31st May - sunny spells, light-mod SW, becoming blustery later, 22C

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Seven Little Egrets and four Grey Herons, a Redshank were the highlights.

Bittesby Country Park/Mere Lane Lake Area

A walk around the Mere Lane Lake area this afternoon. The six Mute Swan cygnets are growing well. Tufted Duck and Little Grebes were seen, but no young with them yet. Several Reed Warblers were singing well, as was Blackcap and Chiffchaff. And a couple of Swallows kept dropping in. A Long-tailed Tit and Blue Tit family were going about their business in the hedge.

Butterflies were out, new here for me this year were Meadow Brown, Ringlet and Large Skipper. Also see were Common Blue,, Brimstone and Large White.

Quite a few daytime moths about to, I've forgotten its name, but lovely 'gold' markings on one I photographed.. need to check the reference book!

Ashby Parva; this afternoon I spotted a Lesser Stag beetle walking over the pavement, luckily for it.

30th May - Sunny spells, mod SW, 22C

Willey; a Red Kite over a cut grass silage field 1430h.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening

Interesting to see a Snipe out feeding and preening again.  Three Oystercatchers again,a Redshank,  the Shoveler pair, a Linnet.

29th May - broken cloud, mod-blustery SW-W, 22C

Willey; A Kestrel hovering over the fields just to the west 1030h; a Raven chased by two Carrion Crows flew west to east 1530h.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

Three Oystercatchers, a Redshank, Little Egret and a Grey Heron, Little Grebe juv, a Yellow Wagtail, plus other regulars.

Shawell Lagoons;

The Great Crested Grebe with single chick still.  A Mallard pair with two ducklings.

28th May - cloudy, sunny spells pm, mod SW becoming lighter, 18C

Willey; a Kestrel hovered over r village late afternoon before moving off westward over the fields.

Lilbourne Meadows; early afternoon.

Rather quiet, a Redshank, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Lapwing, Shoveler pair, a few Gadwall.

No Avocets seen - two were at Brandon Marsh today, maybe these have moved there.

27th May - rain mid-morning to mid-afternoon, very welcomed, 16C, mod-blustery SW

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

Two Avocets still, a Dunlin, Tundra Ringed Plover and four Ringed Plover.

A Redshank, Oystercatchers- two adults and juv.

A Little Egret.  Shoveler pair

26th May - cloudy, spots light rain at times, mod-blustery SW, 18C, but feeling cool

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

The two avocets were still present, otherwise rather quiet.

A Redshank, three Grey Herons - one a juv, two Little Egrets.

Brandon marsh; afternoon.

The Black-headed Gulls seem to have just about taken over the rafts, with Common Terns ejected to the islands, possibly only 3-4 Tern pairs too.

One Little Ringed Plover seen, an Oystercatcher pair.

Cuckoo calling, maybe more than one bird involved.  Swifts and House Martins over East marsh, no Sand Martins seen though.  Green Woodpecker heard.

25th May - Most;ly sunny spells, mod = breezy SW-W, 19C

Willey;

First thing a buck Roe Deer ran along the barn hedge and in to the BH wood, don't see them too often here.

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Highlight was a Sanderling and Dunlin that dropped in just after a brief shower for 10 mins, the Tundra Ringed Plover was also present.

Although the Avocets weren't seen during the morning, they were present again during the afternoon.

Shawell Sandpit/Landfill areas; morning

The Egyptian Goose family was present, but it seems they have lost one gosling.

Little Ringed Plovers have at least one youngster.

And the Great Spotted Woodpecker will soon leave its nest.

A Fox is stalking the pool sides as usual, but the waterbirds are wise to it most of the time.

24th May - Some rain in the early hours. Cloudy, light-mod SW, 20C

Lilbourne Meadows; morning

I heard there was a couple  of Avocets present, but I didn't make it until 0900h and they were definitely not present.  All the regulars were present, including four Little Egrets, a Redshank, the drake Shoveler and an Oystercatcher.

I decided to have a look at Shawell Lagoons in case they had moved locally to the sand spits there.  They weren't there either, however after some while two Avocets flew in and circled for a whole taking a look, but they didn't land; they headed off southward.  So, I decided they may return to Lilbourne, and yes, they were present.  They quickly moved to the west side with obscured views, but managed a record photo of them through the distant gate.

This is the 24th species of wader I have seen at this site - not bad for a couple of small muddy pools.

 

Shawell Lagoon

The highlight was the two Avocets in flight circling for awhile before heading off, this is only about the ninth record for SW Leicestershire.

Also of note was a Common Sandpiper feeding and a Great Crested Grebe pair with one chick visible on the back of an adult.  The first site breeding record I believe.

Magna Park Central; afternoon

I explored the east side, that has been planted up and now about 20 years old, some nice woodland/scrub habit which surely holds a lot of potential.  Needs visiting more often during the year.

Garden Warblers, Blackcap and Chiffchaff were singing.  There was a good number of singing Song Thrush, which was very pleasing to hear.

On a pool was a Little Grebe with a juvenile, probably another juv with its partner somewhere out of view.

23rd May - mostly sunny, light E, 20C. Slow change during the evening with cloudy approaching and light wind SW

Lilbourne Meadows; evening. 

The Tundra Ringed Plover still, a Redshank, a Yellow Wagtail male, a Little Egret, Green Woodpecker heard.

Interestingly a Snipe came out and started feeding, a late record for here.

22nd May - Mostly sunny, ,ight NE

Stanford Res - late afternoon.

Nothing new, rather quiet.

House Martins were busy collecting nest material.

21st - Mostly sunny, light NE, 22C

Lilbourne Meadows; evening

A Redshank, Tundra Ringed Plover, two Yellow Wagtails.  Otherwise similar to yesterday.

20th May - mostly sunny, light NE, 20C

Lilbourne Meadow; late afternoon.

Wood Sandpiper still, a Tundra Ringed Plover and Redshank.

Male Yellow Wagtail, 75 Starlings feeding on the pasture, many juvs.

Single Little Egret and Grey Heron.

Plus the recent regulars.

19th May - sunny intervals, light SE-E, 18C

Willey; first thing the Grey Partridge pair in the same area as before.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

Single wood Sandpiper still, a Common Sandpiper, two Redshank.

Three Yellow Wagtails, c40 Starlings (families) feeding on pasture.

c15 Gadwall (mostly drakes) and Shoveler pair.

Blue Tit pair busy getting food for young; Blackcap and Chiffchaff singing.

Green Woodpecker heard.

18th May - mostly cloudy, light N, 14C - Norfolk

Cley NWT area; morning

Little and Sandwich Terns, plus Gannets off-shore.

Four Temminck's Stints, 5 Common Sandpipers, a Wood Sandpiper plus other usual waders, Sparrowhawk and Marsh Harrier. Cattle Egret on the fields.

North Point Pools; afternoon.

Birds included - Two Common Sandpipers, Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits.  Egyptian Geese, Greylags and c100 Brent which were talking no notice of the 'orange-man'!

Four Wall Brown Butterflies, several Hares.

Hunstanton Cliffs.

Checked out the Fulmars, nice to see them here still.

17th May - cloudy, sunny late afternoon, 16C, light NE

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Nothing n ew; 2 Little Egrets, c10 House Martins feeding over the pools.

Bittesby Country Park; afternoon.

Warblers included Chiffchaff, Willow, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat and Blackcap.

A couple of Canada Geese on lake and Pied Wagtails around the shore.  Two Kestrels around.

A single Common Blue Butterfly seen.  An Ashy Mining Bee also seen.

Shawell Sandpit/landfill; evening

Egyptian Goose family still,  Coot with young, Greylag with 5 young, and Canada pr with 4 young.

Great Spotted Woodpecker with noisy young in nest.

Three Shelduck, a pair and single.  Four Lapwings.

16th May - SUnny, lightn NE, 20C

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Nothing new today.  Lesser Whitethroat singing., A Little Egret and Little Grebe.

Pied Wagtails feeding youngsters around the pools, a Yellow Wagtail male. 

First Banded Demoiselle - female and a Brimstone. 

Copston Magna; afternoon.

Whilst visiting here I noticed a Painted Lady busily feeding.  First of the year for me.

15th May - cloudy, mod NE, 14C. Feeling cool all day

Lilbourne Meadows: early afternoon

Wood Sandpiper still present.

A Little Egret, Greylag Goose pair with 4 goslings.

Soar Brook Lake; late afternoon.

Greylag Goose pair with 7 goslings.

Oystercatcher pair with 1 youngster.

Male Yellow Wagtail on back field fence line.  Single Little Grebe seen, probably a pair here.

Stanford reservoir; evening.

c50 each Swifts and House Martins.

Shoveler pair.

Hobby hunting low over the water catching insects.

Male Yellow Wagtail on dam.

Garden Warbler singing near foot bridge-overflow,.

14th May - sunny, light N-NE, 22C

WIlley; 1330h

Red Kite over low eastward.

Lilbourne Meadows; first thing

Looks like the Ibis has moved on.

A Wood Sandpiper, Redshank, Lapwings were present.  

Lesser Whitethroat still singing.

13th May - Sunny, very warm 24C, light/mod briefly NE

Willey; 0815h

Great to see the Grey Partridge pair again, manged phone pics before they ran through the hedge from the truck window. (these pics  cropped a little)

Lilbourne Meadows; morning

Check for the Ibis first thing, it was still there, busily feeding.  Along with a Little Egret and all the regulars, including a singing Lesser Whitethroat which may have had a mate.

Even at 0600h there was heat haze making Digi-scoping difficult, but here's a few more pics/movie