15th April - mostly cloudy, light Easterly, 14C

 Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

A single Shelduck, plus Gadwall, Teal, Shoveler and Mallard.

Three Yellow Wagtails, four Pied, a Little Egret and Grey Heron.

Great Spotted Woodpecker investigation the fence posts for food.

20 Starlings feeding on the meadow.

14th April - Broken cloud, 14C, light S

Lilbourne Meadows; evening

Nothing new.  Eight Yellow Wagtails were notable around the field pools.

Single Little Egret still.

13th April - high cloud, 14C, mostly light SW

Lilbourne Meadows, morning.

Two Yellow Wagtails, three Swallows, two Little Egret, two male Reed Buntings, a Kestrel and two Little Grebes.

Bittesby Country Park; afternoon.

10 Speckled Wood and one male Orange -tip.

Blackcap and Chiffchaff singing, two Stock Doves and a hunting Kestrel.  Several Skylarks on the meadows and cock Pheasants calling/display.  

12 April - Sunny, high cloud increasing, 22C, light SE

 Burton Hastings; afternoon.

A male Ring Ouzel was reported this morning in a Sheep field near the canal.  I made it after lunch, only Gary Hobbs was present.  After watching the male for a sort while, and a male Blackbird collecting food for youngsters, I noticed another bird close by, which I soon realised was a female Ring Ouzel.  This had not been seen earlier by anyone.

Shawell Lagoons

Still 10 Lapwings present on the sand bar, plus a Cormorant, a Teal pair and Little Egret.  It is only my second record of Little Egret at this site.

11th April - Sunny, 22C, light Easterly

Honey Hill; Cold Ashby

A check here for Ring Ouzel, but no joy.  Pretty quiet, but a few Linnets were present.

Lilbourne Meadows; afternoon.

A Redshank, plus the usual ducks.  Green Woodpecker heard.

10th April - Sunny, light NE, 16C. No frost last night.

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Very similar to recent visits, a single Shelduck and Yellow Wagtail were present.

Walton; evening

c15 Fieldfares in field trees discovered whilst doing my annual Rookery count.

9th April - ground frost again, an hour of cold fog, dissipating to sunny day, light-mod NE, 15C

Willey;

A pair of Red-legged Partridges this afternoon east of old railway near bridle gate in to Hurls Furlong.

Lilbourne Meadows; afternoon.

Surprisingly quiet.  Three Lapwings in territory, a Redshank, a Little Grebe, usual Ducks.

Sandy Lane, Cotesbach; afternoon.

A pair of Shelducks on the quarry pit, also three Canada Geese and two Coot.  Three Linnets along the lane.   Several Red Kites, 5+ and two Buzzards.

A Mute Swans on the Sandy lane field pool.

An Orange Tip Butterfly seen

8th April - Ground frost, then, sunny, light easterly, 15C

Willey;

A Tawny Owl called very early morning from the church area.

Lilbourne Meadows, evening.

Very similar to last visit, except four Yellow Wagtails were busy feeding.  A Little Egret, Snipe and Redshank again.

Male Reed Bunting.

7th April - Frost last night. Sunny, light easterly, 15C

Lilbourne Meadows, evening.

Waders included Lapwing pair, Redshank pair, a Snipe, an Oystercatcher and a Curlew.

A Little Grebe, two Little Egrets and a Grey Heron.

Shovelers c12, 32 Teal, Mallards and six Gadwall.

A Yellow Wagtail was with a Pied on the meadow, along with two feeding Starlings.

6th April - Sunny, gentle-mod easterly, 16C

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

Three Sand martins flying high, a Sedge Warbler seen on Blowers Bay area, plenty Chiffchaffs and several Blackcaps.

Seven Goldeneye, a pair Shovelers, and a single Teal.  A Great White Egret.

5th April - Sunny, mod-brisk NE, 16C

WIlley; Raven over low 0730h

Lilbourne Meadows; morning/evening

I checked here twice as wader movement in Northants had been noted during the day, however no migrants were found.

The pair of Redshanks were on show. 12 Shovelers and 10 Teal.  A Little Egret and Little Grebe.

A female Reed Bunting feeding on the Blackthorn bushes, later on the ground.  Three Goldfinches.

4th April - Sunny, mod-brisk easterly, 18C

Willey; 

0845h c50 Fieldfares on the fields and trees.

Shawell sandpit/landfill; morning

Just the regulars, but interesting to see a Common Gull with 'bleached' wing feathers.  I've only seen this on larger Gulls previously, that I recall.  Very noticeable in the glaring sunshine

A Speckled Wood.

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

Made it just too late to see the flock of Little Gulls that came in during the morning.

Three Wigeon were noted and great White Egret, Oystercatcher pair on the dam.

Four Green-veined Whites spotted.

3rd April - Sunny, light-mod easterly, 18C

Willey;

A Red Kite over 0930h, and a Blackcap heard singing a little on the old railway track.  A Goldfinch pair around the church area, maybe they will nest in the Horse Chestnut this year as previously.

A Swallow flew in, c1030h, and hung around the old stable area, later three were seen flying around.  First of the year returning birds for home.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

Two each Redshanks and Snipe feeding.  A Little Egret, several each of Teal and Shoveler and a single Gadwall. 

2nd April - mod-brisk NW-Easterly, Sunny, 16C, but cool feeling in the wind

Stanford reservoir, afternoon.

A look here, hoping that some of the Little Gulls reported in the Midlands would show, but alas no.

A couple of Goldeneye on the main water, and a pair Teal.  A Red Kite over.  A single Little Egret.

Butterflies were 3 Peacocks and a Green-veined White (my fist for the year record).

1st April - Touch ground frost last night. Becoming sunny, mod, occasionally brisk easterly, 16C. Feeling cool in the wind, but very warm in sheltered areas.

Lilbourne Meadows; afternoon.

A look at the field flood pools area.

Six Shovelers, 26 Teal, a few Gadwall and mallard. Two Little Grebes. A Little Egret.

First Little Ringed Plover passing through.

Goldfinches singing in the corner spinney.

Butterflies were two Peacocks and a Small Tortoiseshell.