Golden Lining

This morning I awoke with glorious pink light coming through the curtains as an apparently amazing sunrise lit up the dawn. I say apparently because by the time I made it downstairs the pinky loveliness had given way to grey skies which set the scene for much of the day. Leaving the house in a light rain shower I made my way to the bus stop from where I (eventually) headed for Barnwell CP.

Barnwell CP and Mandarin trio.

Given that it was raining over in Oundle too my first port of call once I'd got to the park was to head for the Kingfisher Hide. No sign of  'fishers but a trio of Mandarins did light up the place and were probably the best birds here. At least two Grey Wagtails were also feeding around the margins of the pond but they never ventured close to the hide. Of the passerines seen here a Nuthatch and a Marsh Tit were probably the best.

Cormorant and Moorhen

A let up in the rain gave me the chance to take a stroll around though my hopes of seeing anything of interest were hampered by a very noisy school party. Despite the clamour I managed to hear a Water Rail and a Kingfisher and see both Blackcap and Chiffchaff. Realising that things were not going to get much more interesting I headed off home.

Robin and Dunnock

The day still had a pleasant little surprise for me with the sighting of a flock of forty or so Golden Plovers and about twice that number of Lapwings in flight near Weldon. These were my first of the Autumn and a sign perhaps of the coming winter.

Great Tit and Carrion Crow