30th April - cloudy am, brighter later, breezy until late, 15mph northerly, 10C

Willey; thankfully we did not get the originally forecast weather of persistent rain and strong winds which stayed further east.
This morning a single Wheatear was on the farm track to the east of the village.  At least 2 more Swallows have returned and were busy checking out the usual buildings where they nest.

Willoughby Waterleys; I had a look here in the evening for the reported Wheatear and Whinchat.  I found a couple of Wheatear but not the Whinchat.  Yellowhammers, Linnet, Chaffinch, Skylark, Stock Dove, Red-legged Partridge and Skylark were in the area.

29th April - cloudy, breezy, 8C, feeling cool

Another poor day, at least dry if cool.

Stanford reservoir; a look here this morning hoping for some migrants to have landed.  There was reported several Common Tern earlier, when I got there there was one, but importantly it was sitting on the new raft. The reservoir was full of Swallows with lesser numbers of House and Sand Martins.  

After a short while a flock of 11 terns flew in - Arctic Terns -  these looked great and were actively feeding. Also, a little distant from my position but I tried digiscoping them.  Unfortunately I could not get a clean focus, nevertheless I have added some fuzzy photos a you can still see the main features of Arctic Terns.  Also, the first Cuckoo was heard by some, pretty late this year.

Brandon  marsh; after lunch a look here, with the wind a bit fresher, so much was keeping down. Still, more |Sedge Warblers were around and a few Reed Warblers were singing. Single Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat were singing as were Cetti's Warblers.  A pair of Shelduck, several Gadwall, Teal, Tufted Duck and Mallard, one with a new brood of ducklings.  Waders included Oystercatcher, Redshank, 4 Little ringed Plover and 2 Common Sandpiper.

I also heard a Cuckoo call once, which was nice but just indicative of the effect of the cool breezy weather.

28th April - light rain until evening, 7C, light NE

Willey;  another poor Spring day. However, migration still occurring, this morning I found 4 Wheatear occupying a manure heap in a pasture field to the east of the village.

Cropston Reservoir; a look here after lunch as I heard some Terns were in, while I was there I counted 30 Common Tern and 6 Arctic Tern.  Over the reservoir water were several hundred Swallow and House Martins, plus ~ 30 Swifts.   A couple of Mandarin drakes were along the willow edge, plus 4 Gadwall. A Grey Wagtail was along the dam.

Swiftland Reservoir; I them went and had a look here, the rain not helping too much.Again over the water was a good number of Swallow and House Martin, plus a few Sand Martins.  There must have been a good movement last night.  A Jay was looking for food on the iron fencing and a female Kestrel was hunting the grass dam bank, a Green Woodpecker called several times nearby.  Plus the usual residents and Warblers.

27th April - started raining at 0900h, never stopped, cool, 9C, light NE

Pretty much a poor Spring day, more like Autumn.  Nothing of note to report.

26th April - cloudy am, sunny spells pm, 15C, breezy westerly

Willey; A Lesser Whitethroat was singing west of the village , same location as the other day.  Late afternoon a Kestrel was hunting over the fields behind the Church.  The Goldcrest is present and singing most days in the church Yew Tree.

Stanford Reservoir; I made an evening visit to check on the second raft, still in-place.  Migrants are definitely late, even though some are here, there must be more to come as numbers, like the Terns are missing.  This evening, at least 200+ Sand Martins were feeding over the reservoir, these must include newly arrived birds.

25th April - sunny spells am, showers pm, 13C, light/breezy westerly

Willey; about 0900h a single Swift flew over the fields heading westerly.  A Robin is now sitting on a nest made in a hay rack full of hay - very cosy.

Stanford Reservoir; the launch of the second raft took place today, we now need some Terns to come and stay nest, as they did in the past.  A nice big mixed hirundines flock over the reservoir, sometimes high, sometimes over the water, then a Swift joined them too.  Because of the cool and breezy conditions not too many passerines were showing or in song, but the usuals were about.

A Common Sandpiper was on the dam.

24th April - cloudy, light rain most of the day more heavier later on and cool light/breezy SW, 13C

Willey; a poor day for spotting things, but a good one for paper work.

Blue Tits visiting garden nest box.  The Red-legged Partridge pair were sitting on the neighbours shed roof in the rain for awhile, photo taken through the glass a bit murky but shows them.

Cotesbach Sandy Lane; a look here, as I was passing,  for migrants, but none. The Shelduck pair was on one pool, but not much else around of special note.

23rd April- mostly cloudy, 15C, light SW becoming breezy late pm

Willey; this morning at about 0500h a Tawny Owl was calling in the church yard trees.
After breakfast  2 Lesser Whitethroat were heard, one east of the village and one west.

Stanford Reservoir; an evening visit produced about 500 hirundines feeding over the water.  Most other birds and creatures apart from Knats, were keeping out the wind.  A single female Goldeneye, the Shelduck pair and a Common Sandpiper on the dam were the highlights.

22nd April - mostly sunny spells, light SW, 18C

Shawell Lagoons; a look here this morning produced the usual species seen here, one drake Wigeon - may be the one from Stanford reeervoir.

Brandon Marsh; a look here in the afternoon, hoping for some migrants.  On east marsh there were single Little-ringed and Ringed Plover, Redshank pair mating as were the Oystercatchers. A good number of Lapwing too.
Scarcity value was raised by the presence of a drake Garganey.  Other duck included Tufted, Shoveler, Teal and Mallard Duck with ducklings.
Sand Martins were busy at the colony, at leat 3 Cetti’s Warblers were singing, also Willow and Sedge Warblers, Blackcaps and a single Whitethroat.

21st April - sunny, 22C, light southerly, cloudy late afternoon for awhile

Cossington Meadows; a look here late afternoon.  Blackcap, WIllow and Sedge Warblers singing, a single Whitethroat was heard.  Two Cetti's Warblers were singing from the pools area.  6 \Little Egret were around feeding on the marsh.  A few Gadwall and Mallard were on the water.  Black-headed Gulls were nesting, 4 Common Gulls were with them.  A couple of Little-ringed Plover were flying around calling. Both green and Great-spotted Woodpeckers were seen.  Generally feeling a bit quiet really, just other usual species seen.

20th April -mist/fog early, then sunny, 22C, light NW

Willey; first thing the Nuthatch was in the church Horse Chestnut making lots of noise.

Stanford reservoir; a late afternoon visit here, seemed fairly quiet. Now only a single Wigeon and female Goldeneye, 52 Tufted Duck, 5 Gadwall.  Around the reservoir were Blackcaps, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, 2 Sedge Warblers and 3 Lesser Whitethroats and the first Whitethroat of the year.

My first site year records for Orangetip and Green veined Whites. Plus several Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone and Peacock. Also a Dark-edged Bee-fly.

19th April - Hot, sunny, 27C, light southerly

Amazing April weather.  Seen more butterflies this Spring so far than for a long time.

About 20 Stock Doves were in the BHwood area this morning and nearby barns.  A noisy Nuthatch was in the Church Lane trees during the day.

Thornton Reservoir; reports that a male Ring Ouzel was still in the horse paddocks here made me decide to go in the evening to have a look.  After a while it came out of the hedge and started feeding on the ground, pulling out worms. Good views were had before something startled it and it went back in to the hedge.  After 5 mins it appeared again, I then realised I’d left my digital adaptor behind so could not get a photo.  A Mistle Thrush, Pied Wagtail, Blackbirds  and Goldfinch pair were feeding in the paddock too.

18th April - sunny, very warm, 22C, light SSE.

An amazingly lovely day.

Willey; 4 Swallows were around the village today, so more arrivals., soon they will be nesting.

I finished my Rookery counts tonight for the 10Km square and totalled 584 nests which is 16 fewer than last year.  Given the cold winter weather we had and counting error it suggests the population has remained stable.

Stanford Reservoir; I managed a look here after lunch. The highlights were 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 Wigeon still and 8 Goldeneye.  3 Singing Lesser Whitethroats were nice to see. The hoped for Cuckoo will have to wait for another day.

Butterflies included Brimstone, Peacock and Smal Tortoishell, plus a number of ‘whites’ that passed too quickly to identify.

17th April - cloudy, breezt ~15mph at times, 15C, light drizzle evening

Stanford reservoir; the main event today was the launch of the Tern rafts by the STW volunteers, well there should have been 2 launched, but technical issues meant only one today. Hopefully the second will follow soon as a Common Tern has been seen already on a couple of days.

When I left a quick look at the dam produced a single Common Sandpiper, first of the Spring.  In the evening I returned to see if the raft was still afloat and where left - thankfully it was - so all i s well with that one (we hope).  A check on the dam when I arrived produced a single Common Sandpiper, but a look again when I was leaving produced 4 Common Sandpipers together on the dam.  A good number of newly arrived hirundines were in too, busy feeding, soon to spread out to their breeding territories.

16th April - mostly cloudy, a few sunny spells, 15C, light-breezy SSW

Cotesbach Landfill; I was able to have a look here after lunch, hoping for a Iceland Gull which would be the latest Spring date, I didn't see one (Carl did in the evening).  However, I did find a 2W Glaucous Gull which is our first April record for this site.  It flew in to the sandpit area from the tipping site, it looked very 'white', with a small area of pink on the bill tip and slightly pale eyes.  It certainly showed the other Gulls who was the 'boss', pecking at them it they were in its way.  I took a range of recorded photos.

A couple of Red Kite were present too.

Willey; John M told me he watched a Red Kite flew over the village yesterday.

15th April - cloudy, light-breezy sometimes southerly, 12C, showers late pm

Shawell Lagoons; a look here before lunch, the Shelduck pair were present before flying off.  A few Sand martins and about 10 Swallows were feeding over the water.  Only a few Gulls were around today as the landfill was not operating.  Otherwise just he usual species as seen recently here.

Stanford reservoir; a full circuit walk this afternoon hoping for more migrants.  Walking from the dam towards Blowers bay a few Swallows were feeding overhead and 4 Buzzards were circling over the adjacent wood.  Then I heard a Sedge Warbler singing, managed to get views of it before it dived in to cover, the first for 2018. A female Goosander was roosting on the shore over the far side, getting late for these here.  Plenty of Tree Sparrows around the feeders.

A Red Kite drifted over the far bank, a crow was chasing a Buzzard, but took no notice of the Kite, a Kestrel was disturbed from the tree.  Three birds of prey seen together is pretty good to see. On the water a single drake Shelduck, 4 Wigeon, ~6 Gadwall, 2 Teal, a good number of Tufted Duck.

Several Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff and Blackcap were singing, behind the hide a garden warbler was heard singing, first of the year. A pair of Bullfinch were also nearby. On the dam a pair of grey Wagtails and a single Pied Wagtail. A pair of Red-legged Partridge were on the path.

14th April - sunny periods, light southerly, 17C

At last a proper warm Spring day.

Misterton; a look here this morning produced a Treecreeper collecting nest material, another Treecreeper in another area, a Nuthatch, a singing Goldcrest, Blackcap, Mistle Thrush, 2+ Song Thrush, Coal Tit. A Green Woodpecker and great-spotted Woodpecker, a Kestrel flew over and a Curlew was heard calling as it went by.

Cotesbach Landfill and Shawell Lagoons; 2 juvenile Iceland Gulls were present among a good number of other Gulls still, Great black-backed, Lesser-black backed and Herring Gulls, only a single Black-headed Gull.  The latest date we have seen one here previously is the 15th April, maybe this year we may beat that date.
5 Buzzards were in the air, a Red Kite too.  Otherwise not too much new around here today. A Small Tortoiseshell was on the wing.

Mere Lane Lake; a pair of Little Grebes, the Mute Swan sitting on nest, a Water Rail made loud calls from the reeds.  A little late , but the lake has developed a leak created more low water reedy areas for the rails, maybe to breed?  A singing Reed Bunting, 2 Jays in the bordering hedgerow.  Cowslips in flower now.

Currently doing  my annual Rookery count, so not completed, looking like the hard weather we had this winter has not caused too much affect on their numbers, we'll see when all counts are in.

Fungi by road side.

13th April - cloudy, light SW, 11C

A little improvement in the weather over recent days.
Willey; the single male Swallow over the village late afternoon, others should turn up soon.

Cropston Reservoir; I had a look here at mid-day on the way to a meeting.  I’m pleased I did as I soon discovered a Kittiwake on the water catching insects. I watched it for a while and managed some pretty distant record photos.  There were 7 drake Mandarins and a female showing, otherwise Gadwall, Mallard and Tufted Duck.  A Raven flew over calling.  Nearby a Green Woodpecker called.

Another surprise was a male Goshawk flew out of the firs over the road and along the res edge at the house end, it was quickly pursued by Corvids and returned to the wood.