Month: April 2013

The week remained relatively warm and dry with light winds predominantly from the south and west – ideal conditions for spring migrants moving through the UK.

With the wintering duck all but departed drake Mandarin Ducks were found at Ashton Wold on 24th and Salcey Forest on 26th, a drake Garganey was at Summer Leys LNR also on 26th and the pair of Red-crested Pochards remained at Hardingstone GP until at least 24th with the drake still present on 26th. Small numbers of Goldeneye remained at Hollowell, Pitsford, Ravensthorpe and Stanford Reservoirs on 20th while two Goosanders were still at Thrapston GP on 21st and another was at Stanwick GP on 24th.

Although Marsh Harriers flying west at Little Irchester on 22nd, over Brampton Heath Golf Course and near Kentle Woods (Daventry) on 26th were noteworthy, they were just outnumbered by Ospreys which were seen at Stanford Res and Stoke Albany on 20th, Thrapston GP on 23rd, over Borough Hill on 24th and at Pitsford Res the following day. The first Hobby of the year was found at Stanford Res on 20th, while Peregrines were recorded at three localities, two of which appeared to be pairs at potential breeding sites.

Two Avocets dropped in briefly at Clifford Hill GP mid-morning on 20th and, after departing, they were seen just eleven minutes later at Summer Leys LNR, where they also did not linger. Just one Ringed Plover was seen in the period – at Clifford Hill GP on 22nd, 23rd and 25th and the same site again hosted a Grey Plover, which came in to roost on the evenings of 22nd and 24th with up to 158 Golden Plovers; elsewhere, two Golden Plovers were at Chelveston AF on 20th and eighteen were near Tiffield the following day. The only Dunlins were one at Summer Leys LNR on 21st with two there on 26th, up to four at Clifford Hill GP between 22nd and 26th and one at Hollowell Res on the latter date, where surely now the last of the winter’s Jack Snipe was seen on 20th. Black-tailed Godwits were still being logged with one at Summer Leys LNR on 21st and another at Clifford Hill GP from 22nd to 25th with two there and a high count of 38 at Summer Leys LNR the following day. Just one Whimbrel also paid a brief visit to the latter site on 23rd, two Curlews flew over Stoke Albany on 21st and singles were at Thrapston GP and Pitsford Res on 21st and at Stanwick GP on 24th. Common Sandpipers were found at seven localities and single Green Sandpipers were at Upton Valley on 20th and Pitsford Res on 22nd while a Greenshank visited Summer Leys LNR on 21st.

Rarity of the week came in the shape of a first-summer Ring-billed Gull – only the 12th record for the County – at Stanwick GP on 22nd and again on 26th and an adult Little Gull visited Daventry CP on 25th. More Arctic Terns arrived this week with Hollowell Res producing one on 20th and three on 22nd and 25th, Boddington Res hosting singles on 21st and 25th with three there on 26th, Thrapston GP had two on 22nd and four were at Daventry CP on 22nd with one there on 25th.

The first of the year’s Turtle Doves was found at Polebrook AF on 24th and was quickly followed by another at Harrington AF the next day. Similarly, Common Swifts appeared to arrive en masse on 25th, being reported from Borough Hill, Clifford Hill GP, Spratton and Stanwick GP. The first Garden Warbler was at Stanwick GP on 24th and the first Grasshopper Warbler was at Summer Leys LNR on 20th – a rather late arrival date for this species. A singing male Wood Warbler was at Salcey Forest on 26th.

What was assumed to be the same long-staying male Ring Ouzel remained at Harrington AF from 20th to 26th, while the first of these dates saw two at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and further singles at Chelveston AF, Stanford Res (staying until 23rd) and Hellidon (staying until 21st) where presumably the last ten Fieldfares of the winter were also present at the same time.  In contrast to last week only two Common Redstarts were found, both on 24th and included a female at Borough Hill and a male at Fawsley Park while Whinchats were more numerous with singles at Harrington AF on 24th, Borough Hill on 26th and three at the latter locality on 25th and another at Wollaston Sewage Works on 26th.  Northern Wheatears were found this week at ten localities with a maximum of fifteen at Chelveston AF on 20th and the same number at Borough Hill on 25th.

Similarly, Yellow Wagtails were found at seven sites with a maximum of sixteen at Hollowell Res on 22nd and the same number at Upton Valley (Northampton) on 24th. Thrapston GP hosted a male Blue-headed Wagtail on 21st and an intriguing ‘grey’ individual was there the following day.

Fewer White Wagtails were in evidence than last week with singles at Thrapston GP on 20th, Upton Valley on 20th and 26th (with 2 there on 23rd-24th), Summer Leys LNR and

White Wagtail, Upton Valley, April 2013 (Mike Alibone)

Rushden on 21st and two at Hollowell Res on 22nd with one there on 25th. The last Bramblings were singles at Pitsford Res and East Hunsbury (Northampton) on 20th and two or three Crossbills were at Pitsford Res on the same date.

A strong southerly airstream prevailed throughout the week, the floodgates opened and spring migrants and summer visitors poured in.

A Barnacle Goose at Deene Lake on 15th was no doubt feral, nevertheless a ‘C list’ bird, as were the 2 Egyptian Geese at Stanwick GP on the same date along with the usual six at Ditchford GP all week. Continuing the theme, a female Mandarin Duck was on a brook below Hanging Houghton on 13th and 15th and two drakes were seen at Blatherwycke Lake on the latter date, while a pair of Garganey was at Ditchford GP on 13th and a drake Pintail visited Hollowell Res on 18th. Single Drake Scaup were at Ditchford GP and Stanwick GP on 14th, the latter remaining the following day, and a pair of Red-crested Pochards was found at Hardingstone GP on 19th, while Goosander numbers dwindled to just one at Clifford Hill GP on 15th and three at Stanwick GP on 16th and 17th with two there on 19th. The Daventry CP Black-necked Grebe remained until 14th.

Raptor counts were up on last week with a Marsh Harrier flying west at Summer Leys LNR on 17th, single Ospreys over Clifford Hill GP and Pitsford Res on 13th and over Hanging Houghton on 16th, a Merlin at the latter locality on 17th and a Peregrine there on 16th with singles also at Clifford Hill GP on 13th and Pitsford Res on 19th.

Although Little Ringed Plovers were present at six localities, Ringed Plovers remained scarce with singles only at Stanwick GP on 15th and at Clifford Hill GP on 18th. Perhaps surprisingly there were still plenty of Golden Plovers around with approximately forty-five at Harrington AF on 15th, twenty-eight at Stanwick GP and seventy-three near Naseby Res on 16th and sixty-one at Clifford Hill GP on 17th with ninety-six there the following day. The latter site hosted a Grey Plover on 17th and 18th, while last week’s Knot was still present there on 13th. The only Dunlins were two at the latter site on 13th and 18th and singles at Stanwick GP on 14th and 19th and what were presumably the last of the winter’s Jack Snipe, a trio, were at Hollowell Res on 15th. The recent run on Black-tailed Godwits slowed, with last week’s Clifford Hill bird remaining until 13th and a group of five visited Stanwick GP on 17th, when seven Whimbrel also

paid a brief visit to Clifford Hill GP. Curlews similarly were in short supply with singles at Stanford Res on 13th and at Summer Leys LNR the following day, while Common Sandpipers were found at six localities and single Green Sandpipers were at Stanwick GP on 14th and Pitsford Res on 16th and two were on flood pools at Upton Valley from 15th to 17th and two again at Stanwick on 19th.  

With most of the wintering gulls having departed the only scarce larids were a second-year Yellow-legged Gull at Stanwick GP on 14th and two adults visited Clifford Hill GP the following day but the year’s first Arctic Terns arrived this week with three at Daventry CP on 14, singles at Boddington Res on 17th and at Bozeat GP on 18th, sixteen at Daventry CP and five at Clifford Hill GP on 18th and three at Stanwick GP, two at Boddington Res, five at Daventry CP and five at Pitsford Res – all on 19th.

A ‘small flock’ of Ring-necked Parakeets flew over Stoke Bruerne on 14th. The number of records in recent years suggests the likelihood of breeding in this area but this has never been proven. The first Cuckoo of the year was seen at Summer Leys LNR on 14th followed closely by the second at Old Sulehay the next day. The first Common Whitethroat appeared at Stanwick GP on 15th followed by the first Lesser Whitethroat at the same locality on 17th and the first Reed Warbler was at Summer Leys LNR the next day. A male Ring Ouzel was at Harrington AF on 13th, followed by two females there two days later, none of which lingered, while more than one hundred Redwings were still at East Haddon on the first of these two dates. The first Nightingale of the spring was singing at the traditional location of Glapthorn Cow Pasture on 17th and, on the same date, a Black Redstart paid three brief visits to a garden in Sywell.

A nationwide influx of Common Redstarts resulted in records of up to five at Clifford Hill GP on 15th-16th, four at Borough Hill on 19th and twos at Woodford Halse on 16th and Corby Sewage Works and Collyweston Quarry on 19th and singles at Brackmills (Northampton) on 16th-17th and 19th, Borough Hill on the same dates and again at Clifford Hill on 17th-18th.

Male Whinchats at Pitsford Res and Brackmills (Northampton) on 16th were the second earliest in the County since 1969 (the earliest was on 15th April 1984) and further singles wereat Summer Leys LNR and again at Brackmills on 19th, while more Northern Wheatears were found this week with records from eight sites and a maximum of nine at Brackmills on 16th. A male Pied Flycatcher paid a very brief visit to the same Sywell garden as the Black Redstart, above, on 15th providing the homeowner with two excellent ‘garden ticks’ within forty-eight hours!

After a light sprinkling of Yellow Wagtails last week, this week’s picture was entirely different with records from ten sites with double-figure counts from three of these and a maximum of forty-four at Upton Valley (Northampton) on 19th.

The same site hosted a male Blue-headed Wagtail on 17th and another male was at Hollowell Res on 14th and 15th. There were also good numbers of White Wagtails recorded, reflecting the national picture, with records of mainly singles from seven localities but twelve were at Upton Valley on 19th, 8 at Stanwick GP on 16th and at least six at Bozeat GP on 18th. A Tree Pipit flying north over Stanford Res on 13th was noteworthy as a scarce passage migrant in Northants in recent years. Brambling numbers dwindled with singles at Borough Hill on 13th, Pitsford Res on 13th, 14th and 19th, East Hunsbury (Northampton) on 14th and Harrington AF on 14th with two there the following day. The only Crossbills this week were a flock of approximately sixteen at Showsley on 14th.

The sustained high pressure system responsible for the prolonged easterly airstream finally gave way to an Atlantic low, adding a southerly element to the wind direction, raising temperatures and delivering rain at the week’s end. More migrants appeared.

The relatively long-staying drake Green-winged Teal was still being seen intermittently on Irthlingborough water meadows, just west of Stanwick GP, until 11th, while a female Pintail visited Summer Leys LNR on 10th-12th and last week’s drake Garganey remained at Ecton SF, being joined there by a pair on 9th and at least two were still present on 11th. Single-figure counts of Goosander were made at Blatherwycke Lake, Daventry CP and Stanwick GP although there were still thirteen at Clifford Hill GP on 6th. Single Great White Egrets were again at Pitsford Res and at Summer Leys LNR

on 12th and the elusive Storton’s GP Bittern broke cover on 6th while the County enjoyed a run on summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebes with one at Stanwick GP on 9th, two at Summer Leys LNR on 12th and the Daventry CP individual remaining all week.

Raptors were poorly represented by just a Marsh Harrier flying north-east at Pitsford Res on 9th and single Ospreys north over Corby on 6th and east over Sywell CP on 12th.

Waders, however, fared better with Little Ringed Plovers at five localities and a solitary Ringed Plover at Clifford Hill GP on 7th, with thirty Golden Plovers there on 9th and one on 11th and approximately ten at Harrington AF on the same day. A Grey Plover flew north-east over Daventry CP on 7th, a Knot visited Clifford Hill GP on 12th, while the only Dunlins were singles at the latter site on 6th and at Stanwick GP on 9th with two again at Clifford Hill GP on the same date, again on 12th and two at Summer Leys also on 12th. Six Jack Snipe were found at Hollowell Res on 12th.  Clifford Hill GP hosted a Black-tailed Godwit all week, being joined by a second individual on 9th, while four Curlews were there on 6th, the same number visited Thrapston GP on 9th and one was at Summer Leys LNR on 12th. Two Whimbrels flew east at Stanwick GP on 11th, the first spring migrant Common Sandpiper appeared at Clifford Hill GP on 12th and single Green Sandpipers were at Pitsford Res on 8th and 12th, Stanwick GP from 9th to 11th and at Ecton SF on 10th.   

The number of gulls was unsurprisingly low with most winterers having departed. A first-winter presumed hybrid Glaucous x Herring Gull visited Daventry CP on 10th at which time there was also a second-year Yellow-legged Gull present. The same date also produced the spring’s first Common Terns at Stanwick GP and Summer Leys LNR, followed by more over the next two days at Clifford Hill GP, Sywell CP and Thrapston GP. Singing and showy, a male Firecrest was present for just one day at Ditchford GP on 9th.

Sand Martins were seen in better numbers with reports from Billing Aquadrome, Brackmills Industrial Estate (Northampton), Daventry CP, Stanwick, GP and Thrapston GP, Swallows from 9th at Billing Aquadrome, Clifford Hill, Ecton SF, Harrington AF, Stanwick GP and Thrapston GP and House Martins at Billing Aquadrome, Cogenhoe Mill, Stanwick GP, Summer Leys and Thrapston GP from 11th. The first Sedge Warbler appeared at Stanwick GP on 12th and presumed new Blackcap arrivals from the south were two or three at Hanging Houghton, and singles at Barton Seagrave and at East Hunsbury (Northampton), all on 10th and another at Clifford Hill GP and three at Stortons GP on 12th, while presumed Central European Blackcaps remained in gardens in Barton Seagrave, Duston (Northampton), Kettering and Wellingborough. A Black Redstart was found at ‘Rigid Containers’ in Desborough on 12th and Northern Wheatears were found at five sites during the week, while a male Ring Ouzel was at Harrington AF on 11th with one Yellow Wagtail there on the same date, and others at Broadholme STW (Ditchford), Pitsford Res, Sywell CP and ten at Hollowell Res and two White Wagtails at Hollowell Res and one at Stanwick GP – all on 12th. A Brambling was at Pitsford Res, two were at Harlestone Heath and Harrington AF, three were at Kelmarsh and four at East Hunsbury (Northampton) while a singing male Crossbill was located at Borough Hill on 10th.

The easterly airstream continued with temperatures remaining well below average. It was difficult to ascertain if the paucity of records of common summer migrants was a product of the adverse weather or the result of birders not venturing out to find them …

The drake Green-winged Teal, discovered at Stanwick GP on 24th before moving to nearby floodwater at Irthlingborough on 29th, appeared at the latter site intermittently until at least 4th, while a Pintail was found at adjacent Ditchford GP on 31st and two were at Clifford Hill GP on 30th. A confiding drake Garganey appeared on the Nene outfall stream at Ecton SF on 31st remaining until the next day and reappearing there on 5th and other drakes were discovered at both Irthlingborough and Pitsford Res on 2nd. Up to seven Smew (two drakes) were still at Pitsford Res on 1st and small numbers of Goosander hung on at gravel pits at Clifford Hill, Ditchford, Stortons and Thrapston with a maximum of twelve at the first of these on 1st and 5th.

Drake Garganey, Ecton SF, 31st March 2013 (Mike Alibone)

A Bittern was at Stanwick GP on 1st and the long-staying individual at Ravensthorpe Res was still present on 4th but there was only one record of Great White Egret this week when one appeared again at Summer Leys LNR on 1st. A fine, summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebe was found at Daventry CP on 5th.

A ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier flew north over Duston on 30th and an adult male flew east at Wollaston on 2nd, while single Ospreys flew over Sulby on 29th, Harrington AF on 31st and Pitsford Res on 2nd. Peregrines were reported at Blueberry Farm (Maidwell), Corby, Kettering, Pitsford Res and Rushden.

More Little Ringed Plovers arrived this week with one at Irthlingborough on 31st and two at Ditchford GP the following day while a Knot visited Pitsford Res briefly on 5th and two Dunlins appeared at Stanwick GP on 1st and one was at Clifford Hill GP on 2nd. Two Jack Snipe remained at Hollowell Res on 5th, three Ruff (from Stanwick GP) were at Irthlingborough on 31st with two remaining the next day and the same site hosted up to nine Black-tailed Godwits throughout the week, while thirteen had been at nearby Stanwick GP during the evening of 29th and one visited Clifford Hill GP on 5th. Five Bar-tailed Godwits flying west over Ravensthorpe Res on 4th were unusually early but the only Curlew this week was one at Summer Leys LNR on 3rd and 4th and single Green Sandpipers were at Ecton SF on 1st and 2nd, Pitsford Res on 2nd, 4th and 5th and at Upton Valley on 4th.   

Single adult Mediterranean Gulls appeared at Ravensthorpe Res on 4th and at Daventry CP the following day while two Caspian Gulls were reported on floodwater at Irthlingborough on 1st and two adult Yellow-legged Gulls visited Ravensthorpe Res on 4th.

A Short-eared Owl put in an appearance at Blueberry Farm (Maidwell) on 30th and, again, just one Sand Martin was seen this week with one at Ecton SF on 5th. The latter site continued to host at least one very silent Siberian Chiffchaff throughout the week. Despite a couple of presumed new Blackcap arrivals from the south – at Summer Leys on 30th and Northampton on 4th – Central European Blackcaps appeared reluctant to move and continued to hang on in two gardens in Duston (Northampton), Irthlingborough, Kettering, Spratton and Wellingborough. A Black Redstart was discovered in Pattishall on 31st and Northern Wheatears were found at four sites during the week, while the year’s first Yellow Wagtail was at Harrington AF on 4th.

Bramblings hung on all week at East Hunsbury (Northampton), Harrington AF, Hanging Houghton and Spratton and a Mealy Redpoll visited a garden feeder in east Hunsbury on 3rd.