28th February - fog/mist clearing midday, then sunny spells, light NW, 8C

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

13 Goldeneye, 4 Goosanders, good Pochard numbers, c50, a drake Shoveler

Kingfisher,  a Fieldfare heard, Grey and two Pied Wagtails in spillway.

27th February - sunny spells, light NW, 8C

Shawell sandpit/landfill, ,afternoon.

This morning Carl found an adult Iceland Gull, first site record this year.  Very few reported in the UK this year so far.  However, I made it after lunch and luckily found it on the  sitting water among the other Gulls. 

The other expected birds, plus a Green Sandpiper. 

26th February - rain until midday, afternoon sunny intervals and showers, light W, 9C

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

Two Great White Egrets and three Grey Herons,

Six Goldeneye and two each Goosanders (m=f) and Teal (m+f).

Raven heard, and a Buzzard in drive a driveway tree.

c40 Fieldfares, c5 Redwings and c200 Starlings  in adjacent trees/fields north side.

25th February - sunny spells, mod WNW, 10C

Lilbourne Meadows, afternoon.

c100 Golden Plover circling over, moved off NE.

c400 wigeon, plus a few each of Shoveler and Teal.  Coot and Moorhen numbers are still high 12-20.

Three Curlew, one landed and the other two were in dispute, one chasing the other in flight and making a noise too, these two flew off over the A5.

Several Greenfinches were calling/singing a little in the corner spinney area.  A Red Kite over and a Raven over the bank, on which there were four Roe Deer.

A handful of redwings in the bushes and 10m Fieldfares in the tree tops.

24th February - sunny spells, light SW, 12C, showers around during the afternoon.

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

11 Goldeneye, five Goosander (2 drakes), 150 Greylags.

Treecreeper and Goldcrest with then Tits along the bypass path.

Water Rail heard in the main reed bed.

c30 each Redwing and Fieldfares flew in to tree tops.

A Song Thrush was singing.

23rd February - strong- gusty S-SW wind, up to 45mph. Cloudy, rain from mid-afternoon. 10C, but feeling cool

Shawell Sand Quarry/landfill; morning.

20+ Ravens were enjoying the strong winds, 6 Red Kites, 5 Gadwall, 51 Coots, 6 Little Grebes, Common and Black-headed Gulls, a handful of Great Black-backed Gulls.

16 Canada and 1 Greylag Goose.

Green Woodpecker called near the spinney.

Stanford reservoir; early afternoon.

Pretty grim weather keeping things quite.

Four Goldeneye. A Red Kite, a Grey Heron, Common and Black-headed Gulls.

I was able to check the underside of the Bracket fungus (see photo a few days ago) and was able to see pores not gills, so definitely a Red-belted Bracket, still growing too.

22nd February - Sunny am, showers pm, 14C, light SW

Willey:

I spotted three Blackbirds this morning in the garden and on the roofs embarking in territory fights and chases.

Late afternoon two Song Thrushes could be heard singing from the trees along the old railway east of the  village.