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