30th Dec - sunny, frost last night -3, today light W, 2C

 Willey; 0900h Raven over the Sheep fields to the east checking them out.  late morning the same or another over fields to the west.

Cotesbach Landfill;  checked the area after lunch.  Many Gulls again, a third year Yellow-legged Gull was spotted.

Teal at 81 is my highest count here, the water level reduction seems to be attractive to them.  The Shelduck, 23 Shoveler and two Pochard.  Four Red Kites and a Buzzard were around and four Meadow Pipits flew over to the far bank.

Starling roost site; checked this site this evening, c25000 can to roost.

29th Dec - cloudy, some snow mid-morning, didn’t settle, 3C, light NW

 Magna Park South; c60 Golden Plover and c100 Lapwings mid afternoon.

Cotesbach Landfill; hundreds of Gulls back afternoon the closure.  All the usual, plus an adult Yellow-legged spotted by Carl.

28th Dec - cloudy, misty, light NW, 2C

WIlley; this morning usual birds at my feed station.  

The Redwings and Blackbirds have almost eaten all the Holly berries off my tree now.

Magna Park; 108 Golden Plover and c250 Lapwings on the development site.

Cotesbach Landfill; drake Shelduck still, and six Pochard were notable.

Pitsford reservoir; a look in the reserve area down to Scadwell Bay during the afternoon.  As with most waters at the moment very muddy looking due to the recent heavy rains, which no doubt affects the food availability for the water birds.

Gadwall, Wigeon, Tufted, Mallard and Teal the ducks seen, otherwise nothing too notable on the water.  A Great Egret flew along the water in to the bay, a single Snipe flew off from the waters edge.

At the feed station  notables were 6+ Tress Sparrows, c10 Greenfinch and two Marsh Tits.  A few Redwings and Fieldfares were feeding on fallen apples under a tree nearby.

27th Dec - storm Bella passed through last night wet and very windy. Today, sunny, light SW, 6C

Magna Park South; 53 Golden Plover and c200 Lapwing on development area.

Cotesbach landfill; very quite due to no tipping over the holidays. Shelduck still present, and a Raven flying around calling.

Stanford Hall Park; a Barnacle Goose was with the Canada and Greylag Geese.  A Great Egret was hunting around the lakes edge, a very distant record photo was taken.  Tufted Duck, Wigeon and several Little Grebes were also on the lake.

26th Dec - cloudy, mod SW, 9C

Stanford reservoir; Bullfinch 2, Goldfinch 2, Treecreeper, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tits, Goldcrest, Nuthatch feeding along Leics bank.  Kingfisher flying along waters edge, two Water Rails heard.   Teal 3, Pochard, Tufted, Mallard, Gadwall were all present.  Also, the four Black-necked grebes still.

Magna Park South; 108 Golden Plover and c 200 Lapwings on the development area.

Cotesbach landfill; 27 Shoveler, 44 Teal, the drake Shelduck was back from yesterdays visit to Shawell Lagoons.  Three Red Kites, 20 Stock Doves came in to roost in the spinney.

25th Dec - frost last night -4C, Sunny, thin cold, light WNW, 3C

Merry Christmas to all.

Willey; feed station area, late morning.  Most of the usual birds present, but no Tree Sparrow seen.  A Nuthatch, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers and Coal Tit were notable. A Stock Dove stopped by but didn't feed, a couple of Collard Doves did.

J

Cotesbach Landfill; Early early afternoon, nothing new, four Pochard still, a Green Woodpecker flew in to the spinney.

Shawell Lagoons;  The Shelduck had relocated to here. Notable were 22 Snipe visible, 11 Wigeon, 10 Teal and six Canada Geese.

24th Dec - sunny am, broken cloud pm, mod NW, 5C

Willey; late afternoon, 1550h, c50 Goldfinch going to roost next to sewage works.

Shawell lagoons, this morning, 65 Lapwings and 5 Snipe on view, plus four Cormorants, two Teal and 19 Tufted Ducks.  All the usual Gulls, two Black-headed with cour rings, but too muddy to read them.

Cotesbach Landfill; The Shelduck and four Pochard, 55Teal, 17 Shoveler, and couple of Mallard.  Two Red Kites and a Buzzard were present.

Many Gulls in the tipping area, but alas no 'white-winger' spotted.

Magna Park South; mid-day - on the levelled flooded development ground c200 Lapwings and c210 Golden Plover.

Bittesby; a walk here in the afternoon. Notable was four Little Grebe, a Mute Swan pair and single Pochard on the lake, with two grey Herons sunning on the adjacent flooded area.

A male stonechat was on the fallow field fence post, before I could get a decent photo he dropped in to cover.  A Kestrel was hu8nting nearby.