After work on Friday (19/04) I did a circuit of Clifford Hill main lake. Not too much about with the best being up to 40 very smart Golden Plover, 2 Ringed Plover, 2 Common Sandpiper, a couple of Wheatear, a Whitethroat and good numbers of hirundines over the trout lake. Around the corner at the Roxhill wasteland there was nothing much other than 3 Wheatear and a song flighting LRP.
Saturday (20/04) I just headed over to Boddington Reservoir in stunning sunny weather to see what was about during the morning, with the hope of seeing the Arctic Terns that had been around a couple of days. Driving past the water I could see a Tern flying past close in shore and, after parking up and getting the scope up, it became clear it was indeed an Arctic Tern, great start. The place was alive with birds (and fishermen) with plenty of Tree Sparrows in the hedges as well as my first Sedge Warbler singing away close to the road.
There were good numbers of Warblers around with several each of Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap. Close to Byfield Pool I heard that classic scolding call of a nearby Willow Tit and it wasn't long before I was getting fabulous views of a male moving around singing it's head off and was probably the most showy one I've seen yet. The Arctic Tern was showing brilliantly at times around the dam end and was soon joined by a second bird. At times they would fly by no more than 15 feet away, with one of them even catching a small fish right in front of me. Brilliant!
A couple of single Yellow Wagtail headed north, a couple of very vocal Raven were over the dam end and a Grey Wagtail showed well displaing, also at the dam. Was all very spring-like! I had very early start on Sunday (21/04) to go around 'my patch' of Earls Barton GPs for the RSPB Breeding Birds Survey. I did the first part last week but want to keep tabs on it to see what's what ready for my next survey in May. Before I headed down there I had a quick 25 mins around Summer Leys. It wasn't long before the Grasshopper Warbler showed well in the grassy area by the car park, reeling it's arse off. From Rotary Hide, a nice looking summ plum Black tailed Godwit was on Round Island and my first Reed Warbler of the year was really bursting out it's song right in front of the hide. With several Sedge Warblers rattling away too, along with gorgeous sunrise, it had a real Spring feel to it.
My patch was looking good with highlights being my first Lesser Whitethroat and Cuckoo of the year, a particularly well marked Green Sandpiper, a small flock of Redpoll sp. still about, several Common Terns, a possible Arctic Tern straight through, a Raven, good numbers of Sedge Warblers, Willow Warblers and Blackcap, 2 singing Cetti's Warbler, displaying Redshank and Oystercatcher, a Snipe.
I met up with Dave after he'd had a look around his nearby patch and we then went over to Chelveston Airfield to look for a Ring Ouzel seen there yesterday. It looked really great for migrants and we did see 5-10 Wheatear and several Yellow Wagtail overhead, however the Ring Ouzel failed to show and presumably had moved on. After that we headed onto Polebrook Airfield to look for Nightingales. It could have been a little early for them, however with several reported around the country, it was definitely worth a go. After a good search around we drew a blank, however just when we thought of heading back to the car, there was the distinctive sound of a singing Nightingale in sub-song. It was amazing how stealthy they are. Several times we had the bird in the bush next to us no more than 5 feet away, but still you couldn't see it! After a pint at the pub we finished up with a brief visit to Summer Leys. Here we eventually saw our first Greenshank of the year and there was also a White Wagtail on the grass to the left of the feeding station and more encouraging numbers of Common Terns with between 5-10 birds present.
After work today (16/04) I headed down to Clifford Hill GPs in the hope of catching up with the several lingering Redstarts that had appeared over the last couple of days. With as many as five reported this morning, my hopes were high. It wasn't long before I came across John Philpot & Kirsty watching and photograping a stunning male Redstart and it showed well but briefly in the hedge on the southern perimeter. Another bird, a female further along the hedgerow/fenceline was also very illusive. Further along still, we found a very skulking Whitethroat, as well as a very vocal Chiffchaff and one or two feeding Willow Warblers.
There were several Wheatear along here and the adjacent field too. The maximum I counted was 9, however I think there were probably more.
Before leaving I had great views of what I think was another male Redstart which, at times showed brilliantly well on the fence and bushes.
Before heading for home, I then drove round the corner to the Roxhill development between Clifford Hill GP and Brackmills, a large area currently wasteland. Here I managed to see the beautiful male Whinchat that Mike Alibone found that evening. What seemed rather different was the fact that it was feeding on the ground with 8-9 Wheatear, rather than the classical Whinchat perch pose. On leaving it had though decided a wooden fence was more to his liking! Also here was another male Redstart in an adjacent hedge, as well as 3 LRPs too, a cracking little site! I tried to get a photo of the Whinchat but it was just too distant!
The evening of Thursday (11/04) I headed to Summer Leys. The only birds of note were my first Swallows of the year, with around 5 through. The next day (12/04) again, I headed to Summer Leys after work to catch up with 2 Black Necked Grebes that had been on show all day. They showed well but fairly distantly from the feeding station and, for most of the time were asleep. But they were looking stunning in their summer plumage. Despite getting caught in a heavy old rain shower, I still managed to find a female Pintail on the scrape, a couple of Common Tern and a handful of House Martins in addition to several Swallows and Sand Martins too.
Today I headed to a very foogy Borough Hill early doors, in the hope of Ring Ouzel. Despite the early fog, it eventually cleared. Best birds were a very vocal female Brambling, 2 smart male Wheatears and a couple of Swallows, however sadly no Rouzels or Redstarts.
Dave had a male Rouzel first thing at Harrington Airfield so I went there next however it appeared to have moved on with just 2-3 Wheatear present in the general area of the 3rd bunker. Dave and I went onto Hollowell Reservoir. From the point, highlights were a group of around 10 stunning looking Yellow Wagtails, 2 Jack Snipe and a steady movement of Swallows, Sand Martins and a few House Martins.
In the evening I went down to Clifford Hill in rather wet conditions. Wasn't too much of any great note although the visit did produce a couple of year ticks in the shape of a Common Sand and a LRP. Also there were at least 200 Golden Plover, many of which in their smart black bellied summer plumage.
I've done a fair bit of birding over the last week or so, however for all the birding I've done, lets just say my luck has been distinctly average. Last Tuesday (02/04) I nipped into a very windy and cold Clifford Hill GP after work, finding a smart male Wheatear, around 30 Snipe and a solitary Dunlin. On Thursday (04/04) I headed for Summer Leys after work finding another male Wheatear in the field by Pete Wilde's lake and a Curlew opposite the feeding station, however very little else. On Saturday, (06/04) I started at Trafford bridge near Culworth down by the River Welland. Nothing special found other than several Snipe and lots of Buzzards, however it was clear the weather was finally turning into something a tad more spring-like! Nipping into Boddington Reservoir and a quick stroll around Borough Hill failed to come up with much. Next Ecton SF held the drake Garganey, again showing well along the outflow channel, also there were around 10 Chiffchaff but I failed to track down the Sibe. Sunday (07/04) began with an early start at a frosty Clifford Hill GP, yielding a smart summer plumaged Black Tailed Godwit, a few Snipe and Goosander. Summer Leys was a little better, with me finally catching up with the Great White Egret there. It was really active, constantly on the move around the main lake and was always pretty distant. Also there was a brief bit of song from a Willow Warbler, 3 Redshank, and a brief Ringed Plover. That afternoon after doing a couple of errands and heading home, I went over to Gallows Bridge Farm NR near Bicester on the off chance the Stone Curlew was still about however it appeared to have finally done a bunk...bugger!
Finally, yesterday (09/04) a singing male Firecrest turned up at the Eastern end of Ditchford GPS, near to the A6 bridge. I headed there after work, however frustratingly it clearly had decided to head to bed and failed to show to me or anyone else there until I left at 19:00pm. The lucks not exactly in at the moment but hey, shit happens! While there I did manage to locate the drake Green-Winged Teal on the Irthlingborough Floods, finding it almost straight away! Also there were around 6 fly-through Sand Martins, a couple of Redshank, 4 fly-over Goosander and several Snipe.
Yesterday I headed to Clifford Hill GP, Summer Leys, Pitsford Reservoir & Ecton SF. Clifford Hill had nothing more than 3 Goosander (1 drake), Summer Leys had just 4 Redshank, while Pitsford faired a little better with 5 Smew (2 drakes), 2 Shelduck and a year tick in the shape of a Willow Tit all around the Scaldwell Bay. Finally just when I was thinking of heading home a drake Garganey turned up at Ecton SF so headed over there with Dave and got great views of it and what a stunning bird it was. Also seen there were the Green Sandpiper, several Chiffchaff and a small flock Lesser Redpoll including a possible but all too brief Mealy.
