Author: Mike Alibone

Within an overall westerly airstream, remnants of Hurricane Ernesto gave the wind some oomph mid-week, quickly followed by Storm Lilian, with its hefty blow and bluster at the end of the period. Such conditions may have raised hopes for the early appearance of a seabird in the county but, unfortunately, it was not to be. While a certain American wader lingered, the top slot for new arrivals this week was occupied by two of the rarer grebes.

And as for ducks … well, no change there. The female Ruddy Shelduck saw another week out at Stanford Res and Summer Leys LNR laid claim to the week’s Garganeys, producing three on 19th. At Pitsford Res, the number of Red-crested Pochards increased from one last week to four on 17th, dropping to two on 20th.

Historically, late August is a prime time for the appearance of Black-necked Grebes in the county and, right on cue, came two – a worn adult at Clifford Hill GP on 21st-22nd, quickly followed by a fresh juvenile at Stanford on 23rd. In a year with, unusually, no spring records, these were much appreciated by local birders.

The period’s prime waders were limited to four species. Single fly-over Whimbrels were clocked at both Daventry CP and Ditchford GP on 19th. Spending more of its time on the more easily visible eastern side of the dwindling flood pools at Lilbourne Meadows NR, last week’s Lesser Yellowlegs lingered until 20th, after which there were no further reports. Otherwise, it was left to Wood Sandpipers to fill the void, with singles at Summer Leys from 18th to 23rd, at Clifford Hill from 19th to 23rd and at Stanwick GP on 20th. Surprisingly scarcer than the latter, Greenshanks were limited to up to two at Summer Leys between 17th and 23rd and one at Ditchford on 20th.

Once again, Yellow-legged Gull was the only species of its kind to be found during the period. Up to five were present at Pitsford between 17th and 22nd, an adult visited Stanford Res on 19th, while a juvenile was found at Clifford Hill GP on 22nd.

Following last week’s sightings at Hollowell and Stanford, a single juvenile Black Tern appeared also at Clifford Hill on 22nd.

The period’s Ospreys were this time confined to Pitsford and Stanford, with daily sightings at the former peaking at three, north of the causeway, on 19th. Stanford produced singles on 17th and 19th and two on 20th. By contrast, seven localities delivered Marsh Harriers – all singles. These were at Harrington AF and Hollowell on 17th, Summer Leys on 17th, 22nd and 23rd, Pitsford and Thrapston on 20th and in the Brampton Valley on 23rd. A strikingly leucistic juvenile, one of two from a nest at RSPB Otmoor in Oxfordshire, and with an online travelogue to its name, turned up at Lilbourne Meadows on 18th. Since fledging, this individual has been seen near Coventry, Warwickshire and at Willow Tree Fen, midway between Bourne and Spalding in Lincolnshire.

Heading the cast of the scarcer passerines was a Willow Warbler showing characteristics of the northern race acredula, trapped and ringed at Stanford on 21st.  

Once again, Common Redstarts remained prominent with daily sightings of one or two birds across a collective nine localities, including Blueberry Farm, Brampton Valley, Ditchford, Foxholes Fisheries (Crick), Harrington, Honey Hill, Lamport, Lilbourne Meadows and Stanford, one being trapped and ringed at the latter site on 17th.

Five sites produced Whinchats with Brampton Valley again holding the week’s maximum of four on 19th. Ones and twos were also seen at Harrington, Hollowell, Pitsford and Stanford, with one trapped and ringed by the Stanford Ringing Group on 19th.

Still thin on the ground, though, single Northern Wheatears were seen at Harrington on 17th, 19th and 23rd and at Blueberry Farm on 19th.

Following the autumn’s first last week, two Tree Pipits were trapped and ringed at Stanford on 17th, two singles flew south-west over Brackley during the morning of the latter date and one was at Harrington AF on 19th.

The heat is on … and in more ways than one. Not only did we experience the  UK’s hottest day of the year so far – a sizzling 34.8°C in Cambridge and 32°C in Northampton on 12th, but the quality of the birds rapidly moved up a couple of gears from day one. Yes, Lilbourne Meadows once again aptly demonstrated its pulling power for top-drawer waders from all points of the compass. Americano, anyone?

Not too far away from the now fabled meadows, the female Ruddy Shelduck extended its stay at Stanford Res by another seven days, while two Garganeys – presumably last week’s birds – reappeared at Summer Leys LNR on 10th, where they remained also until 14th. Another paid a brief visit to Lilbourne on 11th. The eclipse drake Red-crested Pochard saw another week out at Pitsford Res, with the individual at Billing Aquadrome still being present on 12th.

But, as far as waders are concerned and, for that matter, the period’s birds in general, it was Lilbourne Meadows NR that dealt the winning hand this week. The discovery there of an adult Pectoral Sandpiper on 10th was the second record for the site and comes hot on the heels of its first, in July 2022. It remained until 13th.

But there was more to come and, as the sun rose on the morning of the 11th, another American wader took centre stage on the very same pools at the above location. It’s been a long, 29-year wait since the last Lesser Yellowlegs graced Northamptonshire and became readily available. The latter was a 3-day bird at Stanford Res in late September 1995. This week’s individual, although still present at the end of the period, was anything but easy to see. Remaining out of view for the greater extent on the largely hidden, western section of the winter flood pools, long waits to see it became very much the norm at this reserve, which is in the final stages of completion as a mitigation scheme related to the adjacent, unfinished DIRFT 3 industrial complex.

Following the aforementioned bird at Stanford, which also produced Northamptonshire’s first, in October 1964, it’s only the fifth Lesser Yellowlegs for the county. Many of us who were birding Northants in the 1970s will have fond memories of the one that arrived at Pitsford Res on 26th September 1971 and stayed throughout the winter, relocating to Ecton SF in February 1972, where it remained until 22nd April. Little more than a year later, one at Ditchford GP, on 9th-10th May 1973, was assumed to be the same, returning individual.

What’s next for Lilbourne this autumn? Or will the pools continue to dry out, as they normally have done by now in previous years?

Other waders were available, of course, including the week’s only Black-tailed Godwit at Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows NR on 10th and Greenshanks, with up to two at Summer Leys between 10th and 14th and singles at Lilbourne Meadows on 14th and at Stanwick GP the following day.

The period’s scarcer larids were represented solely by Yellow-legged Gull, single adults of which were present at Stanford, Pitsford and Ravensthorpe Res on 11th, 12th and 13th, respectively, while Pitsford produced three adults and two juveniles on the latter date. Thrapston GP held four on 13th and three there the following day, four were in fields adjacent to Desborough AF on 14th and a juvenile visited Earls Barton GP’s Mary’s Lake on 15th.

Autumn’s Black Tern passage kicked off on 12th, when six stayed only briefly at Stanford and three were found at Hollowell Res.

Cattle Egrets mustered just two reports of four at Stanwick on 15th and one on the outskirts of Brackley the following day.

But once again, raptors were putting on a show for many a local birder, with Ospreys more or less a daily fixture at Pitsford, where fishing and loafing in trees became almost routine. Up to three were present there throughout the week. Elsewhere, one featured daily at Stanford between 10th and 15th, Thrapston produced one on 12th and 14th, one flew over the Brampton Valley on 10th and one was at Ravensthorpe on 13th. At least two of those at Pitsford bore rings enabling their history to be traced. Of three there on 14th, one, ‘355’, fledged from a nest in Rutland in 2021, returning on 24th April this year prior to being seen regularly at Summer Leys during May. Another of the trio, ‘3AY’ is a five year old male – also from Rutland – which has not yet been recorded as breeding; it also visited Hollowell on two dates in April and Stanford on 17th July. One of this week’s Stanford birds, ‘1H5’, was a male ringed as a nestling at Rutland on 25th June 2022, first returning to Rutland on 3rd June this year.

Marsh Harriers, too, were very much in evidence. Singles were present at Summer Leys, on and off, between 10th and 15th, Harrington AF, daily, between 11th and 14th, Pitsford on 12th-13th and 16th, Stanford on 11th and 15th, Stanwick on 14th-15th, Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 10th and at Hollowell on 15th.

And on the passerine front, Common Redstarts remained prominent with daily sightings of one or two birds across a collective eight localities, including Blueberry Farm, Brampton Valley, Desborough, Harrington, Lamport, Lilbourne Meadows, Stanford and Woodford Halse NR.

Whinchats were seen at half that number of sites, with Harrington heading the list for the maximum of four, on 11th and up to two until 14th. The Brampton Valley between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton held up to two all week, Pitsford followed suit with one, being joined by a second bird on 15th and Hollowell hung on to one until at least 15th.

Northern Wheatears were in even shorter supply, with just singles at Harrington on 11th, Brampton Valley on 15th and Braunston on 16th, while the 11th saw the first Tree Pipits of the year appearing at Brixworth STW, where there were two (one trapped and ringed), and one in the Brampton Valley. Not too far away, two fly-overs were seen at Harrington on 13th followed by another there the next day.

High pressure building over the last week ultimately delivered some weather which may be viewed as being loosely associated with ‘summer’. There was no pressure building on the birding front, however, as we drifted further into what is generally regarded locally as one of the quietest times of the year.

Another telltale sign of the period is the emergence of wildfowl ‘sporting’ eclipse plumage. One such bird was the drake Garganey that appeared on the dam at Stanford Res on 17th.

Not normally associated with this point in time, a second-summer Yellow-legged Gull was found at Daventry CP on 20th.

The ongoing presence of Bitterns at a minimum of two locations in the Nene Valley this week continues to fuel speculation they are breeding … somewhere.

However, with a nest holding at least two young, Cattle Egrets are definitely breeding at one site in the Nene Valley – a welcome return after they last bred in 2020. Also in said valley, two visited Summer Leys LNR on 15th, one was at Stanwick GP on the same date and one was present at Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh LNR on 18th.

The week’s raptors saw a fall in the number of Ospreys reported to singles at Ravensthorpe Res on 15th and at Pitsford Res on 16th and 21st, while a Marsh Harrier flew north-east over Stanwick on 20th.

Almost seeing out a fourth week, the singing male Wood Warbler remained at Harry’s Park Wood until 20th but was nowhere to be seen subsequently.

And here’s something else to think about. Virtually three-quarters of the way through June and the fact that we have not yet had even a sniff of a Common Quail in Northamptonshire is perhaps a sad reflection of the times. But, one singing east of Raunds and south of Keyston, Cambridgeshire, on the last day of the week, was less than one kilometre from the county boundary. There’s still time and the Brampton Valley’s always a good bet …