This morning the juvenile GREATER SCAUP was still on the lagoon to the right of the hide. There were also three Lesser Redpoll along the Dry Canal and Cetti's Warbler singing to the right of the hide.
Conditions were drizzly (so the light was poor), and breezy so a thorough search was not possible in the conditions and time that I had before work (Roy Hargreaves)
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Saturday Counts - 21 November - LGRE
SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER
Continuing very unsettled with strong SW winds, intermittent rain but very mild.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR (full counts undertaken)
(1200-1600 hours)
Great Crested Grebe (only 11 present)
Mute Swans (43 including 7 first-winters)
Greylag Goose (39)
Gadwall (25)
Common Teal (234)
Eurasian Wigeon (211 including 62 grazing in front of the hide)
Shoveler (just 15)
Tufted Duck (73)
Pochard (15)
GREATER SCAUP (the juvenile showing well with Tufted Ducks just to the right of the Drayton Bank when looking straight out from the hide - little change in plumage)
Coot (551)
Lapwing (222)
EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER (702 click-counted, the largest number present this autumn)
COMMON SNIPE (8 feeding in the channel)
Black-headed Gull (798 in roost)
MEDITERRANEAN GULL (first-winter present) (SR had two - first and second winter in roost on Sunday 22)
Common Gull (5)
MEADOW PIPIT (13)
GOLDCREST (1 in trees behind hide)
TRINGFORD RESERVOIR
Little Grebe (1)
Continental Cormorants (35 in feeding raft)
Mute Swan (2 adults)
Common Teal (8)
NORTHERN PINTAIL (female feeding along south bank)
Coot (23)
STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR
Little Grebe (2)
Great Crested Grebe (4)
Mute Swan (8)
Canada Geese (61)
Shoveler (pair)
Pochard (21)
Tufted Duck (22)
Coot (123)
Moorhen (12)
MARSWORTH RESERVOIR
Two species which were particularly lacking on Wilstone seemed to have relocated to Marsworth.....
Great Crested Grebe (16 present)
Mute Swan (1 adult)
SHOVELERS (141 present)
Common Starling (22)
COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT
Little Grebe (3)
Mute Swans (39)
*MANDARIN DUCK (high count of 20 birds in the Willow vegetation along the west bank of the main marsh - including 13 adult drakes)
Eurasian Wigeon (58)
Gadwall (36)
Tufted Duck (27)
Pochard (21)
RUDDY DUCK (2 female-types still present on main marsh)
Coot (89)
Yellowhammer (single over)
Continuing very unsettled with strong SW winds, intermittent rain but very mild.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR (full counts undertaken)
(1200-1600 hours)
Great Crested Grebe (only 11 present)
Mute Swans (43 including 7 first-winters)
Greylag Goose (39)
Gadwall (25)
Common Teal (234)
Eurasian Wigeon (211 including 62 grazing in front of the hide)
Shoveler (just 15)
Tufted Duck (73)
Pochard (15)
GREATER SCAUP (the juvenile showing well with Tufted Ducks just to the right of the Drayton Bank when looking straight out from the hide - little change in plumage)
Coot (551)
Lapwing (222)
EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER (702 click-counted, the largest number present this autumn)
COMMON SNIPE (8 feeding in the channel)
Black-headed Gull (798 in roost)
MEDITERRANEAN GULL (first-winter present) (SR had two - first and second winter in roost on Sunday 22)
Common Gull (5)
MEADOW PIPIT (13)
GOLDCREST (1 in trees behind hide)
TRINGFORD RESERVOIR
Little Grebe (1)
Continental Cormorants (35 in feeding raft)
Mute Swan (2 adults)
Common Teal (8)
NORTHERN PINTAIL (female feeding along south bank)
Coot (23)
STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR
Little Grebe (2)
Great Crested Grebe (4)
Mute Swan (8)
Canada Geese (61)
Shoveler (pair)
Pochard (21)
Tufted Duck (22)
Coot (123)
Moorhen (12)
MARSWORTH RESERVOIR
Two species which were particularly lacking on Wilstone seemed to have relocated to Marsworth.....
Great Crested Grebe (16 present)
Mute Swan (1 adult)
SHOVELERS (141 present)
Common Starling (22)
COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT
Little Grebe (3)
Mute Swans (39)
*MANDARIN DUCK (high count of 20 birds in the Willow vegetation along the west bank of the main marsh - including 13 adult drakes)
Eurasian Wigeon (58)
Gadwall (36)
Tufted Duck (27)
Pochard (21)
RUDDY DUCK (2 female-types still present on main marsh)
Coot (89)
Yellowhammer (single over)
Partial albinistic Black-headed Gull at Pitstone
This morning (Sunday 22 November) the leucistic Black-headed gull was present roosting amongst the other gulls at Pitstone Quarry. This is a stunning bird as hopefully can be seen in the pictures above. When it is in flight it can be readily picked out as its upper wing is pure white except for black tips to the outer primaries. Last weekend myself and Steve saw it in the roost at Wisltone and I've also seen it at Startops.
Otherwise the juvenile GREATER SCAUP was still at Wilstone and a GREEN SANDPIPER at Tringford (Dave Bilcock).
Otherwise the juvenile GREATER SCAUP was still at Wilstone and a GREEN SANDPIPER at Tringford (Dave Bilcock).
Saturday, 21 November 2009
COMMON CROSSBILLS at Ringshall
A flock of 10 COMMON CROSSBILLS was seen in Ringshall this morning (Don Otter)
MED GULL in roost
A first-winter MEDITERRANEAN GULL was in the roost (Dave Bilcock) whilst the juvenile GREATER SCAUP and 6 Common Snipe were still present (Jeff Bailey)
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
GREATER SCAUP still present
The juvenile GREATER SCAUP was present on the lagoon to the right of the hide - although it was actually straight out.
A Siskin also flew over this morning. There are also still good number of Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails on the mud.
The water level, having risen 40mm over the weekend, has dropped back about 20mm (figures from the BWB employee). They are still pumping water out to maintain the canal level and apparently they have taken a large amount out of Tringford so this might be where the Green Sandpipers have moved to (Roy Hargreaves)
A Siskin also flew over this morning. There are also still good number of Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails on the mud.
The water level, having risen 40mm over the weekend, has dropped back about 20mm (figures from the BWB employee). They are still pumping water out to maintain the canal level and apparently they have taken a large amount out of Tringford so this might be where the Green Sandpipers have moved to (Roy Hargreaves)
Saturday, 14 November 2009
BLACK-NECKED GREBE finally makes it on to annual list
SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER
A very deep area of low pressure passed over the area today bringing near gale force SSW winds and more heavy rain, occasionally torrential. There was little respite from the conditions all day and mid afternoon saw the arrival of a windswept juvenile GREAT NORTHERN DIVER at Calvert BBOWT
TRING RESERVOIRS
David Bilcock discovered an adult winter BLACK-NECKED GREBE early morning, the first record there this year. I rolled up at Wilstone at 1045 hours and dodging the heavy showers and braving the gusty wind, managed to relocate the bird, diving frequently just offshore of the central bund. It was sheltering from the wind in the small bay just east of the Drayton Bank but later moved much closer to the jetty and was still present when I left early afternoon. Roy, Mike Campbell and Charlie Jackson had all seen it before I arrived.
Also on WILSTONE RESERVOIR
Great Crested Grebe (14)
Little Grebe (2)
Mute Swan (35 including 7 first-winters)
Greylag Geese (4)
Common Teal (198 including 101 in the SE quadrant)
Gadwall (19)
Eurasian Wigeon (256)
Shoveler (87)
NORTHERN PINTAIL (single female feeding by the old boathouse inlet)
Tufted Duck (117)
Pochard (14)
*PEREGRINE (single scattering the plover flock on several occasions eventually drifting off north)
Coot (529+ including 324 in one feeding flock near the hide)
Lapwing (212)
EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER (502)
Common Snipe (8)
Herring Gull (2 first-winters on bund)
Meadow Pipits (14 on the mud)
Dave Bilcock and Steve Rodwell did the late afternoon gull roost and discovered a 'new' 2nd-winter MEDITERRANEAN GULL (see image above) and 2 Herring Gulls.
STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR
Water level has risen dramatically with the 'mud' in the SW corner attracting large numbers of feeding wildfowl including 7 Mute Swans (2 additional adults on Tringford), 57 Greylag Geese, 61 Mallard and 31 Common Teal.
On the main reservoir were 2 Little Grebes, 6 Gadwall, 33 Tufted Ducks, 16 Pochard and 127 Coot.
A Goldcrest was in ivy close to the road bend.
COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT
Little Grebe (1)
Mute Swans (39 present including 3 first-winters)
Mallard x Red-crested Pochard hybrid
Gadwall (36)
Eurasian Wigeon (38)
Shoveler (1 drake)
Pochard (14)
Tufted Duck (27)
*RUDDY DUCK (2 female-types)
A very deep area of low pressure passed over the area today bringing near gale force SSW winds and more heavy rain, occasionally torrential. There was little respite from the conditions all day and mid afternoon saw the arrival of a windswept juvenile GREAT NORTHERN DIVER at Calvert BBOWT
TRING RESERVOIRS
David Bilcock discovered an adult winter BLACK-NECKED GREBE early morning, the first record there this year. I rolled up at Wilstone at 1045 hours and dodging the heavy showers and braving the gusty wind, managed to relocate the bird, diving frequently just offshore of the central bund. It was sheltering from the wind in the small bay just east of the Drayton Bank but later moved much closer to the jetty and was still present when I left early afternoon. Roy, Mike Campbell and Charlie Jackson had all seen it before I arrived.
Also on WILSTONE RESERVOIR
Great Crested Grebe (14)
Little Grebe (2)
Mute Swan (35 including 7 first-winters)
Greylag Geese (4)
Common Teal (198 including 101 in the SE quadrant)
Gadwall (19)
Eurasian Wigeon (256)
Shoveler (87)
NORTHERN PINTAIL (single female feeding by the old boathouse inlet)
Tufted Duck (117)
Pochard (14)
*PEREGRINE (single scattering the plover flock on several occasions eventually drifting off north)
Coot (529+ including 324 in one feeding flock near the hide)
Lapwing (212)
EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER (502)
Common Snipe (8)
Herring Gull (2 first-winters on bund)
Meadow Pipits (14 on the mud)
Dave Bilcock and Steve Rodwell did the late afternoon gull roost and discovered a 'new' 2nd-winter MEDITERRANEAN GULL (see image above) and 2 Herring Gulls.
STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR
Water level has risen dramatically with the 'mud' in the SW corner attracting large numbers of feeding wildfowl including 7 Mute Swans (2 additional adults on Tringford), 57 Greylag Geese, 61 Mallard and 31 Common Teal.
On the main reservoir were 2 Little Grebes, 6 Gadwall, 33 Tufted Ducks, 16 Pochard and 127 Coot.
A Goldcrest was in ivy close to the road bend.
COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT
Little Grebe (1)
Mute Swans (39 present including 3 first-winters)
Mallard x Red-crested Pochard hybrid
Gadwall (36)
Eurasian Wigeon (38)
Shoveler (1 drake)
Pochard (14)
Tufted Duck (27)
*RUDDY DUCK (2 female-types)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
