Long To Rain Over Us

 Myself and fellow coronation dodger Alan Shorrock spent the day at a rainy Summer Leys where a small selection of interesting wildlife rewarded our efforts. We didn't walk around the entire reserve as the weather was far from hike friendly but we did manage to squeeze in a circuit of Mary's Lake.

Female and male Banded Demoiselle.

A look around Hardwater Lake did not produce any bird sightings, an anglers dog may have helped to keep birds away, but we did see two Banded Demoiselles near the mill. These were Alan's first of the year so we spent a little time taking some pictures before the rain kicked in. From Rotary Hide on the reserve a Grey Plover showed on the opposite bank in an area that I think is called Wader Bay, we saw it from most of the hides on the reserve though it was always distant. Not much else was showing from here so we moved on to Pioneer Hide were very little was on view. Paul Britten Hide was a bit more interesting, we managed to catch up with one of the Ruffs that had been reported on site. Other waders noted today included several Little Ringed Plovers as well as the regular Redshanks and Oystercatchers. A few Swifts were hawking insects over the lakes and it may have been these that drew in my first Hobby of the year though it seem to be more interested in trying to catch insects rather than birds.

Record shot Grey Plover and Lapwing.

News filtered through that a Nightingale had been heard singing around Mary's Lake so we set out for a lakeside stroll though not before seeing the drake Scaup hybrid from the feeding station hide. We had no luck with the Nightingale but managed to see a couple of interesting insects despite the drizzly dross that was passing for the weather. First up was only my second Red Admiral of the year while the second was my first Common Blue Damselfly of the Spring, a fresh looking male perched briefly on a bramble leaf. Having completed the lakeside circuit without seeing the Nightingale we decided to throw in the towel and back towards Corby.

Bunnies