2nd May Sat - sunny/hazy sun, light SW breeze, 17C, a bit humid, light rain from 1900h

Willey; Little Owl seen again, flew from post in to thick hedge.

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Greenshank still.  Three Wigeon (2 drakes and a female) on the flood pools.

Otherwise the current regulars.

Shawell Sandpit/Landfill; morning.

The Egyptian Goose family still present, but appears to be one gosling missing.

A single Ringed Plover was present, also a Common Sandpiper.

c 20 Sand martins were over the water of the south pit.

Four Shelducks on the soil heaps near the landfill.

Six Red Kites and several Ravens.  Very few Gulls around, mostly flying over and not landfilling today.

Brandon Marsh; afternoon.

A look here again today..  The Black-winged Stilts were still present, and new a pair of Garganey.

Four Hobby hawking over the marsh, and a Cuckoo singing.

A good number of Garden Warblers singing,plus Blackcap, Reed and Sedge Warblers.

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Sand Martins, Cetti's Warbler Treecreeper, Little and Great Crested Grebes to mention a few more.

A single Red Admiral seen today.

!st May Friday - Sunny, light breeze, 24C

Willey; first thing a Mistle Thrush was singing and Great Spotted Woodpecker flew into  the back field trees.

Lilbourne Meadows; morning

I only checked the winter flood pools area.  The Greenshank and Common Sandpiper were still present. Plus a Yellow Wagtail and other regualars.

Brandon Marsh; afternoon.

News of a pair of Black-winged Stilts on the east marsh made me decide to have a look there, the Stilts were showing well still.  

Oystercatchers and Canada Geese had young.  Two Garden Warblers singing near Carlton hide.

A Single Hobby watched  hawking.

Butterflies were showing well, Orange-tip, Peacock, a Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Holly Blue, Brimstone, Small Copper (2) and Green hairstreak (4).

30th April - Sunny, 22C, Fresh Easterly, easing in the evening.

Lilbourne Meadows; afternoon.

Notable today were a Greenshank on the flood pools and a White Wagtail on the island pool with Yellow and Pied Wagtails.  The Common Sandpiper was also still present.

The Canada Goose hatched since my visit yesterday and has nine goslings.  A single Shelduck was present for a while.  The Redshanks were mating. 

A Small Copper was spotted, first site year record.

Stanford Reservoir; evening

A couple of Wigeon (I suspect the two from Lilbourne Meadows). Three Shovelers too.

Four common Sandpipers on the dam, also a Yellow Wagtail and the first Greylag brood of four goslings.

Just as I was leaving a Whimbrel flew along the Res, calling.

29th April - Sunny, fresh/strong Easterly, 17C, but feeling cool

 Willey; morning

Grey Partridge pair and Little Owl seen again.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

The current usual birds plus the Common Sandpiper still and a female Egyptian Goose (possibly the one popped down from Shawell) and my first site record.. 

Linnet and Goldfinch pairs.  Goldcrest singing in the small corner spinney.

20 Starlings gathering food on the Sheep pastures.  Two pairs Yellow Wagtails. 

Two Roe Deer, moulting their winter coats.

28th April - light rain/drizzle early, thn cloudy, but sunny pm, mod-fresh NE, 12C, cool

Husbands Bosworth Sand Pit; afternoon.

Little Grebe 2, Mallard 3, Gadwall 6, Tufted 13, Swallow 2.

Lilbourne Meadows; afternoon.

New bird was a Common Sandpiper.  Shelduck pair still present (female is lame). Single drake Wigeon still.

10 Swallows and 15 House Martins over island pool.

Two yellow Wagtails around.  Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap singing.  15 Starlings busy gathering food from the Sheep pastures.

27th April - Sunny, 20C, light NW

Lilbourne Meadows; afternoon.

Pair Shelduck, two Gadwall, pairs Redshank and Oystercatchers.

Single Wigeon drake still.

WhHitethroat singing.

Misterton; afternoon.

Two Nuthatches near the Church. Chiffchaff and Song Thrush singing.

Heron at the lake, Buzzard over.

26th April - Mostly sunny, light breeze, 21C

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

On the flood pools area a Shelduck pair, single Wigeon and two Mute Swans.

At the Island pool a Wood Sandpiper was feeding (first of the year here), plus the other regulars, including two Gadwalls and Little Egret..  

A Whitethroat and Reed Warbler were singing in this area.

Tywell Hills and Dales; afternoon.

Met up with Mick and Sandra (the butterfly lady) to search the area for Dingy and Grizzled Skippers and Green Hairstreak, we did find all of these.   Other butterflies included Peacock, Red Admiral, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood Orange-tip and Brimstone.  

A moth, that can be confused with a Skipper, was seen which at first was thought to be a Old Mother Shipton, but didn't look quite right, and I believe it was a Latticed Heath moth.

A Hornet was spotted too

Latticed Heath.

We also noted ants carrying small green caterpillars in to their tunnels, I shall have to explore this further..

Birds included Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, garden Warbler and Yellowhammer