Temperatures had leapt up to a balmy 15°C by the week’s end – the result of a south to south-westerly airstream off the near continent and, with the UK’s first Northern Wheatear of the year appearing in Avon on 18th, it appears that we are well and truly on the cusp of spring.
While the aforementioned wheatear seems, and is, early, in 2023 we went one better in our own good county when one put in an appearance near Lyveden New Bield on 15th February, the earliest-ever county record. In the meantime, we’ll just have to be content with the usual array of winter birds as the wait goes on for the first summer visitor to arrive locally …
And that array includes what has become part of the furniture of late: grey geese. For another week the Earls Barton GP/Cogenhoe Greylags held on to the visiting Pink-footed Goose, along with the seven White-fronted Geese which allow easy viewing in the riverside fields in this small area of the Nene Valley. Following an absence of reports the previous week, the two long-staying White-fronted Geese were still to be found at and around Ravensthorpe Res until at least 18th.
Still in place this week was the female Red-crested Pochard at Daventry CP, remaining there throughout the period.
With the trail for last week’s Ring-necked Duck now having gone cold, we were left with the first-winter female Greater Scaup at Blatherwycke Lake on 16th and the drake Smew at Clifford Hill GP throughout to keep the best of the wildfowl afloat.
And this week’s waders appeared in the same guise as last week’s, with two Black-tailed Godwits visiting Summer Leys LNR on 15th and Jack Snipes again at Hollowell Res, where there were two on 17th and three on 19th, while two were at Ditchford GP on 18th.
An adult Caspian Gull at Hollowell Res on 17th was the only one of its kind during the period, while Yellow-legged Gulls were present at Summer Leys, where there were singles on 15th and 21st, Earls Barton GP with an adult on 18th, Pitsford Res where there were two adults on 20th and Daventry CP, where there was a third-winter on 21st.
The juvenile Great Northern Diver continued its stay at Pitsford until at least 17th.
And what more can we say about the Glossy Ibis, other than it saw out another week at Summer Leys.
New in during the period, though, was a couple of Bitterns – one at Summer Leys on 17th and the other at Daventry CP, showing well for one day only, on 19th. The latter has the prestigious honour of being the first record for the site.
The Blatherwycke Lake Cattle Egret remained until at least 16th, constituting the sole representative of its tribe this week.
Raptors fared a little better with at least two Marsh Harriers on show – one still roaming Titchmarsh NR and the wider environs of Thrapston GP until 19th, the other at Summer Leys on 18th, with likely the same individual close by at Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (South) on 20th.
A ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier was at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell before flying toward nearby Cottesbrooke on 19th and the week’s only Short-eared Owl was seen at one of the species’ favoured localities, Harrington AF, on the same date.
On the passerine front, new in this week was Siberian Chiffchaff, found where else but at the famous ‘Bridge of Sibes’ – more formally known as bridge K121 – which runs over the processed sewage outflow from Ecton SF into the River Nene. Two were present on 16th with at least one remaining from 17th to 19th.
Adding further spice to the passerine mix, a male Black Redstart found on farm buildings near Creaton on 20th was the second of the year and, like the first, was at a location with no public access. This week’s Stonechats were to be found at Barnes Meadow NR, Borough Hill, Cogenhoe, Ditchford, Earls Barton, Hollowell and Stanford Res, with a maximum of five at Borough Hill on 15th.
Northants birds 