Newsround – 17th to 23rd June 2023

A week in which the heat built … and the birds did not disappoint.

It would just be kinda nice to leave out wildfowl – just for once. After all, it is mid-June and what’s out there currently is, well, not exactly the real McCoy, as it were. We could simply gloss over June 19th, however, it would probably be rude not mention the Barnacle Goose at Upton CP and the Ruddy Shelduck at Winwick Pools, both of which were present on that date.

And rightly so, as taking centre stage this week was another glitzy grebe – this time of the Slavonian persuasion, for once in splendid summer plumage. After the report of a quickly vanishing bird at Pitsford Res in February, the Slavonian Grebe at Thrapston GP’s Town Lake on the first day of the period provided more than ample reward for the fleet-footed – those who were able to make it to the site after the news broke, late in the afternoon, on 17th. Keeping its distance, it remained into the evening but was not seen thereafter. According to some accounts, it had been present the previous day.

June waders are normally at a premium but this week Stanwick GP dished up a Wood Sandpiper on 17th, Hollowell Res a Greenshank on 19th and Pitsford two Black-tailed Godwits on 21st. Not a bad haul, collectively.

From there on, the focus was clearly on the latter site, where a surprising total of five Yellow-legged Gulls was reported on 17th, ahead of two seemingly unseasonal Sandwich Terns, which lingered long enough for those so inclined to catch up with them during the morning of 21st. Late to the party and hot on the heels of this year’s only ones to date – those two short-stayers at Thrapston GP only eight days previously – they represent one of the very few June records this century.

The week’s Ospreys were limited to one over Thrapston GP’s Elinor Trout Lake on 18th, one at the favoured fishing site of Hollowell on 19th, followed by two there the next day and one flying south over Mears Ashby on 23rd.

Found on 18th, in the reeds below the Fishing Lodge at Pitsford, a showy male Bearded Tit pulled many a punter throughout the week. This represents another interesting summer occurrence in the wake of one or two at Summer Leys last week and may even be the first record for the site.

After last week’s, Pitsford also produced a Crossbill on 18th and two more were found at Wakerley Great Wood on 21st. More to come, no doubt.