A hot and humid period, with local temperatures hitting 30°C on the last day of the week, by which time it was clearly evident waders were returning and we were in the midst of a Crossbill invasion …
The Pink-footed Goose, last seen with Greylags at Pitsford Res on 9th June, was back there again on 25th, a return mirrored by the female Ruddy Shelduck at Hollowell Res which, after being absent from 12th June, reappeared on the same date. Stanwick GP’s Red-crested Pochard was again on site on 25th, while last week’s two drake Common Scoters remained off the sailing club at Pitsford until 20th.
After last week’s announcement that Cattle Egrets had once again bred successfully at Ringstead GP, four – possibly five – fledged juveniles were seen there on 21st but the only Great Egrets during the period were at Hollowell Res, where one on 24th-26th was joined by another there on 25th.
Hollowell also produced single Ospreys on 20th, 24th, 25th and 26th, one of which was wearing a ring identifying it as a female from Rutland Water. The only other Ospreys were singles at the other oft favoured fishing localities, Stanford Res and Thrapston GP – both on 22nd. Surprisingly, none was reported from Pitsford this week.
Although it’s only June, the return wader passage is picking up already. A juvenile Avocet visited Pitsford Res on 25th, remaining throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits have started moving through in small numbers, with Summer Leys LNR hosting two on 24th, one on 25th and five on 26th, the same site producing an early Wood Sandpiper along with a Greenshank on the latter date.
Just along the Nene Valley, at Stanwick, Mediterranean Gulls have once more successfully bred following a year’s absence since they first bred there in 2018. Two adults and a recently fledged juvenile were observed on 25th.
Elsewhere, one was seen in flight over Barton Seagrave on 21st. The only other reasonable larid of note was a second-summer Yellow-legged Gull at Hollowell on 20th and 26th. Hollowell also held a first-summer (or second-summer) Arctic Tern from 20th to 22nd – its occurrence, identification and ageing having already been discussed here.
Beyond this, the week belonged to Crossbills. The UK is currently enjoying a national influx, said to be the result of a ‘bumper breeding season’, with many east coast sites recording huge numbers on the move, one of the biggest including more than twelve hundred south over Scarborough during the morning of 25th.
Many quickly made their way inland, resulting in their appearance in at least eleven localities in Northamptonshire. The majority of sightings were fly-overs and numbers ranged from singles to double-figure counts of sixteen at Bucknell Wood on 24th and fourteen at Harlestone Heath on 25th. The movement continues …
Northants birds 