Early Autumn Wander

 I was helping an old school friend out yesterday and so couldn't get out to do any nature spotting but today was a different matter. With the weather looking fair I decided to stay local and have a stroll around some nearby sites. My day began with a bus trip as far as Upper Benefield from where I walked home via Deene, Deenethorpe and Weldon.

Golden Plover and Buzzard

On the minor road between Benefield and Deenethorpe there was a large number of mostly adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls resting in the fields. Apart from the lounging larids there were a small number of Golden Plovers moving through, I heard calling birds twice and also saw a small flock of six land in one of the fields. Other likely migrants were Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and Chaffinches, the northerly breeze probably helping them on their way. As the day started to warm insects began to appear with Red Admirals in particular showing well.

Red Admiral and Comma

Around Deene more butterflies were on the wing as Commas joined the admirals nectaring on Ivy blossoms. Green-veined Whites, a Small Copper and a Speckled Wood were seen on my way to the churchyard where I also found a Peacock basking on the church walls. Common Darters were active too in the sunshine while closer to the lake there was a Willow Emerald. Best birds at the main lake was a Great White Egret as well as a Grey Wagtail at the weir, a Green Sandpiper was at the inflow. 

Peacock and Willow Emerald

Deenethorpe Airfield played host to a large number of Red Kites attracted to some newly tilled fields A Siskin and a Marsh Tit were also seen closer to Weldon Park Wood but there were no other interesting birds to report. More butterflies were active by now and I added Common Blue, Small Heath and Small White to my list as well as seeing more Speckled Woods. In the end I saw nine species of butterflies which is not a bad total at all for this late in the season. I arrived back in Weldon a little before my return bus was due and was able to squeeze a pint in the George in before the X4 arrived.

Green Sandpiper and Common Blue