Northants birds

Winter wildfowl and a period of little change was the order of the week, in which temperatures remained largely below average, murk prevailed and wind direction appeared to make little difference to any new arrivals on the scene.

Looking at home and grazing happily in the flat grassland of the Nene barrage, the twenty Barnacle Geese held their ground at Clifford Hill GP throughout the period and the one at Stanford Res remained until at least 9th.

At Hollowell Res, the seven Pink-footed Geese were joined by four more on 6th and 8th and several more were heard calling as they flew over Wakerley Great Wood on the first of these two dates. Pink-footed Goose now appears to be turning up more frequently in the county and in greater numbers, after enjoying a ten-fold increase in population over the last seventy years. This may be only the crest of a wave, though, as it’s said to be facing an uncertain future (more here).

After what was thought to have been a fleeting visit to Stanwick GP last week, the juvenile White-fronted Goose was relocated there with Greylags, at the north-eastern end of the complex, on 7th-8th. Two adults were subsequently discovered – again with Greylags – at Clifford Hill GP on 5th, remaining there until at least 10th. One of these exhibited some interesting characteristics, offering food for thought and optimistic conjecture (see here).

Up in the north of the county, three adult Whooper Swans were reported from Deene Lake on 6th but they were not present subsequently. Back at Hollowell, the female Ruddy Shelduck was seen on 5th, 8th and 10th.

Hollowell also hung on to its juvenile Great Northern Diver throughout the period and Stanford’s four Black-necked Grebes also remained all week. One or two Great Egrets were reported from seven sites, including Cottingham, Deene Lake, Hollowell, Pitsford Res, Stanford, Stanwick and Summer Leys LNR with, once again, the eighth site of Thrapston logging the week’s highest site count of six, which were present throughout.

After a raptorless seven days, last week, a Marsh Harrier flew east over Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows on 5th and a ‘ringtail’ harrier sp., presumably a Hen Harrier, flew low over the dam at Stanford on 7th.

Waders bagged during the period were the solitary Curlew on the DIRFT 3 A5 pools again on 5th and five Jack Snipes on a field pool close to Ravensthorpe STW on the same date.

This week saw same three species of gull as the last, with a first-winter Mediterranean Gull at Rushton Landfill on 8th along with a second-winter Caspian Gull there on the same date, while the usual adult Yellow-legged Gull was at Hollowell on 10th.

Stanford logged this week’s fly-over Merlin on 9th, as well as again being one of the six localities to hold wintering Stonechats, along with Deene, Deenethorpe AF, Earls Barton GP, Thrapston and Hollowell, the latter site laying claim to the week’s maximum of five on 8th.

/> bbbbbbbbbCrossbills, Wakerley Great Wood, 5th December 2020 (Stewart Short)

The number of sites from which Crossbills were reported was up this week to five. Unsurprisingly, Wakerley Great Wood took the lion’s share of thirty on 6th, while twenty-five were seen at nearby Fineshade Wood on 6th and 10th and Hollowell’s maximum during the period was seven on 8th. Elsewhere, singles flew over Badby Wood on 6th and Deenethorpe on 7th.

It’s official. This week saw us cross the date-line into meteorological winter and to mark the event, the wind turned to a chilly northerly on the day. In conjunction with this, a run of easterly winds over the preceding days produced conditions conducive to the inbound movement of some notable winter visitors, intent on escaping increasingly inclement conditions on the Near Continent.

The goose theme continued this week with the twenty-strong Barnacle Goose flock still at Clifford Hill GP on 29th and the one at Stanford Res remaining all week. Up to seven Pink-footed Geese lingered at Hollowell Res until at least 1st but more significant was a juvenile White-fronted Goose, new in at Stanwick GP on 28th. ‘Russian’, ‘European’, ‘Eurasian’ – whichever name is currently de rigueur – it had moved on by the next day and was clearly part of a national influx, with more than 100 sites between Norfolk and the Isle of Wight having logged this species since 29th November. This included plenty of single birds, such as the Stanwick individual, as well as small flocks, some of which were in counties where groups are rare, including Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey. Clearly Stanwick’s bird was in the vanguard. The only other record this year was two adults at Clifford Hill GP on 2nd-3rd January so, if nothing else changes, it looks like 2020 will end up being an exceedingly poor white-front year, locally … but there is still time for things to turn around. And then there was Bewick’s Swan, four of which paid a brief visit to Pitsford before flying off north-west on the morning of 4th. In so doing, it narrowly preserved its status as an annual visitor to the county and if there are no more in 2020, this year will rank alongside 2002 and 2010 as the worst on record, with just one occurrence in each.

Besides up to three Red-crested Pochards remaining at Pitsford Res and a female being found at Deene Lake on 30th, two Greater Scaups were discovered on the afternoon of 1st – a drake at Stanford Res and a first-winter at DIRFT 3 – only the 2nd and 3rd records in this half of the year, following one at Pitsford Res on 31st October. More transient winter wildfowl appeared in the shape of two female-type Common Scoters at Clifford Hill GP on 28th and six more at Thrapston GP, two days later, on 30th.

At Hollowell, the juvenile Great Northern Diver remained throughout. Meanwhile, a stone’s throw to the north-west, Stanford magicked up four cute Black-necked Grebes on 30th – the record-breaker for the number of species logged there in one year. They remained all week.

Great Egrets were again reported from seven sites with, once again, Thrapston logging the week’s highest site count of five on 28th and 1st.

On 1st, just one Curlew was seen to come in to roost on the DIRFT 3 A5 pools prior to dusk, while other large, long-legged waders this week were two Black-tailed Godwits at Summer Leys LNR on 29th and one at Stanwick GP the following day. The only Jack Snipe reported during the period was one at Pitsford on 28th.

Winter roost-watching produced an adult Mediterranean Gull at Pitsford on 30th and a first-winter Caspian Gull at Boddington Res on 1st and the semi-regular third-winter Caspian was again at Hollowell on the same date. Nine Yellow-legged Gulls were in the Boddington roost on 1st but elsewhere, it was single adults at Hollowell on 28th, 30th and 3rd, Pitsford on 28th and 30th and in the roost at Thrapston on 30th.

Wintering Stonechats were limited to Deene, Hollowell, Wicksteed Water Meadows (Kettering), Stanford and Pitsford, with a maximum of four at the latter site on 30th. On 2nd, Pitsford also produced – albeit very briefly – the second Water Pipit of the year in 2020 – the first was at Ditchford GP on 13th March.

Lastly, we come to cone-crunchers’ corner, in which the male Parrot Crossbill was again reported from Wakerley Great Wood on 1st, the same site continuing to host up to a dozen Crossbills, this number being well down on last week’s total of sixty-plus. The only other site at which Crossbills were reported this week was Hollowell, where a maximum of eleven was seen on 28th.

As we stand on the brink of further invasive cold air from the Arctic, hopefully there will be more exciting winter visitors in the offing over the forthcoming weeks.

The wind continued mainly southerly but a swing to the east occurred on the last day of the period. Becoming no easier to see, the male Parrot Crossbill remained into the week.

Continuing to elicit some interest, the Barnacle Goose flock, still present at Clifford Hill GP into this week, had significantly reduced to twenty by 21st and they remained there until the week’s end.

One also lingered at Stanford Res all week. While the six Pink-footed Geese remained ensconced at Hollowell Res throughout the period, some inflight entertainment came in the form of a flock of some fifty to fifty-five heading north-west over Harringworth Lodge Lake on the morning of 21st. This appears to have been part of a wider national movement on the day and back at Stanford, two joined the local Greylags and three flew over.

The following day, five Whooper Swans flew east at the latter locality, constituting the 160th species for the year at that site, equalling its best-ever species total, which was in 2017. DIRFT 3 was paid a surprise visit by five Ruddy Shelducks on 22nd, although they were absent the next day, while the long-staying female was seen again at Hollowell on 26th-27th. Numbers of Red-crested Pochards fell to just four at Pitsford Res, although two were found at Clifford Hill GP on 23rd.

Looking set for a protracted stay, the juvenile Great Northern Diver remained throughout at Hollowell. Surprisingly, no Cattle Egrets were reported this week but Great Egrets continued to be reported from seven sites. Hollowell and Pitsford were the only sites away from the Nene Valley and Thrapston again logged the week’s highest site count of five on 27th.

Following their initial discovery on 12th, three locally unseasonal Curlews continued to come in to roost on the DIRFT 3 A5 pools, being seen just prior to dusk on 23rd and 26th, while the only other notable wader was Jack Snipe, with singles at Hollowell on 23rd and Stanford on 27th, plus four on a field pool close to Ravensthorpe STW on 26th.

In addition to the semi-regular third-winter Caspian Gull again at Hollowell on 24th, the same date saw a first-winter come in to roost at Boddington Res and three – an adult and two third-winters – were at DIRFT 3 on 26th.

This week’s Yellow-legged Gulls rallied somewhat, with one at Pitsford on 21st and 24th, two at DIRFT 3 on 23rd and eleven counted in the Boddington roost on 24th.

Two Short-eared Owls emerged during the period – one from a roadside field north of Sywell AF on 22nd and the other, remaining in the air for an hour, was at Pitsford on 26th, while this week’s Merlin was a female at Stanwick on the first of these two dates.

Wintering Stonechats were recorded from DIRFT 3, Hollowell, Lilbourne Meadows LNR, Pitsford, Stanford and Thrapston, with no more than four at any one site.

Last week’s male Parrot Crossbill continued to elude, evade and generally played hard to get, being seen only briefly on 21st at Wakerley Great Wood, which continued to host Crossbills, clearly on the up this week, with at least sixty-one being present there on 27th. Up to nine were still being seen at Hollowell during the period, eight were still in Bucknell Wood on 22nd and singles flew over both Stanwick GP and Pitsford on 24th.

A mild, southerly airstream continued into the first half of the period before the wind swung momentarily northerly toward the week’s end. The chance discovery of a fine male Parrot Crossbill duly elicited a local northerly movement by those hoping to catch a glimpse.

With last week’s presumed ‘C list’ Barnacle Goose flock still present at Clifford Hill GP, having risen to forty-one on 15th, some light was at last shed on its origin.

 
One of two Barnacle Geese found at Stanford Res last week was also metal-ringed on its left leg but no colour rings were in evidence. Both birds remained until 16th. Meanwhile, the goose theme continued at Hollowell Res, where last week’s six Pink-footed Geese were back up again to seven on 19th. The only other waterfowl of note were Red-crested Pochards which, this week, were confined only to Pitsford Res, where the highest count was eight on 19th.

Back at Hollowell, the juvenile Great Northern Diver was still present on 19th, after becoming evasive in the early part of the week.

Cattle Egrets remained, as usual, in the Stanwick/Irthlingborough area, where the highest count was six on 16th and 18th. Upsizing, Great Egrets were again much in evidence, widespread across at least ten localities in the county, from Blatherwycke Lake to Stanford in the north and along the Nene Valley from Thrapston GP to Billing GP, Thrapston logging the week’s highest site count of five on 15th.

A superb total of fourteen Jack Snipes at Daventry CP on 17th was nearly triple last week’s count from there and is surely a record count for the site.

Winter gulls this week included two adult Mediterranean Gulls – one flying south-west over Stanwick GP on 19th and the other at Boddington Res the following day. The third-winter Caspian Gull was again at Hollowell on 14th and 17th, while a first-winter visited Daventry CP on the latter date. Single adult Yellow-legged Gulls were at Pitsford on 14th-15th, Hollowell and Daventry on 17th and at Thrapston on 18th.

A Short-eared Owl was reported from the Irthlingborough area on 16th, while this week’s Merlin was an immature male at Harrington AF on 18th.

As a result of their often nebulous nature, ‘possibles’ rarely feature in this report but for the sake of completeness and on the off-chance that a Northamptonshire first – a ‘mega’ at that – could potentially be passing us by, it would seem prudent to include the possible Dusky Thrush reported on 20th. Said to have been with Fieldfares and Redwings, close to the north-west corner of Kingthorn Wood, between Greens Norton and Bradden, late morning, the news was released during the afternoon. Those (three) who made it to the site in gloomy conditions met with disappointment as a highly animated flock of some four hundred or so winter thrushes kept their distance and eventually split up and dispersed. But in case anyone fancies chancing his or her arm, it’s a very nice area, with a pocket park …

Back down to earth somewhat, Stonechats were recorded from Boddington, Hollowell, Pitsford, Stanford and Thrapston. Once again, four at Hollowell on 17th was the highest total at any locality.

But tangible bird of the week, without doubt, was the smart male Parrot Crossbill photographed at Wakerley Great Wood on 15th. The first of these vagrant cone-crunchers for almost 30 years and not the easiest to pin down – and there may have been more than just the one.

 

A veritable supporting cast, Crossbills were prevalent at the same site throughout, with more than forty estimated to be present. Hollowell, too, is fast proving itself to be a reliable site for this species, with numbers there growing throughout the week and peaking in excess of twenty on 20th, while at least five flew north-west over Harrington AF on the same date.

The air off the continent – south-easterlies, subsequently swinging southerly – resulted in a generally mild week, during which a number of new birds arrived on the scene, of which Great Northern Diver and Bearded Tits headed the cast …

Barnacle Geese on the romp, however, provided additional interest. We are used to the odd one or two feral birds tagging along with local Canadas and Greylags but it’s always exhilarating to encounter a large flock, whatever its origin. And so it came to pass that roving multiples were seen in the Nene Valley this week, with twenty-seven flying south-west over Ditchford GP on 10th, some or all of which may have accounted for the larger number of thirty-six on the ground at Clifford Hill GP, two days later, on 12th. The feral population in neighbouring Bedfordshire seems to be their most likely origin

Black and white toned down to not quite fifty shades of grey at Hollowell Res, as the six Pink-footed Geese remained throughout the period and the female Ruddy Shelduck, although there on 9th, took another trip up to Crick, where it was seen at Foxholes Fisheries on 11th.

Pitsford Res retained at least ten Red-crested Pochards throughout the period and four were found at Daventry CP on 9th, remaining until the following day.

Given the recent numbers inland over the past week, it would have been unthinkable not to have at least one of our reservoirs proving attractive to at least one Great Northern Diver and our first for 2020, a nice, scaly juvenile, duly appeared at Hollowell on 13th.

Similarly, with a great deal of focus on, and time invested by birders in, Stortons GP this week, it came as no real surprise when a Bittern appeared briefly in flight there on 10th.

The now resident population of Cattle Egrets in the Nene Valley remained, as usual, in the Stanwick/Irthlingborough area, where the highest count was nine on 7th. Away from there, one flew north-east at Boddington Res on 13th – the first record for the site and it may well have been the bird that briefly visited the Balscote Quarry NR near Banbury, Oxfordshire on 1st November. A humdrum of Great Egrets – the new collective noun, perhaps – saw double figures in the county, with five at Thrapston GP on 10th and ones, twos and threes across seven further localities. Given that our wintering population is quite mobile, it’s difficult to assess the true total.

Waders do not feature strongly at this time of the year, so three locally unseasonal Curlews coming in at dusk to roost on the pools at DIRFT 3 was unusual on 12th, while five Jack Snipes at Daventry CP on 9th appear to be the first for the autumn, as well as being a healthy site total.

We’re not quite there with the time window for ‘white-wingers’ yet, so the next tier down for the scarcer gulls was occupied this week by the itinerant third-winter Caspian Gull again at Hollowell on 9th and 11th, while a first-winter visited DIRFT 3 on 12th. The same site held up to three adult Yellow-legged Gulls on 11th-12th and further singles were seen at Thrapston on 7th and Pitsford Res on 11th.

Following last week’s discovery of two in the reedbed at Stortons GP, Bearded Tits had doubled their total to four there by 7th. Only two were seen on 8th and one was heard calling on 12th but two subsequently appeared at Stanford Res on 13th. Initially found in the small reedbed on the Leicestershire bank, they vacated the area after only a short period of time, and were watched heading east into Northamptonshire airspace …

Always popular, Stonechats were recorded from fewer sites during the period than of late. Boddington, The Brampton Valley, DIRFT 3, Pitsford, Stanford and Thrapston each held between one and four, while five at Hollowell on 9th was the highest total at any locality.

After a significant downturn in numbers a few weeks back, Crossbills bounced back, strengthening their presence this week with perhaps as many as forty in the car park larches at Wakerley Great Wood, smaller numbers at nearby Fineshade Wood, up to thirteen at Hollowell and ones or twos flying over Scaldwell, Stanford and Stanwick. Hopefully, they will stick around throughout the forthcoming winter.

The long-established south-westerly airstream was dispensed with mid-week by a high pressure system, bringing clearer skies and a swing to the south-east, which saw the autumn’s first frost on 4th – a date which produced some cracking fireworks of the birding kind …

Predictably, Hollowell Res hung on to its Pink-footed Goose flock, well, six of them at least and the female Ruddy Shelduck remained there until 4th. Two more Pink-footed Geese paid a brief visit to Summer Leys LNR, also on 4th.

Red-crested Pochards extended the number of visited localities from last week’s three to four, with Pitsford’s fifteen still present on 2nd, up to four at Summer Leys on 2nd-3rd, a drake at Hollowell on 4th and a female at Stortons GP on 5th, while a first-winter Greater Scaup was discovered off the dam at Pitsford on the same date.

But the fireworks kicked off a day early for one gobsmacked observer. Yes, Glossy Ibis steals the show once more, making the news for the second week running. Not five, this time – just one is all it takes and this particular one flew low over St. James, Northampton, before landing momentarily on a house roof, from which it quickly took flight after being attacked by two Carrion Crows. That was on 4th. Bizarre! Described as looking weak and sickly, it flew off low, appearing to be struggling to gain height. Look out for next week’s, then …

In what is now the new normal, up to eight Cattle Egrets remained at Stanwick throughout, while Great Egrets were seen at seven localities, with the highest count being just three, at Hollowell, on 4th.

With all the early autumn ones long gone, that peculiar sense of déjà vu must have crept into the minds of birders at Stanford Res when they notched up another Shag there on 3rd. Said to have been seen the day before, it had certainly gone by the day after.

With the only sighting last week of the wandering, red wing-tagged juvenile female Marsh Harrier being Summer Leys on 26th, she was back there and being seen daily from 31st to 3rd but by the following day, 4th, she had clearly developed itchy wings and left the confines of the Nene Valley, being seen hunting over fields near Preston Deanery before heading high south-east toward Salcey Forest. The last goodbye, perhaps.

Further in-flight entertainment this week came in the shape of a Hoopoe, with views snatched briefly near Christie’s Copse, in Pitsford’s Walgrave Bay, on 5th. The last in the county was at Ditchford GP on a more typical date in May 2019 but late autumn birds are not without precedent.

Another splash of seasonal colour was provided by a nine-strong flock of Bearded Tits, initially picked up flying over Summer Leys Main Lake on 4th. They crossed the road and pitched down in the corner of Earls Barton GP’s Reedbed Pit, before flying off high south-west. Birders elsewhere duly jumped on the beardie bandwagon and two were found the next day at Stortons GP, when another was heard calling from reeds near Pioneer Hide, back at Summer Leys.

The flames of autumn continued to burn, however, as a Firecrest was found at Byfield Pool on 31st and another was trapped and ringed at Stanford on 4th, only the seventh ever to be ringed by the group there.

And then there were Stonechats, with records from nine sites this week.

 

Following which were the seed-crunchers – two Hawfinches at a ‘private site’ near Tansor on 4th and an array of Crossbills, with thirteen flying west over Pitsford, also on 4th and two at Hollowell on the same date. Elsewhere, singles flew south-west over Hanging Houghton on 5th, west over Scaldwell on 6th and again at Hollowell on the same date. Autumn, it seems, is far from over.

Unseasonally high temperatures borne out of prolonged and blustery south-westerlies resulted in little change to the birdscape … unless, of course, you were a golfer.

Only time will surely tell but it’s looking like at least seven Pink-footed Geese have opted for Hollowell Res as a favoured wintering area this year and if the female Ruddy Shelduck follows last year’s tack she, too, looks set to remain there into the winter months. Another Pink-footed Goose was seen flying west with a sizeable flock of Greylags over Ecton SF on 30th. This week also saw the arrival of a number of Red-crested Pochards at three localities, with five visiting Summer Leys LNR on 27th, eight at Pitsford on 28th increasing to fifteen the following day and at least eleven still present on 30th. A drake was also at Stanwick GP on the last of these dates.

Over the years, the number of scarce and rare birds found on golf courses is legend – a prime example in more recent times appearing in the shape of an invitingly attractive Cream-coloured Courser – an apt name, if ever there was – at Herefordshire’s Kington GC, in May 2012, many local birders making the trip to see it. While Northants is unable to lay any comparable claims, what appears to have been a flock of five Glossy Ibises flying south-west over Kingsthorpe GC, last week, on the morning of 22nd, almost qualifies at a local level. Appearing at the height of a late autumn influx, which saw up to forty across southern Britain, including a flock of five in Hampshire on 20th, they would constitute the 6th county record, if accepted. Perhaps more of us should take up golf …

Back down to earth, up to six Cattle Egrets remained at Stanwick throughout, while Great Egrets maxed out with four at Hollowell on 26th and between one and two were seen at each of seven further localities. There was only one sighting of the wandering red wing-tagged juvenile female Marsh Harrier this week – again at Summer Leys on 26th.

In a the first waderless week for months and with only gulls to fall back on, Summer Leys also produced a Mediterranean Gull on 30th, the same date an adult Caspian Gull was found at Hollowell, the latter site also producing a Yellow-legged Gull on 26th and 30th, while another was also in the gull roost at Stanford Res on the first of these two dates.

Back over at Stanwick, a Jackdaw showing characteristics of the nominate race monedula – a white collar worker from Scandinavia, colloquially know as Nordic Jackdaw – appeared among around one thousand ‘regular’ Jackdaws on 30th. The last one reported locally was at Stanford on Avon in February.

Stanwick was also one of five sites to hold between one and three Stonechats, with a further site, Hollowell, claiming the week’s maximum of five on 28th.

 

With winds predominantly from the south and sporadic heavy showers, one bird stood head and shoulders above the crowd, however, its visit to the county was short-lived …

Last week’s newly arrived mini-flocks of eight and four Pink-footed Geese at both Hollowell Res and Thrapston GP, respectively, remained throughout the period, while the re-emergence of the female Ruddy Shelduck at Hollowell on 20th broke a three-week absence from the site. Once again, Thrapston produced more Common Scoters, a female and two drakes on Town Lake, briefly, on 19th.

Up to ten Cattle Egrets lingered at their favoured locality, Stanwick GP, throughout, while Great Egrets were found at nine sites, with a maximum of five at Summer Leys LNR on 18th.

Summer Leys also hung on to its red wing-tagged juvenile female Marsh Harrier until at least 22nd.

Waders were down to just single Black-tailed Godwits visiting Summer Leys on 17th and Hollowell Res the following day, the latter site also producing a third-winter  Caspian Gull on 23rd, while another, or the same, visited Daventry CP on 18th. One to two Yellow-legged Gulls were found at three sites which included Hollowell Res, Priors Hall and Willowbrook Industrial Estate (both Corby), while at least ten were present at Thrapston GP on 19th.

Back on dry land, this week’s token Merlin, a juvenile, was hunting farmland between Quinton and Preston Deanery on 22nd. However, the period’s biggest bombshell was the discovery of a first-winter Dartford Warbler in a private garden in Blakesley, where it remained for no longer than ten minutes, on 17th. This is only the fifth record for the county and the first for ten years (full details here).

And autumn wouldn’t be autumn without at least one Ring Ouzel but the one arriving this week was not at any of the traditional localities. Discovered eating Rowan berries in Brampton Ash on 22nd and remaining secretive, it was believed to have been present in the area for a few days prior to this date.

Stonechats maintained a high profile, being seen at seven localities, with no more than three birds at any one of these. And in what has turned out to be an extremely good autumn for Crossbills, four sites produced birds this week, with twelve seen flying south near Kirby Hall, Deene, on 18th, one at Weldon on 19th, fifteen in Bucknell Wood on 22nd and one flying west over Tiffield the following day.