Saturday, 21 February 2026

21st Feb - mostly cloudy, light-mod SW, 13C

 Lilbourne Meadows; morning

c300 Wigeon, c 150 Lapwing, a Curlew and Several Golden Plovers.

Plus the other regular wildfowl, a Red Kite and Raven.

Bittesby CP.

Checked the lake today for WeBs count, only 3 Mute Swans.  A couple of Buzzard, Skylarks and Goldfinches around.

Magna Park, Central.

Check the lake for WeBs count and some of the woodland border.  A Water Rail, three Tufted and Canada Geese, 4 Moorhens.

c12 Goldfinch, Long-tailed Tits, Treecreeper.


Friday, 20 February 2026

20th Feb - cloudy, short light showers/drizzle at times, light SW, 10C

Willey.

Busy but I spot three Red Kites together over the field east of the village.  How good it would be if a pair bred in the parish.

Thursday, 19 February 2026

19th Feb - cloudy, NW, 5C - feeling colder.

Daventry res; afternoon.

Popped down to see the Slavonian Grebe which has been preset 2/3 days, nice looking bird.

A few Goosander, Goldeneye and Pochard plus other regular waterfowl.

Wednesday, 18 February 2026

Tuesday, 17 February 2026

17th Feb -sunny, thin high cloud forming mid-morning, light NW, 5C

Willey; morning

A Red Kite over 0930h.

Late morning the female Blackcap was spotted in the church lane hedge again. Hopefully, te male is around still.

Also, a Greenfinch, Chaffinch pair, Blackbird and three House Sparrows at the feed station.





Stanford Hall; afternoon.

A check here for the White-fronted Geese, not present though.

A Great Egret was lake side.

Lilbourne Meadows.

Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal, Mallard and Gadwall (22).  c25 Lapwings

Three Song Thrushes, a Fieldfare, Green Woodpecker, c10 Goldfinch.






Monday, 16 February 2026

16th Feb - a few short showers, 7C, light/mod NW. Touch of frost last night

Soar Brook Lake; morning.

There was very little here, four Cormorants, a drake Teal and a Coot.

A single Greylag flew over, but worrying were two dead Greylags, which no doubt had bird flu.  Not good news here for the other wildfowl usually present.

Sunday, 15 February 2026

15th Feb - Rain until 1300h, then showers, light S, 7C

Another disappointing wet day, but at least the afternoon was bearable. However, birds are on the move and green shoots of Spring are appearing widely.

Shawell sandpit/landfill; afternoon

Duck numbers were low, 24 Teal, c 10 Mallard, c15 Tufted and 8 Gadwall.  Six Little Grebes and c100 Coot.

It seems that Common Gulls enjoy flying towards a Coot or Little Grebe, perhaps to steal food, only for the other bird to quickly dive out of the way.  It happened lots of times.

14 Red Kites, Ravens heard and 13 Lapwings.  A singing Song Thrush.

Stanford on Avon - monument field.

The monument field held a good flock of Canada and Greylag Geese and with them 35 Russian White-fronted Geese. Presumably the same ones which have spent their time in the vicinity of Stanford reservoir, but there must be some movement as numbers do vary a little.