Birds in Northamptonshire – Northants birds

The week was marked by higher-than-average temperatures, driven by a persistent south-westerly airstream and a building anticipation of the arrival of the first summer visitors – the latter bolstered by, among others, Sand Martins having already reached North Yorkshire before the week was out. But it was not to be. We have yet to beat the earliest local Sand Martin arrival, which was on 26th February, way back in 1990. Despite this, there was still much out there to feed the appetite for the scarce and rare, including the county’s first Red-necked Grebe for a good while …

Still ensconced in their favoured locations, this winter’s geese were not for turning – but for how much longer? Thrapston GP’s lone Pink-footed Goose was still keeping company, on and off, with the local Greylags until at least 23rd, while two flew over Lilbourne Meadows NR on 24th. Last week’s Tundra Bean Goose remained settled in the vicinity of Ringstead GP/Denford throughout the period, alongside the area’s similarly settled twenty-three White-fronted Geese, higher numbers of which were still to be found in the region of Stanford Res/Stanford on Avon, peaking there at thirty-three on the last day of the week. Elsewhere, Warmington Mill produced twenty-one on 22nd and Stanwick GP held up to seven until at least 26th.

The county’s two currently much admir’d diving ducks both saw the week out in their respective locations in the Nene Valley – the Ringstead Ring-necked Duck grabbing more attention as a result of a certain grebe nearby, while the fine drake Lesser Scaup continued to pull the punters as it lingered on the widest part of the river alongside Clifford Hill GP, providing easyviewin’ for all comers.

Drake Ring-necked Duck, Ringstead GP, 23rd February 2026 (Mike Alibone)

Drake Lesser Scaup, Clifford Hill GP, 25th February 2026 (Mike Alibone)

Also notching up another seven days at the aforementioned site, the dapper drake Smew was a bonus for visitors from outside the county.

Horrible hybrids? Oh, go on then … A female presumed Pochard x Red-crested Pochard spent 21st-22nd at Kislingbury GP and must surely be the same distinctive individual as that seen at Stanford on 1st February.

Following six in the county last year, including one as late as 27th December, the first Common Crane of 2026 was picked up in flight as it moved high north over Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh NR on 23rd. The wait goes on for one on the ground …

And when was the last time all three scarce grebes were present in the county during the same week, if ever? So, perhaps this constitutes a record-breaker. We start with the arrival of a Red-necked Grebe at Ringstead on 22nd, serving to put the site on the map once again as it chose to show nicely there on Kinewell Lake throughout the period.

Red-necked Grebe, Ringstead GP, 23rd February 2026 (Mike Alibone)

Red-necked Grebe, Ringstead GP, 25th February 2026 (Phil West)

The above is the first officially accepted record since 2017 and its recent local status contrasts markedly with the way things were a couple of decades ago. In fact, there was also a run of records in the late 1980s and early 1990s in which pairs summered and displayed breeding behaviour, although breeding never actually took place.

After last week’s Slavonian Grebe visiting Daventry CP on 19th, before moving on to Ravensthorpe Res the following day, it, or another, was found, or reappeared, at the latter locality on 26th but was not seen the following day. The 25th saw two Black-necked Grebes turn up at Daventry but, in common with the above bird, they had moved on by the next day.

Black-necked Grebes, Daventry CP, 25th February 2026 (Gary Pullan)

The week’s waders were limited to eleven Black-tailed Godwits flying west over Clifford Hill on 21st, followed by two at Summer Leys LNR the next day, while Hollowell Res produced four Jack Snipes on 23rd and one on 26th.

A single Mediterranean Gull at Stanford on Avon on 24th headed the cast of the period’s larids, while five sites held Caspian Gulls, representing a clear upturn on last week’s numbers. A remarkable four were found at Hollowell on 26th, after two were present there on 23rd, and lower numbers elsewhere comprised single birds at Cottingham on 21st, Daventry on 21st and 26th, Clifford Hill on 22nd and 25th and at Summer Leys from 23rd to 26th.

Adult Caspian Gull, Summer Leys LNR, 24th February 2026 (Alan Coles)

Yellow-legged Gulls were restricted to an adult on floodwater at Harringworth on 21st, two at Pitsford Res on 23rd and a first-winter at Daventry on 25th.

Remaining throughout the week, the Red-throated Diver showed increasingly itchy feet, yo-yoing back and forth between Ravensthorpe and Hollowell, last being seen at the latter site at the end of the week.

Red-throated Diver, Hollowell Res, 21st February 2026 (Jon Cook)

Red-throated Diver, Ravensthorpe Res, 21st February 2026 (Jon Cook)

The long-staying Glossy Ibis remained at Summer Leys LNR throughout.

Surprisingly, for the winter season, two Bitterns seen during the period were only the second and third of the year – one being at Summer Leys on 22nd, the other on an inaccessible pool at Yardley Chase on 26th. And scraping into most weekly reports with much diminished numbers of late, a Cattle Egret remained in the vicinity of Ringstead’s Kinewell Lake between 21st and 24th.

Reports of raptors were, as usual, dominated by the presence of Marsh Harriers at Summer Leys, now widely acknowledged as a key location for the species. With sightings throughout the week, three different birds were seen together on the reserve, including the first-year male ‘J4’, now having been present in the county since the middle of December last year. Other locations producing single birds were Titchmarsh on 21st and 25th and Stanwick on 22nd, 24th and 25th.

Marsh Harrier, Summer Leys LNR, 25th February 2026 (Alan Coles)

And, for the second week running, Hen Harrier featured, with ‘ringtails’ seen in flight near Holcot on 21st and at Harrington AF – not a million miles away – on 25th. A male Merlin was also at Harrington on the same date.

On the passerine front, Daventry’s Siberian Chiffchaff further extended its stay until the end of the week and a Firecrest was reported from Lilbourne Meadows on 24th.

Stonechats amassed a whopping total of eighteen in the wider reaches of the Brampton Valley on 25th, while up to two were noted at Desborough AF, Earls Barton GP, Hollowell, Pitsford, Thrapston, Stortons GP and Warmington as the week drew to a close.

Stonechat, Earls Barton GP, 21st February 2026 (Leslie Fox)

And Crossbills continued to be seen across four different localities with Harlestone Firs producing a maximum of nine on 21st followed by two there on 25th, while up to seven were at Wakerley Great Wood on 23rd-24th and singles were at Pitsford on 21st and Scotland Wood, Kelmarsh on 23rd.

A warm, southerly airstream in the early part of the week was followed by sustained, cool northeasterlies and easterlies in the latter part of the period, although the weather appeared to make little difference to what was on offer on this week’s birding platter …

New in for the back end of the year, though, was a Pink-footed Goose with Greylags at Naseby Res on 17th. It was not seen subsequently. There is always some doubt over the provenance of lone individuals in the county, so should it be considered a wild bird? Why not! With arrivals touching down in the UK as early as late August, Pinkfeet have been returning for the winter in considerable numbers over the past week or so, including some stragglers well inland. Birdtrack had also seen a big spike in reporting rates by mid-month.

Adult Pink-footed Goose, Naseby Res, 17th September 2024 (Mike Alibone)

Another bird frequently kicked into touch by some is the annually returning female Ruddy Shelduck – this week having now apparently vacated Stanford Res for Ravensthorpe Res, where it was seen on 15th. Stanford’s two Red-crested Pochards, found on the last day of the previous week, quickly tripled to six during the period, all of which remained until the week’s end.

Red-crested Pochards, Stanford Res, 18th September 2024 (Barry Silverman)

A Common Quail was reportedly flushed in a field west of the River Nene between Nassington and Elton on 14th.

Having notched up almost four weeks at Clifford Hill GP, the moulting adult Black-necked Grebe remained there until at least 15th. Another – in full winter plumage – was found at Daventry CP on 19th but was not seen thereafter.

This week’s waders were in short supply. Stanwick GP produced a Black-tailed Godwit from 15th until 19th, two being present on 18th. Further up the Nene Valley, three Greenshanks dropped into Summer Leys LNR on 15th.

With only five so far this autumn, Mediterranean Gulls have to date proven scarce, so one flying over Raunds on 16th was a welcome addition to the seasonal tally. Apart from that, the usual two larger larids continued to provide some interest. The week’s Caspian Gulls comprised a first-winter at Boddington Res on 16th, an adult at Stanwick on 17th, a juvenile at Daventry on 19th and the habitual German-ringed adult at Naseby on 17th and 20th. Easier to catch up with, Yellow-legged Gulls maxed out at nine in the roost at Boddington on 16th, while five were at Stanwick on 17th with just one there on 18th and Pitsford Res held up to four between 17th and 20th. Elsewhere, single adults visited Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh LNR on 17th-18th and Daventry on 19th.

Adult Yellow-legged Gull, Titchmarsh LNR, 18th September 2024 (Nick Parker)

Adult Yellow-legged Gull, Pitsford Res, 20th September 2024 (Mike Alibone)

Compared to last week it was a different one altogether for Bitterns, with reports from three – dare we say ‘widely spread’ – localities. On 15th, two were together on Summer Leys’ Scrape while, four days later on 19th, one was found at Stanwick, followed by another at Stanford the next day – a ‘patch tick’ even for some seasoned birders over that way.

Bittern, Summer Leys LNR, 15th September 2024 (Ricky Sinfield)

Meanwhile, Cattle Egrets seem to have slumped back into their periodic low profile status, with one in flight over Raunds on 15th, followed by two at nearby Stanwick on 17th-18th.

And in the first week with no Ospreys for a long, long time, numbers of Marsh Harriers were also down. One flew over Titchmarsh LNR on 15th, Summer Leys hung on to one, seen on 15th and 20th, one was at Wadenhoe Water Meadows on 16th and another in the Brampton Valley between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton on 16th and again on 18th. After one last week, sightings of Hen Harriers increased to three, with an adult male flying east at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 14th, a ‘ringtail’ west over Borough Hill on the same date and another ‘ringtail’ over Harrington AF on 16th.

The first Merlin of the autumn, a juvenile, was seen at Boddington on 16th.

On the passerine front, Common Redstarts continued to melt away steadily, with singles at Borough Hill on 15th, in the Brampton Valley on 16th and at Boddington on 17th. Whinchats were still very much in evidence, though, with six localities producing numbers between one and four during the period. Top sites in the latter respect were Borough Hill, where four were present on 16th and at least one the following day, and the Brampton Valley, which produced a maximum of four on two dates between 14th and 18th. Elsewhere, Clifford Hill GP held on to at least three from last week between 14th and 16th, two were at Harrington AF on 14th, two were found at Priors Hall, Corby on 16th and one was at Pitsford Res on 14th. The number of Stonechats continued to rise, although no more than two were seen at each of the six localities of Borough Hill, Brampton Valley, Clifford Hill, Harrington, Priors Hall and Summer Leys.