Dreary, low cloud and what can only be described as ‘festive fog’ marred the week just gone, although birdless it certainly wasn’t. While most of the long-stayers remained, there were still a few new kids on the block.
At Ravensthorpe Res the two White-fronted Geese stayed on, and around, the site until at least 24th, while the nearest thing we got to a white Christmas was the Whooper Swan which flew east over Summer Leys LNR on 25th.
Adult White-fronted Goose, Ravensthorpe Res, 22nd December 2024 (Mike Alibone)
With the two Red-crested Pochards still at Daventry CP on 27th and two first-winter female Greater Scaups at Blatherwycke Lake on 21st – one remaining on 27th – diving ducks were anything but in abundance.
First-winter female Greater Scaup, Blatherwycke Lake, 21st December 2024 (James Underwood)
An unusual winter sprinkling of Black-tailed Godwits occurred throughout the week, with Summer Leys claiming the lion’s share of one on 21st, seven on 23rd and three on 25th, while Earls Barton GP and Clifford Hill GP produced singles on 23rd and 27th, respectively. Solitary Jack Snipes were at Hollowell Res on 21st and at Barnes Meadow LNR, Northampton on 23rd and 27th.
Jack Snipe, Barnes Meadow LNR, 27th December 2024 (Tyler Atkinson)
Gull numbers were down to two adult Caspian Gulls at Hollowell on 23rd, the evening of the same day producing a bird showing some characteristics of an adult Azores Gull in the roost at Stanford Res, although it remains unproven at this stage. Two Mediterranean Gulls – an adult and a first-winter – were also present in the Stanford roost on the same date.
Adult gull showing characteristics of Azores Gull, Stanford Res, 23rd December 2023 (Chris Hubbard)
Pitsford continued to hold on to its juvenile Great Northern Diver, present until at least 24th.
The Summer Leys Glossy Ibis remained throughout the period, while five Cattle Egrets were still at Ringstead GP on 21st, four visited Stanwick GP on 23rd and one was found in a field immediately north of Barnwell CP on 26th.
Glossy Ibis, Summer Leys LNR, 27th December 2024 (Leslie Fox)Glossy Ibis, Summer Leys LNR, 27th December 2024 (Tony Stanford)
The 22nd saw a Short-eared Owl at Harrington AF, single ‘ringtail’ Hen Harriers reported at Wicken Wood and between Gayton and Tiffield, where there was also a Merlin, the latter being seen again in the same area the following day. Another Merlin was seen at Pitsford Res, also on 22nd.
Four Stonechats at Lilbourne Meadows NR on 24th was the highest single site total during the period, otherwise Earls Barton, Hollowell and Pitsford all held two apiece.
And Hawfinches showed in better numbers this week – Blatherwycke churchyard holding eight on 27th, Cottesbrooke hanging on to at least two between 21st and 26th and the churchyard at Deene still accommodating one on 21st.
A somewhat sombre but largely dry week saw fluctuations in both temperature and wind direction although, apart from a second for the year for one species in particular, the birding landscape pretty much maintained its status quo.
Geese continued to feature this week and what was presumably a ‘new’ Pink-footed Goose was found with Greylags at Clifford Hill GP on 16th, while the two White-fronted Geese, first found on 2nd December, remained at Ravensthorpe Res throughout.
Adult White-fronted Goose, Ravensthorpe Res, 15th December 2024 (Ant Hall)
Following this year’s one and only at Stanford Res, very briefly, on 28th November, two Bewick’s Swans at Kislingbury GP/Upton CP on 14th offered a second bite of the cherry for anyone wanting to catch up with this now scarce visitor to the county. Discovered late morning, they were seen to depart mid-afternoon.
Adult Bewick’s Swans, Kislingbury GP, 14th December 2024 (Bob Bullock)Adult Bewick’s Swans, Kislingbury GP, 14th December 2024 (Bob Bullock)
The female Ruddy Shelduck was still to be found at Winwick Pools throughout the period, while last week’s female Red-crested Pochard at Daventry CP was joined by a drake from 16th onwards and four (two drakes) were found at Clifford Hill GP on the same date. The drake seen intermittently at Earls Barton GP was still present on 15th.
Red-crested Pochards, Daventry CP, 16th December 2024 (Gary Pullan)
Jack Snipe was the week’s only wader worthy of note and numbers included one at Summer Leys LNR on 14th and up to two at Hollowell Res throughout.
Jack Snipe, Summer Leys LNR, 14th December 2024 (Clive Bowley)
After none reported last week, Mediterranean Gulls were back in the frame on 16th, when a first-winter visited Stanford and a second-winter was found at Pitsford Res. Other scarce larids were also available in the shape of Caspian Gulls, with two adults in the roost at Stanford on 15th-16th, plus an adult there on 18th and an adult at Hollowell Res on 17th. Yellow-legged Gulls were limited to two at Pitsford on 15th, one there on 16th and a first-winter at DIRFT 3 on 17th.
Pitsford continued to hold on to its juvenile Great Northern Diver, present until at least 19th.
The Summer Leys Glossy Ibis chalked up another seven days on site, bringing its stay there to a perfectly round thirteen weeks. Just twelve more days there to see the new year in … Hollowell dished up a surprise this week in the shape of a Bittern on 14th and again on 19th. They are scarce away from the Nene Valley and, as far as Hollowell is concerned, this species is a very rare commodity indeed.
Bittern, Hollowell Res, 19th December 2024 (Jon Cook)Bittern, Hollowell Res, 19th December 2024 (Jon Cook)
Up to six Cattle Egrets were at, and around, Ringstead GP on 14th and again on 17th.
A ’ringtail’ Hen Harrier was reported from farmland east of Tiffield on 17th and, again, just one Short-eared Owl was seen – in the Brampton Valley between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton, on 15th. How many more might be out there that are not being reported for fear of human disturbance – a topic which has featured prominently on social media of late.
There was another isolated report of the Bearded Tit, photographed at Stanwick GP, on 14th. Stonechats bounced back this week with four near Towcester on 18th, three at Hollowell on 17th, plus ones and twos at Borough Hill, Earls Barton, Harrington AF, Holcot, Lilbourne Meadows NR, Pitsford, Stanford and Upton CP.
Female Stonechat, Stanford Res, 16th December 2024 (Barry Silverman)Female Stonechat, Upton CP, 20th December 2024 (Tony Stanford)
And no week during this winter so far would be complete without at least one Hawfinch popping up somewhere … and one duly obliged, the mature housing estate of Brixworth Hall Park being this week’s venue, on 16th.
Lastly, the discovery of a bird with a capricious taxonomic history. Following the announcement that all redpolls are effectively one species (yet again), an individual which would have formerly been firmly in the standalone Mealy camp was found between Delapre Abbey and Hardingstone GP on the last day of the week. We await a definitive, formal declaration as to whether ‘Mealy Redpoll’ is able to at least be given a retentional subspecific status or whether it will be totally lumped and absorbed into the ‘one name fits all’ fate that redpolls appear to await. More details here.
Even though we’ve now entered the final straight of 2024, it ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings, as they say. And if proof was ever needed then it rightly materialised in the form of another first for the Northamptonshire yearlist: a rather skittish Slavonian Grebe at Hollowell Res toward the week’s end.
While we’ve grown accustomed to Pink-footed Geese turning up in small numbers over the past few weeks, there was none in the review period but a higher level of quality remained in the shape of last week’s two White-fronted Geese still with Greylags on, and around, Ravensthorpe Res, being seen over the three days 11th-13th.
Adult and first-winter White-fronted Geese, Ravensthorpe Res, 11th December 2024 (Mike Alibone)
And after just one Whooper Swan in the previous week, a few more were on offer for anyone out and about on 9th, when four flew north-east over Ditchford GP, three were in the Aldwincle/Thrapston GP area all day and one visited Stanford Res.
Adult Whooper Swans, Titchmarsh LNR, 9th December 2024 (Nick Parker)Adult Whooper Swan, Stanford Res, 9th December 2024 (Barry Silverman)
The female Ruddy Shelduck continued its occupancy of Winwick Pools, being seen there on 10th and 13th, while the week’s diving ducks were limited to the drake Red-crested Pochard still at Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (North) on 8th, a female at Daventry CP from 9th onwards and the female Greater Scaup once again at Blatherwycke Lake on 8th.
Female Red-crested Pochard, Daventry CP, 10th December 2024 (Gary Pullan)
But it was a Slavonian Grebe that shone a light on Hollowell Res – albeit for a short duration – on 11th. Following an unconfirmed report of it on 12th, this first for the year proved to be a short-stayer and seemingly appeared to have done a bunk when looked for on 13th.
Slavonian Grebe, Hollowell Res, 11th December 2024 (Mike Alibone)
With just two records in 2023 and none in the three consecutive years prior to that, Slavonian Grebe has become hard to come by of late and records appear to be on a downward trend from a Northamptonshire perspective. This is perhaps a reflection of the recent fall in numbers breeding in Scotland which, in 2022, were at their lowest since 1971.
The week’s top wader was the week’s only wader – a Black-tailed Godwit at Clifford Hill GP on 13th.
Scarce gull numbers fell further, with single adult Caspian Gulls in the roost at Stanford on 9th and 13th and at Ravensthorpe and Hollowell on 10th and 12th, respectively, while a first-winter appeared at Daventry CP on the latter of these dates. The regular Pitsford adult Yellow-legged Gull was still present on 12th and another was seen at Clifford Hill on 13th.
Pitsford also hung on to its seemingly settled, young Great Northern Diver, still on site on 12th.
Juvenile Great Northern Diver, Pitsford Res, 8th December 2024 (Jon Cook)
And the Summer Leys Glossy Ibis? Still there on 11th … but was anyone looking for it beyond that? With numbers down on the previous week, only two single Cattle Egrets made it into the news – one at Stanwick GP on 7th, the other at Earls Barton GP on 13th.
A Short-eared Owl in the Brampton Valley was the only one to grace this week’s roundup and passerines fared poorly, with a Stonechat at Pitsford on 9th and two at Earls Barton GP the following day, while Blatherwycke churchyard was the only locality to dish up the period’s Hawfinches, with four there on 7th and three on 9th.
Male Stonechat, Earls Barton GP, 10th December 2024 (Leslie Fox)
Although having crossed the line into meteorological winter this week, new arrivals continued to materialise, adding a little extra spice to the mix of what was already on offer.
Two sites from last week continued to hold single Pink-footed Geese tagging along with local Greylags, these comprising Wicksteed Park Lake area on 2nd and Pitsford Res throughout the period. In addition to these, a new bird was discovered at Blatherwycke Lake on 3rd. But as Pinkfeet numbers continue to increase year on year, White-fronted Geese are becoming harder to connect with. Two found in fields alongside Ravensthorpe Res on 2nd were only second record for 2024, following four in the early part of the year which spent the majority of March in the Thrapston GP/Wadenhoe area.
Adult and first-winter White-fronted Geese, Ravensthorpe Res, 2nd December 2024 (Bob Bullock)
On 1st, a single adult Whooper Swan was picked up in flight over Ringstead, later being relocated in water meadows just south of Woodford.
The female Ruddy Shelduck continued to occupy its favoured locality of Winwick Pools, still to be found there on 1st and, as for this week’s Red-crested Pochards, well, there was just the one, at Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (North), on 4th.
Female Ruddy Shelduck, Winwick Pools, 1st December 2024 (James Urwin)
A drake Smew found in Pitsford’s Pintail Bay on 2nd spent little more than three hours there after its discovery before heading off in the direction of the causeway and not being relocated subsequently. With just single ‘redheads’ at Clifford Hill GP in January-March and at Pitsford in March, Smew is a locally rare commodity these days. It has recently been acknowledged that numbers wintering in Britain have declined significantly and, in some counties, e.g. Surrey and Sussex, its status has changed from being an expected winter visitor to that of a county rarity with a ‘description required’ tag attached to it. This downward trend is reflected in our own county and with only seven further individuals scattered across the UK during this week things are looking bleak indeed.
A Black-necked Grebe found at Stanford Res on 2nd was the second for the site this year, following a juvenile there on 23rd-25th August, as well as being only the sixth for the county in 2024.
Black-necked Grebe, Stanford Res, 2nd December 2024 (Barry Silverman)
For the second week running, Daventry CP was the only locality to produce Jack Snipe with just the one there on 3rd.
Gull numbers continued to bump along the bottom, the best of which were a second-winter Mediterranean Gull in the roost at Stanford on 30th and 1st and a daytime adult north of the causeway at Pitsford on 5th. Hollowell Res produced two Caspian Gulls – a first-winter on 30th and an adult on 3rd, while Stanford’s roost held an adult and a third-winter on 1st and single adults on 2nd and 5th. Way out west, the roost at Boddington Res contained an adult on 2nd and the last day of the week saw Wicksteed Park Lakes dish up a German-ringed XU3X first-winter, ringed as a pullus at Hiddensee on 5th June 2024. Only one Yellow-legged Gull came to light during the period, that being the regular Pitsford adult.
German-ringed first-winter Caspian Gull, Wicksteed Park Lake, 6th December (Julie Roe)German-ringed first-winter Caspian Gull, Wicksteed Park Lake, 6th December (Julie Roe)German-ringed first-winter Caspian Gull, Wicksteed Park Lake, 6th December (Julie Roe)
First-winter Caspian Gull, German-ringed XU3X, from Hiddensee to Kettering
Having shown a tendency to wander a little further north and east of its favoured on-site location, the popular crayfish-crunching Great Northern Diver saw out another week at Pitsford.
Juvenile Great Northern Diver, Pitsford Res, 30th November 2024 (Ant Hall)Juvenile Great Northern Diver, Pitsford Res, 4th December 2024 (Bob Bullock)
And so, too, did the Summer Leys Glossy Ibis – one of just ten largely static birds across the UK.
Glossy Ibis, Summer Leys LNR, 3rd December 2024 (Mike Alibone)
Just one Bittern was in evidence and that was the Titchmarsh LNR individual, showing again from the North Hide there on 1st and 3rd while, just up the Nene Valley, the Ringstead/Woodford area continued to hold its own as the current hotspot for Cattle Egrets with one there on 1st, three on 3rd and six on 6th. Elsewhere, three were in fields just west of Chacombe on 30th and one visited Stanwick GP on 3rd.
Bittern, Titchmarsh LNR, 1st December 2024 (Nick Parker)
Harrington AF produced the only birds resembling raptors in any way, shape or form during the period, namely a Merlin on 30th and two Short-eared Owls on 3rd.
Remaining elusive, the female Bearded Tit continued to be mobile about Stanwick and was present there until at least 4th.
Hollowell held the highest total of the week’s Stonechats – a respectable five on 6th – while ones and twos were seen at Deene Lake, Earls Barton GP and Pitsford.
And still out there to be had were Hawfinches – all of this week’s in their favoured churchyard locations, including one at Thenford on 30th and two at both Blatherwycke and Deene on 3rd.
Northants birds 