Barnwell Before Babet

 With storm clouds gathering out to the east and a forecast suggesting that the next few days might not be  best suited for  outdoorsy type stuff I popped over to Barnwell  for a pre-Babet walk. A mixture of clouds and pallid sunshine coupled with the seemingly ever present breeze did not make for the most pleasant of strolls but at least I'd already got back to Oundle before the rain moved in.

Kingfisher and Teal

Whether it was worth the effort is open to debate, best bird was a male Kingfisher which put in a brief and rather distant appearance from its namesake hide. A couple of Teal were also noted from here, they're quite scarce at Barnwell. Other birds seen around the site included Siskin and a small flock of Redwings. Strolling along the Nene near the marina did not add any more birds to the list but I did encounter some odes with Willow Emerald, Common Darter and Migrant Hawker being noted. The first few spots of rain saw me heading back into town where the Rose and Crown offered some shelter until my bus arrived. I wonder whether Storm Babet brings any phalaropes, skuas or any other wind blown waifs to entertain inland birders over the next day or two? Time will tell...