Cetti's Double

 A lovely morning with plenty of autumnal sunshine saw me scrounge a lift over to Deene from my stepson. From there I took the familiar route home via Deenethorpe, Deenethorpe Airfield and Weldon. While it's true that I didn't see a great deal of interest I still enjoyed my ramble though I'm still struggling to believe that it's October already!

Red Admiral and Black Swan cygnet.

A Cetti's Warbler was singing at the brook as I made my way towards the lake itself, this species appears to be establishing itself in the area. In the churchyard birds included Nuthatch while the most interesting insect was a Red Admiral nectaring on Ivy flowers. On the lake I saw the seemingly single Black Swan parent with its two cygnets and also another pair of adults. Brief views were had of a Kingfisher as it perched along one of the streams near the outflow but it didn't hang around and shot off for pastures new before I could get a picture. Another Cetti's was at the inflow where several Siskins were also heard. Most interesting insect here was a female Migrant Hawker that hung up in front of me, her tattered wings suggested that she had already led a full life.

Migrant Hawker and Stonechat

At Deenethorpe village another Red Admiral was noted but I couldn't find any odes along the Willowbrook. The nearby airfield hosted a female Stonechat and plenty of Meadow Pipits but they were the pick of the birds. Insects included at least three Speckled Woods, a Small Heath and a Small Copper while there were several Common Darters too. My stroll along the A427 towards Weldon did not produce much of note and it wasn't long before I caught my bus home.

Speckled Wood and Common Darter.

Harriers

 I've been somewhat under the weather recently and had to take a couple of days off work to recover from a severe cold. This morning I felt better and so opted to have another look at the Nene Valley. I left my home with the breaking dawn, a thin band of pale pink lit the eastern horizon as I made my way to a rendezvous with my less than trusty friend the X4. My walk towards the town centre was quiet except for the sound of serenading Robins and the occasional hum of a passing car. Bucking the recent trend my bus was on time and I was soon making slow progress through the Northamptonshire countryside.

Egyptian Geese and Stonechat

A mere hour and twenty five minutes later I found myself at Earls Barton and wasted no time in making my way towards the Nene. A distant Fox was seen from Mill Lane while the first of many Cetti's Warblers was heard at the sluice near the mill itself. Hardwater Lake hosted a Great White Egret but it was the unusual sight of a totally white Egyptian Goose that stole the show. It fed with five of its more conventionally coloured cousins on the grassy shore next to the lake.

Marsh Harriers

The reserve was fairly quiet, wildfowl numbers seemed low while waders were all but absent. From Pioneer Hide two cream crowned Marsh Harriers were noted and these included a yellow-tagged individual with the letters JD. This bird was apparently ringed as a nestling this year along with her two sisters  and brother at Thorpe Haddiscoe in Norfolk. A male Stonechat was seen from Paul Britten hide while a Snipe was seen from the screen.  Having finished at the Leys I then set off towards Wellingborough though my walk did not produce too much of mote, a Raven being the best bird. My stroll ended at the Coach and Horses where a couple of pints went down very well indeed.

Grey Heron