Rainy Birthday

 It was my birthday today and for some reason I decided to shun the comforts of my warm home and venture out into the dank and drizzly countryside of Northants I blagged a lift to Blatherwycke where once I'd donned my waterproofs I spent several rather unproductive hours trudging around. Although I could hear geese calling from unseen fields very few were on view and all those that were turned out to be Greylags. A pair of Goosanders were the highlight, the regular Great White Egret provided their only competition. My camera stayed in my bag and today's pictures come from a sunnier and more enjoyable previous visit to the lake. I've got a couple of days off and hope that any other trips that I make are a little more interesting!

Past glories.

To El' And Back

 Regular birding pal Shozzer decided that he wanted to pop over to the wind magnet that is Eldernell today and given the relatively benign conditions I opted to join him. With the first sustained sunshine for what seems like ages it was nowhere near as unhospitable as it often can be and we enjoyed quite a productive day. 

Cranes and Pink-footed Geese

Our birding day began at March Farmers where a reported flock of Bean Geese had the bad manners to move on before we arrived. A large though distant flock of Whoopers were more obliging whilst a Peregrine caused widespread panic amongst the birds out on the washes. Two Cranes provided a welcome flypast while a thousand plus Pink-footed Geese caused quite a spectacle as they flew past. After what seemed like an entertaining hour or more we moved on the short distance to Eldernell.

Bewick's and Whooper Swan

Here we sought and eventually saw one of the regular roosting Long-eared Owls though it was deep within cover and far from easy to see, I couldn't get an acceptable pic though Alan managed some pretty credible results.  Cranes featured here too with an initial flock of about twenty five swelling to an impressive forty or so just as dusk began to fall. More Whoopers and at least half a dozen Bewick's Swans were noted while several Marsh Harriers criss-crossed the reed fringed dykes and channels. A good sized flock of Black-tailed Godwits were present with lesser numbers of Ruff and Golden Plovers while Alan also heard a Spotted Redshank. We left as the sun began to set and ended our day at the NVB brewery tap in Oundle where several good pints went down very well indeed.

Black-tailed Godwits and more Pinkies.

Redemption

The last time that I visited Wellingborough in search of the long staying Glossy Ibis the bird rather rudely let me down by not showing up . Feeling that I had some unfinished business to attend to I once again braved the Stagecoach timetable and returned to the embankment hoping for better luck. I took the prompt arrival of the bus to be a good omen and felt relatively optimistic as the bus made slow but steady progress through the Northamptonshire countryside.

Glossy Ibis and Oystercatcher

It was grey and a bit damp when I arrived in Welly and there was a thin curtain of mist as I made my way down to the embankment. The first two flooded fields that I checked were ibis free but before an uncomfortable sense of deja vu could set in I found the bird feeding in a flooded field next to where a footbridge crosses the Nene. I took more than a few photos of what seemed to be a confiding individual though poor light and mist helped to determine the quality of the results. Eventually I moved on heading in the direction of Chester House Lake.

Stonechats

While it was a little on the sqelchy side on the riverside trail my feet didn't get too wet and I had quite a productive stroll. From Lower Wellingborough Lock I saw an Oystercatcher which may well have been my first January sighting of this attractive species in the county. Both Siskin and Cetti's Warbler were heard from here before I moved on to Chester House Lake. At least two Great White Egrets graced the general area while a pair of Stonechats were present in the lakeside vegetation. On my return walk towards Wellingborough I heard a Crossbill calling as it flew over the lock heading in the vague direction of Irchester. My last act before heading back into town was to watch the ibis still feeding in the same field.in the company of two Egyptian Geese and a large flock of Pied Wagtails.

We Were Due A Crappy One*

 *A quote from Mr Alan Shorrock

Alan and I decided to stay within our local area and so our travels took us no further than Blatherwycke by way of Deene and Wakerley Wood. The morning was mostly dull and drizzly but gradually things did improve and the afternoon turned out to be a sunny one.

Stock Dove and White-fronted Geese

At Deene things were a little on the quiet side, a pair of Stonechats between the dam and the road were perhaps the highlights. On the lake there were still seven Shelduck while in the immediate area Raven, Siskin and Grey Wagtail were also noted. Not too far away at Wakerley we hoped to catch up with some of the Crossbills which have been reported from here recently. Soon after arrival a pair of Crossbills flew over the car calling loudly and it looked as if we might be in for a decent session. The reality was somewhat different unfortunately and we only managed to hear a few more calling before we left several hours later. Blatherwycke did not deliver the hoped for Tundra Bean Goose but did produce sightings of nine White-fronted Geese and a pair of Goosander. We headed towards the Cross Keys in King's Cliffe as mist began to descend, Shozzer's comment  on the day was perhaps a little harsh but when compared to recent trips out was understandable.

White-fronts

 A cold and grey morning with the occasional rainy spell which looked far from promising but as it was my only day off this weekend I still decided to venture out nonetheless. My stepson was good enough to give me a lift over to Blatherwycke and I spent several hours wandering around the area on the lookout for something interesting. My session began in the north eastern corner of the lake before I opted to walk back towards the village and along to the churchyard and beyond.

Pintails and Grey Heron

The lake is still partially frozen but there was enough open water to attract a variety of wildfowl. Three drake Pintails were the early highlights, they're quite scarce here. A Great White Egret fed in the shallows and I saw a couple of Egyptian Geese but there was not much else on offer. As I walked along the road towards the village hundreds of Fieldfares and Redwings were flushed from the hedgerows and there was a large mixed flock of corvids too. I couldn't find much from either the bridge or in and around the churchyard and walked towards the south eastern part of the lake. As I was going through the gathered birds a large and noisy flock of geese arrived though they landed on the western side of the lake and were out of sight. Anxious to check through them I retraced my steps and headed back through the village.

White-fronted Geese

Good numbers of Greylags were seen on the lake with others on the southern bank. A check through the mixed gaggle of Canadas and Greylags on the northern bank produced sightings of at least seven White-fronted Geese. Further checking of the flock did not add anything else of note and I wandered back towards the village to rendez-vous with my return lift. Before I left there was time to take a sneaky peak into a garden where at least one wallaby and three Rheas were present. Two noisy Ravens were the final highlight before my lift arrived.

Exotic pets

Snow On The Horizon

 English Snow Geese are a bit like tomatoes in that they're best taken with a pinch of salt, at one time we had quite a few feral birds knocking about locally but they seem to have disappeared. When one turned up at Tongue End in Lincolnshire last year I didn't  pay it any attention assuming that it had the same dodgy provenance. It then moved to Deeping Lakes which was also about the time when I learnt that the bird had arrived with Whooper Swans and was being treated as a genuine wild bird by many. With a lieu day off and a window of time before the arrival of Storm Goretti Alan and I took a journey over there this morning for the proverbial wild goose chase.

Bewick's and Whooper Swans

The latest bird news suggested that the goose had left the east lake on the reserve at about half eight in the company of Whooper and Bewick's Swans and was heading out into nearby fields to feed. We headed along Crowland Road and soon encountered a large flock of swans in a beet field. Having found a safe spot to park we began to check through them hoping to find their smaller associate. Neither we nor a newly arrived Lee Evans could find the goose though five Bewick's provided some compensation. Another birder told us that the goose and a number of Whoopers had continued flying along the River Welland before being lost to view. Our small band of birders split up to scour the surrounding countryside.

The smaller white blob is a Snow Goose!

We left the Crowland Road and turned onto the Welland Bank heading in the vague direction of Spalding. A small group of swans in a roadside field proved to be Mutes and Whoopers but beyond them and someway more distant was a much larger group. We drove as close to them as we could though it's possible they were still in a different postcode to us! Initial scans revealed them to be more Whoopers though at first there was no sign of our quarry.  Whilst counting the swans (200+ if you're interested) Shozzer found the goose which given the distance and some mist was quite an achievement! After watching it for a while and having taken the poorest of pics we headed for the main Spalding Road to see if we could get closer to this new species for me. No such luck attended those efforts and we headed into Market Deeping for a pint and some lunch arriving back in Corby before the forecast rain and snow did.

Two Little Ducks

 Yesterday was spent catching up with old work mates and I didn't venture out into the wilds of the county. Today was a different matter however and I popped over to Thrapston in the company of Mr Shorrock for a bit of parasite birding. Both Ring-necked Duck and American Wigeon are still showing on a regular basis here and I wanted to join the growing numbers of birders who've paid them a call recently.

Snoozing Scaup and Ring-necked Duck

It was a cold morning and parts of Thrapston's Town Lake were frozen but a tip off from another birder put Shozzer and I on the right track. From the path that runs past the sea cadet's building we managed to find both of the reported Scaup, a drake and a duck, and the former at least gave us some decent views. Not too far from the drake Scaup was the Ring-necked Duck and he gave us some good views as he fed in the company of some Tufted Ducks. We watched him on and off for about half an hour before moving on.

American Wigeon

On our way to where the Wigeon had been reported from we passed the Elinor trout lake where a large gaggle of geese were grazing. We checked them thoroughly but did not manage to find anything interesting among them. Some up to date info put us on to the American Wigeon and we were once gain treated to good views of him even though he was often distant.. Eventually after we had had our fill of the Wigeon we headed back to Corby though not before taking a diversion to the Dukes in Woodford for a pint of good beer.

Another view of today's star turns