Nothing Wicked At Wicksteed

 I fancied doing something a bit scary for Halloween and so decided to head over to Kettering, it really is quite frightening how bad this place is nowadays compared to even a few years ago! Before I sampled the dubious delights of the run down town centre I popped into Wicksteed Park for a quick look around.

Shovellors and Lesser Black-backed Gull

Both Redwings and a Grey Wagtail flew over while I waited for my bus this morning and unusually it was on time. Luckily the grey and drizzly conditions were beginning to give way to a few sunny periods by the time that I arrived at the park and it was nice to see some blue after yesterday's murk. There wasn't much to look at on the main lake, a small selection of ducks that included Shoveller and a squawking mob of the commoner gulls being the best on offer. Around the fishing lake I heard Cetti's Warbler and saw Chiffchaff but it was all a little on the dull side. In the arboretum a Sparrowhawk scared the life out of the local passerines and was rewarded for its efforts by attracting an escort of Magpies, I saw the Sprawk again at the neighbouring water meadows. Skylarks are still on the move and I heard several passing over on my wanderings around the park. With little to look at and a growing number of people beginning to arrive I left but not before I saw a Red Admiral fluttering around some Ivy.

Cormorant and Coots

The neighbouring water meadows were similarly dull and I didn't hang around for too long before heading off to look at the local Peregrines. This promising plan sadly did not survive contact with reality as none of the falcons were on site while I was there. I'm guessing that they were off having some Halloween fun of their own and scaring birds at a nearby spot. By the time I'd moved on and reached the town centre I decided that I'd suffered enough and so caught the return bus home as soon as possible.

Scrounging squirrel

Going Loony

 Divers and grebes used be at the front of the field guides until birdy nerdy ornithological types decided to mix everything up and play with the order. They may have dropped down the pecking order in scientific terms but there were at the forefront of Alan Shorrock's and my thoughts when we paid a call to Rutland Water this morning. Great Northern Diver had been reported from near the dam while both Slavonian and Black-necked Grebes had been reported from other parts of the reservoir. Under grey and often drizzly skies we began by seeking out the diver.

Tufted Duck and Goosander

Our attempts to find the bird took us along part of the south shore and then some way along the dam but the diver eluded us. There wasn't that much on the water though a flock of about twenty five Goldeneye were my first of the winter, they were flushed by a bank angler soon after I found them. Three brownhead Goosanders were noted and while two were distant one did get fairly close before it flew off along the dam. Redwings are beginning to arrive in good numbers and several flocks were seen. I heard at least two Siskins flying over too suggesting that more of these may be arriving after a slow start.

Dabchick and Great Crested Grebe

From the dam we moved over to the North Arm where a Slavonian Grebe had been reported. A Great White Egret was the most obvious bird on arrival while a scan of the shoreline revealed a Green Sandpiper and a few Redshanks. Another birder who was accumulating quite a day list told Shozzer where the grebe was last seen and Alan soon found it with his scope. Although the Slav was distant I tried for a couple of record shots, poor light added to my woes but the results were slightly better than expected being a bit duff rather than abject dross. While munching his way through a late lunch Shozzer added to his laurels by picking out the Great Northern. We called the other chap over and the three of us enjoyed very distant views of the diver as it preened, my record shot is possibly one of the worst I've taken as you can find out for yourselves! An adult Yellow-legged Gull rounded off our birding efforts here.

Slavonian Grebe and Great Northern Diver (honestly!)

Once lunch was over we ignored the chance of seeing the Black-necked Grebe on Lagoon Three and instead chose to visit Hambleton Peninsular in the hope of getting better views of the Great Northern. Sadly for us the diver had disappeared by the time we got there and the only compensation was another Yellow-legged Gull. With the light failing we opted to head to the Grainstore Brewery in Oakham where even a couple of pints of their excellent beer could not improve my opinion of that GND record shot!

Hanging On In There

 I was reading the latest Bird Guides weekly roundup this morning whilst enjoying a coffee and noticed that there's something of an influx of Hawfinches into the country this autumn. Although I kept my ears and eyes open on my walk through Brookfield Plantation this morning I failed to connect with any Hawfinches but I did see a few interesting things on my stroll before a lunch date with my wife and some much needed gardening brought things to a close.

Peregrines

A check on the local Peregrines was successful as both the male and female were in situ though the poor light meant that my initial attempts to grab a few pics were a bit on the duff side, later efforts were better. In the plantation there were several tit flocks which included a couple of Marsh Tits in their ranks. Several Teal flew up from one of the ponds while the wood seemed full of gormless Pheasants newly released and presumably easy targets for the gun. Once I'd reached the edge of the wood I decided to hang around for a bit and see what went past. A trickle of both Skylarks and Chaffinches passed by and two or three Meadow Pipits were on the move too. At least one Redpoll was heard though this may well be wintering locally rather than on passage. Returning back through the wood added a flock of Redwing to my list and more views of Marsh Tit. By now some weak autumnal sunshine was poking through the clouds though it was still strong enough to glint off the gossamer wings of a latish Willow Emerald. This was flying weakly around the outer branches of a Hawthorn and was lost to view when it landed. A check through the bins revealed its location and I grabbed a couple of photos, a Common Darter showed briefly as I was doing so. I would have stayed longer but that lunch date with my wife was getting closer and there was no way I was going to be late for that!

Pheasant and Willow Emerald

Week Off

I'm off work this week which means I should squeeze some time in for wildlife watching. The week has started on a damp and squelchy note however as the weather has proved to be somewhat wetter than the forecast suggested it would be. I opted for a modest beginning and my travels took me only as far as Deene Lake via Weldon, Deenethorpe Airfield and the village itself.

Grey Wagtail and Red Kite

A short bus trip took me as far as Weldon and I walked along the A427 on my way to the airfield. Some morning sunshine tempted many Skylarks into singing and I enjoyed their song whenever I could hear it above the traffic noise! Meadow Pipits and Yellowhammers were also noted. The larks and pipits were also present in good numbers around the airfield though I didn't manage to find much else here other than a couple of Lapwings and a flock of Linnets. There's plenty of mud at Deene Lake inflow but I didn't see any Green Sandpipers and my search through the hundred plus Teal failed to produce a Green-winged either. Putting this disappointment to one side I walked along the public footpath towards Deene Village noting both Siskin and Grey Wagtail on the way. There was nothing on the farm ponds while the churchyard held a decent sized flock of Redwings and several Mistle Thrushes. Little to report from the main lake, a pair of Black Swans were again present and also a selection of the commoner wildfowl.

Stonechats

Having decided to begin my walk home I headed back across the airfield in increasingly worse conditions. Drizzle gave way to slightly heavier rain and I was pleased that I was wearing my waterproof coat. A Snipe squawked as it flew up from the side of the path, they seem to like this area and I often flush one or two though never intentionally I should add! Highlight of the day was provided by a pair of Stonechats near the hangars and other buildings. Although it was still raining a bit I decided to risk my camera and take a few pics of both. They moved on and I did likewise heading towards Weldon and my return bus but not before |I saw a Marsh Tit on the edge of Weldon Park Wood, a flock of Lapwings flying over the A427 proved to be the last sighting of the day.

Whoopers

 I had a very enjoyable walk around the public bits of Eyebrook Reservoir today which was bathed in some beautiful autumnal sunshine. Although wildfowl numbers remain low I managed to catch up with a few decent birds though I failed to find any of the Scaup that were reported by other observers.

Lapwings and Golden Plover

I began my stroll at the Stoke Dry car park from where I noted a Green Sandpiper on the Leics shore. Pintail numbers around the reservoir remain high and there was a notable increase in the numbers of Shovellers present. At least sixty Golden Plovers were mingling with the Lapwings at the inflow though they were flighty and took time to settle after each time they were disturbed. At least one Stonechat was present too though he remained distant and I didn't bother trying to take any pics. I was too early to see any odes at the bridge though I was pleased to hear a Siskin, I don't think that this is going to be one of their better winters.

Pintails and Great White Egret

 My walk continued and I was at the inflow viewing point when a message on the Eyebrook WhatsApp alerted me to the presence of two Whooper Swans near the car park. I'd checked the swans earlier and am reasonably confident that they weren't there when I looked, they may have been the two seen leaving Stanford Res earlier in the morning. It wasn't long before I connected with the swans which were my first of the winter. My views were distant but good enough through the scope and I managed a few record shots of them. Even further away were a pair of Red Crested Pochards that were hugging the shore near the plantation. Although I didn't see many other birds of interest I did see both Common Darter and Migrant Hawker, I wonder if they can last into November?

Red Crested Pochards and Whooper Swans

Blast From The Past

 Alan Shorrock and I ventured out into the Northamptonshire countryside today choosing to visit a few of the lesser known sites rather than sticking with the more tried and tested county locations. There was none of the forecast mist that might have affected our morning, there was some rain but this didn't amount to much and was offset to some degree by some morning sunshine.

Mistle Thrush and Wigeon

We began by checking out one of our larger woodlands where we failed to find any of the hoped for Crossbills although we did hear a call which could have been this species. Several Siskins were heard but overall it was rather quiet and we didn't linger here for too long. Next up was one of the lakes that dot this part of the county and we spent some time in the area. A large flock of Redwings were present, my first county ones of the winter, and they were joined by several Mistle Thrushes. On the lake itself a selection of the commoner wildfowl was present and it looked as if Egyptian Goose might be the highlight.  A further scan with the scope drew my attention to a sleeping duck which looked remarkably like a Ruddy Duck. I was somewhat taken back at this as Ruddy Ducks have been all but shot out of the UK birding scene and I really thought they had been consigned to the past. I put Shozzer on to the bird and he agreed with my I.D. I'm keeping the location secret as I don't want this one to meet the same fate as all the others, while I'm in broad agreement with the measures taken to preserve the White-headed Duck  I miss the charismatic Ruddies and wouldn't want this one to get shot.

Ruddy Duck

The slumbering Ruddy eventually woke and we watched it diving for a while before it decided to nod off yet again. Although the light was poor and the bird stayed fairly distant I managed to get a few record shots of what might turn out to be my last county sighting. We left her snoozing and headed for the Cross Keys in King's Cliffe where we raised a pint in her honour.

Ott Dog

 Alan Shorrock and I braved the wet conditions this morning to visit Eyebrook Reservoir though the rain eased and things began to improve before noon arrived. With the country braced to receive the dubious blessings of the first named autumnal storm it was nice to have some mild conditions and a bit of afternoon sunshine to enjoy before the predicted gales hit. Eyebrook has had a good year so far and I wonder if tomorrow's weather drops something else in, hopefully not as I'm committed to other things!

Pintails, Kestrel and Yellow-legged Gull

We began at Sam's Dyke where there was not too much of note and soon moved on to the island bunker. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was a decent find here but it was overshadowed when Shozzer found a juvenile Scaup which proceeded to swim out of view. Between here and the inflow we didn't find much other than a Great White Egret. Alan added more lustre to the day when he spotted a dog Otter swimming and feeding near Stoke Dry car park. I headed back towards Hollyoaks Lane hoping to get better views but sadly failed to see it again. My walk wasn't in vain however as I did get further views of the Scaup though it was distant. Happily a female Stonechat was much closer though my attempts to get a pic were feeble, I had better results with her partner a little later on. Also showing at the inflow were about thirty five Pintails, other wildfowl seemed down on numbers though there was apparently a big shoot on the neighbouring farmland yesterday which may have cleared the res out a bit.

Stonechat, Scaup (with Tufted Duck) and Redshank

Having persuaded Al to go round to the plantation I was a little disappointed not to get further views of the Scaup and indeed we didn't see much at all. With the sun now beginning to emerge we decided to head to the bridge in search of insects. At least four Willow Emeralds rewarded us for our efforts and there were also a few Common Darters as well as a late Speckled Wood. We had a quick look from the inflow bunker and managed to leave just before a red-tagged Marsh Harrier put in an appearance but did get to see the pair of Stonechats. Another look from Hollyoaks produced further though still distant views of the Scaup and I attempted a few record shots. Final stop was at the island where the Yellow-legged was still present but once again it had to play second fiddle though this time to a Redshank which dropped in while we were there.

Willow Emerald, Speckled Wood and Common Darter

A Glossy Finish

 Today was my last day off before I return to work and I joined up with Alan Shorrock to pay a call on Summer Leys. The blue skies and heat of Greece were soon forgotten as early rain and grey skies dominated throughout but if the weather was a bit on the drab side then at least the birding was a notch or two better.

Pintail and Snipes

Our main target was the Glossy Ibis which has made the area its home for some time now though this was my first opportunity to catch up with it. An initial look from the Screen Hide did not produce the goods though we did see several Pintails. While walking from the screen towards Paul Britten Hide I picked the ibis up feeding on one of the islands. We had fairly good views before it flew off in the direction of Hardwater Lake. This species appears to be becoming more regular in the county now and birds are hanging around long enough for more people to view them. On the same island a group of seven Snipes were having a kip.

Glossy Ibis (with Little Egret and mooning Shoveller)

The scrape is still flooded which meant that we saw little of note from Paul Britten Hide other than distant views of a Yellow-legged Gull on Fisherman's Point. At this range we couldn't rule Caspian out of the equation so took a walk around to the railway line for a closer look. The bird was quite leggy with a small head and a dark eye but ultimately didn't convince me that it wasn't a near adult Yellow-legged. Not too much else was noted though numbers of Wigeon appear to be building and there were good numbers of Shoveller too.

Yellow-legged Gull

It Made A Change From Birdwatching!

 I've just returned from a week in Corfu where I enjoyed a relaxing break with my wife Sandra. As a holiday it was great - nice food, mostly good weather and I even managed to track down some decent beer. From a wildlife watching point of view however it was a bit of a duffer, birds were few in number while most of the butterflies were species that I've seen in the UK.

Alpine Swift, Hooded Crow and Spotted Flycatcher

There were plenty of Robins calling and singing but they stayed in cover for the most part in common with many of the other birds. I wonder if the Greek fondness for shooting is responsible for the furtive nature of most species? Lots of Blackcaps were moving through the countryside in loose flocks but again glimpses were fleeting. Other species seen regularly included White and Grey Wagtails and Spotted Flycatchers. Bucking the trend slightly were corvids with five species being seen, Magpies, Jays and Hooded Crows were noted on a daily basis while Jackdaw and Raven were both seen twice. Yellow-legged Gulls were present though scarce while five Scopoli's Shearwaters were seen on a boat trip to the mainland. Vying with the shearwaters for bird of the trip were a flock of around twenty Alpine Swifts which passed through midway through my holiday. Three species of raptor were also observed, Kestrel, Buzzard and Sparrowhawk.

Geranium Bronze, Wood White and Small Copper

Of the selection of butterflies on offer there were only two that I haven't seen in the UK but one of them was new. This was a Plain Tiger that I saw from the boat on my way to the mainland, it's a shame that I couldn't grab a shot of what is a rather flashy species. My second non UK species was a Geranium Bronze which did hang around for pics though it doesn't quite match the Tiger for looks! Other species included Long-tailed Blue and Clouded Yellow and also Silver-washed Fritillaries. It was strange to see the latter nectaring on Ivy blooms as their season has normally passed at least a month before Ivy flowers. I only saw one species of dragonfly on the island and that was Common Darter. Overall then slightly disappointing but still a nice change of scenery and a chance to recharge the batteries. Next April's holiday to Lesvos will hopefully supply a bit more of interest, it shouldn't  be too difficult.

Long-tailed Blue, Silver-washed Fritillary and Common Darter