The Birdscape changed considerably this week, shaped largely by a sustained easterly airstream off the near continent, giving rise to a surge of wetland migrants passing through the county.
Just two new summer visitors arrived, although no new records were set in terms of early arrival dates.
Unsurprisingly, the number of wildfowl hit rock bottom this week, the sole representative being the drake Red-crested Pochard remaining at Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (South) until at least 22nd.
Following single flyovers in the east of the county on 23rd February and 20th March, the third Common Crane of the year flew east over the Brampton Valley, between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton, on 19th. One on the ground would, no doubt, be much appreciated …
Looking at the Nene Valley flyway and focussing on waders specifically, there was undoubtedly competition between the wetland localities with the easybirdin’ site of Summer Leys upstaged this week by Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (South), which dished up rich pickings for local birders.
Now a weekly part of the spring furniture, it seems, the former locality kicked off with two Avocets on 18th, while two arrived for a short stay at Clifford Hill GP on 22nd and two were even briefer in their visit to Pitsford Res, where they circled fleetingly before heading high south, on 24th. Away from the Nene Valley waders are notoriously hard to come by at this time of the year, so for Lilbourne Meadows NR to dish up the year’s first Grey Plover on 23rd was a feather in its cap, so to speak.
The wader rush continued with the presence of Whimbrels expanding to five localities as well as an uptick in numbers. Clifford Hill was the place to be, with last week’s single bird being joined by another from 18th to 20th, a third on 21st-22nd and the number increasing to six on 23rd before falling back to three on the last day of the period. Smaller numbers elsewhere included three on 21st at Summer Leys, where there was also one on 24th, while single birds were also at Earls Barton GP’s Hardwater Lake on 20th and 24th, New Workings (South) on 21st-23rd, Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh NR on 21st and 23rd and on floodwater by the canal at Braunston on 22nd.
Bar-tailed Godwits joined the procession with numbers peaking at six at New Workings (South) on 22nd – following one there on 21st – and five at Clifford Hill GP on the first of these two dates. One remained at Summer Leys from 20th until 24th, two lingered at Stanwick GP from 21st until 24th with two more flying over there on 22nd, one was at Titchmarsh NR on 21st, followed by two flying over there on 23rd and three paid a brief visit to Stanford Res on 22nd.
By stark contrast, four Black-tailed Godwits were at New Workings (South) on 23rd with likely the same four appearing at Summer Leys the following day. Two Ruffs also visited New Workings (South) on 23rd-24th. The latter site also accounted for the first Wood Sandpiper of the year, on 22nd, while further singles were found at both Clifford Hill GP and Summer Leys on 24th.
And New Workings (South) dished up a fine, summer plumaged Spotted Redshank on 23rd and 24th, which then moved only a stone’s throw to nearby Hardwater Lake on the latter date. Now considered a local delicacy, long gone are the days when numbers of Spotted Redshanks reached double figures persisting into late autumn in the outstanding wader-filled Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Res …
Numbers of Greenshanks also ramped up, Summer Leys producing five on 24th, Stanwick held on to two on 23rd-24th, while singles were found at Titchmarsh NR on 18th-19th and 23rd, floodwater near Oundle on 19th, New Workings (South) from 21st to 24th, Lilbourne Meadows on 22nd and Clifford Hill on 24th.
Not restricted to the chain of Nene Valley wetlands and a classic feature of spring is the passage of iconic Little Gulls through the county. We got our first taste of the year this week on 21st, when a first-summer appeared at Titchmarsh NR, followed the next day by at least five at Pitsford, five at Ravensthorpe Res, two at Daventry CP and two at Stanford. More to come, no doubt.
Mediterranean Gulls continued to be found, with two adults at Titchmarsh NR on 18th, two at Summer Leys on 19th, followed by one at the latter locality on 22nd. A ‘second-year’ Caspian Gull continued to be reported from Clifford Hill from 20th until 24th, while a first-summer visited Summer Leys on the last of these two dates.
The number of Arctic Terns this week was notably down on the week before with just two flying east at Clifford Hill on 19th and two at Summer Leys on 24th.
And following the aforementioned first arrivals on 23rd, numbers of Black Terns were set to quickly ramp up the next day when seventeen were together at Pitsford, two separate flocks of ten and eight, divided in time, at Ravensthorpe, twelve were at Boddington Res and four visited Summer Leys.
Vying for resident status, the Glossy Ibis remained in the immediate area of Summer Leys throughout.
With up to two at Titchmarsh during the week and one at New Workings (South) on 23rd, Bitterns were again in evidence during the period and, with numbers appreciably up on last week, three Cattle Egrets visited Summer Leys on 19th and seven were at Stanwick on 21st.
On the raptor front, two Ospreys flew north-west over New Workings (South) on 18th, while singles were seen over Islip also on 18th, Pitsford and Earls Barton on 21st, Titchmarsh on 23rd and at Hollowell Res on 23rd-24th. Just one Marsh Harrier made it into the week’s proceedings when one flew west over Stortons GP on 19th.
And passerines? In what has turned out to be a spring of plenty, Northern Wheatears were on a roll with reports from seven localities, the highest counts from which were ten in the Brampton Valley on 20th, eight at Clifford Hill, seven at Harrington AF and four at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 19th, and twos at Earls Barton GP on 18th, between Earls Barton and Ecton on 19th and at Thrapston GP on 20th.
Clifford Hill produced the week’s White Wagtails with five there on 19th and one on 21st.
And a male Crossbill was at Gamboro Plantation in the Brampton Valley on 19th.
Northants birds 