Author: Mike Alibone

With an unpleasantly wet and windy start to the New Year, the transition to 2025 was anything but smooth. Catching up with last year’s lingering leftovers was a priority for some, while the incentive to get out there and find something new was given a boost by the continuing discovery of rare and scarce birds at a national level.

Back on the radar this week were Pink-footed Geese, a fifteen-strong skein of which flew south-east over Hanging Houghton on 3rd. Meanwhile, the two White-fronted Geese chalked up a month’s stay at Ravensthorpe Res and were still present at the end of the period and the same site also produced two Whooper Swans, for one day only, on 29th.

The only Red-crested Pochard in the week’s proceedings was a female remaining at Daventry CP until at least 2nd, while the first-winter female Greater Scaup also extended its stay Blatherwycke Lake until at least 2nd.

Blatherwycke also produced an apparent Slavonian Grebe on 29th and another was reported from the River Nene at Perio Mill, Fotheringhay on 28th-29th, although neither could be found during subsequent searches.

The run of Black-tailed Godwits continued into the New Year with up to two at Summer Leys LNR throughout the period and one on floodwater at Braunston on 2nd, while Jack Snipes were still to be found in the same two localities as last week – namely Hollowell Res, where there was one on 30th, and Barnes Meadow NR, Northampton, where two were present on 2nd.

Scarcer gulls fared rather better than last week with a first-winter Mediterranean Gull in the roost at Stanford Res on 28th, 30th and 1st and a daytime adult in a field between Pitsford Res and Old on the latter date. The aforementioned roost also produced at least three Caspian Gulls – an adult on 30th, a near-adult on 31st and two adults on 1st while, further to the south, diurnal sightings at Hollowell included two adults on 30th plus an adult and a third-winter on 2nd. Yellow-legged Gulls appeared in the form of single adults at Summer Leys on 29th and Stanford on 1st, followed by three in the roost at Pitsford on 2nd. We’re currently thigh-deep into winter but, given the apparent nose-dive in numbers wintering in the UK, along with the closure two years back of Northamptonshire’s last remaining landfill, the prospect of coming across any Arctic ‘white-wingers’ now seems further off than ever …  

Pitsford continued to retain its juvenile Great Northern Diver into the New Year, remaining there throughout the period.

The Summer Leys Glossy Ibis similarly stayed put, while the only Cattle Egret to be reported was last week’s singleton in a field immediately north of Barnwell CP, Oundle, where it was still to be found on 1st.

A Merlin was again reported between Gayton and Tiffield on 2nd, when there was also one in the Brampton Valley, between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton.

On the passerine front, a Bearded Tit was again reported from Stanwick GP on 28th, although no precise location details were forthcoming. Stonechats over the period appeared to be limited to Hollowell, Towcester and Stanford, with a peak of five at the latter locality on 2nd and twos at the other two sites on a range of different dates.

Hawfinches enjoyed a resurgence in popularity as we entered the New Year, the highly favoured, easyviewin’ localities of Blatherwycke and Cottesbrooke delivering as required, with peak counts of five at the first of these on 3rd and two at the latter between 28th and 2nd.

And who would ever have thought that they’d be rushing to see a Corn Bunting in Northants? The national decline – in excess of 86% since the late 1960s – has seen this species disappear from the county in recent years, so one in the Brampton Valley on 2nd marks a good start to 2025 and is likely to become a popular draw if it is seen again.

Dreary, low cloud and what can only be described as ‘festive fog’ marred the week just gone, although birdless it certainly wasn’t. While most of the long-stayers remained, there were still a few new kids on the block.

At Ravensthorpe Res the two White-fronted Geese stayed on, and around, the site until at least 24th, while the nearest thing we got to a white Christmas was the Whooper Swan which flew east over Summer Leys LNR on 25th.

With the two Red-crested Pochards still at Daventry CP on 27th and two first-winter female Greater Scaups at Blatherwycke Lake on 21st – one remaining on 27th – diving ducks were anything but in abundance.

An unusual winter sprinkling of Black-tailed Godwits occurred throughout the week, with Summer Leys claiming the lion’s share of one on 21st, seven on 23rd and three on 25th, while Earls Barton GP and Clifford Hill GP produced singles on 23rd and 27th, respectively. Solitary Jack Snipes were at Hollowell Res on 21st and at Barnes Meadow LNR, Northampton on 23rd and 27th.

Gull numbers were down to two adult Caspian Gulls at Hollowell on 23rd, the evening of the same day producing a bird showing some characteristics of an adult Azores Gull in the roost at Stanford Res, although it remains unproven at this stage. Two Mediterranean Gulls – an adult and a first-winter – were also present in the Stanford roost on the same date.

Pitsford continued to hold on to its juvenile Great Northern Diver, present until at least 24th.

The Summer Leys Glossy Ibis remained throughout the period, while five Cattle Egrets were still at Ringstead GP on 21st, four visited Stanwick GP on 23rd and one was found in a field immediately north of Barnwell CP on 26th.

The 22nd saw a Short-eared Owl at Harrington AF, single ‘ringtail’ Hen Harriers reported at Wicken Wood and between Gayton and Tiffield, where there was also a Merlin, the latter being seen again in the same area the following day. Another Merlin was seen at Pitsford Res, also on 22nd.

Four Stonechats at Lilbourne Meadows NR on 24th was the highest single site total during the period, otherwise Earls Barton, Hollowell and Pitsford all held two apiece.

And Hawfinches showed in better numbers this week – Blatherwycke churchyard holding eight on 27th, Cottesbrooke hanging on to at least two between 21st and 26th and the churchyard at Deene still accommodating one on 21st.