Smew – Northants birds

Well, that’s January done and dusted and, with the birds it produced, as well as the hangers-on, it can be argued that it wasn’t a bad start to the year. The concluding week, while not explosively exciting, did deliver some class birds … in black and white.

There was little change when it came to the week’s geese, all of which appear to be steadfastly tucked in for the winter. At Clifford Hill GP, the Pink-footed Goose extended its stay until at least 29th, as did the two White-fronted Geese at Ravensthorpe Res and the lone adult at Cogenhoe Mill/Earls Barton GP.

White-fronted Geese, Ravensthorpe Res, 29th January 2025 (Jon Cook)

Adult White-fronted Goose, Cogenhoe, 29th January 2025 (Leslie Fox)

And let’s not forget the now vintage female Ruddy Shelduck, still at Winwick Pools this week. It has evoked much discussion regarding its origin since its pattern of disappearing in spring and returning in autumn has become established over the last five years or so. While some thoughts on the status of Ruddy Shelduck in Northants and the UK in general are given here, we await the final conclusion from what seems to have become a rather long-winded, ongoing national review, after which birds from the large feral population in central Europe could become acceptable as vagrants from an external established population and added to Category C. We’ll see …

Female Ruddy Shelduck, Winwick Pools, 26th January 2025 (Jim Urwin)

Not batting any eyelids anytime soon, the female Red-crested Pochard remained at Daventry CP until at least 29th. Also making it into the week once again was the first-winter female Greater Scaup, still present at Blatherwycke Lake on 26th, while an adult drake put in a brief appearance at Pitsford Res on 30th but was no longer on offer to those who looked the following day.

First-winter female Greater Scaup, Blatherwycke Lake, 26th January 2025 (James Underwood)

Indisputably topping the charts this week, though, were the two drake Smews found at Ravensthorpe on 29th. After one there on 12th, which had gone in a flash, found in the morning, this dynamic duo saw the day out, providing more than ample views and the opportunity for those with time on their hands to catch up with them. Alas, they had departed by the following day. Back in the day – and we’re talking ‘70s and 80’s – Ravensthorpe was the place for Smew, uncannily always turning up on the north-west side of the causeway in the same manner as this week’s birds.

Drake Smew, Ravensthorpe Res, 29th January 2025 (Jon Cook)

Drake Smew, Ravensthorpe Res, 29th January 2025 (Bob Bullock)

Drake Smew, Ravensthorpe Res, 29th January 2025 (Mike Alibone)

A single Jack Snipe in the same place at Stanford Res on 28th and 31st served to keep this week’s waders afloat.

And the same can be said with regard to gulls – a single adult Yellow-legged Gull at Clifford Hill GP on 25th was the sole representative of their type during the period.

Once again, Pitsford retained its long-staying Great Northern Diver throughout.

The Summer Leys Glossy Ibis, too, remained in place, frequently commuting between the reserve and nearby fields close to the River Nene.

Glossy Ibis, Summer Leys LNR, 28th January 2025 (Leslie Fox)

Cattle Egrets continued to be seen, this week branching out to Blatherwycke Lake, where one – likely to be a site first – was present on 26th. Two remained faithful to the sheep field and surrounding area close to Stanwick GP’s North Lake until at least 29th and one flew west over the A45 toward this area on the latter date.

Cattle Egret, Blatherwycke Lake, 26th January 2025 (James Underwood)

The mid-Nene Marsh Harrier was again seen over Summer Leys on 27th.

So far this winter, Short-eared Owls have not been as easy to connect with as they have been in the past. A combination of some observers keeping shtum and others playing the ‘private land’ card continues to contribute to this, understandably so in the light of increasing disturbance to this hugely popular species by those keen to get up close and personal. So, like last week and the week before, they were again to be found in the Maidwell locale with two to the west, on private land near Blueberry Farm on 29th-31st, and one to the east, at Harrington AF on 25th-28th. One flew over the A45 Wilby roundabout on 26th and three were also at an undisclosed locality in the north of the county, apparently having been regularly present in recent weeks.

The period’s only Merlin was a female in flight over Milton Malsor on 31st.

And Stonechats were seemingly reduced to singles at Clifford Hill on 25th, Ditchford GP on 26th and Hollowell Res on 30th, while two were still at Earls Barton GP on the first of these dates.

Female Stonechat, Hollowell Res, 30th January 2025 (Jon Cook)

After a lull in records, Hawfinches were back on this week, with one at Holy Trinity Churchyard, Blatherwycke on 25th and two at Cottesbrooke on 29th and 31st.

A freezing start to the week saw many bodies of water become icebound with limited resources for birds associated with wetland habitats. Fortunately, this was short-lived, temperatures having risen somewhat by the end of the period. And yes, a couple of new birds showed up to tease, if not to entertain …

After its short visit to Cogenhoe last week, the Pink-footed Goose was back with the mobile Greylag flock in its favoured locality of Clifford Hill GP from 13th to 16th.

Pink-footed Goose, Clifford Hill GP, 16th January 2025 (Leslie Fox)

The White-fronted Goose also remained in the Nene Valley, being seen in flight with Greylags over Earls Barton GP on 11th and again on the ground there on 17th, while the two at Ravensthorpe Res continued their stay until at least 12th.

Meanwhile, also on 12th, mobile Whooper Swans included one flying east over Summer Leys LNR and two north-west over Deene Lake.

Whooper Swans, Deene Lake, 12th January 2025 (James Underwood)

Daventry CP had the monopoly on Red-crested Pochards this week, its female still present until at least 16th and being joined by a drake on 12th-13th.

While we’re still in January the chances of stumbling across a first for the year remain suitably high and that was indeed the case at Ravensthorpe Res on 12th, when a drake Smew was discovered in the ice hole there. However, it turned out to be a disappointment for those who hotfooted it over to see it, having quickly vanished before their arrival. So far, it has not resurfaced elsewhere.

Single Jack Snipes were found at Pitsford Res on 11th and at Deene Lake the following day.

Whether you enjoy or endure them, scarce gulls were low in numbers this week, with what was presumably the same adult Caspian Gull in the roost at Stanford Res on 13th, 14th and 17th, out on the ice and displaying a yellow ring with the customary four black characters indicating a German origin on the middle of these three dates.

German-ringed adult Caspian Gull, Stanford Res, 14th January 2025 (Chris Hubbard)

Three Yellow-legged Gulls were in the roost at Pitsford on 13th and an adult was present at Clifford Hill on the same date.

Pitsford again held on to its wintering juvenile Great Northern Diver, which remained there throughout the period, having now chalked up just shy of eight weeks on site.

Shunning Summer Leys for who knows where when the freezing conditions kicked in at the beginning of the week, the long-staying Glossy Ibis initially seemed to have vanished but it was back again in the nick of time to be included in the weekly round-up, reappearing there on the last day of the period. Cattle Egrets, too, remained elusive with just singles in the Nene Valley between Cogenhoe and Billing GP on 11th and at Ditchford GP’s Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows NR two days later, on 13th.

Cattle Egret, Irthlingborough Lakes & Meadows NR, 13th January 2025 (Tony Vials)

And after an absence of sightings for seven weeks, Marsh Harrier made it back into the news when one was seen at Ecton SF on 11th.

Two Short-eared Owls remained in the vicinity of Blueberry Farm on 11th, with at least one still present on 13th, while one was seen not too far away at Harrington AF on 11th-12th.

In the same part of the county, one or two Merlins were present in the Brampton Valley, between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton, daily between 13th and 15th.

The second ‘first’ for the year this week materialised in the form of a Black Redstart, found on the roof of the sizeable industrial complex that is Cummins Engine Plant in Daventry, on 13th. The location is not readily accessible and views from its periphery are limited, to say the least. It was not seen subsequently. While indeed an uncommon sight in January, it’s by no means the first to be seen in the winter months. Of those occurring most recently one was present at Borough Hill in December 2021, remaining there until 5th February 2022 and, later in that year, one was taken by a cat at Sywell CP on 7th December and another was discovered trapped inside Northampton General Hospital before being released on 12th December.

Not quite on the same level as the above species, Stonechats were to be found at Borough Hill, Deene Lake, Earls Barton GP, Ecton SF, Lilbourne Meadows NR, Pitsford and Stanford – the first of these producing the week’s maximum of four on 17th.