28th June - sunny, hot, 26C, ENE light

Willey; Kestrel hunting over hay fields to the west again today.

27th June - cloudy and cooler at first some becoming sunny and hot, 26C, light NE

Willey; about 0830h at the top pond a Mallard duck flew off the pond on to the field very agitated, this was followed by a Moorhen, which was followed by a Green Sandpiper.  After a couple of low circles of the pond the Sandpiper flew off.   Never saw what caused their source of agitation, but without it I may not have seen the Sandpiper, my first of the autumn!

Shawell Lagoons and Land fill area;  at the north lagoon I was surprised to find 3 Green Sandpipers this evening. Clearly, they have been on the move today. Nothing else too exciting, Tufted Duck numbers increase to 27, unfortunately no broods seen so far, but they are often late breeders.  A couple more Mallard ducks with broods though.  5 Goldfinch busy feeding on the verge vegetation seed heads.  A flock of Starling, c100, flew low rapidly northward, presumable to a roost somewhere.

At the landfill area, plenty of Gulls resting before leaving to roost, 7 Lapwing and thankfully the chick is still present, although now somewhat bigger and loosing its ‘downy’ plumage.

26th June - sunny, hot, 25C, very light NW

Willey; a Green Woodpecker family in the trees to the west, 3 juvs call in different trees, presumable not long left the nest.
Rescued a Toad from the hay field to the long grass.

The other day I found a Drinker moth in the grass, and on the 1st June I had found a Drinker’s catapillar.  I was puzzled what the moth was actually on, I think it’s a cocoon containing a larvae. Not a uncommon moth.

Cotesbach Landfill; 18 Red Kite counted this morning.

Mere lake; usual birds, Mute Swans pair has 7 cygnets. Plenty of Ringlet butterflies, plus Small Skipper.

Found a pellet, seems fully composed of Beetle remains which could be a Little Owl, but the size and shape wasn’t typical, but could still have been so.

26th June - hot and sunny, 28C, light breeze NW

Willey; Red Kite over hay fields to the west this morning. Later a Kestrel was hunting over the fields and a Lesser Whitethroat was singing from the hedgerow.

Cotesbach Landfill; the number of Black-headed Gulls increasing slowly with 16 this morning including the first juvenile. 3 Red Kites, 6 Lapwing, Shelduck 2 and 19 Canada Geese.

Stanford Reservoir; late evening and dusk, mainly for bats.  On the dam a Common Sandpiper and Grey Heron were feeding, while 4 Common Tern were over the water.
Bats detected were: Sonoran Pipestrelle, Daubenton’s, Whiskered and Brandt’s. A single recording named as a Western Barbestelle, these are very scarce, so hopefully I can get this again to confirm it.

24th June - hot, sunny, 25C, light breeze NW

Willey; John D told me he had 4 Red Kites hunting over his hay fields (near Churchover) in the last few days.
Swallows have begun to fledge and some juveniles are hunting around the fields with their parents now.

23rd June - sunny spells, 20C, breeze light N

Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk - I spent the afternoon here today, not often I visit here this time of year, in all I had 60 species.  5 Red-Crested Pochard, 2 Common Pochard, a Gadwall Duck with at least 8 young.  Just along the beach path from the centre 2 Tawny Owls we’re dozing in a tall Willow, a adult and juvenile.  All the usual birds over the marsh with Bearded Tits showing well.  Waders included 2 distant Spotted Redshank, c100 Knot and both Bar- and Black- tailed Godwits, 2 Little-ringed Plovers, 2 Sanderling were on the shore running along.
Common, Sandwich and Little Terns were present.  A good number of Mediterranean Gulls, plus some youngsters being fed, many juvenile Black-headed Gulls about to leave the nesting area.

22nd June - sunny, light NW breeze, 22C

Willey: a Kestrel was hunting over the grass field being mown near cross-in- hand roundabout and a Whitethroat was singing in the hedgerow.