31st August Monday - sunny spells, little drizzle pm, mod-fresh W, 19C

WIlley; 20 Swallows on thew wires 0800h.

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Two Green Sandpipers, six Meadow Pipits, only two lapwings at the pool.

A Kestrel and Green Woodpecker.

Swallows and House Martins over, also a Raven.

Welford and Sulby Reservoirs; afternoon.

Rather quite, little to see.  A Common Sandpiper.  Adult Great Crested Grebe with a juv.

Three Grey herons and a Little Egret.

Husbands Bosworth Sand pit; afternoon.

!8 Little Grebes, probably all the families that bred here. 

c50 Mallard and c10 Turfed Duck, including a female with larger ducklings.  

A Common Sandpiper.

30th August Sunday - sunny spells, mostly light SW, 22C

Willey; only 14 Swallows on the wires this morning, but being sunny and warmer they may have been out over the fields already feeding.

Shawell Lagoons; morning.

Not much around, 28 Lapwings resting.

Stanford Reservoir; afternoon.

The main sighting was a Bittern that flew along the Leics side, eastward, in to the narrows, then lost from view.  Presumably heading to the Leics reed bed.  One was seen a couple of days ago by Chris H.

Three Little Egrets.  Two Common Terns.

29th August Saturday - light rain most of the day, light easterly, 18 C. 8 mm since yesterday.

Willey; 51 Swallows on the wires this morning.

Shawell sandpit/landfill; morning

Six Gadwall and two Teal with the Mallards and Tufted.  Little Grebe still.

c20 Swallows and c 30 House Martins.  Four Mute Swans and 9 Lapwings.

Lilbourne Meadows; afternoon.

A Curlew, Green Sandpiper and four Lapwings.

C35 Swallows,  c25 House Martins and c5 Sand Martins.

A Green Woodpecker.

28th August Friday - some rain early, them sunny spells until late afternoon a thunderstorm and heavy showers. Through the night until 0800h 22mm, during today until 1900h another 14mm.

Willey;  Three Greenfinch in the church lane hedge and the Swallows were on the wires again - 0800h.

Daventry Reservoir; afternoon.

A wader fest today - Greenshank 2, Ruff 1, Curlew Sandpiper 3, Common Sandpiper 2, Green Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit 1, Pectoral Sandpiper 1, Oystercatcher 1, Spotted Redshank 1, Dunlin 3.

A Pintail, two Common Terns, three Grey Herons.  Swallows, House and Sand Martins.

27th August Thursday - RAIN at last. We had 30mm between 0730 and 1400h, then sunny spells, 22C. Thunderstorm and rain during the evening.

Willey - Village and Moors Lane

46 Swallows were on the wires.

A Blackcap, Lesser whitethroat and Chiffchaff were in the hedge opposite the sewage works gate, at 1430h.

Bittesby Country Park; afternoon

No 'chats' found.  Buzzard, Red Kite, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

Ullesthorpe, Manor Farm; afternoon.

c20 House Sparrows and four Collared Doves.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

Fairly quiet.  Male redstart still present.

Three Snipe, Seven Mallards, 42 Lapwings, Kestrel, four Meadow Pipits, only two Starlings.

Little Owl, Grey Heron four Goldfinch.

26th August Wednesday - high clod, light E, humid, 21C

Willey; a Nuthatch calling from the church lane hedge, a holly Blue on the church garden hedge. 

Stanford Reservoir; afternoon.

Common Sandpiper on dam, along with several Yellow and Pied Wagtails.

Female Mandarin Duck at the point.  Ferruginous Duck still present.

Ravens over calling.  Green Woodpecker, two Meadow pipits and several Linnets.

Shawell Sandpit; evening.

520 Greylags and 125 Canada Geese in, many from Stanford res. 

Common Sandpiper, 11 Lapwings, three Ravens.

The final Little Grebe pair has hatched (between this and my last visit here) and have three fledglings around the nest.

25th August Tuesday - Sunny, mod-brisk E, 25C

Lilbourne Meadows; early evening.

The male Redstart was showing in the same spot as last visit. 

At the island pool area , 67 Lapwings, two feeding Snipe and a Wheatear.  A Little Egret dropped in, as did a few Swallows.

Six Pheasant (the family previously see, this time with a cock bird present).

c60 Starlings were feeding on the dry flood pool area.  Linnet and Goldfinch seen.

A Fox hunting in the long grass and a Muntjac walking about.

[We may may well be in for some meaningful rain after today - we shall see - fingers crossed.]

24th August Monday - sunny, 22C, light, becoming brisk late pm for a while.

Willey;  A Red Kite of the fields to the east and a Kestrel came over the village and hovered over the pikel paddock for a while before heading of back west.  A Nuthatch was calling along the disused railway line trees.

Stanford reservoir; late afternoon.

On the dam was a Yellow-legged Gull, along with Black-head Gulls, three Common Sandpipers, Pied, Grey and Yellow Wagtails, five of the latter were together in the spillway.

A Wheatear was occasionally on the Spillway-field fence line and showed well at times.

Swallows, House and Sand martins were feeding over the dam-spillway area.

Six+ Linnets were around.

Two Spotted Flycatchers were on the entrance drive fence line.

23rd August Sunday - Sunny, 23C, light nNW

Willey; A Kestrel first thing in the Perkins fields.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

A male Redstart was showing well along the entrance fence line.

The island pool is now getting very low in water.  Six Snipe flew over calling, after circling they landed in another damp area nearby.

32 Lapwings, a Grey Heron and three Mallard,four Stock Dove on the dry shore. A few Swallows occasionally dropped in for a drink.  A couple of Kestrels around the meadows.

Two Foxes.  Small Heath and Painted Lady seen and a Black-tailed Skimmer.

22nd August Saturday - mostly sunny, mod NW, 21C

Eyebrook Reservoir; afternoon.

A Red-necked Phalarope was report, as quite infrequent in the Midlands I popped over to see it.  It was showing well along the inlet channel. The last one I saw was one I found on the flood pools at Lilbourne Meadows in 2024.

Other waders included Ruff, Greenshank, Dunlin, Lapwing, Little Ringed and Ringed Plovers, Green Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, a Wood Sandpiper and Snipe.

Several Yellow Wagtails, an Osprey over hunting, the 1-summer Whooper Swan and Common Terns still.

Theddingworth; afternoon

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

21st August Friday - sunny spells, mod N, 20C

WIlley - two Mistle Thrushes feeding top long field, first thing (now a little damp after 5mm yesterday).

Stanford Reservoir; afternoon.

Relatively quite, a female Mandarin was present again, also seven Shovelers, single Teal and a male Pochard.

A couple of Common Sandpipers, and two Grey Herons on the dam.  Common Tern pair with chick still on a raft.

A flock of 45 Cormorants were present, at one time most of them were taking part in coordinated fishing activity.

Warbler activity in the waterside Willows and boundary hedges, mostly Chiffchaffs.

A couple of Little Egrets over the dam.

 

20th August Thursday - sunny spells am, cloud increasing, showers during the afternoon, 4mm, 22C

Willey - a female Blackcap in the garden at midday.

Pitsford  Reservoir; afternoon.

Scaldwell bay - 5 Greenshank, a juv Ruff, 3 Black-tailed Godwits.

Near dam/dam - a Golden Plover and Common Sandpiper.

Plenty of Lapwings about, 4 Great and 2 Little Egrets.  Plenty of Teal and a few Pochard.

A Spotted Flycatcher in other bushes and a Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat in the ‘ringing’ thicket.

hirundines around and very high.

Butterflies included several Small Heath, 2 Clouded Yellows, a Painted Lady and Green-veined Whites.

19th August Wednesday - Sunny intervals, mod W, 23C. a few spits of rain - nothing really.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

At the island pool a Green and Common Sandpiper and a Snipe feeding.  33 Lapwings and a single Grey Heron.

18th August Tuesday - mostly cloudy, shower before dawn, 22C, light W

Bittesby Country Park; afternoon.

Despite the very dry conditions persisting the park area does contain areas of flowers and greenery still and the main lake contains a reasonable amount of water.  But, generally quiet this time of day.

The two broods of Tufted Duck and Little Grebe brood were on the main lake.

A Kestrel was hunting and juv Buzzard calling with adult nearby.

Some butterflies were about especially Green-veined Whites and Speckled Woods, a Red Admiral and Peacock too.  Only one Meadow Brownseen. 

17th August Monday - sunny periods, very light breeze, humid, 25C

Daventry Reservoir; afternoon

Popped down to see the Pectoral Sandpiper, got good views of the American wader, was associating with a Dunlin often.

Other waders included Green (5) and Common  Sandpipers (2), Lapwing, Dunlin, a Little Ringed Plover.

16th August Sunday - mostly sunny, 25C, light NW-W

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

A Common Sandpiper and 34 Cormorants on the dam, along with Pied, Grey and Yellow Wagtails.

On the draw-off tower railing a Spotted Flycatcher and a noisy Water Rail in the reeds.

Duck included Nine Shoveler, eight Teal and the Ferruginous Duck among the Tiufted flotilla.

Plenty Warblers in the buses including Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Lesser Whitethroat.  A male Bullfinch was spotted deep in the Blackthorn orchard thicket.  A Jay flew past.

Butterflies were few, a Clouded Yellow, a Brown Argus, two Speckled Woods and several Large and Small Whites.

15th August Saturday - cloudy am, clearing to sunshine, 24C, light breeze mostly northerly

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Vary quite this morning.  A female Kestrel, a Raven over, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and the Little Owl called from its usual thick hedgerow.

Eyebrook Reservoir; afternoon.

A nice selection of waders were showing; Greenshank (5), a Redshank, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers, Snipe, Dunlin, Lapwing, , a Wood Sandpiper.Green and Common Sandpipers.

15+ Yellow Wagtails, 10+ Egyptian Geese.

14th August Friday - SUnny hot 26C, light breeze

Soar Brook Lake; morning

Two Green Sandpipers, c250 Blacked-head, c100 Lesser Black-backed and c10 Herring Gulls.

A Little Egret, a Little Grebe., two Cormorants.  Moorhens and Coot.

Sandy Lane Pools, Cotesbach; evening.

Gulls were gathering on the field next to the new pool, including a couple of Yellow-legged Gulls (Ad, 1CY).

Shawell Sand pit/landfill area; evening.

A Common and Green Sandpiper, four Lapwings.

Three Egyptian Geese, 30 Little Grebes.

13th August Thursday - Very hot, 36C, sunny, light SE. Drought conditions worsen over much of England

Willey - 0820h two Red Kites over the fields to the east of the village.

Welford/Sulby Reservoirs; evening

I thought it may be worth check these waters as they can have good shorelines when the water is low, as now.  

Plenty Mallard and Greylags. Six grey Herons and three Little Egrets, two Common Sandpipers.

Swallows, House Martins, Grey, Pied and Yellow Wagtails around Welford dam.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

12th August Wednesday - Sunny, 32C, light SE

Shawell Sandpit//landfill area; evening

After the partial Eclipse at 1912h I had a quick look here. 

A single Egyptian Goose on the main pit with the other regulars and a Little Ringed Plover at the south pit.

I didn't see any Red Kites, I wonder if the Eclipse made them head to roost early!!

11th August Tuesday - Hot, 28C, Sunny, light SE

Willey;   0800h, first of the post-breeding Redstarts was on the fence post, usual top hedge, prob a juv. 

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

Common and Green Sandpipers are taking advantage of the little shore now appearing after the long dry spell, two each.

The female Ferruginous Duck was with the main Tufted Duck flock.  Two drake Pochards too.

A juvenile Little Ringed Plover was in the spillway.

10th August Monday - Sunny, light NW-NE, 24C

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

Two Foxes were staking Rabbits in the long dead grass, they Rabbits knew they were there!

A Curlew, Green Sandpiper and Lapwing flock.  Ten Swallows dropped in over the pool.

The female Redstart still in the same area as the last visits.  A juv Yellow Wagtail on the dry flood meadow.

A Kestrel was on a fence post.  A reed Warbler was along the brook near the bridge.

9th August Sunday - Hot, hot, hot! 29C, light breeze, mostly W

Willey

A Black rabbit was seen in the Perkins fields (middle hedge/spinney corner.  A recent release?  Funny, as we recall often seeing a black Rabbit here along time ago (25 years?).

40 Swallows on the wires 1650h

Ash Tree Farm, Bitteswell; morning.

A quick walk around here; all rather quite.  Little Grebe, Moorhen and Mallards on the lake.  Two Green Woodpeckers and two Ravens in adjacent sheep field.

Eyebrook Reservoir; afternoon.

Waders included a Ruff and Black-tailed Godwit, five Dunlin, 4 each Greenshank, Snipe and Green Sandpiper, two Common Sandpipers, two Ringed and three Little Rind Plovers, 148 Lapwings.

Plenty Common Terns, Little Egrets and a Grey Heron.

High over a mixed flock Swifts and House Martins (often chasing the Kites away when too close) and Swallows over the water).

Several Egyptian Geese including a pair with two mid-sized goslings.

Six Red-legged partridges came to drink., Linnets and Goldfinches.

A Clouded Yellow flew past the Leics bunker.

8th August Saturday - Another scorcher, 26C, light breeze, hazy sunshine pm.

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Notables included male and female Redstarts, a Green Sandpiper and Curlew..

Shawell sandpit/landfill; morning.

Single Egyptian Goose, Lapwing and  1CY Caspian Gull.

Greylag flock up to 155 today.

Brandon Marsh; afternoon. Water levels low, some pools dry

The European White-fronted Goose was with the Greylags on East Marsh, been seen on/off since the winter and prob last years bird too.

A Common Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plovers.  A Kingfisher.

A few Teal,, Gadwall and Tufted Ducks.   A Common Tern pair and two juvs.

Several Little Egrets and Grey Herons.

A couple noisy Jays, small passerines included Goldcrest, Blackcap and Chiffchaffs.

7th August Friday - Sunny, light W, 24C

Stanford Reservoir; evening

This evening birds included two each Green and Common Sandpipers, a Hobby, three Grey, two Yellow and numerous Pied Wagtails.

The female Ruddy Shelduck was again present, also several Teal and Shovelers.

A single Lapwing on the dam.

Warblers were very active, with a Lesser Whitethroat showing well 'flycatching' from the boundary hedge

Still plenty of Common Terns present with youngsters, c20.

6th August Thursday - Sunny intervals, mod W, 22C

Willey; two Hedgehogs at the feeder last night - on the camera.

Red Kite over the fields to the east, 0800h

Daventry Reservoir CP; afternoon.

A view from the platform over the reservoir.  Six Common and three Gren Sandpipers, plus Lapwings. 

A single Common Gull among the Black-headed Gulls.  Five Shovelers, single Little Egret  and c10 Common Terns.

A good number of House Martins over the reservoir.

Shawell Sandpit/Landfill area; evening.

33 Little Grebes (included one on a nest) and single Great Crested Grebe.

A Green Sandpiper.

c10 Swifts over feeding and a few Sand Martins.

Two Caspian Gulls (1CY, 2CY) and three Yellow-legged Gulls (2 ads, 1CY) among the flock.

5th August Wednesday- cloudy a little drizzle early, then sunny spells, light, mod and fresh/blustery late pm, West, 22C

Bittesby Country Park; morning.

On the lake were two broods each of Tufted Duck and Little Grebe, 6 and 2 and 4 and 2 respectivelty.

A Clouded Yellow was spotted near the community orchard on adjacent path.

Lilbourne Meadows, evening.

A Curlew, Green Sandpiper and 57Lapwings were at the island pool.  A Little Egret flew in.  Only one Greylag, four Canada Geese and two Mallard.  

A hen Pheasant with four poults in the meadow.

4th August Tuesday - mostly cloudy, 22C, light S/SW. Cold front thru late afternoon/evening with brief light showers and blustery wind

Willey.

A Red Kite and Buzzard top fields first thing and three Mistle Thrushes feeding in the long field.

Stanford Reservoir; evening

A single Teal on the dam with other ducks, a female Mandarin just off the dam and the female Ferruginous Duck (been here a few days now) with Tufties on the main water.

A Hobby flew over.

3rd Aug Monday - sunny hot, 30C, light East

Willey;

A family of 6 half grown Red-legged partridges with female in long field, 0815h.

I have been putting food and water out for Hedgehogs the last few nights, the food had been taken and fortunately the camera trap confirmed a Hedgehog coming to the food.  Others in the village have been feeding them too during the hot dry period and have seen adults and younger  (smaller) ones. So, we still have Hedgehogs in the village.

Daventry Reservoir; afternoon.

Visited here to see the two Spotted Redshanks that have been present a couple of days, they were showing well.

Also birds included three each Little Ringed Plovers Common Sandpipers.  Little Egrets and Grey Heron. c10 Little grebes and c50 Lapwings. a nice mix of other commoner birds were present too.

The water level is quite low allowing a good wide muddy shoreline - one to watch as autumn progresses.

2nd August Sunday - Sunny, NE mod, 24C

Norfolk Day

Cley NWT

Initially in the morning a look at the sea, nice to see Sandwich and Little Terns fishing for food, and a  slow movement of Gulls west.

Then a walk along East Bank to the Serpentine water, a nice mixture of the expected waders and other birds. A single Common Snipe was feeding, but not the reported Jack Snipe.

Late afternoon a look at the reserve pools from the main hides, two Curlew Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper and other usual waders were present (Avocets, Little Ringed Plover, Curlew, Godwits, Oystercatchers and Redshank).  Shelducks and 6 Egyptian Geese too.

At least 15 House Sparrows were in the reeds/cattle pen area along the road side path.

Also, what I considered to be a Caspian Gull.

Kelling Water Meadows

Nothing unexpected, a lot of Linnet families was good to see. A Great Spotted Woodpecker in the lane side trees.

North Point Pools; early evening.

Birds included Wood Sandpiper, Two Greenshank, nine Green Sandpipers, 17 Barnacle Geese, Ruff, Godwits, Avocets.

1st August Saturday - mostly sunny, 24C, light/mod breeze

Shawell Sandpit/landfill; morning

The Peregrine was atop the works yard light again.

A single juv Egyptian Goose (slightly damaged leg), a ICY Yellow-legged Gull and a Caspian.

Large number of Greylag Geese, 144 and 40 Canada Geese.

Usual Red Ktes and Ravens.

Stanford Reservoir; afternoon.

One of the two juv Black-necked Grebes was seen, also a Green Sandpiper.

Warblers were showing well and included Whitethroat and Lesser, Willow and garden Warbler, Blackcap and CHiffchaff.

A couple of Pochard and Shovelers, a single female Teal and Common Sandpiper on dam..

On the dam c150 Jackdaws, unusually high count, sitting on the slope and among the Greylags.