The week just gone saw a last-minute rise from below- to above-average temperatures as the wind direction swung from north-east to south-west at the end of the period. Spring migrants continued to move through, amongst which was another first for the year …
Not a record-breaker in terms of arrival date but with only three records in 2025, Quail has become somewhat scarce in the county in recent years.
With just three Garganeys to date in 2026, two more made a one-day stopover at Stanford Res on the first day of the week.
Drake Garganey, Stanford Res, 16th May 2026 (Phil West)
And a sprinkling of ‘noc mig’ went into the mix this week when two small groups of Common Scoters were heard in flight, after dark, over Kettering on 18th and at least two were heard over the Brampton Valley between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton, late on 22nd.
Avocets continued to be seen at Summer Leys, where up to four were present, and in the wider reaches of Earls Barton GP, where up to three were seen on the last day of the period. Passage waders included single Whimbrels at Summer Leys from 16th to 21st and at Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (North) on 17th, a Ruff at Summer Leys on16th, five Sanderlings at Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (South) on 18th, followed on 20th by one at Clifford Hill GP, where two Wood Sandpipers flew east on 22nd. A Greenshank also visited Summer Leys on 19th.
Whimbrel, Earls Barton GP, 17th May 2026 (Leslie Fox)
The week’s gulls were restricted to a Mediterranean Gull at Summer Leys on 22nd and the usual adult Yellow-legged Gull at Pitsford Res on 16th.
A Glossy Ibis at Stanwick GP’s Main Lake on 16th flew off north-east and the long-stayer at Summer Leys was reported only on 19th, begging the question of both sightings relating to the same individual …
At least one Bittern was present throughout the period at Summer Leys, while one was seen in flight over Barnes Meadow Roundabout, Northampton on 19th. Up to two Cattle Egrets remained at Stanwick until at least 20th.
Fishing or on the fly, Ospreys were viewed over Earls Barton GP on 16th, near Naseby Res on 17th, Hollowell Res on 18th and at Summer Leys on 19th and 22nd while, keeping up weekly appearances, Marsh Harriers were restricted to a male over Stortons GP on 20th.
A Crossbill was at Gamboro Plantation, east of Cottesbrooke on 20th.
And belated news emerged this week of a Hoopoe photographed in a Woodford Halse Garden on 19th April. All three of last year’s records were in April but that’s not to say there won’t be another one before the year’s out …
In a week ending with cold northerlies and below average temperatures, migration took a further tumble and high expectations for a mid-May crowd-puller remained to be met. But there’s still plenty of time and who knows what lies ahead …
Catching up with a Garganey has, so far this spring, been problematic in the light of their scarcity and brevity of stay but Stanwick was again instrumental in delivering another drake on 10th, staying a full three days until 12th and likely accounting for the one seen fleetingly at adjacent Ditchford GP on 11th.
And following a long-stayer at Pitsford Res in the early weeks of the year, plus two together at Daventry CP for one day only, on 25th February, arriving on cue for late spring passage were two pairs of Black-necked Grebes – the first of these at Stanford Res on 8th and the second at Summer Leys LNR on 13th. Neither pair stayed beyond the day on which they were discovered.
Black-necked Grebes, Summer Leys LNR, 13th May 2026 (Alan Coles)
Summer Leys also continued to retain to its varying number of Avocets this week, with three from 9th to 11th, one on 13th, two on 14th and one again on 15th, the same site also producing a Ringed Plover showing characteristics of the race tundrae, colloquially known as Tundra Ringed Plover, on 10th-11th. And apart from one at Braunston’s canalside flood pool on 9th, the week’s only other Whimbrel was also at Summer Leys, from 9th until at least 13th. Other than that, two Turnstones paying a short visit to Clifford Hill GP on 10th were the best of the week’s waders and constituted only the second record for the year so far.
A single Yellow-legged Gull at Pitsford seen on 9th and 13th is all that was mustered on the larid front this week.
The county’s long-staying Glossy Ibis was still sitting pretty at Summer Leys throughout the period.
Glossy Ibis, Summer Leys LNR, 15th May 2026 (Alan Coles)
And there’s no getting away from the fact that Bitterns have risen to prominence this year, being present at a minimum of six localities during spring, so far. Singles were seen at Summer Leys almost daily, at Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh NR on 10th and 14th and in flight along the Nene Valley at Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows NR on 15th. All set for residency and confirmation of breeding is now surely just around the corner.
Bittern, Summer Leys LNR, 9th May 2026 (Clive Bowley)
Cattle Egrets come and go. This week’s consisted of up to three daily at Stanwick GP and three between Aynho and Clifton on 15th.
Raptors were limited to single Ospreys over both Pitsford and Earls Barton GP on 10th and at Stanford on 11th, plus a Marsh Harrier at Summer Leys on the latter date.
Having reached a crescendo on the migration front by the end of last week, the end of this week couldn’t have looked more different. A dramatic downturn in the number of waders and no new summer visitors suggested spring had all but finished but we’re now into a month in which the scales tend to tip in favour of quality, not quantity …
Wetland associates
Second only for the year and hot on the heels of the recent bird at Stanwick GP, a drake Garganey graced Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh NR on 2nd but, like last week’s, it evaded the masses, not being seen again after its initial discovery. After a cracking winter, nationally, and with at least ten still around in the UK at present, it perhaps comes as no surprise that the county pulled in another Ring-necked Duck, with a dapper drake surfacing at Stanford Res on 3rd and showing no hurry to move on until after 7th.
Drake Ring-necked Duck, Stanford Res, 3rd May 2026 (Chris Hubbard)
There was no significant change to the wader menu this week, just smaller portions to go round, with Avocets still up there as starters. Summer Leys LNR opened with four on 2nd, after which numbers dropped to three on 3rd, two on 4th-5th and one from 6th to 8th. One also visited Clifford Hill GP on 3rd, the latter location also giving rise to the county’s third Grey Plover of the year on the same date.
And sticking with Clifford Hill, it has emerged as the go-to site for Whimbrels this spring – not only producing the year’s first and the county’s earliest-ever but sightings virtually daily from 12th April to date. And so they continued this week, with two there on 2nd and one from 3rd until the end of the period. Elsewhere, one flew over Stanford on 2nd and singles were between Great Doddington and Summer Leys on 4th and at the latter site on 7th-8th.
Whimbrel, Clifford Hill GP, 6th May 2026 (Tony Stanford)
Last week’s Bar-tailed Godwit lingered at Summer Leys until 3rd but the only other to be seen this week was one at Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (South) on 6th. Following the year’s first, fast disappearing from the latter locality last week, two somewhat more obliging Sanderlings made landfall at Clifford Hill on 4th.
And still with us as the week opened were nine Wood Sandpipers at New Workings (South) on 3rd, dropping to three there the next day and one only from 5th to 7th. Britain as a whole has experienced a significant influx this spring and our own fair county was generously provided with the opportunity to get in on the action.
That leaves us with Greenshanks, of which we’ve also seen decent numbers of late. The first half of the week saw eight at New Workings (South) but these subsequently dwindled to three on 7th and just one on 8th. The only other site hosting them throughout the period was Lilbourne Meadows NR, with one on 2nd-3rd and two present from 4th until at least 7th.
Greenshank, Lilbourne Meadows NR, 6th May 2026 (Mike Alibone)
Enter gulls, and the jug had not run dry as far as Kittiwakes were concerned when one flew east over Stanford on 4th.
Kittiwake, Stanford Res, 4th May 2026 (Chris Hubbard)
An adult Little Gull visiting Summer Leys on 2nd was the only one of its kind during the period and the latter locality also saw its two adult Mediterranean Gulls return after they made a flying visit to Clifford Hill on 3rd, one remaining until 4th.
Tern numbers were down on the previous week, with 3rd seeing a single Arctic Tern at Stanford and 4th giving rise to two flying north-east through Clifford Hill and three making their way in the same direction over Stanwick. Meanwhile, Black Terns were limited to singles at Summer Leys on 2nd and Stanford on 5th.
Black Tern, Stanford Res, 5th May 2026 (Chris Hubbard)
Following three in 2025, now virtually an annual visitor and, arguably, bird of the week, a White Stork soaring in a thermal near Thrapston’s Town Lake climbed to a good height before exiting south-west, on 4th.
And, further extending its dwell time, the county’s long-staying Glossy Ibis saw another week out at Summer Leys, as well as a short sojourn at New Workings (South) on 2nd.
The latter site also produced a Bittern on 3rd, while at least two were still present at Titchmarsh NR this week. Six Cattle Egrets were again at Stanwick on 2nd.
Flags and tags
There were slim pickings on the raptor front, with just a single Osprey at Pitsford Res on 6th but Summer Leys saw the return of a wing-tagged Marsh Harrier on 5th-6th. ‘Yellow DP’ – a first summer female – had previously visited the reserve on 28th March after being ringed and tagged near Hardley, Norfolk in 2025. Since its initial visit, it was recently seen at Marbury in Cheshire on 29th April before its return to Summer Leys, where there was also a non-tagged Marsh Harrier on 6th.
Flagged, not tagged, a Curlew, ‘yellow H3’ that was released as part of a re-introduction project in southern England dropped into Summer Leys on the 30th April. It was released as part of a re-introduction project in southern England, which involves eggs being taken from ‘at-risk’ nests within stable populations in Northern England, then incubated, hatched and reared in captivity. The young birds are released at three sites in the south: Cranborne in Dorset, Peppering in West Sussex, and Elmley in Kent. The project has been running since 2022. ‘H3’ was released at the Peppering Estate on 17th August 2024 and this is the first sighting since its release (per Roger Eads).
Curlew ‘H3’, Summer Leys LNR, 30th April 2026 (Roger Eads)
Passerines
Scarcer passerines were in the minority this week but there was enough to keep the home fires burning in this respect. A male Firecrest was still singing at an undisclosed locality on 2nd. Also featuring strongly this spring are Nightingales which, although annual county breeders, have been present at notably many more sites than in recent years, including some not previously recognised as breeding localities. Although this species has seen a dramatic national population decline of 34% between 1995 and 2024, the numbers of singing males on RSPB reserves have increased over the last two summers.
Nightingale, Stortons GP, 3rd May 2026 (Tony Stanford)
Other passerines were available, including a Whinchat at Lilbourne Meadows on 4th, a Northern Wheatear at New Workings (South) on 2nd, followed by two in the Brampton Valley between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton on the last day of the week.
Whinchat, Lilbourne Meadows NR, 4th May 2026 (Mike Alibone)Female Northern Wheatear, Earls Barton GP, 2nd May 2026 (Leslie Fox)
A Blue-headed Wagtail was present at Clifford Hill on 2nd.
A mixed bag of weather ushered in five new summer visitors, while the week ended on a relatively cool note.
This year’s first Common Redstart is the earliest ever … by a clear four days.
With wildfowl firmly on the move, two adult Whooper Swans at Thrapston GP on the last day of the period are the only ones since 2nd and 3rd Jan, when singles were present at Hollowell Res and Clifford Hill GP, respectively.
Whooper Swans, Thrapston GP, 27th March 2026 (Bob Bullock)
And after an apparent absence of eighteen days, the Nene Valley Ring-necked Duck was back again at Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh NR on 23rd and 24th – its ability to disappear for long periods is uncanny and unmatched. More Common Scoters paid the county a visit this week, with a drake at Titchmarsh NR on 22nd and two at Clifford Hill the following day.
The period’s waders included three Black-tailed Godwits at Titchmarsh NR on 23rd and a run of Ruffs, comprising seven at Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows NR on 23rd-24th, dropping to one there on 26th, two at Earls Barton GP on 21st and singles at Summer Leys LNR on 21st and 27th.
Ruff, Summer Leys LNR, 27th March 2026 (Leslie Fox)
Two Jack Snipes were at Upton CP on 22nd and two at Ditchford the following day.
Hot on the heels of last week’s Kittiwakes were three or four more – all adults – at Thrapston GP on 26th-27th and at both Clifford Hill and Ravensthorpe, also on 27th. Nice but trivial in comparison to flocks of seventeen and forty-five over two sites in adjacent Buckinghamshire on 26th … A Mediterranean Gull visited Hardingstone GP on 23rd, the week’s only Caspian Gull was at Hollowell Res on 27th, while a single adult Yellow-legged Gull remained at Pitsford Res on 23rd and 25th.
The Red-throated Diver at Hollowell extended its stay there by yet another week.
Although seen almost daily up to 26th, there were no further reports of the Glossy Ibis at Summer Leys thereafter.
The period’s Cattle Egrets were limited to three together on farmland immediately north-east of Ringstead GP’s Kinewell Lake, on 27th.
Following the first Ospreys last week, two more flyovers passed Pitsford on 25th and Boddington Res, two days later, on 27th. Marsh Harriers fanned out a bit, single birds being seen at Earls Barton on 21st, Titchmarsh on 23rd-24th, over Irthlingborough and at Ditchford GP on 23rd, at Summer Leys on 23rd and 27th, at Stanwick GP on 24th and Clifford Hill on 26th.
Marsh Harrier, Summer Leys LNR, 23rd March 2026 (Alan Coles)
And aside from the aforementioned incoming passerines, a Black Redstart stuck rigidly to the species’ rules of late and turned up … yep … in a private garden, this time in Kettering. More Northern Wheatears were likely on the cards and they duly arrived – two at Clopton on 25th and singles near Everdon and at Harrington AF on 26th and at Clifford Hill on 27th.
On 23rd, a Scandinavian Rock Pipit paid a brief visit to Summer Leys, much to the delight of local photographers being in the right place at the right time. A smart bird and the first this year of a species which has become increasingly difficult to connect with in the county in recent years.
Scandinavian Rock Pipit, Summer Leys LNR, 23rd March 2026 (Russell Simpson)
Which just leaves Crossbills, singles of which were seen at Pitsford 22nd and Hollowell on 24th.
A high pressure system over the country in the latter part of the week gave rise to above average temperatures and saw the wind direction change from south westerlies to an airflow with an easterly bias. Four new species were added to the county yearlist, only two of which were summer visitors …
And while there were no early birds, both Osprey and Northern Wheatear clocked on in an expectedly timely fashion.
Numbers of wildfowl took a tumble, the only birds of note being eleven White-fronted Geese which dropped in, briefly, at Ringstead GP on the last day of the week.
Barely had we passed mid-March and the second Common Crane of the year was notched up – another flyover and again at the eastern end of the county – this time at Lyveden New Bield, between Brigstock and Stoke Doyle, on 20th.
And Ravensthorpe’s Slavonian Grebe completed a 26-day stay on 17th, after which there were no further reports.
On the wader front, the second and third Avocet records for the year were not totally unexpected and included one at Pitsford Res on 15th, followed by one at Earls Barton GP on 18th being joined there by another the next day.
Avocets, Earls Barton GP, 19th March 2026 (Leslie Fox)
Summer Leys produced all the period’s Black-tailed Godwits, with one on 14th, sixteen on 17th and at least one on 19th.
Black-tailed Godwits, Summer Leys LNR, 17th March 2026 (James Underwood)
Further down the Nene Valley, five Ruffs at Ditchford GP’s Townholme Meadows constituted another first for the year on 20th, while single Jack Snipes were seen at Hollowell Res between 15th and 20th and at Pitsford on the latter date. Pitsford also continued to hold on to its wintering Common Sandpiper, seen only sporadically but still present on the causeway there on 19th.
And just over two weeks after the first Kittiwake of the year came six together, at Pitsford, on 16th, while the period’s only Mediterranean Gull – a first-winter – visited Stanford Res on three consecutive days from 14th. Other gulls were available, of course, including two second-winter Caspian Gulls at Clifford Hill GP on 15th, two adults at Hollowell on 18th and a single adult at Ravensthorpe on the same date. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was present at Pitsford on 16th-17th and two visited Ravensthorpe on 18th.
The Red-throated Diver at Hollowell extended its stay there by another week.
And the Summer Leys Glossy Ibis similarly saw another week out on site.
Glossy Ibis, Summer Leys LNR, 17th March 2026 (James Underwood)Glossy Ibis, Summer Leys LNR, 20th March 2026 (Leslie Fox)
The latter location also produced sightings of Bittern on 14th and 19th, while a Cattle Egret scraped into the period, appearing at Kislingbury GP on the first of these two dates.
Flying high north over Harrington AF on 18th, the year’s first Osprey was quickly followed by another over Hollowell two days later, on 20th. No doubt there’ll be many more to come … And now part of the furniture, it seems, Marsh Harriers were still around at Summer Leys, where single birds were seen on 14th, 16th and 18th, with two present on 17th. Nearby, in the wider reaches of Earls Barton GP, singles were at Quarry Walk on 14th and at New Workings (South) on 20th. A ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier flew west over Harrington AF on 16th.
And the week’s other first summer visitor arrived on 17th in the shape of a smart male Northern Wheatear at Clifford Hill GP, hot on the tail of which were three more – all males – the following day, at Blueberry Hill Maidwell, in the Brampton Valley between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton, and at Harrington AF.
Male Northern Wheatear, Clifford Hill GP, 17th March 2026 (Mike Alibone)
An early spring White Wagtail was found on a manure heap between Earls Barton and Ecton on 20th and the only Water Pipit so far this year flew over, calling, at Pitsford on the same date.
It’s been a tremendous winter – and indeed last year – for Crossbills and they are still with us, one being seen at Gamboro Plantation, east of Cottesbrooke, on 14th, five over Denton Wood, Yardley Chase on 16th and several at Pitsford Res on 20th.
A westerly to south-westerly bias to the wind direction this week may not have been in the best interest of migrants from the deep south but there were signs of the beginning of a winter goose clear-out, while some of the county’s recent scarcer visitors sat tight.
New in, however, was an early bird in the shape of a Whimbrel – the first of the year – at Clifford Hill GP on 7th.
This individual proved itself a record-breaker, comfortably beating the county’s previous earliest of one over Ravensthorpe Res on 10th March 2012. While by and large classed as a summer visitor, the UK supports a very small, but growing, wintering population with a concentration along the south coast of England, as well as some in Southern Ireland.
The week’s geese included a Pink-footed Goose found between Chipping Warden and West Farndon on 8th – the same date being the last on which the long-staying Tundra Bean Goose, along with its supporting cast of up to twenty-three White-fronted Geese, was seen at Ringstead GP. With regard to the latter species, the Stanwick seven were, appropriately enough, last seen on 7th, while the settled flock of up to thirty-seven remained in the vicinity of Stanford on Avon until the week’s end.
The female Ruddy Shelduck was still present at Lilbourne Meadows up to 9th but was not reported thereafter, the same being applicable to the drake Smew at Clifford Hill GP. New in, however, were two Common Scoters making a short stopover at Daventry CP, also on 9th and on the back of an inland movement across the Midlands and Northern England.
Common Scoters, Daventry CP, 9th March 2026 (Gary Pullan)
Having moved to Ditchford GP, last week’s Red-necked Grebe continued to prove elusive, having shifted to Big Lake there on 10th, the week’s only sighting, and there were no subsequent reports. By stark contrast, Ravensthorpe’s Slavonian Grebe extended its stay, being seen daily throughout the period.
Slavonian Grebe, Ravensthorpe Res, 13th March 2026 (Jim Urwin)
And aside from the aforementioned Whimbrel, the week’s prime waders were limited to a Black-tailed Godwit on floods in the Welland Valley near Harringworth on 7th and a Jack Snipe at Hollowell Res on 9th.
Mediterranean Gulls, part of the March movement menu, included a first-winter in the roost at Stanford Res on 8th-9th, an adult at Daventry on 10th and 12th and a first-winter at Hollowell on 13th.
Adult Mediterranean Gull, Daventry CP, 10th March 2026 (Gary Pullan)
Three Caspian Gulls – an adult and two third-winters – were at Clifford Hill GP on 7th, followed by a second-winter there on 9th, while an adult visited Earls Barton GP’s New Workings on 13th. The week’s sole Yellow-legged Gull was an adult at Clifford Hill on 7th.
Attracting scant attention after nearly five weeks in residence, the Red-throated Diver remained settled at Hollowell throughout the period.
Red-throated Diver, Hollowell Res, 13th March 2026 (Jon Cook)
And while the Glossy Ibis continued to busy itself at Summer Leys for yet another week, further down the Nene Valley three Cattle Egrets turned up at Stanwick on 7th before one was subsequently found on floodwater at Oundle on 13th.
Sticking with said valley, Marsh Harriers continued their presence at the hub which is Summer Leys, where at least two were seen – including the frequently present first-year male, wing-tagged ‘J4’ – between 10th and 12th. Elsewhere, singles were found at nearby Earls Barton GP’s New Workings on 9th and at Stanwick on 7th.
Marsh Harrier, Summer Leys LNR, 10th March 2026 (Alan Coles)
In the Brampton Valley, a ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier flew south-east between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton on 8th.
The week’s passerines were seriously thin on the ground, with just a small number of Crossbills at Harlestone Firs on 7th and five Corn Buntings between Deanshanger and Wicken on 9th.
We crossed the line into meteorological spring this week and to mark it came the first summer visitors of the year, aided and abetted by the continuing southerly airstream. Two additional firsts for the year also made their way to the county and with winter now firmly in recession, it’s time to reflect on some quality birds while at same time looking forward to what’s on the immediate horizon.
Yes, the summer visitor clock has again started ticking, spring is beginning to unfold …and not a moment too soon.
First up, predictably, was Sand Martin, with the initial arrival of three at Thrapston GP on 1st, quickly followed by one at Priors Hall, Corby on 3rd, two at Pitsford Res on 5th and, on 6th, three near Oundle and sixteen at Thrapston. But no sooner had this initial rush began than we saw a record-breaker in the shape of two Little Ringed Plovers at Clifford Hill GP on 4th, beating the county’s previous earliest, on 7th March in 2021, by a clear three days.
However, we’re not done with winter just yet – and what a winter it’s been. Class wildfowl continue to dominate with the Tundra Bean Goose seeing out another week in company with twenty-three White-fronted Geese in the Denford/Ringstead area.
Tundra Bean Goose, Denford, 28th February 2026 (James Underwood)Tundra Bean Goose, Denford, 28th February 2026 (Tyler Atkinson)
Other White-fronted Geese also remained settled in certain favoured localities, the largest concentration being up to thirty-eight at Stanford on Avon throughout the period. Eighteen lingered by the River Nene at Warmington Mill until at least 1st and seven extended their stay by another week at Stanwick GP.
White-fronted Geese, Stanford on Avon, 2nd March 2026 (Mike Alibone)White-fronted Geese, Stanford on Avon, 4th March 2026 (Mike Alibone)
Appearing on and off across a range of sites in northwestern Northants, the annually wintering female Ruddy Shelduck dropped into Lilbourne Meadows NR on 4th, remaining there until the end of the week.
The drake Ring-necked Duck continued to attract interest at Ringstead GP, where it was showing until at least 5th.
Drake Ring-necked Duck, Ringstead GP, 28th February 2026 (James Underwood)Drake Ring-necked Duck, Ringstead GP, 28th February 2026 (Tyler Atkinson)
Likewise, the drake Lesser Scaup held out on the River Nene at Clifford Hill GP until the same date, while the long-staying drake Smew also enjoyed another week on the lakes there.
Drake Lesser Scaup, Clifford Hill GP, 3rd March 2026 (Bob Bullock)
Having spent a full seven days at Ringstead, last week’s Red-necked Grebe was nowhere to be seen after the 28th until, that is, it resurfaced on 4th a mere 8 km up the river valley at Ditchford GP, where it was still present at the week’s end.
Red-necked Grebe, Ringstead GP, 28th February 2026 (James Underwood)Red-necked Grebe, Ringstead GP, 28th February 2026 (Tyler Atkinson)
And the previous week’s Slavonian Grebe was still present at Ravensthorpe Res on the first day of the period, remaining there throughout the week. Despite appearing to have gone missing for the five days, 21st-25th February, it has proven itself a skulker, hiding in overhanging vegetation, where it can easily be overlooked.
Slavonian Grebe, Ravensthorpe Res, 2nd March 2026 (Mike Alibone)
Although not a summer visitor, further representing waders as another first for the year were two Avocets at Earls Barton GP on 3rd, alongside other inland sightings in the UK during the week.
Avocets, Earls Barton GP, 3rd March 2026 (Leslie Fox)
Other waders were on offer, even if thin on the ground, including a Black-tailed Godwit at Summer Leys LNR on 2nd, the same date also producing three Jack Snipes at Daventry CP and two at Hollowell. Classed as a summer visitor, although odd birds appear locally in winter, a Common Sandpiper at Pitsford on 5th was no doubt the wintering individual seen sporadically there during past weeks.
And another new bird for the year this week was an adult Kittiwake which spent a short period of time at Summer Leys on 28th. More to come, no doubt.
Adult Kittiwake, Summer Leys LNR, 28th February 2026 (Tyler Atkinson)
Sticking with larids, March begins to see spring movements of Mediterranean Gulls taking place, the 4th giving rise to two adults in the roost at Stanford Res and two – also adults – at Summer Leys. One of the latter two carried a metal ring on its right leg and was back on site, alone, on 6th.
Caspian Gulls were present at Earls Barton GP, where there was a first-winter on 28th, down the road at Summer Leys, where the settled adult remained between 28th and 5th, and at Hollowell, where there was an adult on 2nd and two adults on 5th. A single adult Yellow-legged Gull was still to be found at Pitsford on 2nd.
The Red-throated Diver, now in its fourth week, remained throughout the period, being seen at both Hollowell and Ravensthorpe, although apparently having now developed a preference for the first of these two sites.
Back in the Nene Valley, Summer Leys continued to retain its showy Glossy Ibis, while a Bittern was caught on a trail camera at Ditchford GP’s Rushden Lakes and four Cattle Egrets visited Thrapston/Titchmarsh NR on 4th.
Glossy Ibis, Summer Leys LNR, 28th February 2026 (James Underwood)
The recent flurry of Marsh Harriers calmed somewhat with singles at Summer Leys on 28th, 1st, 3rd and 6th and one at Stanwick on the last of these dates.
And propped up by the Daventry Siberian Chiffchaff on 2nd and 5th, the week’s passerines were at a low ebb with just four Stonechats at Ringstead GP on 1st and singles at Lilbourne Meadows on 1st and at Hollowell on 5th. Compared to recent weeks, the number of Crossbills dwindled to singles over Ravensthorpe Res on 3rd and at Scotland Wood, Kelmarsh on 5th.
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, 23rd February 2026 (Mike Alibone)Red-necked Grebe, Ringstead GP, 23rd February 2026 (Mike Alibone)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.
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.
Another late winter week saw cold, mostly overcast and foggy conditions with temperatures barely breaking 5°C, although the final day marked the beginning of something warmer to come. But the selection of birds on offer was not weather dependent and the surprise appearance of a certain duck at the week’s end went some considerable way toward breaking the ice …
The beginning of the week, however, was still owned largely by wintering geese. Following last week’s three at Stanford Res, a lone Pink-footed Goose was found with local Greylags alongside Thrapston GP at Islip Water Meadows on 15th, remaining there until 18th.
Pink-footed Goose, Islip Water Meadows, 15th February 2026 (Mike Alibone)
And Tundra Bean Goose was again on the week’s menu when two distinctly separate birds were present in the northern reaches of the Nene Valley. Based on its unique pattern of white at the base of the bill, the first was the same individual which has been kicking around in the Thrapston GP area since early January, although remaining under the radar for a significant amount of time. Keeping company with twenty-three White-fronted Geese, it appeared at Ringstead GP on 14th before settling in fields at nearby Denford from 16th until the end of the period. The second bird paid the briefest of visits to Islip Water Meadows with Greylags on 16th and was not seen subsequently.
Tundra Bean Goose and White-fronted Geese, Denford, 16th February 2026 (Bob Bullock)Tundra Bean Goose and White-fronted Geese, Denford, 18th February 2026 (Mike Alibone)Tundra Bean Goose, Denford, 18th February 2026 (Mike Alibone)Tundra Bean Goose, Denford, 18th February 2026 (Mike Alibone)
In addition to the aforementioned twenty-three, Stanford’s White-fronted Goose numbers remained high with at least forty mobile around fields between Stanford on Avon and the reservoir, on 15th. Lower numbers elsewhere included eight at Thrapston from 14th to 17th, visiting fields north of nearby Thorpe Waterville on 15th, and four at Stanwick GP between 15th and 18th.
Now seemingly settled on the Rosewater Fishing Lake at Ringstead, the drake Ring-necked Duck remained there from 14th until at least 18th and a Greater Scaup was reported on adjacent Kinewell Lake on 16th.
Drake Ring-necked Duck, Ringstead GP, 15th February 2026 (Mike Alibone)
But the period’s highlight was found on the last day of the week, when a dapper drake Lesser Scaup broke water on the River Nene alongside Clifford Hill GP. Had it been Northamptonshire’s first – and maybe it is the same individual from last autumn – it would have drawn a sizeable crowd, given the easily accessible location and prime viewing conditions. As it was, a trickle observers dropped in to soak up the good views on offer.
Drake Lesser Scaup, Clifford Hill GP, 20th February 2026 (Tyler Atkinson)Drake Lesser Scaup, Clifford Hill GP, 20th February 2026 (Bob Bullock)Drake Lesser Scaup and Tufted Duck, Clifford Hill GP, 20th February 2026 (Bob Bullock)Drake Lesser Scaup, Clifford Hill GP, 20th February 2026 (Mike Alibone)
Dramatically overshadowed by the above – at least in terms of rarity – was the drake Smew which saw out another week at the same location.
And hybrids? The drake Pochard x Tufted Duck remains also at Clifford Hill, as does the presumed female Pochard x Tufted Duck at Daventry CP.
Moving swiftly on … and following a recent uptick in records in the UK, another new bird for the year this week was a Slavonian Grebe. First seen at Daventry on 19th, it moved to Ravensthorpe Res on 20th, where it was still present at close of play. Hard evidence in the form of a unique, small dark stripe on the left side of its head identifies it as the same bird at both locations.
Slavonian Grebe, Daventry CP, 19th February 2026 (Gary Pullan)Slavonian Grebe, Ravensthorpe Res, 20th February 2026 (Jon Cook)Slavonian Grebe, Ravensthorpe Res, 20th February 2026 (Bob Bullock)
Two Jack Snipes at Hollowell Res on 16th sums up the week’s scarcer waders.
The week’s gulls once again comprised two adult Mediterranean Gulls – one at Daventry on 16th and the other in the roost at Stanford three days later, on 19th, with two adult Caspian Gulls at Hollowell on the same dates.
Adult Mediterranean Gull, Daventry CP, 16th February 2026 (Gary Pullan)
Hollowell also played second locality fiddle to the Red-throated Diver, which upped sticks from Ravensthorpe on 16th but returned to the latter site on 19th, still being in residence there at the week’s end. It attracted far less attention than in the previous week, the novelty likely having worn off …
Red-throated Diver, Ravensthorpe Res, 19th February 2026 (Jon Cook)
Also, considered part of the winter furniture, the Glossy Ibis remained at Summer Leys LNR throughout.
Once again, a Cattle Egret dropped into the flooded area at Wellingborough Embankment on 15th.
Also in the Nene Valley, Marsh Harriers continued their right to roam, Summer Leys producing sightings on 14th, 15th and 17th that included the first-year male ‘J4’. Elsewhere, singles were at both Ditchford GP and Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (South) on 14th. A ringtail Hen Harrier in the Brampton Valley/Blueberry Farm area on 17th was the third of the year so far, one having been seen there on 1st January, followed the next day by one near Laxton.
There was close to nothing new on the passerine front this week. Daventry’s Siberian Chiffchaff extended its stay until at least 19th, while a Firecrest was reported from Thrapston on 17th.
Stonechat numbers were down, with twos seen at Earls Barton GP on 14th and 17th, in the Brampton Valley on 15th, at Hollowell on 16th and at Stanwick on 18th.
Female Stonechat, Earls Barton GP, 17th February 2026 (Leslie Fox)
Up to eight Crossbills were still present at Gamboro Plantation near Cottesbrooke throughout the week and singles were at Scotland Wood, Kelmarsh on 16th and 20th.
Two Corn Buntings reappeared briefly in the Brampton Valley between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton on 16th.
Another significant wave of White-fronted Geese in-off the near continent was reflected in this week’s upturn in numbers and with them came more Tundra Beans. An early scattering of Common Scoters provided an interesting distraction but topping the bill by a country mile was a Red-throated Diver, which saw fit to linger at Ravensthorpe Res …
Following this winter’s earlier influx of White-fronted Geese, significant numbers again arrived in the UK at the end of the previous week and into the first day of the period. Seemingly associated with this was the appearance of three Pink-footed Geese at Stanford Res, on 7th-8th, along with four Tundra Bean Geese there on the same dates.
Pink-footed Goose, Stanford Res, 8th February 2026 (Chris Hubbard)Tundra Bean Geese, Stanford Res, 8th February 2026 (Chris Hubbard)
Believed to be the same individual present in early January, another Tundra Bean Goose was also found adjacent to Thrapston GP at Islip Water Meadows, on 7th, in company with twenty-three White-fronted Geese. The 7th also saw a return to higher numbers of the latter at Stanford, with thirty-three there, rising to forty on 8th and forty-two the following day. Also on 8th, twenty-six were present at Warmington Mill and twenty-five dropped into Clifford Hill GP, albeit briefly, before heading off east. Seven were found at Cransley Res on 9th while, on 11th, six visited Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh NR, five were at Stanwick GP and two were mobile with Greylags between the reservoirs of Hollowell and Ravensthorpe. Numbers then increased to seven apiece at Stanwick and Titchmarsh the following day.
White-fronted Geese, Clifford Hill GP, 8th February 2026 (Tyler Atkinson)White-fronted Geese, Clifford Hill GP, 8th February 2026 (Tyler Atkinson)White-fronted Geese, Ravensthorpe Res, 11th February 2026 (Mike Alibone)
The female Ruddy Shelduck was back in its favourite haunt in the vicinity of Winwick on 12th-13th.
Female Ruddy Shelduck, Winwick, 13th February 2026 (James Urwin)
Mobile about the northern part of the Nene Valley, the drake Ring-necked Duck was relocated at Ringstead GP on 7th before moving off west. It was then back on site at Titchmarsh on the last day of the period, prior to which it was last seen there on 20th January. A presumed drake Ring-necked Duck x Tufted Duck hybrid was again present at Ditchford GP on 12th after previously being reported there on 23rd January.
And while we’re on the subject, last week’s drake Pochard x Tufted Duck hybrid was still at Clifford Hill on 8th and the presumed female Pochard x Tufted Duck hybrid was also still showing at Daventry CP at the period’s end.
Eliciting more interest, though, was a mini-influx of Common Scoters on the last day of the week. Stanford held five, Clifford Hill and Thrapston three apiece and Hollowell produced two. All of these were drakes, which tend to winter further north than females and so are likely to be the first to return toward the end of winter/early spring. Curiously, apart from one in Oxfordshire two days prior, these represented the only sightings in the whole of the Midlands.
Drake Common Scoters, Clifford Hill GP, 13th February 2026 (Tyler Atkinson)Drake Common Scoters, Stanford Res, 13th February 2026 (Chris Hubbard)
Clifford Hill’s drake Smew saw another week out, while another paid a brief visit to Hollowell on 13th.
Drake Smew, Clifford Hill GP, 9th February 2026 (Tyler Atkinson)
And, last seen on 18th January, Pitsford’s Black-necked Grebe was back again on 7th, remaining until at least 12th – although it’s not inconceivable that this week’s individual could be a different bird.
Also, back on the wader menu was Black-tailed Godwit with two briefly visiting Clifford Hill on 13th, while Hollowell gave rise to a decent count of five Jack Snipes on 11th, these being the only ones found during the period.
This is the first week of the year without Caspian Gulls, but more than making up for it was the presence of two fine adult Mediterranean Gulls – one at Ditchford on 8th and the other at Pitsford on 13th, the latter site also producing two Yellow-legged Gulls on 9th, 10th and 13th.
Found by our very own County Recorder in the failing light of a late winter’s afternoon, this week’s hallowed luminary emerged in the shape of a rather neat-looking Red-throated Diver, at Ravensthorpe Res on the 9th – a bird which, no longer the reasonably regular, though rare, visitor it once was, has become much sought after locally in recent years. The last one in the county spent barely five hours at Boddington Res on the last day of October 2024 and before that, well, you have to turn the clock back eighteen years to February 2008, when one saw out nearly two weeks at Pitsford Res. This week’s bird thus proved highly popular and, still present at the end of the period, has offered more than ample opportunity for those keen to connect with it.
Red-throated Diver, Ravensthorpe Res, 9th February 2026 (Jon Cook)Red-throated Diver, Ravensthorpe Res, 10th February 2026 (Bob Bullock)Red-throated Diver, Ravensthorpe Res, 10th February 2026 (Phil West)Red-throated Diver, Ravensthorpe Res, 10th February 2026 (Mike Alibone)Red-throated Diver, Ravensthorpe Res, 10th February 2026 (Mike Alibone)Red-throated Diver, Ravensthorpe Res, 11th February 2026 (Alan Coles)Red-throated Diver, Ravensthorpe Res, 12th February 2026 (Antony Taylor)Red-throated Diver, Ravensthorpe Res, 13th February 2026 (James Urwin)
Our one and only stalwart wintering Glossy Ibis saw another week out at Summer Leys …
And it’s been a fair while since a Marsh Harrier graced Stortons GP but that was put to rights on 7th, when one was watched flying south. In the wider reaches of the Nene Valley, where they are now seen regularly, an immature was present at Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lake & Meadows NR on 8th, the same date upon which the first-year male ‘J4’ was again at Summer Leys, where it was still present, along with another immature, the following day. Further sightings came from Summer Leys on 10th and Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (South) on 12th.
First-year Marsh Harrier, Summer Leys LNR, 9th February 2026 (Alan Coles)First-year male Marsh Harrier ‘J4’, Summer Leys LNR, 9th February 2026 (Alan Coles)
The Daventry Siberian Chiffchaff was still present around the Grit Trap there on 12th-13th, while the more run of the mill passerines included Stonechats at Barnes Meadow NR, Brampton Valley, Clifford Hill, Earls Barton, Hollowell, Pitsford, Stanford and Thrapston, with maxima of four at Pitsford on 9th and 11th.
With the highest count of fifteen on 8th, Gamboro Plantation near Cottesbrooke continued to hold Crossbills, while two were at Wakerley Great Wood on 10th and one flew over Hollowell the following day.
Northants birds 