You Can't Win Them All

The view from the X4 driver's office window this morning was spectacular, a glorious sunrise that painted the clouds a fiery orangey pink. I pitied those passengers that slept through the spectacle but as it was one of the few things of interest  I rather wish that I'd followed their example for most of the remaining part of the day. Heading off to Oundle again hoping to see further signs of Otter activity it's fair to say that things did not quite go as hoped.

Sunrise over the Nene.

A very pale Buzzard feeding on the pitch at Oundle FC looked a bit like a Rough-leg but was sadly just a Common. Most of the flood water had receded so at least I could take my normal route along the Nene between the north and south bridges. Just the usual things on view along the river, Grey Herons, Mallards and such like and without any distractions I soon found myself at Ashton Mill. Here too there was a dearth of things to watch, a large covey of Red-legged Partridges was unusual for here but hardly earth-shaking. A huge flock of Wood Pigeons looking almost like a murmuration, ( a coomotion perhaps?) exploded from the trees around the lock but I couldn't find much else.

Common Buzzard and Grey Herons.

Not far from here I noticed a group of geese that had assumed very unnatural postures and as I drew nearer realised that all but one were decoys, the remaining one sadly being a corpse. Closer inspection revealed a hide in which was concealed a single shooter. As a group of six Canadas appeared overhead he emerged from cover and begin giving a reasonable version of their call. Attracted by the noise and the unconvincing, to my eyes at least, decoys they looked as if they were going to land. Two shots rang out and although one of the geese appeared to take some shot the whole group escaped. No doubt the lucky escapee will be feeling some pain for a while. As I left this deeply unpleasant scene more shots rang out, one goose was killed and another winged, it made its escape by swimming down the Nene. Clearly this chap has the right to go about his business and there is probably a case to be made for controlling numbers of feral geese but I sure do not enjoy watching it in progress, No wonder the river was quiet with all this business going on.

Geese decoys.

At the large area of flooded field near to the A605 a sizeable gaggle of geese were resting unmolested and they were joined by good numbers of both Wigeon and Lapwings. A Kestrel completed a quartet of the common raptors and a Kingfisher flashed by. With the clouds looking likely to dump the promised rain I made my way to Barnwell CP. There was not much to report from here, a small party of Siskins were the highlight, but I did get some nice pictures of common birds from Lowlands Hide.
Once the rain had ceased I headed back to Oundle where I enjoyed a few pints of Pedigree before catching the bus home.

Lowlands Gallery.

Keeping it Local

After my travels to foreign parts I decided to stay in my immediate area and so ventured no further than Weldon. Last night as we passed Stanion Lane Plantation we saw about sixteen Fallow Deer grazing on the grass verges and they included a buck with a fine set of antlers. My wife was a little anxious that they might venture on to the road but thankfully that didn't happen.

A  matching pair of Siskins.

Today began with a Grey Wagtail in the village before I set off for my old patch close to Corby sewage works. Most of the area is now fenced off which in all fairness I had been expecting given the active railway line that takes freight trains into the steelworks. Not a great deal on view here though some patch stalwarts in the form of five Teal and a Heron were noted. From here I went to a site on the edge of Weldon South Industrial Estate where a flock of about twenty Siskins showed well. Another Heron flew over though the star here was a Woodcock flushed from amongst the ash saplings. My first pussy willows were also on show, at least two Sallows were beginning to show them.

Weldon still has plenty of these...

The pond at Weldon Woodland Park still retained its swan though by now it had been joined by a couple of Mallards and a Moorhen - cancel that trip to Norfolk! The A43 pond had a nice total of sixteen Tufted Ducks in the company of a much reduced flock of Mallards. Several argumentative Coots made up the total of birds observed here as they set out the pecking order for the coming Spring.

....and had rather a lot of these.

On the subject of Spring a little surprise came in the rather lovely shape of a Red Admiral on the easternmost edge of the steelworks. My attention had been grabbed by an unseasonal bluebottle and while tracking it my gaze fell upon the butt' as it basked on the metal fence that surrounds the site. I've never had a January butterfly in the UK before though I know that Northants has already had a couple of sightings this year. Given the very mild conditions it had no doubt been roused from its hibernation by the warm conditions, hopefully it can get back to sleep before normal conditions are resumed.

First of the season, Red Admiral.

A Few Notes From Bratislava

Just back from a three night stay in Bratislava where I was celebrating another birthday (50! How did that happen?). It was not a birding trip but my binoculars managed to find their way into my luggage and it would have been a shame not to use them. There was a large park just across the Danube from my botel (it was a hotel on a boat in case you're wondering) and I popped over every morning for an hour's walk or so.

Park life, a few highlights.

I was a little surprised to find as many birds as I did in the middle of a central European winter but there was a reasonable selection of species on offer. Of the four species of woodpecker present a Middle Spotted was the best, it was my forth in as many years in four different countries. Hawfinches were pretty common with small flocks throughout the park. In all six types of finch were seen and that included Siskin and Bullfinch within their ranks. One feature of the park's birdlife was the large number of Fieldfares roving around in search of food, others were seen in the wider city. While only a few Redwings were found good numbers of Blackbirds and a few Mistle Thrushes were also noted. One of my favourite aspects of my early morning walks was the number of Red Squirrels seen, it's always good to catch up with these attractive characters.

Fieldfare and Black Redstart

The River Danube runs fast here and few birds were seen on the river itself though a good number of gulls roamed up and down the waterfront. Commonest were Black-headeds with many hundreds present, they were joined by much smaller numbers of Commons  and a couple of Yellow-legged Gulls. Several Cormorants were also seen, one shorter necked individual could have been a Pygmy but the view was distant and brief. A feature of pre dawn was the large flocks of Rooks and Jackdaws crossing the river from their roost on the southern shore and moving out across the city.

A couple of the commoner species.

Another green space around the castle provided one of my highlights, a fine male Black Redstart feeding on the southern slopes of the hill. Further Hawfinches showed well here and at other points in the city, I don't know from where the birds that invaded Britain last Autumn came from but I'm guessing that it wasn't here. One final bird highlight was Golden Pheasant or rather Zlaty Basant, a very tasty Slovakian beer which turned out to be surprisingly common. It's worth searching out should you find yourself in this neck of the woods but don't forget your binoculars either!

Another Hawfinch and Yellow-legged Gull.

A Little Taste of Spring

I'm currently half way through a week off that I gave myself as a birthday present but don't worry, my wife and I are heading over to Bratislava so you won't have anything else from me for a bit. Today I went over to Wicksteed Park and enjoyed a walk in the oh so dreary dull and grey conditions that are becoming so familiar.

This Carrion Crow has found itself a handy perch.

If you're a frequent visitor to the park or have read any of my posts you will have a good idea what to expect, The main lake had its usual collection of birds which included a few of the larger gulls, mainly Herring but at least one immature Great Black too. A good sized flock of Tufted Ducks were present and a couple of Great Crested Grebes were bobbing around with them. The fishing lake was fairly busy with a decent total of seventeen Pochards feeding with more Tufties. About ten Shovellers were feeding too along with examples of Gadwall, Mallards and Teal. It looked as if just a whiff of Spring was in the air as the drakes were starting to get tetchy with each other, the Shovellers in particular seemed feisty.

Herring Gulls

A walk around the Arboretum produced sightings of Jay, Goldcrests and several Mistle Thrushes, with at least one of the latter singing. The most interesting thing here was a group of Little Egrets feeding in a field, four at first but the numbers rose to an impressive total of ten. They looked as if they were feeding on worms and other invertebrates, behaviour I associate more with Cattle Egrets. Rest assured that I checked every one of them just to be sure but they were all Littles. I think that this is the highest total that I've seen feeding together in the county, not bad for late January.

Two of ten Little Egrets and a pair of Gadwall.

Not a great deal else to add, a Grey Wagtail was seen nest to the boating pond and further hints of Spring came with some blossom out in the Arboretum and both Daffodils and Snowdrops in bloom in Kettering.

Cherry Blossom and King Arthur.

Further Tales From the Riverbank

Oundle again this morning where after the usual short bus trip I set off for a walk along the Nene. With all of yesterday's snow having melted overnight it should have come as no surprise to see lots of floodwater from the north bridge but it was still a bit of a shock to see my regular path was now underwater. As my normal route was cut off I headed back through the town and found a way to get back to the river near Ashton Mill.

Plenty of water on view from the North Bridge.

Ashton Mill had a good selection of the commoner species which included Marsh Tits and a Cetti's Warbler which was heard singing. A little beyond the lock I looked across another flooded part finding only Mallards and Teals and no other birds. Any disappointment was soon forgotten when I picked out an Otter swimming across and although only its head could be seen in between dives it was still much appreciated. I managed a fairly awful picture of it before it disappeared but then can any picture with an Otter in it be truly dreadful? I'll let you make your mind up.

Floodwater near Ashton Mill held this Otter.

By now the sun was making a rare appearance and I had a very pleasant stroll albeit one where I was gratefulful for my wellies. Pied Wagtails, Meadow Pipits and numerous corvids were drawn to the flooded fields and a large flock of a hundred or more Greylags were noted. My best birding moment came when four Ravens, presumably two territorial pairs judging from all the noise and squabbling, flew over. They still seem to be quite rare in the Oundle area, leastways I seldom see them here. Raptors were well represented by kites and Kestrels while a rippling trill of alarms revealed a Sparrowhawk passing by.

Bath time for swans.

The flooded area from last year held a large flock of Lapwings and some Wigeons, as it dries out a little I'm hoping to see more waders. My way was once more cut off by further flooding so I had to miss out on the marina reaching Barnwell CP by way of a detour through the town. In truth there was not much to report from the park and so after a quick circuit I headed towards the town and the bus home.

A couple of the regulars.

Well at Least it Wasn't Raining

On the plus side it was not raining when I left the house but that little detail brings me right round to the minus point, it was snowing instead. Fairly light at first it got heavier as the morning progressed though there were a few moments when it looked as if it might stop or was that just wishful thinking?

The Swamp

With the weather looking so unpromising I kept things nice and local and so caught a bus over to Kingswood Local Nature Reserve. While waiting for this bus I just about managed to pick out a Little Egret against the dull and snowy predawn sky. It was very quiet when I arrived at the wood with just a few dog walkers for company, I suspect that many pooches went unwalked this morning. Kingswood always brings back memories for me as I spent so many of my fledgling birding years here. With my visits now so few and far between I struggled to remember all of the old paths but it was still nice just bumbling about.

A couple of the rides within the wood.

Taking a track from the central clearing towards the Small Swamp I flushed a Woodcock up from the undergrowth which was a pleasant surprise in this urban wood. I used to see the occasional one but that was before the Oakley Vale and other developments went ahead and the countryside was that little bit closer. From here I made my way towards the big pond, known to generations of kids (mainly boys) as the Swamp it is the home of newts and toads though of course none were about today. Both of the ponds or swamps if you prefer can attract bathing and drinking birds but they didn't work their magic today.

Treecreeper and Goldcrest.

Other than that Woodcock there was little to report aside from the commoner species. At one point I was surrounded by a large flock of tits and it was fun picking my way through them. Lots of Goldcrests were feeding low down amongst the brambles treating me to some excellent views. By now  the snow was beginning to fall more heavily so I decided to take a walk back towards the Old Village. Stopping at a half frozen boating lake on the way meant that I was able to see that the two drake Pochards were still on site and there were also a couple of Cormorants. Leaving them and the large flock of grazing Greylags to their leisure I headed home for a much needed cup of coffee.

Damp at Deene

Another Saturday off though it was booked when the weather looked like it was going to be OK, anyone that peeked out the window will know that this turned out to be not he case. Despite the nasty conditions I still got the X4 as far as Upper Benefield from where I took my usual stroll towards Deene.

A Blackbird was not quite singing as I waited for the bus, it sounded as if it was doing a little warm up before the main show. Later on a Chaffinch seemed to be going through the same sort of routine in Deene Churchyard, we may get the full deal when the sun decides to shine. Leaving Benefield I soon connected with the hoped for Tree Sparrows a little way out of the village. It's wrong to try and transfer human feelings on to animals but these did sound a little indignant as I gave them an unsolicited wake up call, they flew tweeting noisily from their hedgerow roost as I walked past.  As daylight slowly seeped into being more birds were noted but nothing much of interest was seen.

Now I cannot claim to be much of a tracker but even a dunce like me could not fail to trace the movements of an idiot that had dumped several pieces of furniture along the road, what is wrong with these morons? Presumably they had access to a vehicle so they could have taken this to the dump at Weldon - #£/&!!s!. Rather more agreeable was a large flock of Yellowhammers and Chaffinches near Burn Coppice which were checked but did not reveal anything special. A flock of about forty Lapwings were seen nearby but little else.

A shooting party were gathering at Deenethorpe but I managed to check the inflow at Deene Lake before they got started. High water levels meant only one Snipe was on view and a few Teals. The main lake held eleven Shelducks, a small number of Pochards and the first Great Crested Grebes since the last freeze. The pair of Black Swans remain, they seemed to have latched on to a family party of Mutes. The churchyard offered a tantalising but too brief view of a large finch which I suspect was probably a Hawfinch but I couldn't get the necessary confirmation - pity. Not much at the farm ponds, a Redpoll gave great views but it was the only decent thing.

On the way home I made a rare winter visit to Priors Hall but I'm unlikely to return as it really was rather dull. A flock of about twenty five Teals was the only highlight, it could be that nothing wanted to move about in the rain. As a result of the weather I didn't take any photos so here's a few from last Spring's visit to Poland, at least the skies are blue!

Never mind the birds, look at that lovely blue sky!

Unholy Alliance.

This is a blog that deals with my wildlife spotting excursions and not a platform for my views or opinions however sometimes something happens that just cannot be ignored. I'll state right now that I did not vote for either of the main political parties and any comment that I make has nothing to do with any political agenda. Unfortunately some issues  provoke such anger that I have to say something and the matter of Hen Harrier persecution in Britain is one of those.

Natural England have effectively capitulated in the battle to save England's Hen Harrier population. Having signally failed to curb the illegal activities of the serial criminals that run many of the grouse moors in the north of the country they've given their consent to an idiotic scheme that involves taking chicks from the wild and raising them in captivity. Said chicks will then be released after fledging back into the areas from where they were removed. People associated with the driven grouse shooting industry have given their full support to this lunatic scheme while no independent conservation body appears to have given their endorsement.

Evidently it's easier to "brood manage" Hen Harrier nests than enforce already existent raptor protection laws. There were three successful nests in England last year, none on any grouse moor, and this in a country that could apparently support a population of 300 pairs. If Natural England want to retain any credibility at all they should stop the illegal persecution of raptors by commercial interests, prosecute the criminals involved and bring an end to an industry that seemingly depends on illegal activity in order to survive. When the petition to end driven grouse shooting garnered enough signatures to warrant the attention of parliament the government stated flat out that it would not debate the future of commercial grouse shooting under any circumstances.

I understand that the question of jobs in rural areas informs part of the government policy and yet it's strange that similar concerns were not aired when other industries have either collapsed or failed. Some other less legitimate "businesses" that operate in depressed areas contribute to their local economies but I'm guessing that government support for drug dealers will not be forthcoming. Crime is crime irrespective of who commits it and those responsible should feel the full force of the law. Brood management of Hen Harriers? Nah, manage the criminals instead and bring an end to any industry that depends on their activities for its survival.

Sorry about that little rant but this is a preposterous scheme endorsed by people who set themselves up as protectors of the environment, Hen Harriers head for extinction while hypocrisy seems hale and hearty - madness.

Bits and Pieces

Things took a turn for the wet today, I wanted a change in the weather though in retrospect I should have been happy with grey but dry conditions, you just can't please some folks! A Red Kite and a Buzzard made a shopping trip more interesting than usual. they may be regulars now but I still like seeing them. After this a trip to the health centre gave me the chance to walk around the boating lake where I connected with not one but two drake Pochards. With the light conditions (slightly) better than yesterday morning I took a couple of photos. Hopefully this means that Pochards are becoming more frequent visitors again, they make a nice change from Greylags and Coots.

These drake Pochards don't realise how interesting they are!

In the afternoon I took a stroll down to Weldon but my timing was terrible and as a result I got a soaking from several heavy showers. An immature Mute Swan was the only bird on the Woodland Park pond though Siskins were present in the alders. Plenty of Mallards on the A43 pond and a pair of Gadwalls breaking their monopoly. As I was in the area I took a walk around the nearby industrial estate just on the off chance that the Waxwing photographed here last week was hanging around. It wasn't but the effort wasn't totally wasted as a Sparrowhawk  was my first of the year. She nearly took my hat off as she glided down a path silencing a flock of ten or more Goldcrest that I'd been watching. Several more Siskins were noted as they flew overhead but there was nothing else to report.

Boating lake regulars.

With the clouds once again looking threatening I decided to call it quits and headed off homewards. I'm hoping that on my next excursion I might get to catch more than just a brief glimpse of the sun but I'd settle for boring old dry!

Wood Pigeon.