1st April - cloudy, very light-light WSW, 12C

Willey; Green Woodpecker 'yaffling' and great Spotted Woodpecker  'drumming'  - heard through the day.

Shawell Sandpit/landfill area; evening

28 Tufted Duck, several in groups after a female - although usually one drake had the lead and chasing the others away.  Only 8 Teal.

Seven Red Kites, several Ravens. 

A single Lapwing, a Little Grebe pair.

One Coot sitting on nest, other building etc.

31st March - cloud am, sunny periods pm, very light breeze, 16C

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

Several Greylag and Canada Geese, one Canada on a nest.

Eight Lapwing, four Little Ringed Plovers, a Redshank and two Oystercatchers.

14 Wigeon, 27 Shovelers, plus Teal, Gadwall and Mallard.

Single LBB and Black-headed Gulls, two Common Gulls, A Kestrel flew over.

30th March - mostly cloudy, with a brisk, blustery NW developing during the day, 10C, but feeling cold again.

WIlley; 0830h - a Swallow over John M's stables again, as he reported on Saturday (28th).

Checking records back to 2011, I had a Swallow on March 30th in 2016, but the earlies was one on the 20th in 2014.

29th March - Sunny spells am, cloud increasing to wintry showers then light rain, cold blustery NW wind, 9C

Lilbourne Meadows; afternoon.

An Oystercatcher, Redshank and four Little Ringed Plovers.  Also, the Water Rail was showing again in the  same location on the field.

Nine Starling feeding, I think these are local breeders from the village.

Only two Wigeon spotted, plus Teal, Shovelers and Gadwall.

Stanford Reserevoir.

11 Swallows and two House Martins plus the odd Sand Martin around.

Six Goldeneye , one Goosander, eight Pochard, didn't spot any Wigeon in the areas I checked - could have been some at inlet end though, a single female Teal.

Two Oystercatchers on the dam, 20 Cormorants fishing as a group nearby.

A Blackcap was singing a little at the orchard corner.

28th March - Chilly night. Sunny spells, brick/blustery NW, 11C, but feeling cold. Wintery showers brief and widespread mid-afternoon.

Willey;  John M saw a Swallow at his about 1300h.

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Four Little Ringed Plovers, a couple of Lapwing, a Little Grebe and the usual, Ducks.

In the corner trees, several Goldfinches, a Greenfinch pair, a Goldcrest and CHiffchaff.

Shawell Sandpit; morning.

A drake Shelduck and female Egyptian Goose were new in.  35 Tufted Ducks, a few Teal, only a single Little Grebe spotted.  Two lapwings.

15 Ravens, only two Red Kites, a single Buzzard.

Stanford Reservoir; afternoon.

Most notable was the present of Swallows (6), Sand Martins (15) and a House Martin.

Five Goldeneye, and four female Goosanders.

Two Sparrowhawks together, looked like they were mating.

A male Grey Wagtail in the spillway and a Grey Heron near the overflow.

A single Peacock Butterfly was seen,

27th March - cloudy, light rain/drizzle at times, mod SW, 10C

Lilbourne Meadows; afternoon

Surprisingly, the Water Rail was again showing well and feeding on the pasture near the hedge as before.

Five Little Ringed Plovers were feeding next to the flood pools, along with a few Lapwing.

Notable reduction in Wigeon numbers since last visit, c 40.

The usual Ducks on the flood pools, plus a Mute Swan, and a single drake Tufted on the island pond, plus two Cormorants.

Three Oystercatchers were noted, a single Raven flew over hassled by the local Carrion Crows.

26th March - sunny spells, mostly mod NW, 10C

No obs of  note today.