Northants birds

The early part of the week saw the UK sandwiched between two areas of low pressure which brought intermittent showers, some of them heavy, to the county although dry weather ultimately prevailed.

A Cackling Goose – presumably an escape – at Daventry CP on 11th has apparently been present two weeks and the two Ruddy Shelducks, ensconced by the dam at Pitsford Res all week, are clearly in it for the long haul, while a Garganey remained at Stanwick GP and two eclipse drake Red-crested Pochards dropped in there on 7th. Maidwell’s Blueberry Farm produced this week’s star raptors – an Osprey on 7th and a ‘cream-crown’ Marsh Harrier on 7th and 10th, while an adult Peregrine was at Blatherwycke Lake on 11th, but Stanwick GP stole the show with its superb run of waders this week. While Hollowell Res produced a Ringed Plover and three Little Ringed Plovers on 11th, nine Little Ringed Plovers was the top count at Stanwick on 9th, a Dunlin visited on 8th followed by a Common Snipe next day. Another Common Snipe was at Summer Leys LNR on 7th and, having attracted a Whimbrel and 4 Black-tailed Godwits on 6th, twenty-two of the latter species were there the following day; ten also turned up at Stanwick GP on 8th and one remained there between 7th and 10th, being joined by a Bar-tailed Godwit on the last of these dates.  Stanwick’s mid-summer puple patch continued with two Spotted Redshanks on 8th, with three there briefly the following day, while a Greenshank was there on 9th followed by three on 10th, two visited Hollowell Res on 11th while up to 6 Green Sandpipers remained at Stanwick all week and singles visited both Daventry CP and Hollowell Res on 11th. Common Sandpipers continued to trickle through with four at Hollowell Res on 11th, up to three at both Stanwick and Summer Leys and one at Daventry CP on 11th. The number of Yellow-legged Gulls continued to build at Stanwick, climbing to twenty-one on 10th, while two adults visited Pitsford Res on 8th and singles were at both Hollowell Res and Clifford Hill GP on 11th. Turtle Doves were still in short supply with just the regular duo remaining on site at Harrington AF on 7th, while nearby a male Black Redstart was around farm buildings at Blueberry Farm on 7th-8th, a Common Redstart was in the wider Brampton Valley on 10th and the singing male Grasshopper Warbler remained there on 7th. Three more of the latter species comprised singles Lady Wood on 6th, Fermyn Wood CP on 8th and Earls Barton GP on 6th and 10th, while eight Crossbills flew over Blueberry Farm on 7th.

Warm and dry with variable light winds gave way to south-westerlies and rain at the very end of the period. A largely quiet week, it was marked only by the appearance of more southerly-heading passage waders.

Last week’s two Ruddy Shelducks at Pitsford Res had commenced body moult and the male, at least, had become flightless as a result. Clearly they will be there for the foreseeable future.

An early (or more likely mobile, summering) Wigeon was at Stanwick GP on 1st, along with last week’s female Garganey all week and the same site hosted up to eight Little Ringed Plovers while up to six, including young, were present at Summer Leys LNR. Black-tailed Godwits made their autumn debut this week with one at Pitsford Res, and seven dropping in briefly at Summer Leys, on 29th, followed by three at the latter site the following day and five at Stanwick GP on 1st. Those at Summer Leys were of the race islandica and it is more than likely the others were also Icelandic in origin. A maximum of seven Green Sandpipers was also recorded at Stanwick GP on three dates and one remained at Summer Leys from 28th to 30th, while both localities notched up a single Common Sandpiper. The number of Yellow-legged Gulls at Stanwick GP climbed to nine – up four onlast week’s total, a male Black Redstart was near Rocking ham Speedway (Corby) on 1st, the singing male Grasshopper Warbler remained at Fermyn Wood CP on 29th – the same site hosting two Crossbills on 3rd, while another Crossbill was at Denton Wood on 30th.

Officially the sixth warmest June on record delivered a largely dry week with temperatures above the seasonal average, tempered by light winds predominantly from the west and north. After last week’s whiff of autumn came further evidence that more species were already on the move.

Another breeding record of Egyptian Goose came from the River Nene at Barnwell this week, where a well grown juvenile and two adults were seen on 21st. That the population of this species is on the up in the UK is reflected by breeding records no longer being considered by the British Birds Rare Breeding Birds Panel. More questionable fare in the shape of two Ruddy Shelducks was on offer at Pitsford Res on 25th. Their true origin has yet to be fully established but the Dutch are currently in the process of unravelling the string, so to speak. Other wildfowl this week included a female Garganey at Stanwick GP on 26th-27th and the summering drake Goldeneye at Thrapston GP on 24th. Continuing this year’s run of Spoonbills, another was seen flying south over Wellingborough on 25th, while the only notable raptors were an Osprey over Duston on 24th and a Peregrine at Hardingstone GP on 23rd.

Little Ringed Plovers were reported only from Stanwick GP, where five were present on 26th, the same site hosting all of this week’s other waders on the same date, including the autumn’s first Common Snipe and Greenshank and five Green Sandpipers. Two Sandwich Terns were present there at the same time, along with up to five

Yellow-legged Gulls – quite a haul for late June at a site which receives considerably less coverage than its not too distant neighbour, Summer Leys. A Black Tern visited Pitsford Res on 22nd. Continuing the theme of recent weeks, a Ring-necked Parakeet was again close to the aviaries in Northampton’s Abington Park on 21st and another adorned a street light in nearby Bewick Road on 23rd.

More Grasshopper Warblers came out of the woodwork this week with reeling males at Fermyn Wood CP on 26th and at Stortons GP on the same date.

While remaining generally warm throughout, the week kicked off with isolated thunderstorms and showers, followed by alternating periods of cloud and sunshine. A high pressure system remained in place over the country, skewed to the west in the latter half, producing a gentle northerly wind. Some signs of autumn were in the air …

The summer slump kicked in big time this week, leaving local birders to contemplate jet-washing their patios or heading south to see the amazingly obliging, second British Short-toed Eagle in East Sussex – or both.  The closest we came in lookalike terms was an Osprey, which flew over Blueberry Farm, Maidwell – carrying a fish instead of a snake – on 14th. Apart from Hobbies reported from four localities, the only other raptors of note were two Peregrines cruising over Northampton town centre on 15th.

Little Ringed Plovers continued to be reported from Summer Leys LNR, where six were present on 14th and a pair was proven to have bred just outside Northampton on 15th. A male Ruff visited Stanwick GP on 19th and the same locality hosted the first of the autumn’s Green Sandpipers from 16th to 18th with three there on 19th, while up to seven Yellow-legged Gulls were there on the same dates.

Two Turtle Doves were still at Harrington AF on 18th and a Ring-necked Parakeet was dangerously close to the aviaries in Northampton’s Abington Park on 15th. Grasshopper Warblers continued to remain scarce with up to two singing males at Blueberry Farm between 16th and 19th being the only ones reported this week.

After some sporadic showers during the first week, summer finally arrived and the remnants of spring migration melted away as temperatures reached the mid-twenties during the second part of the review period.

Of feral origin but still locally scarce, two Barnacle Geese arrived at Earls Barton GP on 3rd, frequenting the sheep fields at Hardwater Crossing until 5th and a drake Garganey was at nearby Summer Leys LNR on 3rd and 4th, being joined there by a pair on 5th.

The only other wildfowl of note were a pair of Red-crested Pochards briefly on Earls Barton GP’s Mary’s Lake on 2nd, along with the summering female Goldeneye there on 4th and the drake still at Thrapston GP on 10th. A Quail sang briefly at Harrington AF on 1st and, back on Mary’s Lake, a fine summer-plumaged Red-necked Grebe appeared on 31st but decided not to linger.

A Great White Egret flying west at Stanwick GP on 10th was by today’s standards unseasonal, bucking the trend of winter occurrences. An Osprey flew over Brixworth on 1st and 6th and a Marsh Harrier was again at Harrington AF on 1st and 2nd with another over Daventry on 5th.

Little Ringed Plovers continued to be reported from Summer Leys with four on 5th being joined there briefly by a Little Stint on the same date.  The only other passage wader recorded was a Whimbrel flying over Hanging Houghton on 1st, while a second-summer Yellow-legged Gull visited Stanwick GP on 10th.

Just four localities have produced Turtle Doves this year with perhaps the most frequently encountered pair being at Harrington AF throughout the period, while up to three were also present at Ashton Wold/Polebrook Airfield and one was purring in Sywell Wood on 13th.

A Ring-necked Parakeet was in suburban Northampton on 13th. The future looks bleak for Grasshopper Warblers this year with the only reports in the period restricted to singing males at Harrington AF on 1st and Blueberry Farm, Maidwell also on 1st and again on 10th. It’s now generally accepted that we have lost Tree Pipit as a local breeding species so one flying over Northampton on 1st was noteworthy, as was a singing male Corn Bunting in west Northants on 5th and 9th – the only one reported in the county so far this year.

The first half of the week remained unsettled with showers from the continent initially moving north across the country before winds from the east took over in the latter half. Migration slowed considerably with few new birds being found.

Two Egyptian Geese visited Summer Leys LNR on 25th but the only other wildfowl of note were lingering Goldeneyes comprising a female still at Earls Barton GP and a drake still at Thrapston GP all week. A Quail was singing at Boddington Res on 24th and yet another Spoonbill – this time a second-summer – put in a brief appearance at Summer Leys on 29th. This is the third to visit this site this spring, being readily distinguished from last week’s individual by the amount of black present in the primaries.

The only Osprey reported this week was one at Pitsford Res on 26th, a Marsh Harrier visited Harrington AF on 25th and a Peregrine was near Stortons GP on 27th-28th.

Little Ringed Plovers continued to be reported from Summer Leys and Clifford Hill GP, while 2 Ringed Plovers were at the first of these two sites on 25th and one was at the latter on 26th. Both sites also held single Dunlins – Clifford Hill GP on 24th and Summer Leys on 30th, while the only other migrant waders this week were a Wood Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper – both being at Stanwick GP on 24th. A second-summer Yellow-legged Gull visited Clifford Hill GP on 26th but arguably more interesting was the leucistic Black-headed Gull,doing its best to look like a Slender-billed Gull but falling well short of the mark, at Summer Leys the day before.

A small flurry of Arctic Terns comprised sixteen at Daventry CP on 27th and one at Boddington Res on 29th. Single fly-over Ring-necked Parakeets were seen at Ditchford GP on 28th and at Roade on 30th.