Barnwell Bits And Bobs

 I've got a couple of days off this week as it's my 30th wedding anniversary tomorrow and my wife and I will be drowning our sorrows - only joking we're having a meal! Yesterday I had an enjoyable stroll around the museum at RAF Cosford but today I decided to do a bit of nature spotting. As the latest Northants Bird Report is now out I decided to pop over to Oundle and buy my copy from the bookshop there (they still have a couple left if you're in the market for one). Before that I took a stroll around Barnwell CP where the sunny intervals were long enough to tempt some insects out though not sadly the Downy Emeralds that I was hoping for.

Scarce and Four-spotted Chasers, Red-eyed and Variable Damselflies

Scarce Chasers were anything but and were indeed the commonest dragonfly around the park. Almost matching them in numbers were Four-spotted Chasers and several tenerals were noted taking their first flights. A male Emperor was patrolling the middle of Mill Lake, the Hairy Dragonflies that I saw preferred the edges of the lakes. Pick of the damselflies on view today were a couple of male Variables that I saw from Kingfisher Hide. Banded Demoiselles and Red-eyed Damselflies were the commonest species, smaller numbers of Blue-tailed, Azures, Common Blue and Large Red were also seen.

Moorhen, Mandarin and cricket team.

Barnwell is now one of the most reliable county sites for Mandarin Ducks and I encountered several on my walk around including a duck with one young duckling. Sadly it's yucky ducky time once again and the moulting drake Mallards in particular are looking pretty scruffy, the Mandarins are still looking OK for the time being at least. Other birds included Cuckoo and Cetti's Warbler while a Little Egret was the first that I've seen in the park itself. Butterflies were scarce and I only saw three individuals of three different species and these were Brimstone, Green-veined White and Peacock. In other news there seems to have been quite a hatch of Dark Bush Crickets with many nymphs hiding amongst the nettles.

Banded Demoiselle, ovipositing Scarce Chaser and Peacock

Once I'd completed my walk around Barnwell I headed towards the Nene for a quick look at the river. Plenty of Scarce Chasers were seen and these included an ovipositing female, I've only seen this once before and that was on the same stretch of river. Red-eyed Damselflies and Banded Demoiselles were once again the commonest damsels, the only butterfly was a Red Admiral. A Kingfisher flashed past while there were quite a lot of Sand Martins close to the bridge that passes under the Barnwell road. I finished my day in the churchyard where I failed to see any Peregrines but did catch up with a tatty looking Small White.

And you thought having a fly in the room was annoying! One from yesterday.