Newsround 9th to 15th August 2025

High pressure drifting east allowed the country to tap into hot and humid air off the continent, delivering a peak in local temperatures of 31°C on the 12th. The pick of the crop of this week’s hot birding saw a fly-over Goshawk and the year’s fourth Pied Flycatcher which, like the previous three, was not readily available to the masses, and the first of the autumn’s Tree Pipits …

Ducking but not diving, the female Ruddy Shelduck extended its stay on, and around, the dam at Ravensthorpe Res until at least 14th.

There was, however, a reasonable run of waders kicking off with a Curlew at Summer Leys LNR on 9th. The 13th saw two Black-tailed Godwits at Daventry CP and one at Pitsford Res, followed by six more, briefly, at Summer Leys on 15th, where a Ruff was also present on the same date.

The latter locality was also visited by two Wood Sandpipers on 14th-15th.

Greenshanks continued to proliferate, the maximum number being five, again at Summer Leys, on 11th, numbers having dropped to just two there by the week’s end. Both Hollowell Res and Pitsford produced numbers varying up to three apiece between 11th and 15th, while singles were to be had at Earls Barton GP on 10th, Naseby Res on 11th and Boddington Res from 12th to 15th.

Boddington also produced the week’s only Mediterranean Gull, a juvenile, on 9th.

The German-ringed adult male Caspian Gull was seen again at Naseby on 11th and 14th and one – possibly the same – visited Hollowell on 15th. Yellow-legged Gulls again crept into double figures with daily sightings at Pitsford peaking there at ten on the last day of the period. Boddington was the only other site to produce one, a first-summer on 9th.

Last week’s White Stork remained into this week, being seen at Round Spinney Industrial Estate on 11th and in flight south over Northampton General Hospital two days later, on 13th. The ring number, CV03 (not CY03 as previously stated) identifies the bird as a male released as part of the wider UK reintroduction scheme, at Cove Valley, Devon on 4th June this year.

The period’s Cattle Egrets were limited to two flying south-west over Stanwick GP on 11th and one briefly visiting Summer Leys the following day.

Topping the week’s raptors was a male Goshawk which flew north over the church at Byfield on 12th. The species has long been suspected a scarce breeder in the county … somewhere … but it is seldom seen. We can only pray for more … So it was down to the now run-of-the-mill Ospreys and Marsh Harriers to lift the spirits, so to speak. With singles on 9th, 11th and 12th, Pitsford produced the most Ospreys, Thrapston GP coming second with singles on 13th and 15th, while either side of the latter locality, Ringstead GP and Oundle’s Biggin Lake held fishing birds on 9th and 12th, respectively. Marsh Harriers made their biggest impact so far this year, being seen at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 13th-14th, Boddington Res on 13th, in the Brampton Valley and at Ditchford GP on 12th, Harrington AF on 11th, Pitsford village, where there were two circling, on 10th, Pitsford Res on 12th, Stanford Res on 9th, 11th, 13th, 14th-15th (two), Summer Leys on 10th-12th and 14th-15th and at Warmington on 12th.

Lighting up the passerines, a Firecrest was an unusual August visitor to a Duston, Northampton garden, moving off quickly with a mobile tit flock, on 12th, while the fourth Pied Flycatcher to be reported so far this year put in an equally brief appearance at Pitsford on 11th.

Common Redstarts maintained their prominence, being seen at thirteen localities. Stanford produced the most with a total of seven trapped and ringed during the week, while one to two were seen at Blueberry Farm, at two sites in the Brampton Valley, Hanging Houghton, Harrington AF, Lamport, Long Buckby, Old, Thrapston GP, Welford Quarry, Woodford and Woodford Halse.

Whinchats, on the other hand, were rather more scarce. Hollowell delivered the maximum of three on 14th, followed by just one there the next day. The 12th saw two in the Brampton Valley and one at Stanford, two were at Blueberry Farm on 14th with one there on 13th and one was at Thrapston on the latter date. The only Northern Wheatears were at Clifford Hill GP on 12th and at Blueberry Farm the following day.

After a meagre two in April, the first of the autumn’s Tree Pipits appeared, commencing on 9th with four in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth, two of which were trapped and ringed. These were followed the next day by two at Pitsford (one trapped and ringed), one over Abington Park, Northampton on 11th and one in the Brampton Valley between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton on 12th.

And Crossbills continued to trickle through, with three south over Pitsford on 11th, six over Blueberry Farm on 14th and one south over Hollowell Res on the same date.