Warbling Oop North

 Last summer's crew of butterfly twitchers switched codes and got together for a birding jaunt to the frozen north. Alan Shorrock, Phil Rogers and I headed to Flamborough in search of a selection of goodies that have been reported from here over the last few days. Although we passed through some rain on the way to and from Yorkshire we luckily managed to avoid the wet stuff while we were there.

Flamborough

Once we'd parked up and payed the relevant fees we chose to head towards the spot where a Two-barred Warbler had been seen. The bird showed almost as soon as we reached its crowd of admirers but none of us managed to get a satisfactory view. An anxious wait followed until the bird was picked up again but once it was we had good if brief views as it flitted low down in the vegetation. I didn't manage to get any pictures as it was a little too distant and nor did it stay still for any length of time. We left the warbler, which was a lifer for all three of us, to continue entertaining the crowd as we set off in search of other stuff.

Chiffchaff and Goldcrest

A Red-headed Bunting has been present in the area for a few days and as we were in its neck of the woods anyway we thought it would be rude not to pay it a call. We missed out on a Dusky Warbler which had been showing near to the lighthouse and pressed on along the cliff top path towards the bunting. I have to say that the path had been reduced to a muddy ruin by presumably the tread of trudging twitchers and we slithered and slid as we trekked towards the bird. Joining up with a small crowd of expectant birders we settled in for what we hoped would be a brief stay. There was a selection of birds in view which included Tree Sparrows but the bunting remained elusive. While waiting we had views of a Wheatear in the neighbouring field and a large flock of Pink-footed Geese which were spooked into flight by a passing Peregrine. We had spent over an hour at the spot without any sign of the Red-headed and so decided to call it a day and squelch back along the path towards the lighthouse.

Stonechat

I stopped at the place where the Dusky had been noted earlier as there were a few birding types peering over the cliff edge. It turned out that the Dusky had been replaced by a Pallas's Warbler which was feeding amongst the brambles. This time I was luckier and managed to get some half decent views of it though once more I did not get any photos. As this was only the second time that I've seen this beautiful little bird it was nice to catch up with one again. By now the light was beginning to fade somewhat so we fed and watered ourselves at the cafe before making the long trip home.

Sunny Sunday Birding

 A beautiful sunny morning to usher in the first day post B.S.T and I spent it wandering around some local sites. Beginning at Willowbrook Industrial before moving on to Priors Hall and then Weldon I enjoyed a reasonable selection of wildlife before the cloud moved in.

Skylark and Reed Bunting

Willowbrook was lively, lots of birds about even if none were that scarce. Plenty of Skylarks were moving around the site and good numbers of Meadow Pipit were present too. Both Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer put in an appearance and several Redpolls flew over. Proof of just how good the weather was came in the shape of several Common Darters basking in the sunshine.

Stonechat and Magpie

The North Gullet at Priors was fairly quiet apart from a singing Chiffchaff. Things were a bit better in the South Gullet where more Redpolls and a few Siskins were seen. Best bird was a female Stonechat which was my forth in the county this week, I think it's been a good autumn for this attractive species. Not much on the quarry lake though a drake Wigeon wasn't a bad sighting for this site. Further sightings of Redpolls and Siskins were had around the ponds, the combination of birches and alders suits these small finches rather well. More Common Darter activity here too with over thirty being noted and I also found a Willow Emerald and a Migrant Hawker. Clouds were beginning to move in and I decided to move on though not before I flushed my first Woodcock of the autumn from near the entrance. A brief look at Weldon failed to produce much other than a Red Admiral which gave me a brief view before it fluttered off.

Common Darter and Willow Emerald

Morons

 Another grey start to proceedings this morning as Alan Shorrock and I headed along to Blatherwycke starting our day at the churchyard. No sign of the hoped for Hawfinches I'm afraid and there wasn't that much activity of any sort compared to on some previous visits. From here we followed the public footpath until we had a view of the lake where a pair of Mandarins were the highlight. Deciding that we weren't going to see much more we moved on to Eyebrook.

Red Kite and Cattle Egret

A scan from the car park below Stoke Dry at Eyebrook produced a selection of the commoner wildfowl but not much else. We moved on towards the Sharp End noting a Cattle Egret on the way, our views were not prolonged however as it flew off down the reservoir. At the Sharp End half a dozen Dunlin were associating with the Lapwings and there was a male Stonechat too. By now there was an increase in activity on the shooting estate next to the reservoir. Growing numbers of "sportsmen" were gathering with shotguns poised while beaters on the hill began to chivvy the prey towards the killers. One person climbed the fence and stood next to the water causing a few panicked duck to flee. This relatively minor disturbance was nothing however when compared to the fusillade that followed. Gunfire crackled sending most of the birds skywards with many heading towards the dam. Some luckless partridges fell into the water where presumably they drowned. Sickened by the sounds and sights of the slaughter Shozzer and I moved off and headed towards the island.

Dire diver pics - again! Red-throated Diver

From north of the island we saw two rather distant adult Yellow-legged Gulls between us and the plantation. A short hop saw us reach Ketley's Corral from where the juvenile Red-throated Diver was seen. This is a different bird to the adult that was present last week meaning that there have been three divers at Eyebrook within a week. Unfortunately it was always distant which means my dire collection of rubbishy record shots was expanded a little more! From the bottom of the hill we had further views of the Cattle Egret before it once again decided to fly off to re-join the herd of cattle near Alex Lane Gate. This was the last sighting of note before we left having decided that Saturday visits may have to stop for the time being. Neither of us want to watch so called sportsmen blasting living creatures to oblivion and particularly not when their moronic and murderous activity causes so much disturbance to the birdlife on the res.

Misty Morning

 Mist and mizzle greeted me on my arrival at Lower Benefield this morning as I set out for a walk towards Deene Lake. My stroll took me towards Deenethorpe along the minor road until I took the bridleway near Burnt Coppice. I didn't see too much at the beginning of my stroll apart from a Redpoll, a few Yellowhammers and Linnets while there were plenty of Pheasants and Partridges too.  When I reached the barns I took the footpath up towards Deene Lake noting Fieldfares and Redwings as I walked.

Fieldfare and Yellowhammer

There are a few derelict buildings viewable from this footpath and it was from one of these that a Barn Owl flew though I only managed a brief view before it disappeared. Not that far from here a Crossbill called as it flew overhead and minutes later a Brambling was noted too. On the edge of a field I found a male Stonechat, my second county one of the week, though it was quite distant. A Little Egret seemed slightly incongruous as it flew past while the fields around me seemed to be alive with Skylarks. It had been getting sunny by this point but by the time I arrived at Deene Lake the mist had descended again.

Great White Egret and Stonechat

I couldn't see much on the main lake due to the poor visibility while at the inflow a Great White Egret was the highlight. Deenethorpe Airfield played host to a flock of about twenty five Lapwings and I heard both Redpolls and Siskins passing overhead. Yet another Stonechat was noted here and this was the last interesting bird that I saw on my walk before I got back to Weldon. Not much in the way of other wildlife was seen other than a Brown hare.

Ketrin

 I bought a ticket for the Stagecoach lottery today as I fancied having a stroll around Wicksteed Park. My gamble paid off and I arrived at the park pretty much at the time I expected to. Early morning mist had lifted leaving a mostly cloudy situation though the sunshine soon began to peek through as the morning progressed. Half term means that it was fairly busy though most of the folks didn't venture as far as the lakes and my walk was a peaceful one.

Yellow-legged Gull

More Shovellers appear to have arrived since my last visit and Gadwalls have increased too. Diving ducks are still a scarce commodity here with just half a dozen Tufted Ducks on the fishing lake. At least three Cetti's Warblers were singing and I actually got the chance to watch one for a short time as it picked its way through the vegetation. On the main lake a large looking immature Yellow-legged Gull was picked out amongst the smaller Herrings and Lesser Black-backs. Wickies seems to be a pretty reliable site for this species, I often encounter one or two here. Other decent birds included Siskins and Redpolls and there were a few Redwings as well.

Once I'd finished at Wicksteed I decided to pay a call on the local Peregrines. With the sun now out viewing conditions were excellent and I was treated to good views of both birds. One was perched fairly low down and I was able to get a couple of decent pictures. Happy with my morning's results I wandered along to the bus stop for my journey home.

Welland Valley Walk

 Not wanting to put my trust in Stagecoach and their timefable again so soon after yesterday's experience I decided instead to take a walk along part of the Welland Valley. My route took me down Rockingham Hill and along almost as far as Gretton before I took the public footpath up to Brookfield Plantation and home. Today's weather was mild but overcast with the occasional light rain shower to contend with.

Grey Wagtail and Stonechat

Much of the flood water has already drained away so the valley itself was a little on the quiet side. A Grey Wagtail graced the small sewage treatment works near Rockingham and other passerines included Siskin, Redwing and Fieldfare. Plenty of gulls, mostly Common and Black-headed were moving along the valley and there were a few Wigeon on the remaining pools of water. Having left the road I began my walk up towards Brookfield and was pleased to find a Stonechat. A pair of Ravens croaked as they flew past, this is a regular spot for them nowadays. There were a number of buntings and finches feeding in the fields and both Meadow Pipits and Skylarks were active too. Brookfield was quiet other than a Fallow Deer and both of the commoner woodpeckers but at least my stress levels remained low!

Red Kite and Yellowhammer

Stagecoach - You Suck!

 This morning I took the X4 over to Oundle so that I could have a walk around Barnwell CP. I'd forgotten that it's half term for many schools this week so the park was a tad busier than planned but the weather was pretty decent and I enjoyed my wander around.

Passerine selection.

A brief vigil from the Kingfisher Hide did not produce any views of the star attraction but a Grey Wagtail did pop in for a brief visit. Lowlands Hide was a little more interesting as a variety of passerines came down to feed including a Marsh Tit and Nuthatches. Grey Squirrels seem to have abandoned the feeders here for the time being, their place has been taken by at least three Brown Rats. My walk around the rest of the park added Siskin to the day's list and I also saw a Willow Emerald and Common Darter. As noon approached the park began to get increasingly busy so I set off for a stroll along the river. High flood water limited my explorations as I couldn't go any further than Lower Barnwell Lock which forced me to make a quick return to Oundle.

Willow Emerald and Stagecoach scheduler!

My pleasant if uneventful visit was prolonged for much longer than anticipated thanks to the good people at Stagecoach. They cancelled the 14:17 bus that I intended to catch but did not update the information in the shelter. Thinking that the bus was late I waited...and waited, I checked the Stage coach website but there was no information there. One of my fellow would be passengers called them up and was informed that there was no service today even as an X4 passed in the opposite direction! Eventually we learned that the bus had been cancelled which meant we waited at the stop for ninety minutes which could have been time better spent in the pub! Glad I only have to use this service for leisure, I would not want to have to rely on it for work or anything more important.

Rutland's Rockin'

 A fourth visit to Rutland in as many days, if I keep this up I may have to change the name of the blog! Today's destination was not Eyebrook however but its larger neighbour Rutland Water. Although Alan Shorrock and I had no specific targets in mind we were hoping to find a few decent birds. Setting off in good weather certainly made a change from my last couple of days and it was good to reacquaint myself with the sun.

Rock Pipits

We began at the dam from where I saw my first Goosanders of the Autumn, there was a close bird at our end of the dam and about half a dozen more on the other side. Checking through the other wildfowl did not produce too much of interest and we set off towards Normanton church. It didn't take long before I found a Rock Pipit on the shoreline and Alan, I and another birder enjoyed some half decent views. While watching this bird a second joined it and we were treated to the sight of two Rock Pipits picking their way amongst the rocks. It was at this point that news came through of a Red-breasted Merganser being seen with the Goosanders on the opposite shore. We decided that seeing this merg would be a good idea and so set off across the dam to check it out.

Scaup

There was not a great deal of birdlife to entertain us as we trudged the length of the dam other than a few more Goosanders. Continually scoping the roosting sawbills on the other side did not produce any sightings of the merganser though I did spot an immature drake Scaup. We were treated to some good views of this bird which made up for dipping out on the Red-breasted Merg. Deciding that enough was enough we made our way back across the dam and took the return journey to Corby. Not too much in the way of other wildlife was seen other than a Common Darter and a Red Admiral.

Duck selection.

Eyebrook Again

 The good stuff just seems to keep coming at Eyebrook, this morning nine Common Scoters and ten White-fronted Geese arrived joining the Cattle Egrets and both divers already on site. Such a shame then that Alan Shorrock and I arrived after the scoters, the geese and the Black-throated Diver had departed! The diver flew off in a south easterly direction which would have taken it over Northants, I'm guessing it would have been difficult getting that flyover accepted though..

Record shot dross, R-t Diver, Common Tern and Cattle Egret

On the plus side the weather situation was much improved and remained dry for the duration of our visit. We may have dipped on a clutch of goodies but the Red-throated Diver and the Cattle Egrets were still about though they were distant. The juvenile Common Tern is also still around, I hadn't seen it on my two previous visits but it's showing no inclination to move on just yet. Shozzer picked out a red tagged Marsh Harrier passing through and there were three Stonechats at the sharp end. Not much else to report but it's certainly been an eventful few days at the reservoir and I was glad to catch up with those divers. On the way home Alan and I checked out a few sites in the flooded Welland Valley where a pair of Mandarin Ducks were the only things of note.

Mad Ducks And Englishmen Go Out In the Midday...er Monsoon

 Lightning it seems does strike twice or at least it does when it comes to divers at Eyebrook. I'd resigned myself to a day of chores and daytime telly when a text from Phil Rogers caused me to cast those humdrum plans aside. A Black-throated Diver had joined its Red-throated cousin at the big E and despite the dreadful weather Phil was going to pop over to check it out. I alerted Alan to the diver's presence and then blagged a lift with Phil and Cheryl.

This is a Black-throated Diver - honest!

We dropped Cheryl off on the hill near Alec's Lane Gate so that she could take a stroll before we headed round to the carpark below Stoke Dry. A small group of soggy birders were peering out over the res but the news was not good. No sign of either diver but at least the Cattle Egrets were showing on the opposite bank. As we kept scoping the res the Red-throated was found and we had reasonable scope views despite the challenging weather. Afterwards we moved round to the Leics bank but the rain was fairly heavy and the viewing conditions dreadful. A strategic withdrawal to the Castle in Caldecott then followed as we waited for conditions to improve. Several pints later and we returned to the reservoir from where we struck lucky from Ketley's Corral near the island. The Black-throated Diver was picked out distantly as it swam close to the dam . Despite that distance and the poor light I attempted a record shot as Phil obligingly held an umbrella to protect my camera from the rain. The dubious result you can see above, I can only apologise but you can, if you squint, at least make out the white thigh patch! By now we were more than a little on the damp side and so we beat a retreat and headed back to Corby.

Babet's Bounty?

 An afternoon text from Phil Rogers alerted me to the presence of a Red-throated Diver at Eyebrook. After a quick call to inform Alan Shorrock we set off soon afterwards and arrived about ten minutes later. Phil was already watching the bird from near the car park and within moments we were watching it too. Always a scarce bird inland away from its breeding sites it's tempting to think that this bird was driven in by yesterday's inclement weather.

Red-throated Diver

We had a little taste of the wet stuff ourselves too as several squally showers blew in during our visit. Happily they were relatively brief and did not prevent us from getting good views of the diver through the scopes. While it was a little too distant for good pictures I did manage a few record shots, some of them are featured above. As the sky became darker and greyer we moved on hoping to find the two Cattle Egrets that had been reported here before the threatened rain came in. Both birds did show, an adult and an immature, quite well on the Leics bank between Hollyoaks Farm and the island. Although we didn't spend too long at the res we managed to get both Raven and Golden Plover before it got too dark.

Adult and immature Cattle Egrets