Spring continued to unfold nicely. Considering it was only the third week in March it was delightfully eventful, keeping birders on their toes and producing something for everyone, as well as delivering five firsts for the year – not all of which were summer visitors.
Those that were, however, did not smash any early arrival records. First up were two Northern Wheatears on agricultural land between Clipston and Great Oxendon on 18th followed, later in the day, by an Osprey moving north over Bozenham Mill. Two days on and the first Swallows were logged at Pitsford Res and Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh LNR while, on the last day of the week, Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows LNR supplied our first Willow Warbler.
After last being seen at Titchmarsh on 11th, the White-fronted Goose quartet was rediscovered on nearby Wadenhoe Meadows on 22nd, suggesting these birds are in no hurry to depart any time soon. Other wildfowl included single drake Red-crested Pochards at Pitsford on 21st and at Clifford Hill GP the following day, the first of these two localities producing a new ‘redhead’ Smew on 18th, with the latter site hanging on to its own long-stayer throughout the period.
Following last week’s audible-only ‘noc mig’ fly-over, from a purely visual perspective another first for the year appeared at Boddington Res in the shape of a drake Common Scoter, present there on the last day of the period.
And after being somewhat spoiled for waders last week, we were back down to Jack Snipe as the sole representative in the uncommon category. Twos were at Pitsford between 18th and 21st, at Hollowell Res between 19th and 21st and at Ditchford on 22nd, while Daventry CP mustered one on 20th.
Gulls, however, were still on the radar, the best of which was a first-summer Mediterranean Gull at Boddington on 16th, followed by an adult at Daventry on 21st. Upsizing, single first-winter Caspian Gulls were reported from Summer Leys LNR on 16th and Daventry on 21st, while Yellow-legged Gulls were found at Pitsford, where up to two adults were seen between 17th and 20th and a first-winter and third-winter were present there on 18th. A first-winter Yellow-legged also visited Daventry on 21st.
Bigger and better still, and at a higher level, a little in-flight entertainment materialised in the form of two fly-over White Storks moving north over Cosgrove, seemingly along the Tove Valley, on 18th. They were not picked up again but, on 21st, another was videoed as it flew north-west over Ellands Farm, Hemington, a trajectory which set it on course for its arrival at Rutland Water, a mere 26 km distant, before the day was out.
Topping the storks the following day, however, a Glossy Ibis flew north-west over Ravensthorpe Res, on its way to who knows where. The above two species are now pretty much annual and it seems likely there’ll be more to come …
Cattle Egrets continued to maintain a presence and this week’s birds were scattered over four localities, albeit in small numbers. Ditchford reached a high of four on 22nd, when two were also at Summer Leys/Earls Barton GP after just the one being noted at both sites earlier in the week. One visited Clifford Hill on 18th and Daventry CP was honoured by the presence of its very first on 21st.
Hot on the heels of the aforementioned first Osprey of the year, two more were clocked flying high north, on 22nd – one over Braunston and the other moving over Hollowell. Meanwhile, the roving young male Marsh Harrier continued to be seen in the Nene Valley at Earls Barton GP’s Quarry Walk on 16th and at both Summer Leys and Stanwick GP the following day.
Up to four Short-eared Owls extended their stay in the Brampton Valley, below Lamport, until the end of the week.
Merlins, too, remained available for those putting the time in – one at Harrington AF on 16th and another visiting Summer Leys the following day.
And then there were Waxwings … Last week’s Far Cotton, Northampton birds resurfaced on 16th, when the number swelled to sixteen. At least fourteen remained on 17th, when they exercised their magnetic magic, pulling local birders into their chosen urban riverside location, during which time due appreciation ran neck and neck with close examination, the latter revealing a few interesting facts about some of their movements.
Two birds – an adult and first-winter – carried a series of blue, white and metal rings and these were identified as having been ringed in Newton, Central Wales earlier this winter.
Another adult with, on its right leg, metal over red, left leg white over red over yellow is a returning bird from winter 2022-23. This bird was first ringed as a first-winter female on 20th November 2022 at Kincorth, Aberdeen. It subsequently made an early return to the continent, appearing in Denmark in late January 2023, before being resighted this winter back in the UK in North Wales on 1st January, subsequently being found a month later in Birmingham. The Far Cotton birds were still present early on 18th, before again moving on.
And as some birds depart, others arrive. On the tail of the first Northern Wheatear came two more – one at Stanford Res on 21st, followed by one at Clifford Hill on 22nd.
And, once again, two Mealy Redpolls stuck it out all week in Duston, at the New Sandy Lane attenuation pond.
Northants birds 