Nice Day For A B.O.P

 Today was another sunny and fairly mild one and while the birds didn't quite live up to the quality of yesterday it was still a nice morning for strolling. My route took me up through the industrial estate and on through Brookfield Plantation before I emerged near Gretton from where I headed down to the Welland Valley.

Raptor selection

Brookfield was pretty lively, a Buzzard called as I arrived while screeching Jays could be heard from deep within the wood. A Raven croaked as it flew overhead, I was to get at least two other sightings today. Two Sparrowhawks circled over the wood, they didn't appear to be displaying though this is the time of year when they begin. From one of the many ponds a small flock of Teal headed skywards, I heard more on the flooded quarry. There's not much water in the Welland Valley and my visit only produced a large flock of Lapwings and good numbers of winter thrushes. My return walk through the plantation added Nuthatch and Marsh Tit to my list while a check on my local Peregrines produced a sighting of one. Very little other wildlife showing today other than several Fallow Deer in the wood.

Meadow Pipit and winter thrushes.

From Russia With Love

 2023 dawned bright and sunny which  was a welcome contrast to yesterday's grey and miserable damp squib of a day. Alan Shorrock and I turned into county twitchers as we set off for Summer Leys in search of some rare passerines..

Yellow-browed Warbler

Our priority target at the Leys was to see one of the Yellow-browed Warblers which have been seen regularly at Mary's Lake for the last few days. This is a rare species in the county which is if anything  even scarcer in winter and it's not a bird that I've encountered often before. We managed to park along the lane fairly easily and it wasn't that much of a hike to get to the birds' preferred spot. Happily we didn't have to wait too long before one put in an appearance pleasing the assembled group of clickers and year tickers quite a lot. Over the next hour or so it flitted about actively as it fed in front of the gathered admirers, I'm guessing that my own photographic efforts were far from being the best taken today!. After a while both Shozzer and I decided to move on though we left plenty of watchers still in situ.

Reed Bunting and Teal

There was not a great deal of other birds to report  today, a brace of Great White Egrets being perhaps the best. Amongst the large number of Lapwings on site were as many as thirty Golden Plovers and we also noted ten Snipe in the same area. There were no surprises in among the gathered waterfowl and we left once we were satisfied that we had seen most of the available birds on view.

Ducky diversions.

Something To Rave About

 Family commitments meant that I could only squeeze a short walk in this morning, I popped along to the area near the town's STW to make the most of that time. It was grey though relatively mild and if the birding was far from exciting I did at least walk off a few of those Christmas calories!

Pylon relay, Buzzard and Raven

Numbers of Redwings and Blackbirds were on site and a small flock of Redpolls were noted. A mixed flock moving through the scrub near to the stream contained a Goldcrest, all came under the watchful gaze of a Buzzard perched on one of the pylons. It was eventually chivvied away by some irate Carrion Crows but its place was taken by a Raven. This patch of land seems to fall within the territory of a pair of Ravens and this one moved from pylon to pylon calling as it went. Once it had announced its ownership to all and sundry it moved on and with time also seemingly flying by I followed the Raven's example. A Cormorant and a Grey Wagtail  were noted on my way home.

Smews And Otters

 I shunned the cold turkey leftovers this morning and opted instead to blag a lift over to Eyebrook for a spot of birding. A  sunny though cold day greeted me and all the other walkers, cyclists and joggers that were wandering around the reservoir.

GBB Gull and Lapwing

From Stoke Dry carpark I had excellent views of a Sparrowhawk that was being mobbed by a Carrion Crow. A little further along I watched a Great Black-backed Gull feeding on an avian corpse floating in the water. Less grisly was a distant view of a drake Smew. At the inflow there was a pair of Stonechat and a drake Pintail while several Siskins were in trees next to the bridge. Ravens were heard calling on the Leics side of the reservoir and a single Snipe flew up from a watery channel. From opposite the car park at Stoke Dry I enjoyed prolonged and often great views of eight Smew, six drakes and two redheads. Is Eyebrook one of the most reliable spots in the UK for these attractive ducks?

Smew selection

Having reluctantly moved on from the Smew flotilla I managed to luck into something arguably even more interesting.  Three Otters swam out from the shoreline near Hollyoaks Lane though they didn't hang around long before swimming back. I've only seen Otters at Eyebrook once before so to see three together was a very nice late Christmas present. Presumably this was a female with two well grown cubs which offers proof of local breeding. There was not much else of note seen on my visit other than two or three Great White Egrets.

Otters

Bird Report

 News that the new Northants Bird Report was out and available to buy in Oundle pretty much decided my itinerary for me today. Instead of taking the trusty X4 I headed off in the company of Alan Shorrock with a view to doing a spot of birding. The weather was great with sunny skies predominating and if the birds were far from interesting it was at least a good walk!

Cormorant

Barnwell CP offered little with just a Chiffchaff and a selection of common birds to enjoy. A walk along the Nene towards the A605 floods added nothing of note while the floods themselves held a reasonable group of Wigeon with lesser numbers of Teal and Shoveller. I was lucky enough to grab the last copy of the bird report in the book shop and it's no surprise it's been selling quickly as it's more than up to its normal high standard.

Shelduck and Snipe

On the way back to Corby we stopped at the inflow at Deene Lake where the water levels are high. Six Shelduck had joined the usual Teal and we also saw a Snipe but there was not much else to report. Afterwards it was a trip to the pub and a few beers - Merry Christmas everyone, I hope that you have a good one.

Merry Christmas!

Winter Waders

 When the last World Cup final was taking place Phil Rogers, Alan Shorrock and I were chasing butterflies and damselflies in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. No chance of that today unfortunately as the cold spell continued for the morning at least and my travel plans were nowhere near as ambitious. My local wanderings took me past the STW and on to Willowbrook Industrial Estate before ending in Weldon.

Still cold at Willowbrook this morning.

Waders featured quite prominently this morning, the first was a Woodcock seen at Weldon Industrial estate on the edge of the steelworks. Lapwings were moving through at the neighbouring Willowbrook Industrial with one moving north and a further twenty one going westwards. When the forecast icy rain began one landed very close to me before taking off when it realised that I was there while another was noted flying low over Weldon. Concluding the wader contribution were two Snipe at the stream near the frozen A43 pond in Weldon.

Under observation

There was not much else to report from today's stroll, Grey Wagtails were noted in the Old Village and near the STW. A female Stonechat was found at Willowbrook Industrial when it was disturbed by a herd of Fallow Deer running through the dead thistle stems on which it was perching but that was it apart from a number of winter thrushes.

Stonechat

A little bit of ringing news to report from yesterday relating to a Mute Swan at Town Lake in Thrapston. The bird, a pen, was bearing an orange ring with black lettering with the characters 4CJS and was rung at Wellingborough Embankment on the 22/10/16. Although she's clearly no globe trotter in terms of her wanderings she does at least show commendable loyalty to Northamptonshire!

Out In The Cold

 If the weather guessers are to be believed today was the last day of the current cold snap, I'm guessing it can't come soon enough for much of our wildlife. Alan Shorrock and I braved sunny but frigid conditions in order to explore the Thrapston Gravel Pits complex. With much of the water frozen and the frost whitened ground hard underfoot it must be difficult for many species to feed and I wonder how many birds we may have lost during the past week.

Kingfisher and Black-tailed Godwit

After arriving at the Aldwincle nature reserve we made our way along the river towards the site of the new North Hide. A Cetti's Warbler sang briefly and we heard Kingfisher several times as we walked. On the only ice free patch of the lake there was a selection of duck but nothing too interesting. Water Rail was squealing from near the hide and a Chiffchaff was calling, we managed to catch a glimpse of one of those Kingfishers too but only briefly before it flew off. Our local wildlife trust seem to have been quite industrious of late and from a second new hide we saw Great White Egret and also a Black-tailed Godwit having a snooze on the ice. The walk towards the town lake yielded several Snipe view but little else apart from a Stonechat.

Robin and Shovellers

Much of the town lake was frozen over though there was quite a stretch of open water mid way out. Perhaps as many as forty Pochard were feeding or kipping here and a similar number of Shovellers too. At this point with the evening drawing in we decided to turn around and head back towards the car park seeing another Stonechat and a few more Snipe as we went.