Birding in Northants (2 Viewers)

I had a morning stroll around Brookfield Plantation and the fields around Gretton and managed to see a few bits and bobs. The coniferous portions of the wood were rather dull with Coal Tits, Goldcrests and Chaffinches noted. Other parts had a more varied selection with several warbler species including Garden and both of the commoner woodpeckers.

A large field full of sheep had attracted a few Red Kites wheeling and circling and presumably hoping that one of the flock might keel over and give them a brekkie bonanza. The kites were joined by a few buzzards and one Raven. Nearby the flooded quarry held two pairs of Dabchick and a singing Sedge Warbler which was my first local one. A Swift seen a few minutes later was also a Corby year tick, they don't appear to have returned to Corby village this year.

The surrounding fields were surprisingly sterile with none of the usual farmland birds present although the hedgerows seemed to support healthy numbers of Whitethroats. On the return walk through the wood another Raven flew over pruk prukking softly.

Two mammals of note were Fox and Fallow Deer while butterflies seen were Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Orange-tip and Speckled Wood. Large numbers of St Mark's flies droning around too.

James.

Back on the patch today enjoying the morning sunshine. Another patch rarity, no not some lost alpine stray but a female Gadwall, not too exciting I know but only the second record here. Five species of warbler were singing away but the highlight for me was excellent views of the male Kingfisher, the colours positively glowed in the sunlight.

Less flashy but still interesting was my first Dingy Skipper of the year, I got nice views through the bins but the little blighter was far too active to get a photo. Lots of Orange-tips and a single Peacock made up the balance of today's butterfly list.

James.

A rain delayed start today meant an afternoon jaunt so I spent an OK sort of morning watching a collection of soggy birds feeding in the garden. The Starlings as usual arrived mob handed, a squabbling, squawking horde of agitation followed by the sparrows. Blackbirds and Robins tend to hop about discretely hoping to get a mealworm or two before their rowdy fellow diners can polish off the lot. Blue Tits and occasionally Great and Coal come over all ninja-like, in and out in the blinking of an eye which is in stark contrast to the arrival of Wood Pigeons. These come crashing in putting the smaller birds to flight and then spend more of the time fighting amongst themselves than eating. Their smaller cousins, Collared Doves are a classier act, they eat what they want and then move on in much the same way that the Magpies and Jackdaws do. A part of me hoped that a Sparrowhawk might pay a call and spark a bit of interest but it wasn't to be.

When the sun came out I ventured over to the patch where I didn't see much at all. After yesterday which was spent watching Cranes, Firecrests, Dotterels, Stone Curlews and Great White Egret it was a bit of a come down. The highlights, such as they were included Grey Wagtail, an unseasonal Marsh Tit and the first gangs of Long-tailed Tit fledglings. With Spring passage all but over I suspect that this will be my normal sort of day for the next few months-sigh.

James.

Little to report from the Daventry area, seems to be getting more summer like in respect of bird migration, plenty of swifts over the dam , with some very close fly bys, also Garden Warblers seem more numerous than usual with one giving a very strange hissy sub song, made me stop for a while and check it out yesterday. The starlings nesting in our loft seemed to of fledged much to the other halfs delight.

Regards from Mark

Something of a departure in that I have something genuinely interesting to report! Popped over to Pitsford Res after work to see the Wood Warbler. The bird was singing and showing well in oak trees near the fishing lodge and I watched it between 18:30 and 18:45. This is my first one in the county since the long staying one in Corby a few years ago.

James.

Another trip to the patch with little to report, a fleeting glimpse of a Kingfisher being the highlight. Swift and Grey Wag in the Village but little else. Today's tedium coupled with a trip to Bempton yesterday reminded me of an incident from my birding past. I should warn you that this tale involves dead bodies, deception and fraud so if you have a nervous disposition proceed with caution.

It happened in January way back in the 1980's when two bored birders found a guillemot corpse in Norfolk and thought it might be funny to leave it in a place back in Corby where a friend could find it. Given that this friend was suffering from crippling back pain and wasn't getting out we sent it on a post death flight over his garden fence to guarantee it's discovery. A cry from his wife that "there's a penguin in the garden" sent him shuffling painfully down the stairs where he discovered Lazarus. Guessing correctly who was responsible for Pingu's visit I received a mildly abusive phone call and there both the matter and the guillemot should have been laid to rest.

Unfortunately two other birders quite enjoyed our prank and so Lazarus took yet another flight into another garden. The victim in this instance was far more enthusiastic than knowledgeable so I was invited round to hear some "exciting" news. By a fluke of fortune the hapless auk had landed beneath his bird table and he had concocted quite a tale to explain this most unlikely of garden bird's last hours. It had apparently arrived several nights before ( he could recall hearing a commotion ) and understandably wary of it's unfamiliar surroundings had taken to hiding in the shrubbery. Emerging at night it had tried to eke out a meagre existence on fallen scraps but had tragically expired, a victim of exhaustion. Proud of his exotic visitor he had then phoned the county recorder who taking the sighting at face value informed him of it's great rarity. Now I don't mind the deception or the tormenting of invalids but county list fraud was taking things a step too far. Beans were duly spilled, apologies made (he took it very well) and a call to the recorder hastily dialled. Lazarus was buried with appropriate ceremony and our own version of the Hastings Rarities avoided.

I learned quite a lesson on that occasion and wanted to pass the experience on. If you're a little bored try and find something of interest be it butterflies or dragonflies but please don't resort to dead auk abuse, it could lead to all sorts of trouble!

James.

Got some time of work so took a rather soggy walk around South Wood. Usual selection of woodland birds including Garden Warbler. A couple of nice birds in the shape of a Grasshopper Warbler in the large clearing and two Oystercatchers flying over. Excellent views of a Sparrowhawk while I was sheltering under a tree, you could gauge its progress through the wood by listening to the alarm calls rippling in front of it. Found an active Badger sett which I may visit in the near future.

Off to Frampton for some Stilt appreciation.

James.

A nice start this morning with a Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding on suet in the garden, a first and a nice change from all the noisy juvenile Starlings.

At the patch a juvenile Grey Wagtail was the highlight but there were few other bird related ones. Luckily butterflies saved the day ( and prevented me returning to the ignoble sport of Guillemot Hurling ) and I saw Green Hairstreak, Grizzled Skipper, Common Blue, Small White and Orange-tip.

James.

Female Red footed falcon seen yesterday possibly in the Boddington / daventry area, checked Dav Res in the afternoon briefly , no sign but plenty of Swifts.

Mark

It's a shame that the Red-foot seems to have moved on, I'd like to have seen it.

Was down at Weldon this morning enjoying the drizzle. On the A43 pond the swans are the proud parents of six young cygnets, they appear to be a couple of days old. Other proud parents included Dabchick and Coot with one and three young respectively. Ten Tufted Ducks, two drake Gadwall, a pair of Mallards and one each of Canada and Grey Lag made up the rest of the tally ( I hope those two don't produce any more of those yukky hybrids).

At the other pond there were only Coots and Moorhens on the water though a male Reed Bunting was bringing food to what I imagine was a nest in the scrub. Plenty of warblers singing but nothing different.

Later on I heard Redpoll (presumably Lesser) at Oakley Hay.

I'm off to Turkey for a non birding holiday so will apologise to any insomniacs that use my posts as a way to getting off to sleep, try counting sheep as it seems to work for many!

James.

string boozel said:

It's a shame that the Red-foot seems to have moved on, I'd like to have seen it.

Was down at Weldon this morning enjoying the drizzle. On the A43 pond the swans are the proud parents of six young cygnets, they appear to be a couple of days old. Other proud parents included Dabchick and Coot with one and three young respectively. Ten Tufted Ducks, two drake Gadwall, a pair of Mallards and one each of Canada and Grey Lag made up the rest of the tally ( I hope those two don't produce any more of those yukky hybrids).

At the other pond there were only Coots and Moorhens on the water though a male Reed Bunting was bringing food to what I imagine was a nest in the scrub. Plenty of warblers singing but nothing different.

Later on I heard Redpoll (presumably Lesser) at Oakley Ha

I'm off to Turkey for a non birding holiday so will apologise to any insomniacs that use my posts as a way to getting off to sleep, try counting sheep as it seems to work for many!

James.

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Enjoy your hols , we expect a full trip report for some bed time reading !!

Mark

Mystery bird calling as it flew over my house, kind of finch like but maybe a small wader, these can often be very frustrating especially as i could not visually see it, heading towards daventry res, ....umm

Blackbird nesting in my shed , sitting on 4 eggs

mark

The Great Spotted Wood was back on the feeder today but is far too nervy for me to get a photo, it won't stop me trying however.

James.

Back on the hallowed turf of Northants paying my birding dues ( the Frampton Broad-billed having apparently gone) and started off at Weldon. At the A43 pond the pen swan was brooding her cygnets so I couldn't tell if she still had the full set. At least seven Tufted Ducks still there though the Gadwalls appear to have gone. Taking their place was a drake Mandarin, my first for this site so I wasn't too disappointed. Other birds here included Coot, Moorhen, Dabchick, Mallard and Greylag. Found a Common Shrew which appeared to be in a bad way, it was constantly spinning around like a kitten chasing its tail and was completely oblivious to my presence.

At the other pond a Sedge Warbler was singing from the reedy patch and a Heron was fishing in the margins. Both Coot and Moorhen seen, the former with one well grown chick. A Peacock butterfly was a surprise as the weather was certainly not great.

Couldn't resist popping into the patch on the way home where there was another singing Sedge Warbler. Good views of a family party of Lesser Whitethroats and a couple of Grey Wagtails plus a brief view of Kingfisher completed the bird list. In brightening conditions I saw Painted Lady, Common Blue, Small White and Cinnabar Moth and found my first Bee Orchid of the year. All in all none too shoddy a day.

James.

Out and about around South Wood today enjoying the good weather, not too many birds but lots of other wildlife to admire.

A lot of young birds about at the mo with good numbers of Coal Tit in particular, got good views of Marsh Tit too. A Grasshopper Warbler was still reeling in the clearing where up to five Reed Buntings were singing. The large balancing pond near to Eurohub had both Kingfisher and Heron.

The only mammal of note was Fallow Deer though insects seemed to respond well to the sunshine. Good numbers of both Speckled Wood and Common Blue while Small Heath, Dingy Skipper and Peacock were also seen. My first good day of the year for dragons with Emperor and Four-spotted Chaser showing at the pond and Common Blue, Blue-tailed and Red-eyed Damsels there too. The margins of the pond were also alive with tadpoles which I believe may be Toad.

A very good display of Common Spotted Orchids especially in the shorter grass near the old railway line.

James.

Back on the patch this morning and things have become fairly static birdwise. Black-headed Gulls are returning to the area, I saw my first on Thursday and another today. Jays have reappeared too and that apart form Kingfisher was it as far as birds were concerned.

An adult Common Frog was my first for the patch and a welcome record. With the sun playing hide and seek behind the clouds it was not a great session for butterflies though I managed sightings of Painted Lady ( the same tatty individual from last week ), Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Speckled Wood and Large Skipper. A single Azure Damselfly was also seen.

A Red Admiral in the garden was a first for the year.

James.

After yesterday's post I decided to shun Antiques Roadshow ( sorry Fiona ) and head out to the clearing at South Wood. I had an optimistic notion that it might attract a Nightjar but it didn't. There were two Grasshopper Warblers reeling away and a Meadow Pipit song flighting and it was interesting to note Buzzards using the pylons as a lookout from which to hunt. The rabbits actually emerged about ten minutes after the Buzzards went to roost so it proves they're not stupid. Plenty of Ghost Swift moths flying about.

Today I headed off to Weldon were there was a Jeremy Kyle style revelation in that last week's eclipse drake Mandarin had changed into a female. I'd like to defend my stringage by advancing the two bird theory but I think I just did not pay enough attention. Other birds at the A43 pond included eleven Tufted Duck, a group of yukky eclipse Mallards, Dabchick, Coot and Moorhens. Was able to check the swan family today and saw that they have five cygnets which are now about Mallard sized. A Garden Warbler was in full song although the Willow Warbler song is now tailing off a bit.

Not much at the other pond where apart from the Coots and Moorhens there was a fly-over Greylag. The Sedge Warbler was still singing and included calls from Reed Bunting, Blackbird and Green Sandpiper in its repertoire.

Not much else to report, the butterflies were pretty duff with only a single Meadow Brown being seen. A colony of twenty plus Bee Orchids next to the A43 pond were a good find, at least I can photograph those!

James.

Well done james , nice to see you keeping this Northants thread going, even at this quiet time of year, little at daventry country park, apart from several young Common Terns at least five on each raft, plenty of mud showing here now, so looking good for some waders in July, highlight for me at the weekend was trying to tell the missus that the young blackbird sqwauking in the garden, was not as helpless as it looked, none the less we were following it everywhere throwing mealworms at it, not sure its parents were too impressed !
ooh forgot to mention I also got the missus another lifer as we drove home from the cinema...in the form of a little owl , she was very impressed, although this was in Warwickshire

Mark

Thanks Mark, sometimes I get the impression that I'm polishing a Dame Thora when I read back the posts but I can only write what I see. It's always nice to hear about people getting a lifer even if it wasn't in our sainted county so congrats to Mrs S on seeing that Little Owl. Looking forward to hearing about the waders at Daventry, it's about time we had a Lesser Yellowlegs or a Baird's isn't it?

James.

Off work yesterday, so went for a stroll up to our local hgh spot ( Borough hill ) via the country park, the mud here has attracted 1 Oystercatcher, 1 little Ringed Plover and a lapwing, plenty of young wildfowl about now also, Borough hill produced little apart from Singing Skylark in good numbers and Meadow Pipits.. always guaranteed to lift the spirits !and plenty of common Butterflies, and a mixture of Damsel flies, was hoping for Marbled White as I have seen them here before, maybe a little early for them yet, today a pale Honey Buzzard has been seen high over Daventry drifting West ! ( Not seen by myself)

Mark