28th April - Cloudy, light N E, 11C

Shawell sandpit/landfill; evening. 16 teal, Shelduck pair, four Gadwall, a Yellow Wagtail, eight Red Kites

A5 Pools/DIRFT pools; Wigeon 2, Shoveler 2, a Redshank.

27th April - cloudy, light-steady NE, 11C, feeling cool

Willey; this evening a Kestrel hunting over the fields behind the church.

Shawell sandpit; evening. Eight Red Kites, a Yellow Wagtail, two pairs Gadwall, 16 Teal and Shelduck pair.

c20 House Martins and c15 Swallows plus a single Sand Martin over the pools.

26th April - sunny spells, light NE, 15C

Willey; a Kestrel was over the fields each side of the allotments, 1430h

Stanford reservoir; evening.  24 Yellow Wagtails gathered pore=roost on the dam.  A few, c15 each Swallow and House Martins.  Three Goldeneye (one drake) and single Wigeon - drake.  

A5 Pools/DIRFT; 2000h.  a single Curlew, a Yellow Wagtail, otherwise just the regulars.

25th April - Sunny spells, light/mod NE, 14C

Shawell sand pit; late afternoon.  First Yellow Wagtail for site this year.  Seven Red Kites, seven Gadwall, 14 Teal, a Grey Heron, moderate number of Gulls at he tip.

A5 Pools/DIRFT; early evening.  Four Oystercatchers, two Wigeon (drakes), Shelduck pair, Two Teal, four Shoveler.,

First Yellow Wagtail  for site this year, several Pied Wagtails, two White Wagtails.

Lilbourne Meadows; Greenshank, Redshank, Lapwing displaying, 34 Teal, three Shoveler, three Gadwall, Shelduck pair.  One Little Grebe.  The four Oystercatchers from A5 pools dropped in. - territorial behavior.

Thirteen Starlings all feeding, some taking food away to nests.

24th Aporil - sunny, 17C, but still a keen/strong NE making quite unpleasant and cool

 A5 Pools/DIRFT; am.  Greenshank, Redshank, Dunlin, a Lapwing and Little Egret were the notables.

Lilbourne Meadows; am. another Greenshank and Redshank, Shelduck pair, a lapwing.

Shawell sandpit; Very quiet, no Gulls.  A Shelduck pair. Thirteen Ravens apparently playing in the wind, a singing Lesser Whitethroat in the lane hedge and a singing Goldcrest in the spinney.

Stanford reservoir; late afternoon.  Nine Yellow Wagtails on the dam, Cuckoo calling main reedbed area.

23rd April - sunny, keen-strong NE, 17C, but feeling cool

WWT Welney;  I visited here this afternoon as I was in the area and it proved most interesting despite the wind.

The highlight was the discovery of four Glossy Ibis feeding near the Lyle hide, good to see these birds during the Spring in their adult plumage.

Other birds included three Greenshanks, Ruffs, Avocets, Black-tailed and one Bar-tailed Godwit, a displaying Little Ringed Plover, Redshank, a single Snipe

Several Whooper Swans, Shelducks, Teal, Gadwall, a female Pintail and drake Garganey,   

Two Marsh Harriers, several Little Egrets and a Grey heron.

22nd April - sunny, mod-keen NE, 17C, but feeling much cooler.

Shawell sandpit; the main sighting was an Iceland Gull, found by Ian Bartlett, about 1600h.  I manged to get there in time to see it well.  The bright sun and keen wind, plus distance made it difficult to photograph, but certainly made it stand out from the crowd.