Northants birds

Frozen conditions continued for the first two days of the period, with continuing cold northerlies and temperatures bottoming out at -5ºC early on 3rd. After this it was all change, the winds swung round to the westerly quarter and daytime temperatures rose to 9ºC, rapidly melting ice and remnant snow. By the week’s end, Storm Erik’s gale-force winds and rain put the dampeners on things across the Midlands but none of this, it seems, made any significant difference to the birds on offer.

Reported missing, presumed gone, the first-winter Whooper Swan at Thrapston GP evidently relocated to Town Lake, being seen there on 4th-5th, following five flying south over Stanford Res on 2nd. Thrapston’s goose flock, meanwhile, became fragmented and the White-fronted Goose was seen only on 2nd and 7th, while the three Pink-footed Geese were still present on 5th, with at least one remaining until 7th. Stanford’s two pinkfeet were also seen, on and off, until the same date.

Numbers of Red-crested Pochards appeared to fall to a maximum of just 6 at Pitsford Res on 2nd and they were not recorded elsewhere, while Pitsford’s drake Ring-necked Duck now seemingly settled around Pintail Bay, remained all week. On 5th, another drake was reported from Mary’s Lake at Earls Barton GP, although it hasn’t been seen since. Is there still one mobile about the Nene Valley, currently lurking at a locality unknown?

Back at Thrapston, a handsome drake Smew – outrageously scarce in the county this winter – put in a brief appearance on 3rd, but was gone by the following day, while the two juvenile Great Northern Divers remained at Pitsford all week.

The Bittern found on Thrapston’s Aldwincle Lake on 1st was still being watched along the reedy margin of the lake’s northern end on 2nd and 3rd, while the site, along with Pitsford Res, continued to hold the highest number of Great Egrets – up to four – throughout the week. Elsewhere, Earls Barton GP/Summer Leys LNR again hosted three, Stanford Res held two and singles were at Ditchford GP, Hollowell Res, Ravensthorpe Res, Thorpe Malsor Res and in flight over Blueberry Farm (Maidwell).

The juvenile Hen Harrier at Stanford Res remained for the duration but the Neville’s Lodge ‘ringtail’ proved anything but reliable in its appearances, being seen there only on 2nd and 3rd. A three Merlin week is unusual but that’s just what we got, with the one in the vicinity of Blueberry Farm being seen on four dates and further singles at Chipping Warden on 3rd and near Easton Maudit on 6th-7th.

A single Jack Snipe at Desborough AF on 4th just managed to keep waders on the radar this week Pitsford Res on 28th. Gull numbers continued to run at a low ebb, with Hollowell Res producing an adult Yellow-legged Gull and a second-winter Caspian Gull on 2nd, while the Boddington Res roost was visited briefly by an adult and a third-winter Caspian Gull on 4th and a second-winter Glaucous Gull appeared at Stanford Res on 5th.

Stanford Reservoir – 2w Glaucous Gull late pm (seen in Jan when thought to be a juv but consensus is it is a 2w). Also seen at Shawell and in the Draycote roost during Jan but first visit to Stanford since 16/01. 2 Pink-feet still and Great Egret. @PhoneSkopeUK @wildrainsbrook pic.twitter.com/xBYoVk90NP

— stanford birder (@c4hub) February 5, 2019

Two Short-eared Owls were seen around Neville’s Lodge during the late afternoons of 3rd, 4th and 6th and the Great Grey Shrike continued to perform throughout the week, close to Blueberry Farm, where at least two Corn Buntings remained in the seed crop at the same site.

Apart from rain on 29th and some short-lived, light to moderate snow on 1st, this week’s weather remained dry and mainly bright, with temperatures of -6ºC overnight on 30th/31st delivering the coldest night of the season, so far. Many bodies of water froze over, or at least became frozen in part, as a result. Winds varied between north-westerly and south-westerly, swinging easterly to north-easterly during the last two days of the period.

At the eastern end of the Nene Valley, Thrapston GP featured well this week. Along with the long-staying first-winter Whooper Swan came a generous gaggle of winter geese, with the Greylag flock holding a single White-fronted Goose and three Pink-footed Geese, during the last two days of the period.

Most of last week’s scarce wildfowl remained in place, with up to twenty-three Red-crested Pochards again present at Pitsford Res and two still at Ditchford GP on 31st. Pitsford’s drake Ring-necked Duck spent an increasing amount of time in Pintail Bay this week and a first-winter Scaup put in an appearance there on 26th, while the two juvenile Great Northern Divers remained on site at the until at least 29th.

Back to Thrapston, where a Bittern was found on Aldwincle Lake on 1st and late news emerged of a Cattle Egret roosting among the Little Egrets on Town Lake in early January. However, it appears to have been a one-night stand and hasn’t been seen since. Thrapston also found itself in competition with Pitsford, bidding to hold the highest number of Great Egrets during the week by increasing its standing total from five to six on 27th. Pitsford scored an equaliser with its own six, four days later, on 31st. Elsewhere, Earls Barton GP/Summer Leys LNR hosted three, Ditchford GP held two and singles were at Ravensthorpe Res and Stanford Res.

Hen Harriers were still in evidence, the Stanford Res juvenile was seen on 27th, while last week’s ‘ringtail’ at Neville’s Lodge, Finedon, was seen on 26th, 27th and 28th and a new bird – a ‘ringtail’ was found near Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 1st. Once again, the only other raptors of note occurring were the male Merlin seen again in the vicinity of Blueberry Farm on 30th and another near Ravensthorpe Res on 1st.

Like last week, notable waders were restricted to Jack Snipe duos at Barnes Meadow LNR (Northampton) on 26th and Pitsford Res on 28th. Gull numbers, too, were significantly down, with Pitsford producing single Yellow-legged Gulls – an adult on 26th and a third-winter on 27th, followed by a momentary upturn in quality in the shape of a juvenile Glaucous Gull, briefly, on 28th.

Up to three Short-eared Owls continued to be seen around Neville’s Lodge, near Finedon, throughout the week, while reports of Waxwings included six at Staverton on 26th and one at The Plens NR, in Desborough, briefly on 30th. Nailing one down locally this winter has, so far, been well nigh impossible.

It’s been a different story, though, with the highly obliging Great Grey Shrike, which continued to wow visitors throughout the week, close to Blueberry Farm, Maidwell, and up to four Corn Buntings were still present in the seed crop at the same site. Unfortunately, there was no further sign of last week’s Lapland Bunting but the week produced another Nordic Jackdaw – this time at Stanwick GP on 29th

Winter consolidated its hold on the county this week with a further light fall of snow on 22nd. Subsequent overnight temperatures of below zero and a daytime maximum of just 3º on 23rd ensured it was going nowhere fast, until almost the end of the period. This week it was all about a shrike and a bunting, with another tantalising Waxwing thrown in for good measure.

The first-winter Whooper Swan remained at Thrapston GP throughout the period and Stanwick GP’s single Pink-footed Goose materialised again on 20th, as did the Stanford Res duo on 23rd.

Ditchford GP produced two Red-crested Pochards on 19th-20th, while last week’s top count of twelve at Pitsford Res almost doubled to twenty-three on 24th. The drake Ring-necked Duck remained also at this site, wandering south and west to Pintail Bay on the latter date. The Summer Leys drake, last seen on 13th, was reported on the Grendon Lakes section of Earls Barton GP on 21st. The Summer Leys drake Tufted Duck x Pochard hybrid was present there the following day, while the first-winter or hybrid Scaup             remained at Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows LNR throughout.

Pitsford’s, the two juvenile Great Northern Divers were still present together on 24th and the same site continued to hold up to five Great Egrets, the same number being at Thrapston GP on 25th. Elsewhere, Ditchford GP hosted up to three and singles were at Earls Barton GP/Summer Leys LNR and Stanford Res – again, numbers were a tad down on previous weeks.

Hen Harriers were still on the week’s menu, the Stanford Res juvenile showing some degree of site faithfulness to the area south of the reservoir, between the dam and the Cold Ashby to Stanford on Avon road. After the relatively long-staying second-winter male at Stanwick set its sight on horizons new and visited Neville’s Lodge, Finedon, last week, it went unreported during the period but was bizarrely replaced by a ‘ringtail’ at the latter locality on 20th and 22nd. Once again, the only other raptor of note occurring was a male Merlin seen on three consecutive days, 22nd-24th, at the site formerly known as Blueberry Farm, Maidwell. Much more on this location a little later.

Notable waders are understandably few and far between in mid-January and a single Jack Snipe at Ditchford GP on 22nd was all the week could muster. More surprisingly, however, gulls were in short supply and after the previous ‘white-winged week’, gull action was limited to single adult Yellow-legged Gulls in the roost at Boddington Res on 19th, at Pitsford Res on 23rd and Hollowell Res on 25th, while adult Caspian Gulls were seen at Rushton Landfill on 19th, at Chacombe the following day and two were at Hollowell Res on 25th.

Up to two Short-eared Owls were still present and on view in the grasslands of Neville’s Lodge near Finedon throughout on 20th-21st and two were found at Harrington AF on 22nd, while the appearance of a single Waxwing at East Hunsbury, Northampton on 25th was very short-lived, this bird flying off and eluding those who went to look for it within minutes of its discovery.

Far more obliging however, was, for many, this week’s star bird, appearing in the form of a crisp and frosty Great Grey Shrike. Discovered on 22nd at the site formerly known as Blueberry Farm, Maidwell, it performed admirably for all comers, working its way along a favoured hedgerow, occasionally approaching its admirers closely enough to be photographed.

This species has become much rarer as a winter visitor across the UK over the past thirty years. In its heyday in the 1970s, Northamptonshire records reached double figures annually, peaking at a whopping 20 in 1974. Nowadays it is possible to experience a five-year run with no local records. The flagging up of this

understandably popular bird on the internet has led to the uncovering of a hitherto unpublicised and well-photographed individual at Scaldwell last month, in mid-December 2018. Excellent images here depict a light-lored, pale-billed pulse-raiser – a Steppe Grey Shrike at first glance but diving into the detail reveals lightly-barred underparts which do not feature in any plumage or at any age in the life cycle of the latter (sub)species. So it’s an extreme example of a first-winter female Great Grey and clearly not the same individual as our bridleway beauty currently residing below Hanging Houghton and still present at the week’s end.

As if one stunner in this area isn’t enough but parachute a concentration of birders into one small area and other goodies start popping out of the woodwork. In this instance Lapland Bunting – a far rarer bird locally although, for some, perhaps not exerting the same magnetic pull as the charismatic shrike, the presence of which ultimately led to its fortuitous discovery. Found on day 2 of the shrike’s stay, it remained throughout the period within a Skylark flock feeding in millet and stubble. To date, it has been seen and heard only in flight.

This will constitute the 12th county record. The 11th was at Stanford Res in December 2014 and before that we need to go back to September 2000, when one was at Borough Hill. The first for the county was discovered by the same finder as this week’s bird, at Harrington AF in October 1987 and, despite ten subsequent records to date, none has been twitchable. For those who haven’t seen one in the county, then, this bird represents the best chance to catch up with a local ‘lappo’ for thirty-one years. Pinning it down, however, is another matter entirely. Of course, the two or three Corn Buntings also discovered on site look like taking a back seat – at least for the time being …

Following the swing to northerly winds at the end of last week, the weather for a time reverted to being relatively mild, on the back of a more westerly airstream from the North Atlantic. However, northerlies were back by 17th and the county experienced its first taste of snow this winter, albeit a light dusting. Along with this came another winter first in the shape of three Waxwings, while the first Glaucous Gulls of the season also dropped in.

In the absence of any other wild swans, the first-winter Whooper Swan continued to enjoy the environs of Thrapston GP’s Elinor Trout Lake throughout the period and Stanwick GP’s erratically occurring Pink-footed Goose also remained, being seen on 14th and 17th. New in, though, were two more Pinkfeet found on the dam at Stanford Res on 13th, where they were mysteriously replaced by two White-fronted Geese the following day, the latter still present on 16th.

Pitsford Res was the only locality to hold Red-crested Pochards this week with the maximum count of twelve there on 13th, while the drake Ring-necked Duck remained until at least 16th. This appeared not to be the case with the Summer Leys drake, which was last reported on 13th.

Staying with the Nene Valley gravel pit chain, at Ditchford GP, the first-winter or hybrid Scaup remained at Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows all week and a drake Smew paid a fleeting visit to Stanwick’s A45 Lay-by Pit on 12th, although it was not seen subsequently.

Back at Pitsford, the two juvenile Great Northern Divers were still present together on 16th, one being seen there the following day and the same site continued to hold at least four Great Egrets, while Thrapston GP also held at least four. Elsewhere, Stanwick GP hosted up to two and singles were at Earls Barton GP/Summer Leys LNR and Stanford Res – a relatively poor showing in comparison to previous weeks.

Stanwick’s second-winter male Hen Harrier became more adventurous, ranging 5 km to the west to visit Neville’s Lodge, Finedon, where its appearance surprised and delighted local birders looking for Short-eared Owls, late in the afternoon on 12th. It was back there for an encore at the same time the following day, performing well for a small gathering of expectant and elated observers. The juvenile at Stanford Res was also still in the game, appearing there again on 16th and 17th. As with last week, the only other raptor occurring was a female or immature Merlin near Badby on 16th.

At least two species of wader – double last week’s tally – were found this week, with a Ruff at Summer Leys LNR on 12th and five Jack Snipe at Barnes Meadow LNR (Northampton) on 15th.

On to some gull action, then, with a second-winter Yellow-legged Gull at Daventry CP and an adult and first-winter at Pitsford Res – all on 16th. A second-winter Caspian Gull was still at Hollowell Res on 15th but it was Stanford Res which came up trumps with a juvenile Glaucous Gull on 12th and 16th and a second-winter Glaucous on 17th – the same date on which a second-winter Iceland Gull decided to pay a visit to the reservoir. These particular individuals have been present at nearby Shawell Landfill in Leicestershire, only 7 km to the west as the gull flies, since early this month. They usually roost on Draycote Water, not too far away in Warwickshire, so the boys at ‘Stanny’ have been lucky this week!

Stanford Reservoir – 2 White-fronted Geese, Glaucous Gull (bird from Saturday), Hen Harrier, Great White Egret and Shelduck in a very short visit. All great patch birds with more to come hopefully. @PhoneSkopeUK video @bonxie pic.twitter.com/rY3pSCpiXu

— stanford birder (@c4hub) January 16, 2019

Up to two Short-eared Owls were present in the grasslands of Neville’s Lodge near Finedon throughout the period – no doubt overshadowed by a certain harrier during the first two days of it. The first Waxwings of the winter were found in Kettering on 16th but their stay was short-lived and they eluded all who went looking the following morning. Still, there’s plenty of time left before they all head back north … Finally, a good candidate for a Siberian Chiffchaff was discovered – but not clinched – at Stanwick GP in the last hours of daylight on the last day of the period. Up to twelve Chiffchaffs were counted at the favoured site for this (sub)species, along the outflow into the River Nene from Ecton SF, on 18th, with apparently no ‘sibes’ in tow.

Sandwiched between a North Atlantic high and a low over north-east Europe, the country was the recipient of northerly winds from just inside the Arctic Circle for much of the week. Despite this, temperatures did not drop below the expected average for the time of year and the weather remained largely dry. Apart from the discovery of a new Ring-necked Duck, the week saw little change in what was on offer across the county.

Following our best autumn and early winter period for Whooper Swans, the sole survivor, making it through to 2019, was the first-winter at Thrapston GP, which remained throughout the week. Ravensthorpe Res continued to host the distinctive drake Wigeon x Gadwall hybrid, while over at Pitsford Res, Red-crested Pochard numbers remained stable at fourteen until at least 9th but the only others reported were two females at Ringstead GP on 5th.

On 8th, however, Pitsford’s drake Ring-necked Duck found itself vying for attention with a newcomer in the shape on another adult drake found on the main lake at Summer Leys. Immediately after its discovery, this second individual promptly went into hiding but it reappeared, all brute and charisma, to pose for photos on 11th.

Two Ring-necked Ducks in the county at the same time is a first and it appears these are part of a national influx involving the presence of birds at approximately twenty sites across Britain and Ireland. Also at Summer Leys was a rather striking drake Tufted Duck x Pochard hybrid, adding a sprinkling of spice to the duck mix on 10th-11th, while further down the valley, at Ditchford GP, the first-winter or hybrid Scaup remained at Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows.

At Pitsford, the two young Great Northern Divers were seen on and off throughout the period, usually in the area east of Pintail Bay. The same site continued to host up to five Great Egrets, while Thrapston GP again held at least four, Stanford Res and Summer Leys produced up to two each and singles were found at Ditchford GP/Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows, Earls Barton GP, Ravensthorpe Res and Stanwick GP.

The popularity of Stanwick’s second-winter male Hen Harrier showed no sign of waning as it continued to put in daily appearances. Conversely, the juvenile at Stanford Res has become far more erratic in its visits to the site, being seen only on 6th. The only other raptor occurring this week was a female Merlin between Oundle and Warmington on 9th.

Waders were limited to a solitary Jack Snipe at Hollowell Res on 11th, while an adult Yellow-legged Gull also remained at this site throughout week. Further Yellow-legged Gulls included an adult at Chacombe on 6th and a first-winter in the roost at Boddington Res on the same date. Hollowell Res also held an adult Caspian Gull all week, joined there by a second-winter on 6th, 10th and 11th, while an adult appeared in the Boddington roost on 6th and a second-winter was at Rushton Landfill on 11th.

The grasslands of Neville’s Lodge near Finedon continued to attract Short-eared Owls with two or three there on 9th and at least one on 11th, while two Crossbills were seen at Yardley Chase on 10th.

The two weeks immediately following the winter solstice proved largely mild and dry, cooling down only after the winds swung northerly during the last two days of the period. A fair proportion of the birds present in the run up to Christmas made it into the New Year, the first ‘white-winged’ gull of the winter appeared and a locally sought-after species, usually considered a scarce migrant, ensured the first day of 2019 kicked off with a bit of class.

Bucking the trend of the long-stayers, the adult Bewick’s Swan, which had appeared settled at Pitsford Res after it first arrived on 5th December, did a bunk after the first day of the period, while reports of the similarly ensconced Whooper Swans at the same locality dried up beyond 29th. A first-winter Whooper paid a brief visit to a small lake near Purston, south of Farthinghoe NR, before flying off on the latter date, while the bird of the same age remained at Thrapston GP throughout. The only geese appearing during the period were a Barnacle Goose at Stanwick GP between 1st and 4th and a Pink-footed Goose there again on the latter date. Back at Pitsford, Red-crested Pochard numbers topped fourteen between 31st and 2nd, four were at Stanford Res on 27th with one remaining into the New Year, the drake was still at Hollowell Res on 22nd, two visited Thrapston GP on 30th,one was at Stanwick GP on 28th and another, or the same, at nearby Ringstead GP on 4th. Remaining faithful to Pitsford’s north side, the drake Ring-necked Duck continued its stay at the reservoir throughout the period and a female Scaup was also found there on 26th.

Elsewhere, the first-winter or hybrid Scaup was still at Ditchford GP on 2nd and the first-winter remained at Thrapston GP until at least 22nd. At Pitsford, the elusive drake Smew was seen again on 22nd and 26th, while the two young Great Northern Divers remained until at least 2nd with at least one until 4th.

Up to five Great Egrets continued to be seen at Pitsford, while Thrapston GP hosted four – possibly five – Stanford Res and Summer Leys held three a piece and singles were found at Ditchford GP/Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows, Earls Barton GP, Fawsley Park Lake, Foxholes Fisheries (Crick) and Hollowell Res.

Stanwick’s second-winter male Hen Harrier disappeared over the Christmas period but was back on 1st, visiting nearby Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows the following day before returning to Stanwick on 3rd-4th. The juvenile last seen at Stanford Res on 16th was back on 28th, remaining until at least 1st.

Bit of @StanwickLakes Hen Harrier footage from just now (13:30) Mega pleased to finally catch up with this bird ! #Northantsbirds pic.twitter.com/rwolT2E3HB

— Tom Green (@Green_Tom_) January 3, 2019

On the somewhat narrow wader front, Stanwick produced two Black-tailed Godwits on 28th, while Hollowell Res hung on to its Jack Snipe on 1st and one was found by the River Nene at Burton Latimer Pocket Park on 30th.

Winter is traditionally gulling time and the period gave rise to an adult Mediterranean Gull at Daventry CP on 27th and 31st, the wintering adult Yellow-legged Gull was remained at Pitsford throughout with further adults at Hollowell Res on 22nd and 1st and Daventry CP on 27th and a second-winter was found at the latter site on 31st. There were more Caspian Gulls than the previous species, with a second-winter at Hollowell Res on 22nd and a first-winter and fourth-winter at Daventry CP on 31st but Rushton Landfill produced the most, with a third-winter on 24th, a first-winter and a second-winter on 28th and a first-winter again on 4th. Rushton was also the site which produced the first ‘white-winger’ of the winter, a juvenile Iceland Gull on 28th. However, with the closure of many local landfills (remember Sidegate Lane, Weldon and Welford?) Glaucous and Iceland Gulls are destined to become more difficult to catch up with in the future.

In what many birders no doubt would regard as a more hospitable environment, the grasslands of Neville’s Lodge near Finedon produced a Short-eared Owl on Christmas Day, followed by two there on 4th. One was also seen at Stanford Res on 27th. Bird of the week, however, must surely be the Woodlark found on a BTO survey of farmland near Woodford on New Year’s Day. This species is by no means annual in the county and there has not been a twitchable one for many years. Also potentially rare but all too readily dismissed as ‘just a sub’, is Nordic Jackdaw, one of which put in a brief appearance at Daventry CP on 3rd. After a surge of interest back in the early 2000s, when they became all the rage, records of this eastern European form, monedula, seem, perplexingly, to elicit little attention these days. Ah well, c’est la vie …