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 …
Seeing out another dry week with, initially, a warm, southerly airstream swinging round to a more northerly flow from mid-period, amid a not insignificant wader rush the county picked up two new birds for the year.
Another week, another Pink-footed Goose – or, more likely, one of last week’s, dropping into Clifford Hill GP on 12th – while the long staying drake Red-crested Pochard saw another week out on the River Nene in the vicinity of Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (South).
Apart from that, it was waders all the way and with Avocets now seemingly run of the mill – but always a pleasure, of course – it came as little surprise that more were to follow. New in were two at Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows NR on 13th, lingering there on Dragonfly Lake throughout the day, the same date seeing one at Clifford Hill, where it remained until the week’s end.
And after almost three weeks with none, two more Grey Plovers made it into the county, with one at Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh NR on 10th and the second … where else but what seems to be the main attraction for the species this year, Clifford Hill, on 12th. Single Whimbrels were again to be had at Thrapston GP’s Elinor Trout Lake, where last week’s bird extended its stay until 13th, at Stanwick GP on 15th and at Titchmarsh NR the following day.
New for the year and constituting the very essence of mid-May, Turnstones and Sanderlings arrived on cue – the first of these two species being represented by a very confiding individual on the dam at Pitsford Res on 12th. This was followed the next day by one at Stanwick and three at Clifford Hill, two more turning up at the latter location on 15th, when two also visited Summer Leys LNR. To round the week off, one was found at Titchmarsh on 16th.
Turnstone, Pitsford Res, 12th May 2025 (Jon Cook)Turnstone, Pitsford Res, 12th May 2025 (Bob Bullock)
Sanderlings were in short supply, however, with just single birds at Titchmarsh on 12th and Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows the following day.
Very much on its own this week, a Ruff made it onto the list for the period when one visited Lilbourne Meadows NR on 12th, while an already decent run of Wood Sandpipers this spring saw two more added, which included one at Lilbourne Meadows on 14th-15th followed by another at Summer Leys on 16th.
Scarce larids were at a premium, their sole representative being a fine adult Mediterranean Gull over Summer Leys on 10th.
Made of sterna stuff, the same did not apply to terns, however, and a remarkable flock of five Little Terns flying north-east through Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows on 12th was, unfortunately, not picked up elsewhere along the Nene Valley. An Arctic Tern at Summer Leys on 15th was the only one of the week but Black Terns did a little better with singles at Stanford Res on 10th and Clifford Hill on 12th, when four were also found on Earls Barton GP’s Mary’s Lake.
Black Tern, Stanford Res, 10th May 2025 (Barry Silverman)
And just when we thought it was all over as far as Glossy Ibis is concerned – the Summer Leys long stayer now long gone – one pitched up at Lilbourne Meadows on 12th, remaining into the afternoon of the following day. On 14th it was no longer on site there but what was surely the same individual was discovered at Stanwick’s Main Lake, early in the morning on that date. Fidgety and flighty, by late morning it had made its way up the valley to Summer Leys, where it was equally skittish and difficult to pin down, before it was last seen flying off north-east in the evening.
Glossy Ibis, Summer Leys LNR, 14th May 2025 (Alan Coles)
It was subsequently seen again at Stanwick early in the mornings of 15th and 16th, after which there was no further sign. All this begs the question … was it our wintering bird from Summer Leys which, prior to this week, was last seen there on 20th April, or was it a new one entirely?
Given the latter’s showy, long winter stay, more desirable in view of its timing and brevity of visit was last week’s Spoonbill, which also made it into this week, hopping from Earls Barton’s New Workings (South) across the river to New Workings (North) on 10th.
Immature Spoonbill, Earls Barton GP, 10th May 2025 (Leslie Fox)Immature Spoonbill, Earls Barton GP, 10th May 2025 (Leslie Fox)
Meanwhile, Titchmarsh logged a Bittern on 10th-11th and 16th and one was in the vicinity of Summer Leys on 14th. Cattle Egrets popped up in two unexpected locations which included Upton CP, where there were two on 10th, and Thrapston GP, where one was present between Elinor Trout Lake and Harper’s Brook on 14th.
Cattle Egrets, Upton CP, 10th May 2025 (Tony Stanford)
The period’s large raptor slot was again filled by Ospreys, singles of which were over both Earls Barton GP and Summer Leys on 11th, Stanford on 15th and Hollowell Res on 16th.
Another Hoopoe – the fourth to be found in the county this year – came to post-observational light this week when one was reportedly flushed from the roadside just north of Watford, on the road to West Haddon, in the early evening of 16th. Another one that got away, leaving birders short-changed once again. One found in an accessible locality, combined with timely reporting, would be most welcome …
Late spring migrant passerines were restricted this week to 11th, when a Whinchat was in the Brampton Valley between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton and a Northern Wheatear was found at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.
Northants birds 