Into The Valley

 With the rain and snow having featured quite a bit during the last week I decided to have another look along at least part of the Welland Valley. I'd hoped that there might be more flooding to investigate and I was not disappointed. My walk took me from Cottingham along towards Gretton before leaving the valley and heading up through Brookfield Plantation  and then home. 

Birdlife on the floods.

A fine sunrise marked the beginning of the day as I made my way through the deserted streets of Corby. It seemed pleasantly noisy with more and more Dunnocks adding their voices to those of the Robins and Song Thrushes. Passing the boating lake gave me a chance to check for the drake Pochard which sadly appears to have gone. Very little of interest followed until I found myself overlooking the floods near Cottingham. Not much here either in all honesty aside from a couple of Little Egrets and a small flock of about twenty five Lapwings. The floods below Rockingham held a pair of Shelducks though they were on the wrong side of the county border though a passing group of about fifteen more Lapwings were on the right side. Over flying the small sewage treatment works was a croaking Raven making its way to the woods near Rockingham village. There was a large area of flooding again in the place where I saw last month's Bewick's Swans and I stopped to give the area a good scoping. Although there was a double figure count of swans they all turned out to be Mutes. Looking through the huge number of Lapwings, at least five hundred in total, produced a couple of Dunlins but no other waders and I left the floods behind and began to walk up the hill.

Thrush selection and Starlings

There was a flock of Siskins in alders next to the flooded quarry near to Brookfield Plantation but the plantation itself was very quiet with just the two commoner species of woodpecker to report. On my previous visit I drew a blank on the Peregrine at its usual spot but made up for that dip today by seeing a pair. Last thing of interest on the list was a Grey Wagtail at the stream in the Old Village.

Peregrine pair.

Another Wintery Walk

 Quite a bit greyer than yesterday and still pretty cold. I put my wellies on once again and set out for a wander down to Weldon. With snowy conditions and the additional hazard of ice I felt my feet slide more than once but luckily managed to keep my footing if not always my dignity. My aim was to see if any interesting species were finding shelter in more built up areas - the answer was not many!

Mute Swans and Gadwalls.

At the A43 pond most of the water was frozen though the remaining small open area proved attractive to the pair of Mute Swans and their Gadwall groupies, I counted eight in total. The pond at the Woodland Park was frozen solid though the surrounding bushes held plenty of the commoner passerines. Both Fieldfares and Redwings were seen in reasonable numbers though they remained flighty and unapproachable. Of the various finches noted Siskin was perhaps the most interesting though Bullfinch won the aesthetic battle. The stream supported quite a good sized squadron of Mallards and a Grey Heron but nothing else.

Kestrel and Buzzard.

On my way home I had a look at the sewage works where a large flock of Black-headed Gulls were feeding around the settling beds and a Grey Wagtail was also seen. At the scrubby area close by a Green Sandpiper was flushed from the stream and another Siskin was seen. By now light drizzle was beginning to fall so I took the easy decision to give it up for the day and head home.

Pied Wagtail and Long-tailed Tit.

Snowy Stroll

 A lovely day for a walk and particularly so as I was doing it by choice and not because I had to. Yesterday's snow looked beautiful in the sunshine though it will mean a struggle to survive for much of the local wildlife. Still it looks as if there's going to be rain soon so hopefully things can hold on until the thaw. I chose to walk through Brookfield Plantation and then on to the ridge that overlooks the Welland Valley, the scenery was stunning though there was not a lot of wildlife to enjoy.

Great Tit and Buzzard.

In the plantation there was plenty of evidence of life with various mammal tracks criss crossing the rides but very little actually on view. Other than a few tits and a Jay or two bird life was minimal, many species will have moved into gardens and the neighbouring industrial estate. Beyond the wood very little was on the move other than a few Skylarks and Meadow Pipits and the odd kite or buzzard. Looking out over the valley I noted a few Lapwings but little else though the glorious views made up for the absence of birds. Walking back I noted a couple of Muntjac but that was that as far as wildlife went, even the normally reliable Peregrine had abandoned its favourite spot.

Welland Valley views.

Fire and Ice

 A fiery sky this morning ignited faint hopes of a forecast defying good morning but that brief promise turned out to be more of a feint as the gathering clouds soon extinguished that rather fanciful notion. Heavy snow arrived by mid morning blanketing much the countryside to the delight of the local kids, local drivers on the other hand were probably not quite so enthusiastic! I set out early with a view to beating the snow, my plan was partially successful though my return walk was against a backdrop of the white stuff.

A day of contrasts

Deene was my intended location and I hoped to catch some weather driven movement amongst the local bird population. Unfortunately my stroll through the frosty countryside was rather unproductive. The flat and open fields at Deenethorpe airfield share something in common with the Nene Washes in that they're both a cold and wind magnet but there the similarity ends as nothing like the number of birds are found at the airfield as are found on the washes. Today there were just a few hardy Meadow Pipits and Skylarks braving the conditions and my search for Stonechats drew a blank.

Shelducks and Stonechat.

The inflow at Deene was quiet apart from the usual Teals and a couple of Redpolls while the main lake held few surprises with the Shelduck total seemingly stuck on nine for the moment. Near the dam the regular Kingfisher was feeding along his favourite channel though once again he beat a hasty retreat once he'd seen me. Other birds seen in the general area were a Grey Wagtail and the female Stonechat in much the same area as I saw her last time. By the time I'd got to the church the first few small flakes of snow had begun to fall which was the cue for me to put my camera away. As I made my way home i saw few birds and heard even less, just a few winter thrushes on the move. With the snow becoming heavier I abandoned my birding aspirations and headed for home.

Starlings.

Stonechats

 A reasonably bright start that eventually gave way to a rather grey and cold day. Having missed my usual Sunday appointment at Deene I decided that it was better to be late than never and so headed off in that direction.

Stonechats (male top)

It was very quiet to begin with and I saw nothing of note at either Willowbrook Industrial Estate or along the first stretch of Kirby Lane. As I got nearer to Deene a check of a likely looking fence line produced the hoped for Stonechat, a male that showed well if a little distantly. The farm ponds held a small selection of ducks and the usual Mute Swans and Dabchicks but not much of interest. Things perked up a little at the lake where a female Stonechat was feeding between the dam and the road. Also seen was a Kingfisher which again flew off as soon as I appeared and landed some distance away. No change amongst the wildfowl with everything including the Shelducks pretty much as it was on my last visit. Once again a single Snipe was found at the inflow but that was it as far as interesting stuff went.

Distant Kingfisher and closer Little Egret

Deenethorpe airfield was rather dull with just a few Skylarks and Meadow Pipits on site as well as the usual Red Kites. After crossing the A427 I began a muddy slog across the fields noting a flock of twenty four Golden Plovers as I trudged. Very little else to report though it was good to see three Kestrels within a short space of time and also a Sparrowhawk whose presence caused no small amount of alarm amongst the nearby passerines.

Cormorant and Buzzard

Not Quite So Floody Marvelous!

 With the past week having seen quite a bit of rain and even a fall of snow I decided to take my exercise walk along the Welland Valley by way of East Carlton Park. Our local council have closed the car park here due to the current lockdown and I hoped that the mutt masses might have been diminished somewhat since my last visit. With a decent amount of sunshine and some blue skies to enjoy it turned out to be a pleasant stroll in milder conditions than of late.

Starling and Nuthatch.

Walking through Corby I passed the town's boating lake where the drake Pochard continues its stay, this is the only one that I've seen this year in the county. Leaving the town brought a sighting of a Raven near the Fourways garage that seemed to be playing a version of musical pylons as flew from one to the other. Perhaps the biggest surprise came along the Harborough Road near Cottingham where a fine looking male Blackcap was noted, although some lucky people have had them visit their gardens I've never seen a January one in the county before.

Rook and Wood Pigeon

Dog numbers were great reduced at East Carlton though that didn't help me find any of the hoped for Bramblings. What I did see was a good selection of the commoner woodland species including Nuthatch and some rather attractive looking Bullfinches. From here I made my way to the valley via Middleton and Cottingham and I was pleased to see that the floods had returned. Unfortunately I couldn't find anything to match last month's Bewick's Swans and most of the birds that I did see were either Common or Black-headed Gulls. Beyond Rockingham there was a small selection of dabbling ducks on the Rutland side of the border while a flock of Lapwings nearer Gretton contained a single Golden Plover.

Welland Valley Wildfowl

After a heart testing yomp up the hill from the valley bottom I found myself close to Brookfield Plantation. A fox was a nice find as I don't see much in the way of native mammals and it certainly made a change from Grey Squirrels! One of the larger puddles had attracted a Green Sandpiper which flew up calling noisily before disappearing in the direction of the valley. Brookfield was rather quiet with just Siskin and Grey Wagtail being noteworthy though the day ended on an almost predictable high with the sighting of a Peregrine at its favoured spot. It did at least give me the chance to try my latest camera out, hope you enjoy yet another Peregrine pic!

Take a wild guess!

Monday Morning In Brookfield.....Again

 I'm beginning to establish something of a routine with my birding excursions, Deene on a Sunday and Brookfield on Monday. While neither tends to produce too many rarities they do generally provide some welcome peace and quiet as well as the odd good bird. Today did nothing to buck the trend as once again I managed to find a couple of mildly interesting things to look at.

Peregrine and Goldcrest.

Monday Peregrines are almost as regular as visits to Brookfield and I managed to find one at the regular spot sheltering out of what was quite a cool wind. In the plantation I initially struggled to find much but after a couple of hours I'd accumulated a bit of a list. Several large mixed tit flocks were making their way through the woods and I also encountered a small group of Goldcrests. There were one or two Siskins noted passing overhead and I later found a large flock of fifty plus feeding in alders near the crossroads. A Raven was glimpsed over one of the rides and I saw another displaying over the fields near Gretton. Nuthatches are rather scarce birds in Brookfield so I was glad to hear one or two calling, they made a nice change to the Pheasants and Jays that normally provide the soundtrack. Both species of the commoner woodpeckers were noted though that was that really as far as noteworthy stuff went and I soon called a halt to proceedings and sey off for home.

Male and female Siskin.

Lockdown 3

 Now that the country has entered its third period of lockdown I am having to do my birding as part of a daily exercise regime. Given that there does not appear to be a limit on how long we can be out as long as we remain local my stroll today took me to Deene and back via Deenethorpe and Weldon. Although it remains very cold it was sunny and at least slightly warmer than the last few days.

Raven and Meadow Pipit.

My walk took me through Willowbrook Industrial Estate where I failed to find any Stonechats. Several Meadow Pipits were noted and a Raven was calling from the old Rockingham Speedway grandstand. Kirby Lane failed to produce much of interest until the very end where it meets the Deene to Harringworth road. Here a flock of Lapwings had a single Golden Plover for company which was my first of the year. The farm ponds at Deene were all frozen except one which held a selection of ducks and some dabchicks, a drake Shoveller was probably the pick. A Kingfisher showed along one of the channels at the dam though it was too distant for pics. Best bird at the main lake was a Great White Egret which took off and headed eastwards in the direction of Blatherwycke. Other birds included a growing number of Tufted Ducks and the nine Shelduck while the inflow held a single Snipe and  a large number of Teal.

Golden Plover and Snipe.

At Deenethorpe village a Kingfisher showed well but distantly while the airfield was fairly quiet except for a Redpoll. Not too much to see for the rest of the walk though I did see a few typically open country species such as Linnet, Yellowhammer and Skylark between the A427 and Harry's Park Wood.

Kestrel and Kingfisher

Ending on a High

 Today marked my last day of freedom before my liberty is cruelly snatched away by the need to earn a living. Deciding to keep things local I headed over to Brookfield Plantation which offered some respite from a cold northeasterly wind and shelter from a succession of showers. On my way to the wood I stopped off to admire one of our local Peregrines at one of its favourite loafing spots.

Yet another Peregrine pic.

My arrival at Brookfield coincided with one of the heavier showers and I spent a few minutes sheltering under a pine tree. Once the rain had moved on I emerged from cover to find two Green Sandpipers flying up from the flooded bottom of the old quarry. The likely cause of their alarm appeared immediately afterwards in the rather diminutive form of an adult male Merlin flashing past. I rarely see Merlins in Northants (about once every six or seven years) so this was a rare treat and I'm always surprised by how small they are. Continuing my walk through the plantation produced a few more year ticks in the form of Coal Tit and Goldcrest while other highlights included Grey Wagtail, Siskin, several Teal and a pair of Ravens.

Oh What a Smew-tiful Morning!

 I scrounged a lift from someone in my household and made the short trip over the border to Eyebrook Reservoir. There I took a socially distanced stroll around the res hoping to catch up with the small number of Smew that are wintering here. Although there were a few showers to dodge it wasn't too bad weather wise and I enjoyed my walk.

Drake (top) and redhead Smews

My Smew quest did not take long to fulfill as I found a grand total of seven within yards of leaving the carpark at Stoke Dry. A drake and two redheads were feeding just off the Leicestershire bank on the other side of the res to me and a further three drakes and a redhead were feeding in the middle. Although the poor light and distance made for some challenging conditions for photography I managed to get a record shot or two. Amongst the other wildfowl seen were a group of six Pintails as well as the commoner stuff.

Goosander and Dunlins

From the bridge I saw two female Goosanders fishing in the Eye Brook itself and heard both Siskins and Redpolls. A little further on there were at least fifty three Dunlin feeding out on the mud in company with a lot of Lapwing. My first Raven of the year flew over causing far less disturbance than a passing Sparrowhawk. One of the redhead Smews showed a little closer from a gap in the hedge and I stopped to admire it for a few minutes, after all we don't get too many opportunities to admire these attractive ducks in Northants. One final highlight to mention were a small numbers of Tree Sparrows frequenting the hedges near the bottom of the hill. 

Goldeneye and Teal