6th Nov - touch of frost, cloudy cold NW, 6C, cold shower (3C) early pm, dull at times

I had a quick look at Shawell lagoons this morning, very few Gulls, as is often the case when the nearby landfill is non-operative.  However, made up for by my first Goosander for this site, a female, along with 18 Wigeon.  Four Cormorants were present and a single Snipe was resting near the reeds and a Pied Wagtail was feeding nearby.  The Green Woodpecker flew past calling urgently, a Blackbird gave alarm and dived in to cover both were disturbed by a Sparrowhawk.  A Fox was on the shoreline again.

Back to Stanford reservoir this afternoon.  Duck numbers were up today, with a good number of Gadwall, Shoveler, 9 Teal, 7 Goldeneye, 50+ Tufted Duck, c200 Wigeon, the 3 Scaup were seen briefly as they flew along the reservoir and probably left, but a new arrival was a single drake Red-crested Pochard, seen in the murky photo due to the weather conditions

A Snipe flew around over head and two Grey Herons were present today.  Plenty of Long-tailed Tits and several Goldcrests were around, but generally the cold wind was keeping small birds out of sight.  Another Muncjac briefly showed on the track.

5th Nov - cloudy, feeling cold, NW light/mod wind, 9C

This morning I had a quick look around the local lake, The main hope being that the food bushes may be attractive to Waxwings.  A good number have made their way to the east coast over the last week or two and some are now spreading across the country.  Of course most years we don't get many, if any, so this year we need to keep searching our Midland areas.   From there I moved to Lutterworth country park, again, an area planted with possible food trees.  Needless to say, neither location held Waxwings, but early days.

During early afternoon I visited Shawell lagoons, fewer gulls than hoped for, a lot were on local fields and also a Fox was wandering around the shore line.  When I arrived Carl, who had been there awhile, told I had just missed a Caspian Gull, I had to settle to see his photos.  Generally, the
Lagoons were fairly quite.  A Green Woodpecker did put in an appearance but little else.

I have just had the ringing details of a Lesser Black-backed Gull I spotted at Shawell late October.  It was ringed as a nesting adult at Orfordness (Suffolk) on 8th June 2011, since then reported in 2012 and 2015 at the same site, then my record at Shawell this year.   So at least five years old and showing some summer/nest site fidelity.  Does it stay the whole winter in the UK or move south, only more sightings will tell.

4th Nov - cloudy, very light shower early, then sunny spells, light SW, 9C

There were 10 Collared Doves in and under the church Horse Chestnut, this is the largest number I've seen for quite a while.  Some years ago the number seen around the village took a tumble, and possibly only a pair lingered, but the last couple of years or so the number has been increasing again.

This afternoon I went back to Stanford reservoir to see the Scaup again, alas they were not there.  In fact all duck numbers were down compared to yesterday, all the usual's were present.  A couple of Little Grebe were visible, half hiding in the reeds.  Kingfishers were dashing about along the waters edge and a grey Heron was hunting.  The Water Rails were particularly noisy, it seemed that almost every patch of reed heard at least one.

Two Great spotted and a single Green Woodpecker were seen, Chaffinch were numerous, a couple of Greenfinch and Goldfinch were around while a single Lesser Redpoll flew over head and continued by.

3rd Nov - Grass frost, sunny spells, clouding over later and dull afternoon, light SW 9C

This morning I visited Stanford reservoir which proved interesting.  A Water Rail was showing on the dam, but soon shot in to cover two  others were 'squealing' in the main Reed bed.

I could hear the calls of two Ring-necked Parakeets in nearby trees near the old sandpit, but could not see them from my viewpoint.  This is the first time I have recorded them here, their slow spread from the south (London area) is continuing.

Out on the water there was plenty of Wigeon today, four Teal, 10 Shoveler, one female Pontail, c20 Pochard, four Goldeneye, then I spotted Scaup, in fact three. These are not common here and often short stayers, it looked like a female and two juv/first winter females.

A Kimgfisher dashed by, a Grey Heron flew off while both Pied and Grey Wagatail were flying about.  A small number of Redwing and Fieldfare were feeding on the bushes.  Many Long-tailed Tits, with Goldcrests were roving about.

A few Gulls were on the water, mostly Black-headed and some Herring, on top of the withdraw tower stood a Yellow-legged Gull.

I also spotted a couple of fungi growing, one in the grass the other a bracket fungus on a old tree stump.

2nd Nov - Grass frost, Sunny start, sunny periods later, light NW, 10C

The Sparrowhawk zoomed over the paddock first thing, doing its garden feeder rounds.  Mid-day I heard Buzards calling above, and looking up could see one performing a territory display flight warning the other to stay away.

Early afternoon c40 Fieldfare were feeding on Hawthorn berries, west of the village.

I took a look at Shawell lagoons mid-afternoon, there were hundreds of Gulls in, as the following photos show. In the first photo there are two Caspian Gulls, a 1st and a 2nd winter, but you won't spot them, nor the three Snipe in the third photo close to the reeds.  75 Lapwings flew in and joined the Gulls.  The majority of Gulls were Lesser-black Backed, followed by Black-headed, then Herring.  About 30 Great-black backed, a few Common and a single adult Yellow-legged Gull.

On the south pool there were Wigeon, Tufted Duck and four Little Grebe.  Then some Grey Lag Gesse and one Canada Goose flew in to the north pool.

1st Nov 2016 - cloud, fog and light drizzle clearing but remaining cloudy and dull, light NW, 9C

A new month and the weather has turned cool and 'proper' autumn.  A massive fall of leaves last night and during today was very noticeable.

Little time today for observing.

A Sparrowhawk dashed over the paddock and passed the church late afternoon.

31st Oct - Foggy start, becoming sunny and very warm, 17C, very light SW/Still

An incredibly mild, mostly sunny day which is most rare for the last day of October.  Jackdaws and Starling were having a great time hawking insects over the village.

I popped in to Frolesworth manor lake this morning.  At the game cover a number of finches and buntings were present and their numbers will build as winter progresses, also several Tree Sparrow were present.  On the neighbouring field were c75 Lapwing.  Very little was on the lake, it contains a very small island which has been taken over by a large blackberry bush, right at the top of this was a Moorhen eating ripe blackberries, I managed a (poor due to the light) photo before it dropped in to the bush.

  The afternoon saw a trip to Brandon Marsh.  There was plenty of Wigeon, Shoveler, Teal, Mallard and Gadwall, a single drake Goldeneye and Great-crested Grebe on the east marsh.  A Little Grebe from the Carlton hide and at the bottom hide a Green Sandpiper was heard calling in flight.  A Grey Heron flew in and settled.

In the trees six+ Stock Doves were sitting, a Kestrel settled on the marsh post for a while.  Long-tailed Tits, Goldcrest and Treecreeper were heard, then a Chiffchaff heard calling in the willows.  A great-spotted Woodpecker flew over and several Fieldfare and Redwings were seen.  Water Rail called from the reeds in a couple of places and a Cetti's Warbler burst in to song.

Next to one path there was an old (Ash) stump that had a fantastic grouping of different fungi on it.  I've not identified them yet, but they looked great and can be appreciated as is.

Another fungus was spotted along the path.

The autumn colours could be appreciated today as the sunny made them stand out, here is a view across Brandon marsh reed bed.  I did see a butterfly going away from me, possibly a Small tortoiseshell.

Finally, back at the village at 1725h (nearly dark now we have put the clocks back) a Tawny Owl flew on to the church roof cross and called a few times, another answered it, before flying off.