7th Jan - cloudy, breezy, 5C

Willey; two Coal Tits at the feed station - mid day.

Harborough Magna -  a check of the Sun flower seed field.  43 Brambling counted, c30 Chaffinch, c70 Linnets, c20 Greenfinch., c40 Starlings, a Buzzard, and Sparrowhawk came through.

6th Jan - Frost last night -5C, cloudy, light NW. brief light snow, then light rain pm, 3C

Willey; a check at the feed station mid-day produced a male Yellowhammer, two Coal Tits and four Robins, two Dunnock, plus other regulars.

5th Jan - frost last night -3C. mostly sunny, 5C, light NW

Willey; around mid-day.  A few Redwings and Fieldfares, plus a Mistle Thrush feeding on the Church lane pastures.  A c15 Starlings around and a Coal Tit visiting the feed station, but overall not that much for January.

Late afternoon, 10+ Long-tailed Tits in the Church Horse Chestnut tree.

Stanford Hall; pm. a look here across the parkland, very few Greylags, mostly Canada Geese but no Whitefronts though.

Stanford reservoir; pm. nothing new, 7+ Goldeneye plus the usual winter ducks.  Two Siskins in the Alders by the foot bridge, a Treecreeper further along.  Two Goldcrests in the conifer on the dam.  A Jay near the feeders, a good number of Long-tailed Tits along the by-pass.

4th Jan - mostly sunny, mod NW, 3C

The exceptional mild spell has ended with northerly airflow today.

WIlley; a Cormorant flew passed this morning, heading east.

Shawell Sandpit/Landfill; pm. 

c175 Teal, c10 Shoveler, 21 Tufted, 1 Pochard, Mute 2, Coot 7, Lapwing 18, Kite c10, Raven c30 - a group of c15 were taking in in a lot of social behaviour, flying up and down in small groups in the wing aside the spinney.

Two Foxes were hunting through the vegetation.

Catkins in bloom

3rd Jan - sunny spell am, high cloud, mod SW, 9C

A change of scenery today by heading off to the Nene Washes area.  Firstly, checking the fields off New Cut lane near Thorney.  A flock, c80 Whooper Swans, was feeding in a winter wheat field at mid-distance.  Eventually, two Bewick Swans were spotted among the Whoopers.  A Kestrel hunted nearby.

Then to Eldernell to walk here and to view the marshes, this is a great area and if you have never visited you really should make a visit.   Although still early afternoon, two Short-eared Owls were sitting out, preening and snoozing, very close to the car park at the base of some bushes.  They were very obliging today.

In this area other birds included Marsh Harrier, Little Egret. Grey Heron,  Kestrel, Whooper and Mute Swans.

The marshes closest to the car park were relatively dry, but the distant ones towards March Farmers held water and large numbers of Ducks, Lapwings and Golden Plovers could be seen.

2nd Jan - spell of heavy rain before dawn, cloudy, mod SW, 10C, sunny spells short-lived then cloudy, showers late afternoon.

Harborough Magna; am. I checked the sunflower  field.  Still the finch flock, c150 Linnets, c15 Greenfinch, c30 Chaffinch.  I counted 35 Bramblings, with others present for sure.  c80 Starlings in the tree tops.  A couple of Buzzards too.

A Kestrel was hunting nearby, and a flock of Fieldfares feeding.

Stanford Hall; after lunch.  The three White-fronted Geese were again present with the Greylags.  A Little Egret was near the small lake.  Four Mistle Thrushes were present, with one singing.

Stanford reservoir;  The usual birds, notable were 21 Teal, a Shoveler drake, two 'redhead' Goosanders

1st Jan 2022 - light cloud, odd early shower, mod SW, 13C

Checked a few local areas this morning.

Shawell lagoons; c 150 Lapwings on the shore, but others had just flown off and moved into the fields towards Rugby Road (Warks), estimated another 300 inn that area. 

A Buzzard and Green Woodpecker were close to Newton Lane..

A5 Pools/DIRFT;  another Lapwing flock here c 150.

Stanford Hall; a check on the Park Land/lake - no White-fronts or Pink-Footed Goose, but an Egyptian Goose near the lake.  A couple of Mistle Thrushes were heard singing.

Eyebrook reservoir; pm, water level low still..  Teal are very numerous here at the moment, all the usual winter ducks, and Lapwing flock.  Three Avocets still present, 13 Dunlin on the mud.

Three Red-crested Pochards (drakes), a Great Egret, several Grey Herons, five Shelducks.  South of the island 9+ Smew and four Scaup.