Something To Rave About

 Family commitments meant that I could only squeeze a short walk in this morning, I popped along to the area near the town's STW to make the most of that time. It was grey though relatively mild and if the birding was far from exciting I did at least walk off a few of those Christmas calories!

Pylon relay, Buzzard and Raven

Numbers of Redwings and Blackbirds were on site and a small flock of Redpolls were noted. A mixed flock moving through the scrub near to the stream contained a Goldcrest, all came under the watchful gaze of a Buzzard perched on one of the pylons. It was eventually chivvied away by some irate Carrion Crows but its place was taken by a Raven. This patch of land seems to fall within the territory of a pair of Ravens and this one moved from pylon to pylon calling as it went. Once it had announced its ownership to all and sundry it moved on and with time also seemingly flying by I followed the Raven's example. A Cormorant and a Grey Wagtail  were noted on my way home.

Smews And Otters

 I shunned the cold turkey leftovers this morning and opted instead to blag a lift over to Eyebrook for a spot of birding. A  sunny though cold day greeted me and all the other walkers, cyclists and joggers that were wandering around the reservoir.

GBB Gull and Lapwing

From Stoke Dry carpark I had excellent views of a Sparrowhawk that was being mobbed by a Carrion Crow. A little further along I watched a Great Black-backed Gull feeding on an avian corpse floating in the water. Less grisly was a distant view of a drake Smew. At the inflow there was a pair of Stonechat and a drake Pintail while several Siskins were in trees next to the bridge. Ravens were heard calling on the Leics side of the reservoir and a single Snipe flew up from a watery channel. From opposite the car park at Stoke Dry I enjoyed prolonged and often great views of eight Smew, six drakes and two redheads. Is Eyebrook one of the most reliable spots in the UK for these attractive ducks?

Smew selection

Having reluctantly moved on from the Smew flotilla I managed to luck into something arguably even more interesting.  Three Otters swam out from the shoreline near Hollyoaks Lane though they didn't hang around long before swimming back. I've only seen Otters at Eyebrook once before so to see three together was a very nice late Christmas present. Presumably this was a female with two well grown cubs which offers proof of local breeding. There was not much else of note seen on my visit other than two or three Great White Egrets.

Otters

Bird Report

 News that the new Northants Bird Report was out and available to buy in Oundle pretty much decided my itinerary for me today. Instead of taking the trusty X4 I headed off in the company of Alan Shorrock with a view to doing a spot of birding. The weather was great with sunny skies predominating and if the birds were far from interesting it was at least a good walk!

Cormorant

Barnwell CP offered little with just a Chiffchaff and a selection of common birds to enjoy. A walk along the Nene towards the A605 floods added nothing of note while the floods themselves held a reasonable group of Wigeon with lesser numbers of Teal and Shoveller. I was lucky enough to grab the last copy of the bird report in the book shop and it's no surprise it's been selling quickly as it's more than up to its normal high standard.

Shelduck and Snipe

On the way back to Corby we stopped at the inflow at Deene Lake where the water levels are high. Six Shelduck had joined the usual Teal and we also saw a Snipe but there was not much else to report. Afterwards it was a trip to the pub and a few beers - Merry Christmas everyone, I hope that you have a good one.

Merry Christmas!

Winter Waders

 When the last World Cup final was taking place Phil Rogers, Alan Shorrock and I were chasing butterflies and damselflies in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. No chance of that today unfortunately as the cold spell continued for the morning at least and my travel plans were nowhere near as ambitious. My local wanderings took me past the STW and on to Willowbrook Industrial Estate before ending in Weldon.

Still cold at Willowbrook this morning.

Waders featured quite prominently this morning, the first was a Woodcock seen at Weldon Industrial estate on the edge of the steelworks. Lapwings were moving through at the neighbouring Willowbrook Industrial with one moving north and a further twenty one going westwards. When the forecast icy rain began one landed very close to me before taking off when it realised that I was there while another was noted flying low over Weldon. Concluding the wader contribution were two Snipe at the stream near the frozen A43 pond in Weldon.

Under observation

There was not much else to report from today's stroll, Grey Wagtails were noted in the Old Village and near the STW. A female Stonechat was found at Willowbrook Industrial when it was disturbed by a herd of Fallow Deer running through the dead thistle stems on which it was perching but that was it apart from a number of winter thrushes.

Stonechat

A little bit of ringing news to report from yesterday relating to a Mute Swan at Town Lake in Thrapston. The bird, a pen, was bearing an orange ring with black lettering with the characters 4CJS and was rung at Wellingborough Embankment on the 22/10/16. Although she's clearly no globe trotter in terms of her wanderings she does at least show commendable loyalty to Northamptonshire!

Out In The Cold

 If the weather guessers are to be believed today was the last day of the current cold snap, I'm guessing it can't come soon enough for much of our wildlife. Alan Shorrock and I braved sunny but frigid conditions in order to explore the Thrapston Gravel Pits complex. With much of the water frozen and the frost whitened ground hard underfoot it must be difficult for many species to feed and I wonder how many birds we may have lost during the past week.

Kingfisher and Black-tailed Godwit

After arriving at the Aldwincle nature reserve we made our way along the river towards the site of the new North Hide. A Cetti's Warbler sang briefly and we heard Kingfisher several times as we walked. On the only ice free patch of the lake there was a selection of duck but nothing too interesting. Water Rail was squealing from near the hide and a Chiffchaff was calling, we managed to catch a glimpse of one of those Kingfishers too but only briefly before it flew off. Our local wildlife trust seem to have been quite industrious of late and from a second new hide we saw Great White Egret and also a Black-tailed Godwit having a snooze on the ice. The walk towards the town lake yielded several Snipe view but little else apart from a Stonechat.

Robin and Shovellers

Much of the town lake was frozen over though there was quite a stretch of open water mid way out. Perhaps as many as forty Pochard were feeding or kipping here and a similar number of Shovellers too. At this point with the evening drawing in we decided to turn around and head back towards the car park seeing another Stonechat and a few more Snipe as we went.

Fog

 Quite a contrast with the weather from yesterday as the blue sky and sunshine were replaced by fog which hung around for most of the day. Visibility ranged from poor to dreadful as the fog eddied and stirred, occasionally lifting but never enough to suggest it would clear. Birding was difficult as I walked from Weldon to Deene Lake and back and I might have been better off staying at home!

Flights cancelled at Deenethorpe Airfield and GWE at Deene

There was little of note beyond the commonplace as I walked towards Deenethorpe and little at the airfield itself. A Redpoll was seen in the village while the nearby inflow at Deene Lake hosted some Siskins and a calling Water Rail. The main lake was all but frozen though a Great White Egret was noted near the dam. These elegant herons may have lost their rarity status but they're still uncommon here. Moving on and the farm ponds were all but iced up too though a couple of Coots and Dabchicks were seen on the only ice free patch. Little else worth mentioning apart from a couple of Snipe flushed at Willowbrook Industrial Estate.

Dabchick and Coot

A frozen Deene Lake.

Eyebrook Smews

 Yesterday (the 10th) Alan Shorrock and I took the relatively short trip to Eyebrook where clear blue skies and sunshine could not conceal the fact that it was very cold. Although our trip was cut short  by the noisy antics of some recreational killers in neighbouring fields we enjoyed a reasonable day.

Pink-footed Goose and Pintails.

First bird to make it on to the daylist was a Pink-footed Goose associating with the Greylag flock at the bottom of the hill on the west side. It's tempting to think that this was the bird we saw previously but there's no way of telling for sure. A single Dunlin was present in the bay south of the island where a small number of Lapwings had also gathered. Some Pintails added some understated class to the ducks feeding  north of the island, there were at least twenty on the res today. Even this class act had to take second place to the star performers however which were four drake and three redhead Smew. While they were always rather distant it was still good to see these attractive little ducks feeding in the sunshine. There was a small cluster of gulls on the ice which momentarily had a Redshank join them and a Great White Egret was feeding along the stream near the bridge. Passerines were represented by a pair of Stonechats and a few Siskins but by now the guns were blasting away and we opted to leave.

Distant redhead Smew and Great White Egret

A quick visit to Blatherwycke failed to produce any sightings of the hoped for Hawfinches and we only saw a small selection of commoner passerines. With the sun beginning to set and the temperatures falling we called it quits and headed back to Corby.

Brass Monkeys Beware?

 Well it's safe to say that winter has very definitely arrived bringing with it plummeting temperatures and heavy frosts. I had enough time before work to have another quick look at the area near to the sewage works. Perhaps not surprisingly the ponds have all but frozen over which has meant an exodus of Teal. Many of the other species that were seen on my previous visit also appear to have abandoned ship with just  Redpoll and Grey Wagtail remaining. Best bird during my walk was a Green Sandpiper at the stream, they're scarce visitors here which are usually brought in by cold weather. Not wishing to cause to much disturbance I left after a short space of time, the birds need every minute of these short winter days to find food.

Green Sandpiper and Buzzard

Short But Sweet

 A nice bright start to the morning was enough to tempt me into taking a pre work stroll along to the area near the STW. While I didn't see anything too exotic I did at least enjoy a productive little visit.

A couple of aerial views.

Patch regulars such as Grey Wagtail and Teal were all present and correct and a large tit flock contained at least one Treecreeper. Choosing to shun the company of its cousins a Marsh Tit was travelling solo while another singleton ploughing a lonely furrow was a Chiffchaff calling near the ponds. There were several Redpolls hanging around the area with a flock at least eight seen several times while I was walking around.

Walk Along The Nene

 For the first time in what seems like ages I decided to board the X4 and head over to Oundle. My plan was to walk along the stretch of the Nene between the north bridge and the marina and afterwards take a look at Barnwell CP. Conditions were poor, although it mostly stayed dry the light quality was awful from the start and did not improve to any great extent during the day.

Stonechat and Redwing.

My best bird of the day was also one of the first when a Crossbill flew over calling as it went near Ashton footbridge. In the same area a Marsh Tit was noted near the mill, others were seen further along the river and also at Barnwell. Another species showing more than once during my walk was Kingfisher though none hung around long enough for pictures. Between Ashton footbridge and Ashton lock a female Stonechat was found as she moved along a fence line near the river. Plenty of winter thrushes were seen with Fieldfares outnumbering Redwings by some margin. The floods near Lower Barnwell Lock seemed a little quiet with just a single drake Shoveller joining fifty or so Wigeon.

Shovellers and Nuthatch

At Barnwell CP there were at least two Chiffchaffs as well as the usual selection of commoner species. A fairly large flock of Siskins were feeding in alders next to the Nene and I enjoyed good views of Nuthatches from Kingfisher Hide as well as some close Shovellers. I left after a relatively short space of time pausing long enough to enjoy a couple of pints before boarding my bus home.

Siskin and Wren.

Rain Again At Rutland

 Winter finally seemed to arrive today at Rutland Water as Alan Shorrock and I wandered along the dam. Some early sunshine gave way to rain showers with some falling as ice crystals, I'm glad that I had the thermals on! Despite the increasingly damp conditions we saw a selection of interesting birds even though a flotilla of yachts and fishing boats were causing some unwelcome disturbance.

Whooper Swans

Goosanders featured strongly today with at least sixteen being noted and these included a number of drakes. A female Scaup showed briefly before being flushed by something which caused her and the Tufties she was associating with to fly off towards the north arm. Some trumpeting calls alerted us to a couple of Whooper Swans flying eastwards across the dam, they were followed by four more a little later on. Wildfowl numbers still seem quite low but there were a few Goldeneyes on view and I'd imagine the north easterly winds will bring in more over the next few days. Attempts to find the Great Northern Diver were unsuccessful and we didn't manage to find much else of note. 

Goosanders and Goldeneyes

Not That Interesting

 Some days just aren't as interesting as others and today definitely fell into that category. My travels took me to Weldon and Willowbrook Industrial Estate before I finished by taking in both the North and South Gullets at Priors Hall. It was a mild and rather grey day with any sunshine being hazy and not quite warm enough to tempt any late insects out.

Fallow Deer

At the A43 pond a drake Tufted Duck broke the Mallard monopoly but there was nothing else of note. Willowbrook was quiet, a pair of Snipe were the highlight while some mammalian interest was provided by a herd of Fallow Deer. The gullets did nothing much to raise interest levels, three Pochard were on the quarry lake but the best part of my day was the couple of pints that I enjoyed in the George!

Fieldfare and Red Kite

Welland Valley Not A Washout

 We've had quite a lot of rain recently and I've seen several flooded areas while out and about on my travels. This made me think that a walk along the Welland Valley might be productive and so I set out this morning with that goal in mind. My trek through the town was pretty tedious with only a flock of Fieldfares flying over Coronation Park to relieve the boredom. The tedium continued as some floodwater below Cottingham had not attracted that many birds and so I walked on towards Rockingham hoping for a change of fortune.

Buzzard

Things were beginning to look unpromising with little in the way of floods and only a small selection of common birds to report. Rockingham was passed and I continued on towards Gretton with little to report. Relief finally came nearer Gretton when I reached an area with some flooding that had brought in a lot of gulls. Large numbers of Lapwings were swirling over the fields occasionally landing but always nervous and ready to take flight. Joining them were six Dunlins while at least one hundred and twenty Golden Plovers were noted. I decided to leave the valley behind and walked up towards the escarpment near Brookfield Plantation. Any hope of seeing decent birds was dashed by a party of recreational killers blasting away at some hapless creatures nearby. More were shooting in Brookfield though I did at least manage to see some Redpolls and Siskins in spite of the noise. My stroll past the Peregrine site on my way home failed to produce any sightings.

Lapwings, Dunlins and Golden Plovers

Wild Goose Chase

 A rare day off from work saw myself and Alan Shorrock heading off in the direction of Stanwick Lakes in the Nene Valley. Thankfully it was sunny for most of the day with just a suggestion of a breeze and another high point was the relative lack of folk around, normally I have to endure weekend visits when the place is packed with people.

Juvenile Brent Goose

We began by checking out the main lake where a juvenile Brent Goose had been reported in the morning. I hadn't seen Brent in the county before so I was happy to get a first view even though it was distant. Deciding to try and get better views we checked again from the barbeque area near the Visitor Centre where the views though an improvement were still underwhelming. From the Treehouse Hide the bird remained distant but we did get some half decent scope views even though the light conditions were challenging. Despite the rubbishy nature of my record shots I enjoyed seeing my first Northants Brent Goose. Not a great deal else on the lake to report other than a single Great White Egret.

Carder Bee and Common Darter

Attempts to find the reported Bearded Tit on the causeway were unsuccessful, it was reported today, we gave it some time but couldn't find it. We moved on to the North Lake, on our way a single female Common Darter was seen basking and so too was a bumblebee. A very distant Cattle Egret was a welcome addition to our daylist but was also pretty much our last bird of note today.