Dipping And Tripping

 I paid a brief visit to Eyebrook this morning just after sunrise with the intention of finding the Ring-necked Duck and Scaup that have been present. Sadly the ducks were up close against the opposite shore and were actively feeding so finding any of our targets proved beyond the skills of either my brother or myself. Cold but sunny conditions made for great viewing conditions however and although we failed to find the star turns we did enjoy sightings of about two dozen Goldeneyes.

Red Kite and Wigeon.

Having returned home I took my now familiar stroll along to Willowbrook Industrial Estate before going on to Weldon. While walking I quite literally fell foul of Corby's uneven paths and ended up taking a brief flight before coming crashing back to earth. Luckily both I and my equipment survived the experience and I continued on my way once I'd dusted myself off. Not much to report from Willowbrook where the pair of Stonechats and a Grey Wagtail were the only sightings of interest. The A43 pond at Weldon provided a site rarity in the shape of a female Wigeon, although they're one of the commonest winter ducks they remain scarce here.

A selection from the A43 pond.

After last night's frost I wasn't overly optimistic of seeing much in the way of ode activity at Weldon. Two male Common Darters had defied the cold however and were basking on sunny spots next to the pond. Flights were brief and they often returned to the same favoured spots, I wonder how much longer they can go on for? As I'm off to Scotland for next weekend I suspect that these will be my last dragons of 2021. Not a great deal else to mention other than a few Siskins that were feeding in trees around the pond.

Siskin and Common Darter.

Hawfinch Hordes

 Another Sunday of county treachery I'm afraid in the company of my brother David and one that brought some decent results for us. A notable drop in temperature brought us a foretaste of winter after what has been quite a mild spell and we also had to contend with some heavy rain showers. Our day began in the Brecks before taking in both the Ouse and Nene Washes.

Brambling and Hawfinch.

Lynford Arboretum was our first port of call and our primary goal here was to find some of the Hawfinches which have been reported in the area. First finch to attract our attention was however Brambling, David picked out the first of at least half a dozen feeding on the ground in the company of some Chaffinches. It didn't take us too long to reach the area favoured by the Hawfinches and we got views of one almost as soon as we arrived. Looking through the scope revealed several more in the tops of the trees and the numbers fluctuated a little as some birds dropped down and others flew in. When something caused the birds to take flight a surprising total of about thirty five was guesstimated by a birder next to me, there certainly did seem to be a lot of them! Other birds noted in the general area included Fieldfare, fifty plus Siskins and several Marsh Tits.

Whooper Swan and Black-tailed Godwits

Our travels next took us along to Welney where a heavy shower of rain delayed our start somewhat. Once it had eased a little we headed to the visitor centre from where a decent sized group of Tree Sparrows were noted. On the reserve itself Whooper swans were perhaps the highlight, about forty were present. Several hundreds of Black-tailed Godwits were noted while other waders on site included Dunlin, Golden Plover and Redshank. Pick of the ducks were a good sized number of Pintails while the best raptors were a couple of Marsh Harriers.

Pochard and Teal

Final stop of the day was the wind magnet that is Eldernell and the place lived up to its reputation though thankfully the rain did at least stay off here. David picked out a group of five Cranes feeding distantly, an eventual total of at least seven were found. Not much else to report from here other than a few more Whoopers and at least two more Marsh Harriers. Most of today's pics are of the record shot variety but I suppose they're better than nothing.

Cranes.

The Late Show

 Sunshine made a welcome return today after a couple of days when it was all but absent. My walk around Willowbrook Industrial Estate and Weldon was certainly all the better for it and as a result I enjoyed quite a decent day.

Stonechat and Tufted Ducks

A Woodcock was a surprise sighting as I  flushed it from next to the footpath that runs along the eastern edge of the steelworks. This or another was similarly disturbed a little later on in the same general area.  At Willowbrook Industrial Estate the male Stonechat was showing very well for a change and I got several decent pictures. There were not that many other sightings to report apart from several Siskins and an overflying Grey Wagtail. I'm not sure if Siskins are on the move at the moment as I also saw them later at both Weldon and the Old Village in Corby. Not much other wildlife on view here apart from a single Fallow Deer.

Willow Emerald and Southern Hawker

The A43 pond had Weldon had lost its Canada Goose flock but gained a trio of Tufted Duck in exchange. After here I headed along to the pond in the Woodland Park where I hoped that the sunshine would bring out some late Common Darters. My hopes were more than realised as over ten were active and these included several ovipositing pairs. One of these pairs met with some sort of mishap that resulted in both ending up in the pond. Having fished them out with the aid of a long stick I placed them in a position where they could dry out and warm up. I'm happy to report that both patients made a full recovery and flew off a few minutes after their rescue. While I half expected to encounter some darters I was delighted and surprised to find a single male Willow Emerald which was my latest ever sighting of a damselfly. At one point it landed on my leg but for all too brief a moment and I didn't manage to get a pic of it there. Another welcome surprise was my latest ever sighting of a Southern Hawker, a male was patrolling a stretch of the pondside. Three species of ode this late in the season is unprecedented for me, I wonder how long they can go on for?

Male and female Common Darters drying off after their mishap.

Remembrance

 A rare Sunday in Northamptonshire today began with a misty and somewhat murky morning that eventually gave way to a dull and grey afternoon. My day began with the short bus journey to Upper Benefield from where I walked home via Deenethorpe, Deene and Weldon. I can't pretend that this was one of my finest days out in the field but I'm always grateful just to get out.

Fieldfare and Pheasant.

Some potentially sad news on the outskirts of Benefield where several of the old trees that are used by breeding Tree Sparrows have come down. Hopefully enough remain to house the colony next year as this is one of the larger populations that I know of locally. Continuing on with my stroll along the lane towards Deenethorpe did not provide much of interest and I left the road to take a bridleway next to Burnt Coppice. A Brambling was heard calling near to a cluster of farm buildings and was my only one of the day. Strolling along the public footpaths towards Deene saw me adding birds such as Fieldfares and Redwings to my list. Several flocks of Lapwing were noted and for the second day running I heard a Raven.

Buzzard and Lapwings

Deene Lake seemed to be very quiet with only a few ducks on view and reduced numbers of geese. Highlight was perhaps a pair of Egyptian Geese while the single Shelduck seen on my last visit remains. At the inflow a single Green Sandpiper was feeding, water levels look a little low and there is plenty of exposed mud so more may join it. Nearby at Deenethorpe village a small flock of Siskins passed over but they were the last wildlife thing of note that I saw.

Egyptian Geese and Green Sandpiper

Deenethorpe airfield held very little wildlife but there were still a few sights of interest. A collection of historic military vehicles had gathered as part of the Remembrance Sunday  commemorations and the place was as busy as I can recall. Of course bases such as Deenethorpe were very much in the front line in the struggle to free Europe during the Second World War and many men took off from here that did not return. It's only fitting to remember the sacrifices of all those that fell and gave their lives so that we might enjoy ours. I'm going to raise a glass or two in appreciation of those who give me the freedom to enjoy my hobbies and interests - Cheers.

Remembering the fallen

Not Great, Not Rubbish Either

 A welcome day off work today saw me taking advantage of an offer of a lift to East Carlton Park where I hoped to see some birds before the hound walking hordes descended. Arriving just after dawn I was able to see a few bits and bobs before the poochie posse took over. 

East Carlton and Mandarin Duck

I began near the hall where I had a look in case any Hawfinches were present, sadly there were not but it was not a complete waste of time. My first Fieldfares of the autumn flew over while there were also a couple of Mistle Thrushes in the area. Large numbers of Jackdaws were passing over as they left their roost sites and headed out into the wider countryside. Moving on to the end of the park nearest Middleton produced the hoped for views of Bramblings. Over ten seemed to be present though the birds were obscured by twigs etc and the light so poor that photography proved to be all but impossible. A check of the ponds added a final highlight as I found a smashing drake Mandarin Duck there but with not much else around other than a gang of Grey Squirrels I moved on heading out towards Middleton.

Red Kite and Yellowhammer.

When there is no flood water the Welland Valley can be somewhat tedious and sadly today was one of those days. I walked along from Cottingham as far as the fringes of Gretton and saw very little indeed. Abandoning the valley I took a footpath across the field towards Brookside Plantation. A flock of Yellowhammers and a few Skylarks provided some interest as I headed towards the wood. Near the flooded quarry I began to hear and then see Siskins while a Raven was heard croaking. Best birds were two Woodcocks flushed from near the plantation, like the earlier Fieldfares these were my first of the autumn.

Mr and Mrs Peregrine.

Brookside was rather dull too, further sightings of Siskin were had and I also saw two Fallow Deer but in general the pickings were slim. Having heard about the unfortunate demise of one of the Kettering Peregrines I was eager to check on my local ones and so made a slight detour on the way home. Happily both birds were present at their favourite spot and I enjoyed clear though distant views.

Darters Dally

 A rather more sedate affair today as I ambled around Willowbrook Industrial Estate in Corby before taking the usual wander over to Weldon. Sunny spells and  a slight breeze made for some pleasant conditions and it was a mild day for November. Not a great deal to report but it was just nice to be out enjoying the autumn sunshine.

Stonechat.

Highlight at Willowbrook was the pair of Stonechats which are seemingly settled in now and will hopefully stay throughout the winter. Four Snipe were a nice find, I accidentally flushed them on my travels and they zig-zagged off squawking before settling down not too far away. A small group of Siskins passed over and three separate Redpolls also flew past, whether these were migrants or birds making more local movements is hard to tell. No more interesting birds were seen but I was pleased to see a female Common Darter basking in the warmth.

Canada Goose.

I made my way along to the A43 pond where it looked as if many of the ducks had gone, this often happens after bonfire night when presumably the fireworks must sound a bit too much like guns for their liking. Taking their place was a group of at least twenty Canada Geese which is one of the larger flocks that I've seen in the Weldon area. Next I walked to the Woodland Park where my search for late Willow Emeralds was unsuccessful. There was a little ode activity however as a trio of male Common Darters were staking out territories along the side of the pond. Only one other thing of note here and that was a small group of Siskins.

Common Darters.

Larking About

 Another Sunday and another trip out of the county in the company of my brother David. Not for the first time our travels took us to Norfolk where after a slowish start (for one of us anyway!) we went on to enjoy a decent day's birding. 

Curlew and Kestrel

Our first stop was at West Runton where a Short-toed Lark was the main attraction. A strong wind made things difficult as it kept the local Skylarks hunkered down close to the ground as they fed in the furrows of a ploughed field. We searched diligently among them for some time before I found the Short-toed keeping company with a Skylark. Without obvious reference points it was very hard to give directions to the bird without taking my eye off the scope and the easiest thing to do was to let my brother look through mine. He saw both birds but only briefly as they went their separate ways very soon after and he unfortunately followed the commoner species. Unhappy with his inconclusive views he rightly decided not to count it on the strength of this brief sighting. Sadly for my dipping sibling our efforts to relocate it came to naught though other birders did enjoy some success. A quick look at the sea produced a few sightings of Gannets and auks but we did not stay for much longer as we had a few other places along the coast that we wished to visit.

Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit.

The next of those places was at Holkham Gap where another lark was the quarry, this time Shore. A small group have been reported here in the area roped off to restrict public access and we wandered towards here once we had parked the car at a busy Lady Anne's drive. David found at least two after a brief search but the birds were distant and did not hang around for long before flying off over the nearby dunes. With the shorter winter days now an issue we did not linger for too long here before making the trip to Titchwell.

Dunlin, Teals and Golden Plover.

Our efforts to see the reported Red-breasted Flycatcher along the Meadow Trail were unsuccessful though I was fairly happy to get a little compensation in the form of Migrant Hawkers and a Common Darter. Moving on to the marsh and it began to look as if the day might fizzle out a bit, there was a small selection of waders including Avocets but it was fairly standard sort of fare. The sun was beginning to set when we popped into Island Hide for a last squint before leaving. It turned out to be an inspirational choice as Titchwell delivered a quick fire treble of goodies. First up was a Jack Snipe which was obscured for a lot of the time though we did get the occasional good view of it as it bobbed up in down in the manner typical of this species. A brace of Water Pipits were next up  and gave decent views before moving on. Last of our trilogy of stars was an obliging Water Rail which gave very good views before taking a short flight into cover. An excellent way to end what had turned out to be quite an entertaining session. Distance and poor light hampered my photographic efforts today and I couldn't get any shots of the larks. Fans of fuzzy record shots can rest easy though as I did get a couple of both the pipits and the rail.

Water Pipit and Water Rail.

Bright And Breezy

 A fine start to the day with clear blue skies and sunshine contrasting with yesterday's rainy dross though a cool breeze served to remind me that it was the first day of November. Not a whole lot to report with just the usual birds and a few late insects on show. My local walk took me around Willowbrook Industrial Estate before I headed to Weldon for a stroll around the two ponds.

Meadow Pipit and Goldfinch

I couldn't find the Stonechats today, I'm sure that they're still around it's just that they were probably sheltering lower down out of the wind. Skylarks and Meadow Pipits were a little more visible and some of the larks were clearly enjoying the conditions as they rose up skywards to fill the air with song. A large flock of Goldfinches continues to feed in the area and they were joined by some Linnets today. One Red Admiral was noted as it struggled to fly in the strong breeze.

Skylarks

At Weldon the A43 pond played host to a small collection of the usual wildfowl with a growing number of Gadwall being present. Nearby at the Woodland Park pond a Little Egret made a flying visit and there was also at least one Redwing around. Two Common Darters were welcome though not unexpected and I also saw a late carder bee. With the wind showing no signs of abating I brought proceedings to a halt and headed off home.

Common Darter and carder bee.