Wake Up Dobbin!

 During my last few excursions out I've felt that if the horse that I've been flogging isn't actually dead then it has certainly been in the deepest of slumbers. Today that snoozing nag at least stirred in its sleep even if it didn't exactly start galloping around! It was a much colder day than we've had recently though I at least managed to avoid most of the snow that other areas saw. My walk today trod the familiar path to Deene and back taking in Weldon and Deenethorpe on the way out and Willowbrook Industrial Estate on the return leg.

Deenethorpe Airfield

The early part of my walk was uneventful to say the least, a Siskin was heard at the logistical park where Stanion Lane Plantation used to be and a Cormorant was noted over Weldon. Deenethorpe Airfield had wind that was almost Hebridean in strength with the added disadvantage of being rather icy. Wind whipped clouds delivered a few very light flurries of snow which continued on and off for most of my walk. Only the hardiest of birds showed and these included Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Linnets and a solitary Lapwing.

Shelducks.

Nearby at Deene Lake inflow water levels were very high and wildfowl numbers seemed low. Shelduck numbers remained constant at nine but every other wild species were greatly reduced. An exception to this was the Black Swan that once again has a friend to keep it company. This didn't appear to put it into a good mood however as the cob spent some time aggressively driving Mute Swans away. An unlikely sign of spring given the weather was a Lesser Celandine on the verge next to the A43. A visit to the farm ponds did not add anything to the list and the walk down Kirby Lane was also a little on the dull side.

Black Swans and Lesser Celandine

Willowbrook's Fallow Deer herd had increased to twenty three and still included the three leucistic specimens, all were grazing out in the open once again near the old speedway grandstand. Best moment of the day came soon after when a scan of the cleared area near Morrison's chilled warehouse revealed a Ringed Plover. Initially its muddy bill looked blackish making me think that I'd found an exceptionally early Little but sustained observation revealed that it was a still unseasonal Ringed. Not much else to report afterwards other than a Grey Wagtail near Tescos.

Fallow Deer herd and Ringed Plover record shot.

Essential Viewing?

 Reports of a White-tailed Eagle in the county certainly had me wondering whether to scrounge a lift from someone in my household and go and have a peek. Taking a little time to consider if this counted as essential travel or not persuaded me that it was not and instead I stayed closer to home. Happily it was a released bird from the Isle of Wight reintroduction scheme and not a truly wild one so my decision was perhaps a little easier than it might have been!

Fallow Deer

Instead of eagle watching I opted instead to take one of my regular lockdown walks to Deene Lake. While the day started off rather grey and murky it did perk up a little later when the sun came out. While passing through Willowbrook Industrial Estate my attention was drawn to a herd of Fallow Deer grazing near the old Rockingham Speedway. What drew my eye were the two white individuals and an attractive ginger looking one feeding with the more usual coloured ones. I became a deer dude for a while as I enjoyed watching the herd moving slowly towards cover. Not too many birds were about to distract me with just a Grey Wagtail and a Redpoll to compete with the deer.

Black Swan and Egyptian Geese

A Raven over Kirby Lane was the next highlight in a day when highlights were at a premium. Deene Lake held no surprises and neither the Kingfisher or Stonechat were on duty today. A pair of Egyptian Geese and a Black Swan were as wild if not as interesting as that eagle while Shelduck numbers remained stable at nine. Very little else of note during the rest of my walk except for a Brown Hare at an otherwise quiet Deenethorpe Airfield.

Grey Heron

Into The Valley

 With the rain and snow having featured quite a bit during the last week I decided to have another look along at least part of the Welland Valley. I'd hoped that there might be more flooding to investigate and I was not disappointed. My walk took me from Cottingham along towards Gretton before leaving the valley and heading up through Brookfield Plantation  and then home. 

Birdlife on the floods.

A fine sunrise marked the beginning of the day as I made my way through the deserted streets of Corby. It seemed pleasantly noisy with more and more Dunnocks adding their voices to those of the Robins and Song Thrushes. Passing the boating lake gave me a chance to check for the drake Pochard which sadly appears to have gone. Very little of interest followed until I found myself overlooking the floods near Cottingham. Not much here either in all honesty aside from a couple of Little Egrets and a small flock of about twenty five Lapwings. The floods below Rockingham held a pair of Shelducks though they were on the wrong side of the county border though a passing group of about fifteen more Lapwings were on the right side. Over flying the small sewage treatment works was a croaking Raven making its way to the woods near Rockingham village. There was a large area of flooding again in the place where I saw last month's Bewick's Swans and I stopped to give the area a good scoping. Although there was a double figure count of swans they all turned out to be Mutes. Looking through the huge number of Lapwings, at least five hundred in total, produced a couple of Dunlins but no other waders and I left the floods behind and began to walk up the hill.

Thrush selection and Starlings

There was a flock of Siskins in alders next to the flooded quarry near to Brookfield Plantation but the plantation itself was very quiet with just the two commoner species of woodpecker to report. On my previous visit I drew a blank on the Peregrine at its usual spot but made up for that dip today by seeing a pair. Last thing of interest on the list was a Grey Wagtail at the stream in the Old Village.

Peregrine pair.

Another Wintery Walk

 Quite a bit greyer than yesterday and still pretty cold. I put my wellies on once again and set out for a wander down to Weldon. With snowy conditions and the additional hazard of ice I felt my feet slide more than once but luckily managed to keep my footing if not always my dignity. My aim was to see if any interesting species were finding shelter in more built up areas - the answer was not many!

Mute Swans and Gadwalls.

At the A43 pond most of the water was frozen though the remaining small open area proved attractive to the pair of Mute Swans and their Gadwall groupies, I counted eight in total. The pond at the Woodland Park was frozen solid though the surrounding bushes held plenty of the commoner passerines. Both Fieldfares and Redwings were seen in reasonable numbers though they remained flighty and unapproachable. Of the various finches noted Siskin was perhaps the most interesting though Bullfinch won the aesthetic battle. The stream supported quite a good sized squadron of Mallards and a Grey Heron but nothing else.

Kestrel and Buzzard.

On my way home I had a look at the sewage works where a large flock of Black-headed Gulls were feeding around the settling beds and a Grey Wagtail was also seen. At the scrubby area close by a Green Sandpiper was flushed from the stream and another Siskin was seen. By now light drizzle was beginning to fall so I took the easy decision to give it up for the day and head home.

Pied Wagtail and Long-tailed Tit.

Snowy Stroll

 A lovely day for a walk and particularly so as I was doing it by choice and not because I had to. Yesterday's snow looked beautiful in the sunshine though it will mean a struggle to survive for much of the local wildlife. Still it looks as if there's going to be rain soon so hopefully things can hold on until the thaw. I chose to walk through Brookfield Plantation and then on to the ridge that overlooks the Welland Valley, the scenery was stunning though there was not a lot of wildlife to enjoy.

Great Tit and Buzzard.

In the plantation there was plenty of evidence of life with various mammal tracks criss crossing the rides but very little actually on view. Other than a few tits and a Jay or two bird life was minimal, many species will have moved into gardens and the neighbouring industrial estate. Beyond the wood very little was on the move other than a few Skylarks and Meadow Pipits and the odd kite or buzzard. Looking out over the valley I noted a few Lapwings but little else though the glorious views made up for the absence of birds. Walking back I noted a couple of Muntjac but that was that as far as wildlife went, even the normally reliable Peregrine had abandoned its favourite spot.

Welland Valley views.

Fire and Ice

 A fiery sky this morning ignited faint hopes of a forecast defying good morning but that brief promise turned out to be more of a feint as the gathering clouds soon extinguished that rather fanciful notion. Heavy snow arrived by mid morning blanketing much the countryside to the delight of the local kids, local drivers on the other hand were probably not quite so enthusiastic! I set out early with a view to beating the snow, my plan was partially successful though my return walk was against a backdrop of the white stuff.

A day of contrasts

Deene was my intended location and I hoped to catch some weather driven movement amongst the local bird population. Unfortunately my stroll through the frosty countryside was rather unproductive. The flat and open fields at Deenethorpe airfield share something in common with the Nene Washes in that they're both a cold and wind magnet but there the similarity ends as nothing like the number of birds are found at the airfield as are found on the washes. Today there were just a few hardy Meadow Pipits and Skylarks braving the conditions and my search for Stonechats drew a blank.

Shelducks and Stonechat.

The inflow at Deene was quiet apart from the usual Teals and a couple of Redpolls while the main lake held few surprises with the Shelduck total seemingly stuck on nine for the moment. Near the dam the regular Kingfisher was feeding along his favourite channel though once again he beat a hasty retreat once he'd seen me. Other birds seen in the general area were a Grey Wagtail and the female Stonechat in much the same area as I saw her last time. By the time I'd got to the church the first few small flakes of snow had begun to fall which was the cue for me to put my camera away. As I made my way home i saw few birds and heard even less, just a few winter thrushes on the move. With the snow becoming heavier I abandoned my birding aspirations and headed for home.

Starlings.

Stonechats

 A reasonably bright start that eventually gave way to a rather grey and cold day. Having missed my usual Sunday appointment at Deene I decided that it was better to be late than never and so headed off in that direction.

Stonechats (male top)

It was very quiet to begin with and I saw nothing of note at either Willowbrook Industrial Estate or along the first stretch of Kirby Lane. As I got nearer to Deene a check of a likely looking fence line produced the hoped for Stonechat, a male that showed well if a little distantly. The farm ponds held a small selection of ducks and the usual Mute Swans and Dabchicks but not much of interest. Things perked up a little at the lake where a female Stonechat was feeding between the dam and the road. Also seen was a Kingfisher which again flew off as soon as I appeared and landed some distance away. No change amongst the wildfowl with everything including the Shelducks pretty much as it was on my last visit. Once again a single Snipe was found at the inflow but that was it as far as interesting stuff went.

Distant Kingfisher and closer Little Egret

Deenethorpe airfield was rather dull with just a few Skylarks and Meadow Pipits on site as well as the usual Red Kites. After crossing the A427 I began a muddy slog across the fields noting a flock of twenty four Golden Plovers as I trudged. Very little else to report though it was good to see three Kestrels within a short space of time and also a Sparrowhawk whose presence caused no small amount of alarm amongst the nearby passerines.

Cormorant and Buzzard