I've Been To Deene, Not Much Was Seen

 Although it was clear and sunny though rather frosty when I left my house this morning a thick fog had descended by the time I'd reached Willowbrook Industrial Estate making wildlife viewing a tad difficult. Consequently very little was noted here other than singing Skylarks, a Redpoll, a few Meadow Pipits as well as a Grey Wagtail that dropped in next to the pond.

Who needs gorillas in the mist when you've got Coots and Tufties?

Near to the mysterious looking Horizon Centre a large herd of Fallow Deer could just about be made out and I also heard my first Reed Bunting of the year. It or another was seen a little further on giving me some great views. Continuing on down Kirby Lane two Chiffchaffs were in song though it's difficult to know whether these were newly arrived migrants or wintering birds. At Deene the fog was if anything even thicker and it was hard to see the lake never mind any birds! Another singing Reed Bunting was present near the dam, I'd love to know where they've all been hiding up until now. One species that seems to moving through at the moment is Chaffinch, rather a lot were seen and heard today.

Reed Bunting and Chaffinch

By the time I'd made my way around to the inflow the fog had all but lifted and I was finally able to do some bird watching rather than listening. Good numbers of Teal were seen and a single Snipe showed briefly before disappearing into cover. Shelduck numbers had risen to fourteen since my last visit and a pair of Great Crested Grebes were displaying. I returned via the farm ponds before dropping in at Priors Hall. Small numbers of Siskins were present on site and so too was Alan Shorrock who during a socially distanced chat told me that he'd just seen a Raven. Having parted ways after a bit of a catch up I was able to see what was presumably Alan's Raven flying past. Near to the first pond I finally managed to find my first butterfly of the year, a Peacock. It looked as if it might land but in the end didn't so I was unable to get a picture, no doubt there will be other opportunities in the near future.

Teal with Snipe and Robin

While passing the quarry area I went through a large group of gulls to see if anything out of the ordinary was in with them but drew a blank. I did note at least nine Pochards on the lake, pretty impressive given that I haven't seen any at Deene this winter. A flock of about fifty Lapwings were also flying around the area. Nothing else of interest to report from the rest of my walk other than a Grey Wagtail near the STW.

Lapwings

Close Encounter

 I was lucky to have a day off work today and put it to good use by taking a walk through the Welland Valley by way of Cottingham and Rockingham. A beautiful cloudless morning eventually gave way to cloudier conditions but it was a lovely day to be out and about.

Raven

Having barely left my house I was approaching the railway bridge in the village when I heard a Raven calling. Looking up I couldn't find it initially but realised that it was calling from the top of a pine tree in what looked like the grounds of the town's kingdom hall. Keen to witness my first perched Raven in the town itself I was disappointed to see two birds take flight. One seemed to settle somewhere in nearby West Glebe Park while the other landed out of sight in a nearby pine tree. As I drew closer I could still hear it calling so remained hopeful of getting a half decent view. The bird was not as it turned out in the grounds of the kingdom hall but rather in the grounds of a neighbouring property. Luckily for me the bird stayed put and I was treated to some excellent views which allowed me to take some nice photos. Leaving the Raven behind I continued my stroll through the town stopping to admire a Great Spotted Woodpecker on the way. After a brief stop at the boating lake where a drake Pochard was taking a nap I finally made it out of town but not before hearing another Raven near the town centre.

GSW and snoozing Pochard.

Reaching the valley near Cottingham I scanned the lake below the village and was rewarded with two Green Sandpipers as well as a group of Wigeons. My walk between here and Rockingham produced a selection of the commoner farmland species and also my second Chiffchaff in as many days. Although my amble was not producing any scarcer species it was good to get nice views of the commoner types in excellent light. Brookfield Plantation held several Siskins and a flock of Redwings while a peregrine was noted at its usual spot.

Linnet and Yellowhammer.

Once again I was disappointed not to see a butterfly today though I did see a couple of bumble bees buzzing around which were my first of the year.

Dunnock and Green Sandpiper record shot.

Half Day Off

 My plan to go out after work on Wednesday came to naught on account of it being cloudy by the time I finished got home. Today was a different story however as I managed to get a half day off work which allowed me to go over to the area near the STW for a stroll. Unlike on Wednesday today was sunny and I was optimistic of seeing an early butterfly or two, unfortunately my search was to draw a blank and my first butterfly of the year remains to be seen.

Grey Wagtail and Seven-spotted Ladybird.

A few early insects were out and about though they were few in numbers despite it being pleasantly warm in sheltered spots. My first hoverfly, a Drone Fly briefly visited my garden and I also saw a single Seven-spotted Ladybird. Of the birds seen today a singing Chiffchaff was my first for the year, although I saw them at four different spots in December I'd seen none since. Other birds included a small party of Siskins, a few Redwings, several Teal and a Grey Wagtail. I'm off work tomorrow as well so perhaps the predicted sunny weather may yet bring out a butterfly or two.

Not One Of The Best

 A pedestrian sort of day in all senses as my walk to and around Weldon failed to produce any sightings of note. While the day ended with blue skies and sunshine it was somewhat drabber and grey during the morning with fairly persistent though thankfully light rain. While passing the woodland park yesterday I'd caught a glimpse of two hefty looking finches that had a Hawfinchy sort of vibe to them but they flew out of sight without me being able to confirm their identification. My hope was a visit today might produce further and more conclusive sightings, the fact that this post isn't called Happy Hawfinch Hunt or something similarly snappy should tell you how it went!

I'm in the habit of using phrases that include "nothing of note" or "little of interest" and it does a disservice to those species that I do manage to see. A total of 38 were found today ranging from Cormorant through to Goldcrest and also including my first Treecreeper of the year. Both sorts of winter thrush were seen and a decent number of Greenfinches too. It's strange that whenever I'm looking for Hawfinches I always seem to see more Greenfinches than I would normally, not complaining though as they're always a welcome sight.

Most interesting and entertaining watch of the day was the cob Mute Swan at the A43 pond taking offense at the presence of an invading Canada Goose on his prospective nursery. Puffing himself up he made a bee line for the unfortunate interloper creating an impressive bow wave as he set a course for interception. A flotilla of squabbling Mallard drakes were scattered in his wake while Gadwalls swam fearfully out of the way. The Canada Goose rather sensibly chose flight over fight and made a tactical withdrawal leaving Mr Swan to return to his mate and a spot of preening. On a different tack Wednesday is looking quite promising at the moment and an after work sortie looks possible, Id love to see some early butterflies. No pictures from today but here's some pictures from last February's visit to Spain, hopefully such journeys might become possible again sooner rather than later.

Images of Spain.

Familiar Territory

 For the last couple of days I've been admiring pictures of a Glossy Ibis that has been feeding on Islip Water Meadows near Thrapston and feeling a certain amount of envy towards those birders that live nearby. No such joys for me sadly as I had to be content with the now familiar trek to Deene and back where there was a distinct lack of either ibises or anything else for that matter! Although the weather was mild a lack of sunshine meant that I didn't see any early butterflies, such brief bursts of sun as there were proved to be too short to tempt any out.

Fallow Deer

My first Grey Wagtail of the day was seen in the Old Village, others were seen at Willowbrook Industrial Estate and near Kirby Lodge. The industrial estate turned out to be quite productive, a trio of Fallow Deer included one of the white individuals and there were also two Brown Hares. A pair of Stonechats showed distantly and I flushed four Snipe from the boggy ground near to the pond. Skylarks were in good voice and I was to hear many throughout my walk.

Stonechat and Black Swan

Kirby Lane was fairly quiet, I saw three Fallow bucks near to the lodge and also had a Raven as I neared Deene, its quiet pruk pruk call alerting me to its presence. Another Stonechat was seen near to the dam at Deene Lake and was presumably the same female that has spent most of the winter here. Sadly it didn't come too near, I suspect the fact that a young couple sitting on the dam while sharing an impressive looking joint was making her wary. On the lake itself the Shelduck numbers had dropped to a dozen and wildfowl numbers in general had dipped as well. Little else to report apart from the pair of Black Swans and a leucistic drake Gadwall. No birds of note at the inflow though I did see a small number of Coltsfoot flowers which were my first of the year.

Spring views, Coltsfoot and lambs.

Deenethorpe Airfield had a pair of Lapwings and I was treated to a little bit of display. Small numbers of Meadow Pipits were present on site but generally it was rather quiet. My walk across the public footpath towards Bears Lane added Redpoll to the day's list and I also noted a large number of Fieldfares heading north but that really was it as far as anything of interest went with the rest of my walk home being somewhat dull.

Meadow Pipit and Linnet

Welland Valley Return

 A mild and rather misty morning today which saw me returning to the Welland Valley via Rockingham. Most of the flood water appears to have drained away and today's stroll did not deliver the result's that last week's did. 

Kestrel and Buzzard.

A Sparrowhawk at the top of Rockingham Hill had the local passerines somewhat alarmed as it sped past, another was frightening the Lapwings in the valley a little later on. Half a dozen Teal were on one of the few remaining pools of flood water near Rockingham where the first Golden Plover of the day was heard from near the STW. Reaching the spot where I saw the Knot last Monday it was clear that most of the birds had moved on. Somewhere iin the region of sixty Lapwings were feeding and they had attracted at least six Golden Plovers, some of which were sporting black bellies. No other waders here though a Great White Egret was noted flying along the Welland before dropping down out of sight. There was a large flock of Fieldfares and a smaller one of Starlings but little else to report either here or indeed elsewhere on my walk. Fallow Deers were noted both in the Welland Valley and at Brookfield Plantation. 

Birds of a feather kip together and Common Gull skating team.

Still Chilly

 While today was a tad less cold than the previous few days it was still cold and bitterly so in the wind. Hopefully the milder conditions promised by the weather forecasters will kick in tonight, I'm sure that much of the local wildlife would appreciate it as much as I would! Today I took the familiar route along to Deene and enjoyed an OK if not spectacular day's birding.

Kirby Hall and Wood Pigeons.

My walk took me past the steelworks where a small flock of Siskins were noted. Very little was on view at Willowbrook Industrial Estate other than a Grey Wagtail, neither Fallow Deer nor Ringed Plover had hung around. Kirby Lane was quiet too apart from several very large flocks of Wood Pigeon and it wasn't until I reached Deene that I saw a few interesting bits and bobs.

Frozen conditions at Deene.

At the farm ponds there was a small amount of open water where a couple of Dabchicks were feeding. A Snipe was flushed up from a boggy patch that was being fed by running water. On the main lake Shelduck numbers had increased to at least eighteen birds as they build towards their spring peak. I checked a large flock of Greylags feeding in the monument field though couldn't find anything other than a couple of Canadas amongst them. At the inflow a Green Sandpiper was the highlight and was my eighth species of wader in as many days. In nearby Deenethorpe village a good sized flock of Fieldfares had been drawn to a crop of large purple berries, earlier I'd seen a good number feeding on fallen apples in Deene.

Northamptonshire's capital of cold, Deenethorpe Airfield and Stonechats.

Deenethorpe airfield was as bitterly cold as I had dreaded with the wind whistling across. Only a single Red Kite was prepared to brave the conditions until I reached the airfield buildings where the scant shelter they provided proved attractive to a pair of Stonechats. Also noted in this area were four Snipe which flew up zig-zagging from an area of frozen looking ground. By now a few spits and spots of rain were beginning to fall so having put my camera away I chose to walk along the A427 rather than tackle the rutted public footpaths across the fields. I'm glad that I did too as I was able to watch a Raven displaying over Weldon Park Wood, a pleasingly appropriate way to end my Valentine's Day birding.

Knot On My Watch

Snowfall during the night turned the local scene a fetching shade of white though thankfully it wasn't as heavy as the last lot. Nevertheless with a strong wind seemingly  driving any further flurries into my face conditions were far from pleasant during parts of my stroll. I wanted to have a look at the Welland Valley but didn't fancy too far of a walk so visited the bit near Gretton. While I was hoping to catch up with some interesting wildfowl things did not quite pan out that way.

The regular Peregrine and a snowy Brookfield.

My regular Peregrine was in its normal spot though as usual he was hiding out of the wind. Brookfield Plantation delivered two Woodcocks and a few Siskins though not a great deal else. Thankfully for species such as those Woodcocks the ground was still soft underfoot so they may well be able to feed OK. Very little to report from the countryside between the plantation and Gretton with just a few crows and the odd Blue Tit or two on show.

If you like rubbishy record shots then good news, today's Knot.

After I'd reached the Welland Valley a large herd of swans had the old ticker racing a little faster but a close inspection revealed that all forty plus were Mutes. Feeling a little deflated I walked on until I reached the area near to where December's Bewick's were. A large flock of Lapwings and Starlings called for a good scoping and I began to sort through the throng of birds. Plenty of winter thrushes were mingling with the Starlings and they were joined by Meadow Pipits. In amongst the Lapwings I found over twenty Dunlin as well as a larger chunkier bird which revealed itself to be a totally unexpected Knot. This is my first local one and certainly wasn't a species that I expected to see when I left home, rubbish record shots were taken. Hanging around added more Dunlins and an eventual total of around thirty were seen. A group of twenty one Golden Plovers joined the two hundred or so Lapwings taking today's wader tally up to five and the weekend's to six, not bad for February! I stayed for about an hour and a quarter but it was getting uncomfortably cold by now and I headed off on the uneventful walk home.

Wake Up Dobbin!

 During my last few excursions out I've felt that if the horse that I've been flogging isn't actually dead then it has certainly been in the deepest of slumbers. Today that snoozing nag at least stirred in its sleep even if it didn't exactly start galloping around! It was a much colder day than we've had recently though I at least managed to avoid most of the snow that other areas saw. My walk today trod the familiar path to Deene and back taking in Weldon and Deenethorpe on the way out and Willowbrook Industrial Estate on the return leg.

Deenethorpe Airfield

The early part of my walk was uneventful to say the least, a Siskin was heard at the logistical park where Stanion Lane Plantation used to be and a Cormorant was noted over Weldon. Deenethorpe Airfield had wind that was almost Hebridean in strength with the added disadvantage of being rather icy. Wind whipped clouds delivered a few very light flurries of snow which continued on and off for most of my walk. Only the hardiest of birds showed and these included Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Linnets and a solitary Lapwing.

Shelducks.

Nearby at Deene Lake inflow water levels were very high and wildfowl numbers seemed low. Shelduck numbers remained constant at nine but every other wild species were greatly reduced. An exception to this was the Black Swan that once again has a friend to keep it company. This didn't appear to put it into a good mood however as the cob spent some time aggressively driving Mute Swans away. An unlikely sign of spring given the weather was a Lesser Celandine on the verge next to the A43. A visit to the farm ponds did not add anything to the list and the walk down Kirby Lane was also a little on the dull side.

Black Swans and Lesser Celandine

Willowbrook's Fallow Deer herd had increased to twenty three and still included the three leucistic specimens, all were grazing out in the open once again near the old speedway grandstand. Best moment of the day came soon after when a scan of the cleared area near Morrison's chilled warehouse revealed a Ringed Plover. Initially its muddy bill looked blackish making me think that I'd found an exceptionally early Little but sustained observation revealed that it was a still unseasonal Ringed. Not much else to report afterwards other than a Grey Wagtail near Tescos.

Fallow Deer herd and Ringed Plover record shot.