14th Oct - light rain pre-dawn, then some drizzle am, cloudy, light easterly, 11C

Willey; morning

Whilst checking the church lane and fields a Sparrowhawk came past and spooked everything, flushing c10 Redwings from the hedge, then more from another hedge further on, so about 20 Redwings around today.

Shawell sand pit/landfill; afternoon.

20 Red Kites around today.  Still seven Mute Swans, but few ducks again, only three Teal with the Tufties.

13th Oct - high flat cloud, 10C, WNW-SW

Willey; first thing four Yellowhammers and a Mistle Thrush in the Perkins fields area.

Lilbourne Meadows; morning

Fairly quiet, two Little Egrets, 5+ Meadow Pipits, Green Woodpecker,  flock of 14 Goldfinch.

Shawell sandpit/landfill;

Five Red Kite, then Great-crested Grebe still.  An adult Yellow-legged Gull dropped in.

Pitsford reservoir; afternoon. Reserve area

Plenty of Wigeon, seven Pintails, only five Pochards seen, c25 Lapwings on the dam.   

Several Greenfinches around the ringing /feeder area.

Stanford reservoir; 

News that four Whooper Swans had dropped in, so I popped in on the way back from Pitsford, they were still present.

12th Oct - light showers am, clearing to sunny spells, light W, 13C

Shawell Sandpit/Landfill; morning

No Ferruginous Ducks today (checked again late afternoon), further it seemed that quite a few other ducks, Pochard and Tufted, have gone, but six Gadwall and a Great-crested Grebe were new in.  Otherwise, just the regulars.

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

No sign of  yesterdays Ferruginous Duck here either.  Numbers seemed about the same with nothing new noted.   Four Red-crested Pochard (two males and a female in Keepers bay and a lone female on the main water).

A few Goldcrests with the Long-tailed Tits now, a Treecreeper along the river by-pass path.   

11th Oct - widespread grass frost (0C), last night. Sunny, light breeze SW, 12COct -

Willey;

Last night the aurora borealis displayed very well and such a rare event here was magnificent o see, the following pics were taken about 2200h, although it lasted in to the early hours of today.

Now the bad news, John M had seen the Little Egrets again the following day in the same field.  However this morning he found a dead one with its head missing in the field.  How did this happen??

Two Ravens and a Red Kite were over the village about 1400h.

A Comma and Large White were seen during the day here.

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

It was all rather serene and calm here today.  Six Red-crested Pochards were seen, otherwise just the regulars, although a Coal Tit was present in the pines with Blue Tits near the Water Tower.  A single Grey and two Pied Wagtails were on the dam.  

A male Stonechat was in the adjacent weedy field near the track.

I saw Steve Wright who had just seen a Clouded Yellow (photographed too), first for the year!

Then early evening Chris posted he had found a female Ferruginous Duck, I wonder if an ex-Shawell bird, I shall check tomorrow.

10th Oct - sunny am, cloud increasing pm, mostly light NNW, 10C

Willey' Male Blackcap in Church lane hedge this morning.

Shawell sandpit/landfill; afternoon.

The two Ferruginous Ducks still present.  Often associated with the Pochard, but also the Tufted.  15 Teal, two Shovelers.

Red Kite 16.  Plenty of Gulls to search through.

9th Oct - sunny spells, with showers developing, some heavy, light-mod NNW, 15C

Willey;

Sparrowhawk flew along the street, c1515h

Two Little Egret spotted by John M in Cow Close field (sprayed for ploughing and spread with muck) behind the village pond, c1715h, three Swallows went over and a Buzzard too.  We've not had many Little Egrets in the parish, so notable.

  

Lilbourne Meadows; morning

Plenty of Teal and Wigeon, a Little Grebe, nothing new though.

8th Oct - mostly cloudy, mod SE-SW, 15C

Willey; morning

Green Woodpecker in home paddock and Chiffchaff in Church Lane.

Plenty of Blue and great Tits making for the Church Yew trees, along with 4 Greenfinches.

7th Oct - sunny periods, light SSW, mild 17C Showers about

Eyebrook reservoir

Visited here to see the Long-billed Dowitcher that was found yesterday, showing well on the 'island' spit, a juvenile.

Also here four Greenshanks and a Yellow-legged Gull dropped in.  A Marsh Harrier flew over along the reservoir.

Four Black-tailed Godwits at the inlet end, three Stonechats there too.

6th Oct - cloudy, light breeze SE, 13C, a little light drizzle late

Willey; early afternoon.

A Chiffchaff in the Church lane hedge, two Swallows over.

Shawell Sandpit/Landfill area; morning

The two Ferruginous Ducks are still present, and the Pink-footed Goose was with the Greylag flock.

Two Wigeon, four Pochard, two Shovelers, a Teal.

Green Woodpecker, six Red Kites, and a Buzzard.

5th Oct - Mostly sunny, 16C, mod SE

Shawell Lagoons/landfill; morning

The two female Ferruginous Ducks still.  Two Wigeon and five Pochard, eight Little Grebes, seven Mute Swans.

Seven Red Kites, c20 Ravens.

A Red Admiral

Lilbourne Meadows; morning

Nothing new here, c100 Teal, 25 Wigeon and a Little Grebe

Bittesby Country Park; afternoon.

No Stonechats found today.  Two Buzzards, a Kestrel, Long-tailed Tits and Chiffchaff in thick hedge

DIRFT, Northants

Checked the development area behind Royal Mail, still to be development and has many flood pools present, but some work is underway at north end.  It may product some habitat for the winter as it did last year.

A male and female Common Darter were warming themselves on a gate post, may about.

4th Oct - Sunny, light S, 16C

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

A Yellow-browed Warbler along the Northants side near the SM bank, where it was reported yesterday, seems untinged. This is at least the third one in the last week here, how incredible.

Female Pintail.  Several Chiffchaffs.

Painted Lady, Red Admiral and Large White

3rd Oct - mostly sunny, 15C, light Easterly

WIlley;

John M said he had one Swallow in the Stables this morning.

Three Redwings were in the Church area feeding this morning, along with several Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and a Mistle Thrush.  Mostly, feeding on the Yew berries.

Four Greenfinches, a Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker. Two Goldcrests and a Chiffchaff in the Church Yews.

c1700h, a Sparrowhawk circled over before moving off.

Bittesby Country Park; morning

Two Stonechats in  the weedy fields feeding, an adult and a 1W.

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

Still no joy in finding a YBW on the Leics side, among the Long-tailed Tit and Chiffchaff flock there was potential, but too quick before disappearing.

Severn Red-crested Pochards, the female Pintail still, a Shoveler and two Teal among the Wigeon and Tufties.

On the car park Buddleia were two Red Admiral and three Comma butterflies.

2nd Oct - cloudy am, some drizzle, cloud slowing breaking, late sunny spells, mod-fresh NE, 14C

Willey, morning

Six Swallows around the Sheep feeding, first thing.

Lilbourne Meadows; afternoon.

c100 Teal, c20 Wigeon and five Shovelers on the flood pools.

Two Swallows and a House Martin around, Kestrel over.

Shawell Sand quarry;

Two female Ferruginous Ducks still, plus all the regulars.

The 'escape' Cackling Goose was with the Greylags again, but remained asleep all the time.

1st Oct - rain-drizzle most of the day, light/mod/blustery N, 12C, About 20 mm again

 Shawell Sand pit; early evening.

A quick check in the poor conditions, but the two female ferruginous Ducks were showing well in the usual area.

Large number of Greylags present too.