Category: Weekly Reports

A mainly westerly airstream, a hint of higher temperatures and a rash of occasionally heavy showers characterised the weather for the period which, it would seem, played no obvious part in delivering this week’s birds. Barely two days in and the climax came in the form of a delectable quartet of Black-winged Stilts, the sixth county record and the first for six years. Rarer still, but totally overshadowed, was a fleeting appearance by a Black Kite on the same day. Other birds were also available …

In a similar vein to last week, a motley crew of wildfowl consisted of 2 Barnacle Geese at Clifford Hill GP on 8th, the one-eyed Pink-footed Goose still with the local Greylags at Wicksteed Park, Kettering on 11th and the drake Red-crested Pochard still at Pitsford Res on the same date.

The drake Greater Scaup hybrid remained at Summer Leys LNR on 7th but, once again, this week’s only truly unsullied wildfowl were single drake Garganeys at the latter site on the same date and at Lilbourne Meadows NR the following day.

And then came the waders … Taking pride of place this week – and, who knows, possibly this year – were four fabulous Black-winged Stilts. Found during the morning of 7th, they put Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows LNR well and truly on the map, pulling in many local and not-so-local birders alike. Views, however, were somewhat distant but the elevated A6 bridge to the east provided an ideal, unimpeded observation point for those who lined up along its busy, traffic-heavy roadside path.

Such is the variation in the extent of black on the head and neck of this species that each of these birds was identifiable as an individual. Most striking was the white-headed bird – a feature usually associated with breeding males but this individual was clearly a second calendar-year bird, aged by the white trailing edge to the wing, as evidenced in the image above, taken by the finder, Tony Vials.

The above map, reproduced from Birdguides, shows the extent of the spring influx, which started in early April, initially in southern Ireland, where it is considered rare (R), before spreading north and east across the UK, where it is categorised as scarce (S). Breeding in the UK first took place in Nottinghamshire in 1945 and most years now see a handful of breeding attempts, predominantly in southern England.

Four is the largest flock yet to be recorded in Northamptonshire but some UK sites during this spring’s influx have held up to six birds.

Continuing the black and white theme, three Avocets at Clifford Hill played second fiddle to the stilts on 7th, with one remaining there until 9th.

After the year’s first showing of Grey Plovers last week at Summer Leys, another paid a brief visit to the same site on 6th while, back at Clifford Hill, two Whimbrels dropped in on 7th and, to date, the sole Turnstone of 2023 spent the morning there on 10th. The number of Ruffs passing through fell back considerably compared to last week, with just singles present at Summer Leys on 6th-7th and further down the Nene Valley, at Stanwick, on 10th. The same can also be said for Wood Sandpipers, only one of which appeared this week, at Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows, on 7th. Greenshanks, however, kept up a steady trickle comprising singles at both Lilbourne Meadows and Stanwick on 6th and at Earls Barton GP, Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows and Summer Leys on 7th.

An adult Kittiwake added a little spice to an otherwise bland showing on the gull front this week, putting in a brief appearance at Stanwick on 12th. Otherwise, it was down to single first-summer and second-summer Caspian Gulls at DIRFT 3 on 6th and a first-summer at Hollowell Res on 9th to keep things going. Two Yellow-legged Gulls – an adult and a first-summer – were found at Pitsford on the last day of the period.

Meanwhile, terns maintained a low profile with just two Black Terns at Summer Leys on 9th and one reported there the following day.

Raptors, on the other hand, were a different kettle of fish entirely. Ospreys were noted at both Castle Ashby Lakes and Earls Barton on 7th – sightings which may well relate to the same bird – while one was at the popular venue for this species, Hollowell Res, on 9th. The run of Marsh Harriers also continued with one at Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh LNR on 7th and what was presumably the regular bird at Summer Leys on 7th and 11th.

But it was the report of a Black Kite flying north at Bearshank Wood, west of Oundle, on 7th, which set some pulses racing as this is potentially only the fourth record for the county – if accepted – following previous flyovers in 1995, 2007 and 2011, all of which were in May.

Surprisingly, there were no scarce passerines reported this week.

As we moved into May, the reputational ‘big’ month, a sustained easterly airstream was evident throughout most of the period. Scarcer waders came to the fore, including the first Stone Curlew for nine years, unfortunately found injured and taken into care. And, it seems, we weren’t quite done with White Storks just yet …

Three more summer visitors checked in this week. In the days when Turtle Doves were commonplace, this one would have been late by comparison. The Spotted Flycatcher, though seemingly early, would have a long way to go to beat the earliest, on 20th April, in both 1971 and 1976.

The period produced a rather haphazard collection of wildfowl, consisting of last week’s drake Garganey remaining at Lower Barnwell Lock, Oundle on 29th and a female of the same species at Stanford Res on 1st. While these are both indubitably unsullied, the same certainly can’t be said about the others. An eyebrow-raising drake Red-crested Pochard, accompanied by a female hybrid of the same species x Ferruginous Duck, was at Pitsford Res on 4th and a drake Greater Scaup showing serious hybrid characteristics was present at Summer Leys LNR and adjacent Mary’s Lake on 4th-5th. Throw in an escaped Fulvous Whistling Duck at Ravensthorpe Res for good measure, on 1st, and that’s more than enough to contend with …

Leaping straight to waders and first up comes sketchy news of a Stone Curlew picked up injured near Hackleton, and taken into care, on 30th. The last to be seen in Northants was at Harrington AF on 17th April 2014 and this week’s bird will be only the thirteenth Northants record, if accepted.

The brief appearance of an Avocet at Summer Leys on 29th represents only the third this year, following three together at the same site during March and one at Ditchford GP in April. Becoming scarcer as time goes by, the year’s first Grey Plovers also pitched up at Summer Leys, where three were found on 4th with one remaining until 5th.

This week’s Whimbrels were the sole preserve of Clifford Hill GP’s Main Barrage Lake, where 2 were present on 30th April, one on 3rd May, followed by two there the next day. And, it seems, the above site along with Summer Leys had the period’s godwits sewn up between them, with the Leys producing a Bar-tailed Godwit on 3rd and six fly-over Black-tailed Godwits on 5th, while the Hill mustered a single Black-tailed on 29th-30th.

A notable passage of Ruffs took place in the Midlands this week and we were not left out. A healthy sixteen dropped into Lilbourne Meadows NR on 3rd, all of which departed in the evening and two turned up there the following day. The 4th saw eleven at Summer Leys and three there on 5th, while a small area of floodwater near Aynho attracted three or four on 4th. Clifford Hill mustered one on 5th.

To spice things up a little, there was also a generous dollop of Wood Sandpipers, which kicked off with one at Lower Barnwell Lock, Oundle on 30th, followed on 3rd by three at both Lilbourne Meadows and said floodwater at Aynho and one at Clifford Hill, preceding another on floodwater at Braunston on 4th. None of these remained beyond the days on which they were found.

Upsizing, Greenshanks continued to move through with single birds at Stanwick on 29th-30th, Lower Barnwell Lock on 30th, Lilbourne Meadows on 30th and again there on 4th-5th and at Earls Barton GP/Summer Leys on 4th.

There was little of note on the Larid front this week, with two second-summer Caspian Gulls putting in a brief appearance on the A5 Pools at DIRFT 3 on 4th and one present there the following day.

Moving quickly back to the Nene Valley, though, one of the week’s highlights was a Little Tern, the first – and perhaps only – record this year, discovered early in the afternoon of 3rd and remaining throughout the rest of the day, long enough for those with an itch to catch up with it.

Otherwise, it was down to fourteen Arctic Terns passing through Stanwick on 4th to keep terns on the map for this week.

To all things bigger and what can be larger than White Stork? After the previous month’s action, it seems we’re not quite done with them yet as one flew low east over Oundle School playing field on 3rd, subsequently being seen moving in the same direction over the River Nene shortly afterwards. Not as obliging as the recent Summer Leys/Great Doddington bird but impressive for the observers nonetheless and, who knows, it could easily be the same bird.

That’s not to detract in any way from less scarce but equally impressive raptors. Ospreys were seen at Ravensthorpe on 3rd, Earls Barton on 4th and Hollowell on 5th, while this week’s Marsh Harriers were restricted to Summer Leys, where they were seen on 29th, 3rd and 5th, during which time two different individuals were recognised. A Merlin was also identified at the latter site on 2nd.

The plentiful run of passerine migrants continued this week and, although Common Redstarts were restricted to just the one at Harrington AF on 29th, Whinchats took over where the last species left off. Singles were found at six localities which included both Ditchford and Stanwick on 29th, Harrington and Stanford on 30th, Clifford Hill on 1st-2nd, Great Doddington on 2nd and Harrington again on 4th. The latter date saw late Stonechats at Chipping Warden and Priors Hall, Corby, where there were two present. Northern Wheatears remained at Clifford Hill between 29th and 2nd, peaking at nine on 30th, the same date producing the same number at Willowbrook Industrial Estate, Corby. Elsewhere, singles were found at Harrington on 29th and at Borough Hill and Summer Leys on 1st, while two were at Priors Hall on 4th. Swarthy Greenland Wheatears were restricted to two at DIRFT 3 between 30th and 3rd, while the week’s only White Wagtail was one in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth on 30th.

A somewhat assorted set of weather conditions was thrown at us this week, ranging from cold northerlies to warm, shower-loaded southwesterlies – none of which appeared to hold back any northbound migrants.

Another five new summer visitors crossed the line, the standout bird being seen by the fewest birders – just the one, as it happens – as a result of its pitching up in an undisclosed location with, in the standard, current-day birding parlance, ‘no public access.’ Yes, the Wood Warbler somewhere south-west of Northampton may yet turn out to be the only one of the year, given the fact that, after a ‘glut’ of four in 2021, there was none last year. Only time will tell. While the arrival dates of Whinchat, Black Tern and Wood Sandpiper were not particularly off-cue, the Hobby was unfashionably late.

Kicking off with wildfowl, then, it was a matter of déjà vu, plus one, as far as this week’s species were concerned. Stanwick GP’s Pink-footed Goose remained until at least 25th and the one-eyed bird at Wicksteed Park, Kettering resurfaced on 27th. Scarce so far this spring, a drake Garganey appeared at Stanwick GP on 25th and it, or another, was found further down the Nene Valley on floodwater at Barnwell Lock on 28th. This is in stark contrast to last year’s spring deluge, which included eight together at Stortons GP and protracted stays by up to six showy birds at Summer Leys, plus lingering pairs and individuals at a number of other sites.

A female Ring-necked Duck made a surprise, one-day appearance on Higham Lake, at Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows LNR, on 23rd though, given the long-staying, highly accessible bird at Ravensthorpe over the winter and with birds at Ringstead and Thrapston GPs, few, it seems, would have batted an eyelid. Another one-day appearance was made by two drop-in Common Scoters at Stanford Res on the same date.

Following the first, last week, Whimbrels continued to trickle through, although numbers remained low. Two, or possibly three, separate individuals stopped off at Summer Leys for short periods on 24th. The following day saw single birds at Clifford Hill GP and in flight over Stanwick, while two turned up at Lilbourne Meadows NR on 27th.

After last week’s rush of Bar-tailed Godwits, things calmed down considerably during the period with just two – one at Clifford Hill GP and the other at Summer Leys – both on 23rd. Outnumbering the above, Black-tailed Godwits from last week remained at Clifford Hill, where their numbers had risen to six on 23rd, dropping to four on 24th and one on 27th-28th. One also visited Stanwick on 26th.

Jack Snipe is a bird which has normally departed by mid-April but one lingered all week at Stanwick’s Main Lake and two were found at Daventry CP on 25th. Another first for 2023 was a Wood Sandpiper at Earls Barton GP on 26th. Discovered late in the afternoon, its stay was cut short as it was inadvertently ‘moved on’ by dog-walkers, after which it didn’t reappear. There will no doubt be more on the cards as the current season further unfolds.

Nevertheless, other smart spring Tringas were available in the shape of Greenshanks, with singles at Stanwick, Summer Leys and Thrapston on 22nd, Lilbourne Meadows on 23rd-24th and at Stanwick again from 26th to 28th.

Compared with last week, there was little to shout about on the Larid front. Little Gulls were few and far between with just one at Boddington Res and two at Pitsford on 27th, then followed by one at Thrapston GP the next day. Throw in a couple of first-winter Caspian Gulls – one apiece at Boddington Res on 24th and DIRFT 3 on 28th – and a Yellow-legged Gull at the first of these two sites on the same date … and that’s your lot.

However, this diminutive gull crop was, this week, made up for by a short explosion in numbers of terns – more specifically by the grace and elegance that is Arctic Tern – an indisputable cut above those ‘Common’ Terns which have recently moved into many of our local water bodies. On 23rd there were four at Clifford Hill GP, three at Stanford and one at Summer Leys but the following day the floodgates opened and Boddington received at least eighty-one, while Pitsford pulled in more than fifty. A subsequent lull saw singles at Pitsford on 24th and 25th but Thrapston came back with thirty-seven on 28th.

Continuing the theme, the first Black Terns of the year arrived at three sites simultaneously on 23rd. Stanford and Billing GP both produced single birds, while two appeared at Clifford Hill. One more was seen at the first of these locations on 27th.

This week’s raptors were solely represented by Marsh Harriers. With the number of intermittent sightings of those both lingering and passing through, it’s a difficult call to say exactly how many. A male was seen at Summer Leys on 22nd, 23rd and 24th, while a clearly different bird was also present there on the last of these dates. Stanwick also produced flyovers on 23rd, 26th and 27th.

Passerines were particularly well represented this week, kicking off with arguably the rarest, a fine male Bearded Tit at Summer Leys on 23rd. With an established pattern of autumn and winter occurrences, this is perhaps the latest on record for this time of year.

And then there were Ring Ouzels, one of which proved to be a popular draw while remaining at Harrington AF for the three days, 24th-26th. Things are rarely in black and white and there was some debate as to its sex but quality photographs emerged, proving it to be a first-summer male. With the Harrington bird providing an easy distraction, less popular was a female on the summit of Borough Hill, found on 25th and reported again on 26th-27th.

Common Redstarts continued to be seen in small numbers. Spring, so far, has produced a profusion of males, vastly outnumbering females. Single males were at Clifford Hill, Honey Hill and Harrington on 22nd, with another at Clifford Hill on 24th and one at Borough Hill the following day. A female was found at Boddington Res on 24th, two were at Borough Hill on 26th and one at Harrington on 28th.

Aside from the aforementioned first Whinchat at Clifford Hill on 24th, a male was seen in a different part of this site the following day, when another was also found at Borough Hill. A locally late migrant Stonechat was at Ditchford GP on 22nd.

And so it proved to be a grand week for Northern Wheatears, multiples of which showed some characteristics of the Greenland race leucorhoa. The standout site total was an impressive twenty-two at Clifford Hill GP on 25th, prior to this the same site held up to nine on 22nd-23rd and up to seven on 27th-28th. Elsewhere, seven were at Willowbrook Industrial Estate, Corby on 23rd with six still present on 25th, at least six were in fields between Collingtree and Milton Malsor on 24th, four were at Honey Hill on 25th with the same number at Borough Hill the following day, twos were between Ecton and Earls Barton and near Great Brington on 26th and at Harrington on 28th, while singles were seen at Stanford on 22nd, between Benefield and Deenethorpe on 23rd, Borough Hill on 25th and at Honey Hill on 26th.

Those showing characteristics of Greenland Wheatear included two at Clifford Hill on 22nd, rising to six on 23rd and eight there on 24th, five at Ellands Farm, Hemington on 26th and one at Borough Hill on 28th.

White Wagtails continued their poor showing this spring, with just two or three at Pitsford on 24th and one at Lilford Lodge Farm, Lilford on 26th.

One bird which did provide some delight for visitors to Summer Leys was a Tree Pipit, which was conveniently present in the scrub triangle next to the car park there, between 22nd and 25th.

A four-day stay by this long-lost Northamptonshire breeding species anywhere in the county is, these days, a very rare event indeed …

With a high pressure system firmly anchored over Scandinavia, producing sustained, strong easterlies for a significant part of the week, things began to build nicely for a surge of migrants from the continent. Throw in the essential ingredients of low cloud and rain, and the perfect combination of weather conditions was set to deliver. And it did …

Five more summer visitors checked in this week – all of them pretty much on cue, although in days gone by, when Tree Pipits maintained a healthy local population, this one is ‘late’ in comparison to the first arrivals that used to occur in March, as well as being a scarcity in itself.

By the end of the third week in April, wildfowl numbers are now predictably low, this week’s offering consisting of a Pink-footed Goose at Stanwick GP from 17th to the week’s end, a disappearing drake Garganey, briefly, at Daventry CP on 16th following a much more obliging drake Common Scoter there the day before.

Also adding to, as well as topping, the Daventry delectables this week were two smart, summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebes, present there, for one day only, on 17th. For anyone not able to connect with them, there was the chance of a second bite of the cherry when two turned up at Pitsford Res, two days later, on 19th. Perhaps the same duo – and clearly a pair, they were displaying there in Moulton Grange Bay for the greater part of the afternoon.

Larger waders were a key component of this week’s aforementioned weather conditions, kicking off with, as above, the year’s first Whimbrel, which flew east over Clifford Hill GP on the evening of 17th. The next day, four flew east together at Stanwick, followed by one on the main Lake there, briefly, on 19th, the same date producing another bird flying north-northeast over Daventry CP. One more put in a characteristically brief appearance at Clifford Hill GP, early on 20th, before departing to the east.

Then came the godwits. An initial rush of Bar-tailed Godwits commenced with an early morning eleven at Stanwick on 18th, followed there the next day by a flock of thirty, straight through, during the afternoon. In fact, this second day saw the biggest movement with thirteen on the ground, briefly, at Summer Leys before departing east, followed there less than an hour later by eleven more short-stayers on the scrape. Before the day was out, two more had pitched down at Clifford Hill GP, where they were still to be found the next morning, the 20th, having been joined by three more. Back over at Stanwick, two different, single birds dropped in on 20th and 21st, while the Clifford Hill five remained until the latter date, representing the only truly lingering birds during the period.

Considerably outnumbered by the last species, Black-tailed Godwits put in appearance at Summer Leys, where five short-stayers were seen on 18th and three lingered at Clifford Hill GP from 19th to 21st, teaming up with the on-site Bar-tailed Godwits.

And then there were Little Gulls … Perhaps not quite the tsunami we may have come to expect based on previous years but impressive numbers nonetheless. With the biggest arrival on day one, the 19th, Clifford Hill took pride of place in stacking up the numbers. An initial late morning arrival of 17 quickly ramped up to at least twenty-four as more birds arrived during the afternoon but all except three moved on in haste. Elsewhere on 19th, twelve flew east at Stanwick GP and groups of three and eleven passed east through Summer Leys. On 20th, Summer Leys had produced at least a further seven by the end of the day, Daventry CP held on to three for 30 minutes, while Clifford Hill, Pitsford and Stanwick mustered one apiece. Producing two, Stanford Res got in on the action on 21st and single birds were again at Stanwick and Summer Leys.

Other gulls were, of course, available and, this week, adult Mediterranean Gulls were not the sole preserve of Stanwick, where two were present between 15th and 19th, being joined by another two, for one day only, on 17th. Two then flew west through Summer Leys on the evening of 18th. The period’s only Caspian Gull was a first-winter at Hollowell Res on 17th.

Hot on the heels of the year’s first Arctic Tern, at Thrapston on 12th, more arrived this week, Summer Leys taking the lion’s share of eight on 17th, when five also moved through Stanford and two visited Clifford Hill. Summer Leys again saw two on 18th, when one was at Stanwick, while singles visited Pitsford on 19th-20th and Boddington Res on 21st.

After last week’s Nene Valley White Stork it, or another, was reported in the Brampton Valley, between Brixworth and Cottesbrooke on 16th.

Meanwhile, raptors were on the up this week with Ospreys seen at Hollowell on 16th, 17th and 18th, Pitsford on 16th and 17th and at Ravensthorpe on 16th and 21st.

Marsh Harriers, too, were very much in evidence with singles at Polebrook AF on 16th, Pitsford on 17th, Stanwick on 17th and 20th, Earls Barton GP’s Quarry Walk on 20th and at nearby Summer Leys the following day. Two Hen Harriers, including an adult male, were seen in flight between Weston and Helmdon on 21st.

Aside from the arrival of some of the more common summer visitors, scarcer migrant passerine numbers ramped up somewhat during the period. Single male Ring Ouzels put in brief appearances at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 15th and at Polebrook AF the following day. Time for further spring occurrences of this iconic thrush is fast running out …

Not so for Common Redstarts, though, with this week’s quota of bobby dazzlers adding a splash of colour to Blueberry Farm on 15th and 20th, Honey Hill on 15th and at both Lamport and Harrington on 17th.

Northern Wheatears were clearly in evidence during the past seven days and a maximum site count of six at Clifford Hill on 15th was noteworthy. Elsewhere, threes were at Willowbrook Industrial Estate, Corby on 16th, at Harrington on 17th and in the Brampton Valley between Brixworth and Hanging Houghton on the same date. Two were present at Blueberry Farm on 15th and 20th, singles at Pitsford, Hollowell and Honey Hill on 15th and at Deenethorpe and Wappenham on 16th and 17th, respectively.

Last but not least, the first Greenland Wheatear of the spring was found at DIRFT 3 on the last day of the week. There will no doubt be more of these swarthy-looking hulks to come as we move into the latter part of the spring.

Given the veritable rush of quality birds during the past seven days, nobody would ever have believed this was only the second week of April. This time it was the turn of that good old easybirdin’ site, Summer Leys, to produce an outstanding crop of goodies for the delectation of birders, both locally and from further afield. In addition to this, eight more firsts for the year made their presence known at localities across the county.

A belated report of a Ring Ouzel, from the week before the review period, became the forerunner of this week’s birds, which included a male and female at Borough Hill on 11th, followed by single males at Honey Hill on 11th-13th and at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 13th-14th. None of the other arrivals during the period is an early record-breaker but the Pied Flycatcher in Kettering comes close, as well as being a locally sought-after scarcity in itself. The earliest on record in modern times was one at Hazelborough Forest on 7th April 1987.

But as birds continued to arrive, some undertook to depart and this week saw the last of the long-staying female Ring-necked Duck, which was no longer in residence at Ravensthorpe Res after 8th. On its last day, it shared the site with a female Common Scoter – the latter present for one day only.

On the opposite side of the Brampton Valley, a strange case of déjà vu was to unfold on the evening of 10th, when two drake Red-breasted Mergansers were discovered distantly off the sailing club at Pitsford Res. After rapidly moving off into ‘The Narrows’, they disappeared completely as the day drew to a close and were never seen again, echoing the recent behaviour exhibited by the two drakes seen at Daventry CP on 29th March. Pure coincidence maybe, but, given the rarity of these spiky-crested sawbills, it seems much more likely that this duo had been loafing locally, remaining somewhere under the radar for the past twelve days. We’ll never know for sure …

Same time, same place and one would-be merganser observer came across a Black-necked Grebe off ‘The Gorse Bushes’, well south of the causeway. Unfortunately, taking a leaf out of the mergansers’ book, its presence was short-lived and it was nowhere to be found the following morning.

Away from the reservoirs, the Nene Valley was to become the focus for this week’s top tier rarities, all of which conveniently converged on Summer Leys. Kicking off chronologically, the site attracted a smart male Kentish Plover from 11th until the week’s end, during which time it kept its distance on Gull Island.

A truly special wader in many respects, not least for the fact that it was only the 12th record for Northamptonshire but also because it was the first in the county for almost thirty years. In the last century it was simply a scarce annual visitor to the UK but in recent years it has assumed almost vagrant status nationally and, as such, it pulled in birders from far and wide. There were only six records in the UK in 2021.

All but one of the previous county records have come from sites in the Nene Valley and, if we include this latest individual, 75% have occurred in spring.

Only hours after the discovery of the plover, next up came a White Stork. First picked up in flight over Ditchford GP as it moved west along the Nene Valley, early in the afternoon. Some 40 minutes later it entered Summer Leys airspace but, after circling the site, appeared to continue moving west before heading back and making landfall, briefly, on the edge of the reserve’s Main Lake. From here it moved to the bank of the River Nene below Great Doddington.

The following morning it was back at Summer Leys, this time on the Scrape, before once again circling the reserve prior to departing. Its stay over two days allowed a good number of visiting birders to connect with it. It was unringed, which provides no real clue, either way, to its origin.

While reintroduced birds are clearly ringed, wild birds may or may not be and it is said that two collections in Cambridgeshire have a total of at least 5 unringed and free-flying birds. Presumably, this was the same individual seen further down the Nene Valley as it flew south over Thrapston GP, two days later, on the morning of 14th. Origins aside, White Storks have been seen with increasing frequency in Northants during recent years, occurring annually since 2018 and amassing around 25 records in total.

Which brings us neatly on to the third cherry on the Summer Leys cake: two potentially crowd-pleasing Common Cranes, which, after an initial fly-by and then circling over Great Doddington, dropped in on the Scrape where they remained for the best part of two hours during the afternoon of 12th.

Almost paralleling White Stork in its recent occurrence pattern, Common Crane has produced more records in the county with approximately 33 to date, reintroduction schemes likely having contributed to the recent increase in appearances in the county.

After an apparent absence of records since the hard-hitting winter weather conditions, a Cattle Egret was seen flying west at Ditchford GP on 9th.

Back, then, to waders but again there was still no escaping the Nene Valley. On 9th, an Avocet spent the day at Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows LNR, the same date seeing a Ruff and a Greenshank at Clifford Hill GP – the latter staying until 11th.

One, possibly two, Jack Snipes were found at Pitsford Res on 8th and 9th with one trapped and ringed on the latter date.

On the Larid front, Stanford Res and Daventry CP both notched up their second records of Kittiwake for 2023, when an adult paid a brief visit to the first of these two sites on 10th and two adults lingered off the dam at Daventry the following day.

The same two days saw adult Mediterranean Gulls at Stanwick GP, while late lingering Caspian Gulls took the form of an adult at Hollowell on 12th and two first-winters at DIRFT 3 on 14th. An adult Yellow-legged Gull visited Stanwick on 13th.

Keeping up appearances, single Ospreys were seen in flight over Kelmarsh and Hollowell village on 8th, at Hollowell Res on 9th and Thornby on 13th but the only other raptor of note was a Marsh Harrier which flew high over Sixfields in suburban Northampton on 9th.

A Short-eared Owl flew north at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 12th.

Aside from the incoming passerines already listed, it appears the male Bearded Tit that attracted so much attention at Stanwick back in February, appearing again briefly in March, was relocated in the reedbed there on 9th, although it was not seen subsequently. But hot on the heels of the year’s first Black Redstart last week, on 7th, came an all too brief appearance of a male at Harrington AF on 8th. Rather more obliging, however, were this week’s Common Redstarts, the vast majority of which were males. Kicking the period off, then, was one in a Brigstock garden on 9th, one at Boddington Res on 10th followed by two there the next day, one at Lilbourne Meadows NR on 11th and one at Honey Hill from 11th to 14th. Up to two were at Pitsford between 11th and 13th, one was at Blueberry Farm on 12th-13th with two present there the following day, when one also visited Harrington AF.

Northern Wheatears were also reasonably well-represented by five males at both Clifford Hill GP on 11th and Honey Hill on 14th, two near Great Doddington on 10th and singles at Harrington AF on 8th and 10th, Pitsford from 10th to 13th, Boddington on 11th, Honey Hill on 13th and at Summer Leys and Blueberry Farm on 14th.

Conversely, numbers of White Wagtails have yet to take off, with just single birds seen at Pitsford on 12th and Ravensthorpe on 13th.

Nevertheless, this past week will need an awful lot to beat it …

Set against a very mixed bag of weather conditions, born from a battle between Atlantic low and Scandinavian high pressure systems, spring migration continued apace. Once again, Daventry came to the fore, producing the week’s best birds, while more new summer visitors appeared across the county.

While none of the above is an early record-breaker, the Common Redstart – another of which was found at Burton Latimer on 7th – misses out by only three days and the Cuckoo by five. Further White Wagtails (two males) were seen at DIRFT 3 on 6th.

With wildfowl on the wane, the Pink-footed Goose remained with Greylags at Wicksteed Park, Kettering until at least 6th and the female Ring-necked Duck – having entered its 10th week in the county – was still on site at Ravensthorpe Res throughout. New in, however, was the year’s first Common Scoter, a drake, at Stanford Res on 7th.

Another ‘first’ for 2023 was a smart, summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebe at Daventry Res, for one day only, on 4th. Hopefully, there will be more to come as spring further unfolds.

While last week saw a notable absence of waders, this week saw a minor upturn with two first-summer Black-tailed Godwits spending a day on the Scrape at Summer Leys LNR on 4th and two Jack Snipes at Hollowell Res on 3rd, with at least one still present there on 5th.

Topping the bill on the Larid front – and unmatched for sheer summer elegance – were two adult Mediterranean Gulls at Stanwick GP, on and off, between 5th and 7th. They have bred there in the past but they have also turned up in spring and subsequently moved on …

The week’s quota of Caspian Gulls included a second-summer and a first-winter at DIRFT 3 on 2nd, with a first-winter present there on 6th. A first-winter also visited Ravensthorpe Res on 5th. Yellow-legged Gulls included the lingering adult which continued to patrol the dam/sailing club area at Pitsford Res until at least 4th, while a second-winter visited Wicksteed Park Lake on 3rd.

An unconfirmed report of a White Stork flying east over Oundle during the afternoon of 6th remained just that, with attempts to track it down amounting to nothing and there were no further sightings.

Sightings of Ospreys, however, continued to dominate all things raptorial throughout the period and included singles at Hollowell on 1st, 3rd and 6th, one at Kelmarsh on 4th and further singles over Daventry CP and Lilbourne Meadows NR on 6th. Meanwhile, the Nene Valley played short-term host to one or more Marsh Harriers, with singles over both Irthlingborough and Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh LNR on 3rd, followed by a third-year male at Summer Leys on 7th.

The 7th also saw the southern periphery of Daventry producing the area’s second scarcity of the week – a Black Redstart – unfortunately at a site with ‘no public access’ (as is the current vernacular for ‘you can’t go and see it’). Other commoner relatives were also available, although with a rather meagre offering of two Northern Wheatears at the northern end of nearby Borough Hill on the same date.

As we exited the wettest March since 1981, many local birders were left high and dry in a period which narrowly avoided becoming a largely lacklustre week. Lifted only by the brief appearances of two Red-breasted Mergansers and a couple of Water Pipits, the last seven days saw continuing pro-migrant south-westerlies deliver three more firsts for the summer.

None of the above arrivals comes overly close to the record holders but the House Martin beats last year’s firsts, found at four localities simultaneously, by nine days. Before the week was out, another four House Martins appeared at Deene Lake on 30th.

There was clear evidence that wildfowl numbers had taken a tumble this week and, brushing swiftly aside seven C-list Barnacle Geese flying west at Summer Leys LNR on 28th and one at Stanwick on 30th, two Whooper Swans flying north-west over Stanford Res on 26th had better credentials from a wildness perspective. At Ravensthorpe, the long-staying and largely forgotten female Ring-necked Duck remained until at least 30th but it was two dapper drake Red-breasted Mergansers at Daventry CP on 29th that stole the limelight and received the most attention.

Arriving on site late in the afternoon and, with a number of birders quick off the mark, these birds sparked a mini-twitch as a result of their rarity in the county in recent years. They were nowhere to be seen the following morning – which just adds weight to the old adage ‘if you snooze, you lose’ … A quick look at past records reveals just how rare they have become in the county.

Once classified locally as a ‘scarce but annual winter visitor’, Northamptonshire occurrences are now in free fall, with records by no means annual and well down in numbers. This is a far cry from this species’ status in the last century, when an atypical bumper year in 1996 produced fourteen records and included an incredible flock of thirty-six at Hollowell Res on 13th September.

Daventry also produced this week’s crop of rare gulls, albeit a small one. The second-winter ‘Viking Gull’ (Glaucous x Herring Gull hybrid) put in a brief appearance again on 27th, the same date on which two first-winter Caspian Gulls and a third-winter Yellow-legged Gull were also at the same location, while another first-winter Caspian was present there on 29th. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was off the sailing club at Pitsford Res, also on 27th.

On the raptor front, single Ospreys were seen over Welford on 25th, at Pitsford on 29th and 30th and at Hollowell on the last of these dates.

The Brampton Valley produced the week’s only record of Stonechats, two being present there on 27th, when there was also a Northern Wheatear in the same area. Two other localities also harboured single Northern Wheatears – Willowbrook Industrial Estate, Corby on 27th and Harrington AF on 29th.

And, finally, to another Northamptonshire scarcity: Water Pipit. Although appearing with some regularity, you can usually count the number of annual records on less than one hand and they are rarely easy to catch up with.

This week saw one on the dam at Ravensthorpe Res on 29th and one – possibly two – remained distant and elusive in waterside sedges on Stanwick’s Main Lake during the afternoon of 31st. It’s not too late for one or two more …

A relentless and blustery south-westerly airstream continued throughout the period, providing conditions conducive to spring migration for many species. Few would dispute that the Nene Valley was the place to be this week and, undoubtedly, the highlight for many was a hugely impressive flock of Black-tailed Godwits which descended on Summer Leys, while a new Ring-necked Duck was found at Ringstead. And then there were the new summer visitors …

On the face of it, some of these dates may seem to be a little early but none of them is anywhere near record-breaking – the earliest Yellow Wagtail, for instance, was on 9th March 2014 and the other three are all between eight and ten days later than the previous record holders. The week also produced further singles of Garganey at Summer Leys on 23rd, Yellow Wagtail near Lamport on 21st and Swallow at Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh LNR on 24th.

Now, following due systematic process, there was little change to the week’s wildfowl, which saw the Pink-footed Goose remaining throughout with Greylags at Wicksteed Park, Kettering and the female Ruddy Shelduck still at Winwick Pools on 20th.

Similarly lingering was the female Red-crested Pochard at Summer Leys until at least 23rd, while the long-staying female Ring-necked Duck again chose to alternate between Hollowell and Ravensthorpe Reservoirs and was still present at the latter site on the last day of the week. Meanwhile, in the east of the county, another female Ring-necked Duck was discovered at Ringstead GP on 23rd, this bird highly likely to be the individual seen at nearby Thrapston GP on 27th-28th January – its whereabouts during the intervening period remaining unknown.

With no reports this week, the Ravensthorpe & Hollowell female Greater Scaup appears to have upped and gone but the first-winter drake saw another full week out at Billing GP.

A little further down the Nene Valley, a riot of Black-tailed Godwits caused a bit of a stir, ultimately proving a popular draw, at Summer Leys on 21st and 22nd. An exceptional flock of 163 dropped in on the Scrape there, mid-morning, on the first of these two dates and was still present at first light the following day. The flock then fragmented with groups moving off until the last had departed by very early morning – only to be replaced, almost three hours later, by the arrival of a new flock of up to thirty birds. While Pitsford Res cobbled together a mere three on 21st, it still holds the record for producing the most birds in one day – in excess of three hundred passing through on 28th April 2017.

With numbers of winter gulls fast dwindling, local scarcities were few and far between. Most notable was an adult Mediterranean Gull appearing intermittently at Summer Leys on 19th-20th, followed by a first-summer there, albeit only briefly, on 22nd.

The only Caspian Gulls making an appearance this week were a first-winter and second-winter at Daventry CP on 18th and a first-winter paying a short visit to Titchmarsh LNR’s Aldwincle Lake on 22nd.

On the raptor front, single Ospreys seen in two site-sensitive areas in the north of the county on 21st were not completely unexpected but a White-tailed Eagle over Hollowell and Ravensthorpe Reservoirs on 19th was a different kettle of fish entirely. This bird was radio-tagged ‘G547’, a second-winter female from the Isle of Wight reintroduction scheme, which has spent most of the last year in northern Scotland and, through tracking, is now said to be heading purposefully south. Before hitting Hollowell it had flown more than 217 km from the Yorkshire Dales during the day, choosing to roost at Ravensthorpe, where it was still present early the following morning.

It’s astonishing how these flying barn doors routinely slip through the county without being seen, raising the obvious question … what else are we missing?

And talking of things missing, there appears to have been a big clear out of Stonechats this week with the only birds seen being two at Priors Hall, Corby on 19th.

Hot on the heels of the first spring wave last week, Northern Wheatears were on the up with five together at Willowbrook Industrial Estate, Corby on 23rd, twos at Polebrook AF on 19th and in the Brampton Valley on 20th, plus singles at the latter locality on 21st, 22nd and 24th and one at Hinton AF on 18th.

Despite the tussle between two opposing weather systems and the toing and froing of a cold northerly airstream, the period shaped up nicely into a classic mid-March week for spring migrants.

In this respect, Summer Leys LNR held good to its name, producing three firsts for the year, two of which were true summer visitors.

Aside from the above, other sites quickly followed suit, with Sand Martins in particular appearing on three further consecutive days, numbers of which included five at Wicksteed Park Lake on 14th, two at Kislingbury GP and seven at Pitsford Res on 15th, followed by forty at the latter site – plus singles at Lilbourne Meadows NR and Summer Leys – on 16th. DIRFT 3 also produced three Little Ringed Plovers on the last of these dates and another visited Summer Leys on 17th. And then there were Northern Wheatears, listed above but broken down into singles at two sites in the Brampton Valley, two at Harrington AF and one at Summer Leys. Last but not least, an Osprey was thrown in for good measure on the final day of the week.

Bouncing back to basics now, wildfowl of potentially questionable origin included the Upton CP Barnacle Goose, remaining until 12th, the Pink-footed Goose with Greylags at, and around, Wicksteed Park, Kettering until at least 15th and the female Ruddy Shelduck still at Winwick Pools, also on 15th.

Downsizing to diving ducks, last week’s female Red-crested Pochard continued to occupy the Main Lake at Summer Leys until mid-week and, attracting far less attention than it did some weeks back, the female Ring-necked Duck was still present at Ravensthorpe Res until 15th. Having apparently developed itchy feet though, for the first time, it clearly cast site faithfulness to the wind and had moved to nearby Hollowell Res by the week’s end.

The long-staying female Greater Scaup, however, remained at Ravensthorpe throughout, while the first-winter drake was still on site at Billing GP until at least 16th. It, or another, visited nearby Clifford Hill GP on 12th.

In addition to the aforementioned Little Ringed Plovers, a wider passage of waders this week included a trickle of Curlews, Ringed Plovers and Dunlins but unquestionably topping the bill were the three Avocets that dropped in to Summer Leys for a mere ten minutes on the morning of 14th. Having quickly departed to the west, searches at locations further up the Nene Valley unfortunately proved fruitless.

Three sites produced Black-tailed Godwits, with five at Summer Leys, briefly, on 13th, two at Lilbourne Meadows on 16th and the same number at Ditchford GP the following day. The latter site also produced a Jack Snipe on 15th and one was also at Pitsford Res on the previous day.

To gulls and the second-winter ‘Viking Gull’ (Glaucous x Herring hybrid) again visited Daventry CP on 14th – noteworthy but perhaps not measuring high enough on the laridometer to elicit any significant level of interest for most. It appears the same bird has recently been seen in the gull roost at Draycote, just over the border in Warwickshire. More run-of-the-mill fare appeared in the shape of Caspian Gulls, which included a first-winter at Stanford Res on 11th, a second-winter at Wicksteed Park Lake, Kettering on 12th and a bird of the same age on the same date at DIRFT 3. An adult also visited Stanwick on 14th, while Daventry pulled in a second-winter on 15th and a first-winter on 17th.

Meanwhile, the wintering adult Yellow-legged Gull remained at Pitsford throughout the period.

Scarce raptors were few and far between but Summer Leys did conjure up a transient Marsh Harrier, albeit very briefly, on 12th. Back over in the Brampton Valley, and the last day of the week produced not one but two Merlins – a male at the southern end, close to Brampton View Care Village, and a female/immature near Boughton Crossing.

Back on the menu, for one day only, was Stanwick’s male Bearded Tit, in precisely the same location as previously, on 15th. Its whereabouts over the preceding two weeks remains a mystery …

Aside from certain summer visitors already mentioned, other passerines were limited to two Siberian Chiffchaffs hanging on at Ecton SF until at least 12th and a widespread brace of Stonechats, most – if not all of which – appeared to be migrants.

At least three Stonechats were at Pitsford between 12th and 14th, twos were at Stanford Res on 12th, Clifford Hill GP from 12th to 16th, Kislingbury GP on 15th and possibly three in the Brampton Valley between 12th and 17th. Elsewhere, singles were at Sywell CP from 12th to 16th, Boughton on 12th and Ditchford GP on 15th.

Spring was put well and truly on hold this week as winter came back with a vengeance. Biting northerlies from the Arctic brought temperatues down and, from mid-week, significant snowfall transformed the landscape, culminating on the last day of the period in 50 mph gales and blizzard conditions, courtesy of ‘Storm Larisa’.

Although many of last week’s birds remained in place, a sprinkling of migrants was evident – not least of which was a herd of fifteen Bewick’s Swans that arrived at Summer Leys LNR on 6th, sparking a mini-twitch before their departure to the east an hour or so after first light the following morning.

Although it’s tempting to believe these birds were from Slimbridge, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust have confirmed they do not recognise them and they did not winter there. The UK winter population of Bewick’s decreased by 88% between 1993/94 and 2018/19 (BTO) and, as such, this species is Red-listed nationally in the UK Birds of Conservation Concern. This figure is reflected in Northamptonshire’s records which, since the turn of the century, now average only 3 per annum. There was none in 2022.

Other wildfowl were available, of course, their ‘wildness’ open to debate in some cases. Falling squarely into the latter category, a Barnacle Goose joined Canadas at Upton CP on 8th, while the Pink-footed Goose remained with Greylags at Wicksteed Park, Kettering until at least 9th.

Back at Summer Leys, the female Red-crested Pochard was still present on 5th, after which a drake was found adjacent to the reserve, at Earls Barton GP’s Mary’s Lake, on the last day of the period. Also remaining in situ were the female Ring-necked Duck and the female Greater Scaup at Ravensthorpe Res, until 10th and 6th, respectively. In the Nene Valley, the drake Greater Scaup also saw the week out at Billing GP.

Waders on offer were at a premium with the first Black-tailed Godwit of the year dropping in briefly to Summer Leys on 7th and the week’s only Jack Snipe was found at Stortons GP on 8th.

Gulls, too, were somewhat thin on the ground. An adult Mediterranean Gull joined the roost at Stanford Res on 6th and 7th and the number of Caspian Gulls was also rather diminished with a third-winter at DIRFT 3 on 5th and an adult at Hollowell Res on 6th, followed by three adults there the next day. At Pitsford Res, the wintering adult Yellow-legged Gull remained all week.

Also in short supply – perhaps understandably – were passerines, which were propped up on the rarity front by the continuing presence of Siberian Chiffchaffs along the outflow stream at Ecton SF. Two were seen on 7th and at least one remained on 10th.

There was also some movement of Stonechats during the week. Stanford held one at the beginning of the period and a further two arrived there near the week’s end. Elsewhere, Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (South) held at least 6 on 7th, Sywell CP produced four – possibly six – on 9th, four were at Hollowell on 6th-7th, two were at Earls Barton Lock on 10th and one at Hartwell on 7th.