Birding in Northants (1 Viewer)

Grey clouds and a chilly wind meant that today had the feel of a March rather than a May Day. In an attempt to catch up with some of the waders that have been passing through the county recently I took a bus over to Earls Barton hoping that Summer Leys had a few stragglers hanging on. A Yellow Wag passing over Mill Lane was my first decent bird and there was the usual Cetti's singing near to the lock. Large numbers of hirundines were feeding low over the water with a good number, perhaps sixty or more, of Swifts keeping them company.

At Mary's Lake a lone Black Tern was feeding with the many Commons, always distant but a stunner nonetheless. From the screen I found a Common Sandpiper and a couple of Redshanks while there were a few more of the latter on the scrape. Looking back over the main lake from Pioneer Hide an immature Turnstone, a Wood Sand and another Common Sand as well as six rather natty summer plumaged Dunlins were seen.

Leaving the reserve the quiet was disturbed by the roar of two low flying Apache helicopters, noisy but rather exciting. Rather less exciting perhaps was a distant Grasshopper Warbler heard reeling from Earls Barton Lock.

I've included a picture of a rare subspecies of Common Tern, the Left Tern. (sorry).

James.

I was trying to organise my dragonfly photos and realised that the eyes on this year's Banded Demoiselle were an obvious red colour when compared to the ones that I photographed last year. A little bit of research shows that this is a feature of immature specimens. Given that this is a species that I know fairly well, or at least thought that I did it's surprising that I'm only just learning new facts about it, this dragonfly lark is quite addictive.

James.

Another chance to enjoy some lovely Spring sunshine this afternoon with an after work stroll around the patch. Not much to talk about in terms of birds with a Grey Wagtail being the highlight though I enjoyed seeing my first Long-tailed Tit fledglings of the summer, their bandit masks and short tails make them rather endearing. I was also glad to see that the Swallows had returned as they are quite a rare breeder in the town.

On the butterfly front for the first time this year I saw the three Spring little 'uns in one location with three each of Grizzled and Dingy Skipper and Green Hairstreak. In the strong sunshine they were very active and difficult to photograph, two of the Dingies spent their time fighting while the hairstreak that I managed to photo was an aggressive little devil, even taking on a passing Brimstone at one point. As many as three of the latter were flying around the area though they did not settle and nor did either of two Large Whites which were my first of the year. Other species in the area were a few Orange-tips, a Comma which looked a little worse for wear and a Small Tortoiseshell.

Only one damsel today and that was an adult male Banded Demoiselle next to the stream.

James

I frittered another of my holidays away on the strength of a half decent weather forecast and decided to take an early morning walk over to Harringworth Lodge Lake. Not many interesting birds in Brookfield Plantation though there were at least half a dozen Fallow Deer feeding in the rides. While photographing one of these a Muntjac took the opportunity to photobomb the scene!

Moving on through Gretton it would seem that the Swifts are now established, there was a pair over Corby Old Village too. At the lake there was still a large group of Greylags but despite this number I could only see three broods of goslings and one of those belonged to a pair of Canadas. Apart from a pair of Gadwall there was not much to note down though a dead Coot suggests that some of the more vigorous territorial disputes can become deadly. Of some interest was the ease with which a Great Crested Grebe was able to send a squabbling Coot packing, beauty and brawn it would appear. Near to the lake a couple of Brown Hares showed well while a Rabbit posed nicely.

Walking back through the butterfly field from last year I saw three Small Heaths of which one showed very well. Nearby the footpath passes through a field of Oilseed Rape from where I flushed two female Wheatears up on to the fence. Looking at them I was of the impression that they may have been the Greenland subspecies being rather upright and leggy birds with fairly bright colouration. I believe that this form does pass through later than the usual form so who knows?

Butterflies seen today in addition to the Small Heaths were Speckled Wood, Orange-tip, Green-veined White, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell. Both a Blue -tailed and an immature Red-eyed Damsel were seen next to the lake.

James.

Today I was supposed to be a bit of a county traitor but as those plans fell through I instead spent the day once again tramping around the local countryside. My recent visit to the ponds at Priors Hall had been encouraging enough to warrant another look so I headed for there first.

The old quarry area is fenced off and patrolled by security but I was able to peer through a gap in a hedge next to the A43 and have a look at the rather large lake that is now here. A Yellow Wagtail flew overhead and there were at least two Little Ringed Plovers. An artificial Sand Martin nest site had attracted at least a few pairs and the lake itself had a selection of the commoner wildfowl. It looks as if it may have some potential for attracting something good so I'll try and keep an eye on it but there are so many places to visit I may not be able to do so often.

The grassland around the ponds was alive with Dingy Skippers, I've never seen anything like those numbers before, I conservatively estimated a hundred plus. Grizzled Skippers too were doing well with a minimum of twenty five being noted as well as a Small Heath. A first Silver-Y moth of the year was seen though it escaped before I could photograph it, a trick which was repeated by a female Brimstone. Other butterflies seen here were several Speckled Woods which seemed to be in their usual argumentative mood. I was almost reluctant to leave the Dingies behind but a pair of motorbikes and a small 4x4 were driving around the site by now and it got a little too busy for comfort.

High numbers of Large Red Damselflies were found around the ponds, at least sixty or so and there were also good numbers of Blue-tailed. A female Azure was a first of the year though I didn't realise until I checked the photographs later. A large dragonfly was glimpsed all too briefly to identify but I did find my first Four-spotted Chaser of the year a few minutes later, a combination of autofocus and clumsiness cost me the chance to get a picture. A disappointing aspect of the visit was a large collection of rubbish left around the largest pond by some fishermen, it's appalling that a small minority can damage the reputation of all the responsible folk.

Walking back towards Weldon a male Brimstone paused long enough to get a piccy and a Holly Blue was found sitting out a cloudy spell on some brambles. The A43 pond had the usual collection of waterfowl but not much else while the other pond had a fisherman and a swimming dog and did not offer much prospect of quality wildlife watching. I left the lake and its whiff of sun warmed dog Richards behind and took a stroll along the stream. Good numbers of Azure damsels were seen along with some Blue-taileds and a couple of Beautiful Demoiselles while a few Orange-tips fluttered past.

My final stop was at the patch where I found another Silver-Y and a few more Grizzleds, Dingies and Orange-tips. Not a bad day overall and I was hardly disappointed at all when I learnt of the Broad-billed Sandpiper that had dropped into Frampton where my brother and I had originally intended to visit - *******!

James.

A few more images from today.

James.

Fifty shades of grey may well have been a popular book but it was also a good description of the sky this morning as drizzly conditions took over. A relatively short haul trip on the X4 took me over to Oundle where I had a stroll along the river as far as the ex flooded area. About ten Lapwings remain in the field and all were provoked into action when a Fox trotted through their territories. The fox did not appear to enjoy the attention as several birds seemed to strike its head and it wandered away quite sharpish. Not a huge amount else, the pair of Egyptian Geese were around the marina and Common Terns continue to hunt along the river while a Greylag appeared to be testing out an arboreal lifestyle for itself.

At Barnwell a pair of Mute Swans were taking their young family of seven cygnets out for a swim and a Kingfisher showed distantly. From Lowlands Hide I admired the agility of a Grey Squirrel at the feeders and shared the hide with a Robin which made short work of any spiders it found. Rather surprisingly given the conditions I found a Four-spotted Chaser next to the main lake, I'm not sure if it survived the emergence or whether it was in a state of torpor but it didn't move when I took several photos.

James.

Just realised that I mentioned seeing Beautiful Demoiselles in yesterday's post when I should have said Banded, sorry must have been that pub lunch!

James.

Had a bit of a surprise on my walk to work this morning when I found a singing Sedge Warbler in the ASDA carpark, this takes my warbler list up to seven species for my regular if not always welcome walk. Once I got to work I spent the day rather hoping that the sunny conditions might hold until two and they did but only just.

Increasingly cloudy conditions prevailed as I walked over to Southwood where I hoped to find a few butterflies or dragonflies. Sadly the sun had disappeared by the time I reached there and I only managed to see a single Blue-tailed Damsel and two Peacocks. The two butterflies had a twisting spiralling fight that only finished once they had reached quite a height and then both parted with one landing on a discarded car door to continue basking.

At the pond a large number of tadpoles were swimming amongst the shopping trolleys and beer cans, mostly Polish nowadays, our rubbish has become quite diverse in recent years as many of the locals have developed exotic tastes. I've included a picture of the last resting place for so much rubbish but in all fairness it still looks fairly attractive if you squint a bit.

Once again apologies to anyone expecting much bird news, at this time of the year the Birding in Northants title for the thread becomes a little deceptive. I was thinking of starting a new thread called A Naturalist in Northants but don't want to disappoint any inattentive nudists doing a Google search so may as well stick with this one.

James.

I returned to Priors Hall this morning as I'd rather enjoyed last week's visit and the weather forecast looked promising. The flooded quarry had a reasonable selection of birds with four species of wader present, Little Ringed and Ringed Plovers, Lapwing, Common Sandpiper and there was also a distant wader which I couldn't identify through the haze. A Great Crested Grebe was a nice find, they're actually a scarce bird in the Corby area and there was also the usual selection of commoner waterfowl.

Reed Warblers were in good voice around the ponds but there was not much else to note birdwise. Skipper numbers remain high with a lot more Grizzleds active today along with many Dingy. More Small Heaths too and also my first Common Blues of the year the first of which crawled on to my finger. I was pleased to find a Green Hairstreak because although this is a known site for them it's good to confirm it for another year. Other species about included Brimstone and Large White.

An excellent morning too for damsels and dragons with five species of the former and two of the latter being seen. A good emergence of Four-spotted Chasers with twenty plus around and they looked in much ruder health than the poor Barnwell specimen. Out numbered by the Four-spots was a single Hairy flying around the margins of the large pond. The commonest damsel today was Azure, there were many fluttering around mainly away from the ponds and in the alders and long grass. A few Common Blues and a single Red-eyed were seen and there were good numbers of both Large Red still and Blue-tailed.

I had a walk around the Weldon ponds on my way home, the A43 pond had the usual birds while the other had a singing Reed Warbler. A stroll along the stream produced three Banded Demoiselle (I'm typing this before lunch) and also a few Orange-tips and a Holly Blue.

I'm off to Spain for a few days so this is a one post weekend, perhaps someone else might have some sightings to report.

James.

Some damsels and a dragon.

James.

Cuckoo

First Cuckoo this spring / summer heard from my Garden in Daventry today 05.00 a.m....Garden tick wahoo.

Mark

Cuckoo was my birding highlight too on my trip over to Oundle today as a single bird was heard at Barnwell CP. A lot of noisy juvenile Starlings are now begging from their parents and there are still at least five pairs of Lapwings present with even a little more water for them thanks to the rains of over a week ago.

Away from the birds my first Scarce Chasers of the year were as welcome as always with at least six males being seen. Also around were two Four-spotted Chasers at the fishing lake across the river from the marina and at least four Hairy Dragonflies which as usual did not hang around for a picture. Banded Demoiselles were the commonest species with literally hundreds about which included many maturing away from the river in the cover of the nettle beds. Also common were Red-eyeds with lots of males now taking up station on the many lily pads along the river and there was a lot of mating noted. Other species seen, mostly in good numbers were Common Blue, Azure and Blue-tailed Damsels.

Of the butterflies seen a brief showing of a Painted Lady was my first in Britain for the year, unfortunately it was a little too quick for a picture. Others found today were Brimstones, a Large White, several Speckled Woods and Peacocks and a Holly Blue.

For the birders I've included a picture from my recent Spanish foray, it's a bit cheaty but what a stunner nonetheless.

James.

An interesting if unspectacular day, I walked out to the Welland Valley below Gretton via Brookfield Plantation. Cutting across the site of the old Sunday Market I flushed a couple of Common Blue butterflies to a soundtrack of Skylark and Willow Warbler song. Brookfield yielded several Common Blues of the damsel variety and a Speckled Wood. Lots of young tits about and the thin song of Goldcrests filled the air, somewhat more pleasant than the shrieks of the local Jays.

The trilling whinny of a Dabchick came form the flooded quarry near Gretton while a Green Wood laughed from some birches. A Small Tortoiseshell was trying to bask in unpromising conditions and I found a few Red-eyed Damsels on floating mats of algae. I was a little surprised to find a first Common Spotted Orchid of the year as they're normally a June thing for me but I enjoyed the sighting all the same. Walking down across the escarpment towards the valley a few Orange-tips flitted past while a Sedge Warbler sang from a hedge next to a field of Oilseed Rape. Here a Peacock was basking in increasingly sunny conditions and a Reed Bunting sang from within the crop. Overhead a Raven croaked as it went about its business.

Reaching the Gretton to Rockingham Road I stood and watched a colony of Tree Sparrows for a while before moving on. Red Kites could be heard calling and I soon found the reason for all the clamour, a dead sheep was proving to be a draw for kite and crow alike. Initially three kites were feeding on the carcass but all took fright when they saw me (no comments please) though they did return and I took a hazy photo of the gruesome scene. There were many kites and buzzards riding the thermals and I would suppose that they were taking more than a passing interest in the dead sheep buffet.

By the time I reached Gretton Weir which is on the Lyddington Road the sun was constant and hot, a Red Admiral posed long enough to allow me a picture. There was a swirling, fluttering metallic mass of loveliness in the shape of many Banded Demoiselles intent on going forth and multiplying. One female was almost drowned by ardent suitors and even as she tried to crawl out of the river males continued to harass her. Luckily both she and a male which was knocked in managed to save themselves. A swarm of mayflies were providing food for a couple of Black-headed Gulls, a scarce sight in May around here and a good number of Large Red Damsels were taking advantage of the feast too even if the prey was about half their size. A Tufted Duck was flushed from the river where another dead sheep floated, the kites might need a wetsuit for that one though!. A few Red-eyed Damsels and a Blue-tailed made their way on to my day list and so did Small Heath as two were seen. My favourite discovery though were at least ten White-legged Damsels, straw brown immatures that probably emerged overnight so not colourful but a bit earlier than I expected. Having spent rather more time here than I realised it was with some haste that I left, the prospect of my usual pub lunch putting wings on my heels.

Racing back through Brookfield I paused long enough to enjoy a few more butterflies, many Speckled Woods, a Large White, Common Blue and two Dingy Skippers. I got more Dingy as I walked across the market site and a cluster of Bee Orchids which I also thought were a bit early. This area might reward a visit from a botanist as there seemed to be a lot of Kidney Vetch and Small Scabious, if a plant numpty like me found these then who knows what goodies an expert might stumble across? A male Brimstone was my last sighting of the day before lunch and cider time.

James.

Normal bank holiday weather took over this morning so I opted for a shortish wander around the patch with no great expectations. It turned out that I was right to take a more pessimistic view as the area was fairly quiet. With the leaf cover now obscuring most of the birds it was more a case of listening rather than watching and thankfully many birds are still in full song.

All four of the regular warblers were in good voice and a Green Woodpecker was yaffling from not too far away. In the grey and miserable conditions the hirundines and swifts were keeping low and the local Buzzard seemed reluctant to do anything apart from avoid the local crows. Talking of crows an unseasonal Jay may well have been the highlight, a heard only Kingfisher offering the only completion.

Very little other wildlife on view with just a few young rabbits and a squirrel to report. Frothy bursts of creamy elderflowers are beginning to take over from fading Hawthorn as the dominant blossom with both dogwood and bramble flowers also beginning to bloom. The brambles led me to think ahead to Gatekeepers and Silver-washed Fritillaries but that's a tale for another month.

I've included a couple of pictures of the patch in order to give you an idea of the place.

James.

Another post work outing to take advantage of the great weather. Took a trip with a local naturalist to a Forestry Commission wood near Sywell Airfield where we were lucky enough to see about thirty Wood Whites. I didn't even know about the wood never mind the butterflies so I was a little chuffed to say the least! Other butterflies here included a couple of Green-veined Whites, some Orange-tips, half a dozen Common Blues and a rather battered looking Peacock. The damsel version of Common Blue more than lived up to its name here.

On the subject of damsels a relatively short trip to a site near Church Brampton produced sightings of five or six Beautiful (and I really mean it this time) Demoiselles. This is another species that I rarely see in the county so was another treat. Other species here included a few Blue-tailed Damsels and both Orange-tips and Common Blue butterflies.

James.

I headed over to the patch after work where the conditions were much nicer than on last Monday. At least two Kingfishers were very active this afternoon while the Green Woodpecker was very vocal. More and more young birds are appearing and forming noisy parties that are passing mostly unseen through the thick foliage.

At least half a dozen Common Blue butterflies were about including one knocked about campaigner which appeared to show more than a few battle scars. The three Commas were also looking a little rough and ready, they're probably the last of the overwintering generation while a Painted Lady and a Red Admiral looked in much finer fettle. It was also good to find a couple of Small Heaths, these were the first here for several years. Finally on the butterfly front a double figure count of Green Hairstreaks was my highest total for this species for more than a few years. Two Cinnabar Moths were my first of the year and although they were reluctant to settle I managed one shot.

On the stream next to the sewage works the Banded Demoiselles are enjoying a good season with over twenty males in almost constant motion. The females, perhaps wisely, were keeping well clear of it preferring to sit it out on the nettles and other vegetation. Common Blue Damsels and several Blue-tailed were also recorded.

The true star of the day though was a Common Lizard which showed all too briefly unfortunately but was still much appreciated. I do see the occasional one here but sightings are far from annual.

James.

As soon as I found out that the Black Hairstreaks were showing at Glapthorn Cow Pasture (thank you Twitter) all previous plans for today were duly changed. I hopped on to the X4 and took the short trip over to Lower Benefield from where it was but a short stroll to the reserve along the gated road.

A small selection of cars parked in the usual area suggested that I was by no means alone in my quest and it was not long before I found a group of four people peering intently at a bramble bush. The object of their fascination was a pristine looking hairstreak and I managed a picture before it headed off towards the tops of the neighbouring blackthorns. During the next hour and a half I and a changing cast of characters were treated to further sightings of up to four individuals While some stayed high corkscrewing around the tops of the shrubs at least two popped in for a feed on the bramble flowers. Normally I have to travel miles in order to see the good stuff but these and the Emperors at Fermyn are a more than welcome exception to the rules. The only other species on view here was Speckled Wood, a small number showed well.

Walking back towards the village I checked out the stream and found a few Large Red Damsels and a male Banded Demoiselle while a male Green Woodpecker played hide and seek from the other side of a telegraph pole.

James.

County traitor time today with a twitch over to Lincolnshire for the Marsh Fritillaries at Chambers Farm Woods. As I knew we had a fairly late kicking off time I had an hours walk around the Old Village and the neighbouring West Glebe Park. The dawn chorus is past its peak and Wrens and Blackbirds made most of the music though a few others such as Goldcrest and Blackcap joined in at various times. Nothing exciting to report, many young birds have fledged while their parents set to work on the next brood. Blackbirds seemed especially busy with males in particular gathering a beak full of wriggly goodness. Plenty of Starlings around too and the alarm calls from one group alerted me to a Sparrowhawk making a slow pass over the park. A Red Kite was presumably looking for fresh roadkill while the crows and magpies were probably seeking anything edible.

My treachery was almost repaid by abject failure, conditions on site were far more miserable than the forecast predicted and the likelihood of seeing any insects appeared remote. Fortunately for me we did stumble across a couple of hardier individuals and I include a picture here even if it does not by any means count as a Northants species.

Popped into Weldon on the way back but could not find anything interesting to add.

James.

With sunshine likely to be a pretty scarce commodity over the next few days I headed out after work even if the cloud cover looked a bit unpromising. Just a brief walk over to Southwood where I spent most of my time around the pond. A pair of Coots here would require a written description if anyone other than me gave two hoots as they are very scarce at this site. Some Mallard ducklings were a surprise too as despite several recent visits I hadn't seen any likely parents here either. Aside from a couple of kites which were seemingly having some fun in the blustery conditions there were not many birds to report, nothing new there then.

A few Common Blue butterflies did not look as if they found the wind quite as enjoyable as the kites and kept as close to the ground as possible. Speckled Woods wisely chose to keep to more sheltered spots and one posed to let me take my best picture of this species so far this year. A first Emperor dragonfly of the year appeared to divide its time between the pond and the neighbouring old railway line but did not allow any pictures. Plenty of Azure and oodles of Blue-tailed Damsels plus a few Red-eyeds around while a briefly glimpsed chaser may well have been a Broad-bodied but will have to go down as a chaser sp only. Dragonfly stringing is no more acceptable than bird stringing!

James.