With temperatures dropping to well below zero in eastern Europe there’s a lot to be said for taking advantage of this week’s easterly airflow and heading west to make the most of less inclement conditions. And with many birds doing just that, things lined up nicely, with some startling results to boot …
So it came to pass as Christmas Eve unfolded, a veritable Goose fest began to take shape, with a significant influx of Tundra Bean and White-fronted Geese into the UK. The week, it seems, belonged to wildfowl … and we weren’t left out.
It’s been a good while since Northamptonshire has been blessed with the presence of a Tundra Bean Goose – almost seventeen years in fact, when one joined the local Greylags at Ditchford GP for one day only, on 19th January 2009. Fast forward to the present day and Pitsford Res did the honours, delivering at least four on 24th which became part of a line up of four grey goose species north of the causeway there in the early afternoon. They didn’t stay long though, departing to the south less than two hours after being found. But they were not alone, the 26th producing another, single individual at Blatherwycke Lake during the afternoon of that date.
Taking a back seat in terms of comparative rarity, but not to be sniffed at, White-fronted Geese made their presence strongly felt, beginning with the arrival of an awesome flock of fifty-six at Stanford Res on 24th. This was followed by a total of thirty-one flying north-east over Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows NR in small groups during a fifteen-minute period on the same date, on which a dozen appeared at Blatherwycke and seven were also found at Pitsford, at least four of which remained on 25th. More were to come on the latter date, Clifford Hill GP producing eleven, while Stanford retained its fifty-six through to the 26th and the final day of the period also saw twenty-one at Ringstead GP, fourteen at Blatherwycke, at least six at Clifford Hill and two at Hollowell Res.
Considered pretty much standard fare these days and completely outnumbered, Pink-footed Geese mustered three at Pitsford on 24th and at least one at Summer Leys LNR on the same date.
More birds in from the east constituting a pleasant surprise were four Bewick’s Swans found at Ringstead on 26th. Unsurprisingly, these were the first of their kind in the county for 2025, the numbers visiting Britain having tumbled in recent years following a significant population decline between 1995 and 2020, along with many now choosing to winter in mainland Europe.
And it’s been almost seven weeks without a local Red-crested Pochard, their absence being broken by two at Kislingbury GP on 23rd. More desirable ducks were on offer during the period, though, with the first-winter drake and female Greater Scaups remaining at Thrapston GP until at least 24th, while three new females were discovered at Stanford on the latter date.
Better still, a drake Smew appeared at Clifford Hill on 22nd, being seen again there on 26th. Single drake Red-breasted Mergansers – another much sought-after sawbill, locally – paid the briefest of visits to Clifford Hill also on 22nd and to Ravensthorpe Res the following day.
With no consistent reports of the Pitsford Black-necked Grebe since 15th December, it seems likely that its visit there has come to an end. Step forward Blatherwycke, where one was located on 21st and was still to be found there at the week’s end.
This week also proved good for Mediterranean Gulls, with 22nd producing an adult at Daventry CP, followed the next day by an adult at Pitsford and two first-winters at Stanford and then by an adult at Clifford Hill on 26th.
The period’s Caspian Gull quota comprised a first-winter in the roost at Stanford on 22nd, followed by an adult there the next evening and single adults at both Daventry and Naseby Res, also on 22nd. The same two days accounted for the week’s Yellow-legged Gulls, with two adults in the Stanford roost on 22nd and one on 23rd, the latter date producing a first-winter at Clifford Hill and two adults at Pitsford.
As for Glossy Ibises … Notching up another week, the Wellingborough Embankment duo extended their stay, while one continued to be a regular visitor to the settling pond at Stanford throughout the period.
A Cattle Egret was reported in a flooded field at Little Irchester on 21st.
And as we continue to enjoy the presence of wintering Marsh Harriers in the county, another wing-tagged individual made it to the Nene Valley this week. Enter yellow ‘FL’ photographed at Titchmarsh NR on 20th. Research by the photographer, below, reveals it to be a first-year female, ringed and tagged on 13th June 2025 near Carlton Marshes, Suffolk, a bird which has subsequently been seen at the following locations in Norfolk: Salthouse on 7th October, Cley NWT on 15th and 25th October and Titchwell RSPB on 4th November.
Last week’s orange-tagged ‘J4’ was again present at Summer Leys, also on 20th, while sightings of individuals presumably without tags included singles at both Titchmarsh and Ditchford GP on 24th and at Summer Leys on 25th.
The Brampton Valley ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier was again seen in the area between Cottesbrooke, Hanging Houghton and Blueberry Farm on 20th, as was a Short-eared Owl on 20th and 22nd, with another west of the A14, near Kettering Golf Course on 23rd.
The period’s passerines of note kicked off with a Siberian Chiffchaff at Daventry CP on 22nd – possibly the same individual as that seen there on 21st November.
There were fewer Stonechats on offer, this week’s birds consisting of one at Clifford Hill on 22nd-23rd, two in the Brampton Valley on 22nd and two at Neville’s Lodge, Finedon on 26th.
And is Cottesbrooke now on the radar for Hawfinches in non-invasion years? One was present there on 22nd. Crossbills, too, were to be found not far away from the latter site, with two or three at Gamboro Plantation on 20th, while seven were mobile around Harlestone Firs on 21st.
Last week’s hefty total of fifteen Corn Buntings between Deanshanger and Wicken couldn’t be matched. Just two were to be found in the same locality on 21st.
Northants birds 