The lengths & breadths of Northants

On Saturday (18/04) I spent a while in Bucknell Wood, near Silverstone enjoying the sunshine and the first really good numbers of Orange Tips now on the wing, together with 1-2 Green-Veined Whites. The Bluebells too were beginning to show, though not quite at their peak.

I then went on to a great site for Slow Worms where I came across two whopping great specimens, as well as a small Common Lizard.

I popped into Summer Leys to see if the Whinchat reported earlier in the day, was still about. In severe heat haze, there was no sign, however in the fields either side of the lane were 2 Yellow Wagtail & around 5 White Wagtail. On Mary's, a nice pair of Red Crested Pochard were feeding, together with a few Gadwall. The Med Gull was still in the gull colony on rotary island, a couple of Common Tern were around and a nice surprise was a pair of Grey Partridge in fields by the lane as I was leaving.

  















The next day, Sunday (19/04), I again popped into Summer Leys as I was passing and almost immediately chanced upon presumably the same male Whinchat as had been seen the previous day in the ploughed field behind the Paul Britten hide. Spring male Whinchats really are great looking things!

3 Yellow Wagtails were again in the area, together with a smart male Wheatear. There also appeared to be a bit of an increase in Common Tern numbers over night.

I spent the rest of the day further north, checking a reliable Nightingale site. I failed to track one down there, however I did see and hear my first Cuckoo of the year and the number of Blackcaps here was impressive.

Glapthorn Cow Pasture eventually yielded a singing Nightingale, however it took quite a while and even when I did hear it, it only gave out odd snippets. A male Tawny Owl bizarrely gave out a couple of calls in the late afternoon sunshine, while a flock of around 15 Fieldfares overhead was unexpected and possibly my latest ever.

The main lake at Stanwick GPs was my last stop. The adult Glaucous Gull was about, however staring into the sun I couldn't locate it amongst the resting gulls. A bird that I'm almost certain was it, made off high to the west and there ended my chance to see it, never mind!
2 LRPs were about, a 2nd-summer Little Gull was flying around the lake and a couple of singing Reed Warblers were in the nearby reedbed. A nice couple of yearticks to finish the day!