A settled period with average temperatures, brought on by a northerly airstream in the latter part of the week, saw migrational momentum on the up and delivering a now expected American wader to the shoreline of Daventry Country Park …
But running conventionally through the list, Garganey is a duck which has been rather scarce in the county this year, although this autumn’s few birds have been hanging around, thereby making themselves readily available to anyone intent on catching up after the dearth of spring records. Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh NR continued to feature daily in this respect, with one on 15th-16 and three from 18th until 21st. One was also found at Pitsford Res on 18th. The now settled female Ferruginous Duck at Stanford Res also saw another week out.
Just up the road from Summer Leys on the wider periphery of Great Doddington, however, came an intriguing report of a Turtle Dove ‘on the road’ during the late afternoon of 16th, although there was no sight nor sound thereafter. A bit of a head-scratcher, that.
Not so with waders, though, and two with curves were a Whimbrel at Pitsford on 20th, following a Curlew at Clifford Hill GP the day before. Following one at Summer Leys LNR on 15th, Pitsford gave rise to a healthy count of sixteen Black-tailed Godwits on 18th, while numbers varying between one and three continued to be seen there up until 20th. Titchmarsh also held on to one from 19th until 21st and five were found at Hollowell Res on the latter date.
And hot on the heels of only the third for the county this year, two more Turnstones were found – one at Pitsford on 18th and the other at Titchmarsh on 21st. Only the latter remained on view for any length of time …
As wader passage continued to beef up, three sites gave rise to Ruffs, with Boddington Res kicking off with one from 18th to 20th, two at Pitsford on 18th-19th and one on 20th-21st, followed by two at Clifford Hill on the latter date.
But this year it was Daventry’s turn to host what’s now again become a regular Americano – and right on cue came a fine adult Pectoral Sandpiper, clearly in a nod to the newly-constructed viewing platform overlooking the site’s West Bay. Found on 17th, it remained on view throughout the period. This wader has been of annual occurrence over the past four years but, prior to 2022, there was a big, 11-year gap in records between then and 2011.
Last week’s Wood Sandpiper was still to be found at Titchmarsh until 19th but not subsequently. Greenshanks, however, continued to pour in and were present all week at Pitsford, where numbers rose from four on 15th to between seven and ten on 18th, before falling back to three on 21st. Elsewhere, one remained at Titchmarsh all week, two were at Hollowell Res on 15th with one there on 21st, one visited Ecton SF on 17th, two were at Summer Leys on 19th-20th, and singles were at Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (North) on 20th-21st and at Clifford Hill on 21st.
On the larid front, two juvenile Mediterranean Gulls – including last week’s with a Polish colour ring – were at Daventry on 16th after just the one there the previous day. Also, the German-ringed adult male Caspian Gull was still at Naseby Res on 18th and another adult visited Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (South) at the week’s end. Yellow-legged Gulls were down a little on last week’s numbers with six at Priors Hall Quarry Lake on 16th, one at Daventry on 17th and up to two at Pitsford from the latter date until the period’s end.
Following last week’s Glossy Ibis at Summer Leys, one appeared at Titchmarsh on 15th, then going AWOL before showing up there again on 18th. One was also reported again at Summer Leys on 18th before being relocated at nearby Earls Barton GP the next day, remaining there until 21st as well as being seen at Summer Leys again on the same date.
Summer Leys also produced 2 Cattle Egrets on 15th followed by a Bittern there the next day.
And then there were Ospreys. One at Thrapston GP on 17th and one or two over Brixworth on 18th, with two at Pitsford on 18th and 20th. Apart from two at Summer Leys on 15th, single Marsh Harriers were clocked at Titchmarsh on 15th, Stanford on 16th, Summer Leys again on 16th, at both Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and Pitsford on 18th and at Earls Barton on 21st.
Heading up the week’s passerines was a class act in the shape of a bright and shiny Wood Warbler. Encountered on the move at Wicken Wood on 15th, it was duly photographed by the finder who, coincidentally, was also the finder of this year’s only previous record, at Clifford Hill back in May. Nowadays in the county, they’re fast heading down the road to becoming as rare as hen’s teeth …
Seemingly moving in the opposite direction, the number of localities at which Common Redstarts continued to be found remained firmly in double figures, the thirteen localities producing them being Blueberry Farm (Maidwell), Boughton, Brampton Valley, Brixworth, Clifford Hill, Denton Wood, Great Brington, Harrington AF, Honey Hill, Lamport, Old/Walgrave, Pitsford and Stanford. The highest counts of three were at Harrington on 15th and Old/Walgrave on 19th and singles were trapped and ringed on 16th at both Brixworth and Stanford.
The number of Whinchats was limited to two, with single birds in the Brampton Valley between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton on 18th and one at Borough Hill on 21st, while two Stonechats were also at the latter locality on the same date.
The 18th saw single Northern Wheatears in both the Brampton Valley and at Pitsford, while what would appear to be the first Tree Pipit of the year was seen at Hollowell on 15th.
A Crossbill was at Wicken Wood on 16th.
Northants birds 