14th May - Light rain till mid-day, then cloudy, mod SE, 16C

Lilbourne Meadows - early afternoon.

Wood Sandpiper still present, plus two Common Sandpipers, a Dunlin and a Redshank.  Plus the usual Ducks.

Several Swifts about, plus a few House Martins - the latter not seen often here.

19 Starling busily gathering food on the sheep pasture and taking it off.

13th May - cloudy, light-mod, fresh evening, S-SE-ESE, 19C

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

A Wood Sandpiper (often feeding with the regular Redshank), two Common Sandpipers, usual Lapwing.

17 Canada Geese - most have been some passing birds.  Two Little Egrets, Shoveler pair, Teal -pair and single drake, Gadwall - pair and single drake.

Stanford reservoir; evening.

Two Hobbies hawking low over the water.  Plus the other regulars.

12th May - sunny and very warm, 25C, light E

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Still no wader passage on the flood pools, but 5 Little Egrets feeding.

Five Buzzards circling and calling over head, 4 drake Gadwall and a single drake Shoveler, otherwise similar to recent visits.

Northants wood; afternoon.

Two Nightingales singing, Green Woodpecker, Garden Warbler and Blackcap, a Green Woodpecker also a Cuckoo.  Red Kite with nest.

Still so few butterflies around after the very wet and cold April, only a few Orange-tips, a Brimstone, Red Admiral and a couple of Speckled Woods.

11th May - Sunny, light ESE, 23C

Lilbourne Meadows, morning.

Nothing new today.  Whitethroat singing near the entrance gate, two Little Egrets and Redshank.

Rutland Water; afternoon.

Went to see/hear the Savi's Warbler.

Passage waders included a Turnstone, a Greenshank, two Grey Plovers, and a Sanderling.

Several Hobbies overhead.  A couple of Swifts.  Two Jays flying over the reed bed.

Cuckoo singing.

A regular colour ringed Black-headed Gull 2CCS.

10th May - Sunny, ,24C, light ESE

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

Eight Black terns were still present from this morning. 

Cuckoo singing, a Common Sandpiper on the spillway overflow wall.

Back to the Song Thrush, Paul Bunyard spotted it singing this morning and took this fabulous video of it singing, enjoy.

Lilbourne meadow, evening.

Nothing new in, a Redshank was present, at least the flood pools are drying and we shall soon have some mud.  Teal and Shovelers pairs again.

Eleven Starling were busy collecting food and taking it off to youngsters somewhere close.

9th May - Sunny, 23C, light NNE

Lilbourne Meadows; afternoon

The Dunlin was still present and a Redshank showing.

Lesser Whitethroat singing.

Stanford Reservoir; evening

Nothing new, a Raven calling.

Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Sedge Warblers all singing.

There was a Song Thrush singing beautifully from a branch in the sun and I tried to get video bu it was no good, however see tomorrows notes.

8th May - Mostly sunny, 22C, light SSW

Lilbourne Meadows - evening

Dunlin still, single Lapwing, Gadwall and Teal pairs, Shoveler, two drakes and a pair.  A single Little Grebe feeding.  Whitethroat singing.

Shawell sandpit/landfill;

Egyptian Goose and Little Grebe pairs.

Great Spotted Woodpecker in the spinney. 

7th May - Sunny periods, 19C, light NNE

Lilbourne Meadows; afternoon and evening.

Common Sandpiper, Redshank and a distant Dunlin.  Green Sandpiper and three Tufted Ducks in the evening.

Gadwall pair, Shoveler drake.  Lapwing displaying.

Goldfinch pair.

6th May - Sunny, light NE, 18C

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Common Sandpiper, two Redshanks, Mallard with a brood.  A Shelduck. Gadwall two drakes. A  Little Egret.  Two Stock Doves.

Two Roe Deer and a Fox on the bank.

Shawell sandpit/landfill;

Five Gadwall drakes, a Little Egret (unusual here).   A Coot with 5 youngsters.

Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Eyebrook reservoir; afternoon.

Acres of mud but no waders!  But, a Redshank and Oystercatcher on the stony area of the 'island' area.

Five Black Terns, 12 + Common Terns.

Stonechat pair, inlet area.  A Red Kite and Buzzard.

5th May - mostly sunny, 17C, calm-light S

Willey; afternoon.

A pair of Grey Partridges on Moors lane field.  c200 Woodpigeon feeding on arable field close to WIlley Fields Farm.

Lilbourne Meadows, morning

Little Egret, A Redshank, Kestrel, Lapwing 1, Sedge Warbler, Shoveler drake, Gadwall drake, Mute Swan 2, Skylark pair, Meadow Pipit song/display. 

Goldcrest singing, Goldfinch  too.

Bittesby Country Park; afternoon

This area behind Magna Park and the Mere Lane has been converted in to a country park area.  A lot of new habitat has been created, still very new.  The lake area has a path all around it so will be disturbed quite a bit, but other area, like the rough fields, which have currently been left and tree planting/hedges has been done in places. 

Compered to the intense arable fields which were here there will be greater wildlife variety, and if maintained in a similar way, despite the area lost to warehousing it may proof beneficial overall.

Skylarks and Linnets on the rough fields.  Pair greylags on the lake.

Chiffchaff and Blackcap in the older original areas.

Mere Lane lake; afternoon.

$ Little Grebe, one with 2 youngster being fed.  Coot - 2 nests and one with 2 youngsters.

Mute Swan pair.

Shawell Sandpit; evening

Shelduck pair; £ Oystercatchers - lots of 'piping' and chasing one away.  Teal - two drakes.Red Kite 6

4th May - sunny periods, mod WSW, 17C

Lilbourne Meadows; morning

Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat singing.  A Little Egret at the pools

A Roe Deer and Fox on the bank

Stanford reservoir; afternoon

An Arctic tern with the Common terns still.  Single female Goldeneye.

Two Common Sandpipers at the settling pool.

Two Garden Warblers and as three Whitethroats along the Leics bank.

A Grey Wagtail pair collecting food for youngsters.

Cetti's Warbler singing.

3rd May - fine drizzle am, turning to light/steady rain pm until evening. 10C, light WSW

Willey; morning

A Goldcrest singing in the Church lane hedge.

Lilbourne Meadows; afternoon.

Pairs of Gadwall, Shelduck, Shoveler and Mute Swan

A Green Sandpiper and 2 Redshanks.

Interestingly, on the pasture, 29 Starlings were collecting food and taking it away - presumably for youngsters in the village.

Stanford reservoir;

Main activity was centred on Arctic Terns. One was found earlier by Chris and was still there when I arrived.  A little later out of the cloud and rain 8 dropped in and quickly left eastwards, leaving one again.  Some while later four were present.

12 Common Terns were present also.

Finally,  take a look at this super video of a Short-eared Owl taken by Paul Bunyard at a private site.

2nd May - light NNE, 19C, cloudy, misty/hazy afternoon/evening

Misterton; afternoon.

Two Goldcrest males in territory dispute.  Six Greylags on the lake, being kept of the island by a Canada Goose (nest?).

A female Greenfinch.

Stanford reservoir;

Three Hobbies hawking over the water, four Common Terns.  Two Oystercatchers on the mud area in field.

A male Grey Wagtail collecting food.

Cuckoo singing.

Shawell Sandpit/Landfill; evening.

Shelduck pair, Oystercatcher pair, Egyptian Goose pair flew in (behavior as if just off a nest).

Green Woodpecker called.  Three Red Kites, plus Ravens.

A Sparrowhawk came by and a Peregrine flew over quite high eastward.

1st May - 18C, light NW, sunny spells

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

A Stock Dove pair, Shoveler pair,one Little Grebe.

DIRFT 3; behind Royal Mail

Ominous row of dumper trucks suggests this area is likely soon to be 'developed'!

Shelduck, Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing displaying