The early part of the week saw the UK sandwiched between two areas of low pressure which brought intermittent showers, some of them heavy, to the county although dry weather ultimately prevailed.
A Cackling Goose – presumably an escape – at Daventry CP on 11th has apparently been present two weeks and the two Ruddy Shelducks, ensconced by the dam at Pitsford Res all week, are clearly in it for the long haul, while a Garganey remained at Stanwick GP and two eclipse drake Red-crested Pochards dropped in there on 7th. Maidwell’s Blueberry Farm produced this week’s star raptors – an Osprey on 7th and a ‘cream-crown’ Marsh Harrier on 7th and 10th, while an adult Peregrine was at Blatherwycke Lake on 11th, but Stanwick GP stole the show with its superb run of waders this week. While Hollowell Res produced a Ringed Plover and three Little Ringed Plovers on 11th, nine Little Ringed Plovers was the top count at Stanwick on 9th, a Dunlin visited on 8th followed by a Common Snipe next day. Another Common Snipe was at Summer Leys LNR on 7th and, having attracted a Whimbrel and 4 Black-tailed Godwits on 6th, twenty-two of the latter species were there the following day; ten also turned up at Stanwick GP on 8th and one remained there between 7th and 10th, being joined by a Bar-tailed Godwit on the last of these dates. Stanwick’s mid-summer puple patch continued with two Spotted Redshanks on 8th, with three there briefly the following day, while a Greenshank was there on 9th followed by three on 10th, two visited Hollowell Res on 11th while up to 6 Green Sandpipers remained at Stanwick all week and singles visited both Daventry CP and Hollowell Res on 11th. Common Sandpipers continued to trickle through with four at Hollowell Res on 11th, up to three at both Stanwick and Summer Leys and one at Daventry CP on 11th. The number of Yellow-legged Gulls continued to build at Stanwick, climbing to twenty-one on 10th, while two adults visited Pitsford Res on 8th and singles were at both Hollowell Res and Clifford Hill GP on 11th. Turtle Doves were still in short supply with just the regular duo remaining on site at Harrington AF on 7th, while nearby a male Black Redstart was around farm buildings at Blueberry Farm on 7th-8th, a Common Redstart was in the wider Brampton Valley on 10th and the singing male Grasshopper Warbler remained there on 7th. Three more of the latter species comprised singles Lady Wood on 6th, Fermyn Wood CP on 8th and Earls Barton GP on 6th and 10th, while eight Crossbills flew over Blueberry Farm on 7th.
Northants birds 