Friends of the Fens

 

Back in June, we introduced you to one of our new trainees – Henry Day.

Henry is proving to be an excellent trainee who brings with him a passion for birding, and all things nature related.
As a Junior Wildlife Ambassador for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust, and with a talent for using social media, Henry frequently posts on his birding adventures, his conservation work and numerous surveys.

In 2025 Henry wanted to do something to support three organizations that maintain nature reserves where he had spent many happy hours, The Beds, Cambs and Northants Wildlife Trust https://www.wildlifebcn.org/ The RSPB https://www.rspb.org.uk/ and The National Trust https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/countryside-woodland/visit-our-nature-reserves

Along with his friend James Anker an idea was formed that would become known as The Fenathlon.
This would be a one-day event starting at Woodwalton Fen and cycling 21km to St Ives quayside. They would then Kayak 12.3km from the quayside to Ouse Fen, along the River Great Ouse. Finally, they would walk from Ouse Fen to Wicken Fen, 24.6km, taking in The Rothschild Way and the banks of the River Great Ouse.

Although this undertaking was done in 2025, raising £5,300 for the three organizations, it wasn’t until this year that Henry and James were nominated for the BBC Make A Difference Awards.
We learnt recently that Henry and James had received a ‘Highly Commended’ award in the Young Hero Category.

                                               

Well done to you both and keep up your inspirational work.

 

Full details of the route taken can be found at
https://www.naturetastichenry.com/post/introducing-the-fenathlon

Henry and James’s reflections on The Fenathlon can be found at https://www.naturetastichenry.com/post/a-fentastic-journey

Picture reproduced with parental consent.

 

Ringing this autumn at Brixworth Water Recycling Centre

Hello

Our regular venue at Brixworth, with kind permission of Anglian Water, has provided us with opportunities for ringing again this autumn with passage warblers providing most of the action. However we do sometimes catch wagtails and pipits and other birds, as depicted...

Images courtesy of Sean Gower, Michelle Spinks and Jane Neill...all taken at Brixworth in August and September 2026.

Potential attendees are required to wear Personal Protective Equipment - High Vis sleeved top, High Vis trousers, a hard hat or 'bump' cap, steel toe-capped footwear and to be in possession of gloves, ear defenders and eye protection.

Should you wish to be involved and/or come along to watch the action and prepared to obtain and wear the PPE and comply with the on-site Risk Assessment, please email me -

neil.mcmahonoriole@btinternet.com

Thank-you

Neil McMahon

Yellow Wagtail.

Tree Pipit.

Green Woodpecker.

Common Redstart.

Kingfisher.

An Inspirational new member to our team

Last Thursday members of Northants Ringing Group assembled at Storton’s Nature reserve to conduct some ringing.

Ringing on the south side of the reed bed, the aim being to catch summer migrants as Storton’s hosts many species of summer visitors and possibly the Savi’s Warbler that had caused such a stir over the last couple of days.

We were joined that morning by our young trainee Henry Day and his mum Sophie.
Henry had come along to one of Northants Ringing Group’s taster ringing sessions in late 2025.

He was not old enough to take up ringing, but came along with his mum to experience a session, and see if bird ringing was an option for him.

It became apparent during our initial meeting that Henry was going to take to ringing like a duck to water.

As soon as he was old enough, he applied for his training licence and has attended a number of full ringing sessions at Storton’s, under the supervision of licenced trainer Chris Payne.

Henry spent the morning leaning how to handle and ring  a variety of birds including: Blackcap, Chiffchaf, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Robin and Blue Tit.

Henry has thrived under Chris’s guidance, and he will continue to gain experience at various ringing sites throughout the county.

Henry is a prolific creator of wildlife videos tailored to the younger generation. His YouTube channel  https://www.youtube.com/NaturetasticWH  hosts around 73 videos which is quite impressive for someone his age.

His efforts on social media has also earned him a role as a Junior Ambassador for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust. 

Henry was recently promoting 30 Days Wild on the BBC Breakfast sofa and explained very confidently what the project was all about.

In addition, Henry recently visited the Sand Martin bank at  https://www.wildlifebcn.org   Summer Leys Nature Reserve and filmed the Sand Martins as they flew in and out of the bank, building their nests.

This short film was featured in a recent episode of BBC Springwatch.

When watching Henry promoting various events and projects or telling us about the amazing wildlife in our area, one wonders if he will emulate one of our previous trainees.

Many years ago, we were joined by a young man who wanted to expand his ringing experience, prior to going to university.

That young man was Hamza Yassin who has become an outstanding wildlife photographer and presenter, and now has sell-out talks at venues across the country.

We look forward to many more visits from Henry, a great addition to our Ringing Group.

Woughton Orchard Demonstration

 On Saturday 9th May Northants Ringing Group members, led by Kenny Cramer, gave a demonstration at Woughton Orchard.

The group normally participates in the Orchard Apple Day in the autumn, when thrushes are more abundant, feeding on the windfalls but this year a Spring Fair was also held.

The narrative below, and the pictures, have been supplied by Kenny Cramer.

Despite the rubbish forecast earlier in the week, we were treated to a gloriously warm and sunny day, with the only slight complaint being the moderate breeze which kept the nets moving a bit. (We ringers are never satisfied!!!)

We arrived at the luxurious time of 10:30am and got busy setting nets, or at least, the only nets I actually remembered to bring which were the two for The Beast. While Jasper dutifully drove back to the house to get the rest of the nets, I took the team on a short tour of the site, and we were treated to a brief glimpse of the family of very small fox cubs that have been lurking around the bottom one of the net rides. We then set about erecting the canopy net and no sooner had we left it, it started catching birds. By this time Jasper got back with the rest of the nets and the next hour was a blur of setting up and extraction. After this small set back, we sat down with our first handful of birds, a good hour before the event was due to open to the public. Before long the punters started to trickle through, and the birds pretty much did the same.

Group members relax between net rounds.

 By the end we had amassed a total of 35 birds of 11 species, with just 6 retraps from previous years. Unsurprisingly tits dominated the day, but in amongst them was a long-tailed tit originally ringed in 2022, making it at least 4 years old. Greenfinches were also present in good numbers with 6 birds receiving rings, the first we have encountered here since 2022, and 3 of which were this year's youngsters - the first we have seen. A magpie was a feisty addition to the day (sadly before we had any spectators to show its beautiful iridescent plumage to), and having only had one previous blackcap in the orchard, it was nice to add three more to the total.

Star birds of the day were a garden warbler and a lesser whitethroat, both new species for the site. We should probably also give an honourable mention to the parakeets for NOT going in the nets!

 

Lesser Whitethroat.

Overall, it was a rather nice, relaxing afternoon without too many birds, or too many people, and the people we did encounter seemed genuinely engaged and fascinated by the process.

 

Engaging with some of the younger visitors.

Species caught (figures in brackets denote Retraps – birds ringed previously).

Great Tit 5 Blackcap 3 Blue Tit 8 (3) Magpie 1 Greenfinch 6 Long-tailed Tit (2)
Lesser Whitethroat 1 Dunnock (1) Garden Warbler 1 Blackbird 1

BTO ANNUAL CONFERENCE 28th February 2026

Several Northants Ringing Group members (and indeed Northants Bird Club members too) attended the British Trust for Ornithology 2026 Conference held at the Mercure Hotel in central Northampton.

Delegates were welcomed with coffee and pastries in the foyer in time for a 10am start to the day’s programme which proved both varied and interesting – something for everyone – from a report on the study of the disease that is causing the decline in Blackbirds to tracking and monitoring Seabirds in Scotland.

In the morning delegates heard from speakers on their work on Nightjars and wintering Gulls; and Katie Phillips from the BTO outlined the upcoming Bird Atlas 2027-31 work, for which we are all invited to sign up to undertake survey work when the time comes.

A delicious vegan hot buffet was served at lunch time during which there was plenty of time to meet friends old and new and share experiences and to visit the stands in the hall – from folk selling their beautiful art work to projects outlining their work and findings.

.

Thanks to the amazing skills of John and Nick NRG had a new display-board on our stand – showcasing John Boland and the Storton team’s Water Rail Colour-ringing Project and the nest boxes (some with cameras in or near them) for birds of prey that Chris Payne makes.

After lunch the organisers trialled the ‘speed dating’ concept whereby 6 speakers each took to the stage for just 10 minutes on such subjects as Youth Engagement in the BTO, Heronries in Carmarthenshire, Birds in Green Spaces and the BTO’s various Regional Networks and Grant and Training schemes.

And then, after a short tea-break the afternoon closed with talks about the monitoring of bird populations across the Chilterns and the methods being trialled to boost threatened Curlew populations in the UK.

It was a great day for all concerned. The choice of a venue so close to home was much appreciated by NRG, but delegates from farther afield too found Northampton and its motorway and rail network nice and central to travel to.

Eco-Warriers

 Olney Infant Academy.

On Friday 5th December I was joined by eight Eco-Warriers from Olney Infant Academy, and their teacher Mrs Lukic, with the objective of replacing seven nest boxes at the Academy.

Box History.

Putting nest boxes up at the Academy was the idea of the late Mrs Ann Murtagh, a former teacher and leader of the Forest School. The initial boxes were built with the help of the Olney Scouts and placed on various trees in 2021. 
The boxes have been monitored every year since and to-date a total of twenty-three Blue Tit and three Great Tit nestlings have been ringed.

Nest Box 6 in 2023

Replacements,

The Eco-Warriers helped with measuring the distance of the nest box hole to the ground, and finding the orientation of the nest box entrance. These measurements, along with the type of tree the box has been placed on, are taken to see if birds have any preference for the height of a nest box and/or the direction that the entrance holes faces.

Eco_Warriers help replace a nest box

The pupils.

The Eco-Warriers were very knowledgeable about the wildlife to be found within the Academy grounds and they were interested to learn what may nest in the boxes and how many eggs may be laid. Let's hope that the new boxes prove acceptable and that next year I can show the Eco-Warriers how we ring nestlings.

Olney Infant Academy has been awarded Eco-School status for the last three years.
Olney Infant Academy

In search of Winter Thrushes

The plan.

Yesterday, 30th October, a group of Northants Ringing Group ringers assembled at Stortons Nature Reserve, Northampton. The aim was to try catching some winter migrants namely Fieldfare and Redwing.
It was a chilly start, about four degrees centigrade, and damp when we arrived just after 6am.

The Beast.

The nets were soon up, including a net system, known as 'The Beast', and built by group member John Boland . This net, which is two sixty foot mist nets, one on top of the other, allows us to reach a height of about six meters and hopefully stand a chance of catching thrushes as they fly across the hedge tops.

The wait.

Each net round was approached with an air of expectation. Would we have wintering thrushes or, as is often the case, a net full of Blue and Great Tits.
As the morning warmed up, and the birds began moving around, we started to have some good catches and despite the lack of thrushes we were surprised by the number of Blackcaps and Chiffchaff we caught. The Blackcaps were mainly first year females and may have been moving through on their way southward.

Ringing base for the morning

The results.

After some six hours we decided to call it a day, as the temperature dropped and the wind started to increase.
We were delighted to have processed eighty-seven birds of which sixty-six were new birds and twenty one were re-traps (birds that had been ringed previously on-site, or possibly elsewhere). Data from retraps is very important because it gives us information on species longevity and site fidelity, and in the case of migrants their possible migration routes.

Redwing (Turdus iliacus)

Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)

The following species were processed. The figure in brackets denotes the number of retraps.

Chiffchaff 9. Long-tailed Tit 10 (9). Wren 2 (2). Goldcrest 7 (3). Robin 3 (3). Reed Bunting 7. Blue Tit 9 (3). Blackcap 7
Redpoll 1. Dunnock 2. Great Tit 1. Greenfinch 2. Blackbird 1. Cetti's Warbler 3 (1). Redwing 2.

In addition to the birds processed we saw Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Raven, Cormorant and two Stonechat.

 

Supporting Northants Ringing Group.

Northants Ringing Group (NRG) has received an extremely generous gift from one of the group ringers, Lewis Aaron and the family business JKS UK Ltd based in Corby.

On 21^st August Neil McMahon collected on behalf of NRG a brand-new brush cutter and accessories, which will be used for net ride maintenance.

Neil McMahon accepting the brushcutter from Lewis Aaron

 Summer Solstice ringing.

Overview.

Kenny Cramer is one of the senior ringers with Northants Ringing Group (NRG) and is the ringer in-charge of the Linford Lakes Nature Reserve site. Although this site is in North Buckinghamshire, as a bird flies it is right on the border with Northamptonshire, and therefore with British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) permission, we use NRG rings on this site.

Narrative and pictures courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Early start.

Today was the summer solstice, and the longest day of the year brought us two things - a 2am alarm call... and plenty of birds! Luckily, ringers were also in plentiful supply this week as we set about processing 111 birds of 22 species, 94 of which were newly ringed, the majority being comprised of newly fledged youngsters.

 On the warbler front, we encountered 25 chiffchaffs, 18 blackcaps, 8 reed warblers (one of which was ringed elsewhere in the UK), 3 sedge warblers (our first of the year), 3 cetti's warblers, 2 garden warblers, and a whitethroat. Mercifully we were not over-titted with "only" 13 blue tits and 5 great tits. A roving gang of long-tailed tits remained out of range.

 

Reed Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Adding to the variety were two kingfishers, two treecreepers, a jay, a woodpigeon, a juvenile great-spotted woodpecker, and an imposing carrion crow. To top things off, we added another 2 new cuckoos (male and female) bringing this year's tally to 7.

Cuckoos

Carrion Crow

Tally for the day. 

Figures in brackets denote re-traps (birds ringed previously).

Blackbird 3 (1) Blue Tit 12 (1) Blackcap 18 Wren 6 (1) Robin 8 (1) Jay 1 Whitethroat 1
Dunnock 1 Chiffchaff 22 (3) Carrion Crow 1 Sonth Thrush 1 Treecreeper 2 Kingfisher 2
Great Tit 5 Garden Warbler 1 (1) Reed Warbler 1 (8) Cuckoo 2 Cetti’s Warbler 1 (2) Greenfinch 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Sedge Warbler 3

Red Kites

 Courteenhall Private Estate.

Ringing Red Kites.

After his recent foray into Norfolk our Group Chair, Chris Payne, this week ventured onto the private Courteenhall Estate with the aim of ringing some young Red Kites. Chris has worked with the estate staff for some time, monitoring the Owl boxes and after considerable planning , it was finally assessed that the young kites were of a ringable size. The ringing was again carried out under strict Schedule 1 regulations, because although Red Kites are a familier sight these days in our skies, they are still a protected species.

Scaling the tree.

To reach the Red Kite nest Chris enlisted the help of Dylan Donnelly, who holds a City & Guilds Certificate in Tree Climbing and Aerial Rescue. Dylan scaled the tree and deftly passed the young Kites down, using large black cotton bags to keep them calm and after the rings were fitted the young were hauled back up as quickly as possible and returned to the nest.

Dylan Donnelly at the nest.

Ringing.

Red Kites take a large ring and young birds can take a larger ring than full grown adults because their legs are fleshier. Fitting these rings requires lengthy training, to ensure that the right amount of pressure is applied to close the ring properly, without harming the bird. The picture below shows a G ring on the left, used for adults and an H ring on the right which may be used on young birds after inspection of the leg by the ringer. Also shown are the pliers used to fit the ring. At the time of ringing other biometric data will be collected such as weight and wing length.

Pliers and rings

Outcome.

The mornings activities were successful, with three young Kites being ringed and returned to the nest and the thanks of Northants Ringing Group goes to Courteenhall Estate for allowing access to the estate.

Young Red Kite

Marsh Harriers

Norfolk Marsh Harriers.

The destination

Last week Chris Payne, Chair of Northants Ringing Group (NRG) and one of his trainees, Suzy Boys, ventured into the wilds of Norfolk to ring Marsh Harrier nestlings, under Schedule 1 licence.

To get to the nests required wading through long grass and using telescopic ladders to traverse deep, muddy ditches.

Four nest sites were located and a total of ten chicks were ringed, which more than made up for strenuous efforts of reaching the nests and the resultant nettle stings.

Young Marsh Harriers

Ringing.

Each young bird is fitted with a uniquely numbered metal ring, the details of which are entered onto the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) database, Demography Online (DemOn). Marsh Harriers are an Amber Listed species on the Birds of Conservation Concern (BoCC) listing, and all data helps build a picture of the breeding success for these wonderful birds.

Placing a ring on a young Marsh Harrier

Chris Payne with young Marsh Harrier

Simon Wantling Wildlife Photographer

Owl monitoring.

Simon Wantling is a new trainee with Northants Ringing Group (NRG), who has a passion for Owls and wildlife photography.

Prior to contacting Northants Ringing Group Simon had been erecting Barn Owl, Tawny Owl, and Kestrel nest boxes in Bedfordshire, working with local farmers who use regenerative farming practices, and all the boxes are fitted with remote cameras, so that he can gain evidence as to whether the farming practices are working, and to gain a greater insight into their lives. To date Simon has twenty boxes that he monitors, with a further ten planned for this year, ready for next year’s breeding season.

Kestrel, Tawny Owl and Barn Owl boxes

Simon Wantling installing a Tawny Owl Box

Using the Reolink network Simon can monitor these boxes remotely and has obtained some remarkable footage, like a young Tawny Owl fledging from the box, and Barn Owls at their favoured nest box.

Since retirement Simon is now able to devote his time to wildlife photography as Simon Wantling Wildlife Photographer, and his owl studies as SW Wildlife Monitoring.

Retirement has also allowed Simon to commence his ringing training, and he is currently being trained by Group Chair Chris Payne, who is himself monitoring a number of owl boxes on estates in Northamptonshire and Norfolk.

To see some of the fantastic images that Simon has captured visit www.simonwantling.co.uk