Bye Bye Spring?

With the weather forecast suggesting that our little taster of Spring may well be coming to an end I decided to pop out after work and enjoy it while I could. Time being rather limited I kept things local and headed over to my old patch.

Comma.

A Chiffchaff was singing though the bird was likely to have been a wintering bird tempted into song by the fine conditions rather than a newly arrived migrant. Few other birds of note though at least one Grey Wagtail was heard along the stream. Amongst the other wildlife showing was a Muntjac as well as a Rabbit which appear to be getting a little harder to find than previously.

Underside of a Comma showing the little white C.

Highlight for me was the continuing butterfly activity with three Commas basking in the warm afternoon sunshine and there were several bumblebees also going about their business. While walking back through Corby village I found a Small Tortoiseshell sunning itself on the wall of the St John's Ambulance building. As I was attempting to get a picture a car stopped and what was presumably a concerned citizen asked "Why are you photographing the unit?". Once I'd explained that I was not planning an Elastoplast or eyewash heist and was in fact trying to photograph a butterfly she left evidently happy that I was an eccentric rather than a criminal mastermind. Despite the disruption I did get a couple of shots before the butterfly flew.

Small Tortoiseshell.

Seeing so many butterflies this early in the year has been a welcome surprise but my total of four species so far is somewhat overshadowed by the county's total of seven, surely there hasn't been another February like it?

Winter's Still Keeping Its Distance.

Now I've never been to either the Canary Islands or the Azores but I'd like to thank them for sharing some of their weather with us. Not that it made much of a difference first thing this morning as frost had turned the grass at Barnwell CP white but it soon improved and our mini Spring continued.

Oundle Mill and a Cormorant.

My attempts to see either Otters or Kingfishers once again resulted in failure but there was just enough there to justify a visit. A Great Crested Grebe has returned to the large lake nearest Oundle and is the first for some time. Disharmony still reigns in the world of the swan family but those pesky kids are still hanging around. Three Mandarins had returned to their usual spot and for once I got a relatively unobscured view of one. The feeders in front of Lowlands Hide were attracting a couple of Nuthatches and their messy, seed spreading method of feeding in turn had pulled in a few Reed Buntings. Once I'd satisfied myself that I'd seen all that I was likely to see I headed off down the river towards the floods.

Blue Tit and drake Mandarin.

Near the marina a Cetti's Warbler was singing and was my first in this area since the Beasts from the East last year. The flooded area contained the same species as on my last visit but in lesser numbers, no sign of any different waders yet. Heading back into town I had a wander around the churchyard where I was delighted to find an adult Peregrine perched on the spire. I watched it for some time and enjoyed some flight views when it took a brief trip around the immediate area before it returned to its perch. Very happy with some nice views of this formidable falcon I left it alone and caught my bus.

Oundle Peregrine.

Plenty more signs of Spring today with lots of Blackthorn coming into flower and also a sighting of my first ladybird of the year. Back in Corby Old Village I found a Small Tortoiseshell which sadly was disturbed by a passing car before I could get a piccy. Also on view were several large bumblebees which were presumably queens looking for potential nest sites.

Ladybird, Blackthorn blossom and Nuthatch.

County Wanderings

Alan Shorrock and I made the trip over to Irchester CP this morning in the hope of seeing the reported Crossbills. Unfortunately for us there appeared to be some sort of running event on and so the park was very busy, We spent a bit of time searching despite the crowds but eventually had to concede that today was probably not going to be our day.

Irchester Views.

Having left Irchester behind for the athletes we headed off to Summer Leys which while fairly busy was at least a bit on the quieter side than the park had been. At least three Great White Egrets were noted and there seemed to be rather a lot of Littles about too. Duck numbers remain high though there was nothing too exciting, the best were three Red Crested Pochards on the neighbouring Pete Wild's Lake. The feeders held the usual selection of common passerines providing good views. One of my highlights here was not a bird but a butterfly, my first Brimstone of the year. We stalked him for some time until he eventually settled but were then delighted to find a second in the same patch of brambles. From then on we managed to build up a total of at least six males flying up and down the lane. I also found my first Coltsfoot flowers in bloom, Spring really is putting in an early appearance.

Summer Leys Egrets.

Alan had a lunch date and so dropped me near to Priors Hall though not before I'd seen another male Brimstone at Weldon Industrial Estate. More butterflies were seen at Priors with three Small Tortoiseshells, a Peacock and a Comma as well as two unidentified butt's being found. I cannot recall another February when I've seen so many butterflies but the glorious weather that we've enjoyed recently must be the cause, Northants has recorded six species so far! Apart from several Redpolls and a few Siskins most of the birds were on the ponds. The large reed fringed pond had a decent collection of water birds with several Water Rails being the highlight. There was not a great deal on the quarry lake with a few Tufted Ducks being the best.

Rubbish shot of 2 RCP's (and a Gadwall) and Brimstone.

Much as I'd of liked to hang around for a bit longer I had an appointment of my own so I made my way back into Weldon before catching a bus home.

Priors Hall butterflies.

Golden Eagles.

So many works of fiction, good and bad, are made into films these days so it would not surprise me if the X4 timetable makes it on to the silver screen. Once again they appeared to have taken a bus out of the schedule leaving me standing at the stop in Weldon for nearly an hour which is a whole new level of ineptness given that they're supposed to be every half hour. If I'd known it was going to take that long I'd have walked home even if it meant missing out on the fly by Little Egret or displaying Red Kites that made my wait marginally less boring. Such a shame that another company can't run a similar service so I could give Stagecoach the old heave ho.

Harry's Park Wood.

Transport difficulties aside I was mindful of it being half term and so avoided any country parks or other brat magnets choosing to have a walk around Harry's Park woods and the surrounding area. Not much sunshine today but still mild, thankfully I managed to dodge the heavy shower that would have otherwise drenched me.

Treecreeper and distant Raven.

Plenty of birds in Harry's Park though most were of the common or garden variety. There seemed to be good numbers of Bullfinches about and I heard their simple song on several occasions while there also seemed to be more Treecreepers today than usual. Best birds were a pair of Ravens on the edge of the woodland, almost certainly the same pair were seen from Bears Lane as they flew out across the fields.

Arty B and W shots, I was a bit bored!

Over all it was not one of my more interesting days but it was impressive seeing a group of seventy or more Red Kites wheeling and soaring over Weldon Landfill. Oh and those golden eagles?, they were adorning the gateposts of a farm on the edge of the wood.

golden eagle, one of a pair.

Taste of Spring.

My brother and I took an early trip over to Barnwell this morning where once again the hoped for reward was a sighting of otters. Unfortunately the otters had business somewhere else and we did not manage to find one. Kingfishers happily did show from their namesake hide and although they were usually distant we did have some nice views of both the male and the female.

Double trouble for the Barnwell cygnets and a Kingfisher.

Elsewhere the cob swan had enlisted the help of his mate as he continues to try and drive the cygnets away and there was the usual collection of common birds on view. The call of breakfast to my brother meant a parting of the ways, I headed off along the river while he headed home to the table. While the riverside was busy with dog walkers there were still a few bits and bobs to see.

Lovely day for flying.

A pair of Egyptian Geese were seen at the marina, the male made several circuits before landing next to his mate. Just a little further on at the A605 floods there was a reasonable collection of dabbling ducks present with good numbers of Wigeon and Teal being joined by a Gadwall and a dozen Shovellers. About a hundred or so Lapwings were also feeding in the area, hopefully a few other waders will join them in the next few months.

Egyptian Goose and birdlife on the floods.

Continuing my walk I checked through a large flock of Greylag Geese but only found Greylags and also enjoyed watching the many buzzards and kites that showed very well today. Not much else to look at along the river though the walk was enjoyable, it's going to be a bit of a shock when winter returns.

Oundle church and churchyard.

I popped into Oundle churchyard just in case the reported Peregrine was around but it proved to be as elusive as the otters. Not a total waste of time however as a large patch of crocuses were attracting several species of bees and some hoverflies. Sadly no butterflies showed today but there is at least a lot of year still to go.

Early insects.

Weldon Sunshine

A half day off from work today gave me a chance to take a sunny stroll down to Weldon where my hopes of seeing an early butterfly came to naught. Several signs of the approaching Spring came in the form of my first Lesser Celandines and pussy willows of the year while the volume of birdsong is increasing with a growing number of species adding their voices.

Buzzard, Tufted Ducks and Gadwalls.

Popping into my old patch near the sewage treatment plant did not produce much apart from a few Teal and singing Bullfinch. Moving on to the A43 pond and there was a group of half a dozen Tufted Ducks joining a pair of Gadwall and the usual Mallards, Moorhens and Coots. Both buzzards and kites were very visible with lots of activity on view. The pond next to the Woodland Park had three adult Mute Swans, another pair of Gadwall and Coot present. Several Siskins were heard and one seen but there was not much else on offer.

Mute swan, Lesser Celandines and pussy willows.

I'm hoping that if these Springlike conditions persist I might yet see an early butterfly, fingers crossed for Sunday!

Some invertebrates were stirring in the sun. 

Sunny Morning Stroll

A much nicer start than yesterday with plenty of sunshine which made my walk around Wicksteed Park very pleasant indeed. Although there was nothing to match yesterday's Otter or egrets it was still a worthwhile wander.

Tufted Ducks, Teal and Gadwall.

Large numbers of Black-headed Gulls had not attracted anything more interesting among them apart from a few Commons, I wonder if more regular checking might turn up something more exotic? Plenty of Teal feeding around the reedy margins of the main lake, other dabblers here were Gadwall, a pair of Wigeon and the usual Mallards. Diving ducks had increased since my last visit, mainly Tufted Ducks but about half a dozen Pochards were there too. At least one Water Rail was calling here and there was another around the fishing lake.

Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen and Shoveller.

This lake held about ten Shovellers and more Gadwalls and Pochard while a Little Egret, my first here for a while, was preening and enjoying a spot of R and R. A good sized flock of Siskins were feeding in some streamside alders and there were a few Goldfinches with them. Not a whole lot else to report though the local kites appeared to be enjoying the sunny conditions. While walking back through Kettering I noticed my first daffodil and crocus flowers in bloom which added to the sense of the approaching Spring.

Little Egret, Siskin and Red Kite.