25th August Tuesday - Sunny, mod-brisk E, 25C

Lilbourne Meadows; early evening.

The male Redstart was showing in the same spot as last visit. 

At the island pool area , 67 Lapwings, two feeding Snipe and a Wheatear.  A Little Egret dropped in, as did a few Swallows.

Six Pheasant (the family previously see, this time with a cock bird present).

c60 Starlings were feeding on the dry flood pool area.  Linnet and Goldfinch seen.

A Fox hunting in the long grass and a Muntjac walking about.

[We may may well be in for some meaningful rain after today - we shall see - fingers crossed.]

24th August Monday - sunny, 22C, light, becoming brisk late pm for a while.

Willey;  A Red Kite of the fields to the east and a Kestrel came over the village and hovered over the pikel paddock for a while before heading of back west.  A Nuthatch was calling along the disused railway line trees.

Stanford reservoir; late afternoon.

On the dam was a Yellow-legged Gull, along with Black-head Gulls, three Common Sandpipers, Pied, Grey and Yellow Wagtails, five of the latter were together in the spillway.

A Wheatear was occasionally on the Spillway-field fence line and showed well at times.

Swallows, House and Sand martins were feeding over the dam-spillway area.

Six+ Linnets were around.

Two Spotted Flycatchers were on the entrance drive fence line.

23rd August Sunday - Sunny, 23C, light nNW

Willey; A Kestrel first thing in the Perkins fields.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

A male Redstart was showing well along the entrance fence line.

The island pool is now getting very low in water.  Six Snipe flew over calling, after circling they landed in another damp area nearby.

32 Lapwings, a Grey Heron and three Mallard,four Stock Dove on the dry shore. A few Swallows occasionally dropped in for a drink.  A couple of Kestrels around the meadows.

Two Foxes.  Small Heath and Painted Lady seen and a Black-tailed Skimmer.

22nd August Saturday - mostly sunny, mod NW, 21C

Eyebrook Reservoir; afternoon.

A Red-necked Phalarope was report, as quite infrequent in the Midlands I popped over to see it.  It was showing well along the inlet channel. The last one I saw was one I found on the flood pools at Lilbourne Meadows in 2024.

Other waders included Ruff, Greenshank, Dunlin, Lapwing, Little Ringed and Ringed Plovers, Green Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, a Wood Sandpiper and Snipe.

Several Yellow Wagtails, an Osprey over hunting, the 1-summer Whooper Swan and Common Terns still.

Theddingworth; afternoon

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

21st August Friday - sunny spells, mod N, 20C

WIlley - two Mistle Thrushes feeding top long field, first thing (now a little damp after 5mm yesterday).

Stanford Reservoir; afternoon.

Relatively quite, a female Mandarin was present again, also seven Shovelers, single Teal and a male Pochard.

A couple of Common Sandpipers, and two Grey Herons on the dam.  Common Tern pair with chick still on a raft.

A flock of 45 Cormorants were present, at one time most of them were taking part in coordinated fishing activity.

Warbler activity in the waterside Willows and boundary hedges, mostly Chiffchaffs.

A couple of Little Egrets over the dam.

 

20th August Thursday - sunny spells am, cloud increasing, showers during the afternoon, 4mm, 22C

Willey - a female Blackcap in the garden at midday.

Pitsford  Reservoir; afternoon.

Scaldwell bay - 5 Greenshank, a juv Ruff, 3 Black-tailed Godwits.

Near dam/dam - a Golden Plover and Common Sandpiper.

Plenty of Lapwings about, 4 Great and 2 Little Egrets.  Plenty of Teal and a few Pochard.

A Spotted Flycatcher in other bushes and a Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat in the ‘ringing’ thicket.

hirundines around and very high.

Butterflies included several Small Heath, 2 Clouded Yellows, a Painted Lady and Green-veined Whites.

19th August Wednesday - Sunny intervals, mod W, 23C. a few spits of rain - nothing really.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

At the island pool a Green and Common Sandpiper and a Snipe feeding.  33 Lapwings and a single Grey Heron.