Newsround – 13th to 19th January 2024

With a continuing northerly airflow, sparse snow showers on 16th (but blink and you’d miss them) and local temperatures plummeting to -6°C overnight on 17th, it was a cold, cold week. So much so that many waterbodies became significantly icebound, leaving only small holes unfrozen, in most instances giving rise to large concentrations of wildfowl where they occurred.

And while the Hollowell Res Pink-footed Goose stayed put throughout the period, another was discovered at Blatherwycke Lake on 16th. Where Whooper Swans were concerned, last week’s run became this week’s trickle with an adult paying the briefest of visits to Ravensthorpe Res on 15th, followed by two flying south over the dam at Pitsford Res on 17th.

The regularly wintering female Ruddy Shelduck was still around, this week keeping company with Canada Geese at Hollowell on 17th-19th and the first Red-crested Pochard of the new year checked in at Earls Barton GP’s Grendon Lakes on 15th.

In terms of rarity value, Stanwick GP produced ‘bird of the week’ when a female Ring-necked Duck was found in an ice hole on the Main Lake there on 17th. Although there have been fewer than fifteen county records, a female is hardly a head-turner nowadays. Let’s face it, we’ve been spoiled rotten with them over the past couple of years, long-stayers and all that …  It remained until the following day but was not seen subsequently.

Spilling over from last week, the first-winter drake Greater Scaup remained at Ravensthorpe Res, yo-yoing back and forth between nearby Hollowell throughout the period. Another first-winter drake was found in an ice hole at Grendon Lakes on 18th.

After several days’ apparent absence, the ‘redhead’ Smew was back at Clifford Hill GP between 14th and 16th.

This week’s waders were last week’s waders and included two Ruffs still at Stanwick on 13th-14th, having dwindled to one by 17th. Jack Snipes were found at three localities – singles being at Lilbourne Meadows NR on 14th and at Hollowell on 15th and 17th, while at least seven remained at Daventry CP on the latter date.

And with things settling down to normal, gulls caused far less of a rumpus this week with the roost at Boddington Res holding an adult and a second-winter Mediterranean Gull on 13th and the roost at Stanford Res still proving attractive to a second-winter on 15th-17th. Boddington’s roost also produced a first-winter Caspian Gull on 13th, while the latter date saw an adult at Naseby Res and further adults were seen at Hollowell on 15th, Stanford on 18th-19th and at Clifford Hill on 19th. Pitsford produced the only Yellow-legged Gulls of the period with an adult there on 13th and three in the roost on 17th.

The juvenile Great Northern Diver maintained its presence at Pitsford throughout the period.

In comparison to recent weeks, Cattle Egrets kept a low profile – perhaps as a result of the freezing temperatures. One was seen at Stanwick on 14th and 17th and two were reported from adjacent Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows LNR on 16th and 19th.

There was no let-up in Marsh Harrier sightings, though, with singles at Stanwick on 13th, Earls Barton GP’s Quarry Walk on 14th and at Summer Leys LNR on 17th, while a ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier was seen two days running, on 14th and 15th, at Harrington AF.

Numbers of Short-eared Owls were down, however, with just two near Finedon on 13th and one near Whilton Locks the following day.

The week’s Merlins were limited to a female at Ditchford GP on 14th and a male near Brixworth STW in the Brampton Valley on 17th.

Local birders were, this week, provided with a choice of venue in terms of where to watch Waxwings. Instead of heading to Corby where, it must be said, the long-staying four proved ever-reliable throughout, Northampton provided a more south-central setting for one, then two, in the open front garden of a house in East Hunsbury. Following the appearance there of a first-winter female on 15th, it was subsequently joined by an adult male on 17th, both birds remaining to see the week out. Although they proved a popular pull, they were not always on view and extended waiting times were often the order of the day.

Elsewhere, three were in a private garden in Stanion on 14th and a first-winter female appeared in a Brixworth garden on the last day of the week.

The weekly Stonechat tally saw birds at nine localities, including Ditchford, Earls Barton, Hollowell, Oundle, Pitsford, Polebrook AF, Summer Leys, Sywell CP and Upton CP, with a maximum of at least six at Earls Barton on 13th.

Not unexpected with decent numbers nationally at present, a Mealy Redpoll was a one-day bird at Daventry CP on 15th, following a belated report of one photographed at Stortons GP on 11th. These are the first in the county since one at Wakerley Great Wood on 2nd April 2021. Speaking of which, the woods at Fineshade and Wakerley carved up the week’s Crossbills between them, with up to twelve logged at Fineshade/Westhay Wood and a maximum count of forty-one at Wakerley on 16th.