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