Dartford Warbler!

Hello

Another mild day with breeze and sunshine made it a good day to be out and about!

Ken Prouse found the bird of the day (and possibly the month) when he came across a Dartford Warbler on rough ground at Duston Mill, Northampton (SP730594) this morning. With only a handful of previous county records this species remains a rare wintering bird locally. For a time this bird was in company with a pair of Stonechats, a relationship that is well documented in it's usual haunt further south in England. The bird showed throughout the day. Well done Ken!

A Green Sandpiper and three Stonechats were nearby at Upton Country Park.

The drake Smew and the Pink-footed Goose were again at Ravensthorpe Reservoir today and Mark located two Caspian Gulls at Hollowell Reservoir where there were also two Great White Egrets and four Stonechats.

The Great Northern Diver and a first year Shag were at Pitsford Reservoir this lunchtime, the diver near the mouth of Pintail Bay and the Shag in the main basin. Other birds included a Redshank on the causeway and on the reserve there was a drake Mandarin Duck, a Woodcock, a Water Rail, a Great White Egret. three Pintail and several Siskins.

Over fifty Bramblings were present at Harrington Airfield today plus over fifty Redwings and a pair of Grey Partridge. Further Caspian Gulls included two at Rushton Landfill and two off the A5 on pools near Lilbourne. The three White-fronted Geese were still at Stanford Hall today and the reservoir provided for a Goosander, three Ravens, a Kingfisher, a Chiffchaff and four Bramblings.

Regards

Neil M

Today's Dartford Warbler
courtesy of Jim Dunkley.

Male Lesser Redpoll
courtesy of Chris Payne.

Male Siskin courtesy
of Chris Payne.

 Two Siskins and the above Redpoll
 were caught and ringed at Greens
Norton today together with a small
number of common birds.

Another day finishing clearing
 out the owl boxes at Pitsford
Reservoir, image courtesy
of Michelle Spinks.

First day of Feb

Hello

A breezy, bright day and with relatively high temperatures and warmish sun made it feel more like a spring day!

The county hotspot today was Ravensthorpe Reservoir with birds on show including a drake Smew, a Pink-footed Goose and up to five Great White Egrets and two Siskins. The three White-fronted Geese seem to be enjoying the parkland surroundings of Stanford Hall still with birds at nearby Stanford Reservoir amounting to a Great White Egret, three Ravens, a Kingfisher and two Bramblings.

Stanwick Pits is still pulling in the egrets with two Cattle Egrets and fifteen Great White Egrets there with the three Nene Valley White-fronted Geese being seen on the Main Lake there this afternoon.

Three Caspian Gulls were together at the pools off the A5 near Lilbourne early this afternoon and single Green Sandpipers were seen at Upton CP and Pitsford Reservoir.

This morning there were six Bramblings again at the summit of Blueberry Hill near Maidwell and Harrington Airfield this afternoon held about forty Bramblings, a pair of Ravens and two pairs of Grey Partridge and twenty-nine Pied Wagtails.

Regards

Neil M

Starling courtesy of
John Tilly.

Pied Wagtail.

Drake Goldeneye.

Quiet last day of the month

Hello

Windy and cold at Harrington Airfield this morning but at least it was clear and bright! At least thirty Bramblings were on-site, mostly in the ringing ride by Bunker One and about forty Golden Plovers were on the top fields. A flock of about three hundred Linnets were feeding on a crop at Sywell today, which also attracted small numbers of Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer.

A drake Smew was found at Ravensthorpe Reservoir today where there were also two Great White Egrets and Stanwick Pits continues to host at least two Cattle Egrets and three White-fronted Geese.

Three White-fronted Geese were still at Stanford Hall today and Stanford Reservoir attracted a Caspian Gull, two Yellow-legged Gulls, two Goosanders, a Water Rail, a Cetti's Warbler, a Chiffchaff and six Bramblings.

A Great White Egret was north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir today and a Green Sandpiper was seen at Upton Country Park.

Regards

Neil M

A Long-tailed Tit trapped and
released at Harrington Airfield
on 22nd January this year was 
first ringed as a juvenile in 2015
making it almost seven years old.
The oldest known bird nationally
from ringing data is eight years and
eleven months.

Image courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Blue sky Common Buzzard
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

A Blue Tit first ringed as a 
juvenile at Geddington on
17th June 2020 by Andy Glover
has since been re-trapped at it's
new home of Kelmarsh Hall on
27th Nov 2020, 25th Feb 2021,
11th April 2021 and also 5th
January this year.

Image courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Birds of orchard, wood, gravel pit and reservoir

Hello

A couple of Northants Ringing Group ringing sessions included a revisit to a community orchard in Milton Keynes where Kenny and team hoped for some more thrushes. A Green Woodpecker was an interesting catch and other birds included a Woodpigeon, a superb fourteen Blackbirds, five Long-tailed Tits, twenty Blue Tits, a Greenfinch and two Goldcrests. A female Sparrowhawk was briefly in the net but these lively accipiters rarely stay long and she quickly wriggled free!

Over a hundred woodland birds were processed at Scotland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate today with the highlights being three Blackbirds, four Redwings, four Marsh Tits, eleven Coal Tits, three Nuthatches and two Goldcrests. Several Siskins were present throughout the session and other birds included one or two Woodcock and Raven. A Brambling was at nearby Kelmarsh Hall.

Two Woodcock and a Snipe were flushed in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning and birds in the Ecton SF/Billing Pits area included a Green Sandpiper, at least five Chiffchaffs and a Great White Egret. Six Goosanders were again at Stortons Pits and the Bittern was seen again briefly at the west end of the reedbed at about 11am. Four Whooper Swans flew south-east there at about 9.55am.

The Great Northern Diver was again at Pitsford Reservoir, the Black Redstart was at the Borough Hill Country Park compound and birds at Hollowell Reservoir included a Caspian Gull and the female Ruddy Shelduck. An Oystercatcher at Thrapston Pits was an early 'spring' arrival and other birds included three Great White Egrets, two Egyptian Geese, a Peregrine, a Water Rail, two Kingfishers, two Cetti's Warblers, two Stonechats and two or three Chiffchaffs.

Over at Stanford Reservoir four Yellow-legged Gulls were noted in the roost, a Great White Egret was seen and a Water Rail and a Barn Owl were also recorded. Ringers on-site managed to ring twelve Bramblings there.

Regards

Neil M

Green Woodpecker courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Bittern courtesy of
John Tilly.

Lesser Black-backed Gull
courtesy of Jacob Spinks.

Mixed weather weekend

Hello 

Mild conditions today but windy and back to being cold overnight and tomorrow.

About a thousand Fieldfares foraging in the fields were an amazing spectacle in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon and this concentration was probably why an adult female Peregrine was spending plenty of time there too! Just eleven Golden Plovers and a handful of Bramblings were at Harrington Airfield this afternoon.

The Great Northern Diver was seen in The Narrows at Pitsford Reservoir early this afternoon and half a dozen Siskins were at Scotland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate also this afternoon.

Two Ravens remain very vocal in Hanging Houghton village with a couple of Siskins too. Another Raven, a Redpoll and a Grey Wagtail were near Brixworth and a Redpoll was in flight at Scaldwell village.

In the Nene Valley there were five Goosanders seen at Stortons Pits and observers at Summer Leys LNR enjoyed a Peregrine in hunting mode and six Great White Egrets. The three mobile White-fronted Geese were seen at Stanford Hall today and birds at nearby Stanford Reservoir included a Caspian Gull, a Great White Egret, three Little Egrets and two Water Rails.

Regards

Neil M

Meadow Pipit courtesy
of Don West.

Stoat - it turned up in
David Arden's garden
whilst he was conducting
the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch!

County winterers

Hello

Birds at Pitsford Reservoir today included the Great Northern Diver in the main basin north of the dam, the Barnacle Goose, the drake Mandarin Duck, a Great White Egret, a female Pintail and a Redshank.

The Black Redstart was again seen in the summit compound at Borough Hill Country Park, Daventry early this afternoon. A pair of Stonechats were at Upton Fields this morning and three Redpolls were in alders along the River Nene at Upton Country Park.

The female Merlin, a Corn Bunting and a Barn Owl were again logged in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton today and another Barn Owl was at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell. Approximately thirty Bramblings were at Harrington Airfield this afternoon.

Birding at Hollowell Reservoir provided two Caspian Gulls, a Great White Egret, two Shelducks, a Jack Snipe and six Stonechats. The Pink-footed Goose remained at Ravensthorpe Reservoir.

In the Nene Valley today there were two Cattle Egrets, a Great White Egret, a Goosander and a Redshank on the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve, c200 Golden Plovers were at Summer Leys LNR and a Bittern was seen in flight at Stortons Pits this afternoon. Three White-fronted Geese were on the Main Lake at Stanwick Pits again today.

Three Caspian Gulls were noted at Rushton Landfill this afternoon and a pair of Blackcaps have been visiting a Kingsthorpe garden regularly.

Regards

Neil M

Cormorant.

Grey Heron.
Already there are Cormorants and Grey
Herons at their nests in the Nene Valley.

Goldcrest.

Big Garden Birdwatch

Hello

A relatively quiet day for birds being reported in the county today but there are still interesting birds out there!

A WeBS count was completed at Ditchford Pits today but gone are the days when we used to see wintering Bitterns and other cold weather birds at this site. West of Ditchford Lane and the best birds were an adult female Peregrine, a Great White Egret and a male Stonechat. East of Ditchford Lane and the pits held a Great White Egret, two Goosanders, two Kingfishers, two or three Grey Wagtails, eight Common Snipe and a Jack Snipe.

Further along the Nene Valley and birds at Stanwick Pits first thing this morning included three White-fronted Geese, five Cattle Egrets and fourteen Great White Egrets.

Harrington Airfield this afternoon hosted about forty Golden Plovers, about twenty-five Bramblings and a flock of thirty-seven Pied Wagtails.

At 4pm this afternoon the first year White-fronted Goose flew into Sywell Country Park with the feral goose flock and a Jack Snipe was located at Hollowell Reservoir this morning.

It is the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch this week-end should you wish to partake!

Regards

Neil M

Woodpigeon.

House Sparrow.

Blue Tit

Robin.

Perhaps the most likely species
to be seen on the Big Garden Birdwatch!
Images courtesy of John Tilly.

Winter finches in Northants.

Hello

Yesterday (Tuesday) and interesting birds locally included between fifty and a hundred Bramblings and about one hundred and fifty Golden Plovers on the top fields. An adult male Peregrine was on prey and examination of the feathers subsequently proved it's meal to be a Redwing. Elsewhere and Siskin flocks included twenty at West Hunsbury Park, Northampton and about thirty at Greens Norton. The lingering White-fronted Goose remained at Sywell Country Park and the Great Northern Diver was still at Pitsford Reservoir, seen at The Narrows in the morning. Birds at Stanford Reservoir amounted to two Goosanders, five Siskins and two Grey Wagtails.

David Arden was able to report that at least one male Blackcap has been coming to his Spratton garden since the autumn with occasional furtive visits from a female too.

A small group of us spent the afternoon clearing out owl boxes at Pitsford Reservoir, perhaps not my favourite of reserve tasks! Several Siskins were noted but otherwise it seemed quiet on the reserve. More owl boxes to do next week!

Today (Wednesday) and Northants Ringing Group members conducted some ringing at Stortons Pits and Woodford Halse. The team at Stortons processed some fifty-three birds of nine species which included two Blackbirds, five Reed Buntings, three Robins, three Goldfinches and five Lesser Redpolls. The team at Woodford Halse processed eighty-three birds of twelve species which included two Goldcrests, four Robins, two Coal Tits, a Marsh Tit, a Goldfinch, two Lesser Redpolls a Blackbird and a Yellowhammer. Other birds noted there included at least three Ravens, a few Siskins, another three Redpolls, two Bramblings, a Grey Wagtail and a pair of Blackcaps in an adjacent garden.

Elsewhere and the Black Redstart was seen again in the summit compound at Borough Hill Country Park, Daventry and birds at Ravensthorpe Reservoir this afternoon included a Pink-footed Goose, three Great White Egrets, a Raven and a Brambling with a Caspian Gull and a Jack Snipe at neighbouring Hollowell Reservoir. The White-fronted Goose was again with the local goose flock at Sywell Country Park.

In excess of a hundred Bramblings were at Harrington Airfield this afternoon plus two Woodcock and a couple of Grey Partridges and two Peregrines were seen at Higham Ferrers. In the south of the county, and at the Bucks border a Whooper Swan was at Cosgrove near to the River Tove and birds noted at Pitsford Reservoir today included a Barnacle Goose, a Redshank, two Great White Egrets and about twelve Siskins.

Sightings at Stanford Reservoir today amounted to a Barn Owl, three Ravens, two Cetti's Warblers and eight Bramblings.

Regards

Neil M

Barnacle Goose.

Siskins. 
All the above images taken
at Pitsford Reservoir today
courtesy of Neil Hasdell.

Male Lesser Redpoll
courtesy of Chris Payne.

Great Northern Diver, egrets and Blackcaps.

Hello

Another grey, cold day and with virtually no wind either - a morning walk at Harrington Airfield to feed the hordes provided an estimation of about fifty Bramblings and about a hundred Golden Plovers present.

A male Blackcap has been coming to a Great Billing garden for about a week (including today) with a female visiting before that and another male Blackcap was seen in an Oundle garden today. Birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and associated with the bird food crop included at least one Corn Bunting still plus eight Grey Partridges and four Common Snipe.

The Great Northern Diver was again present at Pitsford Reservoir today and could be found (or not) cruising anywhere between the dam and the causeway as it no doubt familiarised itself with it's new surroundings. Some people saw it easily, some did not! The Barnacle Goose which turned up in the autumn was with the Canada Geese in fields and also on the reservoir.

Just outside the county boundary at Upper Wardington, a significant Starling murmuration was captured on film this afternoon.

The White-fronted Goose was again seen in fields with other geese next to Sywell Country Park today and egrets in the Nene Valley at/close to the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve included two Cattle Egrets, a Little Egret and a Great White Egret plus a Redshank. A Goosander and a Stonechat were noted at Stortons Pits today and birds at Ravensthorpe Reservoir amounted to the Pink-footed Goose, a Lesser Redpoll and twenty Siskins.

Eight Cattle Egrets at the north-east end of Stanwick Pits this afternoon was a good concentration and a Caspian Gull was again at Rushton Landfill Site also this afternoon.

Logged birds at Stanford Reservoir today included a high modern-day count of 1600 Common Gulls, three Goosanders, a Kingfisher, six Ravens, a Chiffchaff and twenty-three Siskins.

The work to provide a viewing screen designed to watch Kingfishers and other waterbirds at Pitsford Reservoir has now been completed and can be found by walking around the northern section of the Scaldwell Bay, passing over the feeding stream (if travelling in a clockwise direction) towards Willow Hide with the area on the right hand side after about 300m from the feeder stream bridge. A permit is required for access to the reserve.

Regards

Neil M

Kingfisher courtesy of
Dave Jackson.

Cattle Egret courtesy of
Dave Jackson.

Blackcap courtesy of
Laurence Arnold.

Birds of a grey, raw Sunday

Hello

A grey and rather raw day out there today and it looks like similar weather for this coming week.

Birds at Stanwick Pits today included four Cattle Egrets, four Great White Egrets, several Goosanders, two Egyptian Geese, about twenty Golden Plovers, a Redshank, a Grey Wagtail, a Siskin and a Redpoll. Singles of Goldcrest, Chiffchaff and Redwing were caught and ringed during a ringing demonstration there today. Nearby there were at least two Cattle Egrets in meadows between Irthlingborough and the river.

The three White-fronted Geese were again at Thrapston Pits today and Woodcock sightings included two at Blueberry Farm and singles at Harrington Airfield and Kelmarsh Hall. About twenty Siskins were noted at Wicksteed Park, Kettering and ten Goosanders were counted at Stortons Pits and a male Blackcap graced a garden in Hanging Houghton.

At Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon a Great Northern Diver was located just to the south of Pintail Bay where it remained until dusk. Other birds south of the causeway and north of the dam included a Barnacle Goose, two Egyptian Geese, a Redpoll, a flock of Siskins and a Raven.

Two Caspian Gulls were at pools off the A5 near Lilbourne again this afternoon and a Caspian Gull was seen briefly at Stanford Reservoir and other birds seen there today included three Water Rails, three Grey Wagtails, three Cetti's Warblers, two Kingfishers, a Green Sandpiper, a Chiffchaff, a Redpoll, five Ravens and c25 Siskins.

Regards

Neil M

Moorhen courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

A portrait of drinking
Snow Buntings in Norfolk
courtesy of Cathy Ryden.

Yellowhammer.

Bramblings and friends

Hello

A ringing session at Harrington Airfield today was dominated by one species - the beautiful Brambling! We caught and processed thirty-four of these flying gems and interestingly there were several adult males amongst them which is in contrast to the birds we were catching in the late autumn of last year when nearly all birds were first years. One of the birds was first ringed at Harrington in November 2021 so it seems that some of the original birds from the initial influx are still with us locally. Other birds included a small number of common finches, two Fieldfares, a Redwing, three Blackbirds and a small variety of other common birds including eleven Yellowhammers. Other birds on-site included about twenty Golden Plovers and Grey Partridge.

Elsewhere in the county and it seemed that geese were the order of the day with a Pink-footed Goose and two White-fronted Geese at Thrapston Pits in the Islip Water Meadows area, the first winter White-fronted Goose was still at Sywell Country Park and a Pink-footed Goose still at Ravensthorpe Reservoir.

Nene Valley birding provided two Goosanders on Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits, three Goosanders and four Lesser Redpolls at Stortons Pits and a Ruff at Summer Leys LNR on the north shore of the main lake.

A Yellow-legged Gull was at Stanford Reservoir today as were nine Goosanders, one hundred and forty-eight Great Black-backed Gulls, a Peregrine, a Kingfisher, a Cetti's Warbler, six Siskins and three Lesser Redpolls.

Tomorrow (Sunday) and there is a birdwatching event at Stanwick Lakes with guided birdwatching walks and a ringing demonstration starting from about 8.30am at the Trading Places Barn between the Visitor Centre and the 'Snack Shack'. This event is planned as a pre-cursor to the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch Event, there are free activities for children and guided birdwatching walks starting at 9.30am and 11am.

Regards

Neil M

Brambling.

Goldfinch.

Images courtesy of
Steve Wilson.

Peregrines, ducks and geese

Hello

Little opportunity for birding from us today although I did see a Peregrine on the town centre church in Market Harborough. Checking some of the feathers below indicates that one of these regular birds had caught a duck, perhaps a drake Teal or Wigeon.

The Wood Sandpiper was still at Pitsford Reservoir today, again along the shoreline between the causeway and the Maytrees Hide and the drake Mandarin Duck was there too this afternoon. Birds at Clifford Hill Pits included three Goosanders, two Stonechats, a Chiffchaff and a Peregrine tucking into a duck. At Naseby Reservoir this morning Jon recorded two adult Caspian Gulls and three Great White Egrets and a high count of fifty-three Cormorants.

Sixteen Siskins and four Common Snipe were at the attenuation pond at Sandy Lane, Duston and a flock of Redpolls were in birches at Wicksteed Park, Kettering. The first year White-fronted Goose was seen at Sywell Country Park this afternoon. Three White-fronted Geese were in the Stanford Hall area early this afternoon and other birds noted at nearby Stanford Reservoir included a Woodcock, a Great White Egret, a Cetti's Warbler and impressive numbers of Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls.

Eyebrook Reservoir continues to attract up to fourteen Smew, two Scaup, a Great White Egret, three Avocets and the return of the female Ring-necked Duck.

Two Corn Buntings were again visible in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon with a Raven in the village. Some sixty Bramblings and two Woodcock were at Harrington Airfield this afternoon - the venue for some ringing tomorrow when access to the bunkers and old airstrip will be restricted.

Regards

Neil M

Drake Mandarin Duck at
Pitsford Reservoir today
courtesy of Pete Gilbert.

Teal courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Mute Swan courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Pitsford WeBS count.

Hello

The Pitsford Reservoir WeBS count was completed today, initially with plenty of sunshine this morning and turning cloudy at lunchtime. Numbers of birds were low and the impression was that there has been a significant move-out of wetland birds with very low numbers of Coot in particular. The Wood Sandpiper was still on the shoreline near Maytrees Hide and other birds of note included ten Common Snipe, probably just three Great White Egrets, seven Pintail, a Chiffchaff, over a hundred Siskins mostly south of the causeway and also in Brixworth Country Park, and a male Brambling at the Christies Copse Feeding Station.

The single Hawfinch was again at Blatherwycke this morning, still frequenting the trees between the church and the bridge over the inflow stream to the lake. At Thrapston Pits today there were three White-fronted Geese on Elinor lake with Greylags late morning and up to three Cattle Egrets were at the north-east end of Stanwick Pits this afternoon.

A Yellow-legged Gull, about one hundred and fifty Great Black-backed Gulls and five Goosanders were the best on offer at Stanford Reservoir today.

The Black Redstart was again reported at Borough Hill Country Park today and this afternoon a Corn Bunting could still be found at the wild bird crop in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton. Stortons Pits again attracted Goosanders this morning with eight present, and two Lesser Redpolls were there too. A female Blackbird feeding a fledged youngster in Higham Ferrers has to be the most interesting record for today!

Regards

Neil M

Siskin.

Blue Tit.

Yellow-legged Gull.

Birds of a breezy, blue sky

Hello

Following a few chores I headed slowly north in the county today, first meandering along the Welland Valley which was mostly quiet but there was a Great White Egret and a Green Sandpiper below Cottingham and a couple of Little Egrets around Harringworth. Of course in this part of the world there are numerous Red Kites and with blue skies and a cool fresh wind they were active and inquisitive.

A quick visit to Fineshade Top Lodge didn't produce anything out of the ordinary so onto Blatherwycke Lake which hosted fifty Mandarin Ducks, a Black Swan, several Siskins and a Kingfisher. A male Hawfinch was showing nicely in an oak between the church and the bridge and later flew to the copse the other side of the bridge.

A scan over Deene Lake yielded nine Shelduck plus a male Stonechat and a Cetti's Warbler. There were at least sixty Red Kites at the Laxton village pre-roost.

A couple of Ravens were at Hanging Houghton this morning and birds at Harrington Airfield this afternoon included about a hundred Bramblings and two Woodcock. Most of the Bramblings were at the sunflower crop by the shooting wall.

A female Merlin, a Barn Owl and a Corn Bunting were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon plus plenty of Skylarks and winter thrushes and three Bramblings were at the Summer Leys feeding station. Eight Redpolls were in a Grange Park, Northampton garden this morning and fifty Siskins were in alders at Harlestone Heath near to the golf course.

The Black Redstart was still at Borough Hill Country Park this morning together with two Stonechats and a flock of wintering Meadow Pipits. Single and different Pink-footed Geese were at Ravensthorpe and Hollowell Reservoirs today, with a Golden Plover and two Stonechats at the latter.

The first winter White-fronted Goose was still at Sywell Country Park today and at Pitsford Reservoir the Wood Sandpiper was between the causeway and Maytrees Hide and some ringing there provided captures of a Moorhen, five Blackbirds, three Redwings, four Tree Sparrows, four Reed Buntings and four Yellowhammers amongst fifty-three birds processed.

Regards

Neil M

Red Kite.

Greylag Goose.

Red Kite.

Rook.

Cormorant.

Red Kite.