Tag: Northamptonshire Birds

A low pressure system centred to the north of the UK was the driving force for much of the week’s weather, initially delivering a short spell of south-easterlies, during which another first for the year made landfall in the west of the county.

Continuing to do the rounds, though, the female Ruddy Shelduck, was still to be found at Stanford Res on 6th-7th, aside from which a mini-arrival of Red-crested Pochards saw two eclipse drakes at Daventry CP on 7th-8th and six at Pitsford Res on the last day of the period.

In the meantime, it’s September and waders were still out there to be had. Single Curlews visited Stanford on 7th and Lilbourne Meadows NR two days later, on 9th, while three Black-tailed Godwits were hangers on from last week at Pitsford until 8th, after which one remained into the latter part of the week. One was also present at Naseby Res on 9th and 12th.

Ruffs, too, were present at four localities with numbers at Pitsford all week increasing from three to six on 11th. Elsewhere, Clifford Hill GP produced two on 11th following one there on 9th and singles were found at Summer Leys LNR on 6th, 9th and 11th and at Naseby on 8th and 12th. Wader of the week – and a first for the year in the county – was Curlew Sandpiper, two juveniles of which dropped in at Daventry on 7th but, alas, failed to stick around and had departed by the following morning.

And while Wood Sandpiper was back on the menu, with one at Naseby Res on 12th, Greenshanks hit their highest single site total in recent years when numbers rose to fifteen at Pitsford on 7th, dropping down to a mere three there by the end of the week. Smaller numbers elsewhere included five at Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (South) on 10th, three flying east over Oundle on 7th and singles at Boddington Res on 8th and at Naseby on 8th-9th and 12th.

Naseby also held on to its near-resident German-ringed adult Caspian Gull throughout the period, while a juvenile visited Hollowell and Ravensthorpe on 8th and 9th, respectively, and a second-winter was found at Wicksteed Park Lakes, Kettering on 12th. Single Yellow-legged Gulls were duly logged at both Pitsford and Stanford on 6th, also at both Boddington and Priors Hall Quarry Lake, Corby on 7th and at Thrapston GP on 10th.

Daventry continued its decent run of autumn migrants this week with a juvenile Arctic Tern, briefly, on 10th, plus a Black Tern on the same date. More were to follow with, out east, two at Thrapston on the latter date and one at Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows NR on 12th, while Ravensthorpe laid claim to four on 11th, the latter moving across to nearby Hollowell the following day.

And, given the record-breaking influx currently under way, enter stage left, another Glossy Ibis – this time a juvenile –found on day one of the period at Pitsford where it was still in residence at the week’s end. Meanwhile, the Summer Leys bird remained settled there throughout the week. With numbers estimated to be in excess of six hundred across the UK, including a jaw-dropping ninety-two at one site in Cornwall on 8th, it seems likely we could be in for a few more in our own fair county …

Causing less of a stir, a Bittern was seen again at Summer Leys on 11th and a Cattle Egret spent a short time at Boddington Res before moving off north on 7th.

On the raptor front, up to two Ospreys were present throughout the week at Pitsford and singles elsewhere included one flying west over Northampton’s Abington Park on 6th, at Stanford Res on 7th, Boddington on 8th, Hollowell on 8th and 12th and at both Earls Barton and Summer Leys on 11th.

Taking a bit of a slide, though, Marsh Harrier numbers were down a little on last week with one at Pitsford seen on 9th, 11th and 12th, one in the Blueberry Farm/Brampton Valley area on 9th and 11th and one at Summer Leys on 11th doubling to two there the following day. Last week’s ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier remained in the Brampton Valley between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton until at least 9th.

A Merlin provided an unusually striking sight in suburbia when one flew over Abington Park on 8th.

And then there were passerines. The continual run of Common Redstarts we have become used to took a tumble this week with numbers down to just single birds at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell on 9th and in the Brampton Valley on 10th. The same could not be said for Whinchats, with the increasingly popular locality of the Brampton Valley holding good and producing small numbers daily, peaking at five there from 8th to 11th. Nearby Blueberry Farm also held up to three between 6th and 9th and singles were found at Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (South) on 6th-7th and at Hollowell Res on 9th.

Moving further into autumn, Stonechats are beginning to creep in with two in the Brampton Valley on 9th and one at Boddington on 10th.

There were fewer Northern Wheatears reported during the period – just one at Hollowell on 8th, two at Blueberry Farm on 9th and two in the Brampton Valley on 10th-11th.

And Crossbill movements have also continued to slow to a trickle with Wakerley Great Wood producing at least two on 6th, while four were at Gamboro Plantation in the Brampton Valley on 9th.

With an unpleasantly wet and windy start to the New Year, the transition to 2025 was anything but smooth. Catching up with last year’s lingering leftovers was a priority for some, while the incentive to get out there and find something new was given a boost by the continuing discovery of rare and scarce birds at a national level.

Back on the radar this week were Pink-footed Geese, a fifteen-strong skein of which flew south-east over Hanging Houghton on 3rd. Meanwhile, the two White-fronted Geese chalked up a month’s stay at Ravensthorpe Res and were still present at the end of the period and the same site also produced two Whooper Swans, for one day only, on 29th.

The only Red-crested Pochard in the week’s proceedings was a female remaining at Daventry CP until at least 2nd, while the first-winter female Greater Scaup also extended its stay Blatherwycke Lake until at least 2nd.

Blatherwycke also produced an apparent Slavonian Grebe on 29th and another was reported from the River Nene at Perio Mill, Fotheringhay on 28th-29th, although neither could be found during subsequent searches.

The run of Black-tailed Godwits continued into the New Year with up to two at Summer Leys LNR throughout the period and one on floodwater at Braunston on 2nd, while Jack Snipes were still to be found in the same two localities as last week – namely Hollowell Res, where there was one on 30th, and Barnes Meadow NR, Northampton, where two were present on 2nd.

Scarcer gulls fared rather better than last week with a first-winter Mediterranean Gull in the roost at Stanford Res on 28th, 30th and 1st and a daytime adult in a field between Pitsford Res and Old on the latter date. The aforementioned roost also produced at least three Caspian Gulls – an adult on 30th, a near-adult on 31st and two adults on 1st while, further to the south, diurnal sightings at Hollowell included two adults on 30th plus an adult and a third-winter on 2nd. Yellow-legged Gulls appeared in the form of single adults at Summer Leys on 29th and Stanford on 1st, followed by three in the roost at Pitsford on 2nd. We’re currently thigh-deep into winter but, given the apparent nose-dive in numbers wintering in the UK, along with the closure two years back of Northamptonshire’s last remaining landfill, the prospect of coming across any Arctic ‘white-wingers’ now seems further off than ever …  

Pitsford continued to retain its juvenile Great Northern Diver into the New Year, remaining there throughout the period.

The Summer Leys Glossy Ibis similarly stayed put, while the only Cattle Egret to be reported was last week’s singleton in a field immediately north of Barnwell CP, Oundle, where it was still to be found on 1st.

A Merlin was again reported between Gayton and Tiffield on 2nd, when there was also one in the Brampton Valley, between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton.

On the passerine front, a Bearded Tit was again reported from Stanwick GP on 28th, although no precise location details were forthcoming. Stonechats over the period appeared to be limited to Hollowell, Towcester and Stanford, with a peak of five at the latter locality on 2nd and twos at the other two sites on a range of different dates.

Hawfinches enjoyed a resurgence in popularity as we entered the New Year, the highly favoured, easyviewin’ localities of Blatherwycke and Cottesbrooke delivering as required, with peak counts of five at the first of these on 3rd and two at the latter between 28th and 2nd.

And who would ever have thought that they’d be rushing to see a Corn Bunting in Northants? The national decline – in excess of 86% since the late 1960s – has seen this species disappear from the county in recent years, so one in the Brampton Valley on 2nd marks a good start to 2025 and is likely to become a popular draw if it is seen again.

Dreary, low cloud and what can only be described as ‘festive fog’ marred the week just gone, although birdless it certainly wasn’t. While most of the long-stayers remained, there were still a few new kids on the block.

At Ravensthorpe Res the two White-fronted Geese stayed on, and around, the site until at least 24th, while the nearest thing we got to a white Christmas was the Whooper Swan which flew east over Summer Leys LNR on 25th.

With the two Red-crested Pochards still at Daventry CP on 27th and two first-winter female Greater Scaups at Blatherwycke Lake on 21st – one remaining on 27th – diving ducks were anything but in abundance.

An unusual winter sprinkling of Black-tailed Godwits occurred throughout the week, with Summer Leys claiming the lion’s share of one on 21st, seven on 23rd and three on 25th, while Earls Barton GP and Clifford Hill GP produced singles on 23rd and 27th, respectively. Solitary Jack Snipes were at Hollowell Res on 21st and at Barnes Meadow LNR, Northampton on 23rd and 27th.

Gull numbers were down to two adult Caspian Gulls at Hollowell on 23rd, the evening of the same day producing a bird showing some characteristics of an adult Azores Gull in the roost at Stanford Res, although it remains unproven at this stage. Two Mediterranean Gulls – an adult and a first-winter – were also present in the Stanford roost on the same date.

Pitsford continued to hold on to its juvenile Great Northern Diver, present until at least 24th.

The Summer Leys Glossy Ibis remained throughout the period, while five Cattle Egrets were still at Ringstead GP on 21st, four visited Stanwick GP on 23rd and one was found in a field immediately north of Barnwell CP on 26th.

The 22nd saw a Short-eared Owl at Harrington AF, single ‘ringtail’ Hen Harriers reported at Wicken Wood and between Gayton and Tiffield, where there was also a Merlin, the latter being seen again in the same area the following day. Another Merlin was seen at Pitsford Res, also on 22nd.

Four Stonechats at Lilbourne Meadows NR on 24th was the highest single site total during the period, otherwise Earls Barton, Hollowell and Pitsford all held two apiece.

And Hawfinches showed in better numbers this week – Blatherwycke churchyard holding eight on 27th, Cottesbrooke hanging on to at least two between 21st and 26th and the churchyard at Deene still accommodating one on 21st.