Shame On You!

 I'd like you to take a minute and look at the logo for North Northamptonshire Council. It's a lovely design, there's a Red Kite flying over a river and Rockingham Castle's in there too. What it doesn't show are the looming warehouses in the many logistical hubs that the council have given planning permission for in recent years. Nor are there any of the thousands of houses that the people who work in these warehouses can't afford to buy featured either. Whether it's green or brown belt land our beloved council seem to love development whatever the cost to local communities might be. Even if we were to ignore the damage to wildlife habitat and to wildlife itself there's no doubt that unchecked development causes problems. Crumbling infrastructure, ineffectual policing, overstretched and overwhelmed health services and increased traffic levels are just a few of the costs involved.

Little Ringed Plover

Now this is a wildlife blog and I would normally reserve such discussions for the pub but it appears that plans are in progress to destroy the only breeding site for Ringed Plovers in Northamptonshire. Someone wants to create another vehicle storage facility despite the fact that Corby already has an embarrassment of riches in this regard. I raised my objections to the scheme (application ref number is NC/24/00076/REM if you fancy having a look) but if they want to build then our council is usually very accommodating. With numerous industrial and housing developments waiting in the wings I wonder what hope there is for wildlife in the Northamptonshire of the future?

Fallow Deer

Rant over and I'll now turn to the business of this afternoon's post work wander around a few sites in Corby. Two Little Ringed Plovers were at the now threatened site and one showed fairly well. At Willowbrook Industrial Estate there were guys doing groundwork near the favourite Wheatear site and consequently I didn't see much. The North Gullet at Priors Hall hosted a herd of Fallow Deer while an overflying Raven croaked as it flew off in the direction of Kirby Hall. There were the now regular Sand Martins in the South Gullet but the big news here was that the Great Crested Grebe on the quarry lake now has a companion, I'm looking forward to the pitter patter of little feet lobed in the future!