31st Mar - Frost last night -2C. Today cold, 5C, mod-gusty NE, lots of wintery snow/hail showers, sunny spells, no ground covering though.

Stanford reservoir;  a walk along the Leices bank to the dam area.  c100 Fieldfare and 10 Redwings feeding on arable field. Little Egret at settling pool.  11 Goldeneye, 3 Teal, 1 Wigeon, 4 Pochard, a few Gadwall.   Usual mix of Gulls.

Goldcrest, Treecreeper, Jay, 18 Goldfinch, 2 Stock Dove, Pied Wagtails 3, 1 Grey Wagtail.

 

30th Mar - a change in weather during the day, wind swinging NE, increasing to mod, becoming cold, low 4C by late afternoon, a few short light rain showers.

A busy day, so only time for a quick late look.

Stanford reservoir -  a evening look, weather not ideal.. Shoveler 8, Teal 2, only a couple of Pochard and no Wigeon seen, one Goldeneye, three Gadwall.

29th Mar - cloudy, Misty start, slowly clearing and cloud breaking a little, light NE, 8C

illey; a Red Kite flew over, low, 1100h, moved northwards.  midday c40 Redwings flew passed east towards the BH wood area.

I watch a pair of Goldfinches as they collected nest material and took it to a Yew tree near the Church.

Cossington Meadows; a visit here in the evening.  a good selection of birds, including a pair of Garganey on Teal Pool.  Two female Goosanders, Oystercatcher pair, several Lapwing, plus the other regular ducks.  Two grey Herons, two Little Egret and a Great Egret.  A Snipe on the wader scrape, several Wigeon too.  Cetti's Warbler heard and a Green Woodpecker.

28th Mar - cloud, then a sbhort period of fog, clearing to sun, 16C, light SSE

Willey; a couple of Red Kites circled over village (1130h), the drifted off south.  A Kestrel was atop a tree next to the allotments-village lane (1900h)

John M has told me he has seen Green Sandpiper on a muddy area on two occasions in the last few days, there were two birds on once.  

Shawell sandpit/landfill;  in the spinney a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and two Redwings.  Only the regulars in sandpit/landfill area

27th Mar - mostly cloudy, misty first thing, light ENE 12C

Stanford res; pm, Leics side highlights'  Goldeneye 9, Shoveler 2, c100 Wigeon, Kestrel 2, Chiffchaff 4+, Cetti's Warbler, male Grey Wagtail.  A Lapwing displaying and Skylark song on adjacent arable fields.  A couple of Jays, a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

20 Ravens feeding on Sheep carcass - inlet field.

26th Mar - touch of frost last night, Sunny, light NE, 18C

Willey; a few (e5) Fieldfares were heard in the top spinney trees first thing.

Lilbourne Meadows; pm.  a Oystercatcher,  2 Lapwings, c60 Wigeon, Teal, Shovelers, Gadwall, Little Grebe 4, Shelduck 3.

A5 Pools/DIRFT; a further Shelduck. Wigeon, Tufted, Gadwalls, Teal, a Little Egret.

Shawell sandpit/landfill area; another Shelduck, plus all the regulars, 9 Red Kites.  Single Gadwall and Pochard.  

A couple of Foxes, one resting another scent-marking.

25th Mar - sunny, light E, 17C

Willey; A Red Kite flew, low, south over home, 1130h

Shawell Sandpit/Landfill area; a look here this afternoon, all the regulars, including a pair of Egyptian Geese.  Again the two female Pochard, including the nasal saddle H9H bird (marked in France).

24th Mar - sunny, 18C, light NE

Harborough Magna; checked the sunflower field, but it seems the Finches have definitely departed now, the bird of note being a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the Hedge trees.

WIlley; No records of Tree Sparrows this winter at my feed station,,the first time this has occurred.

A couple of male Yellowhammers were present today.

This morning, a Blackcap singing in the Church Lane hedge and another in the Long Spinney near Muswell Leys entrance

Stanford reservoir; evening.  fairly quiet, a single male Goldeneye and Goosander.  c 25 Fieldfare and c5 Redwings came to roost.

23rd Mar - mostly sunny, light SE, 18C

Shawell sandpit/landfill; pm.  A look here, nothing new. Gadwall pair and two female Pochard still (including the nasal Saddle bird - which was at Stanford reservoir yesterday).  I counted 30 Ravens around the site.  Also, four Lapwings feeding around the pools.

Lilbourne Water Meadows; a look this evening. Shoveler 29, Teal c40, Mallards, Little Grebe 4, Lapwing 1, Oystercatcher 2, Greylags 4, Canadas 2.  Stock Dove  - five feeding, a small Starling pre-roost flight c150. 

22nd Mar - sunny, 18C, light SE.

A very warm day for March.

Willey;  three Redwings on old railway this morning first thing, a Jay flew passed the barn buildings to the east.

21st Mar - Frost last night. sunny, clouding over am, light SE, 12C

Shawell Lagoons; pm. Great Crested Grebe, Lapwing 5, Greylags 2, Canada 3, Cormorant 1, Buzzard over. Tufted Ducks and Mallards, Gulls included LBB, Herring, Common and Black-headed.

Shawell old gravel pit pool; Little Grebe, Mute Swan pair with nest., Song Thrush singing and single Redwing flew over.

Shawell sandpit and landfill; two Gadwall and Pochard (including H9H nasal saddle bird). Shoveler 22, Teal 71, Little Grebe, Lapwing 2, Snipe 1, four Red Kites over, 10+ Ravens.

20th Mar - touch of frost last night. Sunny, light easterly, 10C

WeBs count day - highlights

Soar Brook Lake; 

Cormorant 2, Oystercatcher pair, Tufted, Mallard, Little Egret, Mute Swans 2, Little Grebe 2, Raven and Meadow Pipit over.

Mere Lane Lake;

Little Grebe 2, Tufted Duck 16, Kestrel, Chiffchaff singing, Mute Swan pair - on nest.

Harborough Magna; checked the sun flower field, unfortunately very few birds, only 5 Linnets, no Chaffinch or Brambling seen.

19th mar - sunny, mod-fresh easterly 15C, but feelinging cooler

Magna Park Lake area; am. a couple of Chiffchaff singing, a couple of single Long-tailed Tits seen in different areas, a jay, a Greenfinch singing.

On the lake 8 Tufted, a Little Grebe, Coot 3 and a Moorhen.

Stanford reservoir; pm.  Goldeneye 5, Shoveler 5+, c20 Wigeon, Gadwall.  A Kestrel,  Chiffchaff singing, 4 Tree Sparrows, Linnet 2, Bullfinch 2, Great Spotted Woodpecker (male).

Comma Butterfly.

Shawell sandpit/Landfill; pm.  2 female pochard, including the one with nasal saddle H9H.,  Gadwall pair,  8 Red Kites, Shelduck 3, plus other regulars.

18th Mar - Hint of ground frost las night. Sunny, light SE, 15C

Lilbourne  meadows; early pm, viewed wet meadow area.  Shoveler 3, Teal 27, Wigeon44, plus Mallards, Greylags, Coots, Moorhen and a Little Grebe.

Shawell sandpit/landfill; Not too many Gulls in the sandpit, plenty over the landfill until spooked.

Four Lapwings, Teal, Shoveler, Shelduck (3), and female {Pochard with a nasal Saddle - light green H9H.  Was also seen here on 14th Jan (Ian Bartlett), details being obtained.

Eleven Red Kites, 5+ Ravens, two Buzzards.

17th Mar - a touch of Frost last night. Sunny with cloud forming pm, light SW, 11C

 Busy day - no sig obs.

16th Mar - cloudy, dull am, rain, steay-heavy all pm, 9C, light NW

Willey; a very wet pm.

This morning a Green Woodpecker flew over home, and a Red Kite drifted slowly, low westward.  

c10 Goldfinches and 6 Greenfinch around. A Goldcrest pair in the Church Yew and lane.

15th Mar - a touch of Frost last night, sunny spells, high cloud, light SE, 14C

Willey; first thing a Chiffchaff was singing along old railway line next to BH wood.

1130h - c 30 Redwings and c5 Fieldfares flew south over the Church.

Shawell sandpit/landfill area, pm.  highlight was a juv Glaucous gull that showed well.

Also, c10 Ravens, 4 Red Kites, two pair Shelduck,  a good number of Shoveler and  Teal.

A Fox on the prowl and a probable Peacock Butterfly flew past.

14th Mar - mostly sunny, light SW, 12C

Willey; a busy day for me, but a neighbour (RT) reported a Hedgehog and Brimestone butterfly in their garden today.

Which reminded me that we found a hibernating Hedgehog in the hay barn last week, left it alone.  I wonder if this one or another.

13 Mar - high cloud, sunny spells late afternoon, 12C, mod SE breeze

Willey; a couple of Coal Tits at feed station mid-day.

Shawell sandpit/landfill;  early pm. Shelduck 3, Teal 51, Shoveler 31, Pochard 2, Mallard c10, Wigeon 6, Lapwing 10,  Red Kite 5, Ravens 5+, Linnet 5

Stanford reservoir;  Oystercatcher  and female Goosander on the dam, single Shoveler, 14+ Goldeneye.  Two Great Egret near the hide point.

Bullfinch pair, male was singing.

12 Mar - cloudy, sunny spells, mod breeze SSE, 11C

No obs today

11th Mar - cliudy, luight rain pm, light SE, becoming mod and occasionally with guts, 11C

Harborough Magna; I checked the sun flower field just after lunch.  c70 Linnets, c25 Chaffinches, and c15 Bramblings.  Difficult counting today as the birds were staying on the ground in the crop, out of the wind/rain.

10th Mar - sunny spells am, cloudy pm, light/mod SSE, 11C

WIlley;  Another mild day, still busy but I did notice a Jay in the trees opposite the allotments, also Greenfinches singing first thing.  A good number of Redwings and Fieldfares feeding on the pastures around the area.

9th Mar - 11C, light- mod SE, sunny spells.

No obs today

8th Mar - frost last nioght -2C, thenn sunny all day, 11C, light-gentle SE

No obs today

7th Mar - cloudy, becoming sunny pm, light NE, 7C

 Busy day, no obs.

6th Mar - mostly cloudy, sunny spells later, light ENE, 7C

Willey; 10+ Stock Doves around the farm building/barns and cattle sheds to the east of the village.

Late afternoon I checked the paddock feed station, now six Yellowhammers.  Among the Jackdaws one showing characteristics of the Nordic race.  

1700h - c20 Redwings flew in to the old railway area, no doubt to roost.

5th Mar - mostly cloudy, mod-fresh N, 7C but feeling very cool.

Shawell sandpit/landfill; early pm.  47 Shovelers were feeding in the pools.  c100 teal, Tufted, Mallard and a couple of Wigeon.  Four red Kite and a Buzzard.  A Grey Wagtail flew off leaving several Pied Wagtails.

4th Mar - cloudy, some drizzle, light WNW, 7C

Willey; first thing two Grey Herons headed over calling, southward.

Two Yellowhammers again at the paddock feed station, afternoon.

3rd Mar - cloudy, light SE, 11C, occasional sunny spell.

Willey;  A Green Woodpecker called in the fields behind the Church this morning.   Late afternoon several Greenfinch were around the Church trees.  

2nd March - cloudy, light-steady rain mist of the day, lught ESE, 6C

Lilbourne Meadows; pm. Two Mute Swans, c100 Wigeon, several Shoveler, Teal, three Tufted Ducks and Mallards.  Redwings and Fieldfares and two Goldfinches feeding on the shelter bank. 

1st March - cloudy, mostly light NE, 8C

Harborough Magna; am.  checked the sunflower field for Finches this morning.   Brambling still present, c30, although tricky to get good views today, also c30 Chaffinches and c50 Linnets.

Stanford reservoir; pm.  a walk here, all the regulars,highlights were seven Goosanders and c150 Golden Plovers flying over arable fields.   Reed Buntings are pairing up and returning to territories now as are Skylarks returning to the adjacent arable fields.  Spring is coming!