Newsround – 12th to 18th August 2023

Another week in which migration clearly moved up a gear, delivering another first of the year for the county in the shape of a juvenile Shag, for one day only, at Stanford Reservoir. Further seasonal firsts for autumn were also on the menu, if only fleetingly …

But first, there’s no side-stepping the bedrock of all things dodgy, namely the peripatetic female Ruddy Shelduck – this week to be found at Hollowell Res on 12th, Winwick Pools on 13th and then at Foxholes Fisheries, Crick on 14th while, falling squarely into the same category, the Pink-footed Goose remained settled at Hollowell all week.

Conversely, unquestionable credentials belonged to the Garganey present at the latter site, intermittently between 14th and 17th. Red-crested Pochards were again present at Pitsford Res, where up to three were present between 14th and 18th.

Wader numbers, though still low, were up on last week with a single Black-tailed Godwit remaining at Summer Leys between 12th and 15th and four more dropping in there briefly during the evening of 14th. The autumn’s first Turnstone flew through at Hollowell, without stopping, on 18th, as did a Ruff at Stanford Res on the same date.

The only other wader of note was Greenshank but even these were thin on the ground, with one on the dam at a mudless Pitsford on 14th and another at Hollowell on 17th.

When it comes to scarce gulls, though, low water levels are not as important a requirement and single adult Caspian Gulls visited Stanwick on 14th, Hollowell on 14th and 18th and Naseby Res on 16th. Yellow-legged Gulls were not as widespread as last week and while the lion’s share of eleven was taken by Stanwick on 14th, the same date saw five at Pitsford and two at Hollowell, followed by further singles at Pitsford on 15th and 16th and two there on 17th. A short-staying adult visited Stanford on 18th.

As part of a mid-month influx of Black Terns across the UK this week, the county got its first of the autumn when Clifford Hill GP pulled in four on the last day, 18th. The same location and date also produced a juvenile Arctic Tern, breaking the mould of late autumn occurrences for juveniles of this species in the county.

But if an autumn first is not enough, then how about a first for the year? For those after a Shag for their year lists, Stanford did the honours and produced a juvenile on 15th. Looking for all the world like a glass case museum piece, keeping company with Cormorants on a tern raft, it was found during the early evening but was nowhere to be seen the following day. This bird is, so far, the only one to be found inland in the UK this month and is most certainly, therefore, the same individual that spent from 7th to 11th August not too far away at Draycote Res in Warwickshire – in fact, a mere 16 km as the Shag flies …

The end of last week ushered in the welcome return of Cattle Egret – just the one bird that stood up to be counted and stuck around at Summer Leys throughout the whole of this week, too. But that’s not the end of the story. Following in its footsteps on the last day of this week, two different individuals were seen in flight (and photographed) at Stanwick. Are we on the brink of witnessing a comeback? We dare to dream …

On the raptor front, healthy numbers of Ospreys were evident during the period, being most frequently encountered at their principal viewing locality, Hollowell, where twos were present on 15th and 17th plus singles on 12th and 16th. Further singles were seen at Thrapston GP on 15th, 17th  and 18th, while Pitsford produced one on 16th and Ditchford GP one on 17th.

Marsh Harriers, too, were also on the up with singles in the Brampton Valley between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton on 13th and 17th, Harrington AF on 13th, Summer Leys on 14th, Stanford on 16th and 18th and Pitsford on 18th.

A white morph Gyr Falcon seen near Everdon on 17th was interesting but undoubtedly an escape.

Topping migrant passerines for sheer numbers were Common Redstarts. A mighty total of twelve – a new day record – was trapped and ringed at Stanford on 16th and four were at Harrington on the same date, while ones and twos were also seen during the week at Blueberry Farm, Brampton Valley, Lamport, Pitsford and Summer Leys.

One of the above locations also held Whinchats. Two were in the Brampton Valley between 13th and 16th, one was at Great Doddington on 13th, at least one remained between Lamport and Scaldwell on 14th and two were found at Hollowell on 18th. Three localities produced Northern Wheatears – one was at Harrington on 13th and two there on 16th, Brampton Valley held singles on 14th and 16th and two on 17th, while one was near Orlingbury on 18th.

Rounding off the passerines, Tree Pipits made a healthy advance on last week’s one, with one in flight over Stanford on 14th, two at Pitsford on 16th – one of which was trapped and ringed – three trapped and ringed at Harrington on 17th and one seen at Hollowell, also on 17th.