Northants birds

A largely dry week, in which temperatures oscillated between the mild and the distinctly chilly, saw little change in the birding montage as the first month of the year continued to slip by.

A different set of Pink-footed Geese this week comprised one with the goose flock at Sywell CP on 20th and nine north over Burn Coppice, Deenethorpe the following day, while the three European White-fronted Geese remained at Pitsford Res until at least 17th. The only Pintails this week were found at Stanwick GP, where two resided between 17th and 19th, the two female Red-crested Pochards were still at Stanford Res until at least 17th with this date also seeing a female at Ditchford GP, followed by up to four still at Ringstead GP between 20th and 22nd. The female Ring-necked Duck at Billing GP was at home to all comers on the weekend of 17th-18th, fuelling speculation it had been there all the time and suggesting that the brief Stanwick drop-in on 11th may have been a different individual; after all, the Billing bird had no reason to take a day return trip to Stanwick, unlike its previous foray to neighbouring Clifford Hill GP, when the lake became frozen and open water was in short supply. The long-staying first-winter drake Scaup remained at Hollowell Res until at least 20th, hill-hopping to adjacent Ravensthorpe Res on 17th and 23rd, where the four Smew – including two fine drakes – were still present on 18th. There were few Smew elsewhere, with Stanwick GP hosting a couple on 17th-18th, rising to four (two drakes) on 21st, while single ‘redheads’ continued to be seen at Pitsford Res and Stortons GP on 18th.

This week appears to be the first for a long time that no Great White Egrets were reported from Pitsford Res, although two seemed settled at Summer Leys/Earls Barton GP throughout, two – possibly the same – were at Ditchford GP on 17th and one was seen again at Thorpe Malsor Res the following day. A Bittern was again reported from Sywell CP on 20th and another showed itself at the regular wintering site of Stortons GP on 23rd, while the Slavonian Grebe remained at Pitsford Res until at least 17th.

Three Merlins in seven days is pretty good for Northants and this week’s crop comprised singles at Blatherwycke Lake and Fawsley on 17th followed by one at Weston on 18th, while Peregrines were seen at Barnes Meadow, Brixworth, Greens Norton, Higham Ferrers, Raunds and Rushden.

Golden Plovers remained low in numbers and reports came from Stanwick GP, Stanford Res, Weston and Harrington Airfield with a maximum of four hundred at the latter site on 18th. In contrast to last week, the only Jack Snipe, however, was a duo at Hollowell Res on 23and the only Common Snipe reported were two at Stanford Res on 17th and four at Stortons GP on 23rd. Ten Redshanks remained at Stanwick GP, five at Ditchford GP and two at Summer Leys.

Given that Mediterranean Gull is now a relatively common species in southern Britain it’s surprising it is still rather uncommon in winter in Northants. Just one was seen this week – a first-winter on the ice north of the causeway at Pitsford Res on 20th.

Caspian Gull, on the other hand, is seen regularly in very small numbers throughout the winter and this week single adults were at Stanford Res on 17th and at Stanwick GP on 17th and 19th. Stanwick also played host to single adult Yellow-legged Gulls on 17th and 21st and another adult was in the gull roost at Pitsford Res on 22nd.

Like last week, just one Short-eared Owl was seen between Lamport and Short Wood on 17th but ‘just one’ was enough for observers of the Great Grey Shrike at Burn Coppice, Deenethorpe, which was seen daily between 19th and 23rd, completing a third week in residence at this highly accessible roadside locality. Reports of Chiffchaffs comprised one at Pitsford Res on 17th and two at Ravensthorpe and three at Ecton SF on 23rd, while Central European Blackcaps occurred in two gardens in East Hunsbury, Northampton throughout the week.

Stonechats were seen in twos at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and at Hollowell Res on 23rd but another duo which would have proved much more popular – had they remained – were two Hawfinches, back in a locality where they have occurred before, at Blatherwycke churchyard on 21st. Despite eliciting a ‘mini twitch’ they were nowhere to be seen the following day.

A series of fast-moving Atlantic lows whipped up bouts of strong wind and rain throughout the week, resulting in ‘Cuckoo-clock’ trips into the field for many a weekday birder. Established winter visitors largely stayed put and surprise finds were in short supply …

On 10th the four Pink-footed Geese were still with Greylags at Blatherwycke, a first-winter was found at Ditchford GP and the Leicestershire trio, close to Stanford Hall, strayed momentarily into Northants, while the three European White-fronted Geese remained at Pitsford Res until at least 14th. The week’s brace of Pintail were three also there on 13th and two at Stanwick GP and five at Daventry CP on 16th. The two female Red-crested Pochards remained faithful to Stanford Res until at least 11th, as did the drake at Hardingstone GP until 14th, the same date on which five visited Ringstead GP. At Hollowell Res the first-winter drake Scaup remained all week, and the female Ring-necked Duck at Billing GP stayed until 10th before moving fleetingly down the Nene to Stanwick GP on 11th. It has not been seen since. Three sites produced this week’s Smew with the highest numbers being four (two drakes) at Ravensthorpe Res and the same at Stanwick GP and up to two at Pitsford Res.

Surprise of the week was a Red-throated Diver reported from Canons Ashby Lake on 13th before flying off. You will have to look back to 2008 for the last one, which was at Pitsford Res from 28th January to 9th February. Northants appears to be the UK county capital for the most wintering Great White Egrets at present with up to three at Summer Leys, two at Ditchford GP, two at Stanwick GP (likely to be the Ditchford birds) and at least one still at Pitsford Res. Less obvious was the week’s only Bittern, found at Ditchford GP on 10th, while the Slavonian Grebe remained at Pitsford Res until at least 14th.

There were no rare raptors to tickle and tantalise this week but a ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier at Callendar Farm near Naseby was later reported for 9th. The only others were a Merlin near Towcester on 13th and Peregrines at Ditchford GP on 10th and 15th, Lowick on 11th and Higham Ferrers and Pitsford Res on 14th.

Golden Plovers have been thin on the ground so far this winter and there was no improvement in numbers wintering this week with a maximum of just one hundred and twenty at Harrington AF on 16th. Not so for Jack Snipe, however with a single site record of a fabulous fourteen at Barnes Meadow, Northampton on 13th, while just one was at Pitsford Res the following day. Pitsford also produced the highest number Common Snipe – a very respectable one hundred on the same date. Other waders included up to ten Redshanks at Stanwick GP and a Green Sandpiper at Ravensthorpe Res on 11th with two at Pitsford Res on 14th.

Things took a turn for the better on the larid front this week with a juvenile Glaucous Gull appearing in the Stanwick GP pre-roost on 16th, along with an adult Caspian Gull; another adult Caspian was at Stanford Res on 10th, while two Yellow-legged Gulls visited Hollowell Res and Stanford Res roost on 11th and singles were at Pitsford Res on 14th, Ditchford GP and Hollowell again on 15th. Mediterranean Gulls  featured as first-winters at Ditchford GP on 10th and Stanford Res on 11th and an adult in the roost at Boddington Res on 14th.

Short-eared Owls remained scarce with just one seen at Harrington AF on 11th and 13th, while up to three Ring-necked Parakeets were still very much in evidence in Abington Park, Northampton throughout the week and still proving popular was the Great Grey Shrike at Burn Coppice, Deenethorpe until at least 14th.

Worth a mention is Daventry CP’s first-ever Cetti’s Warbler on 12th but there were only two reports of Chiffchaffs, with ten counted at Ditchford GP on 10th and one at Stanwick GP on 14th.  Similarly, Central European Blackcaps went under-recorded with one in a Byfield garden on 11th and two in East Hunsbury, Northampton the following day.

Up to two Stonechats continued to be seen throughout the week at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell, Ditchford GP, Hollowell Res, Pitsford Res and Thrapston GP.

The first week of 2015 was dominated by a strong westerly airflow, keeping temperatures above average and bringing intermittent rain throughout the period. With the fading festivities of the preceding week almost a distant memory, the birding bonanza was curtailed as would-be birders donned their workwear and once more returned to mundanity. The left-overs remained at the usual sites and very little new was unearthed anywhere south of Blatherwycke …

It was there that four Pink-footed Geese were discovered consorting with the local Greylag flock on 4th and they remained throughout the week; one was also found at Ravensthorpe Res on 9th. Still present on 8th, the three European White-fronted Geese seemed settled at Pitsford Res, while a Pintail was also found there on 5th. At Hollowell Res the first-winter drake Scaup remained all week, as did the female Ring-necked Duck at Billing GP, where it became more difficult to observe after access to the car-park viewing point was no longer allowed following on-site car damage. This week’s Smew were the regular two favourites at Ravensthorpe Res from 3rd to 7th, up to two at Pitsford Res between 3rd and 5th and the ‘redhead’ at Stortons GP on 4th.

Great White Egrets loomed large as ever with up to 3 still at Pitsford Res and one was at Summer Leys LNR from 4th to 7th and two there on 9th, singles at Clifford Hill GP and Thorpe Malsor Res on 4th, Daventry CP and Silverstone on 5th and Ditchford GP on 7th, while the Slavonian Grebe remained at Pitsford Res on 8th.

Belated news was received of a Rough-legged Buzzard hunting along the approach road to Crockwell Farm near Eydon on 2nd but subsequent searches of the area failed to relocate it. The only other raptors were Peregrines at Clifford Hill GP on 5th and Ditchford GP on 7th, while a female Merlin was seen near Deenethorpe on 6th.

In a meagre week for waders, several Golden Plovers were at Thorpe Mandeville on 3rd,  a Green Sandpiper was still at Ravensthorpe Res on 7th with a Redshank at Pitsford Res on the same date, two Jack Snipe and several Common Snipe were also at Pitsford Res on 6th and five of the latter species were at Trafford Bridge on 3rd. An adult Yellow-legged Gull at Hollowell Res on 9th was about it on the larid front …

Up to three Ring-necked Parakeets held out in Abington Park, Northampton between

4th and 9th, while last week’s Great Grey Shrike at Burn Coppice, Deenethorpe continued to attract a steady procession of admirers daily until 8th.

Chiffchaffs just one at Ditchford GP on 4th and three (two trapped) the next day at Brixworth, while up to two Stonechats were at Ditchford GP on 4th, Pitsford Res

between 5th and 7th and Hollowell Res on 9th, four were at Thrapston GP until at least 6th and one was also at Burn Coppice on 9th.

It’s the holiday season and the week which straddled two years saw a remarkable up tempo as many birders, freed temporarily from the shackles of gainful employment, headed toward their local patches – and beyond – for some prime mid-winter birding. The rush into the field paid off, coinciding with temperatures falling low enough to freeze many local bodies of water, albeit for the short term, and more birds appeared to have moved in from the continent or other parts of the UK.

Falling squarely into this category was the herd of six adult Bewick’s Swans which arrived at Stanwick GP on 28th and were part of a national movement satellite-tracked across the North Sea from The Netherlands. They did not stay long and they were watched heading off east again late in the afternoon.

The three European White-fronted Geese remained with the goose flock at Pitsford Res all week, while a first-winter Dark-bellied Brent Goose constituted another new arrival at Clifford Hill GP on the last day of 2014, remaining there until at least 2nd.

The two long-staying Ruddy Shelducks at Pitsford Res were also still present at the year’s end and, after a significant period of absence from these reports, Pintail made a return with two at Clifford Hill GP on 30th, a female at Earls Barton GP on 31st and one at Stanford Res the following day. The two female Red-crested Pochards remained at Stanford Res all week and two drakes were at Hardingstone GP between 29th and 31st,

while the first-winter drake Scaup was still being seen at Hollowell Res on 30th. Heavy overnight frosts and generally freezing conditions mid-week resulted in many Nene Valley gravel pits becoming largely frozen and no doubt gave rise to the significant movement of wildfowl between different bodies of water. Associated with this was the arrival of numbers of Tufted Ducks with around four hundred at Clifford Hill GP on 30th and, with them, the female Ring-necked Duck from nearby Billing GP. It remained there until disturbed by shooters the following day before returning to Billing GP, where it was present until the week’s end.

Another arrival associated with the colder weather was a female Common Scoter at Earls Barton GP on the largely underwatched Grendon Lakes water-ski pit.

There were also more Smew this week with up to seven – including three drakes – at Pitsford Res, the ‘redhead’ at Stortons GP until at least 30th, a pair at Sywell CP on 30th, a ‘redhead’ at Clifford Hill GP on 31st and the drake still at Ravensthorpe Res on 2nd.

The 30th produced two Bitterns – one at Sywell CP and the other at Stortons GP, the latter being seen there again the following day, while it also proved to be a good week for Great White Egrets, with at least one daily at Pitsford Res, singles at Ditchford GP on 27th and 30th, Summer Leys LNR and Thrapston on 31st, Weston Mill on 1st, while two were at Thorpe Malsor Res on 31st and three visited Summer Leys LNR on 2nd.

Winter is traditionally ‘rare grebe season’ and, right on cue, a Slavonian Grebe was found at Pitsford Res on 1st, while a Black-necked Grebe appeared at Clifford Hill GP on 30th – both birds remaining until 2nd.

Raptors any larger than a Peregrine were non-existent this week and records of the latter consisted of singles at Blatherwycke Lake, Clifford Hill GP, Ditchford GP, Harrington AF, Higham Ferrers and near Pitsford Res, while a male Merlin visited Stanford Res on 29th.

Golden Plovers were reported only from Harrington AF, Stanford Res and Stanwick GP with a maximum of approximately four hundred at the latter site on 1st and the only Dunlin was one at the same site on 28th and 1st. Wintering Green Sandpipers were also thin on the ground with singles at Stanford Res on 1st and Ravensthorpe Res the following day, while Redshanks included singles at Stanwick GP on 28th, Clifford Hill GP on 30th and at Pitsford Res on 31st with two at the latter site on 2nd and six at Stanwick GP on 1st. Numbers of Common Snipe remained in single figures with six at Stanwick GP and two at Stanford Res on 28th, one at Clifford Hill GP on 30th, two at Moulton Quarry and one at Summer Leys LNR on 31st, three at Clifford Hil GP again on 1st and two at Ecton SF on 2nd. The dearth of rare gulls continued with just an adult Mediterranean Gull in the roost at Pitsford Res on 31st, an adult Caspian Gull at Stanford Res on 30th and an adult Yellow-legged Gull there on 1st.

Compared with a couple of winters ago, Short-eared Owls are again in short supply – the only records being singles at Harrington AF on 27th and at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 29th and 1st. Local Ring-necked Parakeets continued to entertain in Abington Park, Northampton on 28th and 31st and one flew over Balfour Road, Northampton on 30th. Rare passerines rose to prominence this week, starting with a Great Grey Shrike found on 2nd at Burn Coppice, Deenethorpe (where it continued to show well by the roadside until 4th).  Single Chiffchaffs were at Stanford Res on 30th and 1st and at both Stanwick GP and Clifford Hill GP on the latter date and five were counted at Ecton SF the following day, while up to two Central European Blackcaps were in an East Hunsbury, Northampton garden all week and a female visited a Wellingborough garden on 27th. Two Stonechats remained at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell between 27th and 30th with two at Sywell CP and two at Ditchford GP – both on the latter date – and one was at Pitsford Res on 1st. Ditchford GP also turned up trumps with a Twite on 30th. This species is now a significant rarity in Northants and this is the first one since this individual at Pitsford Res in October 2011. Less rare, although a nice bird nonetheless, was a Mealy Redpoll at Fermyn Woods CP on 30th but potentially topping this was a male Lapland Bunting

reportedly seen well at Stanford Res on 28th. It was not seen again, despite searches and if accepted it would be about 8th record for the county. Lastly, although not a rare, this Kingfisher coughing up a pellet takes some beating!

A huge thanks to all contributors – news, records and images. Here’s to a fantastic, bird-filled 2015!

The past week’s weather was largely uneventful, the winds veering between north-westerly and south-westerly, bringing little rain with varying temperatures hovering around the average. With just about all winter visitors now in, expectations for new arrivals in late December are normally low …

The three European White-fronted Geese, which were originally found at Pitsford Res on 12th, relocated at Sywell CP on 16th – where they stayed until at least 21st – were back with the goose flock at Pitsford on 23rd, while the same flock continued to hold the two

long-staying Ruddy Shelducks on the same date. Two female Red-crested Pochards were still at Stanford Res on 26th and remain the only ones seen in the county during the period and the first-winter drake Scaup was still being seen at Hollowell Res until 24th. The only truly new bird of the week was a female Ring-necked Duck discovered at Billing GP on 24th and still present on 26th. Its appearance was significantly different to that of last month’s individual at Wicksteed Park Lake and so – moult notwithstanding – this one makes it into the record books as the county’s sixth.

 

This week’s Smew comprised single drakes at Ravensthorpe Res on 20th and Pitsford Res on 26th with three ‘redheads’ at Pitsford Res 20th and one on 26th.

Vying for top site total for Great White Egrets, Ditchford GP produced two on 24th, equalling this week’s ‘count’ at Pitsford Res on 20th but beating just the one at Summer Leys LNR all week. The only raptors of note were a male Merlin at in Brampton Valley on 23rd and single Peregrines at Pitsford Res and Harrington AF – both on 20th.

Golden Plovers have climbed with site maxima reaching approximately seven hundred and fifty at Stanwick GP and approximately two hundred at Harrington AF – both on 20thh, while the only report of Common Snipe was the bare minimum of one at Ravensthorpe Res on the same date and a Jack Snipe was at Ditchford GP on 21st. Other waders were two Redshanks at Stanwick GP – also on 20th – with eight there the following day and one at Clifford Hill GP on 24th and two Green Sandpipers were at Ravensthorpe Res on 20th. The 24th produced the only rare gulls of the period with an adult Mediterranean Gull at Stanford Res and two Caspian Gulls – an adult and a second-winter – at Stanwick GP.

A Ring-necked Parakeet was again in Abington Park, Northampton on 26th and belated news came through of a Firecrest in a Cogenhoe garden on 16th. Three Chiffchaffs – singles at Stanwick GP and Ditchford GP on 21st and at Stanford Res on 24th – surely do not truly reflect the size of the wintering population. Similarly, two male Central European Blackcaps – one a Duston, Northampton garden on 20th and the other in a Kingsthorpe, Northampton the following day are also not representative. Two Stonechats remained at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 20th, two were at Summer Leys LNR the following day and singles were at opposite ends of Ditchford GP on 23rd and 24th.

With a dominating westerly airstream, ‘rollercoaster’ was the buzzword for the week’s weather, which started cold, became mild and ended with temperatures again depressed – some areas experiencing a 13°C shift in temperature within the space of 24 hours. A few more winter visitors arrived …

Last week’s three European White-fronted Geese, which were seen only briefly at Pitsford Res on 12th, managed to evade would-be observers at the weekend and made it out under the radar to Sywell CP, where they were relocated on 16th. These three, still present at the week’s end, constitute the only record of this species in the county so far this year.

Another Pink-footed Goose was found with Greylags in the north of the county – this time at Blatherwycke Lake on 17th, while the two Ruddy Shelducks were still at Pitsford Res on 14th. Last week’s drake Red-crested Pochard was again at Stortons GP on 13th, also visiting nearby Hardingstone GP on 15th-17th and the two females remained at Stanford Res until at least 14th, while the first-winter drake Scaup remained at Hollowell Res all week. The Stortons GP ‘redhead’ Smew was still present on 13th, with up to three ‘redheads’ at Pitsford Res all week and the first classic ‘white nun’ of the winter was found at Ravensthorpe Res on 19th.

Highly mobile and frequently distant, a Great Northern Diver discovered at Pitsford Res on 13th, and subsequently present until at least 16th, was not entirely unexpected and, if past form is anything to go by, it seems likely to remain throughout the winter. Up to three Great White Egrets continued to be seen intermittently at Pitsford Res, while the Summer Leys LNR individual was still present there on 18th.

Unseasonal for Northants, a Marsh Harrier flew over the A45 close to Clifford Hill GP on 16th but apart from this the only other raptors of note were a male Merlin at Harrington AF on 13th-14th and single Peregrines at Stanford Res and Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 13th, Blatherwycke Lake and Higham Ferrers on 17th and two near Hardingstone GP on the same date.

Numbers of Golden Plovers were low this week, with up to one hundred and fifty at Harrington AF between 14th and 16th, while counts of Common Snipe were also low, with one at Stanford Res on 13th and eleven at Pitsford Res and three at Sywell CP on 16th. Single Redshanks appeared at Pitsford Res on 13th and at Wicksteed Park Lake, Kettering the following day, while the week’s only Green Sandpipers were one at Ecton SF on 13th and two at Ravensthorpe Res on 19th. An adult Caspian Gull visited Stanford Res on 13th and the regular two adult Yellow-legged Gulls remained at Hollowell Res all week but, apart from these, there were no other noteworthy gulls. The first ‘white-winger’ of the winter is surely due any day now …

Central European Blackcaps rose to prominence – at least compared to last week – with a female in a Wellingborough garden on 13th, a male in a Northampton garden on 14th and a female there on 17th and a male and two females intermittently in a Sywell garden throughout the period.

Other wintering passerines of note were two Chiffchaffs at Ecton SF on 13th with two at Stanford Res the following day and up to six Stonechats at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell until at least 15th, two at Hollowell Res on the same date and one at Thrapston GP the following day.

A mixed bag of weather, including overnight frosts and rain, culminated in a rush of strong north-westerlies which made little difference to this week’s birding mosaic. Renewed interest in C-listers at both ends of the systematic list appeared to be the order of the day.

They have been dropped from recent reports – they breed and their numbers are increasing – but it’s still worth mentioning that Egyptian Goose produced an all-time high count of seventeen at Ditchford GP on 12th, while four Pink-footed Geese at Fotheringhay on 9th, three White-fronted Geese at Pitsford Res on 12th and a Dark-bellied Brent Goose at Stanford Res on 6th were a bit more on the money. Again, Red-crested Pochard numbers remained low with a drake at Stortons GP on 7th and 12th – visiting nearby Hardingstone GP on 11th – and two at Stanford Res on 12th, while the first-winter drake Scaup from Hollowell Res moved to nearby Ravensthorpe Res on 6th-7th, returning to Hollowell on 8th, where it remained until the week’s end.  Following the first two of the winter last week, more Smew moved in, with this week’s arrivals – all ‘redheads’ – including singles at Stortons GP from 6th to 12th, at Stanford Res from 7th to 12th and two at Ravensthorpe Res from 8th to 12th.

Two or three Great White Egrets were still being seen intermittently at Pitsford Res, another remained at Summer Leys LNR all week and another was at Ditchford GP on 12th, while the Black-necked Grebe remained on Thrapston GP’s Town Lake until at least 7th. This week’s raptors were limited to single Merlins at Harrington AF on 10th and Stanford Res on 7th with a Peregrine at the latter site on the same date.

Counts of Golden Plovers remain in the hundreds, with three hundred and thirty-one at Ditchford on 7th and approximately four hundred and forty there on 12th. Up to three Green Sandpipers at Ravensthorpe Res between 6th and 12th were the only ones this week as were three Common Snipe at Ecton SF on 6th and four at Stanford Res on the same date.

Rare larids this week mirrored last week, with an adult Mediterranean Gull at Stanford Res on 12th, an adult Caspian Gull there on 7th plus a first-winter at Ditchford GP on 12th and two adult Yellow-legged Gulls at Hollowell Res between 8th and 12th, with one at Ditchford GP on the latter date.

A Short-eared Owl was still hunting the fields at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 8th, while Ring-necked Parakeets continued to be seen in Abington Park, Northampton,

with up to two present until at least 9th but the only Central European Blackcap – a male – was in a Northampton garden on 10th and 12th. Other wintering passerines of note were four Chiffchaffs at Ecton SF on 6th with two at Stanford Res on the same date, eight at Ditchford GP on 12th and two Stonechats present at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 8th and at Ditchford GP and Pitsford Res on 12th.

The balmy south-easterlies and relatively high temperatures of the last two days of November rapidly gave way to colder winds from the north and temperatures fell with the commencement of the final month of the year. As the curtain began to slowly fall on 2014, the arrival of more seasonal fare marked the advent of winter proper …

Five Whooper Swans at Hollowell Res on 3rd are the first – and probably the last – record of the year, while the two Ruddy Shelducks continued to tough it out at Pitsford Res until the week’s end; will they make it into the New Year?

Red-crested Pochard numbers remained low with up to five at Pitsford Res between 29th and 1st and the two Wicksteed Park Lake birds were still there on 2nd, while a female Scaup was found at Stanford Res on 29th and the first-winter drake was still at Hollowell Res on 2nd. Against a flush of Goldeneye, the first Smew of the winter – both of them ‘redheads’ – arrived this week, one at Pitsford Res on 30th-1st and the other at Earls Barton GP on 3rd.

All three Great White Egrets were still being seen intermittently at Pitsford Res, another was again at Summer Leys LNR on 29th and 5th and one – perhaps the same – was reported from Stanwick GP on 4th. The Black-necked Grebe was still on Town Lake at Thrapston GP on 30th and the only raptors this week were single fly-over Peregrines at Stanford Res on 29th and at The Lakes/Clifford Hill GP on 2nd plus a male Hen Harrier at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 4th.

Counts of Golden Plovers comprised approximately three hundred at both Summer Leys LNR on 29th and Stanwick GP on 4th and one hundred were at Harrington AF on 2nd, while a Dunlin and a first-winter Knot – scarce in the county, especially in winter – visited Hollowell Res on the same date. Thirty-seven Common Snipe was a good count at Pitsford Res on 1st and single Redshanks were found at Stanford Res on 29th, Wicksteed Park Lake and Pitsford Res on 3rd and at Stanwick GP the following day.

Rare larids this week were restricted to an adult Mediterranean Gull at Pitsford Res on 1st, two Caspian Gulls (an adult and a second-winter) at Stanwick GP on 4th and a Yellow-legged Gull at Pitsford Res on 1st-2nd with two at Stanwick GP, again on 4th.

Winter wouldn’t be the same without at least one Ring-necked Parakeet appearing in Abington Park, Northampton – and so it was, on 30th while, across town, a male Central European Blackcap visited a Kingsthorpe garden on 29th followed by a female there on 4th and another female was in a Kettering garden on 2nd. Wintering Chiffchaffs numbered two each at Stanford Res on 29th and Stanwick GP on 4th, the latter site continuing to host spectacular nightly Starling murmurations, with one flock size estimated to be in the region of fifteen thousand to twenty thousand birds and frequently attracting the attention of local Sparrowhawks.

By contrast the only Stonechats this week were one at Thrapston GP on 29th and the usual two at Hollowell Res on 2nd.