Newsround – 1st to 7th June 2024

As we embarked upon meteorological summer, a polar airmass situated to the north delivered below-average temperatures from mid-week onwards. And with the weather a little on the dull side, this was reflected to some extent in the birding, although the first week of June is rarely awash with migrants …

At Stanford Res this week, the unseasonal, rogue Pink-footed Goose was again present on 5th and again on 7th but it was easily overshadowed by a drake Common Scoter discovered there during the evening of 3rd.

A stone’s throw to the southwest, last week’s drake Garganey remained at Lilbourne Meadows NR until at least 4th.

Wader passage rallied after last week’s disappointing low, with the Nene Valley unsurprisingly producing all but one of the best birds. The highlight was the appearance of two Avocets at Summer Leys LNR for a half-day on 4th.

The same day also saw three ‘Tundra’ Ringed Plovers drop in to Stanwick GP, an early morning Whimbrel in flight over Hanging Houghton and a Ruff at Summer Leys, where a Wood Sandpiper also put in an appearance on 2nd.

Bitterns continued to be seen in at least two locations but, this week, Cattle Egret numbers were restricted to single birds at Stanwick on 1st, Summer Leys and Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh LNR on 2nd and between Ecton and Earls Barton on 7th.

Reports of Ospreys were down, with two birds at Pitsford Res on 3rd, followed by one there on 7th, while the Marsh Harrier slot was filled this week by one over Summer Leys on the last day of the period.

And still the Short-eared Owls rumble on. Making it into summer, one lingered in the Brampton Valley, mobile between Cottesbrooke, Hanging Houghton and Blueberry Farm from 1st to 5th and another remained at Harrington AF until at least 3rd.

Unsurprisingly, the sole representative of this week’s passerines was the singing male Wood Warbler, now having completed a two-week stint at Harry’s Park Wood. Will it remain throughout the summer? We’ll see …