Garganey – Northants birds

With rising temperatures, persistent easterlies and migrational momentum moving up a gear, there was no doubt that the week belonged to waders, the Nene Valley being the prime producer in this respect.

Four new summer visitors clocked in this week and, although no new records were set in terms of early arrivals, it seems highly likely that one will have been created by possibly the latest-ever Garganey to appear in the county. And, as we move into May, the latter looks set to become a rare spring commodity this year …

But, as already indicated, waders made up the lion’s share of the week’s best birds on offer. Avocets were again to be found in the Nene Valley, with two showing up at Summer Leys LNR on 26th and again from 29th until the end of the period.

Avocets, Summer Leys LNR, 29th April 2026 (Tony Stanford)

And the second Grey Plover of the year put in a very brief appearance at the latter locality on 29th. Clifford Hill GP remained the prime location for Whimbrel, up to three of which were seen there daily throughout the week, in addition to one flying east there on 28th. Elsewhere, two were at, and around, Summer Leys on 25th and 29th with one there on 27th-28th and 30th-1st, while further singles were picked up flying east over Hanging Houghton on 25th and Stanford Res on 30th, and on the ground at Stanwick GP on 30th and Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (South) on 30th-1st.

Bar-tailed Godwits and Whimbrel, Clifford Hill GP, 28th April 2026 (Tyler Atkinson)

A hike in numbers saw Bar-tailed Godwits hit double figures when ten were present at New Workings (South) on 29th-30th after five having been there on 28th and one subsequently on 30th. Clifford Hill saw nine flying east on 28th, while singles were present at Stanwick on 30th and at Summer Leys on 30th-1st. With the bulk of Black-tailed Godwits passing through earlier in the spring, the week’s tally was restricted to singles at Summer Leys on 28th and 30th.

A small number of Ruffs comprised two at New Workings (South) on 25th and 30th and singles at Summer Leys on 25th, 27th and 30th and at Stanwick on 28th.

Moving into the latter part of the spring traditionally sees the likes of Turnstone and Sanderling turning up and the week duly obliged with singles of the former at Summer Leys, briefly, on 28th and at New Workings (South), equally briefly, on 30th. With May now upon us there should be more to come …

And after the first Wood Sandpiper of the year last week, the floodgates opened and in they came, giving us what is undoubtedly the best spring for this popular little wader in living memory. Running over into this week, the Clifford Hill individual remained until 25th after which there were further sightings there on 27th and 30th and one also visited Lilbourne Meadows NR on 26th. Numbers then ramped up with the arrival of four at New Workings (South) the following day, the same site subsequently producing seven on 28th, rising to nine on 30th, before peaking at a mighty ten on 1st. One found at Summer Leys on 29th increased briefly to four on 30th, followed by one on 1st, while Stanwick got in on the action with two on 28th.

Wood Sandpiper, Earls Barton GP, 30th April 2026 (Mike Alibone)

Meanwhile, not to be left out, Greenshanks were again on the up, with New Workings (South) holding three on 28th, increasing to five on 30th and 1st. Five were also found at Clifford Hill on 28th, four flew east there the following day and one was present on 30th. Stanwick held up to two between 25th and 30th, while two were also at Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh NR between 28th and 30th and singles were to be found in the Brampton Valley near Brixworth on 27th and at Lilbourne Meadows on 30th and 1st.

And following last week’s modest number of Little Gulls, a further trickle ensued with a first-summer at Summer Leys on 27th being followed by an adult there the next day before another adult arrived on 1st and a near-adult was present at Stanwick on 28th-29th.

Adult Little Gull, Summer Leys LNR, 1st May 2026 (Alan Coles)

Summer Leys was also the place to be for lingering adult Mediterranean Gulls with two on 26th and 28th, one or two on 30th and one on 1st, while a third-year Yellow-legged Gull was at Pitsford Res on 27th – the only one the site could muster during the period.

A flurry of Arctic Terns resulted in better numbers than in the previous week, the 28th giving rise to the majority of birds passing through. On this date, at least eight were present at Titchmarsh NR, a ‘small flock’ appeared briefly at Summer Leys, two were at Pitsford and singles visited Boddington Res and Stanwick. The 29th saw three flying east over Clifford Hill and one at Summer Leys, while one flew north over Daventry CP on 1st. But it was a dismal showing for Black Terns during the period with just single birds at Summer Leys between 28th and 1st, Clifford Hill on 29th and Ravensthorpe on 29th and 1st.

Black Tern, Summer Leys LNR, 29th April 2026 (Tony Stanford)

The county’s long-staying Glossy Ibis saw another week out at Summer Leys, visiting the wider reaches of the Earls Barton GP complex on occasions.

Bitterns seem to have dug their heels in firmly at Titchmarsh, where at least one was present throughout, while one was also discovered at Stortons GP on 27th. And Cattle Egrets rallied with a decent double-figure presence involving eleven birds together at Stanwick on 25th, four near Wappenham on 1st, two in flight over Clifford Hill on 29th, where one had been present the day before, two again at Stanwick also on 29th and one at New Workings (South) on 25th and 30th.

Cattle Egret, Earls Barton GP, 25th April 2026 (Leslie Fox)

On the raptor front, single Ospreys were seen over Hollowell, Pitsford and Stanwick on 25th, Great Oxendon on 26th, Thrapston on 28th and at both New Workings (South) and at private lake near Oundle on 1st, while clinging on to weekly appearances were Marsh Harriers at New Workings (North) on 26th and over Boddington on 30th.

And passerines? Well, finding a Wood Warbler in Northants these days is no mean feat given that they have undergone a long-term population decline equivalent to an 81% decrease from 1995 to 2023. A singing male alongside the River Nene at Clifford Hill on 29th was, therefore, a much-appreciated discovery. Although it retains its annual visitor status, how much longer will this last?

Wood Warbler, Clifford Hill GP, 29th April 2026 (Tyler Atkinson)

A female Ring Ouzel in fields between Ecton and Earls Barton on 25th melted away immediately after having been found. And with just two – singles at both Blueberry Farm and Cotton End Park, Long Buckby, on 25th – Common Redstarts were on the wane this week. Incoming, though, were Whinchats, with the first of the year between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton in the Brampton Valley on 25th, followed by another in the same area on 1st.

Male Whinchat, Brampton Valley, 25th April 2026 (Bob Bullock)

Compared to last week, the total of Northern Wheatears was reduced to little more than a trickle. Five at Harrington AF on 30th was a decent enough number but, elsewhere, singles only were at Welford Res on 25th, Clifford Hill on 27th and at New Workings (South) on 1st, while one at Stanwick on 28th showed characteristics of the Greenland race leucorhoa.

A ‘blue-headed’ type Yellow Wagtail was at Clifford Hill on 29th, while the week’s White Wagtails were represented by three at Titchmarsh NR on 28th and one at Lilbourne Meadows on 30th.

Easterlies persisted until mid-week, after which a more northerly vector dominated, although temperatures managed to reach an unseasonally high 20°C by the end of the period. With the weather highly conducive to migration, it was unusually busy for the second week of April, which produced an uplift in migrants as well as some class birds, but getting to grips with the latter remained the preserve of the lucky few …

On the summer visitor front, new birds for the year appeared thick and fast this week with seven new species on the clock. One Common Sandpiper had already been logged, of course, although the latter was a rogue, overwintering individual at Earls Barton GP during February and March.

Wildfowl bounced back from last week, with the long-staying Pink-footed Goose still seeing the week out in the Earls Barton GP New Workings (South) area, where the year’s first Garganeys – a duck and drake – were found on the last day of the period.

Drake Garganey, Earls Barton GP, 11th April 2025 (Mike Alibone)

The above site also held on to its drake Red-crested Pochard, favouring the River Nene until at least 9th, while further up the Nene Valley, two Common Scoters made a stopover at Clifford Hill GP on 10th.

Common Scoters, Clifford Hill GP, 10th April 2025 (Mark Williams)

Two Avocets visited Summer Leys LNR on 7th but waders of the week and, at this juncture, of the year, were the two Dotterels that dropped in at Harrington AF the following day. Completing little more than a two-hour stay, they moved on without so much as a by your leave … This apparently constitutes the 15th county record and first since one at Hemington in April 2022, as well as appearing to be the earliest-ever in the county and generally very early for the UK as a whole. To put things in context, there were others in Dorset on 27th-28th March, Cumbria on 2nd April and in Ayrshire on 8th April.

Avocets, Summer Leys LNR, 7th April 2025 (Bob Bullock)

The number of other waders moving through ramped up appreciably and included the first, second and third records of Whimbrel this year, kicking off with one at Summer Leys LNR on 5th, followed by four at Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh NR on 10th and one flying north over Ravensthorpe Res the following day.

Whimbrel, Titchmarsh NR, 10th April 2025 (Nick Parker)

The first Bar-tailed Godwit of the year dropped into Summer Leys on 10th and was still to be found there on 11th, while four Black-tailed Godwits left over from last week also remained there on 5th-6th, dropping to three on 7th and one on 9th. One also visited Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows NR on 7th.

Bar-tailed Godwit, Summer Leys LNR, 10th April 2025 (Bob Bullock)

Bar-tailed Godwit, Summer Leys LNR, 11th April 2025 (Mike Alibone)

Single Ruffs visited the flooded meadow by the River Nene at Oundle’s Lower Barnwell Lock on 5th and one was at Titchmarsh NR two days later, on 7th. The first of these two sites produced an early spring record of no less than three Spotted Redshanks together on 5th, dropping to just one straggler there on 6th-7th. It has been a good few years since a ‘flock’ of Spotted Redshanks last visited the county …

Spotted Redshank, Lower Barnwell Lock, Oundle, 7th April 2025 (Mike Alibone)

Two Greenshanks at Summer Leys on 5th represented only the second record for the year after an exceptionally early one over Earls Barton GP in February. Up to two Jack Snipes remained at Hollowell Res throughout the period.

Clearly associated with the continuing easterly airflow, there was no let up in the number of Little Gulls moving through. The Nene Valley undoubtedly enjoyed the lion’s share, with fourteen at Clifford Hill GP, ten at Stanwick GP, 2 at Summer Leys and one at Thrapston GP – all on 5th, while five were at Ravensthorpe Res and one at Pitsford Res on the same date. The following day’s stragglers comprised twos at both Pitsford and Thrapston.

Larger gulls on the scarcity spectrum were a second-summer Caspian Gull at Priors Hall Quarry Lake on 11th, where there was also a second-summer Yellow-legged Gull on the same date. Pitsford continued to hold up to two Yellow-legged Gulls throughout.

Second-summer Yellow-legged Gull, Priors Hall Quarry, 11th April 2025 (James Underwood)

An Arctic Tern at Summer Leys on 10th was new for the year.

Still to be had at Pitsford on 7th was the juvenile Great Northern Diver which has extended its winter occupancy well into spring.

Given its ongoing reintroduction project, perhaps only to be expected with increasing frequency in the county is White Stork, one of which flew over Warmington on 9th. Wild or not, a pulse-racer on a chance encounter.

Once again, the Summer Leys Glossy Ibis clocked up another week …

Cattle Egrets continued to maintain a low profile, with singles in the Nene Valley below Cogenhoe on 7th and at both Stanwick and Hollowell on 11th, the latter apparently a site first.

And so to raptors … and away from the Nene Valley it was, for Ospreys at least. Hollowell enjoyed a visit from the blue-ringed male, ‘3AY’ on 5th, which was the same individual that was photographed at Summer Leys last week. It originates from the Rutland project and was ringed as a pullus in 2019. So far, it remains unpaired. Up to two were also seen at Pitsford between 7th and 11th.

Male Osprey, Hollowell Res, 5th April 2025 (Jon Cook)

Back in the valley, though, Marsh Harriers were seen at Summer Leys on 5th, Stanwick on 5th and 11th and Titchmarsh NR on the latter date. Rather more upmarket, an adult male Hen Harrier was seen close to Everdon Stubbs on 5th.

The week’s passerines were not to be outdone, though, and a male Ring Ouzel at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 5th was considered to be a different individual to the bird present there last week. A splendid male Black Redstart in a private garden in Old was pretty much off limits for any would-be observers on 8th. It’s the third one this year, the previous two having also been inaccessible. There will be more …

Male Black Redstart, Old, 8th April 2025 (Krysten Newby)

Common Redstarts continued to trickle through, with one trapped and ringed at Stanford Res on 8th, followed the next day by single birds at Blueberry Farm and on farmland north of Ashby St Ledgers.

Female Common Redstart, Stanford Res, 8th April 2025 (Adam Homer)

Northern Wheatears were also low in numbers, this week’s birds being compressed into a small, localised region of north-central Northants that included Blueberry Farm, where there was one on 5th and three on 10th, Harrington AF, which held one on 6th-8th and in the Brampton Valley, where two were present on 10th.

A male Blue-headed Wagtail appeared at Clifford Hill on 7th, while Lower Barnwell Lock held a single White Wagtail on 5th, followed by two there on 7th.