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.