Not Bad, Not Great Either.

Not that bad a day but it lacked any of the highlights of the last couple of outings. The early part of the morning was dominated by foggy conditions, it was thick enough at times to make watching anything further than five yards away all but impossible. As I don't possess echo location or any thermal imaging equipment most of my early birding was by ear and so it was just as well that so many birds were in good voice.

The WBT is still a bit flooded at the mo.

Some Song Thrushes show quite a bit of skill at mimicry, there's one at Priors Hall that does a very passable Oystercatcher while one this morning in the village did a good Buzzard followed by a female Tawny Owl. I'm not sure why only a certain percentage of the population seem to employ this skill but that Priors bird in particular nearly always catches me out. More and more Blackbirds are singing now, their melodious and rich songs really are a soundtrack to village summers.

A regular sight at Deene, Shelduck.

Having passed through Weldon and then taken the public footpaths out through the fields it was only when I got to Deenethorpe Airfield before the fog began to lift. A Lesser Whitethroat gave a few bursts of song from scrub next to the A427 and a Brown Hare was seen nearby. It looks as if vegetation is being cleared from between the hangar buildings which will probably put paid to further Grasshopper Warblers, no place for scrub in what will soon become Tresham Village. Two pairs of Lapwings were present , it will be nice if they hang around, and a Meadow Pipit was song flighting.

Greenfinch in Deene churchyard.

The water level at the inflow at Deene Lake was still high and the WBT was dominated by geese, numbers of Teal have dropped. Despite the lack of mud I did manage to see a Green Sandpiper but the Snipe appear to have moved on. Wildfowl on the main lake have declined a lot with numbers of Shelduck having declined to what looks like two pairs. Around at the farm ponds little of interest on view while in the village a Swallow was holding territory. A scan from the road a short way from the village revealed a pair of Egyptian Geese, it's been a while since I saw any here.

Dog's Mercury.

Egyptian Geese near Deene.

At Priors Hall a Grasshopper Warbler was singing at the northern end near the birches but there was not too much on view. A short spell of hazy sunshine did produce a brief view of a Peacock but it was the only butterfly seen today. Birdlife at the quarry pools was pretty much the same as on my previous visit, the Pochards have moved on but the pair of Mute Swans have returned. The Little Ringed Plovers may have resolved their territorial issues as I only saw a pair, there seems to be rather more Lapwings though.

Willow Warbler.

With time moving on I headed off home, my walk through Weldon normally takes me past the Shoulder of Mutton pub but this time around I didn't pass choosing instead to pop in and sample some of their rather fine pale ale - good call!

The quarry pools at Priors.