The Lakes

 Some welcome sunshine today and I enjoyed a decent day of wildlife watching as I walked from Blatherwycke Lake and on to Deene before taking a detour to Priors Hall. A good variety of wildlife included birds, a mammal and also some insects enjoying this late spell of warmth.

Distant Mandarins and heron duo.

A small group of Manadarins were present at their favoured spot at Blatherwycke and I also saw two Egyptian Geese. Best bird was perhaps a Great White Egret which was my first sighting here though others have reported them in the past. My first Fieldfare of the Autumn was heard near the churchyard where a decent sized flock of Redwings were present as well as twenty plus Mistle Thrushes. The Red-necked Wallabies were still frequenting the large garden in the village and I also saw a Brown Hare nearby.

Gun fodder and a Mistle Thrush

Not much between here and Deene apart from three Red Admirals nectaring on Ivy flowers, three other butterflies briefly glimpsed were probably this species. Not many interesting birds at Deene though the pair of Black Swans were seen. My first dragons of the day were Common Darters and Migrant Hawkers and I spent some time looking for Willow Emeralds. My search for these attractive insects proved to be unsuccessful though I did get some brief views of an Otter which was my first in the county away from the Nene Valley.

Starlings and wallabies

At Priors Hall I added a Ruddy Darter and Willow Emeralds to my list with the latter species present in good numbers. Birdlife resembled last weeks list with Redpolls, a Raven and a squealing Water Rail among the highlights. Other wildlife included Brown Hare, Fallow Deer, Common Lizard and a Meadow Grasshopper

Willow Emeralds, Red Admiral and Meadow Grasshopper