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!