19th April - Sunny spells, light-mod NW, 13C

Lilbourne Meadows; morning

Dunlin still present.  10 Teal and Tufted Duck air on island pond.

The Oystercatcher and Redshank pairs showing and vocal today.

Three Wheatear along the meadow fence posts.

Single Yellow Wagtail.

Two drake Wigeon.

Stanford Reservoir; afternoon.

Three Common Terns, two Oystercatchers.

Drake Goldeneye and Shoveler pair.

Raven over. Red-legged Partridge pair.

Plenty Warbler activity, Reed Buntings and c15 Linnets feeding near the car park.

Brimstone, Peacock, Speckled Wood and Orange-tip seen.

18th April - 14C, sunny spells, mod SW breeze

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

At last a new arrival on the wader front, a Dunlin.

The two drake Wigeon still present.

Other recent regulars still present.

Shawell Sandpit/Landfill area; morning.

The Egyptian Goose family still.  Two Shelducks chasing each other.  10 Red Kites, several ravens.

Three Mute Swans and three Little Grebes.

Female Orange-tip

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

Mixed flock House and Sand Martins high over the res.  Several Sedge Warblers singing, Whitethroats and Willow Warblers too, and a Grasshopper reeling in Blowers L Bay.  Cetti's Warbler heard.

Pair Goldeneye and a Little Egret.  Two Common Sandpipers on the dam.

Two Red-legged Partridge at the dam area.

Brimstone, Peacock and Orange-tip butterflies in reasonable number

17th April - mostly cloudy, light/mod SW, shower early evening, 15C, feeling quite cool

Rookery counts:

Willey Long Spinney (two sites in the spinney) had a total 0f 190 nests, last year 206, so no change I would say within the limits of counting error.

Lutterworth SP58 10km square; 26 Rookies, largest was 88 nests with a square total of 566, which is 87 nests (18%) more than last year, so a definite increase in this area this year.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

Not too pleasant weather and cool probably resulted in nothing new being found, although the Redshank was seen.,

16th April - sunny intervals, outlying pm, mod-light blustery SW, 16C

Soar Brook Lake, morning

Rather quite.  A Great Crested Grebe, not seen often here.

6 Canada Geese, Coots and a Moorhen.

Lilbourne Meadows - afternoon winter flood pools area.

Also quiet, 2 Wigeon still.  Pied but no Yellow Wagtails.

Blackcap singing.

Lilbourne Meadows; afternoon

A look over the winter flood pools area, nothing new from recent visits.

Lutterworth, evening

Checked out the building where the Gulls nested last year.  There were eight Lesser Black-backed and two Herring Gulls in the area and on the building, showing territorial behaviour, so will keep an eye on the site to see if nesting does occur.

15th April - sunny spells developing, mod-brisk SW, 19C, showere later afternoon/evening

Norfolk

Hunstanton Cliffs.

Six Fulmars seen along the cliffs in breeding locations.

RSPB Titchwell

Plenty to see here, including Marsh Harrier pair, 16 Mediterranean Gulls displaying, a large group of Sandwich Terns dropped in, c100 Brent Geese, Little Ringed Plovers, Black-tailed Godwits, Sanderling and Turnstone and much more.

North Point Pools

Typical collection of waterbirds here, including Avocets, two Egyptian Geese, Redshank, Curlew, Snipe'

A Kestrel with prey on a post.

14th April - Sunny spells, SE/S, 12C

Lilbourne Meadows, morning.

Two Wigeon, Shoveler pair, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 10 Starlings, Blackcap singing.

Bittesby CP, morning.

A good number of Skylarks singing in territories, two Reed Buntings, Kestrel hunting.

Whitethroat and Blackcap singing.

13th April - Sunny spells,,light SW, 12C

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

I checked out the flood pools area, again not passage waders, hopefully soon.

Two Wigeon still.  Two Yellow Wagtails.

Watched a Chifchaff gathering nest material in the corner 'wood'.

Otherwise, all the recent regilar bords.

Three Roe Deer (2 stags).

Bittesby Country Park; top north side/development sites.

A Wheatear, Skylark and Yellowhammer (male).

Kimcote; evening.

1815h, c40 Fieldfares in field trees next to lane at SP572859.