Waxwings are here again

I caught up with some waxwings near my home on Thursday.  Huntingdon races were abandoned because of the freezing ground and my central heating had chosen to pack up a couple of days earlier.  In addition the car’s battery couldn’t cope with the cold and the AA had had to come out and get me…

The road to 10 Downing Street goes through Corby

Whoever came up with the line that makes the title of this blog did well.  Labour’s return to power may well be seen to start with this first by-election victory against the Tories in 15 years. In some ways the constituency of Corby and east Northants represents a microcosm of England.  Equally divided, or dithering,…

For all that’s sacred…

I had a brief and pleasant walk at Stanwick Lakes one lunchtime this week.  The sun shone and there were lots of birds around. A common sandpiper meant that it was either autumn or spring.  An adult yellow-legged gull made it more likely that it was late summer as that is when I see most…

Turtle doves under fire

I haven’t seen a turtle dove in Northamptonshire this year and it seems I am not the only one. This was a bird that I didn’t see in the north Somerset countryside where I grew up.  It was only when we came on holiday to East Anglia that I saw my first turtle dove –…

Sunshine

On Monday the sun was shining and I suddenly thought – why not go and enjoy it? So I did. Summer sun means butterflies and I headed to Fermyn Woods to see if it might be third time lucky in looking for purple emperors. The long line of cars parked by the road on a…