Month: June 2025

Another warm week, kicking off with the hottest day of the year so far, during which national temperatures exceeded 33°C and a shade under 29°C locally. While this was backed by a largely westerly airflow throughout the period, there was a hint of a southerly movement underway for some species …

One of these was at least two Common Scoters heard in flight over Byfield in the wee small hours of the 25th – a prime date for those commencing moult migration. And it goes without saying that, unsurprisingly, the idling drake Red-crested Pochard saw the first half of the week out – and probably more – at Earls Barton GP.

Also at the latter locality, at least six Avocets were still present during the same period. The ‘autumn’ saw its first Whimbrels this week, two of which flew south over Daventry CP on 26th and a Curlew – looking like it’s now rarer in Northants than the latter – flew south-west over Stanwick GP on 27th.

This week’s gulls were last week’s gulls, with an adult Yellow-legged Gull at Wicksteed Park Lake, Kettering on 22nd and two at Pitsford Res on 25th.

The Nene Valley produced two Cattle Egrets – at Stanwick on 24th and 27th and at not-too-distant Titchmarsh NR on 25th. Ospreys were more widespread than in the previous week, with Stanford Res producing one on 21st, Pitsford one on 22nd, Hollowell Res one on 22nd and two on 24th and Cransley Res one on 26th. The only other raptor of note was a Marsh Harrier which visited Stanford, briefly, on 22nd.

The third week of June and the heat was on, but was there owt to shout about? Well, not really …

Filling the period’s wildfowl slot, the idling drake Red-crested Pochard remained at Earls Barton GP throughout the week, the same site holding up to ten Avocets with one visiting Clifford Hill GP on 18th. At a time of year widely acknowledged as being in the migrational doldrums, last week’s Wood Sandpiper at Lilbourne Meadows NR stayed for two more days, until 15th.

A Yellow-legged Gull was present at Pitsford Res at the week’s end and a straggler of a Black Tern appeared at Thrapston GP on 18th, the latter site sporting a Bittern in the Titchmarsh area of the complex on the same date.

Cattle Egrets have again bred at a site in the Nene Valley, where an adult was watched feeding two juveniles on 20th.

Single Ospreys continued to be seen at Pitsford and were present on at least four dates this week but an intriguing report of an unidentified male ‘grey’ harrier sp. at Harrington AF on 16th elicited some speculation on its actual identity.

The Crossbill movement continued, with one in flight over Pitsford on 14th and, on 15th, one was heard at Bucknell Wood and two flew south-west over Hanging Houghton.

A westerly airstream off the Atlantic remained in place for much of the period, bringing in numerous heavy showers along with largely below average temperatures and few new migrants. While what is likely to be the last of this year’s new summer visitors made it onto the clock, the week’s two potentially top birds fell into the unconfirmed bracket through hearsay, and all that …

Never common, but even scarcer than they used to be, a male Quail – the year’s first – was singing in a field adjacent to Stanford Res from 2nd until 4th.

The sole representative of its tribe was, once again, the idling drake Red-crested Pochard at Earls Barton GP, remaining there until at least 4th.

Constituting the fifth report for 2025, six Common Cranes in flight over Earls Barton GP’s Grendon Lakes during the closing hours of the week remains just that until further details emerge …

On the ground, though, Avocets were still very much in evidence, with two at Summer Leys LNR on 3rd and up to eight in the wider environs of Earls Barton GP throughout the period.

Although in short supply, other waders were available and a, or the, Tundra Ringed Plover was again at Lilbourne Meadows NR on 3rd, a colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit paid a brief visit to Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (South) on 4th and a straggling Sanderling remained at Clifford Hill GP from 4th until 6th.

Gulls were few and far between with, once again, Pitsford producing the week’s Yellow-legged Gull sightings, which were down to single adults there on 2nd and 4th.

Still statistically rare, but no longer the pulse-raiser it once was, the report of a Glossy Ibis at Summer Leys on 31st passed without event, although at Bittern there on the same day was solidly caught on camera. Another Bittern was present at Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh NR early on the same date.

The week’s only Cattle Egret was again at Stanwick GP on 5th.

And the reservoirs laid claim to the period’s Ospreys, with single birds at Pitsford on 31st and 3rd, Stanford on 4th and 6th and a blue-ringed (3AY) six-year-old male – clocked earlier in the year at Summer Leys and Hollowell – visited the latter site again, also on 6th.

Passerines this week were limited to Crossbills being heard at Pitsford on 2nd and over Irthlingborough on 4th.