10th May Sunday - high broken c,loud am, sunny intervals pm, mod-fresh NE, 13C, feeling quite cool.

Willey;

First thing a Raven over.

Two Grey Partridge at middle gate, four Canada Geese and four Mallards at Earls Furlong pond area.

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Nothing new, a Little Egret and Grey Heron, a Redshank and Oystercatcher pair (lost first brood).

Single Swallow and House Martin over. Sedge and Reed Warbler singing near island pool.

Stanford Reservoir; afternoon.

Not much happening on the water, c 12 Common Terns and four Black-headed Gulls see (hope they don't drive the Terns off the rafts).

A Hobby and a few Swifts hawking over the water.  

Plenty of Garden Warblers singing and the occasional Blackcap.  A Whitethroat was carrying food.

Butterflies were - Peacock, Red Admiral, Green-veined Whoite, Orange-tip and Speckled Wood.

Quite a few Damselflies about to.

9th May Saturday - hazy sunshine, 20C, light SE

Willey;

Little Owl again.   

J Moore found a Pheasants nest with 18 eggs on the edge of a grass field.  We don't find many nests these days, since local shoot on Newnham paddox ceased.

Stanford Reservoir; morning

Rather quiet with no Sandpipers seen on the dam.  A Red Kite over. Cuckoo, 3, singing.

Northants Wood; afternoon

Visited a wood where Nightingales occur, heard one singing, no chance of seeing it though.

Garden Warblers, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs singing well.  Jay and Green Woodpecker.

Yellowhammer on the hedge, two Red-legged partridges, Pied Wagtail pair, House Sparrow pair on the farmhouse chimney and Collard Dove singing.

6+ Small Heath Butterflies on the sparse meadow, plus orange tip, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood and Large White seen.

A Hare crossed the track.

8th May Friday - sunny spells, 18C, light SE

Lilbourne; early afternoon

Check the winter flood pools, but nothing new, three Little Egrets, a Redshank and an Oystercatcher though.  A Sparrowhawk had caught prey (Starling, I think) and was being pursued by Carrion Crows and Jackdaw in to a hedge.

Stanford Reservoir; late afternoon.

Cuckoo calling and a Common Sandpiper on the dam. Mallard brood, but only to ducklings.

Plus the current regulars.

7th May Thursday - sunny intervals, light NE, 15C

Willey; morning.

0850h, The Grey Partridge pair were spotted in usual area, tried a phone pic from the truck window.

At Earls Furlong pond there was Three Greylag Geese and five Canada Geese.

Towards mid-day I saw the Little Owl in the usual tree.

A Fox walked along the hedge and though the gate, I snapped a phone pic before it spotted me.

Shawell Sandpit - Landfill area; evening.

A check here did not produce anything new, however the Egyptian Goose family are still present and seven Mute Swans were present (mostly immatures).

Ten sand Martins around the south pit.  Only a single Little Grebe seen.

First site brood of Mallards seen

6th May Wednesday - mostly high broken cloud, a few sunny intervals until mid-day. Mostly light NE, 12C

Willey; a Holly Blue and Red Admiral in the Church garden at mid-day.

c19345h, two Foxes were fighting over dead prey (Rabbit), the loser moved off, whist the winner took the prey off.

Holly Blue

Lilbourne Meadows; afternoon.

Two Greenshank and Ring Plovers and three Dunlin.  Single Redshank and Oystercatcher on the flood pools, and a Oystercatcher pair on the island.  Single Wigeon  and four Gadwall.   

c20 Swallows, c15 House Martins, c10 Sand Martins and a single Swift.

30 Starlings collecting food on the pastures. Red Kite over.

5th May Tuesday - 14C, light/mod N/NNE, high light cloud, breif sunny spells later afternoon.

Stanford Reservoir; late afternoon.

Ring-necked Duck still present.  

Chris found a Black Tern first thing this morning, which has stayed all day so far.

On a Tern raft a Black-headed Gull pair maybe nesting - if so it will be the first record I know of for here.

A Common Sandpiper on the dam.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

On the flood pools -  Two Greenshanks, three Dunlin, a Redshank, two Ringed Plovers,  a Oystercatcher, a Grey Heron and Little Egret.   First  record of a Great-crested Grebe.  Gadwall and Shoveler pairs, single Teal drake.

Three Yellow Wagtails around.  Tufted Duck pair on island pool.

4th May Monday - Cloudy, mostly light NW, 12C - cool.

Lilbourne Meadows; morning. 

Notable this morning was a super male Whinchat on the meadows.  Also, a Meadow Pipit collecting food, so presumably has young.

On the flood pools were two greenshanks and five Dunlin, plus three Wigeon (two drakes) and the recent  regulars

Bittesby CP; morning.

It is worth noting that there is a good population of Skylarks and several pairs of Meadow Pipits on the meadows.  Also, a pair lapwings are holding a territory.

Magna Park Central; afternoon.

Great to find 5 singing Garden Warblers, plus Blackcaps and a Whitethroat along then eastern border.  A good population of of Song Thrush too.

Two Long-tailed Tits and Red-legged Partridges.

Stanford Res; evening.

Ring-necked Duck still.  Two Common Sandpipers on dam.

c70 Swallows, c100 House Martins, c50 Sand Martins, c10 Swifts.