Northants birds

The week continued mainly mild with few new birds being discovered during the period and the first suggestion that some winter visitors were beginning to depart. The eight White-fronted Geese at Clifford Hill GP remained until 2nd as did the five Egyptian Geese in fields by the watersports lake at Ditchford GP until at least 5th. The latter site still held a drake Scaup on 4th but the number of Smew was much lower than in previous weeks with just one ‘redhead’ at Ravensthorpe Res on 2nd and 4th and a pair at Pitsford Res on 5th. Goosanders similarly were recorded in lower numbers and at fewer localities with three at Clifford Hill GP and four at Stortons GP on 2nd, three at Hardingstone GP on 4th and eleven at Thrapston GP on 5th. Higher number of Wigeon at several localities hinted at the beginning of a spring movement of this species.

The Ravensthorpe Bittern remained on the ‘small side’ of the reservoir all week and the Pitsford Great White Egret was still being seen until at least 5th while last week’s Slavonian Grebe remained on the trout lake at Clifford Hill GP until at least 2nd.

Peregrines were seen at Stanwick GP on 2nd, in the Brampton Valley on 5th and at Harrington AF the next day while Merlins – or perhaps the same immature male – appeared at Blueberry Farm (Maidwell) on 4th and at Harrington AF on 5th and 6th. A paucity of waders included 58 Golden Plovers at Clifford Hill GP on 2nd, a Redshank at Pitsford Res on 5th with the regular Green Sandpiper at Ecton SF on the same date and a Jack Snipe at the unusual location of Brixworth Sewage Works on 7th.

Juvenile Glaucous Gull, Ditchford GP, 3rd March 2013 (Mike Alibone)

At least two Glaucous Gulls were seen in the first half of the week with a ‘near-adult’ and a juvenile at Ditchford GP on 3rd and a juvenile there the next day and the ‘near-adult’ at nearby Stanwick GP on 6th. Last week’s juvenile Iceland Gull was seen at Sidegate Landfill on 3rd and an adult was on floodwater by the A6 between Irthlingborough and Finedon on the same date with presumably the same individual visiting Mary’s Lake at Earls Barton GP on 5th. The only Yellow-legged Gull to be reported reported was an adult at Ravensthorpe Res on 2nd.

Two Bearded Tits remained in the Phragmites bed at Ecton SF on 5th and fifteen Chiffchaffs were still along the outflow stream there on the same date, while nine Central European Blackcaps were reported in gardens in Duston (Northampton) Kettering, Northampton (2), Pitsford and Wellingborough with a maximum of three in a Northampton garden on 4th. After a week with none, five Waxwings visited Brixworth CP on 6th and a Stonechat was at Ecton SF on 5th. Bramblings continued to be seen at East Hunsbury (Northampton), Hanging Houghton, Kelmarsh, Stortons GP, Pitsford,

Pitsford Res and Wakerley Great Wood with a maximum of ten at Harrington AF on 6th, while approximately thirty Crossbills were at Wakerley Great Wood on 3rd and between twelve and fifteen were there on 5th.

A largely dry week with ‘spring-like’ weather during the latter half saw a trickle of new arrivals in the County. The eight White-fronted Geese at Clifford Hill GP remained all week, feeding with the resident Greylags and Canadas in the field behind the Premier Inn at the western end of the complex while another, found at Thrapston GP on 24th, was still present on the North Lake there on 27th. Five mobile Egyptian Geese were again in fields by the watersports lake at Ditchford GP on 24th but had seemingly vanished by the next day and the pair of Pintail at Stanwick GP on 24th were again the only ones to be seen during the period. At least one drake Scaup remained on the watersports pit at Ditchford GP on the same date and a hybrid drake Ferruginous Duck x Pochard was discovered at Daventry CP on 26th. Six Smew were still at Pitsford Res on 23rd, while up to the same number remained at Ravensthorpe Res throughout the week and Goosanders were recorded at Blatherwycke Lake, Daventry CP and Stanford Res and at Clifford Hill, Ditchford, Stanwick and Thrapston GPs with a maximum of eighteen at the latter site on 24th.

A Bittern found on the ‘small side’ at Ravensthorpe Res on 23rd and still present on 1st  is likely to have been the same individual present there on 28th January, subsequently

remaining undetected, while the Pitsford Great White Egret was seen again on 25th and 28th. Last week’s Slavonian Grebe remained on the trout lake at Clifford Hill GP until at least 24th but the only Peregrine this week was one at Ditchford GP on 25th.

The Golden Plover count at Clifford Hill GP reached a maximum of only c100 on 24th and there was a Redshank there and three at Stanwick GP on the same date.  The regular Green Sandpiper was seen at Ecton SF on 27th and 28th and four Jack Snipe were located at Hollowell Res on 23rd. Two juvenile Glaucous Gulls at Ditchford GP on 24th and a juvenile Iceland Gull at Wellingborough on 1st were the only scarce gulls of the week. Up to three Bearded Tits remained in the Phragmites bed at Ecton SF all week and eight Chiffchaffs were still along the outflow stream there on the same date with at least one Siberian Chiffchaff still there on 24th, 26th, 28th and 1st. Five Central European Blackcaps were reported, all in gardens, this week: a female in Rothwell on

25th, a male in Irthlingborough on 25th and 26th, a male in Northampton and a male and female in Wellingborough all week. A trickle of Bramblings included singles at East Hunsbury (Northampton), Kelmarsh and Pitsford Res and multiples at Harrington AF with a maximum of eight there on 28th. Other finches of interest included several Crossbills at Harlestone Heath on 28th and a Mealy Redpoll at Polebrook on the same date.

The relatively high temperatures in the early part of the week rapidly gave way to a return to cold, wintry – though dry – weather during the latter half, when eight White-fronted Geese were found at Clifford Hill GP on 22nd. Six Egyptian Geese visited

Ditchford GP on 16th and two were discovered close to the River Nene near Barnwell CP the next day. Up to three Shelduck were seen at Clifford Hill GP, Ditchford GP and

White-fronted Geese, Cilfford Hill GP, 22nd February 2013 (Mike Alibone)

  Summer Leys LNR and two Pintail at Stanwick GP on 20th were the only ones to be found during the period, this species having remained quite scarce so far this year. The long-staying Scaup remained at Ditchford GP, where there were two drakes on 19th and seven Smew remained at Ravensthorpe Res on 16th, two were at Earls Barton GP the same day and up to six were at Pitsford Res on 17th and 18th, while Goosanders were present at Summer Leys LNR, Ditchford GP and Clifford Hill GP, with a maximum of fourteen at the latter site on 17th.

Single Bitterns were found at Ditchford GP on 17th and at Earl Barton GP’s Quarry Walk on 20th while the Pitsford Great White Egret was seen on 17th, 18th and 19th. A Slavonian Grebe – perhaps the bird from Pitsford – appeared at Clifford Hill GP on 22nd and a pair of adult Peregrines was discovered at a suitable breeding site on 18th and one was seen over Lings Wood (Northampton) on 21st.

Oystercatchers were more in evidence this week with up to three now back at Clifford Hill GP, Ditchford GP, Stanwick GP and Summer Leys LNR, between seventy and eighty Golden Plovers were at Clifford Hill GP on 22nd and one visited Kingsthorpe LNR (Northampton) on 20th, the same day that there was a Dunlin and 9 Redshanks at Stanwick GP. Another Redshank was at Summer Leys LNR on 17th and a Green Sandpiper was at Ecton SF the same day.

Apart from a third-year Yellow-legged Gull in the roost at Pitsford Res on 20th, rare gulls were confined to the Nene valley with a near-adult Caspian Gull at Ditchford GP on 19th when a juvenile Glaucous Gull was also there, later visiting nearby Stanwick GP on 20th and 22nd with an adult Iceland Gull there on the latter date.

Stoke Bruerne has a track record in producing Ring-necked Parakeets and seven were seen there on 19th with two there next day while four flew over nearby Ashton on 17th. Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers were in evidence at Lings Wood (Northampton) on 16th, 17th, 19th and 21st and at Old Sulehay on the first of these dates while at least two male Bearded Tits continued their winter residence in the Phragmites bed at Ecton SF and up to two more were seen at Earls Barton GP’s Quarry Walk between 17th and 20th. At least ten Chiffchaffs remained at Ecton SF with up to two Siberian Chiffchaffs throughout the week and a total of five Central European Blackcaps visited gardens in Northampton, Weedon and Wellingborough, while four Waxwings remained in Corby on 16th and approximately twelve were seen in Great Brington the following day. Small numbers of Bramblings continued to be seen at the regular sites of Hanging Houghton, Harrington AF, and Kelmarsh with one in East Hunsbury (Northampton) on 16th and a

maximum of at least twelve at Harrington AF on 21st, while single Mealy Redpolls visited garden feeders in Byfield on 17th and Polebrook on 18th.

A cold start to the week with intermittent light snow, which rapidly gave way to relatively mild conditions at the week’s end. Twenty-nine Shelduck at Deene Lake on 13th was an exceptionally high total for a single site in the County. Thirteen Smew, including one drake, remained at Ravensthorpe Res on 9th while two were at Thrapston GP on 10th, nine at Pitsford Res on 11th and one at Earls Barton GP on 13th. Single-figure counts of Goosanders were made at Abington Park Lake (Northampton), Clifford Hill GP, Hardingstone GP, Hollowell Res, Pitsford Res, Summer Leys LNR and Wicksteed Park Lake (Kettering) with a maximum of ten at Stanford Res on 9th.

The Pitsford Great White Egret was seen on 9th and 14th and on the latter date it was back on the marsh on the Holcot-Walgrave Road, by the Hannington turn. A Peregrine at Blueberry Farm (Maidwell) on 12th was the only raptor of interest this week but there were more waders reported with a Redshank and c1000 Golden Plovers at Clifford Hill GP on 12th and c600 there along with 2 Dunlins on 14th. Singles each of Black-tailed Godwit and Green Sandpiper were at Stanford Res and Ecton SF on 9th and 10th respectively. Another Redshank was  at Pitsford Res on 15th when there were also two Yellow-legged Gulls in the roost there.

The Hanging Houghton ‘Nordic’ Jackdaw was seen there again on 12th and at least twelve Chiffchaffs remained at Ecton SF with up to two Siberian Chiffchaffs throughout the week, as did at least two Bearded Tits. Single male Central European Blackcaps visited gardens in Duston (Northampton), Kettering, Pitsford and Towcester, while 2 males and a female were regularly in a Spratton garden and at least four also visited a garden in Wellingborough. A belated report of a Firecrest heard in a Pitsford garden on 8th attracted would-be observers on subsequent days but it was not relocated, while the long-staying male Stonechat at Hollowell Res was still present on 9th. On 11th, seventeen Waxwings flew over Pitsford Res, eight were in Cottesbrooke the next day and six in nearby Hanging Houghton on 14th, when at least fourteen were in Deanshanger and several were in Corby on 15th. Small numbers of Bramblings continued to be seen at the regular sites of Hanging Houghton, Harrington AF, Kelmarsh, and Pitsford Res but four were near Grimscote on 12th and two in East Hunsbury (Northampton) on the same date, while a Mealy Redpoll visited a Byfield garden on 11th.

A relatively mild week with few new birds of note. A Dark-bellied Brent Goose was a one-day visitor to Ravensthorpe Res on 2nd and two Pintail were seen at Stanwick GP the next day. Ravensthorpe again held the highest number of Smew with up to twelve present there on 2nd, while up to three remained at Pitsford Res and two were seen at Thrapston GP on 4th. Twenty-seven Goosanders at Stanford Res on 2nd beat last week’s highest winter total of twenty-five at Thrapston GP, where there were just sixteen on 4th, while Stanwick GP held eighteen on 3rd and one was at Blatherwycke Lake on 7th.

After an apparent absence last week, the Great White Egret reappeared at Pitsford Res on 3rd, as did the Slavonian Grebe, which was seen there again on 2nd. Single female Peregrines seen at Brackmills (Northampton) on 2nd and at Blueberry Farm (Maidwell) on 4th and another at Stortons GP on 8th were the only raptors of note this week.

The first of the spring Oystercatchers returned to Stanwick GP on 7th, where there was approximately thirty Golden Plovers on 4th, sixty in the Brampton Valley on the same date and the same number at Clifford Hill GP on 5th. Five Jack Snipe at Barnes Meadow (Northampton) on 2nd was a high count for this suburban locality, nine Redshanks remained at Stanwick GP all week and a Green Sandpiper was at Ecton SF on 3rd and 4th.

On 3rd, an adult Mediterranean Gull visited Hollowell Res while a first-winter Caspian Gull was at Ditchford GP on 26th January (omitted from last week’s report) and two juvenile Glaucous Gulls visited the gull roost at nearby Stanwick GP on 6th. Two Yellow-legged Gulls were also at Stanwick on 3rd, a second-winter was in the Pitsford Res roost on 4th and two adults were there the following evening and a first-winter Kittiwake was also there on 2nd.

Just one Short-eared Owl was seen at Blueberry Farm (Maidwell) on 3rd when a minimum of twenty Chiffchaffs – an unprecedented single locality winter count – was recorded at Ecton SF and up to three Siberian Chiffchaffs were still present there throughout the week.

At least four Bearded Tits were seen again in the Phragmites bed there on 2nd after having maintained a low profile since early January. Single male Central European Blackcaps visited gardens in Northampton at East Hunsbury, Duston and Kingsthorpe and beyond in Barton Seagrave, while a male and two females remained in a Wellingborough garden all week and at least three (2 males) have been present in a Spratton garden throughout the winter. Just one report of Waxwings concerned six in Deanshanger on 8th and the long-staying male Stonechat at Hollowell Res was still present on 2nd.  Single-figure counts of Bramblings were made at East Hunsbury (Northampton), Hanging Houghton, Kelmarsh, and Pitsford Res while up to twenty were at Harrington AF on 3rd and six Crossbills were in the usual location of the car park at Wakerley Great Wood on 2nd.

Localised flooding followed a rapid snow thaw as temperatures rose significantly at the beginning of the week. Thirty-two Mandarin Ducks were counted at Blatherwycke Lake on 29th, Pintail remained scarce with just four at Ravensthorpe Res on 27th and two at nearby Hollowell Res on 29th and the mobile first-winter drake Scaup visited both reservoirs on 26th and 27th. What may have been a ‘new’ female Scaup was found at the Irthlingborough end of Ditchford GP on 30th, while the Aythya hybrid resembling a drake Lesser Scaup was still present on the watersports pit there on 26th. Varying numbers of Smew were present at Ravensthorpe Res throughout the week, peaking at an impressive thirteen (five drakes) on 30th, while up to three remained at Pitsford Res. Four out of five locations where Goosanders were found this week were suburban Northampton lakes, with four at Shelfley’s Lake and seven at Abington Park Lake on 26th and two at Thorplands Lake and four at Sixfields Lake on 31st while the highest count of the winter so far was made at Thrapston GP, where there were twenty-five on 26th.

Bitterns were found at four localities during the period: Pitsford Res on 26th, Billing GP on 27th, Ravensthorpe Res on 28th and Stanwick GP on 29th but there were no reports of the Great White Egret at Pitsford. In a poor week for raptors the only Merlins were a male and female at Ecton SF on 31st and the only Peregrines were singles at Ditchford GP on 26th and Harrington AF on 31st while the latter locality played host to the only Golden Plover, one, on 27th.  Other waders included a Jack Snipe at Hollowell Res on 29th and Green Sandpipers at Kirby Hall (Corby) on 26th and Ecton SF on 27th and 31st.

On 29th, an adult Mediterranean Gull was in the roost at Pitsford Res while Ditchford GP produced an adult Caspian Gull on 26th and a second-winter Yellow-legged Gull was in the Pitsford roost on 29th. No Short-eared Owls were reported from Blueberry Farm, Maidwell during the period but two were seen near Thorpe Waterville on 29th, while the ‘Nordic’ Jackdaw was seen again at Hanging Houghton on 27th.

Perhaps surprisingly, the ‘bird of the week’ slot was taken by a warbler and came in the shape of three Siberian Chiffchaffs, which were found along the sewage outfall stream

at Ecton SF on 26th and remained there all week along with at least twelve Chiffchaffs. A total of four Central European Blackcaps, all males, was seen in gardens in Nether Heyford, Northampton and Weldon while Waxwing numbers continued to decline with just two in Wilby on 26th, 6 in Desborough on 28th and five or six in Wellingborough on 29th and 30th.

Central European Blackcap, East Hunsbury, Northampton 1st Feb 2013 (Mike Alibone)

The long-staying Stonechat at Hollowell Res was still present on 26th  while one to two Bramblings were seen at Brampton Valley, Hanging Houghton, Pitsford Res and Thrapston GP and numbers had built to twenty at Harrington AF by 1st. Approximately fifteen Crossbills were near the car park at Wakerley Great Wood on 29th and at least ten were still present on 1st while a male Hawfinch visited a garden in Great Billing briefly on the latter date. A Snow Bunting was a surprise visitor to Harrington AF on 26th and exceptionally high counts of around five hundred Yellowhammers and seven hundred Reed Buntings were made near Sybole Farm in the north of the County on 25th.