28th August Friday - some rain early, them sunny spells until late afternoon a thunderstorm and heavy showers. Through the night until 0800h 22mm, during today until 1900h another 14mm.

Willey;  Three Greenfinch in the church lane hedge and the Swallows were on the wires again - 0800h.

Daventry Reservoir; afternoon.

A wader fest today - Greenshank 2, Ruff 1, Curlew Sandpiper 3, Common Sandpiper 2, Green Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit 1, Pectoral Sandpiper 1, Oystercatcher 1, Spotted Redshank 1, Dunlin 3.

A Pintail, two Common Terns, three Grey Herons.  Swallows, House and Sand Martins.

27th August Thursday - RAIN at last. We had 30mm between 0730 and 1400h, then sunny spells, 22C. Thunderstorm and rain during the evening.

Willey - Village and Moors Lane

46 Swallows were on the wires.

A Blackcap, Lesser whitethroat and Chiffchaff were in the hedge opposite the sewage works gate, at 1430h.

Bittesby Country Park; afternoon

No 'chats' found.  Buzzard, Red Kite, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

Ullesthorpe, Manor Farm; afternoon.

c20 House Sparrows and four Collared Doves.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

Fairly quiet.  Male redstart still present.

Three Snipe, Seven Mallards, 42 Lapwings, Kestrel, four Meadow Pipits, only two Starlings.

Little Owl, Grey Heron four Goldfinch.

26th August Wednesday - high clod, light E, humid, 21C

Willey; a Nuthatch calling from the church lane hedge, a holly Blue on the church garden hedge. 

Stanford Reservoir; afternoon.

Common Sandpiper on dam, along with several Yellow and Pied Wagtails.

Female Mandarin Duck at the point.  Ferruginous Duck still present.

Ravens over calling.  Green Woodpecker, two Meadow pipits and several Linnets.

Shawell Sandpit; evening.

520 Greylags and 125 Canada Geese in, many from Stanford res. 

Common Sandpiper, 11 Lapwings, three Ravens.

The final Little Grebe pair has hatched (between this and my last visit here) and have three fledglings around the nest.

25th August Tuesday - Sunny, mod-brisk E, 25C

Lilbourne Meadows; early evening.

The male Redstart was showing in the same spot as last visit. 

At the island pool area , 67 Lapwings, two feeding Snipe and a Wheatear.  A Little Egret dropped in, as did a few Swallows.

Six Pheasant (the family previously see, this time with a cock bird present).

c60 Starlings were feeding on the dry flood pool area.  Linnet and Goldfinch seen.

A Fox hunting in the long grass and a Muntjac walking about.

[We may may well be in for some meaningful rain after today - we shall see - fingers crossed.]

24th August Monday - sunny, 22C, light, becoming brisk late pm for a while.

Willey;  A Red Kite of the fields to the east and a Kestrel came over the village and hovered over the pikel paddock for a while before heading of back west.  A Nuthatch was calling along the disused railway line trees.

Stanford reservoir; late afternoon.

On the dam was a Yellow-legged Gull, along with Black-head Gulls, three Common Sandpipers, Pied, Grey and Yellow Wagtails, five of the latter were together in the spillway.

A Wheatear was occasionally on the Spillway-field fence line and showed well at times.

Swallows, House and Sand martins were feeding over the dam-spillway area.

Six+ Linnets were around.

Two Spotted Flycatchers were on the entrance drive fence line.

23rd August Sunday - Sunny, 23C, light nNW

Willey; A Kestrel first thing in the Perkins fields.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

A male Redstart was showing well along the entrance fence line.

The island pool is now getting very low in water.  Six Snipe flew over calling, after circling they landed in another damp area nearby.

32 Lapwings, a Grey Heron and three Mallard,four Stock Dove on the dry shore. A few Swallows occasionally dropped in for a drink.  A couple of Kestrels around the meadows.

Two Foxes.  Small Heath and Painted Lady seen and a Black-tailed Skimmer.

22nd August Saturday - mostly sunny, mod NW, 21C

Eyebrook Reservoir; afternoon.

A Red-necked Phalarope was report, as quite infrequent in the Midlands I popped over to see it.  It was showing well along the inlet channel. The last one I saw was one I found on the flood pools at Lilbourne Meadows in 2024.

Other waders included Ruff, Greenshank, Dunlin, Lapwing, Little Ringed and Ringed Plovers, Green Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, a Wood Sandpiper and Snipe.

Several Yellow Wagtails, an Osprey over hunting, the 1-summer Whooper Swan and Common Terns still.

Theddingworth; afternoon

Hummingbird Hawkmoth