Not Another ??@//$% Storm!

 Yet another winter storm hit Britain today though it seems as if Northamptonshire once again avoided the worst of it. I wanted to get my wildlife spotting done and dusted before it arrived and so blagged a lift over to Blatherwycke Lake where after a fiery start things became cold and grey. 

Sunrise, Scaup and Cattle Egret

At least ten Mandarin Ducks were present in their usual spot on the eastern end of the lake. On the other side of the bund the immature female Scaup remains and was feeding well while I was there. There were a minimum of five Egyptian Geese and several hundred Wigeon as well as a small selection of the commoner wildfowl. In the field between Home Farm and the lake I was pleased to find a Cattle Egret feeding, I've seen very few in the county away from the Nene Valley. The egret seemed to be finding some stuff to eat in amongst the molehills and grass tussocks and was still there when I left several hours later. A lengthy vigil in the churchyard failed to produce any Hawfinch sightings and my last sighting of note was of several Siskins at the bridge before my lift arrived just before the rain did likewise.

Egyptian Geese and Wigeon

Beanz Meanz Dipz

 It was my 57th birthday today and I thought it would be appropriate to seek out some Beans. With this aim in mind Alan Shorrock and I set out for Eldernell where two Tundra Bean Geese have been hanging out for some time. Sadly for me the Beans were not on today's menu and I had to settle for some alternative fare instead.

Cranes

Sun and clear skies meant that we had good visibility but that did not help us to find any of the Long-eared Owls which traditionally roost here. With the LEO's going AWOL and the Bean dip creating something of a stink it looked as if today had all the makings of being a disaster. Luckily for us a selection of other birds came to the fore and saved us from a day of dippy depression. A Short-eared Owl roosting in a bush next to the farm was a welcome start to our amble, I couldn't grab a picture as it was obscured by branches but I enjoyed the view. Next up were a quartet of Cranes that Alan found, unusually for this species they showed fairly closely and I got a few decent pics. The Cranes eventually flew off providing more photographic opportunities though they were only the first of several sightings today. Marsh Harriers were criss- crossing the washes and joined Buzzards and Red Kites in their search for prey while large numbers of dabbling ducks were feeding on the floods. Four Bewick's Swans and a flock of about seventy distant Pink-footed Geese were welcome discoveries, I haven't seen Pinkies in Cambridgeshire before. A Tawny Owl was roosting in the same tree that has been occupied for at least the last three years and showed well. On our way back to the car Alan spotted a pair of Stonechats which brought our morning birding to an agreeable close.

Tawny Owl and Black-tailed Godwits

While Shozzer was tucking into a well earned lunch I decided to walk along the riverbank in the direction of March. My stroll was halted by a Cattle Egret which was feeding on the bank in front of me. I gave Alan a call and he was lucky enough to see the egret before two walkers put the bird to flight. In the distance a large group of Whooper Swans were feeding in a field, other birders had seen Bewick's with them but we didn't find them. On the washes a large flock of Black-tailed Godwits were roosting and there was also a small number of Ruffs too. It might have been a good idea to wait around and see what flew in to roost but a birthday meal with the family had been booked and I had to get home in time for that. It's a shame that we couldn't find those Beans but my best ever photos of Cranes provided more than ample compensation.

Cattle Egret

Sunshine And Stonechats

 I had the day off for medical reasons (I'm sick of work! boom, boom) and spent the morning before my annual health review tinkering about and doing some chores, shopping and an array of other exciting stuff. Once my review had finished I met up with Shozzer for an afternoon visit to Deene Lake. After an all too familiar looking grey start we were favoured with some lovely afternoon sun which both lifted the mood and provided some excellent visibility.

Siskin and Pied Wagtail

On arrival at Deene we parked up at the church before heading down towards the Stonechat fence. On the way our attention was diverted to a male Siskin singing from the top of an Ash tree. We watched him until he flew off and then headed down to enjoy views of the Stonechat pair. Both birds appeared and disappeared several times as they split their time between the barbed wire fence and the neighbouring weedy field. After several minutes of watching the chats we headed to the churchyard where we failed to find any Hawfinches but did see a Raven. The lake was quite busy, a large flock of Greylags were present but weren't sheltering anything more interesting within their ranks. Half a dozen Pochards appeared to have replaced a similar number of Shovellers while the Shelduck total has risen to eleven. Two of the Black Swan population swam into view, they may not be tickable but they are striking looking birds.

Stonechat and Black Swan

Last stop as the afternoon began to slip into evening was at the inflow where more exposed mud is on show. The familiar brace of Snipe were probing intently and the number of Teal remains high though I still can't find a Green-winged amongst them. There was quite a large flock of Lapwings standing in the shallow water and up to four Green Sandpipers were feeding around them. The light was by now beginning to fail and we decided to call time and head back to Corby.

There was an interesting record from Alan Shorrock who found a ringed Common Gull at Corby Boating Lake this morning. The first winter bird bearing a ring with the code JX 240 was rung in Oslo on the 23rd of September last year. It just goes to show the types of journeys that birds make on a regular basis and how even the most mundane species can have a story to tell.

Waders at the inflow.

A Stroll Along The Nene

 This morning was yet another dull and grey one in what seems to have been a conveyor belt of sunless Sundays so far this year. Once again I boarded the X4 and headed along to Oundle from where I took a riverside stroll between the south and north bridges. The birding while far from exciting was interesting enough and I enjoyed my walk despite the dreary conditions.

Mandarin and Great White Egret

I began by doing a quick circuit of Barnwell CP where a pair of Mandarins were in the usual spot near to the Kingfisher Hide, they certainly added a much needed dash of colour to what seemed like a monotone world. Some distant swans feeding in a field between the park and Stoke Doyle piqued my curiosity for a brief moment though further investigation revealed that they were Mutes. I soon left the joggers and dog walkers to enjoy their morning and headed towards the river.

Pintails

Near Lower Barnwell Lock a small patch of reeds was playing host to a Great White Egret which was channelling its inner Bittern. I watched it catch and eat a small fish before it became aware of my presence and took flight. Similarly a Kingfisher which was flying along the river towards the lock abruptly changed course  as soon as it saw me. I continued my trek over ground which was still water logged in places towards the A605 floods. Large numbers of Wigeon continue to feed here with lesser numbers of Teals and other dabblers. An impressive forty plus Shovellers were also present but were overshadowed by a smart looking pair of Pintails, they're fairly common at Eyebrook but seem scarce in Northamptonshire. Once I'd scoped the floods I moved on noting another or perhaps the same Great White Egret near Ashton. At Ashton Mill a Water Rail called from the small reedbed and this was the last thing of note before I caught my return bus back to Corby.

Smews, Morons and a Scaup

 A slightly later start than usual this morning as Alan and I tried to avoid the worst of the forecast foggy conditions. It had not lifted completely by the time that we arrived at Eyebrook reservoir but visibility was pretty decent despite this. Several people were walking across one of the roadside fields making the noises that I usually associate with beaters chivvying partridges suggesting to us that a game shoot was sadly imminent. Knowing that the disturbance level would soon rise to an intolerable level spurred us on to see as much of the res as quickly as possible.

Drake Smews

We saw nothing of note either south or north of the island apart from a couple of flyover Golden Plovers. From the gateway close to Hollyoaks I picked out a distant pair of Smew while Alan found a drake much closer to us. Distant gunfire was by now beginning to unnerve the birds and more drake Smew appeared as they swam across towards the opposite shore, an eventual total of five drakes and a redhead were noted. Our next stop was at the inflow where the exposed mud had attracted a total of seventeen Dunlin. Also present in the area were about twenty Pintail upending in the shallows. The plummy voiced prattle of people coming from the other side of the hedge and the arrival of a convoy of mud spattered four by fours suggested that the shooting party had arrived prompting us to move on. From the Rutland shore we had further views of the Smews before a fusillade of shots rang out from the other side of the reservoir causing the wildfowl to take flight. As the killing squad continued their murderous barrage Golden Plovers scared up from neighbouring fields wheeled and spun above us. Deciding that enough was enough we made the choice to move on, quite why recreational killing is allowed so close to an SSSI is beyond me.

Redhead Smew and Pintail

Blatherwycke Lake was our chosen destination and we began by checking the churchyard for Hawfinches. None of the chunky finches revealed themselves to us but we were treated to some good views of Ravens before we headed off towards the lake. A reasonable selection of wildfowl were present amongst which the long staying female Scaup was the highlight. She was in her favoured spot on the Blatherwycke side of the bund and we had some reasonable scope views of her. Other birds of interest included four Mandarins and a similar number of Egyptian Geese. As is so often the case when we're in this neck of the woods we made our way to the Cross Keys in King's Cliffe where a pint in front of an open fire brought the day to an agreeable close. 

Scaup and Kingfisher

Frosty

 Collared Doves were displaying over the icy paths and frost whitened grass of the Old Village today as I made my way to the bus stop. I'd wrapped up warm before setting off for a walk from Lower Benefield to Deene and Deenethorpe before heading home via Weldon. Although a rosy pink blush on the horizon suggested that somebody somewhere was getting a sunrise I had to content myself with cloudy skies.

Local churches

The early part of my stroll through the frosty countryside was fairly uneventful, I saw one small flock of five Lapwings and several groups of Fieldfares but birds for the most part were few and far between. The current cold snap ensured that the normally gloopy mud which can add an inch to your height was firm and unyielding while puddles which would usually splash splintered instead. As I got closer to the A43 I could hear Yellowhammers above the hum of traffic, a flock of about twenty were feeding around a haystack.

Fieldfare and Stonechat

On the minor road between the A43 and Deene Village I stopped to check my traditional spot for Stonechats. A Jack Snipe unnerved by my presence rose silently from a roadside ditch and landed on the other side of the road. The Stonechats were obliging too as a pair were feeding in the field next to their favourite barbed wire fence. While looking at the chats a Redpoll flew over and soon afterwards a pair of Egyptian Geese called noisily as they flew along the brook. I moved on from here to take a quick look at a Hawfinch free churchyard before heading towards the partially frozen lake. My first sighting of note was of a Great White Egret heading along the stream in the direction of Blatherwycke. Next up were a brace of Whooper Swans flying in a north westerly direction, I managed a poor record shot before they disappeared out of view. Ten Shelducks were still present while half a dozen Shovellers were new in. Three Black swans were probably wishing that they were in Australia, the two in Deenethorpe village probably thought likewise!

Whooper Swans

Next on my agenda was a stop at the inflow where a large group of Teal were gathered. Two Snipe were feeding out on the mud, I couldn't find any Green Sandpipers. My journey from here then took me through Deenethorpe village before I reached the airfield. Another Stonechat, a distant male, was the highlight here, other birds on view included Lapwings and Meadow Pipits. One final sighting of note before I reached Weldon was a large flock of finches and Yellowhammers in the field next to the new school, over two hundred birds were involved.

Deene scenes.

Plan B Delivers The Goods.

 Shozzer and I had pencilled in a trip to Eldernell today to try and find the two Tundra Bean Geese that have been hanging around there for a week or so. The weather forecast suggested that freezing fog might be an issue in this part of the country and that was enough to force a postponement. Conditions in Northants seemed fairly promising however so when we were looking for an alternative option we decided to visit Cogenhoe where a White-fronted Goose has been associating with the local Greylags.

Wintery scene and Ring-necked Parakeet

 Visibility at Gogenhoe was excellent with plenty of sunshine and blue skies to enjoy. A Raven called as we got out of the car before making our way down to the lock. Ring-necked Parakeets were very vocal too as they called from the tops of the trees surrounding Glebe Lake. Few geese were visible and none were White-fronted and after a while we decided to wander along to Ecton SF. Several Great White Egrets were noted though it was a Curlew that stole the show, I heard it call several times before we managed to get a view. I thought it had flown on towards Northampton but it came down in the meadow next to the Nene where several other observers managed to see it.

Green Sandpiper and Chiffchaff

From bridge K121 we were treated to a variety of birds attracted by the open water. Several Water Rails squealed from the waterside vegetation while at least two Green Sandpipers were flying up and down the channel. Growing numbers of Chiffchaffs were flitting back and forth across the water and a Grey Wagtail showed well. At one point a cream-crowned Marsh Harrier appeared but it didn't hang around and moved on before I could get a picture. A couple of Snipe also showed while a Kingfisher caught at least one fish. Another birder arrived and mentioned that a Cattle Egret had been seen from near the lock and we set off to have a look.

Grey Wagtail and Kingfisher

It took a little while but the egret did eventually show in a field of sheep between the village and the river. The bird was distant and did not show for more than five minutes before it disappeared out of view, this weather can't be good for this relatively recent arrival. Once again we failed to find the White-fronted Goose and it doesn't appear that anyone else did either, if it lingers in the area we might return. More than happy with our day's birding we eventually gave up on the goose and headed into Wellingborough for some refreshment.

Mallards

That Snow Was Abominable Man

 Like most of the country I awoke to a vision of wintery white as the predicted snow arrived and blanketed the county. I'm always concerned about the welfare of our wildlife in such conditions but rain and some increasingly mild conditions had taken care of most of it by the time dusk had fallen. Hopefully the Woodcocks and Cattle Egrets and sundry other species that might otherwise have suffered if such conditions had persisted will be OK - fingers crossed!

Pochard and Teal

This morning I took care of my various chores and the shopping before blagging a lift over to Deene. Light drizzle was beginning to work its magic on the snow but did not inconvenience me too much as I walked around the area. Sadly I could not find any Hawfinches today in the churchyard  even though I spent quite a long time looking for them. An amble down to the lake produced sightings of ten Shelducks and there was also a small flock of Pochard which were new in and additionally a small group of Wigeon grazing on the snowy bankside. A walk round to the farm ponds failed to produce anything of interest but a wander down the road towards the A43 did deliver the goods, a male Stonechat was moving along a fence where they often show up in winter. Other birds noted before dusk drew in were Siskin, Redwing and at least one Fieldfare. The Blackbirds were scolding something and Chaffinches pinking as they flew to roost when my lift arrived to pick me up, the weather meant that I didn't take any pictures today but here are a few from previous excursions.

Moorhen and Coot