Newsround 19th to 25th July 2025

A largely westerly airstream and sporadic showers were the standout characteristics of the week under review, although the numbers of standout birds were somewhat restricted and included one first for the year …

Dispensing quickly with potentially dodgy ducks, the infamous female Ruddy Shelduck dropped in at Stanford Res on 19th and was subsequently seen again at Ravensthorpe Res on 25th, the latter site also producing the week’s only Red-crested Pochard – a female – on 19th.

A singing male Common Quail was heard at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell before the rain set in, also on 19th. This is only the second to be reported this year, following one at Stanford for three days during the first week of June.

And while waders were out there to be found, there was a change in the dynamic with numbers of Black-tailed Godwits down to only three at Boddington Res and one at Earls Barton GP – both on the last day of the week.

Greenshanks, however, were on the up with Pitsford Res producing singles on 19th and 24th and two on 22nd. Summer Leys LNR held two on 19th and one on 21st, while further singles were at Clifford Hill GP on 24th and Earls Barton the following day.

After doing a lap of Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows’ Dragonfly Lake, a lone Whimbrel headed east toward Stanwick GP on 20th, while Lilbourne Meadows NR dished up two Curlews on 25th.

Having produced one last week, Boddington maintained its monopoly on Mediterranean Gulls during the period with a juvenile on 23rd, a different juvenile on 24th followed by both birds together there on 25th. A first-summer Caspian Gull was also there on 21st.

Three sites produced the week’s crop of Yellow-legged Gulls – Pitsford topping the bill for numbers with five on 19th, four on 23rd and two on 22nd. Three were at Boddington on 21st with singles there on 21st and 24th, while Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh NR produced single adults on 19th and 25th.

And, for the time of year, it wasn’t bad for scarcer terns with a first-summer Arctic Tern paying a brief visit to Stanford and two Black Terns at Ravensthorpe – all on the last day of the week.

Summer Leys continued to provide limited views of Bittern on two dates, 20th and 23rd, while Cattle Egrets remained faithful to the eastern end of the Nene Valley, where nine were at Titchmarsh NR and three at Ringstead GP on the last day of the period.

Raptors featured more strongly than usual this week and aside from the usual Ospreys – singles over Harrington AF on 20th, Hollowell on 19th, Pitsford on 19th, 21st, 24th and 25th (two), plus one at Titchmarsh on 25th – Marsh Harriers were also rather more in evidence than of late. Harrington saw singles over on 19th and 23rd, one was in the Brampton Valley between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton on 21st, one at Summer Leys on 24th and both Hollowell and Pitsford featured one apiece on 25th.

And, after a blank year in 2024, a report of a Honey Buzzard flying west over Althorp on 19th was quickly followed by another flying west over the Brampton Valley below Brixworth on 23rd. Interestingly, at this stage in the year, it begs the question, is there a bird to be had locally as the two sightings are only four days apart and the distance between them is only 6 km, as the Honey Buzzard flies …

Passerines continued their late summer southerly movement, with Common Redstarts again very much in evidence. Daily sightings of between one and three birds came from a combination of the five localities of Blueberry Farm, Borough Hill, Brampton Valley, Harrington and Woodford Halse.

Up to two Whinchats were in the Brampton Valley between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton between 19th and 23rd, one was at Woodford Halse NR on 22nd and singles were found at Harrington on 23rd and Borough Hill on 25th.

The first Northern Wheatear of the autumn was reported from the Blueberry Farm area on 19th, followed by one at Borough Hill on 25th.

Unabated, the Crossbill movement continued apace with reports from eight localities and the largest number of at least twenty at Hollowell on 24th. Elsewhere, flyovers numbering between one and four were seen and/or heard over Abington Park (Northampton), Blueberry Farm, Brixworth, Harrington, Pitsford, Stanford and Stanwick. More to look forward to in the coming weeks, no doubt …