Northants & Ouse Washes

On Saturday afternoon (04/05) I decided to treck all the way out to Polebrook Airfield. My main quarrel here were Turtle Dove & Nightingale. On the way I popped into Stanwick GPs in the hope the morning's Avocet maybe still about. I was in luck, with it continuing to strut around the A45 lay-by pit. Also there were a couple of LRP, a Dunlin, 2 Yellow Wagtail & a very vocal Cuckoo.

At Polebrook it wasn't long before I was enjoying the purring of a male Turtle Dove. It was a pig to see with only a brief perched view before it and another cruised over my head. Also in the same area were a couple of equally elusive male Nightingale competing away with their typical loud bursts of song.

There had been various reports of Red Footed Falcons at Ouse Washes, with certainly a single male confimred through photographs. This would be a lifer for me so Dave and I headed there on on a stinking hot day to see what we could find (Sunday 05/05)

Typically the Falcon had been reported right at the far end of the reserve so off we trudged along the bank, stopping at several of the hides on the way up. First good bird was a very lost adult Whooper Swan amongst the local Mutes out on the washes feeding away. There were plenty of waders to be seen, including 2 Greenshank, c.20 Black Tailed Godwit, several Avocet, several Ruff (including a stunning black male with full ruff), 2 Ringed Plover and several Dunlin.

About half way along the bank Dave just happened to turn round and to his suprise a Common Crane was cruising low over our heads!! It showed really well as it slowly gained hight and drifted off south, Brilliant! Slightly further along the bank we heard further Cranes and jumped up the bank to see two more cruising distantly north. Below is one of the shots Dave quickly rattled off.

It was my first visit to the washes and I have to say it looks like a great site! A couple of Marsh Harriers cruised about, a drake Garganey showed in front of one of the hides and the whole reserve was full of breeding Redshank and quite a few Snipe including a drumming male which was nice. There was though sadly no sign of any Red Footed Falcons, despite several Kestrel false alarms! On the way out of the reserve we managed great views of a singing male Corn Bunting in a rape field right by the road. Was great to get such close views. We then heard of a Wood Warbler back in Northants and thought it had to be done so we headed to Badby near Daventry, via Northampton.

We eventually found the belt of trees it had been heard in earlier in the day. The location was along a lane just off the A361 near Badby. But in the evening sun there appeared to be no sign, with two other birders soon heading off despite a good search. Just as we were contemplating heading home there it was, the unmistakable song of a male Wood Warbler!! We had to hear it again just to check we weren't hearing things and soon enough it began to sing it's heart out, bloody brilliant. It showed really well too for the next 20 minutes or so. This was a long overdue county tick and my first Wood Warbler for some years.