5th Sept Saturday - sunny spells, mod W, 21C

Willey; a Red Kite over at 1145h.  

Swallows seen during the day with 33 on the wires at 1900h plus a few flying around too.

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

33 Canada Geese, two greylags and a few Mallards at the island pool.  

A Blackcap and willow Warbler moving along the brook hedge.

11 Lapwings and a Little Egret.  Two Kestrels hunting.

A Roe Deer eating hedge leaves through a fence.

Stanford Reservoir; afternoon.

All the current regulars, nothing new on the water, a couple of Little Grebes showing at the point.

Again, several Blackcaps and Whitethroat on the branles near the pumping station.

Two Spotted Flycatchers near the old feeder area.

Butterflies  seen were Common Blue (3), a Comma, a Speckled Wood and several Small Whites

4th Sept Friday - rain till 0900h, then cloudy and mod/breezy, 20C

Willey; no Swallows on the wires due to the rain this morning, but still around as spotted during the evening.

3rd Sept Thursday - sunny spells, light SW, increasing brisk pm WSW, 24C

WIlley; only 7 Swallows noted on the wires this morning.  Maybe a better morning meaning they had already gone off to feed, we shall see.

Daventry Reservoir/park; afternoon.

Less waders today - a Spotted Redshank, three Curlew Sandpipers, a Ruff and two Green Sandpiper.

A Common Tern.

Stanford Reservoir; late afternoon.

I counted 100 Shovelers, and there would have been a few I missed.

Female Mandarin again.  

No further Wigeon yet.

A Hobby chased a Swallow, missed it!

A Common Sandpiper on the dam.  Grey and Pied Wagtails, but no Yellow seen.

2nd Sept Wednesday - cloudy, drizzle early, light rain pm, light SW, then brisk S evening, 19C

Willey; the early drizzle brought the Swallows on to the wires, 76 counted.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

The dull evening and wind meant it was rather quite,  31 Canada Geese and seven Mallards on island pool.

A couple of Kestrel hunting. c20 Swallows and a couple of Pheasants.

1 September Tuesday - sunny spells, light/mod SW/W, 21C

Willey; 24 Swallows noted on the wires, a Red Kite over high westward and a Painted Lady this afternoon on Parsons Close Buddleia.

Stanford Reservoir; later afternoon.

A gathering of 27 Yellow Wagtails in the spillway area was quite a sight.  

Four Blackcaps (3 m. 1f) and Whitethroat were feeding on Blackberries nears the pump room, plenty there for the taking.

A Common Sandpiper on the overflow wall, and a couple of Little Grebes near the dam. Five Grey herons on the dam.

Shoveler numbers have increased dur8ng recent days, now approaching a 100.  Six Teal.

A Tit flock with Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers feeding along the boundary hedge/willows.

Shawell Sandpit; evening.

Two Common Sandpipers, four Teal, a Buzzard, 14+ Stock Doves in to the spinney to roost.

Six Great Black-backed Gulls was an increase on recent visits for me.  A 1W Yellow-legged Gull.

18 Lapwings, single Great Crested Grebe.

Both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

31st August Monday - sunny spells, little drizzle pm, mod-fresh W, 19C

WIlley; 20 Swallows on thew wires 0800h.

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Two Green Sandpipers, six Meadow Pipits, only two lapwings at the pool.

A Kestrel and Green Woodpecker.

Swallows and House Martins over, also a Raven.

Welford and Sulby Reservoirs; afternoon.

Rather quite, little to see.  A Common Sandpiper.  Adult Great Crested Grebe with a juv.

Three Grey herons and a Little Egret.

Husbands Bosworth Sand pit; afternoon.

!8 Little Grebes, probably all the families that bred here. 

c50 Mallard and c10 Turfed Duck, including a female with larger ducklings.  

A Common Sandpiper.

30th August Sunday - sunny spells, mostly light SW, 22C

Willey; only 14 Swallows on the wires this morning, but being sunny and warmer they may have been out over the fields already feeding.

Shawell Lagoons; morning.

Not much around, 28 Lapwings resting.

Stanford Reservoir; afternoon.

The main sighting was a Bittern that flew along the Leics side, eastward, in to the narrows, then lost from view.  Presumably heading to the Leics reed bed.  One was seen a couple of days ago by Chris H.

Three Little Egrets.  Two Common Terns.