Dippers at East Carlton Park

While I was standing at Corby train station waiting for the X4 I was able to watch a Carrion Crow going about its business. The bird flew up to a waste bin and removed a McDonalds bag which it then proceeded to tear apart in search of food. Having removed something from within it then flew off. Reports of crow intelligence are fairly widespread and this one's penchant for fast food and littering marks it out as at least as intelligent as most chavs! Before my bus arrived I returned the rubbish to the bin where I hoped it stayed.

The fishing lake.

Wicksteed Park was my destination which meant travelling in my least favoured direction. Travelling towards Peterborough is fairly direct and fast, going in the opposite direction however means that you move only slightly faster than continental drift. Having suffered the dubious scenic delights of Corby for longer than I would have liked I then had to endure the even more dubious and much less delightful joys of Kettering. Sometimes I wish that I had bothered to learn how to drive.

Some of the ducky delights on offer.

Having finally arrived at the park I headed down to the lake where the usual mass of Black-headed Gulls and Mallards awaited bready hand-outs. A few Commons and Herrings were hanging around but seemed less interested in bread and more disposed towards matters of a sleepier nature. A good number of Tufted Ducks were feeding and joined by at least half a dozen Pochards. A few Great Crested Grebes included some that showed very well from the pontoon. Other ducks present included Gadwalls, some Teal and six Shoveller on the fishing lake. Other aquatic birds included a few Cormorants and a Little Egret.

Serial scrounger, Black-headed Gull.

Anxious to lose my membership of the HDS (see last post) I walked around the arboretum but there was no sign of any Hawfinches or much else for that matter. A Sparrowhawk made a high pass and a Kite did likewise. Several Siskins flew over and a Chiffchaff called from cover next to the fishing lake but aside from a Grey Wag there was little else to report.

Great Crested Grebes.

I was just getting ready to leave and have my breakfast in the pub (it was after eleven) when a text from a friend alerted me to a sighting of some Hawfinches from East Carlton Park. A full baker's dozen had been reported from the bushes around the hall and it seemed a good idea to forsake my brekky and pint or two in order to see them. My friend was good enough to collect me from Kettering and having stopped to pick an additional crew member up we headed over to East Carlton.

One for sorrow.

At least two other birders were looking when we arrived and another joined us in our search soon after. Checking around the hall brought no joy so we widened our search to take in the rest of the park. A slow walk around produced similarly negative results and a check of the churchyard also drew a blank. Conceding that the finches had likely done a bunk we waved the white flag and went our separate ways. Not much in the way of compensation but we had good views of Song and Mistle thrushes and several Buzzards also showed well. Whichever way you look at it though I am still very much an unwilling member of the Society!

Song and Mistle thrushes.