Newsround – 24th to 30th June 2023

A largely dry week in terms of both weather and birds as the summer slowdown finally kicked in.

That’s not to say there was nothing to look at or no new birds as, falling squarely into the latter category, a Garganey was discovered at Summer Leys LNR on 27th and remained on site until at least 30th. And, for Ruddy Shelduck fans, the regular female present at Winwick Pools on 26th had moved to its former favoured haunt of Hollowell Res by the week’s end.

Although southbound wader passage was clearly underway, there was nothing to shout about this week, while an adult Yellow-legged Gull at Ravensthorpe Res on 25th served to prop up the local larids.

Aside from single Ospreys dropping into the regular hotspot of Hollowell on 26th and 30th, one flew north-east along the Nene Valley at Summer Leys early in the morning of 24th and, continuing in the same direction, was logged passing over Stanwick GP some 15 minutes later. Elsewhere, two well-grown nestlings – male and female – were ringed by the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation at a nest in the county on 26th.

Pitsford’s showy male Bearded Tit continued to perform throughout the week and is by no means the first site record, which is confirmed as being back in 1965 and found by a certain Robert Bullock …

Meanwhile, Crossbills continued to filter through and these included singles flying south-west over both Harry’s Park Wood and Stanford Res on 25th, a female at Hollowell Res on 26th, two flying over Earls Barton and six at Pitsford Res on 27th and two south over Harrington AF on 29th.