Category: Weekly Reports

Another unsettled week with frequent, heavy showers and a strong, north-westerly to south-westerly airstream. Autumn wader passage continued to deliver new, short-staying arrivals alongside exceptionally high numbers of Common Sandpipers, including twenty at Pitsford and sixteen at Stanford.

Last week’s eclipse drake Garganey was replaced by two juveniles at Pitsford Res, in Scaldwell Bay, where they remained from 23rd until the end of the week, while the two Red-crested Pochards appeared there again on 27th.The summering Bittern remained at Summer Leys all week and a Great White Egret was also there on 26th and 27th, with presumably the same bird visiting Pitsford Res on 23rd, 25th and 28th.

The week’s focus was on waders, commencing with four Whimbrels flying south over Pitsford Res on 22nd and one ‘on the deck’ there, in Scaldwell Bay, later the same day, while small numbers of Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits continued to trickle through. Two were at Stanford Res on 23rd but 28th produced two at Summer Leys, three at Hollowell Res and eight at Daventry CP. A Sanderling – scarce in autumn – visited Stanford Res on 25th, the same site producing a Turnstone on 27th-28th, heralding a small flurry which included one at Daventry CP on 27th and two more at Pitsford Res on 28th.

An adult Arctic Tern – the first of the autumn – appeared at Pitsford Res on 27th and was still present on 28th. For those indulging in the black art of gull identification, a second-summer Caspian Gull was present at Daventry CP on 26th but Yellow-legged Gull numbers were dramatically down on last week with Daventry CP attracting up to four between 26th and 28th, Hollowell Res holding one on 26th and Pitsford Res producing up to three throughout the week.

The week was unsettled and frequently cloudy, with a series of Atlantic lows bringing sporadic rain on westerly, south-westerly and – as they crossed the country – easterly winds. Wader passage continued and gull numbers increased as water levels at local reservoirs continued to fall …

Last week’s eclipse drake Garganey remained close to the causeway car park at Pitsford Res until at least 16th, two Red-crested Pochards appeared in Walgrave Bay at the same location on 17th and the escaped, metal-ringed female Bufflehead resurfaced at Clifford Hill GP on 15th. However, it has probably remained there since its initial discovery, having elicited little interest since its captive origin was revealed.

The summering Bittern continued to be seen daily at Summer Leys until at least 19th, the same site producing a Great White Egret – arguably the first of the autumn – on 20th.

Ospreys were again fishing at Stanford Res on 16th and 18th and one wandering individual visited Summer Leys, appearing over the scrape there on 17th.

Fresh waders in this week included single Whimbrels in flight over Pitsford Res and Stanford Res on 17th, while numbers of Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits were substantially lower than last week with one at Summer Leys on 16th being followed by six there the next day and two visiting Stanford Res on 18th.

A Turnstone was found on the main lake at Stanwick GP on 19th before it moved to the islands in the A45 Lay-by Pit the following day, while a Curlew Sandpiper in flight north of Pitsford’s causeway on 17th was unfortunately not relocated.

At Daventry CP, an adult Mediterranean Gull appeared on 15th, following the adult there on 8th, which turns out had been ringed only a month before, on 6th June at Berendrecht, Antwerp, Belgium. Over in the Nene Valley at Stanwick GP, a juvenile was seen on 15th and an adult plus a juvenile were there on 17th. Stanwick also produced a first-summer Caspian Gull on 17th and a third-summer three days later, on 20th, while the maximum count of Yellow-legged Gulls there was thirty-four on 17th. Stealing Stanwick’s thunder – at least as far as this species is concerned – was, however, Priors Hall, where some newly created pools attracted at least one hundred on 18th – an astonishing number away from the Nene Valley. Pitsford Res was the only other locality from which Yellow-legged Gulls were reported, with one on 18th, three on 20th and two on 21st.

The only passerines reported this week were a Pied Flycatcher and a Common Redstart in the hedge along the entrance road to Brixworth CP on the evening of 20th, both of which vanished immediately after their discovery.

A cooler week than the last, with temperatures ranging between the high teens and low twenties and, other than a hefty downpour on 11th, remaining dry. Winds varied between westerly and north-westerly, aiding the migration of Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits, which continued to arrive in appreciable numbers.

We are clearly experiencing the usual mid-summer lull, as far as ducks are concerned. Two Garganeys were the sole entry for the week – a juvenile at Stanford Res on 10th and an eclipse drake by the causeway at Pitsford Res on 10th and again on 13th-14th.

The intriguing run of summer Bittern records continued at Summer Leys with daily sightings, in flight over the scrape and the car park, throughout the week.

With the low water level it must be like shooting rats in a barrel for Ospreys visiting their now fondly favour’d site of Stanford Res, which drew one on 10th and two on 13th, while also continuing to attract Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits. Two were there on 9th, followed by twenty the next day and one from 11th to 13th. Elsewhere, thirteen arrived at Summer Leys on 9th with just two there the following day, two visited Pitsford Res on 8th, rising to three the next day, before falling to one on 10th and singles were at Stanwick GP on 8th and 10th and at Clifford Hill GP on 9th.

From one extreme to another, after last week’s one-day, Nene Valley ‘giant’, a Little Tern was picked up heading north over the causeway at Pitsford Res on 9th – however, it appeared not to be sticking around. The Mediterranean Gull family was still in residence in the Black-headed Gull colony at Stanwick GP this week. The two juveniles are now fully fledged and able to fly.

Elsewhere, an adult and an apparently unrelated juvenile visited Daventry CP on 11th and a juvenile was there on 14th. One size up, Caspian Gulls were also found at Stanwick, including an adult on 10th, a second-summer on 10th-11th and a first-summer on 13th. An adult also visited Pitsford Res on 10th. Yellow-legged Gull numbers increased dramatically this week with Stanwick GP accumulating a maximum of forty-two on 13th.

Away from here, a second-summer was at Pitsford Res on 8th-9th, a first-summer was there on 10th along with the autumn’s first juvenile on 12th and four on 14th. Elsewhere, an adult and a second-summer visited Daventry CP on 11th.

A juvenile Common Redstart was trapped and ringed at Stanford Res on 8th. It was a very young bird which appears, at first sight, not to have travelled far.

There is a possibility it fledged locally as this species once bred in some numbers in the grounds of Stanford Hall and a female with an active brood patch was also trapped at Stanford on 9th July 2015 so, who knows … Another young chat, a juvenile Northern Wheatear, was discovered at Pitsford Res on 13th – the first of the autumn and on a relatively early date for this species.

A largely dry week, during which temperatures nudged 30ºC under the influence of a light south-westerly airstream, saw the continued arrival southbound passage waders, the discovery of an immense tern and the surprise rediscovery of breeding Mediterranean Gulls.

A drake Red-crested Pochard visited Summer Leys LNR on 4th, with presumably the same bird relocating to Stanwick GP the following day, while the metal-ringed, escaped female Bufflehead was still present at Clifford Hill GP on 1st. Rare herons were limited to last week’s Bittern again at Summer Leys on 7th.

A female Honey Buzzard was an unexpected bonus for one observer as it drifted south-west over Sywell on 2nd, while there were reports of three Ospreys this week with two on 2nd, including one at Pitsford Res and one at Welford Res. Interestingly enough, the latter, a male, was ringed and proved to be a different individual to either of the two regularly visiting Stanford and Welford Reservoirs which were highlighted in last week’s feature.

The third was watched flying south-west over Thrapston GP on 3rd.The flow of southbound Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits continued with singles at Stanford Res on 1st, 2nd and 6th, three at Thrapston GP on 3rd, two at Pitsford Res on 4th with three there the following day and one on 7th, two at Stanwick GP plus six at Summer Leys on 5th and one again at Stanwick on 7th.

Local birders were caught completely off guard by the totally unexpected arrival of Northamptonshire’s fifth Caspian Tern, a smart adult, located at Summer Leys on 1st.  This dagger-billed colossus pitched down on ‘The Slips’ and was viewable from the Screen Hide for 80 minutes, before disappearing off down the Nene Valley, only to return again 90 minutes later – this time for 40 minutes – before heading off west. Clifford Hill GP was the next stop, where it was on view for nearly 3 hours in the early evening, after which it flew high west toward the sunset and was gone. It bore a red ring on its left leg, which enabled it to be confidently identified as the individual that had been frequenting the National Wetlands Centre, Carmarthenshire until 29th June. After leaving Northants, it was located briefly the following day at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, before returning bizarrely to the Wetlands Centre in Carmarthenshire on 3rd. But this is what Caspian Terns do! Proof, if ever there was, that Caspian Terns are really quite mad …

Another happy event was the surprise rediscovery of the breeding Mediterranean Gulls at Stanwick GP on 3rd. After a ‘missing, presumed dead’ status had been pronounced last month, there they were – bold as brass – in the middle of the Black-headed Gull colony again this week, the adults feeding two well-grown young. The local Lesser Black-backs are off the hook … for now. Elsewhere, single adults were seen at Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows reserve on 2nd and hawking insects over Daventry on 5th, again on 6th and one on 7th, while four adults visited the scrape at Summer Leys briefly on 3rd. July is the month when Yellow-legged Gull numbers begin to build and after one at Stanwick on 3rd, four were present there on 5th plus seven on 7th, four were at Pitsford Res and one at Daventry CP on 5th and a different individual visited the latter site the following day.

The male Common Redstart was still at Clifford Hill GP on 1st, otherwise the week was light in terms of migrant passerines.

A mini heatwave, with temperatures hitting the low thirties during the penultimate week, sees spring merge with autumn as the first southbound Black-tailed Godwits and Greenshank arrive in the county and a small, brown duck causes a stir.

Continuing its reluctance to depart, the first-summer Eurasian White-fronted Goose moved from Stanford Res back to Pitsford, where it remained until 11th, while single drake Garganeys appeared again at Summer Leys LNR on 3rd and Stanwick GP on 15th. A drake Red-crested Pochard, now in eclipse, loitered at Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows LNR until at least 12th but the surprise discovery of a female with one young duckling at Thrapston GP, mid-month, turned out to be the first breeding of this species in Northamptonshire.

The origins of our Red-crested Pochards have never really been known for certain but the above discovery must surely be a case of feral breeding. The last day of the month produced seventeen Common Scoters at Daventry CP – the first decent-sized flock we’ve have locally for a long time and part of a large national overland movement taking place at this time.

Nice though they were, they did not attract anything like as much attention as a certain diminutive diving duck, which appeared at Clifford Hill GP on 24th – a potential first for Northamptonshire in the form of a female Bufflehead. Not the best time of year but there has been a series of June occurrences, coupled with a cluster of previous Midlands records, so hopes ran high as local, and some not so local, birders descended on this Nene Valley site on the edge of suburbia. It quickly transpired our girl was wearing a ring – albeit a metal one – and the rot began to set in. With more than 22,500 Buffleheads historically having been ‘banded’ in Canada and the USA, the presence of a ring was still not necessarily a problem but the ring detail was far from clear until, that is, she upped and went to Daventry CP on 27th. It was there and then that she was snapped in close-up, the ring detail scrutinised and any potential credential immediately dismissed as she was duly pronounced an escape. Oh well, it was good while it lasted.

It has been a very poor spring for Quail, with just two singing males reported – both of which appeared to be one-day wonders. One was near the railway close to Kings Sutton on 9th and the other in a flax field near Burton Latimer on 18th. Summer Leys produced both of the period’s rare herons, which included a Great White Egret on the scrape on 14th and a Bittern in flight over the car park on 20th and again on the scrape the following day.

Wandering Ospreys featured at four localities during the month, including Welford Res on 3rd, 8th and 13th, three flew over Bulwick on the latter date and one visited Blatherwycke Lake on 16th but Stanford Res claimed the lion’s share. Stanford’s low water level continued to attract waders, including an Avocet for two days on 25th-26th, a late spring Grey Plover on 3rd and a presumably non-breeding first-summer Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit on 11th ahead of the first southbound Black-taileds – a nice flock of twenty-seven – on 25th.

One of these wore an Icelandic ring indicating it was a twelve-year old male and, thanks to Chris Hubbard’s research, its movement history is charted below. Clearly there was a Black-tailed Godwit movement taking place on 25th with further records of at least twenty-five at Summer Leys and one over St James, Northampton. More had arrived by the month’s end with 30th producing at least nine more at Stanford and singles at both Stanwick and Summer Leys. The autumn’s first Greenshank arrived at Stanford on 28th, lingering until the month’s end but further south, at Daventry CP, it was still spring when
five Sanderlings flew west on 6th.There was no avoiding Stanford’s pull for two Little Terns which arrived there on 28th but Pitsford – at which the water level is now looking enticingly low – attracted a Sandwich Tern to Scaldwell Bay on 19th. Both species are rarely recorded in the county in summer.

 

Following the breeding of Mediterranean Gulls at Stanwick earlier this year, another adult visited the Black-headed Gull colony there on 19th and two adults flew over Byfield the following day. June records of Yellow-legged Gulls are few and far between but the month saw two at Stanford on 17th, one at Daventry CP on 26th and one at Boddington Res on 30th – all of which were immatures. We also had our first June records of Caspian Gull, with Pitsford Res producing a second-summer on 10th, two second-summers the following day and one on 18th, while a first-summer appeared at Daventry CP on 27th.

 

Finally, the only passerine migrants found anywhere this month presumably belonged to autumn and they were all Common Redstarts. A female was at Clifford Hill GP on 25th-26th followed by a male there on 30th and a male visited a garden in Spratton on 26th.

 

The calm after the storm. After some sporadic heavy rain during the first forty-eight hours, warmer weather set in as winds swung between west and south-east and temperatures edged momentarily into the high twenties. As May turned into June, the northward flow of wetland migrants enjoyed by all in the preceding weeks almost dried up and we entered a quiet period, enlivened for some at least by the brief appearance of an Arctic Skua on 2nd.

At Stanford Res the first-summer Eurasian White-fronted Goose visited again on 30th but was not alone in being the only winter visitor lingering ludicrously late at this site. A drake Garganey continued a run of intermittent appearances at Summer Leys, showing there on 28th, 1st and 2nd, while two – presumably a pair – were at Stanwick GP on 29th. The only other wildfowl during the period were Red-crested Pochards, which included a drake and a hybrid female at Pitsford Res on 27th and two drakes bouncing back and forth between Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows LNR and Stanwick GP between 27th and 31st.

The latter site produced another late spring Bittern, which flew on to the A45 Lay-by Pit on 29th. On 2nd June, a Honey Buzzard was reported circling above Oundle before flying south-west, a Marsh Harrier flew east at Summer Leys on 27th, while an Osprey fishing at Stanford Res on 29th-30 and again on 2nd was perhaps not entirely unexpected, given the small number of breeding pairs in the region.

Above average numbers of Avocets have occurred this spring and more appeared this week, with two at Stanwick GP on the evening of 28th, although they were nowhere to be seen the following day. The trickle of waders continued with two more Grey Plovers – one at Pitsford Res on 29th and the other at Stanford Res between 31st and 2nd, while a Turnstone visited Pitsford Res on 27th, followed by two more there on 31st. Hollowell Res produced the week’s only Greenshank, on 28th, while last week’s potentially record-breakingly late Jack Snipe proved officially to be just that, remaining there until at least 1st.

Bird of the week, however, was the light morph adult Arctic Skua, which circled high above Daventry CP, late in the morning of 2nd, before drifting off north-west. Spring records are not unprecedented but even a stayer in autumn would be kinda nice …

After the full-on spring passage of Black Terns there was just one, at Pitsford Res, on 30th, when two Yellow-legged Gulls were at the same site. More unusual was the fly-over of two Hawfinches at Harrington AF on 29th – probably the first record for the site.

An exceptional five weeks

With most of the common summer visitors having arrived by the end of the period, the focus was clearly on wetland migrants in what has undoubtedly become the best spring, locally, for many years. More specifically, the period produced waders and terns in numbers, the likes of which we have not seen for a good few years, including a few potentially broken records. The main contributory factors were, firstly, the weather – particularly in the second week – when low cloud and rain combined with a prolonged period of easterlies to ‘down’ migrants across the county. Secondly, we have been blessed with lower than usual water levels at our reservoirs, following a rather dry winter. The draw-down at Stanford has also been a major influencer, providing the ideal habitat to attract migrant waders, twenty-five species of which have been recorded there so far this spring. Aside from all this, the county notched up Glossy Ibis, Black-winged Stilt (again) and Red-rumped Swallow during this fast-moving five-week period.

Two winter visitors which have lingered or appeared later than the norm, giving rise to speculation, in some quarters, that their origins may be somewhat suspect, are the Whooper Swan at Stanford Res from 5th to 8th May and the long-staying – though mobile – first-summer Eurasian White-fronted Goose.

From Pitsford to Daventry to Hollowell to Stanford, this individual has engaged in a reservoir round-robin. It was last seen at the latter site on 23rd May and, having appeared during a good winter for this species locally, it is likely to be a non-breeder in no hurry to depart, and perhaps deserves the benefit of the doubt. Back to things more seasonal and Summer Leys LNR was the principal location for Garganey, with probably three different birds over the period 6th to 23rd May, including two showy drakes on the scrape. Single drakes also visited Stanwick GP on 10th and 20th May and Clifford Hill GP on 18th May. Red-crested Pochards were still popping up here and there, with two at Thrapston GP on 30th April – one remaining until at least 13th May – one at Pitsford Res on 1st May and singles at Ditchford GP between 9th and 20th May, two there on 26th May and one at Stanwick GP on 20th-22nd May. The latter site held on to its long-staying female Scaup – believed by some to be not 100% genetically pure – until 18th May and another(?) female turned up at Daventry CP the following day, remaining there until 22nd May.

Stanford’s similarly long-staying first-year drake Long-tailed Duck remained there until 29th April, seemingly breaking all records for length of stay for this species locally, while another drake north of the dam at Pitsford Res added spice to a local bird race on 13th, remaining there until the following morning. Both of these reservoirs were clearly destined to deliver more sea ducks before the period was out, with two Common Scoters at Pitsford on 23rd April and one at Stanford on 12th May.

In keeping with the maritime theme, a chance Saturday evening visit by one birder to Pitsford, on 6th May, produced the first Black-throated Diver for five years. Those intent on catching up with this fine summer-plumaged Gavia had to move quickly – it was airborne and off north at 05.20 the next morning …

Many have been wondering how long it will be before Bitterns breed in the county as they edge ever closer, as well as being seen with increasing frequency outside the traditional winter season. Hopes were raised and dashed as one was seen at Summer Leys on 28th and 29th April but it disappeared thereafter. Next year, perhaps, unless Great White Egrets beat them to it. This may not be as unlikely as it sounds, as this is another species pushing the winter envelope and appearing increasingly later in spring – frequently in summer dress. Three during the period included one flying north over Clifford Hill GP on 28th April and singles at Summer Leys on 1st, 6th 9th and 10th May and at Pitsford Res on 2nd, 6th and 7th May.

We can forget breeding, though, for one species which continues to tease and tantalise as far is its appearances in the county are concerned: Glossy Ibis. Itchy feet does not even begin to describe the condition afflicting all five individuals which have now visited Northants since the species was first recorded here in 2002. So, the one discovered at Summer Leys at 11.30 on 23rd May duly conformed and was up, up and away at 13.35, never to be seen again – or was it? Three days later, an early morning scan across the pools immediately south of Irthlingborough, west of the A6 bridge and … there it was! Within minutes, however, it had flitted further west, ending up on an island in one of the lakes off Greenway before quickly, and mysteriously, melting away …

Migrating raptors, it could be argued, are also difficult to catch up with. The period’s best included a male Honey Buzzard west over Great Brington on 16th May, single May Marsh Harriers at Summer Leys on 7th, over Billing GP on 8th, Stanford Res on 13th, Stanwick GP on 22nd and Boddington Res on 23rd, while a male Hen Harrier flew west between Irchester and Wollaston on 12th May.

Meanwhile, Ospreys continued to drift around north Northants, with singles on several dates at Pitsford Res, Naseby Res and Harrington AF, while two Rutland-ringed individuals visited Welford Res on 21st May.

Topping the bill of the wader listing, the Black-winged Stilts returned for an encore at Stanford Res on 23rd April. Photographs suggested they were two of the three present three days previously, on 20th April but perhaps they were not.

Stranger things have happened. The same site produced an Avocet briefly on 18th May, following one at Summer Leys on 6th May and two there on 10th. And so started a remarkable run of waders at the reservoirs and in the River Nene Valley.

The first Grey Plovers appeared on 30th April, when three were at Clifford Hill GP and two arrived at Pitsford Res – the exposed mud between the dam and the mouth of Moulton Grange Bay subsequently proving a popular draw for a number of waders during the period. Stanford managed at least four – possibly six – between 1st and 7th May and singles were at Clifford Hill GP on 1st, Earls Barton GP on 5th and 6th, Stanwick GP on 5th and 12th (with two there on 9th), five were at Summer Leys on 6th – four of which departed east and were seen shortly afterward over Ditchford GP – and two were at Ditchford GP on 9th May.

Back on the border with Leicestershire, Stanford was continuing to do well, producing the highest spring count of ‘Tundra’ Ringed Plovers (twenty-seven on 17th May), while five localities between them produced a total of thirty-five Whimbrels between 22nd April and 14th May, with a maximum of seven at Pitsford Res on 30th April.

What Black-tailed Godwits lacked in number of records they made up for in numbers of birds. Apart from singles at Stanford on 24th April and Ditchford GP on 7th May, a flock exceeding three hundred flew north-west near Scaldwell on 28th April while, not on quite the same scale, Bar-tailed Godwits also appeared in respectable numbers. The largest flock comprised at least thirty-two in flight over Summer Leys on 5th May in addition to five on the ground there on the same date.

Stanford produced singles on 22nd and 24th April, at least eight there on 30th April, followed by two on 5th-6th May and three the following day. Elsewhere, Clifford Hill GP enjoyed a run of two on 30th April, three on 1st May, followed by seven on 5th May and singles visited Hollowell Res on 1st-2nd May, Summer Leys on 3rd May, Daventry CP on 5th May and Ditchford GP on 9th-10th May.Respectable numbers of Turnstones also appeared during May, with three at Stanford on 5th followed by two there on 16th, singles at Ditchford GP on 5th, Summer Leys on 8th and Stanwick GP on 12th, two at Daventry CP on 19th and one at Pitsford Res on 25th-26th.

Much scarcer, however, was Knot, of which there were three, including one colour-ringed individual on the mud at the mouth Pitsford’s Moulton Grange Bay on 30th April followed, uncannily, by a different, unringed bird in exactly the same place the next day. Proof, if ever there was, that the ‘two-bird’ theory should sometimes be given more credence than it actually is! The third was found at Summer Leys on the evening of 5th May, remaining only until the early morning of 6th. Ruffs were scarcer than might have been expected under the circumstances. One remained at Summer Leys between 22nd and 24th April, further singles visited Ditchford GP on 29th April and Clifford Hill GP on 5th May and four were at Stanford Res on 3rd May.

Early evening on 9th May marked the discovery of a Temminck’s Stint just south of the causeway at Pitsford Res. It was the first in the county since May 2013 and it obligingly remained there through the following morning. Pitsford also produced the spring’s only Little Stint – again on the Moulton Grange mud – on 14th May. The ‘magic month’ continued with a far stronger Sanderling passage than is usual, with all records falling within the first twenty days. On 1st, there was one on that hallowed mud at Pitsford and two at Clifford Hill GP, one of which remained the following day. Two appeared at Stanford on 6th, followed by singles at Pitsford and Hollowell Reservoirs on 8th and 10th respectively, while the 12th saw two more at Stanford, another at Pitsford and three on the new diggings at the western end of Earls Barton GP. The 17th, however, was the species’ big day, with three at Stanwick GP and a massive thirteen at Stanford – the latter likely to be a record-breaker, at least in recent history – and a lingering bird at Pitsford on 19th-20th is likely to have been the last one for this spring.

Among the many Dunlins passing through – the maximum being eighteen at Stanford on 17th – came the county’s second and third ‘Greenland’ Dunlins – one with the aforementioned Stanford flock and the other at Hollowell Res on 23rd May. This diminutive arctica race must surely occur more here frequently but it is less than straightforward to identify.

Surprisingly, with all that beckoning mud, there was only one record of Spotted Redshank during the period – two at Stanford Res on 5th May but it was not wasted on Greenshanks, numbers of which were almost on a par with those we expect to see in autumn. In summary, eight localities produced more than thirty individuals between them, including the maximum count of nine at Stanford Res from 5th to 9th May.

Wood Sandpipers appeared in marginally above average numbers, though, with the first at Earls Barton GP on 29th-30th April moving to nearby Summer Leys on the latter date, where numbers varied between one and three from 6th to 9th May.

Stanford of course produced its own, with singles in May on 1st-2nd and 5th and a potentially record-breakingly late Jack Snipe also remained there throughout the period. Frequently to be found feeding well out in the open on the Leicestershire bank, it crossed the line when it flew and entered Northants airspace on 15th May.

But enough of waders. The county enjoyed its best spring for Little Terns for a good many years as seven made their way through during the seven-day period, 29th April to 5th May. The first was at Summer Leys on 29th, followed by singles at Pitsford Res, Stanford Res and Daventry CP the next day. Further singles appeared at Summer Leys on 1st, Stanford on 3rd and Pitsford on 5th. There was also a half-decent Black Tern passage between 23rd April and 14th May, during which between ninety and a hundred were recorded from a total of nine localities. Double-figure counts – all on 30th April – came from Pitsford Res, with two flocks of twelve and twenty-three, and Thrapston GP, where there were eleven on Aldwincle Lake. Following earlier records, the spring was not yet done with Sandwich Terns, one spending just five minutes at Hollowell Res on 30th April and two less than half an hour at Stanwick GP on 19th May, while Arctic Terns appeared in good numbers between 22nd April and 20th May. The big day for this species was undoubtedly 27th April, when at least one hundred and ten were at Stanford Res and one hundred and twelve Sterna terns – the majority Arctics – were at Thrapston GP. In summary, records came from a further five localities, with sizeable flocks of approximately fifty-five at Pitsford and between thirty and thirty-five at Boddington Res – both on 30th April.

In comparison to terns, Little Gulls were in surprisingly short supply. On 29th April, an adult visited Mary’s Lake at Earls Barton GP, followed the next day by another adult at Pitsford Res. On 1st May, an adult and a first-summer were at Clifford Hill GP and on 11th May seven – all first-summers – visited Stanford Res, where one remained the following day. Single adults were also found at both Daventry CP and Summer Leys on 19th May.

Two adult Mediterranean Gulls appeared at Stanwick GP on 24th April and then caused a stir at Summer Leys between 3rd and 5th May, when it looked as if they might be taking up residence in the Black-headed Gull colony there. However, it was not to be and they were subsequently back at Stanwick on 6th. One of these, or another, was seen flying west along the River Nene at Wellingborough Embankment on 10th and then came a run of first-summers – involving at least two different birds – from Stanwick on 12th May and daily there from 18th to 22nd May with one also appearing at Summer Leys on 13th May.

Not to left out, larger scarce gulls were slimly represented by a Yellow-legged Gull at Pitsford Res on 22nd April and a first-summer Caspian Gull at Daventry CP on 11th May.

With all the wetland action, passerines and anything not exclusively associated with water have seemingly taken a back seat. Or have they? As if to redress the balance, Northamptonshire’s fourth-ever Red-rumped Swallow appeared with an influx of House Martins at Daventry CP on 15th May. Present from mid-afternoon until at least 18.30, it remained highly mobile, distant and would disappear for lengthy periods. Three out of the county’s four have now been at Daventry CP – and they’ve all been found there by Gary Pullan! The first was at Ditchford GP in September 1984 and the subsequent two at Daventry were in April 1999 and May 2009. We can surely expect more to come …

Just one Wood Warbler appeared this spring – a singing male at Pitsford Res on 29th April, which became increasingly difficult to see as the day progressed, similarly only one Pied Flycatcher was reported, via Birdtrack, at Hinton-in-the-Hedges on 6th May.

A Black Redstart was present on buildings in Wellingborough town centre on 23rd May – again, another poor spring for this species as well as for Common Redstart with singles only at Pitsford Res on 29th April and Clifford Hill GP the following day, although a singing male has been present in a suitable breeding area in the west of the county for the past four weeks. It’s been the same sorry story for Whinchats in what surely must be the worst spring for many years for this species – just two, one at Earls Barton GP on 29th April and one the following day at Clifford Hill GP.

In contrast, there were still plenty of Northern Wheatears coming through, including some identified as ‘Greenland’ Wheatears, although most – if not all – are likely to be of this race in late spring. In April, Harrington AF held up to five between 23rd and 28th, two were at Earls Barton GP from 23rd to 29th, two also visited Priors Haw on 24th and singles were at Ditchford GP on 26th, Desborough Airfield on 28th and Clifford Hill GP on 30th, followed by six at the latter site the following day and one was at Gretton on 11th May.

Continuing a run of records, another male ‘Channel’ Wagtail paid a brief visit to Stanford Res on 3rd May and single female-type Blue-headed Wagtails were at Pitsford Res on 1st May and at Hollowell Res on 12th May. And, after a fantastic showing of White Wagtails earlier this spring, numbers dwindled to four at Stanford Res on 24th and, on 30th, one was present there, one was at Pitsford Res and three visited Earls Barton GP.

The week remained largely dry, dominated initially by brisk north-westerlies, which gave way to a spell of north-easterlies and cold overnight temperatures for a short spell during the latter part of the period. Allowing extra birding time for some, the Easter bank holiday did not fail to disappoint but the undoubted highlight of the week was the one-day stay of three Black-winged Stilts at Stanford Reservoir on 20th. Summer visitors continued to arrive, including the first Common Swifts, Common and Lesser Whitethroats, as well as Yellow Wagtails en masse but there were still some lingering winter visitors which included up to eight Bramblings at one site.

The Whooper Swan which spent the winter at Sywell CP went unreported this week but one flying south over Bozenham Mill on 18th may, or may not, have been the same individual. Single female Garganeys visited Pitsford Res on 16th and Ditchford GP on 19th, up to two drake Red-crested Pochards were at Thrapston GP between 17th and 20th and the female Scaup was still present at Stanwick GP until at least 17th. Stanford’s long-staying first-year drake Long-tailed Duck remained throughout the period, having gone on an away-day to Draycote Water in neighbouring Warwickshire on 9th, before duly returning the following day. Admirably site-faithful, it surely can’t stay there for much longer … can it?

Wholly unpredicted, Sywell CP pulled this year’s Easter Bunny out of the hat in the shape of an adult Gannet there on 15th. Approachable and seemingly moribund, it appeared to go to roost on the dam as dusk fell but it was nowhere to be found the following morning; most records are of juveniles in autumn.

And it seems we are still not yet done with Great White Egrets as one was seen flying north-east along the Nene Valley at Stanwick GP on 19th. Compared with last week, there were few Ospreys reported during the period, with sightings at Pitsford Res on 15th and 16th probably relating to the same bird, which performed well, by all accounts.

Looking to seriously rival Summer Leys as this year’s spring hotspot, Stanford Res went and did it again, delivering a trio of Black-winged Stilts on 20th. In all their pink, black and white glory, they remained on show from dawn until dusk but had duly departed by the following morning.

So, after last week’s Common Cranes: Stanford 2-0 Summer Leys. Stanford also produced a Whimbrel on 18th plus five more the following day, five Black-tailed Godwits on 19th and one on 20th and a Bar-tailed Godwit from 19th to 21st. Imagine what could happen if we drained Pitsford during the spring … Single Whimbrels were also at Pitsford Res on 15th and at Summer Leys from 18th to 21st, with the latter site holding up to two Ruffs between 15th and 21st.

A Black Tern at Pitsford Res on 21st was the second record of the spring, while the first migrant Arctic Terns showed up this week and included single fly-throughs at Pitsford Res on 15th, 16th and 19th, one at Thrapston GP on 17th, followed by twelve at Clifford Hill GP on 18th and one there the next day.

The week’s only Little Gull visited Pitsford Res on 18th and the same site produced a Yellow-legged Gull on 16th, while a near-adult was at Summer Leys the following day.

It’s been a poor spring for Common Redstarts so far and the last week produced just three on 15th, comprising two on Borough Hill and one near Long Buckby but Northern Wheatear numbers picked up with Borough Hill and Harrington AF hosting three a piece, again on 15th, when there was also one at Stanford Res. At least two remained at Harrington on 16th-17th, eight were near Castle Ashby on 16th, Thrapston GP and Shutlanger held four a piece on 17th, three were at both Bozenham Mill and Newton Bromswold on 18th and one was at Clifford Hill GP on the same date with three there on 20th.

A decent influx of Yellow Wagtails – maxing out at more than fifty at Pitsford Res on 18th – brought with it a couple of smart ‘Channel’ Wagtails, both on that date, the first at Clifford Hill GP and the other accompanying the Pitsford yellows and remaining until the following day.

The county also enjoyed astonishing numbers of White Wagtails with Stanford Res taking the lion’s share of twenty-two present on 18th and double-figure counts there on most days during the week. Elsewhere, singles were at Pitsford Res on 15th, 16th and 17th plus two there on 21st, one visited Stanwick GP on 17th and five were at Clifford Hill GP on 18th.

A Tree Pipit – a county scarcity which now attracts a description submission in neighbouring Bedfordshire – flew over Hazelborough Forest on 16th and single Rock Pipits (or perhaps just one lingering bird) were at Pitsford Res on 15th and 17th-18th.

For the first two days of the period, an eastwardly-moving high pressure system drew deeply into southern Europe, sucking up warm, southerly winds and producing a summer teaser of local temperatures hitting the mid-twenties. This proved highly conducive to migration with an array of scarcities and common migrants appearing during this two-day period alone. The following five days saw a return to a cooler, more westerly airstream with temperatures closer to average. The arrival of more summer visitors included Hobby, Cuckoo, Lesser Whitethroat, Grasshopper, Garden and Reed Warblers, to name but a few, and the two rarest visitors to the county in the period were, of course, the shortest stayers.

Wildfowl still firmly anchored this week were the Sywell CP Whooper Swan, the Daventry CP Eurasian White-fronted Goose, the Stanwick Scaup and the Stanford Long-tailed Duck, although doubts are now being expressed about the origins of the goose. There were three new Garganeys, including one at Summer Leys LNR on 9th and single females at Stanwick GP on 11th and Pitsford Res on 12th, while Red-crested Pochards included single drakes at Pitsford Res on 9th, Clifford Hill GP on 10th and Thrapston GP on 13th.

Back on the agenda – albeit briefly – this week was Great White Egret with one flying west along the Nene Valley at Sixfields, Northampton on 11th but clearly more impressive were two Spoonbills clocked circling low over Thrapston GP’s Aldwincle Lake before heading off toward Oundle, late in the morning of 8th. This will be approximately the 34th record for Northamptonshire and it’s a shame they didn’t pitch down there for the remaining part of the day.

More obliging, however, were two small crowd-pleasing Red-necked Grebes, which were discovered at Daventry CP on the same date, with both still present the following day and one remaining until 13th. Last week’s Black-necked Grebe also remained on site until 11th – a tussle ensuing between it and one of the Red-necked Grebes at one point!

Marsh Harriers again featured in this week’s line-up. One was hunting over the reedbeds surrounding the scrape at Summer Leys on the evening of 12th and it, or another, was seen flying high over Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows LNR, at Ditchford GP, the following morning, while another flew north at Pitsford Res on 14th.

Given the success and the proximity of the Rutland Osprey scheme, it is not surprising we are seeing more locally each year. This week’s migrants included singles north over Sywell and Foxholes Fisheries, Crick – both on 8th, one (a ringed male from the Rutland scheme) over Hollowell Res on 9th, one between Ravensthorpe Res and Hollowell on 12th with one – possibly the same – fishing at Pitsford Res on the same day and one flying north-west over Fotheringhay on 13th.

The first rarity to occur at the now half-drained Stanford Res was not predicted. On 9th, two Common Cranes were discovered ‘on the deck’ at 08.00 but both took to the air shortly afterward and they were last seen heading south-west over the dam at 08.30. Both bore colour rings and the combination indicates they had been ringed in the UK.With barely twenty county records they were a great find for the three observers who saw them.

More spring waders were on the move this week with the first Whimbrel flying north over Pitsford Res on 12th, two Ruff were at Summer Leys on 11th-12th followed by a male there on 13th and a Greenshank was there on 12th.

With Common Terns now arriving in some numbers (twenty-eight at Stanwick GP on 12th) other terns are only to be expected. Three Black Terns at Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows on 9th were early. In fact they were the earliest in the 48-year history of the Northamptonshire Bird Report – the previous earliest being on 12th April 1980. Sandwich Terns, however, are renowned for being early and, following the one at Pitsford Res on 31st March, another arrived at Daventry CP on 9th, stayed for less than thirty minutes and then was off.

Another record broken was the amazing flock of twenty Sandwich Terns which arrived at Clifford Hill GP at about the same time as the Daventry individual. Twenty is apparently unprecedented in Northants but, again, they did not stay long, prematurely helped on their way by dog-walkers straying from the path and down to the shoreline where they had chosen to rest. A Little Gull was at Pitsford Res on 9th-10th but the only other relatively scarce Larid was, understandably for the time of year, a third calendar year Yellow-legged Gull at Daventry CP on 10th.

Some of last week’s Waxwings remained in Northampton in the vicinity of Rushmere Road, where they were feeding in lime trees until 12th. Surely this must be the last we’ll see of this species this spring?  Meanwhile, in the west of the county, Daventry CP hosted a male Common Redstart on 11th, while the top of Newnham Hill featured again (after last week’s Ring Ouzel) on the same date with another male Common Redstart and two Northern Wheatears.

More Northern Wheatears were at Harrington AF, where up to two were present between 8th and 14th, and near Castle Ashby with two on 14th. The lion’s share of this week’s White Wagtails was at Stanford Res, where there were up to three between 8th and 10th, six on 12th and three on 13th-14th, while one was between Pitsford Res and Scaldwell on the latter date and one appeared at Clifford Hill GP on 14th.

With the country under the influence of a slowly moving high pressure system, the weather remained dry and relatively warm, with southerly winds at the beginning of the period changing briefly to north-easterlies, before reverting to southerly at the week’s end. More migrants appeared, including the first Common Sandpiper, Common Redstarts and Ring Ouzel.

Wildfowl numbers continued to drop, although the Sywell CP Whooper Swan – seemingly under the radar last week – was found still to be present until at least 5th and a new Eurasian White-fronted Goose turned up at Daventry CP on 7th.

Also new were two Garganeys – both on 7th – including a female at Summer Leys LNR and a drake at Hollowell Res. Staying put, though, were the drake Red-crested Pochard at Earls Barton GP, which was still present on 4th – with the Thrapston three still in situ on 2nd – while the long-staying female Scaup at Stanwick GP remained until at least 5th and the Long-tailed Duck at Stanford Res was still present at the week’s end.

There were no reports of the Pitsford Slavonian Grebe this week but a Black-necked Grebe at Daventry CP from 4th to 7th and a Red-necked Grebe at Stanford Res on 7th – both resplendent in summer plumage – more than made up for its absence.

Harriers took precedence in this week’s raptor rares, with a Marsh Harrier over the reedbed at Stanwick GP on the evening of the 1st and a ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier in flight over wind turbines near Burton Latimer on 5th. There was, perhaps surprisingly, just one Osprey reported – a male flying over Blatherwycke Lake on 2nd.

Just two more Little Gulls were seen – appropriately enough a first-summer at Summer Leys on 1st and an adult at Daventry CP two days later, on 3rd, while the latter site also briefly hosted a fourth calendar year Caspian Gull the following day. A first-summer Mediterranean Gull appeared equally briefly at Stanwick GP on 2nd.

With the local winterers gone, a migrant Short-eared Owl over Pitsford Res on 2nd was a nice surprise and there were yet more Waxwings to be found – up to thirty-five in Northampton were in the vicinity of Rushmere Road/Billing Road East between 4th and 7th, some eighteen of which moved to nearby Abington Park on the latter date.

In the west of the county, a male Ring Ouzel was ranging widely in the region of the footpath near the top of Newnham Hill on 2nd while, back in Northampton, a female Common Redstart was found at Bradlaugh Fields on the same date, followed by a male near Long Buckby on 7th.

Two more White Wagtails appeared – both at Stanford Res – where there was one on 1st and another on 6th and two Crossbills were located in Bucknell Wood an 2nd.