Kings' for a Day

 I corrected yesterday's mistake by heading for Kingswood here in Corby for a last stroll of the year. New Year's Eve is often a time for reflection and recollection and any walk around this wood always brings back lots of memories. Having spent a great deal of my formative birding years strolling along its paths and muddy tracks it still holds a special place for me.

The large pond known to generations of kids as The Swamp

Of course whenever you remember past days out it's usually the triumphs that spring to mind and not the uneventful ones. As I walked through the wood thoughts of Hawfinches and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers as well as other past glories sprung to mind and not all those occasions when Blue Tits were the highlight! Today alas proved to be one of those Blue Tit days and I had to content myself with a decent selection of the commoner woodland species. Nuthatches, Marsh Tits and the two commoner woodpeckers were perhaps the highlights of my watching. If the teenage version of me had claimed a Red Kite over Kingswood there would have been howls of derision but nowadays things have moved on and they're regular here. Shame that we've lost the Willow Tits and those regular Hawfinches that I've already mentioned but sometimes we have to be grateful for what we've got. Happy New year to all and a heartfelt hope that 2021 presents us with less challenges.

Long-tailed Tit and Blackbird

Harry's Hordes

 Today I fancied a walk in the woods and narrowed my choice down to either Kingswood or Harry's Park. Given that the kids are still on holiday and quite a few people are still off work I decided that Kingswood might be a bit too busy for wildlife watching and so took the other option. In retrospect I think that I may have made the wrong decision because Harry's Park was very busy indeed!

A quiet walk in the woods? Not today!

As more and more green spaces are lost to development the pressure on those that remain grow with each passing year. More and more people seem to want to spend their time outdoors which means that it's getting increasingly hard to find quiet places in which to watch wildlife. Harry's Park used to be fairly undisturbed but on today's evidence those days are firmly in the past. A procession of joggers, dog walkers, hikers, horse riders and cyclists (as well as at least one birder of course!) made their way through the wood which made birding something of a challenge. Needless to say I struggled to find anything of interest and it could be a while before I visit again.

Yellowhammer and Jay

A Grey Wagtail was noted in Weldon as I walked through while Bears Lane had a small flock of Yellowhammers and a Redpoll. In the wood itself several small groups of Siskin put in an appearance and that as they say was that as far as anything noteworthy went. Tomorrow I may well head back to those paths less well travelled - fingers crossed!

First Snow

 A dull and dreary day with poor light quality until the last hour or so when the sun made the briefest of appearances. It was most notable for the first snow fall of the winter so far which thankfully didn't settle. I put in quite a few miles though rewards were scant and I can't claim that it was my most interesting day out.

Harringworth.

Beginning at Harringworth I checked the floods on either side of the village though those on the Wakerley were for the most part in Rutland. Several hundred Wigeon were present on this stretch of the flood though I couldn't find much else. In flooded willows a Chiffchaff was calling making this the fourth site this month where I've seen this species while a Redpoll flew over. Leaving the valley behind I made my way up towards Spanhoe Quarry, the sight of eight Egyptian Geese flying towards Rutland during a snow shower seemed rather incongruous!

Harringworth Lodge Lake

My arrival at the quarry coincided with the heaviest snow of the day and I struggled to see much. Another Redpoll passed overhead and so too did a Little Egret while a pair of Marsh Tits were also noted. Whilst walking towards Harringworth Lodge I heard a Raven croaking over a nearby wood, these early nesters are already displaying. Once again the lake was quiet with just four Gadwalls swimming on the gravy coloured water though a Water Rail was heard calling. Very little of note from then onwards until I saw a Peregrine once I'd arrived back in Corby.

A Short Stroll

 A combination of cold and foggy weather and a few chores that needed doing meant that I kept things very local today with regards to my wildlife wanderings. After two days of long walks my joints certainly were not complaining about taking things easier though it meant that I didn't see much of interest.

Goldfinch and Redwing

My short stroll took me to the area near the sewage works where I ambled around for about an hour. A few Redwings were going about the business of finishing of the haw crop while several Fieldfares passed overhead. Five species of finches added some colour to what was a pretty drab day with Siskin being the most interesting. On the ponds a group of eight Teal were presumably the same flock seen on previous visits while a Grey Wagtail was also a regular visitor. 

Witches Butter

Not a great deal else was on offer today though my eyes were drawn to a bright fungus on an elder branch which turned out to be called Witches Butter, it's bright colour really stood out against such a dreary background.

Floody Marvelous!

 Today dawned bright and sunny after last night's winds making for a much nicer if slightly cooler day than yesterday. I wanted to give the Welland Valley a check to see if the floods had attracted any decent birds and so headed out towards Cottingham from where I wanted to walk as far as Gretton.

Pochard and Fieldfare

My early morning walk through Corby was quite interesting, a Little Egret was seen near the town centre and a drake Pochard was on the boating lake. Both Marsh Tit and Nuthatch were noted as I walked past Hazel and Thoroughsale Woods. On reaching the countryside I began to note good numbers of winter thrushes as well as Skylarks and Meadow Pipits before reaching the valley below Cottingham.

Red Kite and Buzzard.

Although there was still quite a lot of water left here there were few birds beyond some gulls and a heron or two. As I walked along the valley I began to think that I might well draw a blank as nothing of note was seen up to and beyond Rockingham. Luckily there was more flood water as I got nearer to Gretton and I stopped to check what looked to be a good sized group of birds. A first pair of swans proved to be Mutes but a second and more distant pair turned out on closer inspection to be Bewick's! It's been years since I last saw Bewick's Swans in the county and unfortunately this is a declining species both nationally and locally. Having notified Alan Shorrock I waited around for him to arrive while taking some record shots. Other species sharing the floods with the swans included good numbers of Lapwings and gulls, at least one Golden Plover and four Dunlins. Once Alan had arrived and I'd put him on the swans I left him to it and took a public footpath up towards Brookfield Plantation.

Bewick's Swans and Golden Plover (middle)

A pair of Ravens passed over as I gasped my way up to the top of the ridge from where I had a breathtaking (literally!) view of the valley. Brookfield was very quiet but I did see a Peregrine at one of their usual spots before reaching home.

Raven and Peregrine

Boxing Day Birding

 Today gave me the chance to walk off some of yesterday's calories as I indulged in a bit of local birding. The weather was for the most part rather poor with mainly grey skies and spells of drizzle. Opportunities for taking photos was a bit limited though this was not as bad as it could have been as I didn't see that much to photograph anyway!

Egyptian Geese.

A couple of Grey Wagtails and a Siskin were seen as I walked past the steel works before stopping at the A43 pond in Weldon. Just the usual selection here and I didn't hang around for long before heading off to Willowbrook Industrial Estate. A pair of Ravens were seen near the Morrison's warehouse while a Green Sandpiper flew up from the flooded margins of the pond. Continuing on down Kirby Lanes a visit to the area near the hall produced nothing of interest though a further pair of Ravens were noted near Deene. Also seen from the lane were a pair of Egyptian Geese near to the farm ponds.

Deene Lake

Deene Lake's water level seemed quite low and there was a notable decrease in the number of wildfowl present. I could only find a single Shelduck today while Teal numbers were much lower than on my previous visit. One of the channels near the dam once again hosted a Kingfisher which predictably shot off as soon as it saw me - clearly a good judge of character! Deenethorpe was quiet apart that is from a large group of people taking a stroll together, perhaps they weren't aware that we're in tier three now or maybe they just didn't care. A large flock of Skylarks were somewhat less contentious and there were half a dozen Red Kites hunting over the fields near the buildings. Final interesting bird of the day was another Green Sandpiper which took off from flooded fields near Weldon.

Goldcrest

After the Deluge.

 With yesterday's rain having moved on it was nice to see some sunshine this morning even if it was a bit on the chilly side. Hoping to avoid some of the pre Christmas hysteria I went for a walk in the countryside around Upper Benefield. As has been the case recently things were a little on the quiet side but it was still better than having to listen to folks bitching about going into tier 3!

Brown Hare and Fallow Deer

The minor road to Deenethorpe  had several large puddles left over from yesterday and I had to time my walk to ensure that I wasn't soaked by passing cars. There were a few Meadow Pipits and Skylarks flitting about but not much else apart from a couple of Brown Hares which looked to be drying themselves in the morning sun. Moving on to the barns near Burn Coppice I was a little disappointed to note that the finch flock had moved on, probably trying to find somewhere sheltered out of the cold wind. I took a diversion up another footpath noting a single Fallow Deer feeding on the edge of a wood. Nearby a Raven croaked and I also saw a Brambling though I couldn't get a pic. 

Welcome sunshine and a Redwing.

On my walk back down the lane towards Benefield a single Golden Plover passed overhead but that was it as far as interesting wildlife went. On the plus side the looming clouds did not produce the dreaded rain and I at least managed to finish my walk as dry as I was when I started it.

Merry Christmas!

Bravo Brookfield

 Yesterday a combination of yucky weather and some Christmas shopping was enough to stop any wildlife spotting plans that I may have harboured. Happily the weather was somewhat better this morning and I sauntered along to Brookfield Plantation optimistically hoping to spot a Crossbill or two.

Peregrine

I began my trip by seeing two Grey Wagtails in the square outside my house, Grey Wags are regular visitors to the village. While venturing across the Charter Field I heard a Great Tit teacher teachering and a Song Thrush singing. On my way to the plantation I stopped to have a look for Peregrines and was lucky enough to find one at their favoured spot. Leaving the falcon behind I reached Brookfield soon after and began my very slow stroll through the wood. Both Carrion Crows and Magpies were vocal and several Jays were squawking, prize for most interesting corvid though went to a passing Raven. Several small parties of Siskins passed over and I also had a few Chaffinches too. Having walked the length of the public footpath I began to retrace my footsteps before pausing for a break at the crossroads. While enjoying a cup of tea a Crossbill flew over calling repeatedly and encouraged me to hang around a little longer in the hope of seeing more. No further luck with Crossbills followed though I did see a Grey Wagtail, both Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Red Kite. After a while I headed home getting a few brief views of  Fallow Deer as I did so.

Quiet Again

 Another day out with little to report though the weather was cracking if a little cold. My travels took me from Blatherwycke to Weldon and if interesting nature was in short supply at least I enjoyed the exercise!

Egyptian Geese and House Sparrows

Blatherwycke paid host to an array of the commoner wildfowl which included about twenty five Mandarins and two pairs of Egyptian Geese, I had several views of a Kingfisher while a singing Mistle Thrush provided a soundtrack. The walk from here to Deene was uneventful and so too was Deene itself. Shelduck numbers remained consistent at eight and there was a large flock of Teal again at their favoured spot near the inflow. Deenethorpe was quiet on the bird front but there was quite a lot of flying activity, perhaps people wanted to get a flight or two in before Christmas.

Teal and Shelduck

Very little else to report though I did see a Chiffchaff on the outskirts of Weldon though that really was a s good as it got before I got home. Hopefully the days ahead might bring something a little more interesting!

A nice day for flying!

Christmas Hols

Today was the first day of my Christmas holidays and I marked the occasion by taking a trip over to Summer Leys. While it was far from the most interesting of visits I did at least manage to avoid the threatened showers.

Stonechats

Beginning at Mill Lake I was entertained by a pair of Stonechats near the lock, this is turning into rather a good spell for local ones. On the lake itself there was a good selection of common ducks and the usual multitude of Mute Swans but not much else. Hardwater Lake was almost devoid of birds though this may have been due to the high numbers of dog walkers passing close by.

Wigeons, Shoveller and Great White Egret

Summer Leys had plenty of birds but nothing much out of the usual. A Great White Egret was perhaps the best bird that I saw though a Bittern was noted here some time after I left. From Pioneer Hide a Cetti's Warbler was heard as it sang briefly from cover but I didn't manage to see it. Having completed a circuit of the reserve without seeing much else I decided to head back along the river. Whilst walking up Mill Lane towards the village I came across a small group of Chiffchaffs, at least three though possibly more. I managed to get a record shot of one but that was the last thing I did before going home.

Chiffchaff

Blue Skies

 Nice to see some sunshine this morning and it certainly made for a pleasant stroll around the Oundle area for the first time in what feels like ages. I began at Barnwell CP before heading along the river bank and then going back into town.

                                                              Mute Swans and Cormorant.

                                                         

Barnwell was a little on the quiet side with no surprises on offer, best birds were the several Chiffchaffs feeding in waterside vegetation. The usual cast of passerines were on offer with Nuthatches and Marsh Tits showing well and also small numbers of Siskins present. Both species of winter thrush were seen though there was little else of note. With neither Kingfishers or Otters showing I decided to leave the park to the dogs and head off along the Nene.

Nuthatch and Marsh Tit

Very little of interest to report other than a fly over Raven though the Barnwell Lock floods look extensive and had attracted quite a good sized flock of Wigeons as well as Shovellers. Hopefully more wildfowl might be tempted to join them over the next few months - some wild swans would be nice! I finished my day by dipping on the church's Peregrine though in fairness I don't know if it's been present this winter.

Red Kite and floody ducks.

Rambling with Bramblings and a lot of rain

 Monday's encounter with a Tree Sparrow helped to decide what I did with myself today. Taking the bus over to Upper Benefield I hoped to encounter a few more of these attractive sparrows whilst walking along the minor road to Deenethorpe. My luck though was not with me unfortunately and I failed to see any whatsoever. Unlike my last two days off visibility was fine with no fog or mist to limit my horizons though almost constant rain made for some challenging conditions all the same.

                                                                         Brambling

Between Upper Benefield and Burn Coppice there was nothing of note except for a Brown Hare bounding off across the fields. I took a diversion along the bridleway near the coppice as I wanted to check the barns where I'd had some success with seed eating birds before. Near to the buildings I struck lucky as a quick check of a flock of finches revealed a minimum of six Bramblings, I suspect that there may well have been more. Even luckier perhaps was that the rain eased off long enough to let me get a couple of record shots, these were the only pics that I managed all day.

                                                        Another view of the Brambling.

At Deenethorpe village a Muntjac was seen in the poplar plantation while the inflow at Deene Lake held at least a couple of hundred Teals. In general the birds at Deene mirrored those seen on Monday with female Stonechat, a Kingfisher, the female Goldeneye and Black Swan still present. Shelduck numbers stood at eight again which suggests that I couldn't find most of them in Monday's fog when only one had been visible. By now the rain had gone from light drizzle to something altogether heavier and more unpleasant and my walk home failed to add anything else of note to the list. Thankfully tomorrow looks as if it may be sunny in parts and more importantly drier so my gear may at least get a chance to dry!