End of the month!!

 Another month has come to an end,  how time flies.  Although the clocks went back by an hour at the weekend my body doesn't seem to realise this so I was wide awake and raring to go at 05.30hrs which a couple of days ago was 06.30hrs.!!. I got up and threw a few things plus the dogs into the car and headed off to the north of the county.  First stop was Fineshade Wood.  It was just about daylight when I reached the car park.  Here I disturbed at least 20 Bramblings roosting in the trees/hedges. Sunrise is my favourite time of the day to run and it was simply beautiful as I set off with my 4 legged companions for a long run around the woods.  There were quite a few parties of Siskins throughout the wood, several more Brambling,  Marsh Tits, Nuthatches,  Ravens and winter Thrushes.                                                                                                                                      Next stop was nearby Wakerley Great Wood.  As I loitered in the car park with my coffee and breakfast the silence was deafening.  It was quite bizarre,  not a single bird call from any species!!. I walked my usual circuit around the wood and it seemed very quiet everywhere.  Literally just a handful of Siskins.  In the open area between the wood and Spanhoe Airfield I flushed up a Woodcock.                                                                                      My lunchtime stop was at Blatherwycke Lake where there were at least 28 Mandarin Ducks,  4 Kingfishers chasing each other around and 2 Little Egrets.   I  stopped off at Blatherwycke Church as this area always seems to be busy with birds. It is an old wintering site for Hawfinches but sadly none there today.  Plenty of Redwings and Fieldfares giving really close views. There were at least 6 Brambling in the area and 2 Redpolls and several Siskins over.  Of course plenty of Red Kites with their evocative call filling the air.                                                                                                                                           Deene Lake was quiet, just a pair of Stonechat and 2 Grey Wagtail.                                        Final destination was good old Harrington Airfield just before dusk.  I had only just started walking when I was treated to a fantastic spectacle of a female Peregrine powering through a flock of about 200 Golden Plovers and giving them a good chase.  I  didn't see her catch anything and the goldies eventually landed on the fields but they remained rather nervous.  Around the bunkers there were about 4 Bramblings,  pair of Stonechat and plenty of Redwings/Fieldfares. 

A few good birds have been seen over the past few days in the county.  On Friday I heard the unmistakable oink oink call of Pink Footed Goose and saw 6 flying over Blueberry area.   Over at Wicksteed Park Lakes someone came across 2 Beaded Tits.    On Saturday there was a Short-eared Owl at Borough Hill and also one flying over Thrapston GP.     Yesterday a Bearded Tit was again seen at Stanwick GP and a Ring Ouzel near Greens Norton.

The abnormally warm weather has meant that butterflies are still being seen,  mainly Red Admirals,  Comma and Small Tortoiseshell.  However today a very rare butterfly,  a Long Tailed Blue was found at the Lakeside Pub, Brackmills. It is not a species that I am familiar with.  I understand that it is only the 3rd time that it has been recorded in the county since records began. Apparently the larvae can sometimes come in via bags of peas so this may be a possibility,  however there have been other recent sightings around the country along with the abnormally warm weather which means that it could be a wild butterfly which is pretty amazing. 

Regards Eleanor