Who's a Pretty Boy Then?

A blue Monday today though mercifully it was down to the sky and not my mood as the county enjoyed another fine and sunny winter day. Opting not to go to Barnwell I chose instead to brave the bus trip over to Kettering for a walk around Wicksteed Park.

Sunrise and Tufted Ducks.

Large numbers of Black-headed Gulls were around the park though only one Common, I think the floods around the county may have enticed them away as they seem to love wet fields. On the main lake a double figure count of Pochard mingled with a slightly larger number of Tufties feeding with Coots. Initially it looked as if few dabblers were present but I found good numbers of both Teal and Shoveller hiding out of the strong breeze on the lee shore of the island. A Little Egret was stalking the shallows while several Cormorants added to the fishy woes.

Grey Heron and Gadwall.

More Pochards, at least fifteen, were found on the fishing lake though there were not too many other birds on here. There was a pair of Gadwall to add on to the day list while a Grey Heron posed very obligingly. My rumbling belly was suggesting that it might be time to hunt down some breakfast so I decided to make my excuses. Thoughts of brekkie however were postponed by the arrival of a colourful and perhaps unlikely visitor. A Ring-necked Parakeet flew from trees next to the River Ise and landed in trees on the island. Constantly buffeted by the wind and subject to attention from some curious Jackdaws it never settled in one spot for too long but I did manage a couple of ropey record shots. This is my first away from the local centre of population in Northampton and it could of course be a recent escapee rather than a feral bird.

Great Crested Grebe and Black-headed Gulls.

On my way to breakfast I checked the church for any Peregrines that might be present but couldn't find any.

Ring-necked Parakeet.