Au Revoir

 I'm off to Lesvos tomorrow for a family holiday which means that you'll be spared any more of this drivel for at least a week. As if that wasn't enough something rare usually appears whenever I leave the country be it a Kentish Plover at Summer Leys or a Long-billed Dowitcher at Eyebrook. I've already alerted my Eyebrook friends and thought I'd let you know too, clear the diary and stand by for action. When you're watching that Whiskered Tern or Black Stork you can thank me later, preferably with beer!

Having endured the ineptitude of Stagecoach twice in the recent past I avoided further stress by visiting Eyebrook in the company of Phil Rogers, Cheryl and Ken. We began at the island bunker where two Little Ringed and one Ringed Plover were the highlight, we also heard the first of three Lesser Whitethroats singing. At the bay north of the island an overturned car which had crashed through the hedge provided something of a distraction but not enough to prevent us from seeing my first Greenshank of the year. The inflow provided views of my second Eyebrook Avocet of the year as well as a summer plumaged adult Dunlin and another Ringed Plover. We looked for but could not find the reported Wood Sandpiper and my last sighting of note was of an Osprey annoying the local terns and gulls. A stop at the Royal George in Cottingham gave me my last taste of decent beer for at least a week.

Osprey

Boom, Boom

 Those fine folks at Stagecoach once again took a king sized Donald Trump on my plans when they cancelled the bus that I was already waiting for at six o'clock this morning. I considered returning home but instead decided to wait for the next X4 which did eventually manage to get me to Earls Barton. The foggy conditions that greeted me on arrival did not linger for too long leaving a sunny day in their wake.

Chiffchaff, Bullfinch and Great White Egret

My walk along the Nene towards Summer Leys was enlivened by the sound of many warblers singing including Cetti's , Sedge and Reed. As I reached Hardwater Lake I could hear a Cuckoo calling and saw a Great White Egret. I hadn't been at the reserve for long when I heard a Whimbrel calling which I picked out flying east along the river. My subsequent walk around the Leys did not produce overly much in the way of interest on the bird front while butterflies on the wing were Red Admiral, Peacock, Orange-tip, Speckled Wood and Brimstone. Having decided to start my walk back towards Earls Barton things picked up a little when I heard the sound of a Bittern booming on the other side of the road, it called quite regularly for a five minute period before I left the reserve.

Little Ringed Plover and Redshank

My walk back towards the village produced distant views of a Hobby hawking insects over Hardwater, this was my first sighting of the year. Around Mill Lake I noticed a teneral damselfly fluttering towards some brambles before settling. Closer investigation revealed that it was a Common Blue my first of the year and I was pleased to get some pics. More Common Blue  Damselflies were then seen in the general area, I saw at least eight but I suspect many more than this emerged this morning. Either the original Bittern or another had started booming again when I began my walk back along Mill Lane on my way to the bus stop in the village centre.

Speckled Wood and Common Blue Damselflies

Gambling Man

 I was having quite a productive morning doing a few bits and bobs in preparation for my upcoming holiday to Lesvos. Once I'd got my clothes ready for packing and had popped down to the Post Office and bought some euros I decided that it was time to do a bit of nature watching. It was now that my good morning hit a Stagecoach shaped buffer which stopped me in my tracks. Regular users of the X4 "service" know the X stands for excrement, we've become resigned to the constant lateness, in fact there seems to be more chance of me seeing a Labrador Duck swimming up the Grand Union Canal than there is of Stagecoach running a punctual bus service! Today however lateness was not the problem it was more that the bus didn't show up at all. Rather than waste another hour optimistically waiting for the next bus I opted to walk down to Weldon instead - thank you Stagecoach!

Female Orange-tip fending off male and Dingy Skipper

Having lost on the Stagecoach lottery I now played a game of shower roulette as I wandered around Weldon under skies that either threatened rain or cleared enough to let the sun shine through. I began at the open area close to the A43 pond during one of the longer sunny spells. It was quite breezy but a few butterflies were braving the gusts and these included my first Dingy Skipper of the year. It was during my Covid exercise walks that I first found this species here in 2020 but had not looked for them since, Priors Hall tends to be my go to site for these butterflies. Other species joining the skipper on the wing included Orange-tip and Peacock. A teneral damselfly was also seen, it was almost certainly a Large Red but I couldn't confirm this. After a quick look at the pond I moved on towards the Woodland Park.

Shield bug  and Buzzard

My walk along the stream produced a sighting of a Large Red Damselfly while around the pond I heard both Reed Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat. Next I had a stroll around the pocket park next to the church, by now the sun had disappeared so my chances of seeing insects dwindled accordingly. A Raven provided some interest and was the last thing of note before I decided to return home. Having avoided a soaking I opted to chance the X4 once again and to my delight the bus actually arrived - late of course but still a distinct improvement on its previous performance.

Mandarin Melee

 After yesterday's rain it was nice to see plenty of sunshine this morning and that was enough to persuade me to venture out. Not for the first time in recent weeks I opted to visit Oundle and I boarded my bus round about mid morning. Once I'd reached the town I followed my usual route by visiting Barnwell CP before walking along the river.

Tufted Duck and Banded Demoiselle

Barnwell was predictably busy but despite the throng of people there was still some wildlife to enjoy. A Tufted Duck on North Lake was a site rarity, I'm trying to remember if I've seen one here before. My path then took me along the riverside nettle beds as I searched for early damselflies. I spotted a teneral Banded Demoiselle taking what might have been her first flight. She paused long enough for me to get some photos before continuing her journey, this was my earliest record and beats the previous one by a day. On my way to Kingfisher Hide I stopped to look at two pairs of Mandarins scrounging food from passers by. A flock of fifteen drakes and one duck then dropped in and began to tussle and squabble with each other. It looked to me very like an aquatic lek, the riot of colour probably resembled an explosion in a paint factory! This amazing spectacle lasted for several minutes before the flock departed again leaving the original two pairs to carry on in peace. Contrasting markedly with this technicolour dream was my first Garden Warbler of the year singing in willows next to the river.

Mandarins (with spectator)

By now the park was getting even busier and when I saw the relief car park being opened I knew it was time to bale out. My walk along the river was fairly quiet except for a noisy biplane flying low overhead and I didn't manage to see any more demoiselles. Butterflies that I did manage to see during my walk were Brimstone, Orange-tip, Green-veined White, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell. The Oundle floods are now much diminished and very few birds were present, two Oystercatchers and a Lapwing were the only waders and joined about fifteen Teal on the narrow strip of remaining water. When I reached the town again I had a brief stroll around the churchyard but didn't manage to find anything interesting before I caught my return bus home.

Great Lakes biplane, G-v White and female Brimstone

It's Raining Arctic Terns

 It's been a strange sort of day marked by the passing of Pope Francis. I'm not a religious man but he seemed to serve with humility and humanity, admirable traits that certain other leaders would do well to learn. Any lingering sadness that I may have felt was soon dispelled by Leeds United gaining promotion to the Premier League, as a long term sufferer or should that be fan it was great to witness a little success for a change. In between these momentous events I managed to squeeze a little birding in despite the typically wet bank holiday weather.

Arctic Tern

Early bird reports suggested that Arctic Terns were on the move and Alan Shorrock  and I braved the downpour to visit Eyebrook. We began our birding overlooking Sam's Dyke from where I saw my first House Martin of the year and also noted a Yellow Wagtail. A stop at the island bunker was marked by hearing my first Lesser Whitethroat of 2025 singing, two Common Terns were present in the general area too. From here we moved up to the sharp end where a drake Goosander was seen flying down the res. Five Arctic Terns were seen flying around the tern rafts while several Swifts were also observed. Shozzer's car then refused to start but a jump start from a fellow birder helped us to avert disaster. We had time to see a large flock of Arctics arrive off Stoke Dry before we left. The rain stopped soon after we left but by that time we were sitting in the Samuel Lloyd and the weather was no longer an issue.

Great Eggspectations

 Easter Sunday dawned grey and quite cold and I spent most of the morning tackling some tasks in the garden. As the morning progressed and the sun began to peek out more frequently I decided to swap my shears for bins and head to Weldon. Happily for my weary feet the X4 was running today and saved me from having to trek down there.

Large White and Small Copper

A Reed Warbler was singing at the pond in the Woodland Park but I couldn't find much else in the area. From here I walked to the A43 pond where a small selection of the commoner wildfowl were present. In an area adjacent to the pond I had a check for butterflies in those spots that were sheltered from the persistent breeze. My first Large White of the year was followed by a year first Small Copper and I also saw a Large Red Damselfly which moved on before I could get a pic. Nearby I had decent views of only my second Holly Blue this year, other butterflies included Small and Green-veined White, Orange-tip and Peacock.

Spring bee selection.

I took a walk to Willowbrook Industrial Estate but couldn't find much to look at other than a male Brimstone and a singing Sedge Warbler. Returning to Weldon  I had another quick look at the pond in the Woodland Park before I caught my bus home. My efforts were rewarded by the sighting of my first Grass Snake of the year which was swimming in the pond presumably looking for frogs. After taking a few shots I had to leave as I had a family meal booked and couldn't hang around for much longer.

Orange-tip, Holly Blue and Grass Snake

A Brief Look At Priors

 I didn't get out until late afternoon today  and only managed to squeeze out a couple of hours at Priors Hall. Cloudy skies gradually gave way to some sunshine though a breeze insured that it remained rather cool. Initially I'd hoped to catch up with some insects but the weather put paid to those ambitions and instead I concentrated at looking for birds.

Yellow-legged Gull

The Great Crested Grebes remain on the quarry lake where Sand Martins continue to thrive. A walk around the ponds produced a sighting of Sparrowhawk which had the local tits calling in alarm. There was a Reed Warbler singing at one of the ponds while a vocal Little Ringed Plover passed over. On my return walk past the quarry lake an adult Yellow-legged Gull was noted and that was it as far as interesting wildlife sightings went.

Happy Easter!

Nene Valley Travels

Today was  rather grey though on the plus side it stayed dry for the most part and there was also the occasional bright spot to enjoy too. Alan Shorrock and I decided to visit the New Workings near Whiston again on the hunt for migrants. I hoped the south easterly winds might drop a few goodies in but in truth I'm not sure that my plan worked as most of the birds on view were long stayers rather than new arrivals.

Yellow and White Wagtails

Several Grasshopper Warblers were heard reeling in the field closest to the road though they were hunkered down and we didn't manage to get a glimpse of them. Good numbers of Yellow Wagtails were spread around the area and were joined by at least five White Wagtails, another birder believed that there were over ten present. On a pit north of Whiston Lock Al picked out a pair of Garganey which though distant showed well through the scope. On the river a rather tame drake Red Crested Pochard appeared to be paired up with a female Mallard and we got good views of him. The long staying Pink-footed Goose was also seen in its usual spot between the pits and Cogenhoe though it was distant and also asleep for most of the time. Butterflies seen on our walk were Orange-tip, Green-veined White, Peacock and Red Admiral.

Garganeys, RCP and Pink-footed Goose.

After Whiston we popped in to Summer Leys and spent all of our time there in Paul Britten Hide. A Black-tailed Godwit was seen feeding on the scrape though there was not much else on view. Three adult Dunlins were picked out on Gull Island though they were flushed soon after discovery by a Sparrowhawk. Two of them were re-found again a few minutes later and we also saw a couple of Snipe. Three Yellow Wagtails were our final sighting of the day, we didn't manage to see the Glossy Ibis which had been reported earlier.

Black-tailed Godwit and Dunlin

Cuckoo

 Yesterday's wind had eased and today was a gloriously sunny spring day that tempted me to take a trip over to Oundle. My reasons were twofold, one was to look for early damselflies and the second was to check the floods out again. I braved the crowds at Barnwell CP today before having my usual walk along the river as far as the floods.

Sedge Warbler and Mandarin Duck

There were no damsels lurking in the growing nettlebeds at the park though I did see a nice Sedge Warbler and the park's Mandarins showed well. The nettles along the river were distinctly lacking in any damselfly action too but there were quite a few butterflies flitting around. Rather pleasingly there were perhaps as many as half a dozen Small Tortoiseshells and at least one Red Admiral joining many Peacocks. Other butterflies along this stretch of river were Small White and Orange-tip. Near Barnwell Lock I heard a male Cuckoo calling which was my first of the year. Very little to report from the ever shrinking floods today with just a few Teal and three Lapwings being present. Several Whitethroats were noted on my travels and it seems that this species is becoming established now.

Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshells

Walking through the town produced views of my first Holly Blue of the year, a female was flitting around a shrub in somebody's garden. In the churchyard the Peregrines were kicking up quite a racket and both birds contributed. At one point they departed and it was only the local Rooks that could be heard. I stayed long enough to see the male return to his lofty perch before I headed to the bus stop.

Holly Blue and Peregrine

Grey Day

 I joined Phil Rogers and Alan Shorrock for a walk around several county sites today in search of migrants. Reports of a Ring Ouzel, a Redstart and some Wheatears at Blueberry Farm near Maidwell were the catalyst for our journey though precise details of their location were lacking. It's quite a big area and our walk failed to produce any of the desired species, the occasional spot of rain coupled with the dip did little to lift our mood. As we prepared to leave a fly over Yellow Wagtail provided the only highlight.

Peregrine and Caspian Gull

Having decided that we hadn't suffered enough already we made the relatively short hop to Harrington Airfield. Sadly for us our fortunes did not improve by much and our woes continued. I managed to get a glimpse of a pair of Grey Partridges which were my first in the county for some time but the other chaps did not see them. I have very little luck with Harrington Airfield and things did not change today as we had a mostly unproductive wander around. Eventually we gave up and headed back to the car, a circling Peregrine did little to help polish what had been a Dame Thora Hird of an excursion. Our day did have a pleasant conclusion however when we popped into the Samuel Lloyd for a mood improving pint. No pics from today but I'll include a few shots from recent excursions,

That Trudge Was A Drudge

 A fortnight's worth of freedom dispelled the usual Monday misery and I used my newly gained liberty to visit a few local sites. I was hoping to catch up with a few migrants but that hope was barely realised so it was perhaps just as well that I enjoyed the exercise! Weatherwise there was some good early sunshine though a strong breeze kept the temperature down.

Peregrine and Dunnock

On my way through the village I watched a small drama unfold as a feisty male Blackbird tried to protect its newly fledged chick from a menacing Magpie. Sadly for the spirited father its chick was sitting in the busy road and was hit by a white van. The fledgling though still alive at this point was then struck by another van which appears to have delivered the coup de grace. Doubtless the Magpie had its meal eventually and I wonder how many passerines our ever growing population of these charismatic corvids predate each spring? From the scene of this small tragedy I moved on to check out my local Peregrines. It's no secret that I've been seeing other Peregrines recently and I felt a little guilty about neglecting this pair. My falcon infidelity went unpunished on this occasion however as I saw the female perched in the usual spot while the male did a brief flypast.

Female and male Orange-tips

Brookfield Plantation was my next port of call though it was a little quiet, Fallow Deer and Muntjacs crossed my path on several occasions but there were no birds of note. On the way to Gretton I saw the first of three Whitethroats, they seem to be quite early this year. Closer to the village I got to play the alliteration game when I heard a Grasshopper Warbler reeling in the rough corner of a field. Unfortunately this was my only migrant of note as the hoped for Wheatears and Ring Ouzels did not appear, perhaps I should have gone to Harrington Airfield instead. I continued my walk along the Jurassic Way as far as Harringworth Lodge Lake but did not add anything else of interest to my list.

Green-veined and Small White

While birds disappointed today butterflies fared a bit better with whites in particular showing well. Three species were noted, Small and Green-veined Whites and Orange-tip though it's not always easy to separate them as they fly past. Other species seen were Peacock and Speckled Wood, the latter being fairly common in Brookfield Plantation on my return slog. I had another peek at the Peregrines before a trip to ASDA insured that Monday still had a lit bit of misery to dole out.

Skylark