31st March - rain most of the night. Rain/drizzle all day, light/mod NW, 11C

Willey;

c10 Fieldfares on pastures to the east of the village.

Honey Hill (nr Welford); afternoon.

Checked here for Ring Ouzel, none.

Singing Mistle Thrush, Yellowhammer pair, Chiffchaff, two Song Thrush.

30th March - showers am, sunny spells pm, mod-freshening SW, 15C

Willey;

c30 Fieldfares Hurls Furlong and top fields.

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

Two female Goosanders on dam, 10 Wigeon, 14 Goldeneye, 8 Pochard, 19 Gadwall, 5+ Chiffchaffs heard, a Jay, Mistle Thrush pair on dam,c30 Sand Martins, Oystercatcher pair on field pool.

29th March - light rain at times, light/mod SSW, 12C

Willey; morning

Four Ravens over the top Sheep fields first thing, a Jay in the top Spinney flew over to Magna Park trees.

c 30 Fieldfares feeding on the pastures.

Croft - A Alpine Swift was seen by Dale Green  outside his front door!  I made it over there ASAP, but it had moved off. - not to be seen again .

Stanford reservoir -0 1600h

Two Swallows present.

28th March - rain most of day, mod SSE/S, 8C feeling cold

Willey;

A Blackcap was singing a little in the church lane hedge first thing.

Lilbourne wet meadows; evening

Very little here, 13 Shovlers were present.

27th March - a grass frost last night. Sunny spells, light SW, 9C

Shawell sandpit/landfill; afternoon.

Ian posted news of a white-winger, photos suggested an adult Iceland Gull.  I was able to go for a look.  The bird was asleep and din't show well for awhile,  Eventually, better views and I was sure it was an adult Iceland.  Some distant record shots through the heat haze were possible.

Later Simon Roberts had arrived but the Iceland had moved off.  We decided to see if it was on the water in the sandpit, it wasn't.  However, I had to leave and had only made it a short way along the road when Simon called to say he had found a Little and Mediterranean Gull in the sandpit.  So, a quick turn about and thankfully both were still present.  The Little Gull was busily feeding over the water.

ossible adult Glaucous, just after lunch, fortunately I was able to go for a look.  The 

26th March - light rain earlier, mod NE, 7C feeling cold

Willey; 

c70 Fieldfares and c20 Redwings on the pastures to the east first thing.

Shawell sandpit/landfill, afternoon.

Nothing new to yesterday,, except two Little Grebe.

25 Ravens, Egyptian Goose family.

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

A Mistle Thrush, flew to a nest, may be feeding young.

A Shelduck was present, c 10 Goldeneyes, plus the other usual ducks.

A Grey Heron .  A pair of Long-tailed Tits.

25 March - sunny spells, mod/brisk SW, 14C

Shawell sandpit/landfill; morning.

Egyptian Goose family still present.  c20 Ravens, three red Kites.

Two Green Sandpipers were feeding along the edges.  

A Shelduck pair, Tufted, Teal, Mallard, Gadwalls, two Shovelers, 30 Coots.

Lilbourne 'wet' meadows, afternoon

22 Wigeon, Shoveler, four Gadwall,  c50 Teal, eight Greylags and two Canadas, a Buzzard.  Male reed Bunting, Greenfinch and Goldfinch heard.

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

Three Grey Wagtails on the dam.  c5 redwings and c50 Fieldfares in bushes, flew off south, six Goldeneye, a Sparrowhawk, only one Wigeon seen.  SIngle Chiffchaff singing.

24th March - sunny spells, sharp short showers afternoon, mod-blustery SW, 13C

Willey:

Six Redwings and 5 Fieldfares were seen in the back field and near Hurls Furlong field respectively. 

Shawell sandpit/landfill; afternoon.

The Gulls weren't showing particularly well in the sandpit, and seemed to disperse early today.

Most notable was a pair of Egyptian Geese with nine goslings, about a week old.  Surprisingly I have not seen the adults here this year, but they must have been in the vicinity somewhere close.

First brreding site record, maybe foirst for SW Leics.

20 Gadwalls, 6 Shovelers, Teal, Tufted, 2 Mute and Greylags, c10 Canada.

23rd March - cloudy, mod S-SW, 13C, showers late/evening

Willey;

This morning I saw a Mistle Thrush flew out of the Long Spinney in to the top corner field over the coal pit lane.  Interesting, only because I not not seen or heard a Mistle thrush around the village since early year.  We usually have a couple of males singing.

22nd March - sunny spells, 13C, mod SW

WIlley - two Small Tortoiseshell butterflies chasing each other this morning near the allotment gardens.

21st March - cloudy, breezy W, 12C

Abbey Park, Leicester

A look around the lake and river weir areas.

Gadwall pair, six Shovelers, two Cormorants, 12 Moorhens, eight Coot, Canada and Greylag Geese, five Magpies, c20 Woodpigeons.  A couple each of Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Black-headed Gulls.

Goldcrest and Blackbird singing.

20th March - mostly cloudy, some drizzle at time, light S, 13C

Willey;

c20 Fieldfares and c10 Redwings feeding on Hurls Furlong pasture with c60m Starlings.

mid-afternoon a Red-legged Partridge was in the church lane, if was flushed in to the paddock and ther it sat atop the wood pile singing before moving off.

 Willey; 1130-1200h

Checked my paddock fee station and church area.  Two pairs of Chaffinches and a pair of Yellowhammers still visiting as were two each of Stock and Collared Doves.

A Goldcrest singing in the Church Yew, on which a female Sparrowhawk settled for a short while.  A Chiffchaff  worked down the church lane hedge and two Ravens flew over low call, with their wings 'whooshing' sound as they passed over heard.

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

A single Oystercatcher on the dam.

c30 Goldeneye still, two drake Shoverlers, c 10 Gadwall - much drake/duck chasing.

Along the Leics ide six Chiffchaffs, a jay, a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming in the adjacent wood.   c40 Fielfares and c5 Redwings flew in to trees.

18th March - sunny spells, showers, 13C, light SSE

Lilbourne Meadows - afternoon

c60 Wigeon, c0 teal, nine Shoveler,, Gadwall pair, Mallard pair, Tufted Duck pair, Coot 12.

Two male red Buntings at feeder.

DIRFT- A5 Pools - Curlew

Shawell sandpit/landfill area

Shelduck 3, Gadwall 18, Wigeon 12, Coot 29, Teal c40, Tufted Duck c15, Shoveler pair, Coot 29, Mute Swan 2, Red Kites 5, Raven heard.

Juv Glaucous Gull - dropped in for a wash - same bird as recorded earlier this month.

Willey, post heavy shower rainbow.

17th march - cloudy, 14C, light SW

Willey; morning

Next to the Barns to the east a pair of Yellowhammers, two Pied Wagtails and a Meadow Pipit were feeding where a hay feeder had been.

A mixed flock of Redwing and Fieldfares were feeding on the pasture next to the Perkins spinney.

In the afternoon four Ravens were noted flying parallel with the long spinney then off south.

Lutterworth Starling  roost.

I checked this evening and apart from c50 they was no big roost occurring today.

16th March - cloudy, light rain late, light-mod breeze SW, 11C

Willey, 0830h

c30 Fieldfares and c10 Redwings with Starlings feeding on the pastures to the east.

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

On the dam a Grey Heron, female Goosander and an Oystercatcher.  In Blowers Lodge Bay five further Goosanders and 31 Goldeneye - lots of display going on.. Two Drake Shovelers on the main water.

Three redwings in the orchard area.

15th March - cloudy, light S, 7C, light rain early evening

Willey; a red Kite first thing flew low over the fields next to the village lane -cola pit lane junction towards the Long Spinney.

14th March - sunny spells am, clouding over, showers later, light-mod W, 8C

 A few Redwings and Fieldfares about.

A Blackbird has started singing in the garden area from about 1700h, its great to hear it and the promise of Spring proper.

13th March - Strong-gusty SW, 13C, showers am, drier bright late pm

WIlley; early afternoon.

c50 each of Redwings and Fieldfares feeding on the barn field pastures, along with c200 Starlings.

12th March - cloudy, light-mod S/SW, 13C

Soar Brook Lake

Two Oystercatchers, two Canada Geese, a Teal pair, single Wigeon, 15 Mallard, a Common Gull, two Little Egrets, a Great-crested Grebe..

Eight Redwings.

11th March - Last night frost about 0-4C. cloudy, slowly warming during the day, 6C

No obs to report today.

10th March - more light snow through the night, this morning mod N and snow- blizzard like. Clearing to sunny pm, with some thawing. 3C

No obs today.

9th March - light snow on/off through the nigt, about an inch this mor ning. Light snow, turning to rain afternoon and some leting., 2C, mostly light easterly.

Willey;

Despite the wintery conditions  this morning the Goldcrest was heard quietly singing in the snow covered Church Yew tree.

8th March - Winter returned. Frost last noght -2C. Light snow through the day, sometimes light rain before returning to light snow/sleet. Mostly a Light easterly, 2C

No obs today

7th March - cloudy, a few sunny spells, light NW, 5C

Willey;

I checked my feed station early afternoon.  A male Yellowhammer, a Chaffinch pair, four+ Greenfinches, 11 Jackdaws, a single Long-tailed Tit, six House Sparrows, a Great-spotted Woodpecker, Great and Blue Tits, three Robins, two Dunnocks, a Stock Dove.

A Green Woodpecker 'laughed' nearby.

6th March - cloudy, light W, 7C, increasing showers late afternoon-evening.

No obs today.

5th March - cloiudy, light breeze, 6C

Wiley;

First thing, c50 redwings, 5 Fieldfares and c300 Starlings feeding on pastures form the Barns to the top spinney.

Stanford Hall Park; afternoon

Two Oystercatchers feeding on the grassland with c100 Canada Geese.  c 30 Wigeon too.  A Cormorant and three Mute Swans.

Shawell Lagoons;

24 Tufted Ducks, a Great-crested Grebe, three Teal and five Wigeon.  c 25 Black-headed Gulls, three Common Gulls, a Moorhen and Coot.

4th March - cloudy, light NW, 6C

Lilbourne Meadows; afternoon.

Two Oystercatchers. Lapwing, Shoveler c20, Teal c60, Gadwall c20, Wigeon c25, Little Egret, Tufted Duck 1, a Kestrel pair.

DIRFT/A5 Pools - more development work activity - looks like the area has gone.

3rd March - cloudy, light NE, 6C

Stanford on Avon; afternoon

At Park farm, along the Cold Ashby road, there was c30 Chaffinches and 6 Yellowhammers feeding on spilt corn at the farm buildings.

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

A look here didn't turn-up anything new.  A single Red Kite flew over.

Lutterworth Starling roost

Again a murmuration over Lutterworth.  

I checked the Shawell roost, a few hundred Starling on the landfill which flew off towards Lutterworth and joined the large flock there.   None roosting at Shawell as noted before.

2nd March - light cloud, lighter NE breeze, 7C

Shawell sandpit/landfill; 

Thousands of Gulls at the landfill and good exchange with the sandpit.  An Adult Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls seen.

Teal numbers seemed to have dropped, no doubt some are moving off now. c20 Gadwall, c15 Shoveler, c20 Tufted and c10 Wigeon.

c15 Red Kites.

Lutterworth - Starling Murmuration

The Starling roost has been growing, now c20000, and giving a good murmuration from 1730h until they drop to roost.  Probably in  the bushes along old railway track adjacent to M1.

A Peregrine and Sparrowhawk were actively hunting through the murmuration.

1st March - mostly cloudy, drizzle, light short showers, light NE, 6C

No obs today

28th Feb - cloudy, drizzle ar times, mod NW, 6C

Willey

c50 each of Redwings and Fieldfares and c500 Starlings feeding on the pastures near the top spinney.

The Starlings are dropping in post- their dispersal from their Shawell roost.