28th Oct - sunny, becoming cloudy, light-mod northerly, 8C

Some video of yesterdays Jack Snipe

Croft Hill; a look here this morning, unfortunately no migration to report (however some birders at the monument on Charnwood, which I could see distantly were reporting some good movements), I did get good views of a Peregrine Falcon though. Only one Redwing!  Where are the winter Thrushes?

Willey; another check of my feed station at mid-day, included; 4 Greenfinch (2 ad, 2 juvs), 3 Chaffinch, c20 House Sparrows, 2 Nuthatch, a Coal Tit, numerous Blue and Great Tits. One Fieldfare was heard on the old railway,  A Red Kite flew over low west ward.

Quite a few Hornets were flying about still.

Stanford reservoir; a Drake Red-crested Pochard was present with the usual duck, including 3 Goldeneye, 5 Teal and 2 Little Grebe.  10+ Little Egret at the inlet with 4 Grey Heron.  18 Lapwing and c25 Starlings were feeding on the adjacent arable field.  Again, only a handful of Fieldfare and Redwing were seen. A Jay was drinking from the waters edge and a Water Rail called from the reeds.  In all I saw over 50 species this afternoon here.

27th Oct - touch of frost this morning, cloudy am, light rain pm, light-mod northerly, cold, 4C

A taste of cold weather for a change, certainly made the east coast interesting, however I had an interesting time locally too.  Deciding it was too bad for Gull watching at the landfill I opted to go to Brandon Marsh where I could shelter.

Not long after entering the Jon Baldwin hide someone called 'Otter' and sure enough not one but two Otters showed quite well before moving off in the shallow water towards the Wright hide.  Then a female Kingfisher appeared on a post and gave some super views.  Out on East Marsh all the usual ducks, Gulls etc.  A single female Pintail showed well too, and 2 Little Egret today.  One was certainly making the Grey Lag Geese get out of its way - well would you like a prod with that bill?

I spent some while in the Teal hide hoping to see a Jack Snipe, I didn't see one at first, then one was in full view giving very good views and 'bobbing' all the while. Nothing much to report from the Ted Jury hide, a Water Rail was heard, and several Stock Dove were in the dead trees and one Redwing on the top.

Despite the continuous rain a good afternoon.

26th Oct - cloudy mostly until late pm, light-mod WNW, 9C

Willey; I've started filling up my feed station and the usual species are already visiting, Blue, Great, Long-tailed and Coal Tits, Nuthatch, House Sparrows and Greenfinch. I'm sure soon others will be visiting, hopefully some Tree Sparrows again.

Stanford reservoir; this afternoon a Green Sandpiper was on the dam, a Great Egret flew along the reservoir, a Kestrel hunting, Water Rail calling in the main red bed.  Plenty of Shoveler still, Wigeon up to c150 now.  A mixed Tit flock of at least 15+ Long-tailed Tits, 10+ Blue Tits and others were working the willows and bushes.

25th Oct - sunny early, cloud increasing, sunny intervals, 13C, light NW

Willey; a flock of 21 Collard Doves flew over the street to the paddocks.

Stanford Reservoir; a look this morning, fairly quiet, my first Goldeneye, a drake, for the autumn.  Reasonable number of Chaffinch and Yellowhammers around the trees and adjacent fields today.  Mike Townsend had two Brambling fly passed. Otherwise pretty much the same as previous recent visits.

Theddingworth; a Kestrel was hovering over the field just behind the village by Laughton Lane.

The generally settle weather due to a ‘high’ sitting over us is about to change as a cool northerly air flow from the arctic is forecast to begin tomorrow, this will surely make birds move around and bring in winter visitors which are thin on the ground at the moment.

24th Oct - mostly sunny, breezy NW at times, 14C

Draycote Reservoir; a morning meeting with the warden for Stanford Reservoir here allowed me a quick viewing from the sailing club area.  The number of Little and Great-Crested Grebe is increasing  as autumn progresses. Distantly the juvenile Shag could be seen, it has been here a few days now. A single drake Goldeneye was spotted.

23rd Oct - breezy westerly, sunny spells, 12C

Stanford Reservoir; a look here this morning, the wind strength was enough to most passerines in cover. A few Fieldfare and Redwing were in the hawthorns, a Bullfinch briefly showed before diving in to cover.   A  mixed flock  of Tits, Goldcrest and Treecreepers was along the by-pass path. A couple of Little Egrets at the inlet and a Kingfisher. No new water birds were found. A Green Sandpiper was feeding at the dam.

I spotted some fungi fruiting, trying to confirm their identity.

22nd Oct - touch ground frost, becoming sunny, 12C, light, increaSING nw

Frolesworth manor lake; a quick look after lunch as I was passing, unfortunately saw a road casualty Hedgehog nearby.   Nothing too noteworthy, but a flock of 55 Lapwing were looking to land on an adjacent field, they flew off northward to other fields with a single Golden Plover.

Cotesbach Landfill; a look over the sandpit area of this site showed many Gulls to be present. Common Gulls increased to 9, 2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls found, with a good number of LBBG, HG, GBBG and BHG.  I spotted an colour ringed Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gull, 2P48 and 7W7B respectively.  Carl says these are regulars here and were originally ringed in East Anglia.