Terned Out Nice In The End

 I was checking my phone at lunch today when I noticed that a Caspian Tern had put in an appearance at Eyebrook this morning. Cue plenty of swearing as I texted several people trying to establish whether it was still about. Frustratingly my break finished before any replies came through and I had to go back to work. By the time that my shift was over I practically ran to check my messages and learned that the tern had disappeared and then returned on several occasions. Although Alan Shorrock had been lucky enough to catch up with this rare visitor he was good enough to offer me a lift - needless to say that I gratefully accepted!

!st summer Caspian Tern

We were joined by Mick Ketley for the first time in what seems like years, Mr K was an Eyebrook regular for many years but had yet to see a Caspian Tern there. As we travelled towards the res positive news came in on the WhatsApp  and I became optimistic for the first time today. We arrived at the inflow to find the tern resting on the mud at the sharp end. Many dodgy record shots followed before the bird took off and headed northwards. For a while at least it looked as if the tern had departed but to the delight of any latecomers it returned. It remained until we left and hopefully will roost giving other people an opportunity to see it tomorrow. Although most eyes were firmly fixed on the tern we did see a few other birds of which the long staying Wood Sandpiper was probably the best. Boots filled and delighted with the results we headed back towards Corby where a rare mid week pint was raised in celebration at the 'spoons.

More views

Crossbill Dodging

 I only managed to squeeze a couple of hours in today, chores, lunch and a certain football game made prior demands on my time. Thankfully it was a dryer day than yesterday and the sun put in several appearances too which made for a much pleasanter experience. With time being such a precious commodity I opted to go no further than Brookfield where I hoped to see some Crossbills. Brookfield has plenty of larches and a lot of ponds so it should be ideal for them, unfortunately no one has told the birds themselves and my visit was marked by a distinct lack of any Crossbill activity whatsoever.

Peregrine, Speckled Woods, S-w Fritillary and G-v White

Both Peregrines were present at their usual spot though there is still no sign of any young. In the plantation a Raven was noted, the best of the rest was a Marsh Tit. During the sunny spells butterflies became active with browns still being the commonest species. Ringlets, Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers are beginning to look a bit worn but many of the Speckled Woods were quite fresh. Green-veined and Large Whites were also present in reasonable numbers and Common Blues were another species doing well. Perhaps the showiest species was Silver-washed Fritillary, two were seen, though a Peacock was certainly the most colourful. My favourite was a very fresh Brown Argus which posed nicely for pics. There were not many odes on view with several Migrant Hawkers and a Ruddy Darter making up the list. Pick of the other wildlife was a Common Lizard which was basking on some stones near the entrance. 

Common Blue, Brown Argus, Migrant Hawker and Ruddy Darter

Tringa Trio*

 Alan Shorrock and I spent a damp morning visiting Eyebrook hoping to catch up with a few interesting birds. The forecast had suggested that it was going to be a cloudy but dry sort of day though the truth was somewhat wetter of the mark. Despite the drizzle and sometimes heavier rain we did manage to find some interesting stuff though.

Common Sandpiper

We began at San's Dyke from where a total of seven Common Sandpipers were seen between there and the dam. A fairly short walk took us to the island where an adult Yellow-legged Gull was the highlight. The rest of our time was spent at the inflow where a variety of waders were on view. Last Sunday's Wood Sandpiper was still present and it was accompanied on and off by three Green Sandpipers. Two Dunlin and an Oystercatcher were also noted as well as at least five Little Ringed Plovers before a heavier burst of rain sent us scurrying for the car.

Wood Sandpiper

Once the rain had eased we headed towards the Rutland bank of the res and picked out four adult Black-tailed Godwits feeding close to the Leics shore. A juvenile Mediterranean Gull paid the briefest of visits before moving on while a Redshank dropped in to feed amongst the Lapwings. Last sighting of note before we conceded defeat to the rain was of an Osprey heading up the reservoir, a pint in the 'spoons was a fitting reward for our efforts.

* There were four species but it didn't sound so good.

Med Gull

Thunderstruck

 A wet morning and an afternoon meal in the 'spoons with my family meant that I didn't get out until the early evening. I thought that the weather might drop something interesting into Eyebrook and blagged a lift over hoping to see something good. My arrival coincided that of a squally and thundery shower though mercifully I was on the edge of it and got wet rather than soaked. Once the rain had moved on there were some longish periods of sunshine and I dried out in no time at all.

Wood Sandpiper and Black-tailed Godwits

I began at the inflow where several waders had been reported earlier. A Wood Sandpiper was the pick of the bunch and showed well from the viewing bunker. Four Redshanks were in the same area while two Black-tailed Godwits were feeding in deeper water closer to the tern rafts. There was a quartet of Little Ringed Plovers showing as well while a single Crossbill passed over as I watched the waders. From the island viewing area I saw a male Ruff and another Redshank, a sleeping adult Yellow-legged Gull was also present. My last stop before my lift arrived was at Sam's Dyke where a Yellow Wagtail was noted. Today's record shots are grainier than a windmill's to do list but hopefully give a flavour of my visit.

Redshank, Ruff and Y-l Gull

More Wood Whites

 It's my last day off before I go back to work and I decided to spend what was a hot and sunny morning in Harry's Park Wood. It was a bit quieter than it is on the weekend but there were still a few dog walkers and joggers sharing the place with me. Plenty of butterflies were active particularly before it got hot towards noon.

White Admiral, Brown Argus and Common Blue

Along Bears Lane Gatekeepers were common with just a few Small and one Large White to keep them company. A Yellow Wagtail called as it passed overhead while Weldon's sparrow population appeared to be on their hols feeding on cereal crops next to the lane. Once I'd got into the wood there was a notable increase in the number of species on view. There was a male Holly Blue near the gate where Ringlets and Speckled Woods also showed. Several hundred yards further along was a tatty looking White Admiral on the path, it flew up into neighbouring trees and was lost to view. My first of three Wood Whites then followed and all of them showed from the main ride, I think that one was a female and the other two were male. Brown Arguses also began to appear and there was a single male Common Blue too. Having reached the other side of the wood at the Old Dry Bushes end I stopped to admire a female Silver-washed Fritillary nectaring on bramble, she appeared to be in much better condition than Sundays individual was. On my return through the wood I had a few brief views of a Purple Hairstreak. Odes were represented by Migrant and Brown Hawkers and Emperors though as the day got hotter many sought shelter in the trees. Best birds were Raven and Marsh Tit, sadly there were no Crossbills today

Wood Whites and S-w Frit

A Ruddy Darter was the highlight as I walked along Bears Lane on my way to Weldon. After a pit stop at the George I went along to the pond in the Woodland Park. Plenty of Small Red-eyed were active at the pond with a lot of ovipositing going on. Red-eyed Damselflies, Common Blues and Blue-taileds were also noted while dragons were few and far between, just singles of Emperor and Brown Hawker. A walk along the stream produced sightings of Banded Demoiselles though it was a male Beautiful that stole the show. It only showed briefly and my one photograph was dire but it was still my first at this site. I spent some time trying to relocate it before I decided that it was too hot and went to catch my bus.

Ruddy Darter, Emperor, Small Red-eyeds and Beautiful Demoiselle (sorry!)

Welcome Guest

Today the wildlife came to visit me instead of the other way round, a damp morning and lunch with my wife stopped me from venturing out into the wild. During the afternoon some sunny spells brought the butterflies into my garden, after the dreadful year of 2024 this one has been much better with many species seemingly bouncing back. My garden Buddleia has so far had visits from Hummingbird Hawkmoths and the more usual Peacocks and Red Admirals as well as whites and Gatekeepers. Today a very fresh Small Tortoiseshell popped in for a drink and had me running back into the house for my camera. Until recently these very attractive butterflies were one of the commonest species but they've suffered a very notable recent decline and are now becoming scarce. I took plenty of pictures of my colourful visitor and hope for for many more sightings.

Wakerley Wander

 A changeable sort of day which saw Alan and I paying a visit to Wakerley Wood where a search for Crossbills was the main mission. I'm off for a couple of days before I return to work on Saturday and wanted to spend at least a couple of days looking at wildlife. Overall the day just about delivered what we wanted from it though it was far from plain sailing.

Male and female Silver-washed Fritllaries

Several other birders were already on site by the time that we arrived though the rewards for their efforts were scant, one had heard a Crossbill but that was it as far as results were concerned. Anyone hoping to see Larch branches bowing under the sheer weight of these chunky finches was destined for disappointment and it required several hours and a lot of effort before we managed to connect with one. A definite high point of our woodland walk was that it stayed dry and there were even a few sunny spells which brought some butterflies out.

White Admiral and Meadow Brown

Hemp Agrimony flowers proved irresistible to Silver-washed Fritillaries and we saw over ten on our travels with many looking to be in good condition. Slightly less pristine were two White Admirals which looked in better nick than the one that I saw last Sunday but were still showing signs of having had a good life. Shozzer found my year first Purple Hairstreak though it did not pose for photographs and instead flitted around the upper branches of an Oak. Both browns and whites were well represented and so too were Large Skippers with singles of Red Admiral and at least two Commas also on view. Odes were in short supply and my only sighting that I could put a name to was an Emperor. It was whilst walking back towards the car park that we heard and then saw a Crossbill which flew across the main ride before appearing to settle in a nearby Larch. Although we didn't manage to pick it out again we did hear it several more times before it moved on. Once Alan had polished off his lunch we emulated the Crossbill and moved on ourselves.

Willow Emeralds

Our next and final wildlife stop was in the Deene and Deenethorpe area where a look for White-legged Damselflies did not produce any sightings. In Deene churchyard some white Buddleia flowers had attracted several butterflies of which a Small Tortoiseshell was the highlight. Between here and the dam we managed to find at least four Willow Emeralds of which two looked freshly emerged and better yet they posed long enough for pics. Birds on the lake included four Black Swans and two Egyptian Geese but there was little else other than Grey Wagtail and Kingfisher to report. Our return past the church yielded sightings of at least two Migrant Hawkers and these provided the last highlight of day.

Migrant Hawker and RAF training trio.

Crossbill

 This Summer has seen an arrival of Crossbills into the county with an increasing number of sites garnering records. Such irruptions happen periodically whenever their numbers exceed the available supply of food and birds are forced to move into new areas in search of sustenance. It took a while but I finally managed to catch up with this latest bird trend when I heard a calling bird pass overhead while butterflying in Harry's Park Wood. One of their favoured sites in the county at Wakerley has already attracted a flock and I think that a future visit there is more than likely.

Brown quartet.

Away from the Crossbill invasion it was evident that the butterfly situation is changing with fewer species on view. I did not connect with any Purple Emperors but their season may well be coming to an end. My main target today had been Purple Hairstreak but again I failed to find any, perhaps purple is just not my lucky colour! Brown on the other hand seems to be very much in vogue and both Gatekeepers and Ringlets were abundant, the latter are now looking tatty and ragged  but the 'keepers still look fine. Still common but not reaching the heights of their cousins were Meadow Browns and some very fresh looking Speckled Woods. White is another colour that is very much a la mode with Green-veined in particular putting on a good show, Large Whites continue to do well while Small Whites were few and far between.  Best butt of the day was a Wood White, this year has been far and away my best at this site and I really believe that they've colonised Harry's Park and look forward to seeing many more in future years.

Comma, Red Admiral and Peacock

While some species prosper it seems that others are on the way out, my only White Admiral was an incredibly tired looking individual nectaring on bramble. Likewise my only confirmed Silver-washed Fritillary was a very tatty looking female which moved on before I could grab a picture. Commas and Red Admirals remain common though Peacocks are currently outnumbering both, each bramble patch had at least one but some harboured half a dozen or more. Another species coming towards the end of their season is Large Skipper, I saw loads today but they're definitely starting to show signs of wear and tear.

Most of a White Admiral, Wood and Large White

Not too many odes were noted but amongst the few that I did encounter was a year first Migrant Hawker. It flew around briefly before hanging up at the Old Dry Bushes end of the complex, I don't think that I've ever seen Migrant Hawker before Common Darter in previous years but this has been a strange one. The only other species putting in an appearance was Emperor with at least four flitting along the rides. I may well have stayed later but my wife wanted to visit the Highland Gathering in Corby and I'm not brave enough to deny her. Although I was never a big fan of bagpipes despite having a Scottish heritage it seems that several pints of beer can make anything sound good!

Migrant Hawker