Wicksteed Delivers Damsel Delights

 After a welcome if not necessarily healthy breakfast in the Samuel Lloyd pub in Corby Alan Shorrock and I ventured out to Wicksteed Park in Kettering. Our main focus were the Variable Damselflies which have colonised this site and which have already been reported from here this year. Although there was a brisk and rather cool westerly breeze blowing and despite the fact that it wasn't as sunny as the forecast had suggested we enjoyed plenty of success.

Variable, Red-eyed and Common Blue Damselfies.

Nettles between the main and fishing lake were sheltering plenty of damselflies including lots of tenerals. Variable Damselfies were probably the commonest species though most of the newly emerged individuals appeared to be Red-eyeds. Other species sharing the nettle patches included Common Blue, Azure and Blue-taileds. It was good to see so many Variables at what is their best site in the county and we saw a variety of ages as well as both male and females. The fishing lake itself was rather exposed to the breeze and not quite so productive though I did find some Banded Demoiselles between the lake and the River Ise and we also saw a couple of Hairy Dragonflies.

Green-veined White and Small Tortoiseshell.

There was not a huge variety of butterflies on the wing though it was good to see Holly Blues at yet another site. Other species noted included Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone, Orange-tip and Green-veined White. Birdwise it was quiet though I caught up with my first Swifts of the year and also heard a Cetti's Warbler.

New lives.

Garden First

 I'm on afternoon shift this week and so had some time to catch up on a little gardening. Normally I wouldn't bore you with such details but while getting to grips with the weeds I heard a sylvia warbler singing from a hawthorn bush in a garden next to mine. The song was unfamiliar to me, a subdued collection of notes which were more of a subsong than a full blown performance. Having popped into the house to get my camera I was eventually able to get a few pics which revealed that the mystery songster was in fact a Whitethroat. A rather unexpected addition to my urban garden list but a welcome one nonetheless. I wonder if its subdued performance was down to it being a little misplaced or the fact that it was feeding in a bush containing a very active Magpie's nest? This particular bush has attracted the odd passage warbler in the past which have included Lesser Whitethroat and Blackcap, perhaps a Garden Warbler might be next to pop up ? Now that would be appropriate!

Whitethroat

Damsels And Dragons

 A beautiful sunny day which saw Alan Shorrock and I taking a walk around Summer Leys. For the first time this year we were treated to a good selection of odes with damsels in particular being present in good numbers. In truth this was probably just as well for us because the reserve was distinctly lacking in interesting birds!

Azure and Common Blue Damselflies.

A Garden Warbler was singing from the scrub near the carpark and was one of several noted today. Also heard in the same area was a Cuckoo which then moved over towards Mary's Lake. Nothing else was noted on either the main lake or on the scrape and we struggled to maintain much interest. Several Azure Damselflies near the Marigold Pond were helped to stave off total boredom and as I mentioned earlier it was odes that saved the day from being a snoozefest.

Hairy Dragonfly, Blue-tailed and Red-eyed Damselflies

We moved the car round to Mary's Lane where my first Northants Common Blue of the year showed. It turned out to be the forerunner of many more and there seemed to have been a mass emergence from Mary's Lake in particular. The area near the lake was very productive with two year firsts in the shape of some Red-eyed and three Blue-tailed Damselflies being noted. I had a brief glimpse of a county year first Hairy Dragonfly and Shozzer found a perched female a little later on. Perhaps drawn to the area by the emerging damsels were two Hobbies which appeared to be catching insects high above us. Also present in this area was at least one Cetti's Warbler. Some final damsel interest in the form of several Banded Demoiselles moved our damsel list up to five.

Banded Demoiselle, peacock and Brimstone

Our next stop was at the Toad Pond on the reserve where further sightings of pretty much the same selection of odes were had. The only addition to the day list was a trio of Large Red Damsels which made for a total of six damsels and one dragon. More Hobby sightings helped to entertain us, at one point I think there were four birds hunting. We left soon after but had not quite finished as a Holly Blue was noted in the pub garden at Great Doddington while we enjoyed a cooling pint or two. Other butterflies seen today were Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

Hobby and Hurricane

White Stork

 An often grey morning with an increasing amount of sunshine saw me heading over to Barnwell CP where I hoped to see some damsel or dragonfly activity. As my bus was quite early I decided to take a walk along the Nene to the floods near Lower Barnwell Lock, I'm happy to say that this turned out to be one of my better ideas!

White Stork

I'd just got to a point from where I could view the floods when a sweep of the area through my binoculars revealed a White Stork feeding amongst the sedges. A quick march followed as I headed towards an area from where I could get a little closer to the bird. Although this sighting was not a complete surprise as one has been reported in the area recently it was still a great bird to see. This bird is probably from an introduction scheme taking place in the south of England and so is not perhaps tickable but to see one in Northants is still a treat, my only previous sighting was of one over my garden in the Old Village a few years ago. After over an hour of looking at the stork I headed off to the park seeing my first Banded Demoiselle of the year en route.

Banded Demoiselle, Azure and Variable Damselflies

Banded Demoiselles were emerging in good numbers at Barnwell CP and I would guess that over a hundred were seen. Another new species on my Northants year list was Azure Damselfly with about ten being noted. The forecast sunny spells were not as long or frequent as I hoped they might be but I was still able to find a freshly emerged female Variable Damselfly and two Large Red Damselflies. Not too many butterflies were observed but I did manage to see Brimstone, Peacock and Orange-tip. Highlights amongst the birds were a Cuckoo, Cetti's  and Garden Warbler as well as five drake Mandarin Ducks.

Mandarin, Reed Bunting and Sedge Warbler.

Arctics Roll In

 My brother and I popped over to Thrapston this evening to see whether any Nightingales were about. Unfortunately for us we neither saw nor heard any sign of them despite spending some time in the area that they favoured last year. Highlights were few and far between, there were good numbers of both Sand and House Martins while a variety of warblers were in song. A search of the Town Lake at first revealed very little activity beyond a few Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls and it looked very like it was going to be a wasted visit. Among the non avian highlights were a sighting of Common Toad and a distant view of Brown Hare. Returning to the car a little deflated we had one last look at the water from near the sailing club and came up trumps with six Arctic Terns feeding distantly at the opposite end of the lake. I'm sure these birds had just arrived and it was down to luck that we managed to catch them before we left. My brother heads off to Majorca tomorrow while I face up to the joys of work - I know which one I'd rather do!

Common Toad.

Home Whin

 I decided to stay local today and so chose to visit Willowbrook Industrial Estate and Priors Hall. It was a mainly cloudy day with a few sunny spells while the wind wasn't as strong as it has been of late. Migration is still in progress and I was pleased to catch up with a few passing chats on my travels.

Wheatears and Whinchat record shot.

On the eastern edge of the steelworks both Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat were singing. A short distance away at Willowbrook Industrial Estate I found a pair of female Wheatears. Going by the date, their leggy stance and bright plumage I'd tentatively I.D  them as birds of the Greenland race. As well as a song flighting Meadow Pipit I also heard a Yellow Wagtail pass over.

Meadow Pipit and Willow Warbler

Moving to Priors Hall added another female Wheatear in the northern gullet which unusually for this species was perched in the top of a hawthorn bush. Several Sedge Warblers continue to sing from the reedy areas while Willow Warblers also seem to be doing well. My highlight here was a female Whinchat which though distant showed well enough it identify. In the southern gullet a Grasshopper Warbler was heard reeling while Sand Martins were seen in good numbers over the lake. I'd hoped to see some new damsels around the ponds but instead had to content myself with more sightings of Large Reds. More success attended my butterfly watching efforts as I found my first Dingy Skippers of the year with about ten on the wing. Not too much else of note was seen but all in all it was a decent day's spotting.

Large Red Damselfly and Dingy Skipper

Whimbrels

 Alan Shorrock and I paid a morning visit to Titchmarsh LNR where the climate had taken a distinct turn for the worst with yesterday's fine and sunny weather having given way to altogether greyer and damper conditions. Despite the slightly unpleasant weather we managed to have a decent session and saw several interesting birds.

Whimbrel

Plenty of warblers are now on site with several Garden perhaps being the highlight. For the first time this year I saw all three of the common hirundines and I suspect the weather may have been a factor in driving them lower down to feed. A Cuckoo was heard calling throughout our stay which though good news for us may well be less appealing to the reserve's Reed Warblers. Birds of the day were a couple of Whimbrels feeding on the grassy area next to the water, these were my first of the year. Few other waders were present other than the resident Oystercatchers and a Common Sandpiper. With the weather showing no signs of improvement we decided to call it quits and head to a nearby pub for a pint.