14th Oct - light rain pre-dawn, then some drizzle am, cloudy, light easterly, 11C

Willey; morning

Whilst checking the church lane and fields a Sparrowhawk came past and spooked everything, flushing c10 Redwings from the hedge, then more from another hedge further on, so about 20 Redwings around today.

Shawell sand pit/landfill; afternoon.

20 Red Kites around today.  Still seven Mute Swans, but few ducks again, only three Teal with the Tufties.

13th Oct - high flat cloud, 10C, WNW-SW

Willey; first thing four Yellowhammers and a Mistle Thrush in the Perkins fields area.

Lilbourne Meadows; morning

Fairly quiet, two Little Egrets, 5+ Meadow Pipits, Green Woodpecker,  flock of 14 Goldfinch.

Shawell sandpit/landfill;

Five Red Kite, then Great-crested Grebe still.  An adult Yellow-legged Gull dropped in.

Pitsford reservoir; afternoon. Reserve area

Plenty of Wigeon, seven Pintails, only five Pochards seen, c25 Lapwings on the dam.   

Several Greenfinches around the ringing /feeder area.

Stanford reservoir; 

News that four Whooper Swans had dropped in, so I popped in on the way back from Pitsford, they were still present.

12th Oct - light showers am, clearing to sunny spells, light W, 13C

Shawell Sandpit/Landfill; morning

No Ferruginous Ducks today (checked again late afternoon), further it seemed that quite a few other ducks, Pochard and Tufted, have gone, but six Gadwall and a Great-crested Grebe were new in.  Otherwise, just the regulars.

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

No sign of  yesterdays Ferruginous Duck here either.  Numbers seemed about the same with nothing new noted.   Four Red-crested Pochard (two males and a female in Keepers bay and a lone female on the main water).

A few Goldcrests with the Long-tailed Tits now, a Treecreeper along the river by-pass path.   

11th Oct - widespread grass frost (0C), last night. Sunny, light breeze SW, 12COct -

Willey;

Last night the aurora borealis displayed very well and such a rare event here was magnificent o see, the following pics were taken about 2200h, although it lasted in to the early hours of today.

Now the bad news, John M had seen the Little Egrets again the following day in the same field.  However this morning he found a dead one with its head missing in the field.  How did this happen??

Two Ravens and a Red Kite were over the village about 1400h.

A Comma and Large White were seen during the day here.

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

It was all rather serene and calm here today.  Six Red-crested Pochards were seen, otherwise just the regulars, although a Coal Tit was present in the pines with Blue Tits near the Water Tower.  A single Grey and two Pied Wagtails were on the dam.  

A male Stonechat was in the adjacent weedy field near the track.

I saw Steve Wright who had just seen a Clouded Yellow (photographed too), first for the year!

Then early evening Chris posted he had found a female Ferruginous Duck, I wonder if an ex-Shawell bird, I shall check tomorrow.

10th Oct - sunny am, cloud increasing pm, mostly light NNW, 10C

Willey' Male Blackcap in Church lane hedge this morning.

Shawell sandpit/landfill; afternoon.

The two Ferruginous Ducks still present.  Often associated with the Pochard, but also the Tufted.  15 Teal, two Shovelers.

Red Kite 16.  Plenty of Gulls to search through.

9th Oct - sunny spells, with showers developing, some heavy, light-mod NNW, 15C

Willey;

Sparrowhawk flew along the street, c1515h

Two Little Egret spotted by John M in Cow Close field (sprayed for ploughing and spread with muck) behind the village pond, c1715h, three Swallows went over and a Buzzard too.  We've not had many Little Egrets in the parish, so notable.

  

Lilbourne Meadows; morning

Plenty of Teal and Wigeon, a Little Grebe, nothing new though.

8th Oct - mostly cloudy, mod SE-SW, 15C

Willey; morning

Green Woodpecker in home paddock and Chiffchaff in Church Lane.

Plenty of Blue and great Tits making for the Church Yew trees, along with 4 Greenfinches.