Plugging Away

Priors Hall was the extent of my ambitions today as I decided to keep things local. For much of my walk it remained grey with a stiff south westerly breeze and any sunshine was limited to a few brief spells. It was not one of my most exciting forays out into the field though it was interesting enough to justify my efforts.

Common Darter

On my walk past the steelworks a Peregrine caused some interest as it passed overhead and a Grey Wagtail also flew over. Willowbrook Industrial Estate hosted a pair of Stonechats and a Green Sandpiper was also recorded. Numbers of Redwings are on the increase and a small number were noted today. Moving on from Willowbrook and on to the North Gullet at Priors Hall I saw the long staying male Stonechat but not much else. The South Gullet was fairly dull too, a selection of commoner wildfowl were on the quarry lake with a female Pochard the highlight.

Red Kite

Around the ponds at Priors there were a number of Siskins and Redpolls as well as several small flocks of Redwings. With the weather being so poor I was delighted to find two Willow Emeralds and a couple of Common Darters, if the conditions remain mild I'm hoping they will stick around for a while yet. Nothing much else to mention as the only other wildlife of note was a Muntjac. I didn't take too many pictures today as the light quality was dire, hopefully my next walk will enjoy better weather.

Wag Of The Tale

 My day began at Wakerley Wood where Alan Shorrock and I had hoped to catch up with some Crossbills. Unfortunately we couldn't find any despite searching for quite a while but on the plus side we did at least miss the rain. Very little of anything was on view during our stroll and the only thing of note turned out to be Marsh Tit. Cutting our losses and calling it quits seemed to be the best idea and so we set off for Blatherwycke Lake.

Pied Wagtail and Egyptian Geese

Ten Mandarin Ducks were at their usual spot and we also saw three Egyptian Geese. A small selection of the commoner wildfowl were also seen with the most numerous being Tufted Duck. The highlight was perhaps a Kingfisher which we watched for several minutes though it was always distant. Next port of call was the churchyard where an attempt to see any Hawfinches failed, seems as if it wasn't our day for seeing chunky finches!. Redwings and Fieldfares were feeding in the Yew trees while Alan saw a Blackcap and several Siskins. Once we had left the churchyard I headed down to the bridge while Shozzer enjoyed a spot of lunch. My walk turned out to be worthwhile as I saw my first site Willow Emerald, sadly its visit was brief so I couldn't get a picture but it was nice to see all the same.

Fieldfare and Redwing

After a welcome pint or two at the Queen's Head in Bulwick we ended up at Eyebrook where things picked up. In the bay SW of the island a Wood and Green Sandpiper were seen briefly before they took off, efforts to relocate them failed. Our next stop was at the bunker near the island from where I thought I heard a Pink-footed Goose. After a brief look for the goose I searched through the flock of diving ducks near the plantation shore. A pair of Red Crested Pochards were the welcome reward for my efforts though they were too far away for pictures. Once again I heard the goose calling but once again efforts to find it failed. Two Dunlins were noted on the island where a Yellow-legged Gull was also present. By this time Phil Rogers had arrived and shortly after Alan found the Pinkie. We were treated to distant views of the bird associating with a gaggle of Greylags before it flew up into one of the neighbouring fields. Before we left we checked through the feeding geese and had several more sightings - a good way to conclude the day.

Yellow-legged Gull and Pink-footed Goose

Morning Movement

 This morning I was doing a spot of gardening before starting my afternoon shift. Although it was grey and a bit breezy it was certainly a step up from yesterday morning's deluge. There was quite a lot of bird activity and I enjoyed a soundtrack of cheeping sparrows and squawking Starlings as I toiled.

Starling and House Sparrow

Small numbers of Chaffinches were moving overhead and I heard my first Brambling of the autumn calling from a neighbour's garden. Parties of high flying Starlings were heading westwards while my local birds were put to flight by a passing Peregrine. A Cormorant heading north was probably travelling from its roost at the Clayhole in search of breakfast. Grey Wagtails flew over on several occasions and although likely to be local birds they still added to the impression of things being on the move. Just the sort of day when you want to be out birding but I guess somebody has to pay the bills!

Goldfinch and Robin.

Bearded Dip

 A small group of Bearded Tits had been reported from Stanwick Lakes during the past week and the prospect of catching up with them drew Alan Shorrock and I there this morning. We didn't manage to catch up with them but it looks as if some other lucky observer did. Despite our dip we did see a few interesting bits and bobs. 

Great White and Cattle Egret

Best bird was a single Cattle Egret seen on the north lake in the company of a small herd of cows. First views were rather distant but I did get closer a little later on. Also present around the complex were two Great Whites while several Littles took the egret total up to three species. During our visit Siskins were noted passing over on at least three occasions suggesting a light passage while Alan spotted some overflying Fieldfares too. While checking the visitor centre pit for those pesky Beardies a near adult Caspian Gull was found which gave reasonable views before heading off westwards.

Caspian Gull

Some pleasant autumn sunshine was warm enough to bring some late season odes out and these included four Willow Emeralds. Plenty of Common Darters were active and there were some Migrant Hawkers on the wing too. Not much else to report other than a Muntjac and a brief glimpse of a butterfly which may have been a Peacock. Unfortunately I managed to delete all my pictures before reaching home so there are no images in today's post.

Willow Emerald and Migrant Hawker

Thanks to some arcane computer wizardry on the part of Alan my photos have been retrieved so I can now include a few here - thanks Shozzer!

Muntjac

Eye Wood

 An after work sortie to Eyebrook reservoir with my brother David began at the bridge this afternoon. My hope was to find some Willow Emeralds in the willow on the reservoir side of the stream. Initially my search drew a blank though a close though brief view of a Kingfisher and a fly over Siskin kept interest levels up. Eventually I did find an emerald though I couldn't get a pic as it chose perches that were obscured by twigs before flying across the road into some hawthorns.

Red Kite

The sharp end was home to both a Red Kite and a Buzzard feeding on the corpses of Greylag Geese, I'm hoping that these birds were not victims of avian flu. Rather more pleasant were a group of eight Dunlins and a flock of twenty seven Golden Plover. There was no sign of the Little Stint that had been reported here for a couple of days but it could well still be present. Southwest of the island a pair of Pintails were feeding though the highlight for me was a Wood Sandpiper which I managed to get a couple of record shots of. We left as the sun was beginning to set, with the nights beginning to draw in it's unlikely I'll get many more evening birding sessions in.

Wood Sandpiper

Back Out In Blighty

 All thoughts of matters Majorcan had to be put on the back burner as I headed out this morning in the company of Alan Shorrock. My reintroduction to county nature spotting began at a sunny Willowbrook Industrial Estate where a selection of birds were on view. Highlight was a trio of Stonechats, there may have been a fourth present but neither Shozzer nor I could confirm this. Plenty of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits were noted and a few Yellowhammers were on site while several charms of Goldfinches were feeding on thistle down.

Stonechat, Meadow Pipit and Skylark

Having decided to move on Alan suggested a trip to Eyebrook while I proposed a visit to Blatherwycke and Deene. We decided to choose the latter option, events were to prove that this might not have been the better plan - sorry Alan! Blatherwycke Lake was distinctly lacking in birds and it may be that there had been some shooting going on locally creating some disturbance. The churchyard was Hawfinch free though we did catch up with our first Redwings of the autumn. Not much else on view other than a male Brimstone flitting along one of the lanes close to the village.

Yellowhammer and Common Darter

Deene Lake was our next port of call where the only birds worth mentioning were three Black Swans. Luckily the autumn sunshine was working its magic and there was some ode activity to enjoy. Plenty of Willow Emeralds were active and they included several coupled pairs in their ranks. Other species showing were Common Darter and Migrant Hawker, another Brimstone represented the butterflies here. The inflow hosted plenty of Teal and a few Lapwings but there was no sign of any Green Sandpipers.

Migrant Hawker and Willow Emeralds

At nearby Deenethorpe I found my first Willow Emeralds after several years of searching. A minimum of three were aeen and they included one that chose to perch on me. Several Common Darters were also present but there was little else to report.

Majorcan Travels

 My wife and I have just returned from our first foreign trip since the onset of Covid. Majorca was our destination of choice and we were there from the 8th until the 15th of this month. The weather was kind to us too with just the occasional rainy spell to put a dampener on things, for the most part it was warm and sunny. We stayed in the resort of Puerto Pollensa on the northeast coast of the island and while it wasn't a birding trip I did manage to get out for a few hours each day.

Audouin's Gull and Shag

For birders on a family holiday Puerto Pollensa is a very good place to say with three birding spots within walking distance and the reserve of Albufera a short bus ride away. I didn't make that trip on this holiday but would recommend it to anyone visiting this stretch of coast for the first time. My hotel was in a quieter part of the resort and just a short stroll from the beach while my room looked out on to some countryside.  From the comfort of my terrace I was able to see a few decent birds with several Elenora's Falcons the pick. Other goodies included a Whinchat, two Booted Eagles and both Fan-tailed and Sardinian Warblers. Walks along the seafront produced excellent views of Audouin's Gulls which were the commonest gulls in the bay. There was also a good population of Shags living in the area which often shared their rocks with gulls and Sandwich Terns.

Hoopoe and Crossbill

In the middle of the resort the small Gola reserve has a mixture of wetland and wooded habitats. I didn't see a great deal here though it looks good for visits at peak passage times and also provides a peaceful break from the beach. A Common Rosefinch was seen here at the end of September so do keep an eye out if you do pay a call. Pines around the resort attracted visits from Crossbills on several occasions with the trees near the miliary base being a reliable spot. Another good site is the Boquer Valley which can be reached on a trail that leads up from the town. My visit was enlivened by my only Hoopoe of the trip which was quietly feeding under pines on the edge of town. The valley itself was very popular with tourists taking a stroll and it was difficult to find undisturbed areas. My best bird was a Black Redstart though this area is known for being very good for migrants.

Kentish Plover, leucistic Ringed Plover and Greenshank

Far and away the best spot along this coast is the S'albufereta reserve between Puerto Pollensa and Alcudia. Reached by taking quite a long stroll it rewarded my efforts on several occasions though it's far from being an easy reserve to cover. Much of it is private and hard to cover though there are several viewing platforms and a hide nearer to Alcudia. On my visit there were at least twenty Greater Flamingos feeding and also good numbers of Great White, Little and especially Cattle Egrets, there's a large roost of the latter species on site. Grey Herons were joined by a couple of Glossy Ibises while a Spoonbill did a flyover on my second visit. At least half a dozen Marsh Harriers were quartering the reserve and there was also a late Black Kite. Kentish Plovers were found in healthy numbers though a leucistic Ringed Plover was the most striking looking plover. Other waders noted included Greenshanks, Green Sandpipers, Black-winged Stilts, Avocets and Stone Curlews. I didn't see too many passerines though a Redstart was a nice find and it was good to catch up with Serins again.

Majorcan miscellany 

Going Back For Seconds

 A very nice autumnal day with plenty of sunshine which made my walk through Brookfield Plantation and the surrounding countryside pretty enjoyable. Not too much in the way of birds to report and it was left to some late flying insects to provide the entertainment.

Peregrines

For the second time in two days I paid a visit to my local Peregrines and had sightings of two at their usual spot. I didn't hang around too long before continuing my walk on to Brookfield.  A large group of dozy Pheasants greeted me on arrival, I really can't see how killing these avian idiots can be regarded as sport. Few other birds were seen in the wood and it was left to several small groups of Fallow Deer to supply any entertainment. My first insects of the day were several female Common Darters at the crossroads, I was to see many more during the course of my walk. 

Pheasants and Fallow Deer

Emerging on the other side of the wood I crossed the large sheep field and walked along the hedge near the flooded quarry. Several Migrant Hawkers were hunting alongside the hedge and there were at least four Willow Emeralds too. A Small White fluttered past and was my first butterfly of the day. I headed off towards the escarpment that overlooks the Welland Valley noting a Small Copper on the way. Few birds were seen though there was a steady trickle of Meadow Pipits heading south and plenty of Jays were heard screeching from nearby hedgerows.

Small Copper and Speckled Wood

My return walk produced a sighting of a late Speckled Wood near the plantation which appeared to be in pretty good condition. By the time I returned to the crossroads in Brookfield a Southern Hawker had appeared and was hunting actively. I loitered for a while just in case it landed but if it did I didn't see it. My butterfly list rose to four with the sighting of a Red Admiral and a passing white butterfly may have been a Large but I couldn't say for sure. Leaving the wood I had another look for the Peregrines and found one plucking a pigeon, not a bad way to bring the day to a close!

Female and male Willow Emeralds.