Month: February 2020

Blinked and you’ll have missed it. A phrase equally applicable to two Northamptonshire winter firsts this week. We’re talking snow and Waxwings – bohemian in more ways than one.

And where were all the wildfowl? Ducking and diving, no doubt and not a rare goose or cygnus in sight. So it was left for long-legged wetland wanderers to fill the gap, this falling to at least four Cattle Egrets still on Ditchford GP’s Chester House Lake on 25th-26th and the usual scattering of Great Egrets, with threes at Thrapston GP and Summer Leys LNR, twos at Ditchford, Pitsford Res and Stanford Res and singles at Kislingbury GP and Stanwick GP.

Waders crept into the picture, literally, with three Jack Snipe at Hollowell Res on 22nd and one at Stanford the following day, while unseasonal Dunlins were found at Summer Leys on 24th and at Stanwick on 27th.

This week’s larid line-up was a little more down to earth compared to that of the last period, featuring single adult Mediterranean Gulls at Hollowell on 25th and Rushton Landfill on 26th. The same two sites produced the bulk of the week’s Caspian Gulls, with an adult at Hollowell on 22nd, an adult at Rushton on 25th and 26th, along with a third-winter there on the first of these two dates, while a first-winter was in the roost at Stanford on 28th.

A new site for Short-eared Owl emerged on 23rd, when one was found near Brixworth, while the Borough Hill three were still performing on the same date and one remained at Harrington AF throughout the period. The week’s token Merlin – a female – was hunting around the DIRFT 3 area, which had played host to the Great Grey Shrike earlier in the year, on 27th.

But the undoubted stars of the week were three Waxwings at Harrington AF on 17th. Their disappointingly short stay resulted in only a lucky trio of birders connecting with them before they quickly moved on.

Stonechats bounced back from a rather poor showing last week, although no more than two were on show at the nine localities which hosted them, including Borough Hill, Ditchford, Hartwell, Hollowell, Kettering, Kislingbury, Naseby, Pitsford and Polebrook AF.

 

Another week of wind and wuthering saw most of the action taking place in Northamptonshire’s northwest, which produced a second for the county – albeit briefly.

In a lean week for wildfowl, the nine Pink-footed Geese continued to be seen daily at Stanford, on the Northamptonshire side of the River Avon, until 18th.

So far, proving unusually scarce this winter, a Bittern was seen in flight close to Stoke Bruerne on 16th but a search of suitable habitat in the vicinity turned out to be fruitless the following day. This was, of course, not the case with Great Egrets, which were found at six localities during the week, with a maximum of up to three at Thrapston GP on 16th.

Making an all too brief sortie into the county, from across the border in Leicestershire, was this winter’s first Iceland Gull, an adult, found in the roost at Stanford Res on 18th.

As if that wasn’t enough, a third-winter Kumlien’s Gull from the same Leicestershire stable appeared in the same roost! A double whammy, a county second and more than ample reward for the time invested at this site by its single, relentlessly enthusiastic observer. “It’s only a ‘sub’, chap,” the cynics may say but a great bird, nonetheless. The first acceptable record was as recently as March 2016, at Daventry CP. The only Caspian Gulls this week also appeared in the Stanford roost – a first-winter on 17th and a third-winter on 21st.

Just two reports of Short-eared Owls included the Borough Hill three on 17th and the one still at Harrington AF on 20th, the latter site also producing a Merlin on 17th.

Back up at Stanford, at the field with the Percy Pilcher Monument, last week’s cute corvid showing characteristics of Nordic Jackdaw was again on show on 21st, while Ecton SF’s Siberian Chiffchaff was also still in situ on 17th, along with at least ten Common Chiffchaffs.

Stonechat numbers were down from last week, with singles only at Pitsford Res, Stanford and Wicksteed Water Meadows (Kettering). Now, if we can only lose those winds …

For those who like their isobars squeezed, then this was the week. It was time to batten down the Nuthatches as Storm Ciara felled trees indiscriminately across the county, during the strongest winds experienced for seven years. There was, however, little change to the birding scene.

Nine Pink-footed Geese, which had been residing on the Leicestershire side of Stanford Res on 7th, entered Northamptonshire airspace the following day, when they flew over the reservoir toward Stanford Hall. There they stayed throughout the week – on the ‘wrong’ side of the Avon – until 14th, when they ventured, albeit briefly, across the border to the water-logged fields around the Percy Pilcher Monument.

The only other wildfowl of note were the two first-winter drake Greater Scaups, which remained at Clifford Hill GP until at least 8th.

Great Egrets were found at eight localities this week, with a maximum of three at both Stanwick GP and Thrapston GP.

From one white bird to another (well, almost) as this week’s Mediterranean Gulls – both adults – were seen at both Daventry CP and Stanford on 14th, while the third-winter Glaucous Gull, found in the roost at Stanford on 7th, did the decent thing and lingered there throughout most of the following morning.

It failed to return to the roost in the evening, during which a near-adult Caspian Gull provided a consolational ‘by-catch’ for a small handful of hopeful observers. Further Caspians were a fourth-winter at Pitsford Res on the same day and an adult at Hollowell Res on 8th-9th. An adult Yellow-legged Gull visited at Daventry on 10th and two – an adult and a second-winter – were in the roost at Boddington Res on 11th. Waders on parade this week were limited to just three Jack Snipes at Hollowell on 14th.

Short-eared Owls were reported from three of last week’s localities, with Borough Hill again producing a performing trio on 12th, while singles remained at Harrington AF until at least 11th and Stanford until 13th. Back up at the field with the Percy Pilcher Monument, a Nordic Jackdaw (or one showing characteristics thereof) within a large corvid flock on 11th provided an interesting distraction but hardly constituted a monumental find.

Oundle’s Black Redstart continued to pose on St Peter’s Church on 8th but there were no subsequent reports, although it did roam to nearby dwellings and proved to be elusive.

Stonechats were recorded at five sites, which included Hollowell, Pitsford, Stanford, Thrapston and Wicksteed Water Meadows (Kettering), with a maximum of four at Pitsford on 14th.

Continuing mild weather was the order of the week, with local temperatures hitting a high of 13°C on 2nd. There was even a touch of avian spring as two species of wader were back at potential breeding sites in two river valleys during the period.

Hollowell Res’ female Ruddy Shelduck again made it into the week, still present there on 1st, while last week’s Greater Scaups – the two first-winter drakes at Clifford Hill GP and the female at Stanwick GP – remained firmly in place throughout.

A quick check of Ditchford GP’s Chester House Lake revealed the five Cattle Egrets to be all present and correct on 6th and 7th, along with a Great Egret and several Little Egrets on the same body of water – a sight which would never have been envisaged a couple of years ago. Great Egrets remained at seven localities, with a maximum of four at Stanwick on 6th.

A dearth of raptors saw just a ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier hunting over ploughed fields alongside the A605 near Warmington on 1st.

On a cursory note, a couple of waders provided a ‘heads up’ that spring is just around the corner as Oystercatchers returned to the Nene Valley at Thrapston GP on 6th and Clifford Hill the following day, while a Curlew was bubbling away in south Northants on 5th. A locally unseasonal Dunlin was found at Daventry CP on 4th while, more in keeping with winter, Hollowell produced a high total of nine Jack Snipe on 1st.

Gull numbers picked up significantly from last week, at last including the first ‘white-winger’ of the winter. Single adult Mediterranean Gulls visited Daventry CP on 4th and 7th, Boddington Res on 5th and Stanford Res on 7th, when a third-winter Glaucous Gull was also found in the roost there. Earlier in the week it had been seen at nearby Shawell, just over the border in Leicestershire. Three Caspian Gulls – two adults and a third-winter – were at Rushton Landfill on 6th and an adult Yellow-legged Gull visited at Daventry on 4th.

There was no change on the Short-eared Owl front, last week’s four localities continuing to host birds seemingly eager to perform to a steady stream of appreciative onlookers. Borough Hill, topping the bill for both popularity and numbers, produced four, Stanford three and Harrington AF and Neville’s Lodge (Finedon) one apiece.

Ecton SF hung on to at least one Siberian Chiffchaff throughout and up to two more were discovered with up to eight Common Chiffchaffs at the nicely compact and insect-rich location of Islip STW on 3rd-5th. This (sub)species is probably commoner in winter than we think, although it would appear there are both good and bad winters as far as numbers nationally are concerned. Sewage works are a favoured winter habitat.

After last week’s Black Redstart in Corby, another was found in the much more easily accessible location of Oundle Church on 6th and it was still present there the following day, albeit after several hours’ absence. Sunday’s churchgoers could be in for a bonus … manna from heaven, maybe?

Stonechats were recorded at five sites, which included Borough Hill, Hollowell, Stanford, Thrapston and Barton Seagrave, with a maximum of three at Hollowell on 1st.

The mild Atlantic airstream once again ensured traditional winter weather was kept firmly at bay, with local temperatures hitting a high of 12°C during the last two days of the period. The early part of the week, however, had birders ducking and diving when it came to confirming the identification of a problematic Aythya, discovered at Stanwick on day one.

Hollowell Res continued to play host to the female Ruddy Shelduck until at least 27th but it was a different shade of brown which brought a quickening of the pulse to the finder of a controversial quacker, sparking much debate over its identification during its stay at Stanwick GP from 25th to 27th. Initially looking very good for a female Ferruginous Duck, subsequent close examination revealed a hybrid in hiding, the game was up and on 29th it duly scarpered to Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows reserve.

Not so controversial were this week’s Nene Valley Greater Scaups, which included the female still at Stanwick and two very different looking first-winter drakes at Clifford Hill GP from 25th – all birds remaining until at least 30th.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sticking with said valley, the five Cattle Egrets were still present at Ditchford GP on 25th but they appear to have attracted little interest since. Eager to stay in the frame, though, Great Egrets were present at ten localities with Stanwick and Thrapston GP mustering three apiece. An adult Caspian Gull joined the melee of scavengers at Rushton Landfill on 25th but no ‘white-wingers’ have yet emerged at this, the county’s last bastion of larid-luring putrefaction, during the mild winter we have experienced to date.

Short-eared Owls maintained their presence at last week’s four localities, the Neville’s Lodge three performing well between 25th and 29th, at least three – if not four – were at Borough Hill on 25th, two were still over setaside east of Stanford Res until 31st and one was still patrolling the bunkers at Harrington AF between 25th and 27th.

At Ecton SF, just one Siberian Chiffchaff – the original bird found on 7th – was present throughout the week, along with at least fifteen Common Chiffchaffs on 28th but bird of the week, at least for one person, was the Black Redstart which played hide-and-seek in an extensive landscape of untidy heaps of scaffolding on an industrial site in Corby on 28th-29th.

Stonechats were recorded at six sites, which included Borough Hill, Hollowell, Pitsford, Stanford, Thrapston and Kettering, with a maximum of five at Pitsford on 28th.