Starting With a Bang.

Another lovely day which I spent relatively close to home walking from Weldon along public footpaths to Deenethorpe and then Deene before heading back via Priors Hall. I had considered a few other options but I'm glad to say that I think that I made the right choice.

Deenethorpe and Deene.

Having got off the bus on the edge of Weldon I had walked for all of two minutes when a Short-eared Owl passed in front of me crossing the A427. The owl flew parallel with the road for a brief stretch before heading out over the fields towards Deenethorpe. This was my first Shortie for several years in the county so was a most welcome sighting. Continuing on along Bears Lane a flock of about twenty five Golden Plovers flew over heading eastwards and were my first local ones of the winter. For the next little while things were quiet though many Skylarks were singing while kites drifted overhead.

Deene Lake birds.

At Deenethorpe airfield a Brown Hare shot off across the fields while a Kestrel hunted the remaining scrubby area. Several aeroplanes landed while I was there and although not big they were certainly bigger than the normal microlights. Deene Lake inflow held seven Snipe and a Green Sandpiper while numbers of Teal continue to build. Not much of interest on the main lake though a person walking along the dam had probably had an effect.

Auster aeroplane and a Comma.

Wandering down Kirby Lane I found a female Common Darter basking on a discarded pallet, it's nice to see them this late into the season but it turned out that she was more of an opening act rather than the main show. Priors Hall held another forty four (eighteen females, twenty five males and one that sped off before I could tell) and if the next period of weather didn't look so dross I'd be looking forward to December darters. These weren't the only insect act in town either as two Commas were found too, the first got away before I could take a pic but thankfully the second hung around for a bit.

Darters.

Lots of winter thrushes around and a few Siskins too while the quarry lake held a flock of twenty or so Teals and a collection of gulls.

Weldon's tribute to the fallen of the Great War.