Grey Still Holds Sway.

Dawn did not break this morning, no it sort of crept along in an almost apologetic sort of way, a bit like a guest who has turned up late to a church wedding and sidles in at the back of the church hoping that no one notices. These murky and grey sorts of day are turning out to be something of a bore. Having got up early again I saw the whole thing unfold and it was in truth a bit dull, I guess that I miss those lovely sunrises. Wanting to catch up with a Hawfinch I took a stroll out to East Carlton Park and so found myself walking through the town while it was still dark. The dawn chorus that I alluded to yesterday consisted mostly of Robins and Song Thrushes, I can't include the unlovely caws of crows or the tuneless rattle of Magpies in the list of songsters nor the chucking alarms of Blackbirds that seemed to fill the air.

Reindeer enjoying breakfast.

If Corby had a rare bird alert then the drake Pochard at the boating lake would have been headline news, it was perhaps the bird from last winter but who knows for sure? The usual gaggle of noisy Greylags were around too as well as all the usual other suspects. From here until East Carlton little of interest was noted but at least that meant that I made quicker progress. It looks to me as if anyone hoping to beat the battalion of dog walkers at ECP will be out of luck, I really think that there must be someone out twenty four hours a day and so despite getting here before half eight there were already lots of pooches running around. Thankfully despite this I managed to find a Hawfinch near to the entrance of the hall.  It was perched at the top of a beech a little to the right of the gate calling loudly, the emphatic sounding ticks are quite distinctive once learnt.

The still conditions meant that all manner of contraptions were on view
 

I didn't hang around too long after the finch disappeared because although there was a decent variety of the commoner birds to watch Sunday mornings are a little too busy. Pausing briefly to admire the local reindeers close to the church I then set off along the Welland Valley. Things were in truth more than a little on the dull side and not much at all of note was seen. One honourable exception to this was a flock of about fifteen Redpolls feeding on seed heads at a spot between Rockingham and Gretton, it was good to get a decent number for a change. While my photographic attempts were pretty dire the birds themselves were well worth watching,

Buzzards are quite common in the Welland Valley.

With a lunch date with my wife figuring largely on my schedule I made a successful ascent of Rockingham Hill before arriving at the pub. I did check out part of the town's Earlstrees industrial estate on my way just in case any Waxwings were around but that hope will have to remain unfulfilled for the mo.

Redpoll and a view of Rockingham Castle.