A "Strange" Day! - 24th September 2014

Grey Partridge

My plans for today came nowhere near fruition! My plan was to wait for the early morning rain to clear and then pop down to Swift Valley and take close up images at the feeders. When I arrived and assembled my equipment, I walked to the feeders. I was greeted with the poles but NO feeders! On to the feeders at Cathiron (All Oaks) - feeders but NO food and NO birds! I placed some seed but nothing took advantage! All I got for my troubles was an obliging Blue Tit in a Horse Chestnut across the canal.

Blue Tit

"I've got a lovely bunch of.........!"

I decided to return home over Lawford Heath and I'm glad I did - a female Merlin and five Grey Partridge repaid my efforts!

Grey Partridge

And finally, while walking Symphony, a Small Copper Butterfly

Red Necked Grebe - Daventry Country Park - 17th September 2017

It was good to touch base with the Red Necked Grebe at Daventry Country Park. The light was rather challenging, but the Grebe favoured the dam and at times came within ten feet.

Daventry Country Park - Grey Wagtail - 17th September 2014

Who can resist such a gorgeous bird? One of two feeding along the dam at Daventry Country Park.

Dull, Drab, Dreary, Dark and Disappointing Daventry Country Park!

It must be several months since I ventured out to Daventry Country Park, one of my favourite waters, so I decided that this would be my destination for a few hours this morning. The title of this post sums up the light this morning which was disappointing! The most disappointing part was the noise from a new housing development only yards below the dam. Obviously governments, councils, developers and greedy land owners cannot bare to see green fields and farm land. One day we will run out of food and the cry will be "why can't we grow our own ?" You cannot eat bricks and concrete!

Some good news in the form of some new scrapes and settling pools! Should hopefully be good for waders!

The birds were good though!

Red Necked Grebe; Willow Tit; Common Sandpiper; Grey Wagtail; Greenshank; plus of course, the expected species.

And this afternoon..................................the sun shone in a blue sky!

North Norfolk - Red Backed Shrike - 9th - 12th September 2014

At last - a life tick in the form of a red Backed Shrike (albeit 1st winter)! This confiding bird had taken up temporary residence in Blakeney.

North Norfolk - Little Stint - 9th - 12th September 2014

They may be small but they are fantastic waders! Little Stint, smaller than a Dunlin, full of character and extremely energetic. They cannot fail to be a favourite!