All 3 COMMON SHELDUCKS still present and survey results of the Wendover Arm

A mainly overcast day occasionally broken by bright sunny periods. Wind remained from the Southwest with warm temperatures. There was no sign of yesterday's Common Scoter early on at Wilstone nor of the Whinchat at Beaconsfield. In fact, there was little to shout about so I concentrated on more survey work for my report. All three COMMON SHELDUCK were still present

SHARDELOES LAKE (BUCKS)

Grebe families doing well, as well as Coot and Spotted Flycatchers still present.

GREAT CRESTED GREBE (pair tending to three young, with a second pair present. It was interesting to see how quickly two of the three juveniles have progressed, one being now quite well grown. The smallest one still kept very close to its mother and kept on repeatedly trying to scramble up on to her back. Each time the male caught a small silver fish (which was frequently) he wailed loudly and the juveniles noisily raced towards him)

LITTLE GREBES (pair feeding three young and like the GCG's, major discrepancies in development of individual babies; two further independent first-winters and two adults)

Continental Cormorant (sub-adult fishing)
Mute Swans (adult pair with four cygnets)
GADWALL (single female)
Coot (54)
Black-headed Gull (30 birds attracted to tractor ploughing adjacent field - 3 juveniles amongst them)

Red Kites (several attracted in to plough)
Stock Dove (4)
Grey Wagtail (1)
Blue Tit (family party including 7 juveniles)
Coal Tit (2)
Greenfinch (2)
Goldfinch (3)
Common Chiffchaff (1)

HALTON: NUFFIELD PLAYING FIELDS AND RAF HALTON (BUCKS)

Intrigued by Don Stone's 63 British Herring Gulls of yesterday, I decided to explore the area and see what I could find. Unfortunately the RAF were on exercises and there was much disturbance. A total 114 Black-headed Gulls was recorded but no large white-headed gulls.

DANCERSEND BUTTERFLY RESERVE (SP 902 095) (BUCKS)

In the short spell of warm sunshine experienced today, I tried my luck with both PURPLE and WHITE-LETTER HAIRSTREAKS, both seen recently by Mick Jones. Searching suitable trees in Bittam's Wood, I drew a complete blank after 90 minutes of searching.

A total of 7 SILVER-WASHED FRITILLARIES was noted (in the open clearing favoured by Dukes in May), along with Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, BROWN ARGUS (5), Common Blue, PAINTED LADY (16), Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral (3), Peacock, COMMA (22), Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Small Heath, Meadow Brown and Ringlet - 18 species in total.

WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)
(1700 hours) (wind freshening from SW; overcast skies)

Great Crested Grebe (22 including 2 first-winters)
LITTLE EGRET (1 by hide)
Mute Swans (26)
Common Teal (just 1 still)
EURASIAN WIGEON (eclipse drake still)
Gadwall (3)
Shoveler (just 1)
Pochard (7)
Lapwings (numbers on bund have now increased to an impressive 555 birds)
Common Terns (33 remaining)

SAND MARTINS (another wave of returning migrants with at least 236 birds low over the water)
House Martins (35 including several juveniles)

STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR

Great Crested Grebe (1 adult)
Mute Swans (30 still present)
Greylag Geese (5 on the edge of the reservoir with 22 more feeding in the horse paddock to the north - including 5 fledged juveniles)
Tufted Duck (female with 5 small young, with another with 4 larger young)
Coots (47)
Black-headed Gulls (51)
Common Kestrel (1 male)

COMMON SWIFTS (2)
SAND MARTINS (5)
BARN SWALLOWS (7) (first migrants for a while)
LINNET (1 flew over calling - a scarce visitor)

PITSTONE QUARRY (BUCKS)

LITTLE GREBES (20 present - a very high count)
Mute Swan still present
COMMON SHELDUCK (juvenile still present)
MANDARIN DUCKS (family party of 5 birds still present)
Pochard (male and female)
Tufted Duck (16)
Coot (32)
Black-headed Gulls (66)

COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT (BUCKS)

Both juvenile COMMON SHELDUCKS were still present swimming together on the main lake
Very quiet otherwise, with just 4 adult Mute Swans and 68 Lapwing of note

WENDOVER ARM OF THE GRAND UNION CANAL (1800-2036 hours)

The Wendover Arm is a living history rewarding the travellers of today with glimpses of the past. Its trading days now over, the canal winds its quiet way between open fields and shady woods, past abandoned wharfs and railway crossings, a Rothschild mansion and a redundant quarry. Equally of interest is the abundant wildlife which now takes refuge on, in and around this waterway, amongst its reedbeds and along its hedgerows. With this in mind, I decided to do a full and comprehensive bird survey of the section between Wallonhead Bridge (Bridge 7) at the Stonebridge Road car park, Aston Clinton (SP 888 115), Bridge 9 (the cast iron bridge built in 1880 by the Rothschilds) (SP 873 102) and Wendover town centre (SP 870 078)

A total of 21 species recorded including an impressive 22 Little Grebes, 3 Mandarin Ducks, Common Kingfisher, 2 Stock Doves and a pair of Bullfinch)

*LITTLE GREBES (an impressive total of 22 birds: juvenile just east of Bridge 8A, with an adult and two chicks 100 yards further on and two further adults further along; 1 juvenile 100 yards west of Bridge 7; further west, a pair with two juveniles just west of Bridge 9, another pair with two chicks 50 yards on, a single first-winter and a pair with two chicks just west of Bridge 10; another adult with a single chick at 'The Wides')

Mute Swan (family group involving both adults and 6 well grown cygnets east of Bridge 8)
MANDARIN DUCK (a female accompanying a single chick resembling Mallard by Bridge 8 and an adult female with a well grown juvenile at 'The Wides')
Mallard (35 between Bridges 7 and 9, with a further 25 between Bridge 9 and 'The Wides')
TUFTED DUCK (female with 8 well-grown young)

Moorhen (three nests still in use by families; pair with three chicks by Bridge 8A, with another two adults, a pair with two chicks, a pair with three chicks and a pair with two chicks between there and Bridge 7; 11 more west of Bridge 9)
Common Coot (a total of 6 between Bridges 7 and 9 including two juveniles, with a further 17 west of Bridge 9)

COMMON KINGFISHER (1 by canal 200 yards east of Bridge 8)
Woodpigeon (32)
STOCK DOVES (2 calling males in trees adjacent to the canal 100 yards apart west of Bridge 9)
Green Woodpecker (2 in Halton)
House Martin (8 birds over Green Park and another feeding party of 35 birds over Halton village)
Common Blackbird (just 4 noted)
Song Thrush (1 200 yards west of Bridge 9)
Robin (three family groups)
Blackcap (1)
Common Chiffchaff (1)
Great Tit (family group)
Blue Tit (family group)
Goldfinch (pair with two young in gardens near Bridge 9 - in Halton - with another family of 5 nearby)
BULLFINCH (pair by Green Park)

RAF HALTON AIRFIELD

A huge gathering of 435 Rooks and 202 Jackdaws on the airfield.