18th October Sunday - sunny am, sunny spells pm, mod-brisk NE, 13C

Willey; morning

I was not happy to see a Tawny Owl road casualty on the Coal Pit lane near the village turning.  The amount of traffic now on this road is many time what it used to be with all the development in the area, the Tawny has little hope of crossing, or verge hunting without disaster. 

Late morning - a Mistle and Song Thrush in the Church Yew, plus the other regulars. A Red Kite and Sparrowhawk flew passed. Green Woodpecker called nearby.

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

My first autumn Redwing in the corner copse.

At the island pool the Ruff was still present, but it is walking better now than it was.  14 Wigeon, 5 Mute, 8 Teal, 4 Mallard.

48 Linnets feeding and a Curlew in the adjacent field.

Three Roe deer were spotted near the large bank.

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

The Common Scoter drake found this morning by Chris was still present.  Three 'redhead' Goosanders too.  A distant record shot in bad light was grabbed.

I saw 21 Little Egrets and five Great White Egrets.

c6 Redwings were seen.  A couple of Chiffchaffs with Long-tailed Tits, but not many other passerines about.

17th October Saturday - mod N, 13C, sunny periods

After visiting a vintage sale in Cambs, I popped over to Welney WWT

The Lady fen area was complete dry and the washes had water in the main observatory area, but also very dry eslewhere.

Whooper Swans were present, but many yet to arrive. A female Garganey was visible and was mostly asleep about from the occasional short walk when disturbed by other bird neighbours.

Three Cattle and one Great White Egret, plus a Grey Heron.  A couple of Marsh Harriers and a Buzzard were about, a Peregrine swooped in and out hunting.

Duck numbers were low, Mallard, Wigeon, Shoveler, Teal, Gadwall.

Waders included Snipe (often many flushed by the Harriers), Ruff and Black-tailed Godwit.

16th October Friday - 6mm of rain last night. Sunny spells am, short showers pm, mod-fresh NW, 14C

Willey; no Redwings or Fieldfares seen locally yet!

Morning - around the Church and Church lane area, a Mistle and Song Thrush. Chaffinches, Greenfinches and Goldfinches, a Goldcrest, a Nuthatch.  A Raven calling.

 A Red Kite over mid-day.

Lilbourne Meadows; afternoon.

A Stonechat on the far rough area as before.

On the Island Pool, Mutes, Wigeon, Teal, Mallard and Shovelers, plus a Grey Heron and Kestrel, with a few Starlings moving over.

A Sparrowhawk was spotted preening on a very low branch in the rough grass area.

15th October Thursday - a few sunny intervals am, then mostly cloudy, very warm SW, brisk, 20C

Willey; I did find a half awake Peacock Butterfly in the wood pile this morning, I was moving it to a safer place, but it flew off.

Stanford Reservoir; afternoon

Fairly quiet, but 69 Pochard were counted, plus Teal and Shovelers were present.

16 Little Egret and a single Great White Egret.

Grey and Pied Wagtails, Linnet and Meadow Pipit in the Spillway.

14th October Wednesday - sunny start, then cloudy increasing, mod-brisk SW-S, 19C

Lilbourne Meadows; late afternoon.

At the Island pool 6 Wigeon, 3 Teal, 11 Mallard, 5 Mute Swans and a Curlew.

A Stonechat on the lorry park tall wooden fence. c 20 Starlings on the meadows.

13th October - showers am, sunny later, mod-fresh SW,18C

Shawell Sandpit-Landfill area, morning.

Not much variety, but 48 Teal, four Mute Swans, five Tufted and 14 Mallard.   Coot 71 and six Little Grebes. Plenty of Gulls, several Red Kites and Ravens.

Soar Brook Lake; morning.

Two each Little Grebe, Little Egret and Mute Swans, 14 Cormorants, 105 Greylag Geese,and a Tufted Duck.  Gulls - LBB 35, HG 2, BHG 3

12th October Monday - very mild, southerly, brisk at times, the clouding over pm.

Wells Outer Harbour, dawn

The tide was full in, again little space for waders.  Quiet a few Brent Geese on the water and far marshes.

It was very notable the number of Pink-footed Geese that flew over from the east, many more than I've seen other mornings.  I wonder whether many of these were actually new arrivals.

Cley-  Sea watching; morning.

Movement was very slow with a southerly wind, mostly birds just moving around.

A good number of razorbills on the sea, only spotted one Guillemot though.

Three + Red-throated Divers close-in.  Three Common Scoters passed east.

Titchwell Marsh; afternoon.

Although plenty of birds present, they were those expected, and with the wind now quite brisk most were resting and not doing much.  Only a few Avocets, a single Dunlin, other waders included Ruff, Black- and Bar-tailed Godwits, Snipe, a single Golden Plover, Curlew, Redshank and Lapwing.  

Duck numbers seemed low, only a couple of Pintail, a few Shelduck.