Monday, 21 September 2026

21st Sept Monday - very warm, 2C, light SW_W, Sunny

WIlley; several Red admirals spotted during the day.  A Red Kite over and Nuthatch calling 0)915.

Shawell Sandpit/Landfill; evening

A quick look, dusk is creeping ever earlier now!

A Great Spotted Woodpecker in road side trees.

A 1W Caspian and 2 1W Yellow-legged Gulls.  

Not so many ducks this evening, 10 Teal though.  c50 Greylags and c35 Canada Geese - hoping a PInk-footed will drop in locally now they are returning to Norfolk.
A Grey Heron (not often seen here).  A single Buzzard in the spinney trees.









Sunday, 20 September 2026

20th Sept Sunday -

 Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

A feeding flock c40 Linnets near the Island pool.  On the pool only Canada and Greylag Geese and a Mallards. 

Four Meadow Pipits on the fencing and a few Skylarks on the rough meadows.

Four Greenfinch and several Goldfinches around the game cover corner.

Rutland Water; afternoon.

Caught up with the Lesser Yellowlegs which has been present a couple of days.  Other waders included Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Ringed Plover, Snipe, Ruff and Green Sandpiper.  A single Common Tern.

A Hobby was hawking Dragonflies over lagoon 2.

Butterflies included a Clouded Yellow, Common Blue, Small White Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and a worn Brown Argus.



size compared to a Greenshank






Saturday, 19 September 2026

19th Sept Saturday - cloudy until pm then sunny spells, breezy SW increasing blustery SW later, mild 22C

 Willey; first thing a Kite over Earls Furlong field and two Ravens over the Perkins long spinney area.

Shawell Sandpit/Landfill area; morning.

Now 12 Teal and seven Shovelers, both increasing slowly.  A Common  Sandpiper.

Five red Kites and 15 Ravens over the landfill area.

39 Lapwings at the south pit.

One Caspian Gull and 30 Great Black-backed Gull, plus the usual LBB and BH Gulls.

Stanford Reservoir; late afternoon.

Estimate 110 Shovelers from part count, a few Teal c10.

Four each Little Egrets and Grey Herons.

Spillway four Grey Wagtails.  Six Chiffchaffs around the pump house, plus other in waterside trees.

A Green Woodpecker. and single Swallow.

Friday, 18 September 2026

18th Sept Friday - sunny intervals, mod SW 19C, late afternoon/evening cold front passes, fresh-blustery SW, some light rain, feeling cool.

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Four Meadow Pipits and Skylark and Grey Heron on the meadows, Green Woodpecker heard.

Island pool, npoth9ng new.

Single Kestrel and Swallow.  Two Linnets and c10 Goldfinches around.

Bitteswell- Ash Tree Farm; afternoon.

Rather quiet bird-wise, a Buzzard over, Green Woodpecker on the wildflower meadow.

A Common Blue, two each of Red Admirals and Speckled Woods.

Thursday, 17 September 2026

17th Sept Thursday - a little light rain early, then sunny intervals, mod W becoming fresher later, 19C

Frolesworth Manor Lake; morning. 

A walk around the lake area, Mute Swan family still, Tufted, Moorhens, Coots and two Great-crested Grebes.
Three Swallows over, c 20 Linnets on the game food area and a single Greenfinch in the hedge. 
Four+ Chiffchaffs.


Theddingworth, afternoon.

In a walled garden area, a Clouded Yellow, 2+ Common Blue and 3+ Small Coppers.

Wednesday, 16 September 2026

16th Sept - sunny spells, mod SW, 19C

Willey; no Swallows seen for a couple of days now.
Usual Red Kite over mid morning.
A small Frog, about 2cm at Rose Cottage.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

A Mute a few Mallards, a single drake Gadwall, Canada and Greylag Geese and two Lapwing at the island pool.

A Green Woodpecker, two Linnets. feeding.

Watched a Roe Deer feeding for quite awhile.










15th Sept - mod W, 19C, sunny spells.

Misterton; morning.

Checked the woodland and lake around the church area.  Nuthatch, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Goldcrest, Coal Tit.
Buzzard calling from tree perch.

Three Speckled Woods and a Red Admiral.