in the beach for invertebrates.

Dunnock consuming a
Crane Fly.

Male House Sparrow.

The dogs are enjoying
the beaches - Jaeger covered
in sand.

Lapland Bunting, also having
just consumed a Crane Fly!

The Scillies Photo Diary Part 1

Hello

Apologies for the lack of blogs recently, unfortunately our current accommodation does not permit a WiFi/Internet facility. We have been in Cornwall and on the Isles of Scilly for the past week and are currently bracing ourselves for gale force winds tomorrow and a wet week ahead! Nevertheless the last week has been good where perhaps sea-birds and waders have dominated but hopefully with good passerines to come...

Regards

Neil M

Dotterel.

Semi-palmated Sandpiper.

Sanderling.

Turnstone.

Common Snipe.

Gannets.

Great Skua.

Sooty Shearwater.