Barnwell Visit

 Way back in the good old days when I used to have Mondays off my travels would often take me to Barnwell CP and this morning I decided to revive that tradition. Seemingly equally keen to maintain their own traditions too the X4 arrived fashionably late but despite Stagecoach's best or rather worst efforts I did eventually arrive in Oundle. It was a grey and fairly cool day but also mercifully dry which was certainly an improvement on yesterday's conditions.

Egyptian Goose and Moorhen

There were good numbers of Siskins around the park and I heard and saw several Redpolls as well. Nowadays it seems as if I can't go anywhere without bumping into Egyptian Geese and today was no exception as a pair were seen at several points as they moved around. At Lowlands Hide at least two Water Rails were calling and I decided to hang around in case any emerged from cover. One bird proved to be fairly obliging, it swam several times across the pond giving some good if brief views. A little later on and I watched it feeding on the water's edge giving me my most prolonged views of this usually furtive species. Eventually it moved into cover and I decided to move on myself, I didn't find much else of note before I left the park to take a stroll along the river.

Water Rail

My riverside walk did not provide much to look at, presumably the same unfortunate Great White Egret was flushed on several occasions and was probably the pick of the bunch. A flock of geese were checked but turned out to be Canadas and Greylags. The flooded area near the A605 hosted the usual Wigeons, Shovellers and Teal and there was a mixed flock of Common and Black-headed Gulls. Once I got back into town I had a quick look for the Peregrines before catching my bus but it looks as if both birds were off hunting. Tomorrow's weather is looking pretty dire so it might be Wednesday before I venture out again.

Robin and Great White Egret