Month: October 2016

Although short-lived, the easterly airstream resumed for the first two days of the period, after which it was replaced by a more westerly to south-westerly airflow from the Atlantic as an area of high pressure became established over southern England by the week’s end. The prime action was, however, limited to just one day – 23rd October – when a Gannet cruised over Summer Leys and Earls Barton GP and the County’s eleventh Woodlark since 1912 put in an all too brief appearance at Borough Hill.

The Ruddy Shelduck was still by the sailing club at Pitsford Res on 22nd, while the same site produced a sizeable total of thirty-six Pintails on 26th. Elsewhere, Pintail numbers were pegged to single figures which included seven at Earls Barton GP on 23rd, 2 at Daventry CP on 22nd and one at Stanwick GP on 25th. A Wood Duck of unknown origin – i.e. an escape – was on the canal at Stoke Bruerne on 28th. Back at Pitsford at least one late Garganey was discovered on 26th and up to eleven Red-crested Pochards remained throughout.

A juvenile Gannet flew over Mary’s Lake at Earls Barton GP and then over Summer Leys main lake as it tracked westwards along the Nene Valley on 23rd. This is the first since 2014 after a blank year in 2015, although this species is by no means annual in the County.

The Stortons GP Bittern was again seen on 25th and another flew into reeds at Titchmarsh LNR (Thrapston GP) at dusk the following day, while up to three Great White Egrets remained north of the causeway at Pitsford Res, one lingered at Daventry CP to at least 27th and the Deene Lake individual was still ensconced there on 23rd.

Although Little Egrets may be common nowadays, arguably bird photograph of the week was of this one grappling with a pike at Summer Leys on 27th.

Raptors were limited to a Marsh Harrier between Holcot and Walgrave on 26th, a Merlin at Harrington AF on 28th and Peregrines at Borough Hill, Brampton Valley, Harrington AF, Higham Ferrers, Northampton, Pitsford Res and Upton.

Although low in numbers, Golden Plover was the dominant wader this week with seventy at Daventry CP on 22nd being the highest count, followed by smaller numbers at Boddington Res, Deenethorpe, Clifford Hill GP, Harrington AF, Pitsford Res, Polebrook AF, Stanwick GP, Summer Leys and Sywell CP. A Ruff was feeding with Lapwings in a ploughed field at Polebrook AF on 23rd, two Dunlins were at Stanwick GP on 22nd and a late Common Sandpiper visited Daventry CP on the same date. Pitsford Res produced the week’s maximum of six Green Sandpipers on 26th and singles were also present at Daventry CP, Deene Lake and Stanford Res, while Pitsford also held a Redshank on 26th-27th. Between fifteen and twenty Common Snipe were at Barnes Meadow, Northampton on 25th with smaller numbers at Pitsford Res, Polebrook AF, Stanford Res, Summer Leys and Thrapston GP, the last of these producing a Jack Snipe on 22nd while four were still at Barnes Meadow on 25th.

A few more gulls than last week included single adult Caspian Gulls in the roosts at Boddington Res on 24th and Pitsford Res on 28th, while single adult Yellow-legged Gulls were at Culworth on 23rd and at Stanford Res on 23rd and 26th, five were at Boddington Res on 24th and up to two were at Pitsford Res all week.

In a similar vein to last week, another migrant Short-eared Owl was seen – this time on the western side of Northampton, in flight over Stortons GP on 26th.

The two Bearded Tits at Summer Leys were seen again on 23rd and up to six were reported from Stanwick GP the following day. Highlight of the week, however, was Northamptonshire’s eleventh Woodlark since the species last bred here in 1912. Touching down only briefly on Borough Hill early on 23rd, it was unfortunately flushed by non-birders and headed off north. Breeding no further away than Nottinghamshire and Breckland, and with migrants more frequently recorded in neighbouring counties, it’s surprising there are so few local records. It remains one to catch up with for the majority of today’s local birders.

The autumn Stonechat rush continues with the Blueberry Farm/Brampton Valley area featuring eight on 24th plus records of two or more from Borough Hill, Harrington AF, Summer Leys and Sywell CP.

Although never common, another species which has become more scarce in recent years is Water Pipit, one of which flew west over Pitsford Res on 28th. Also scarce but less so, the first Mealy Redpoll of the autumn/winter period was trapped and ringed at Stanford Res on 24th.

With no more than six Bramblings at any one site, single-figure counts came from Blueberry Farm, Borough Hill, Brampton Valley, Brixworth CP, Evenley Wood, Hanging Houghton and Walgrave, while two Crossbills flew east over the first of these sites on 24th, six more flew south over Borough Hill on 23rd and and another fly-over Hawfinch was logged at the latter site on 22nd.

This week saw the easterly airstream, which had become a protracted feature over the preceding two weeks, slipping away and being replaced by southerly, south-westerly, north-westerly and northerly winds as the week progressed. Temperatures fell and, despite some local heavy showers, conditions remained largely dry. Migrants continued to be found as large numbers of thrushes – principally Redwings – moved through the county and, at last, two Yellow-browed Warblers were reported, seen briefly, then, slipping into the ether … and gone …

The Ruddy Shelduck, still by the sailing club at Pitsford Res, remained throughout the period and the same location held up to nineteen Pintails and four Red-crested Pochards. More Pintails were seen on 21st, with singles at Stanford Res and Summer Leys LNR and four at Earls Barton GP.

The Stortons GP Bittern was again seen in only flight on 19th and Great White Egrets were less numerous or widespread this week, with up to three throughout Pitsford Res and one continuing to linger at Daventry CP, where the Black-necked Grebe remained until at least 15th. The best raptor materialised in the shape of a ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier, which was seen flying from Blueberry Farm toward Haselbech on 19th but the only other raptors reported were Peregrines, including singles in Northampton on 15th and 17th, in Brampton Valley on 18th and at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell the following day.

The wader supply continued to dry up, with barrel-scraping highlights restricted to fifty-three Golden Plovers at Pitsford Res on 16th, also up to fifty at Harrington AF all week, three Green Sandpipers at Pitsford Res on several dates and twenty-one Common Snipe at Barnes Meadow, Northampton on 15th, when seven Jack Snipe were also counted there. Smaller numbers of Common Snipe were also seen at Pitsford Res, Ditchford GP and Summer Leys.

An adult Caspian Gull at Boddington Res briefly on 17th and an adult Yellow-legged Gull at Pitsford Res all week represented the poorest weekly showing of gulls for a long, long time. With the nights drawing in there’s never been a better time to find Northamptonshire’s first Laughing Gull in a roost on the way home from work …

And as we head into winter are we destined to see any decent numbers of Short-eared Owls? One at Harrington AF on 19th seems more likely to have been a passing migrant than a local winter visitor. The two Bearded Tits at Summer Leys were seen again on 17th but there was no further sign of any of last week’s at Stortons GP. With record numbers both on the coast and inland and, after a good three weeks of high expectation, two Yellow-browed Warblers were finally found – one at Stanford Res on 20th, the other at Harrington AF the following day. Both were with roving tit flocks, they were not pinned down and if accepted, they will represent only 9th and 10th Northamptonshire records.

A suburban Northampton garden would appear to be an unlikely setting for a migrant Ring Ouzel but, as unlikely as it seems, a confiding first-winter male remained in one at Bush Hill for four days from 19th.

It’s proving to be a good autumn for Stonechats, which were recorded from Blueberry Farm, Boddington Res, Borough Hill, Harrington AF, Pitsford Res and Sywell CP, with a maximum of four at Blueberry Farm on 19th.

Two very late Tree Pipits were reported this week – one from Blueberry Farm on 20th and two at Stanford Res on 21st, although they don’t quite beat the latest ever, which was also at Stanford Res on 29th October 1995. More Bramblings arrived this week with single-figure counts from Fawsley Park, Hellidon, Harrington AF, Pitsford Res, Brampton Valley and Blueberry Farm with possibly as many as ten at the latter site on 20th, the same locality and date also producing a Corn Bunting – still very much a local rarity.

The easterly airstream, resulting from a blocking area of high pressure over Scandinavia, continued throughout the week, bringing with it a substantial numbers of common migrants, along with potentially the highest number of eastern vagrants to be recorded in any one autumn in the UK. Meanwhile, Northamptonshire is still awaiting its first untrapped Yellow-browed Warbler for several years.

The first of the winter geese materialised in the shape of four Pink-feet flying south over Stanford Res on 14th, while the Ruddy Shelduck remained, as usual, by the sailing club at Pitsford Res throughout the period. Pintails became more widespread this week with five at Earls Barton GP on 8th and two still there three days later, one at Thrapston GP and two at Stanford Res on 9th, one at Boddington Res on 10th and another at Hollowell Res the next day. Hollowell also produced two Red-crested Pochards on 11th, the same date that four were also at Pitsford.

Patience and a potentially long vigil are likely to be required for those wanting to see the Bittern discovered at Stortons GP on 9th and which was still present the following day. Sitting on the bench on the south side of the reedbed, armed with a hip flask or copious amounts of coffee as sustenance, may produce the desired result of flight views for anyone who has all day – just don’t blink …

This week’s brace of Great White Egrets included one at Ringstead GP – the first record for this site – on 8th, one at Thrapston GP and the settled individual at Deene Lake on 9th, when there were also three at Pitsford Res, where the tally increased to five on 11th and one was at Daventry CP from 12th until the week’s end.

The latter site again continued to host last week’s Black-necked Grebe throughout the period. The only raptors reported this week were Peregrines – singles at Summer Leys and Harrington AF on 8th, two near Sidegate Lane, Wellingborough on the same date and one at Stanford Res on 12th.

With wader passage all but over, up to forty Golden Plovers were at Harrington AF during the week, two Dunlins were at Pitsford Res on 9th and one visited Summer Leys on 11th and surely, this time, the last Common Sandpiper of the year was at Daventry CP on 13th.

Daventry CP also held a Green Sandpiper on the same date, while singles were at Ditchford GP and Deene Lake on 8th and 9th respectively and one was at Pitsford Res on 8th followed by two there on 11th. Small numbers of Common Snipe included singles at Ditchford GP and Summer Leys on 8th, fourteen at Deene Lake the following day, two at Hollowell Res and at least five at Pitsford Res on 11th and four at Boddington Res on 12th.

The potential highlight of the week would have been the Arctic Skua flying west, just south of Borough Hill on 10th but viewing conditions at the time precluded a positive ID. This is the first skua of any species in the county since 2011 when, again, an unidentified skua (thought probably to be a Long-tailed) was seen in flight near Weedon on 20th September. The few scarce larids included a first-winter Mediterranean Gull in the roost at Stanford Res on 12th and an adult Caspian Gull in the Pitsford Res roost the following evening, while the latter site produced single adult Yellow-legged Gulls on 8th, 13th and 14th while Boddington Res held three on 10th and two on 12th.

‘Pinging’ in the reedbed at Stortons GP, two Bearded Tits gave themselves away on 9th and there were at least four there the following day, while two were again at Summer Leys on 14th.

A Ring Ouzel was discovered in fields north-east of Long Buckby on 8th, a relatively late Whinchat was at Borough Hill on 10th and there were four Stonechats there on the same date. Elsewhere, between one and two Stonechats were seen at Blueberry Farm (Maidwell), Harrington AF, Hollowell Res, Pitsford Res, Stanford Res, Summer Leys and Sywell CP and two Northern Wheatears appeared at Harrington AF on 8th and one was at Preston Deanery the following day.

Two more Rock Pipits were found this week – one at Stanford Res on 9th and the other at Boddington Res on 12th, with the latter site producing a Hawfinch briefly on 10th.

Aside from some fast moving heavy showers accompanied by thunder and lightning on 1st, the remainder of the week was dry, largely sunny with the winds variable between north-east and south-east. The easterly airstream stretched from well beyond Scandinavia, bringing with it many scarce eastern migrants to coastal UK. With many Yellow-browed Warblers also making it well inland, Northamptonshire surely has one or two lurking somewhere not too far away …

The Ruddy Shelduck remained at Pitsford Res throughout as Pintail numbers there continued to rise to reach a total of twenty-one on 1st and one also visited Stanford Res on 7th. A Garganey was also present at Pitsford from 1st to 5th and another was found at Hollowell Res on 2nd, while up to three Red-crested Pochards were also at Pitsford between 1st and 5th and, on 1st, an eclipse drake was at Stanford Res and five visited Hollowell Res.

Totting up this week’s Great White Egrets brings us to a total of at least six. The bird from Hollowell Res was seen to depart in the direction of Pitsford Res late in the day on 1st, from when the Pitsford two became three, and singles also lingered on at Deene Lake until 2nd and at Summer Leys LNR intermittently between 3rd and 5th. Elsewhere, further singles visited Thrapston GP on 2nd, Stanwick GP on 4th and Daventry CP on 7th, with the latter site continuing to host the last week’s Black-necked Grebe throughout the period.

A Honey Buzzard drifted low south over Pitsford Res on 1st and a Marsh Harrier between Upton Mill and Pineham (Northampton) on 5th were the only large raptors of note, while just two Peregrines – singles at Harrington AF on 2nd and Pitsford Res on 5th – quickly rounds off the raptor offering for this week.

On the wader front, around fifteen Golden Plovers were at Harrington AF on 2nd and a Grey Plover visited Hollowell Res on 1st but had gone by the next day. Small numbers of Ringed Plovers included two at Clifford Hill GP on 1st, followed by singles at Daventry CP on 4th and at both Boddington Res and Pitsford Res on 5th. Black-tailed Godwits continued to migrate through with three at Summer Leys on 1st which were seen later in the day flying east over Ditchford GP. Again, the week’s only Ruff was the Daventry CP individual, which remained until at least 3rd and, after an absence last week, Dunlin again appeared in small numbers with two at Clifford Hill GP on 1st, one at Hollowell Res on 1st-2nd, two at Ditchford GP on 2nd, four at Pitsford Res on 3rd and one at Daventry CP on 7th. Potentially the last Common Sandpiper of the year was one at Sywell CP on 5th, while between one and three Green Sandpipers were noted at Daventry CP, Deene Lake and Pitsford Res throughout the week.

A couple of late Greenshank comprised singles at both Ditchford GP and Pitsford Res on 2nd, while Common Snipe numbers remained in single figures with three at Hollowell Res on 1st, six at Deene Lake on 2nd and two at Daventry CP on 7th.

Scarce gulls remained in short supply, with two adult Caspian Gulls in the roost at Pitsford Res on 2nd, up to two adult Yellow-legged Gulls were there on 1st-2nd and three at Boddington Res on 5th. A migrant Short-eared Owl at Harrington AF on 2nd was the first one of the autumn as were two Bearded Tits – perhaps the only ones of the autumn – at Summer Leys on 7th. The only hint of flavour from the east was a Siberian Chiffchaff trapped and ringed at Stanford Res on 5th.

Whinchats were still being encountered in the early part of the week, with singles at Harrington AF and Pitsford Res plus two at Staverton – all on 2nd, while up to three Stonechats were at Stanford Res on 1st-2nd, one was at Ditchford GP on 2nd and up to two were at Harrington AF between 2nd and 6th.

A Rock Pipit – another typical scarce autumn migrant and the first of the season – was found on the dam at Hollowell Res on 3rd and a male Brambling appeared at Stanford Res on 7th.