Nice Day For It

Another Monday, another sunny morning and another walk along the Nene at Oundle with the usual finish at Barnwell CP. I should add that it was also another day when the common and garden species ruled the roost but when the weather is this good who cares?

Kingfishers.

Recent rain means that the floods near Barnwell Lock continue to rise and duck numbers are beginning to build up with the Wigeon flock growing to around eighty birds and being joined by fifty or so Teal and a pair of Shoveller.. Large numbers of Fieldfares were also feeding on the flooded field and there were smaller groups of Meadow Pipits and Pied Wags around too.

Moorhen and Grey Heron.

Still a lot of Redwings feeding on the Haws while there also seemed to be quite a lot of Goldfinches today but there was little else along the river. Proceedings at Barnwell were dominated by a pair of Kingfishers seen from their namesake hide. Although the autofocus on my camera did not seem to want to cooperate for much of the time I did get a couple of half decent pictures. Both were actively fishing and allowed sustained views as they fed around the lake.

Redwing and Robin.

Duck numbers were down from my last visit with only Mallards, Gadwalls and a Teal on site while two Dabchicks were present on the main lake. A male Kestrel appeared to cause a Carrion Crow some consternation but that apart from a few Siskins was that as they say.