A more temperate period followed the previous week’s hot air and humidity as the wind mix became light northerly and westerly. Long-staying Cattle Egrets remained in the Nene Valley, while wader passage continued to trickle along and included increasing numbers of more common species.
Seemingly in for the long haul, the first-summer female Ruddy Shelduck remained at Hollowell Res all week, and the first Garganey of the autumn appeared at Stanwick GP on 6th-7th. The two Red-crested Pochards at Pitsford Res remained until at least 10th, being joined there by another on 8th, while birders at Stanford Res enjoyed an afternoon stopover by four drake Common Scoters on the same date. These birds are part of the annual, post-breeding moult migration, which initially involves largely adult drakes and immatures moving to traditionally favoured coastal localities, such as the east coast of Scotland, Carmarthen Bay and west coastal France, where they are joined by females and juveniles from mid-August (BTO Migration Atlas, 2002).
Two Bitterns were found this week – one at Stortons GP on 6th and the other at Summer Leys two days later, on 9th. Both gave only the standard flight views typically associated with this species as birds quickly move for one patch of reeds to another. Further east along the valley, up to two Cattle Egrets remained at Stanwick throughout the period, while a Great Egret took up temporary residence in Pitsford’s Scaldwell Bay between 8th and 10th.
Another lean week for Ospreys produced singles flying east over the A43 near Deenethorpe, north of Corby on 7th, over Thrapston GP on 8th and over Deene Lake on 9th.
Set against a backcloth of more common waders, e.g. returning Green and Common Sandpipers (six of the latter were at Hollowell Res on 12th), Black-tailed Godwits continued to be seen – their numbers including up to twelve at Summer Leys on 7th, one at Stanwick on 9th and two at Ditchford GP on 10th. A Ruff visited Stanwick on 11th and a Greenshank was at the same locality on 10th.
Another autumn ‘first’ was an adult Mediterranean Gull at Hollowell Res on 9th and the adult Yellow-legged Gull present there last week moved to nearby Ravensthorpe Res, where it remained until at least 9th. Elsewhere, singles visited Stanwick on 6th, Daventry Res on 8th-9th and Pitsford on 10th, with two at the latter site the following day.
Following last week’s adult and a juvenile Common Redstarts near Badby, a juvenile appeared at Denton Wood in Yardley Chase on 11th. Its rather fresh, unmoulted juvenile plumage, coupled with the relatively early arrival date, gives rise to speculation that it had fledged locally. This species has occasionally bred in the county and, although there have been summer females with active brood patches there are no records of proven breeding this century.
Northants birds 