1st June - sunny 24C, light breeze SW

Offical first day of summer. - and it was.

Willey; a busy day seeing to Sheep because the humid hot weather is ideal for them to be attacked by ‘fly-strike’ which means fly they their eggs on the Sheep and Lambs which hatch and result in maggots - so best avoided by early action.

About 2330h a short walk near the church for bats produced Common Pipestrelle.

I saw this catapillar crawling across the yard, will try to identify later.

Wanlip Meadow; new came late afternoon of a female Red-necked Phalarope on the scrape at this site, still there during the evening so I had to go and see it.  A very colourful bird, managed some distant digiscoped photos.  A nice selection of other residents and summer visitors too.

31st May - cloudy am, sunny spells pm, 22C, light easterly breeze

Misterton; a look here, hoping for Spotted Flycatcher - not found though.  Green and great-spotted wooodpeckers, Nuthatch collecting food,  Several Blackcaps,  a Chiffchaff and Goldcrest singing, Tre creeper calling nearby.  A pair of Grey Wagtails on the lake out flow dam.  Plus other usual residents.

Willey; something different - this slug was making it’s way slowly across the grass - will try and identify.

30th May - early light rain, then cloudy and drizzle evening, 18C, very light easterly.

Willey; 4 Raven in the field Ash to the west, possibly a family first thing.  Late morning a Kestrel flew on to the Church tower, a female, then a Great-spotted Woodpecker flew over.  A high bird flew over quickly, high and direct, possible a Hobby.  Late afternoon a female Green Woodpecker was looking for food on the garage roof.

Shawell Lagoons; a look here in the evening was worth it, a Sanderling and 5 Ringed Plover were present on the shore.  On the other lagoon a Mallard pair with 9 ducklings, a single Great-crested Grebe, 13 Tufted Duck and 6 Mute Swans.

29th May - cloudy am, breezy, improving a nd warning, 19C, humidty rising, then cloud, dull and misty with breezy NE

Willey; about 0900h a Red Kite spent some time overhead before moving off.
We have seen a Red-legged Partridge several times fly on to the garden wall then in to the 'wild area', possibly it has a nest here?  Late afternoon a couple of Swift flew over eastward.

Stanford reservoir; a look here in the evening, the weather was pretty dull and breezy so I was not expecting too much activity.  50+ Swift were very actively feeding over the reservoir, with a few House Martins present too.  3 Gadwall drakes were seen, about 20 Mallard were about with 2 females with ducklings. Only 2 Common tern, but they were undertaking display flights so maybe they will nest on a new raft. Garden Warbler and Blackcap were singing, also Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, one Willow Warbler was carrying food.

28th May - mist cloudy morning, sunny spells pm, 23C light breeze NE

Willey; Lesser Whitethroat still singing to the east near bridle way/A5.

Brandon Marsh; visited here this afternoon, highlights included 4 Hobby hunting together, taking insects in mid-air.

A Mute Swan pair with a cygnet, Teal pair, Gadwall, Tufted Duck and Mallards. 6 Ringed Plover, 12 Little ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Redshank, 12 Common Terns. Lesser-black Backed Gulls, 1 Common Gull, 1 Black headed Gull on a nest.  Plenty of Garden Warblers, Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat singing, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, 5 Cetti's Warbler were heard. A Jay, green and Great spotted Woodpeckers.  Buzzard over and Kestrel nearby.  Swallow and Sand Martins.  Greenfinch. Linnet, Goldfinch and Chaffinch.

Muntjac, Brimstone, Orange tip and Red Admiral.

27th May - cloud clearing, sunny, 25C, humid, thunderstorm building late afternoon with heavy rain.

Weather; southern Britain is in a spell of thunderstorms, yesterday south England had what was described as the ‘mother of all thunderstorms’, with over 50000 lightening strikes and rain.

Willey; late afternoon thunder was rumbling to the south, it then stopped, but became very dark by 1800h.  We then had a thunderstorm for about 2 hours, with  over an hour of heavy rain, sometimes torrential.

It seems we have a couple more days when thunderstorms are likely.

Lamport, Northants; while visiting a vintage rally here it was good to see 15+ Swift ‘screaming’ over head and 12+ House Martins busy building nests.

26th May - cloud/mist clearing by mid-day, then sunny, 22C, breezy NE

Cotesbach Landfill; this morning there was a small passage of Dunlin and Ringed Plover through the pools, Carl reported several before I got there.  3 Shelduck were present, a Red Kite and Buzzard too.

Theddingworth, I had a look at a site after lunch that can have Grass Snake when sunny and warm soaking up the rays, not today though.

Stanford Reservoir; a walk here produced the usual birds, nothing new in.  7 Common Terns were present, due to the strong breeze instead of sitting on the raft sides they were sitting on the top tower railing.  Several common butterflies, including this Red Admiral, were on the wing.