Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

 Today was almost the complete opposite to yesterday with regards to the weather, grey and rainy conditions kicked things off before the clouds drifted away to leave some warm and pleasant sunny conditions in their wake. I opted to head over to Oundle where I began at Barnwell CP, the hides providing some much needed shelter from the rain. Not surprisingly the park was fairly quiet though a lack of people did not mean an increase in wildlife sightings!

Mandarins

Best birds were the Mandarin Ducks of which at least two pairs were present on site, the drakes provided a welcome splash of colour on an other wise dull morning. Chiffchaffs were in good voice with at least half a dozen around the park, I saw none during the winter so these birds are probably newly arrived migrants. i couldn't find anything else of note and decided to take advantage of a dry spell to take a walk along the Nene.

Great Tit and Blackbird

There is still quite a lot of floodwater along this stretch of the Nene but my wellies allowed me to get through to the floods near the A605. Wigeons were the commonest species here with over a hundred noted and there were at least thirty Shovellers too. A pair of Oystercatchers were the only waders other than a few Lapwings, there doesn't seem to be anywhere along the valley that doesn't have at least one pair of Oycs at the moment. A sharp and heavy shower sent me heading towards the town though the rain didn't last long and some welcome sunshine soon followed. My first Blackcap of the year showed briefly next to the school at Herne Road before it flew into a neighbouring garden. With the sun now feeling rather warm I headed to the churchyard in search of butterflies. My plan bore fruit as I caught a glimpse of a probable Red Admiral which disappeared before I could confirm it. A male Brimstone was easier to call as it did several circuits of the churchyard before flying into the grounds of the school. I had to leave soon after this as my return bus was due to arrive within minutes of this sighting.

Oystercatcher and Rook