A Bit of Birding at Barnwell.

Sunny but cold today though it was pleasant enough if you avoided the shade. I decided to have a walk around Barnwell CP where I hoped the battalions of kiddies had gone back to school. Luckily that proved to be the case and I enjoyed my stroll around the park.

Barnwell view and Egyptian Goose.

Kingfishers were very active today though sadly they didn't seem to want to settle. Nuthatches on the other hand were very obliging and showed very well from Lowlands Hide. There was also a good number of tits seen from here that included several Marsh Tits. Other passerines included Siskins as the good autumn for this species continues.

Nuthatch and Marsh Tit.

At least half a dozen Mandarins had returned and there was also an Egyptian Goose near the mill. Amongst the other ducks on view a female Teal was the rarest as I don't see many here. A trio of Shovellers were also present, Barnwell often holds small numbers of this attractive species in the winter.

Shovellers, Robin and Dunnock.

Despite the chill I managed to find several Common Darters though it's beginning to look as if the other species' season may have finished. Other wildlife on view included a Brown Rat next to the Kingfisher café which made my choice of a few pints in The Ship Inn seem all the more sensible!

Grey Squirrel and Common Darter.

Nice Day For a Walk

Wintery winds have arrived over the last couple of days to give everyone a foretaste of what's to come. Today however, once the early morning showers had moved on, proved to be a bit of a cracker with some beautiful sunshine to enjoy.

Blatherwycke view and Fieldfare.

I began my day at Blatherwycke where large numbers of both Greylags and Canada Geese were feeding in neighbouring fields. Unusually for this site I couldn't find any Mandarins though there were at least two Egyptian Geese present. Not much of note on the lake though several Redpolls passed over. Both Skylarks and Meadow Pipits were noted though it's difficult to know whether these were migrants or wintering birds.

Deene.

At the nearby churchyard I didn't find any Hawfinches but the place was alive with birdlife. Thrushes in particular were present in good numbers drawn to the many Yew berries. Commonest were Fieldfares though Mistle Thrushes and Redwings were also seen. Plenty of Greenfinches and Chaffinches were also feeding in the churchyard while many Red Kites were soaring above.

Speckled Wood and Small Coppers.

Between here and Priors Hall there was not a great deal to report with little on view at Deene Lake. A Raven was noted near the golf course at Priors Hall and a few Siskins were heard but few birds were seen. Despite the cooler conditions there was a bit of insect activity which included many Common Darters. A few butterflies were seen too with at least four Small Coppers and a Small Tortoiseshell being joined by a late Speckled Wood. I'm hoping that some of these darters might make it into November and keep the season going for a little longer.

Common Darters.

A Bit Boring But Beautiful

Today was the last day of my long weekend and I made something of a tactical error by going over to East Carlton Park. Unfortunately I'd forgotten that it was half term holiday time so as well as the legions of mutt walkers there were loads of kids running around too. That meant the while it was very quiet wildlife wise it was anything but in every other sense! Happily it was at least beautiful so I spent my time wandering around and taking some pictures. Highlight amongst the meagre number of birds seen were a couple of Marsh Tits. Eight pristine looking Red Admirals were feeding on ivy flowers as I left, they're always a treat at this time of the year.

East Carlton Park.

On the way home I did see a pair of Ravens as I neared Corby and several Buzzards showed well but other than that nothing else to report.

Red Admirals.

Indian Summer.

In complete contrast to last week's dross the weather has been lovely with blue skies and sunshine replacing the yucky grey and dampness. My walk today took me around Priors Hall where I enjoyed a pleasant if not too exciting experience.

Pond at Priors.

I began at the quarry lake where there was very little on view, a small flock of Teal were the highlight. Other Teal were seen around the ponds where a flock of about a dozen Mandarins were also found. Good numbers of Skylarks again today and I imagine that most were migrants. As has been the case recently they were joined on their travels by Meadow Pipits, some will no doubt hang around for the winter. The alders were host to rather a lot of Siskins and a decent number of Redpolls though the best birds were two Green Sandpipers flushed from one of the ponds.

Common Darter and Migrant Hawkers.

Plenty of Common Darters were around today with well over a hundred seen and there was plenty of mating activity noted. A pair of Migrant Hawkers were also seen in cop and several unattached males were also about. A female Brown Hawker was seen on several occasions but sadly did not hang around long enough to have her photo taken.

Red Admiral.

For the first time in a while there were some butterflies to enjoy and I managed to see three species. At Priors Hall I saw singles of Small Copper, Red Admiral and Brimstone though the latter did not stop for pics. Luckily for me I found a male at Weldon which proved to be far more obliging.

Small Copper and Brimstone.

Not too much of interest though a Brown Hare was as welcome as ever.

Down by the Riverside.

A day off work gave me the chance to get out and about and as the weather looked pretty good I chose to walk along the Nene at Oundle again. Although nothing too exciting was on offer it was still an enjoyable experience.

Oundle views.

My walk produced the usual river suspects and these included several Kingfishers. Plenty of Skylarks going through and there were good numbers of Meadow Pipits. A small party of Siskins were seen near Ashton Mill and there seemed to be a higher than usual number of Grey Wagtails in the area. One of the highlights of today was my first Fieldfares of the autumn, a flock of about fifty were seen near to Lower Barnwell Lock.

Heron and Red Kite.

Barnwell CP was predictably busy with people enjoying the weather but there was still wildlife to enjoy. Several Redpolls were heard and I heard yet another Kingfisher. A pair of Gadwalls were my first here for some time but I couldn't find any Mandarins, too many people perhaps?

Grey Wagtail, Blue Tit and drake Gadwall.

I couldn't find any Willow Emeralds but there were Common Darters and at least two Migrant Hawkers. Not much else really although I did see a Brown Rat which at least made a change from the more usual squirrels.

Male Common Darter.

Just Time for a Quickie

As I was popping over to the shop after work anyway a small diversion to the pond at Eurohub seemed to be in order. While it was reasonably warm and sunny the pond was mostly in the shade so insect activity was low. One exception to this was a male Common Darter that had chosen a lifebuoy on which to perch and he seemed very obliging.

Common Darter showing well.

Not a great deal else to report though several Redwings were around and also at least one Redpoll. I've managed to blag the day off tomorrow so hopefully will find a few other things of interest.

Welcome Back

After three days with not even a glimpse the sun made a very welcome return to the picture today. I celebrated by taking an after work walk down to Weldon where I wanted to see if there was any dragonfly activity.

Weldon scene.

Happily for me there was at least half a dozen Common Darters around the pond though they were outnumbered by a good number of Migrant Hawkers and joined by what is probably the same camera shy male Southern Hawker from last week. The Common Darters were basking on any heat reflective surface and at one point a male decided that my trainer looked inviting. Of the Migrants at least two females were ovipositing and while doing so were abducted by males. On both occasions the females did not complete the malting wheel and managed to escape.

Common Darter and Migrant Hawker.

Several Redwings were seen, there have been a few nocturnal migrants passing over on the less cloudy nights and small parties of Siskins were passing through. A Chiffchaff was calling in the village and both kites and buzzards showed well.

Buzzard and Siskin.

With the weather forecast for the coming weekend looking decidedly more promising I'm hoping for a decent couple of days spotting.

Kinging in the Rain

A second day of rain that promised yet  another total wash out but as I didn't want to be stuck indoors again I chose a place to visit that could provide some shelter. That place turned out to be Barnwell CP where I spent the time moving between the hides.

Kingfisher.

Barnwell is a nice area to walk around but seldom provides many birds of note and today was no different. The usual selection was on view and that included several prolonged if rather distant views of Kingfisher. Nuthatch showed well too as indeed did the normal passerines.

Drake Mandarin and Robin.

Several Mandarins were in their usual spot and at least one drake showed very well from the Kingfisher Hide. A small number of Siskins were present but there was little other sign of migration though a Grey Wagtail may possibly have origins elsewhere.

Dunnock and one legged Chaffinch.

Very little else of note with just a few Grey Squirrels and a Rabbit to report.

Nuthatch.