9th August Sunday - Hot, hot, hot! 29C, light breeze, mostly W

Willey

A Black rabbit was seen in the Perkins fields (middle hedge/spinney corner.  A recent release?  Funny, as we recall often seeing a black Rabbit here along time ago (25 years?).

40 Swallows on the wires 1650h

Ash Tree Farm, Bitteswell; morning.

A quick walk around here; all rather quite.  Little Grebe, Moorhen and Mallards on the lake.  Two Green Woodpeckers and two Ravens in adjacent sheep field.

Eyebrook Reservoir; afternoon.

Waders included a Ruff and Black-tailed Godwit, five Dunlin, 4 each Greenshank, Snipe and Green Sandpiper, two Common Sandpipers, two Ringed and three Little Rind Plovers, 148 Lapwings.

Plenty Common Terns, Little Egrets and a Grey Heron.

High over a mixed flock Swifts and House Martins (often chasing the Kites away when too close) and Swallows over the water).

Several Egyptian Geese including a pair with two mid-sized goslings.

Six Red-legged partridges came to drink., Linnets and Goldfinches.

A Clouded Yellow flew past the Leics bunker.

8th August Saturday - Another scorcher, 26C, light breeze, hazy sunshine pm.

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Notables included male and female Redstarts, a Green Sandpiper and Curlew..

Shawell sandpit/landfill; morning.

Single Egyptian Goose, Lapwing and  1CY Caspian Gull.

Greylag flock up to 155 today.

Brandon Marsh; afternoon. Water levels low, some pools dry

The European White-fronted Goose was with the Greylags on East Marsh, been seen on/off since the winter and prob last years bird too.

A Common Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plovers.  A Kingfisher.

A few Teal,, Gadwall and Tufted Ducks.   A Common Tern pair and two juvs.

Several Little Egrets and Grey Herons.

A couple noisy Jays, small passerines included Goldcrest, Blackcap and Chiffchaffs.

7th August Friday - Sunny, light W, 24C

Stanford Reservoir; evening

This evening birds included two each Green and Common Sandpipers, a Hobby, three Grey, two Yellow and numerous Pied Wagtails.

The female Ruddy Shelduck was again present, also several Teal and Shovelers.

A single Lapwing on the dam.

Warblers were very active, with a Lesser Whitethroat showing well 'flycatching' from the boundary hedge

Still plenty of Common Terns present with youngsters, c20.

6th August Thursday - Sunny intervals, mod W, 22C

Willey; two Hedgehogs at the feeder last night - on the camera.

Red Kite over the fields to the east, 0800h

Daventry Reservoir CP; afternoon.

A view from the platform over the reservoir.  Six Common and three Gren Sandpipers, plus Lapwings. 

A single Common Gull among the Black-headed Gulls.  Five Shovelers, single Little Egret  and c10 Common Terns.

A good number of House Martins over the reservoir.

Shawell Sandpit/Landfill area; evening.

33 Little Grebes (included one on a nest) and single Great Crested Grebe.

A Green Sandpiper.

c10 Swifts over feeding and a few Sand Martins.

Two Caspian Gulls (1CY, 2CY) and three Yellow-legged Gulls (2 ads, 1CY) among the flock.

5th August Wednesday- cloudy a little drizzle early, then sunny spells, light, mod and fresh/blustery late pm, West, 22C

Bittesby Country Park; morning.

On the lake were two broods each of Tufted Duck and Little Grebe, 6 and 2 and 4 and 2 respectivelty.

A Clouded Yellow was spotted near the community orchard on adjacent path.

Lilbourne Meadows, evening.

A Curlew, Green Sandpiper and 57Lapwings were at the island pool.  A Little Egret flew in.  Only one Greylag, four Canada Geese and two Mallard.  

A hen Pheasant with four poults in the meadow.

4th August Tuesday - mostly cloudy, 22C, light S/SW. Cold front thru late afternoon/evening with brief light showers and blustery wind

Willey.

A Red Kite and Buzzard top fields first thing and three Mistle Thrushes feeding in the long field.

Stanford Reservoir; evening

A single Teal on the dam with other ducks, a female Mandarin just off the dam and the female Ferruginous Duck (been here a few days now) with Tufties on the main water.

A Hobby flew over.

3rd Aug Monday - sunny hot, 30C, light East

Willey;

A family of 6 half grown Red-legged partridges with female in long field, 0815h.

I have been putting food and water out for Hedgehogs the last few nights, the food had been taken and fortunately the camera trap confirmed a Hedgehog coming to the food.  Others in the village have been feeding them too during the hot dry period and have seen adults and younger  (smaller) ones. So, we still have Hedgehogs in the village.

Daventry Reservoir; afternoon.

Visited here to see the two Spotted Redshanks that have been present a couple of days, they were showing well.

Also birds included three each Little Ringed Plovers Common Sandpipers.  Little Egrets and Grey Heron. c10 Little grebes and c50 Lapwings. a nice mix of other commoner birds were present too.

The water level is quite low allowing a good wide muddy shoreline - one to watch as autumn progresses.