The Week in Focus: 19th to 25th July 2014

With high pressure sitting over the country for much of the week the warm spell continued as further signs of autumn became evident.

The two Ruddy Shelducks continued to be reported from Pitsford Res until the week’s end, while a Garganey remained at Stanwick GP on the same date, another was at Summer Leys LNR on 25th and last week’s female Goldeneye was still at Stanford Res on 20th with the long-stayer at Earls Barton GP on 25th.

Garganey, Summer Leys LNR, 25th July 2014 (Mike Alibone)

Single Ospreys were fishing at Pitsford Res on 22nd and 25th and Stanford Res on 24th, while two visited Hollowell Res on 25th along with a Marsh Harrier.

There was no substantial increase in passage waders which included single Ringed Plovers at Stanwick GP on 21st and Hollowell Res on 25th, while six Little Ringed Plovers were counted at Summer Leys LNR on 19th, four were at Stanwick GP on 21st and five at Hollowell Res on 25th.

Common Snipe were limited to two at Summer Leys LNR on 20th, where an Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit was present on 25th, up to 3 Green Sandpipers remained at Stanwick GP, the same number was at Broadholme SWT (Ditchford GP) on 22nd and two were at Daventry CP and one at Hollowell Res on 25th. Single Wood Sandpipers – the first of the autumn’s few – were at Summer Leys LNR briefly on 19th and Hollowell Res on 25th and Common Sandpipers remained very much in evidence with up to five at Hollowell Res on 25th, three at both Stanwick and Summer Leys LNR and singles at Broadholme, Daventry CP and Pitsford Res.

Common Sandpiper, Pitsford Res, 20th July 2014 (Clive Bowley)

The first of the autumn’s Mediterranean Gulls – a smart juvenile – was at Daventry CP on the morning of 25th and another (or the same) visited Pitsford Res during the evening, while numbers of Yellow-legged Gulls continued to climb with 32 at Stanwick GP on 19th and smaller numbers elsewhere, including one at Pitsford Res on 19th, two there on 25th and one and Daventry CP on the same date.

Two Turtle Doves remained at Harrington AF until at least 22nd, while a Ring-necked Parakeet visited a garden in Denton on 21st-23rd and one was in Abington Park, Northampton on 24th and Grasshopper Warblers were still singing at Earls Barton GP on 20th and at Harrington AF on 22nd and 25th.

Grasshopper Warbler, Earls Barton GP, 20th July 2014 (Alan Coles)

The latter site produced a Whinchat and a Common Redstart on 22nd with two of the latter species there the following day and one on 25th, while a Black Redstart was seen briefly in gardens in Long Buckby on 19th and two Crossbills flew east at Harrington on 25th.