Spring Selection.

 Winter is due to make a return in the week ahead so it was nice to get out and enjoy today's spring like conditions. I caught the bus over to Oundle where I took a brief stroll around Barnwell CP before heading off along the river. Nothing rare to report but I did enjoy sightings of a selection of year firsts.

Mandarins and Blackcap

A Grey Wagtail flying over the south bridge was my first decent find as I walked towards Barnwell. In the park itself a first Blackcap of the year was seen near Mill Lake, it was singing a little but was not going through its full repertoire. Plenty of Chiffchaffs were in song and I heard the Cetti's Warbler again. There was a pair of snoozing Mandarins showing fairly well but not much else to report.

Wren and Reed Bunting

Checking the floods near Lower Barnwell Lock did not produce any Garganeys but a couple of drake Pintails added some understated elegance to the usual ducky suspects. It looks as though the leucisitc Wigeon has moved on but plenty of her more conventionally marked relatives remain in common with decent numbers of Teal and some Shovellers too. It's hard to tell how many Snipe might be lurking in the vegetation around the floods but I saw at least ten today as well as four Redshanks.

Pintail and Bee-fly

While walking from the Nene towards the town my first Brimstone of the year flew past. Although this one didn't stop the second a little later on did and I was able to get a pic. Four were seen in total and these included one in Oundle churchyard where my first Holly Blue of the year was also present. After last years truly dreadful showing it was good to find one so early in the year. This one was clearly a Thora Hird connoisseur as it fed on both dog and bird droppings. Mind you whoever lets their dog unload its breakfast in a graveyard and doesn't pick it up has to ask some questions of themselves - disgraceful behaviour! Other butterflies noted on my wander were a single Comma and three Peacocks while I also found my first Bee-fly of the spring. The only other wildlife to report was a Muntjac seen near the sixth form college. 

Brimstone and Holly Blue