All White Now

Turns out this particular beast had a real bite to it as freezing temperatures and snow brought the country to a standstill. While Northants missed out on the worst conditions it was still bad enough with snow drifts covering some of the minor roads and reducing the flow of traffic to a snail's pace. While I have a lot of sympathy for those people affected by the cold spell it's the wildlife that has suffered from the harsh weather which I feel most pity for. The timing of this freeze at the end of winter meant that natural food reserves were all but depleted and the result was that many birds in particular were all but dependant on human hand outs for their survival. Social media has been full of pictures of Redwings and Fieldfares visiting gardens and there are plenty of pictures of Bramblings too. Other less usual species like Woodcocks and even Lapwings appeared as they ranged far and wide in a desperate search for food. What long term effect this wintry spell has on bird populations remains to be seen but a thaw seems to be setting in and hopefully conditions will ease.

Corby Old Village.

I thought it would be prudent to keep things local and so I ranged no further than Weldon. A mist was hanging around for all of the time that I was out which meant that photography was difficult but at least it was warmer than of late. The sound of either dripping or running water suggests that the snow is melting but for now drifts remain over welly deep in places and I stuck to the clearer bits as much as I could. A walk around Corby village revealed many Redwings around with birds feeding around the base of trees where a little circle of cleared ground offered some hope of finding food. An apple tree next to Lloyd's Road had attracted both Blackbirds and a Fieldfare.

A shape in the mist, Redwing looking for food.

Popping into the patch produced the best bird of the day, a Woodcock which was flushed from next to the path but this apart from a Grey Wagtail at the stream was the only thing of note here. Weldon had further thrushes while the streams here had numerous Mallards and one or two Little Egrets. Both of the ponds were frozen although the Woodland Park pond had half a dozen Reed Buntings feeding on Reedmace seed heads. Despite the cold and rather gloomy conditions there was still birdsong to enjoy with Dunnocks in particular in good voice. Greylag Geese were heard on two occasions, pairs are often seen at this time of year as they search for likely breeding sites but I suspect it was the search for food that motivated these birds.

Reed Bunting and Dunnock at Weldon.

Not too much else to report though I did get excellent views of a Red Kite, these and other carrion feeders may well enjoy something of a feast over the coming days as the snow recedes and reveals the casualties of the last week.

Red Kite.