Month: December 2015

Sunshine, showers, heavy rain and gale-force winds, still from the south-west, were the hallmarks of the last week of the year.

A  Barnacle Goose at Clifford Hill GP on 27th and two with the Greylags at Cransley Res the following day failed to make up for the lack of any truly wild geese during the period, while the Ruddy Shelduck returned from Sywell CP to Pitsford Res, where it was

present again from 26th. The striking-looking drake Chiloe x Eurasian Wigeon hybrid was again at Summer Leys LNR on 29th. The only other ducks of note were a first-winter drake Scaup at Stortons GP on 31st and three drake Smew at Pitsford Res on 27th, two

of which had relocated to Ravensthorpe Res two days later, remaining there until 31st. One drake remained at Pitsford and a ‘redhead’ was also there on 28th.

The juvenile Great Northern Diver remained throughout on the watersports pit at Ditchford GP as did a Great White Egret on Viaduct Pit until at least 29th. Three Great Whites were present at Pitsford on 26th with one until 29th and four on 31st, while one at

Summer Leys LNR on 28th was joined by a second individual the following day. The Red-necked Grebe remained off the dam at Pitsford Res all week, although it roamed as far east as ‘The Holly Tree’, beyond Moulton Grange Bay on 29th.

Raptors this week were few and far between with, for the first time in three months, the long-staying second calendar year male Marsh Harrier not being reported from Summer Leys, while single Peregrines were in the Brampton Valley on 29th and at Pineham, Northampton on 31st and a male Merlin was seen at Stanford Res on the first of these two dates.

This week’s Golden Plovers counts included two hundred at Ditchford GP and at least two hundred and fifty at Clifford Hill GP on 27th, two hundred near Chipping Warden on 29th and fifty-six at Pineham, Northampton on 31st. The only Redshanks were four at Ditchford GP on 27th and the one at Pitsford Res the following day, while the only Green Sandpiper reported was one Ravensthorpe Res on 29th – the same day that the week’s only Common Snipe was seen at Hollowell Res.

Scarce gulls were limited to single adult Caspian Gulls at Hollowell Res on 29th and at Pitsford Res in the gull roost the following evening, while the latter site produced an adult and a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull on 26th and Hollowell held two adult Yellow-leggeds on 29th.

Two Short-eared Owls were again at Stanford Res on 29th; the rough ground east of the feeder stream and visible from the minor road is still paying dividends.

The only Stonechats this week were two at Clifford Hill GP on 28th and, on the following day, two were at Hollowell Res and singles at Pitsford Res and Summer Leys. The week’s

only Brambling was at Hanging Houghton on 29th and the East Hunsbury, Northampton Mealy Redpoll again visited a garden feeder with Lesser Redpolls on 26th-27th.

The period saw a slight drop in temperature accompanying largely wet and blustery conditions, still backed by a south-westerly Atlantic airstream, still effectively blocking arrivals of numbers of wildfowl – and other potentially interesting species – from the east.No longer site faithful, the Pitsford Ruddy Shelduck went on vacation to Sywell CP

on 20th, leaving behind the drake and ‘redhead’ Smew in Holcot Bay until at least 23rd, while another drake Smew was discovered at Stanford Res on 21st and another at Earls Barton GP on 24th. Meanwhile, the juvenile Great Northern Diver remained throughout on the watersports pit at Ditchford GP

and last week’s Great White Egret was also still there on Viaduct Pit on 20th. Other long-staying Great White Egrets were one at Ravensthorpe Res and up to two still at Pitsford Res during the period. This week also saw the discovery of another Bittern – this time at Stanwick GP on 20th. The Red-necked Grebe remained off the dam at Pitsford Res until at least 20th, although it’s still likely to be present there. Is anyone looking?

This week’s raptors included the long-staying second calendar year male Marsh Harrier at Summer Leys LNR on 19th and an unidentified harrier species south of Broughton the following day, while single Peregrines were at Buckby Wharf on 19th and Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 21st, the latter site producing a Merlin on the same date and another Merlin was seen at Ditchford GP on 23rd.

Just two reports of Golden Plovers this week included ‘many’ at Summer Leys on 19th and in excess of one thousand between Yardley Gobion and Potterspury on 21st, the latter having been present in the area for the last six weeks. The only Redshanks were again the one at Pitsford Res on 19th and another at Wicksteed Park Lake on 22nd, while single Green Sandpipers were at both Daventry CP and Ravensthorpe Res on 19th and Pitsford Res from 20th to 23rd, with two there on 21st.

Winter gulling has not really got underway this year and the closure of Sidegate Landfill last January will no doubt have a severe impact on gulls visiting previously favoured roost sites in the Nene valley. Nevertheless, the Pitsford Res roost produced an adult Mediterranean Gull on 21st, while earlier in the day the same site produced a third-winter Caspian Gull and a first-winter Caspian visited Stanford Res on the same date.

North of Pitsford, a Short-eared Owl was again at Harrington AF on 21st, while the bird in the set-aside area, east of the feeder stream at Stanford Res, was still present on 23rd. On the passerine front there were single Stonechats at Summer Leys on 19th and

Ditchford GP the following day, while the usual handful of Central European Blackcaps lingered in some of the county’s favoured gardens, with a new male visiting an East Hunsbury (Northampton) garden on 20th – the same garden also producing what appears to be the county’s only 2015 Mealy Redpoll from 19th to 24th.

Bolstered by winds from the south-west and again largely dry, the unseasonally mild weather continued throughout the week, with this month on course to enter the record books as the mildest December for seventy years, if not the mildest ever.

Three Bewick’s Swans flew west over Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 12th and two – which appeared to be a pair – arrived in Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Res, four days later, on 16th. In decline, it is now a rare visitor to the county, with wintering flocks regularly exceeding sixty at this site in the 1970s now sadly consigned to history. An exciting new conservation initiative for this species will be announced by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust next week.

The Pitsford Ruddy Shelduck was still present on 16th and same site held six Pintails on the same date. Stanford Res again produced the week’s only Red-crested Pochard – a male on 13th, with the first-winter Scaup still present on the same date, and Pitsford Res’s drake Smew still on site on 14th.

After two uncharacteristically short-stayers, it would have been surprising if the larger part of the winter had passed by diverless so the discovery of another juvenile Great Northern at Ditchford GP on 13th was welcomed, if not entirely unexpected, as it remained throughout the week.

Also remaining were up to two Great White Egrets at Pitsford Res, one at Ravensthorpe Res and another in the mid-Nene Valley, which visited Wellingborough on 14th, Ditchford GP on 17th and Summer Leys LNR the following day. By comparison, Bittern is a ‘rarity’, with only one being seen at the regular wintering site of Stortons GP on 16th. The Red-necked Grebe, discovered at Pitsford Res at the end of last week, appeared settled, remaining just off the dam, by the overflow, throughout. However, it has a long way to go to equal the length of stay of the second calendar year male Marsh Harrier which was still in the Summer Leys area at the end of the week. The only other raptors on the radar during the period were Peregrines at Ditchford GP on 13th, Daventry CP on 14th (two) and Higham Ferrers on 18th.

Golden Plovers counts this week were restricted to approximately five hundred between Pitsford Res and Sywell Airfield on 16th and the same number at Summer Leys two days later. The only Redshank was again one at Pitsford Res on 12th with three Green Sandpipers there on 16th and up to two at Ravensthorpe Res on 14th-18th. Two Common Snipes were also at Ravensthorpe Res on 15th and 18th and a Curlew visited Pitsford Res the following day.

This week’s rare larids were represented by adult Caspian Gulls at Stanford Res on 13th and Pitsford Res on 14th with a first-winter at Daventry CP the following day and the only Yellow-legged Gulls were single adults at Daventry CP and Ravensthorpe Res on 14th and 15th respectively.

Two Short-eared Owls remained into the week at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell while the bird in the set-aside area, east of the feeder stream at Stanford Res, continued to be reported almost daily and was joined by another there on 16th. Feeding on halved apples and fatballs, Central European Blackcaps visited gardens in Barton Seagrave, Corby, Sywell and Wellingborough, while a Siberian Chiffchaff was found with Chiffchaffs along the outfall stream at Ecton SF on 14th and the only Stonechats reported were two at Ditchford GP on 13th and one at Thrapston GP on 18th.

Strong south-westerly winds dominated the first two days of the period as ‘Storm Desmond’ dumped significant rain on northern Britain, leaving the Midlands relatively unscathed. The following five days saw sporadic rain and continuing above average temperatures, albeit lower than those of the previous week.

Three Pink-footed Geese flew east over Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 5th; none has yet been found on the ground so far this winter. The Pitsford Ruddy Shelduck was seen twice – on 9th and 11th and the same site hosted up to four Pintails on 6th, while two were seen flying over Burton Latimer on 11th. Stanford Res produced the week’s only Red-crested Pochard – a female on 5th, along with last week’s first-winter Scaup, still present on the same date, and Pitsford Res’s drake Smew reappeared on 6th and was later joined by a ‘redhead’ from 9th.

Pitsford also continued to hold up to two – possibly three – mobile Great White Egrets throughout the period, while singles remained at Summer Leys LNR until at least 7th and at Ravensthorpe Res until 8th. The first in the county this year, a Red-necked Grebe just off the dam at Pitsford was a nice end of week find on 11th and will hopefully remain for birders to catch up with over the weekend.

Showing no signs of departing any time soon, the second calendar year male Marsh Harrier remained in the Summer Leys area until at least 9th but no other scarce raptors were reported during the week.

Approximately one thousand Golden Plovers at Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows LNR on 6th represents the best count for this species so far this autumn, while the only other record for the week was eleven at Pitsford Res. The only Redshanks were one at Pitsford Res on 6th and six at Stanwick GP on 8th, while up to two Green Sandpipers were Daventry CP on 5th, singles were at Ravensthorpe Res on 5th and 8th and two were at Pitsford Res on 6th. Twenty-one Common Snipe were counted at Pitsford Res on 6th and two were at Ravensthorpe Res on 8th.

Scarce gulls were few and far between this week and included a first-winter Mediterranean Gull at Daventry CP on 5th, adult Caspian Gulls again it the gull roost at Pitsford Res on 5th and 9th and another adult at Daventry CP on 10th and a Yellow-legged Gull at Stanwick GP on 8th.

Four localities produced this week’s Short-eared Owls which comprised singles at Stanford Res, Harrington AF and in the Brampton Valley on 7th plus one at Stanwick GP the following day. Central European Blackcaps visited gardens in Maidwell on 6th, Wellingborough on 7th (two) and Duston, Northampton on 8th but of more interest was a Lesser Whitethroat – possibly of eastern origin – in a garden at Adstone on 11th. Two Stonechats remained at Blueberry Farm, two were nearby in the Brampton Valley and one was at Summer Leys on 8th-9th, while the only Bramblings reported were three at

Stanford Res on 5th and singles at Pitsford Res and Guilsborough on 6th and 10th respectively. Between seven and ten Crossbills were seen near the dam at Pitsford Res on 7th.

This week saw the official commencement of winter – at least in meteorological terms – although temperatures here and in northern Europe remained well above the seasonal norm, effectively delaying any new arrivals of wildfowl from the continent.

Ducking and diving, the Pitsford Ruddy Shelduck reappeared in field south of the causeway on 2nd; it has not been easy to keep track of this autumn.

The only Pintails were three at Earls Barton GP on 28th and the same date saw three Red-crested Pochards at Stanford Res, dropping to one by 3rd and four were at Pitsford Res on 30th with five there on 4th, while last week’s first-winter Scaup remained at Ravensthorpe Res until 28th, before moving to Stanford Res on 4th.

The following day produced a Bittern at Stanford Res and the count of Great White Egrets at Pitsford Res fell to just one between 28th and 30th although two were there on 4th, while singles remained throughout the week at Ravensthorpe Res and Summer Leys LNR.

At the latter site the second calendar year male Marsh Harrier made it into December, still being present there on 3rd but the only Peregrine reported was one at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 2nd and a Merlin flew west at Stanwick GP on 4th.

Golden Plover numbers were up on last week’s, however, with records from Clifford Hill GP, Daventry CP, Harrington AF, Milton Malsor, Summer Leys LNR and Stanwick GP with the latter site producing the maximum count of six hundred on 30th, 3rd and 4th. The only Redshanks were one at Pitsford Res and three at Stanwick GP on 30th and five at the latter locality on the following day, while four Green Sandpipers were at Broadholme STW (Ditchford GP) on 28th, with singles at Ecton SF and Ravensthorpe Res on the same date and at Pitsford Res on 30th, with two again at Ravensthorpe Res on 1st and 4th, where a Common Snipe was present on the same dates and one was at Hollowell Res on 4th.

Scarce gulls were more in evidence this week with a second-winter Mediterranean Gull at Daventry CP on 30th followed by an adult (complete with green ring on left leg) there on 2nd and an adult Caspian Gull was present it the gull roost at Pitsford Res on 28th-29th, another adult was at Stanford Res on 4th, while a second-winter visited Stanwick GP on 1st-3rd and a first-winter was there on 2nd. Up to two Yellow-legged Gulls were reported from Daventry CP, Hollowell Res, Stanford Res and Stanwick GP with the latter locality producing an adult Glaucous Gull on the Visitor Centre Pit on 3rd, while a fly-over adult ‘white-winged’ gull there the following evening was almost certainly the same individual.

One or two Short-eared Owls were discovered in fields immediately north of the church at Long Buckby on 1st and one remained around the southernmost field of the Blueberry Farm complex until at least 2nd.  Wintering Central European Blackcaps visited gardens in Barton Seagrave on 28th and Scaldwell on 1st and another Siberian Chiffchaff was discovered – this time at Stanwick GP – on 30th, being seen there again on 1st.

Four Stonechats remained at Blueberry Farm until at least 2nd, the same  number was at Hollowell Res on 1st and one remained at Summer Leys all week, while the only Bramblings reported were four at Hanging Houghton on 30th and one over Harrington AF on 2nd.