Group trip to Attenborough

Maybe it was me extolling the virtues of Attenborough Nature Reserve that persuaded the RSPB group to take a trip up there last Sunday.
 We had a pretty good day, although not encountering anything too unusual it was good to see species that you wouldn't get that close to nearer home.
 Unfortunately water levels were high so there was no sign of the recent Bitterns or any waders but several Tree Sparrows put on a show at the feeders behind the visitor centre.
 This an excellent winter site for Goosanders and probably around thirty were spread around the lakes.
 The area around the centre as usual gave some good opportunities for photos of the commoner species that are attracted to the grain that is on offer

drake Red-crested Pochard

female Red-crested Pochard

drake Gadwall

Tufted Duck

Egyptian Goose

Emberton Wildfowl

I've been visiting Emberton Park quite a bit lately.
It's one of the best places locally for wintering Goosanders, with as many as 20 recently.

Today there was just one male, I think the mild weather has encouraged them to head back north earlier than usual

Emberton has the usual array of common water birds with Mallard, Tufted Ducks, Pochard, Gadwall, Teal and Wigeon being there regularly.

Just occasionally something slightly more unusual turns up, like this drake Red-crested Pochard did this morning .

A couple of weeks back this female Mandarin  turned up on the main lake.

Today she had been joined by a male

This pair of scrapping Mallard were yet another sign that spring is approaching.

Someone thinks it's spring

A wander around Willen today
It had actually stopped raining, the wind had dropped and the sun had even come out.
 There was a feel of spring in the air and some of the birds clearly thought so. Song Thrushes were in full song and a couple of Cettis Warblers were letting everyone know they were there.
A Chiffchaff was most likely an overwintering bird rather than an early migrant.

 A more telling sign was this pair of displaying Great-crested Grebes.

 

Garden Invasion

There's not been a lot of activity on the garden feeders this winter, presumably due to the mild weather.
 I have noticed this gang of Long-tailed Tits paying regular visits in the last week though. I counted a 15 although there could have been more. They were so eager to feed  that could care less about me.
Shame the sun wasn't out.

 

Stockgrove Country Park

I hadn't visited this site for a few years and I think it might be a few more before I go back.
 It is now known as Rushmere Country Park or something
A couple of automatic barriers greet you at the entrance to the car park and they now expect £2 to park. Conveniently all the outside parking has been removed.
 The café is closed - not sure if permanent or just for the winter.

Now one of the main reasons people visit this place is to feed the ducks, mainly a few Mallards but mostly the large number of Mandarins that used to live on the lake.
 Having reached the said water body deep into the woods I was surprised to see numerous signs advising people not to feed the ducks and giving various reasons as to why,supposedly for the benefit of other wildlife.
 But guess what,  no Mandarins ! a few years ago there were over a hundred here at this time of year
 Talk about killing the Goose that laid the Golden Egg. If you  want to turn this place into a commercial venture you need a few attractions e.g. a café and some very attractive waterfowl. What's more to have the cheek to charge for It !.

 The usual woodland birds are still plentiful though and a handful of seed placed on some fence posts brought them down close ( oh should I have done that ?!  well chop my hands off and beat me with a big stick !!!!!)

Nuthatch

 

Mrs Blackbird

Coal Tit

 

Fried or Boiled ?

Found this Swans egg at Caldecotte Lake yesterday.
The recent flooding must have lifted it off the island and onto the shore.
Obviously one that didn't hatch last summer as it's well addled.

The £2 coin gives an idea of how big it actually is.
 

Otters at Sainsbury's !

Having heard that there were Otters being seen in the centre of Market Harborough, I just had to go.
I'd only ever seen one in the wild once before and that was quite a distance away.in the middle of Island Mere at Minsmere.

I had heard that 2 sibling Otters had taken up residence on the River Welland that flows through the centre of town and were being seen regularly by passing shoppers.
 When I arrived a small group of people were standing on the opposite side of the river to a hollow tree which was apparently the duos resting up place.
 I had hardly been there a couple of minutes when one of the young Otters was suddenly walking down a sloping branch into the water just ten yards away. Amazing !!

 Showing absolutely no fear of it's band of admirers this fantastic creature worked it's way down stream until it was out of view.

 At this point most people thinking the show was over and drifted off but I stayed around talking to one of the locals.
 It was then that the second Otter appeared out of the Holt.  This one decided to hang around though and attracted quite a crowd - photographers and people laden down with bags of shopping, as at one point it was in the river right outside Sainsbury's front door.

 I have to say this one of the most amazing wildlife experiences and if you've never seen a wild Otter get yourself over to Market Harborough.