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.