Author: Mike Alibone

A largely dry week with depressed temperatures, overnight frost on 25th and a north to north-westerly airstream saw the arrival of a few more winter visitors.

Two Egyptian Geese were at Ditchford GP on 24th, the floating drake Mandarin Duck was still at Wicksteed Park Lake on 25th and 28th and thirteen Pintail were counted at Pitsford Res on 29th. Pitsford also hosted up to twenty-four Red-crested Pochards at the beginning of the week, while a leucistic female was at Ravensthorpe Res on 27th and a bird considered to be a Red-crested Pochard x Mallard hybrid was found at Pitsford on 25th. Two Scaup appeared – a drake at Ditchford GP and a first-winter at Thrapston GP – both on 24th but the species generating the most interest this week was a female or first-winter Long-tailed Duck found in Pitsford Reservoir’s Walgrave Bay late in the day on 23rd. Unfortunately ‘coal and candlelight’ was no longer on the menu for birders who turned up to see it early the following morning but, as luck would have it, another was discovered on Town Lake at Thrapston GP later in the day – this one staying until at least 28th.

Female or first-winter Long-tailed Duck, Thrapston GP, 26th November 2013 (Mike Alibone). A slight difference in head pattern – the Thrapston individual had more extensively dark forehead and lores – confirmed this was a different individual to the bird at Pitsford.

These were the first in Northants for seven years and formed part of an inland mini-influx which saw others in Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire. The first Smew of the winter also appeared this week with a ‘redhead’ at Clifford Hill GP on 23rd and a drake at Pitsford Res on 25th-26th.

Smew, Clifford Hill GP, 23rd November 2013 (Mike Alibone)

Goosanders were reported from seven localities but struggled to reach double figures with the maximum count of just eleven coming from Pitsford Res on 25th. Great White Egrets were again very much in evidence this week with up to three, possibly four, remaining at Pitsford Res and singles at both Thrapston GP and Stanwick GP on 24th and flying west at Summer Leys on 25th and west over Geddington on 27th, while a Black-necked Grebe was found at Pitsford Res on 25th.

Reports of raptors this week were few and far between, being restricted to a juvenile Marsh Harrier at Blatherwycke Lake on 23rd and a Peregrine at Pitsford Res on 25th and, apart from two Green Sandpipers at Ditchford GP on 24th, all of this week’s notable waders were also found at Pitsford Res. These included a Grey Plover on 25th, a Dunlin on 29th, the lingering Black-tailed Godwit until at least 25th, up to five Redshanks throughout the week and the potentially wintering Common Sandpiper again on 25th.

Scarce gulls included an adult Caspian Gull at Thrapston GP on 24th and first-winter at Ditchford GP on the same date, while another adult visited Rushton Landfill the following day. Less rare were a second-winter Yellow-legged Gull at Ditchford GP on 24th and up to two adults at Pitsford Res between 25th and 29th.

Wintering warblers included single Chiffchaffs at Thrapston GP on 23rd, Pitsford Res on 25th and Harrington AF on 27th, while four were counted at Ditchford GP on 24th and three were at Ecton SF on 28th. The same site produced a Siberian Chiffchaff, seen and sound-recorded there on the same date, while a Blackcap was at Thrapston GP also on 28th and the two Stonechats remained at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell all week. Single-figure counts of Bramblings came from Blueberry Farm, Brampton Valley, Brixworth CP, Harrington AF and Kelmarsh and the only Crossbills this week were two or three at Gamboro Plantation near Cottesbrooke on 26th.

Westerly winds swung northerly during the week, bringing colder temperatures and a mixture of sunshine and showers.

A herd of twenty-four Bewick’s Swans – an impressive number by today’s standards – arrived at Clifford Hill GP prior to dusk in the afternoon on 21st but they had moved on by first light the following morning.

Bewick’s Swans, part of a herd of twenty-four at Clifford Hill GP, 21st November 2013 (Mike Alibone)

Blatherwycke Lake on continued to host a Barnacle Goose, an Egyptian Goose and four Mandarin Ducks were counted there on 19th while two more Egyptian Geese were at Thrapston GP on 17th and, in Kettering, the drake Mandarin was again present at Wicksteed Park Lake on the same date. The only Pintail reported this week were five at Pitsford Res on 16th and the same site held up to twelve Red-crested Pochards throughout the period. Much rarer, however, was one of the highlights of the year – Northamptonshire’s fourth-ever Ring-necked Duck, a female, at Stanwick GP. Found mid-afternoon on 20th, it remained until dusk and appeared to go to roost on the islands in the A45 Lay-by Pit but it could not be relocated the following day. This is the first in Northants for almost a quarter of a century. How long before the next one? Causing less of a stir were single female Scaup at Ditchford GP and Blatherwycke Lake on 21st and 22nd respectively.

A Bittern was evidently still at Stortons GP and put in a brief appearance there on 22nd while Great White Egrets continued to enjoy a run on records with singles at Thrapston GP on 16th and Blatherwycke Lake on 19th while up to three remained at Pitsford Res throughout the week and there may have been as many as four present there on 18th.

Raptors this week were limited to a ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier near Lyveden New Bield on 19th with a Merlin there on the same date plus singles at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 18th and 20th and the only Peregrine was a female near Hanging Houghton on 22nd.

Eight hundred Golden Plovers were roosting at Clifford Hill GP on 21st and there were smaller numbers at three other localities while up to two Dunlins appear to be wintering at both Pitsford Res and Stanwick GP as perhaps are single Black-tailed Godwits at the same two localities. Similarly, up to four Redshanks were at these localities during the week while Pitsford Res produced a Green Sandpiper on 16th and 17th along with a late Common Sandpiper on the latter date.

Scarce gulls were limited to an adult Mediterranean Gull at Daventry CP on 18th, an adult Caspian Gull Stanwick GP on 19th, being joined there by a second-winter on 21st and up to five Yellow-legged Gulls there on the same dates while single adults of this species were at Pitsford Res on 16th-18th and at Boddington Res on 19th.

A Short-eared Owl was discovered close to East Carlton CP on 19th and the two Bearded Tits remained at Stortons GP until at least 17th, when they were trapped and ringed. Wintering warblers included two Chiffchaffs at Thrapston GP on 16th, singles at Pitsford Res on 17th and 18th and two at Daventry CP on the latter date, while a Blackcap was at East Carlton CP on 19th. The same site produced two Stonechats at the same time while the ‘Blueberry two’ remained until at least 20th. East Carlton CP also produced 10+ Bramblings on 19th and single-figure counts came from Blueberry Farm, Cottesbrooke, Fineshade Wood and Harrington AF but the only Crossbills this week were six flying over Harlestone Heath on 21st.

A cool and blustery start to the week and, with the winds remaining largely westerly, few new birds were found locally.

Two Barnacle Geese attracting the usual caveat ‘of unknown origin’ (but obviously feral) were found this week, with one at Stanford Res on 4th-6th and another at Blatherwycke Lake on 4th and twenty-two Mandarin Ducks were counted at the latter locality on the same date. The Pitsford Res Pintail count had risen and peaked at thirteen on 6th and one remained at Ravensthorpe Res until at least 5th, while both sites continued to hold Red-crested Pochards with twelve at Pitsford on 6th-8th and four at Ravensthorpe on 5th, with two there the following day. Up to three Great White Egrets remained mobile at Pitsford throughout the week while a Black-necked Grebe was seen again at Stanford Res on 2nd.

Raptors were thin on the ground (and in the air) with single Merlins continuing to be seen at Harrington AF and at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell during the week and ‘new’ ones at Ditchford GP on 4th and Wappenham on 6th while the only Peregrines were singles at Blueberry Farm on 2nd and at Stanford Res on 7th.

The autumn’s highest count so far of Golden Plovers was made at Stanwick GP with approximately eight hundred there on 7th-8th, while the same site continued to host a Black-tailed Godwit throughout the week. Green Sandpipers were present at four localities including Pitsford Res, where there were two all week, Ravensthorpe Res with one on 3rd and at College Farm, Blakesley and Sywell CP, where singles were present on 7th.

Adult Mediterranean Gulls visited the roosts at Pitsford Res on 3rd and Stanford Res on 7th and the latter site held an adult Caspian Gull on 2nd, while four – two adults and two first-winters – were at Stanwick GP on 4th with one or two adults there on 7th-8th. Once again the elusive adult Azorean Yellow-legged Gull materialised on the main lake there on 4th and 6th, evading would-be observers on subsequent evenings. Observations of ‘standard’ Yellow-legged Gulls were restricted to just a third-year at Pitsford Res on 3rd and an adult at Ravensthorpe Res on 5th.

A Short-eared Owl was again at Blueberry Farm on 3rd while the two Bearded Tits found last week at Stortons GP were present all week and a first-winter Ring Ouzel – perhaps the same as last month’s individual – was (re)discovered at Harrington AF on 8th. At Blueberry Farm, the two Stonechats remained all week while five localities produced Bramblings with a maximum count of between ten and fourteen at Harrington AF on 2nd, and four Crossbills were counted at both Wakerley Great Wood and over Hanging Houghton on 4th and two were at both Harrington Airfield and Harlestone Heath on 6th.

The strong west to south-westerly airstream continued unabated, culminating in ‘Hurricane St Jude’, which brought devastating winds and rain to areas of southern Britain on 28th, although Northants remained unscathed. The hope of a wreck of inland seabirds went unfulfilled – a month earlier and it would likely have been a different story – but there was still plenty of interesting species around to keep local birders busy.

A Pintail was at Ravensthorpe Res on 27th and five were found at Stanwick GP on 30th but Pitsford Res produced the highest count, twelve, on 27th. On the same date the Red-crested Pochard total reached ten there, all of which remained until at least 31st with seven on 1st, while two drakes were at Stanford Res on 26th and another visited Stanwick GP on 29th. Last week’s two Great White Egrets at Pitsford Res became three on 28th, all of which were still present on 31st, although two were present on 1st and another was found at Stanwick GP on 30th.

Stanford Reservoir’s long-staying Osprey failed to make it into the record books as Northamptonshire’s latest ever as it was not seen beyond 30th. The county’s current latest record was one flying southwest over Kislingbury GP on 31st October 2008. Single Merlins were seen at Harrington AF on 26th and 29th, Stanwick GP on 30th and at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 31st, while the only Peregrines were singles at Ravensthorpe Res on 27th and Pitsford Res on 29th and 31st.

With wader passage all but over, the only Dunlin this week were three at Pitsford Res on 31st, a Jack Snipe was found at Stanwick GP on 30th with last week’s Black-tailed Godwit still present there on 31st. Pitsford Res produced a Redshank also on 31st and three Green Sandpipers on 27th, falling to two on 29th and one on 31st and 1st.

Three Caspian Gulls – two adults and a second-winter – were at Stanwick GP on 28th with just one adult there on 29th-30th and, once again, the elusive adult Azorean Yellow-legged Gull made one of its unpredictable appearances there on 26th, while single adult Yellow-legged Gulls were at Stanford Res and Pitsford Res on 26th and 31st respectively with two adults at the latter site on 28th.

A Long-eared Owl was seen briefly in the Brampton Valley between Hanging Houghton and Brixworth on 31st with Short-eared Owls at nearby Blueberry Farm on 26th and near Salcey Forest on 1st but bird of the week for many, if not all, was the obliging Hoopoe at Brickhill Farm Fisheries, between Woodford Halse and Eydon. Discovered by the landowner on 26th and easily viewable from a minor road, it performed well for all comers until 29th.

Hoopoe, Woodford Halse, 28th October 2013 (Mike Alibone)

Last week’s Great Grey Shrike was also still a popular draw at Harrington AF until at least 29th while the first Bearded Tits of the autumn, a male and female, were found at Stortons GP on 27th and another was calling from the reedbed at Ecton SF on the same date.

A late departing Swallow was seen over Church Brampton on 28th and a Ring Ouzel was discovered close to the causeway car park at Pitsford Res on 31st with a Black Redstart at the dam there on the same date. At Blueberry Farm, two Stonechats were present between 26th and 29th and the same area held twelve Bramblings on 28th with smaller numbers reported from Stanwick GP and Harrington AF and a female Crossbill flew south-west over Stanford Res on 26th.

This week’s weather was dominated by westerly or southwesterly winds, which produced showers and some short periods of heavy rain. Some interesting migrants found their way to the county while several long-stayers seemed set to remain for a while to come.

Following last week’s Egyptian Goose at Stanwick GP, two more were found at adjacent Ditchford GP on 23rd and the drake Mandarin Duck from Wicksteed Park Lake had moved to nearby Kettering Leisure Village Lake on 19th. The long-staying eclipse drake Red-crested Pochard remained at Stanford Res until at least 19th and another joined the three at Pitsford Res on 23rd and the total had increased to nine by 25th. A Bittern was located at Stanwick GP on 25th while the two Great White Egrets remained at, or around, Pitsford Res to at least 23rd with one until 25th.

On the raptor front, a male Hen Harrier was found at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 22nd, where it remained until the next day when a ‘ringtail’ was also discovered at the same site, being reported again there on 24th. The lingering Osprey at Stanford Res was still present there on 22nd, single Merlins visited Harrington AF and Pytchley Golf Course on 24th and Peregrines were found at Blueberry Farm and at Ditchford GP on 22nd and 23rd respectively.

Late autumn migrant Ringed Plovers included singles at Pitsford Res and Stanwick GP on 19th while numbers of Golden Plovers continued to build at six localities, with a maximum of c.600 at Clifford Hill GP on 19th. The only Dunlin this week was one at Pitsford Res on 23rd and a Jack Snipe was discovered at Grange Park, Northampton on the same date, while a Black-tailed Godwit visited Summer Leys LNR on 19th before moving further along the Nene Valley to Stanwick on 20th, remaining there until 25th. The latter site produced a Redshank on the same date, single Green Sandpipers were at Ravensthorpe Res from 19th to 23rd and at Pitsford Res on the latter date and a late Common Sandpiper was also found at Pitsford Res on 22nd.

A first-winter Mediterranean Gull appeared at Ravensthorpe Res on 23rd and five Caspian Gulls included an adult at Stanwick GP on 19th with two adults and a first-winter there on 22nd and an adult at Pitsford Res on the latter date. The elusive adult Azorean Yellow-legged Gull made one of its unpredictable appearances at Stanwick GP on 19th and approximately twenty Yellow-legged Gulls were also there on the same date and on 22nd, when an adult was also at Pitsford Res and two adults there on 25th.

Short-eared Owls remained scarce with just one at Harrington AF on 19th and 24th, the same site holding a first-winter Ring Ouzel throughout the period as well as what for

First-winter Ring Ouzel, Harrington AF, 24th October 2013 (Mike Alibone)

many locals was ‘bird of the week’, a Great Grey Shrike on 24th and 25th. True to form,

Great Grey Shrike, Harrington AF, 24th October 2013 (Mike Alibone)

it remained highly mobile along the scrub belt between the first and third bunkers and the main concrete track as previous individuals have done in the past. Birders admiring the shrike also discovered a Black Redstart there on 24th.

Stonechats – locally scarce this year – were seen in Sywell early in the week and at Blueberry Farm on 24th but the title of rarest bird of the week goes to the Richard’s Pipit, which was flushed from a weedy field behind the dam at Daventry CP before moving to an adjacent field prior to flying off toward Borough Hill. This is only the 9th Northants record and follows hot on the heels of last year’s at almost the same locality. Single Rock Pipits, common by comparison, appeared at Stanford Res on 19th and at Stanwick GP on 22nd and two Crossbills flew over Harrington AF on 24th.

The week kicked off with a slow-moving low pressure system sitting just over south-eastern Britain and adjacent mainland Europe, which produced significant north-easterly winds accompanied by low cloud and rain – ideal conditions for pushing species more normally associated with the coast into Northants.

Part of last week’s Whooper Swan movement spilled over into this week with three adults flying north-east over Boddington Res just before dusk on 13th. An Egyptian Goose was at Stanwick GP on 16th, a Ruddy Shelduck was again reported fleetingly from Pitsford Res on 14th and a drake Mandarin Duck visited Wicksteed Park Lake on 15th.  A single Pintail was found at Thrapston GP on 12th, two were at Stanwick GP the following day and up to eight were counted at Pitsford Res on 13th-14th, while the menu of scarce diving ducks became more extensive this week with the eclipse drake Red-crested Pochard still at Stanford Res to 17th, singles at Clifford Hill GP on 13th and Wicksteed Park Lake on 14th and three at Pitsford Res on the latter date. A female or first-winter Scaup visited Daventry CP on 17th and storm-driven drake Common Scoters appeared at Pitsford Res (two) and Clifford Hill GP on 13th

Drake Common Scoter, Clifford Hill GP, 13th October 2013 (Mike Alibone)

and Clifford Hill GP also hosted the year’s only Red-breasted Merganser on 12th, while last week’s Goosander remained on the fishing lake at Wicksteed Park all week.

Eclipse drake Red-breasted Merganser, Clifford Hill GP, 12th October 2013 (Mike Alibone). The ‘third’ white panel in the wing, comprising lesser and median coverts, serves to age this as an adult drake. These feather tracts are dark greyish in females and first-winter males.

Also from last week, the Stanford Res Black-necked Grebe reappeared on 18th.

Hot in off the North Sea, Northamptonshire’s thirty-fourth Gannet, a juvenile, splashed down early in the afternoon of 14th on Thrapston GP’s Barclaycard Pit, where it remained, showing well, until dusk.

Juvenile Gannet, Thrapston GP, 14th October 2013 (Bob Bullock)

This species has appeared in no more than three years out of the past ten with September being the peak month of occurrence in the county.

All three of last week’s Great White Egrets – two at Pitsford Res and one at Stanwick GP – remained until at least 15th

while the county’s third-ever Glossy Ibis appeared at the latter site on 12th. First seen flying high west over the eastern pits there, it whiffled down and appeared to land on the A45 Lay-by Pit. Despite a thorough search by a number of local observers it was not relocated. Uncannily – or perhaps predictably – this bird followed exactly the same pattern of occurrence as the previous two: one observer, less than twenty minutes, gone. This would have been the case other than for an unconfirmed report of its revisiting the same site briefly on 15th so it could still be lurking somewhere in the Nene Valley, although Northants appears to be a Teflon-coated county as far as this species is concerned. Will there ever be one which stays long enough for the birding masses to catch up with it?

The trio of notable raptors this week include an Osprey lingering at Stanford Res all week, a Merlin at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 17th and a couple of Peregrines at Hellidon on 12th.

While numbers of Golden Plovers began to build for the winter, with three hundred and fifty at Clifford Hill GP on 13th, wader passage in general continued to dwindle. Dunlin numbers were down with up to three at Pitsford Res between 12th and 15th, up to two at Clifford Hill GP during the same period and two at Stanwick GP on 12th. The only Ruff this week were singles at Pitsford Res on 12th and Clifford Hill GP on 14th, a Bar-tailed Godwit flew south at Pitsford Res on 13th along with a Curlew while another Curlew flew east at Stanford Res on 12th and two Green Sandpipers were also at Pitsford Res on 14th.

Two Caspian Gulls were found at Stanwick GP on 12th and an adult was again at Thrapston GP on 14th along with four Yellow-legged Gulls while single adult Yellow-legged Gulls visited Clifford Hill GP on 12th and Pitsford Res on 15th. The depression also dumped Little Gulls – all first-winters – at three localities: Summer Leys on 12th, Thrapston GP from 12th to 14th and Stanford Res from 13th to 15th as well as a typically late juvenile Arctic Tern at Clifford Hill GP on 13th.

On the passerine front, a Firecrest was discovered with a tit flock at Titchmarsh Wood on 17th, straggler Swallow duos were at Clifford Hill GP on 12th and Pitsford Res the following day and a Ring Ouzel showed well at Hellidon – if only for a short while – on 12th. The same locality also hosted a Greenland Wheatear at the same time and a male Stonechat was discovered at Pitsford Res on 14th while single Rock Pipits appeared on cue at Hollowell Res on 13th and at Thrapston GP the following day. More Bramblings arrived this week with singles at Hellidon and Stanford Res on 12th and at Woodend near Blakesley on 18th, with two at Geddington Chase on 17th and approximately twelve Crossbills flew over Spratton on 16th with another over on 17th and several over Daventry CP on the same date.

The relatively warm south-westerly airstream at the beginning of the week had given way to cold north-easterlies and rain by the week’s end. A phenomenal 33,000+ Redwings were counted migrating over one point in neighbouring Bedfordshire on 10th as more winter visitors appeared in Northants.

Yes, winter’s intent was announced by the arrival of several species this week, kicking off with six Whooper Swans flying east just before dusk fell at Stanwick GP on 10th. The same, or perhaps a different flock was seen flying south-west at Thrapston GP the following morning with a lone individual was also seen flying north-east there and nine adults briefly at Hollowell Res the same day. The Pitsford pair of Ruddy Shelducks was present until 8th but they have become highly mobile and may still be present somewhere on the reservoir. Elsewhere, scarcer wildfowl were represented by last week’s Pintail remaining at Hollowell Res until 10th, singles at Stanford Res on 5th and Thrapston GP on 11th and four or five at Summer Leys LNR on 7th, the latter being joined there by three Garganey on the same date, while an eclipse drake Garganey was also at Clifford Hill GP on 5th.

Last week’s eclipse drake Red-crested Pochard was still at Stanford Res on 5th, five Common Scoters (two drakes) appeared at Hollowell Res and another at nearby Ravensthorpe Res on 10th and the first Goosander of the season was on the fishing lake at Wicksteed Park on the same date.

Hot on the heels of last week’s two Great White Egrets, two more – this time together – arrived at Pitsford Res on 8th with at least one remaining there until 11th. Meanwhile, in the Nene Valley, another was found at Stanwick GP early morning also on 11th and a Black-necked Grebe – a species proving scarce this autumn – appeared at Stanford Res on 5th.

Raptors were also in short supply this week with a ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier flying west at Summer Leys on 11th and a Peregrine there on 6th, while a juvenile visited Stanwick GP on the same day and an adult was there on 9th.

Wader passage is now at an understandably low ebb and there were few new arrivals. Ringed Plovers at Pitsford Res dropped from six on 5th to four by 9th and two were still at Clifford Hill GP on 5th where there were approximately two hundred Golden Plovers on 9th with five at Summer Leys on 6th. The long-staying Grey Plover remained at Stanwick GP until early morning on 6th and another flew east over Hollowell Res on 5th. The two Little Stints at the former locality remained until 5th and the same site held a Dunlin from 5th to 9th, three were at Pitsford Res from 5th to 7th with one there on 8th-9th and two on 11th and two were at Clifford Hill GP on 5th. The only Ruff this week was one at Daventry CP on 7th, the same site producing a flock of fifteen Black-tailed Godwits for just thirty minutes on 5th, while another was at Stanwick GP on the same date. Just one Common Sandpiper was found – at Pitsford Res – on 9th, the same site producing the week’s only Green Sandpiper on 8th.

Single first-winter Mediterranean Gulls were at Daventry CP on 8th and 11th and a fourth-winter Caspian Gull visited Stanwick GP on 5th, an adult was there on 8th and another adult was found at Thrapston GP on 11th. Amazingly, ‘the’ (or another) Azorean Yellow-legged Gull was back at Stanwick GP for just a couple of minutes on 8th, again giving observers no chance to catch up with it and approximately thirty Yellow-legged Gulls were there on the same date. Two more were at Hollowell Res on 5th, six were at Thrapston GP on 11th and an adult remained at Pitsford Res all week.

A late Willow Warbler was at Hardingstone on 11th, a male Ring Ouzel – only the second of the autumn – was found at Hollowell Res on 10th and the winter’s first Fieldfares – three of them – flew over Stanford Res on 9th. Departing summer visitors included last week’s Whinchat remaining at Clifford Hill GP until 5th and what were probably the last Yellow Wagtails of the year at Hollowell Res and Brackley on the same date. More inbound winter visitors included the first Bramblings at Stanford Res and Summer Leys on 5th, followed by one at Stanwick GP and six west over Thrapston GP on 11th.