7th March - cloudy, sunny spells, wintry showers late afternoon, light SW, 8C

Willey;  A busy day with helping lambing, but good to be able to get new lambs out in to the fields now the weather is more like Spring.

The afternoon wintry showers gave some dramatic skys and rainbows.

6th March - cloudy morning, some sunny spells pm, 7C, light SW

Willey; several small parties of Fieldfare and Redwing flew over during the day, mostly northerly.

At 1645h I noticed several magpies gathered on the field behind the church, then a few more, in all 20 Magpies gathered in a group, a little jostling between them before dispersing after about 10 mins.  Gathering like this often occur in early Spring, not sure why.

5th March - light SE, a few sunny spells am, cloudy pm, light showers later, 8C

Willey; this morning 3 Lapwings were on the fields to the east, hopefully more survived the recent cold weather.  A Green Woodpecker was ‘yaffling’ in the nearby wood, often nests here. Four Greenfinch were atop the bushed at the 'pin-fold'.

Mid-morning the Buzzards we’re back in the sky circling and sorting out their territories.
A check on the feed station and area after lunch, the usual candidates, 10 Tree Sparrows, I had hoped the numbers would have increased further but I doubt it will now.  Long-tailed Tits, Nuthatch, Male Great-Spotted Woodpecker and the other usual species were in good numbers again.
A mixed flock, c50, of Fieldfare and Redwing flew over low northward, probably to local fields.

Rooks are back at their nests in the Long Spinney, lots of repair and building to do yet.  We’ll see if the numbers nesting has been affected by the cold weather and early year winds that damaged the small upper branches where nests are built when I do a nest count in April.

4th March - No frost last night. cloudy, very brief sun breaks, warmer 7C, light SE

Willey; at last a rise in temperature and a slow thaw.  A busy day helping lambing, waiting to turn some out on to pasture once the snow has cleared.

Filled my feed station up at 1700h, still Blue, Great, Coal and Long-tailed Tits visiting for food, plus a Nuthatch.

Good to hear at least 1 Tawny Owl calling at 1930h from the old railway track trees.

3rd March - -2 last night, morning broke misty 0C, little wind, a little thawing 1C during the day remaining cloudy/misty, NE wind light pm

Willey; we are one track for an increase in temperature and thaw over the next few days, not too soon either.  This morning I had to go the Lutterworth, on a low garden hedge and in trees on the first housing area there were  c70 Fieldfare feeding very actively.

Similar birds as yesterday at my feed station today, a Pheasant and Coal Tit were additional.  even though weather was still poor today it didn't stop a Great Tit singing late afternoon.  Richard T. says his garden and feeders are very busy too, especially with many Long-tailed tits and Blackbirds.

Feeding areas are so important when we suffer such a cold snowy weather period like this.  Similar reports of busy garden feed areas from all over the country. No doubt many birds, like Owls, Kestrel, Lapwing and Snipe have been hit hard.



 

2nd March - -6C last night. Cloudy am, very fine snow pm, -3C, brisk NE- wind chill -8C

Willey; the very cold and snowy weather continued today, the brisk NE biting through and causing some drifting of snow.  I found some apples and put out at my feed station - soon to be eaten by the thrushes and corvids.

A new bird visisting today was a male Reed Bunting that also visited the nearby farm buildings as well as other food areas. Other birds included Nuthatch, Long-tailed Tits, 2 Fieldfare, 1 Redwing, 1 Song Thrush, several Blackbirds, Dunnock, Robin, House Sparrows, 10 Tree Sparrows, several Yellowhammers and Chaffinch, 2 Greenfinch, at least 6 magpies and c10 Jackdaws.

1st March - -8C last night. Today brisk NE, wind chill -10C, fine dry snow most of the day, freezing all day.

Willey;  a most awful day, very cold and the wind blowing snow around.

The severe winter weather is now causing many birds to approach human habitation close and new species attending feeders.  I have several Fieldfare and more birds at the feed station.
Paul C picked a dead Snipe up from his field gateway.  Birds are entering buildings and cattle and other animal buildings looking for food.

Three Whooper Swans turned up at Stanford Reservoir today (Chris H), seems they have been moving around in the last couple of days with other turning up at Rutland Water.