First SAND MARTINS of the 'autumn'

TUESDAY 7 JULY

Another day of heavy (often torrential) downpours interspersed with bright, sunny conditions and carried along on blustery SW winds. Temperatures reached 19.5 degrees C.

TRING RESERVOIRS (1400-1600 hours)

Visited Wilstone primarily to place a new logbook in the Drayton Bank Hide. Took the opportunity to do a full census of breeding birds but was disappointed with the results; it is a very bad year for both wildfowl and Great Crested Grebe for example. Highlights included the first Sand Martins of the autumn and a healthy number of Common Tern chicks. The woodland patches and reedbeds have now largely fallen silent as another breeding season comes to a close.

SYSTEMATIC LIST: 45 species recorded

Great Crested Grebe (only 17 noted - with 14 on Wilstone, just 2 on Marsworth and 1 on Tringford; just 1 successfully fledged juvenile thus far (from 2))

Little Grebe (2 juveniles by Wilstone hide)

Continental (Sinensis) Cormorant (13 roosting on Drayton Bank)

Grey Heron (15+ around the reservoirs including 8 juveniles)

LITTLE EGRET (1 juvenile showing well to right of hide on Wilstone)

Mute Swans (66 including 33 adults on Wilstone, 29 - including 9 first-summers - on Startops End and 4 on Tringford)

WHOOPER SWAN (two adults on Wilstone)

Greylag Geese (108 on Wilstone, 5 on Startop's End with a further 3 adults by the Grand Union Canal at Marsworth accompanying two gosling Greylag and a single gosling Canada)

Canada Geese (36)

Mallard (300+ in total with 107 on Wilstone and 57 on Marsworth)

NORTHERN SHOVELER (6 individuals in eclipse in front of the hide on Wilstone)

EURASIAN WIGEON (a single eclipse drake remains on Wilstone)

COMMON TEAL (5 roosting on the Drayton Bank on Wilstone)

NORTHERN POCHARD (23 on Wilstone)

Red-crested Pochard (female of suspect origin with single hybrid young on Marsworth)

Tufted Duck (just 19 including 12 on Wilstone, with 7 on Tringford; breedingwise, females with three well grown young on Marsworth and four young on Sewage Farm)

Common Kestrel (immature male on Marsworth)

Moorhen (17 fledged young on Wilstone)
Eurasian Coot (585 including 516 on Wilstone, 29 on Startops End, just 1 on Marsworth and 39 on Tringford)

Lapwing (43 on Wilstone)

Black-headed Gull (marked increase in numbers with 15 adults on Wilstone and 10 adults in the paddock fields at Marsworth).

Common Tern (at least 18 chicks being fed on the three breeding rafts on Wilstone, with two chicks fledged and feeding independently; 50+ adults scattered around all four reservoirs)

Woodpigeon (303 individuals on wires west of Lower Farm, Drayton Beauchamp)
Eurasian Collared Dove (24 birds in Marsworth village including several juveniles)

COMMON SWIFT (notable increase in numbers with 60 on Wilstone and 37 on Marsworth; breeding on Marworth All Saints Church)

Green Woodpecker (1 on Wilstone)

Eurasian Skylark (1 singing male in field immediately NW of Wilstone Reservoir)

*SAND MARTIN (first returning birds of autumn, with 7 on Wilstone and 5 on Startops End)
Barn Swallow (6 on Wilstone, with 3 on Startop's End)
House Martin (32 on Wilstone, with 16 on Marsworth)

Pied Wagtail (1 juvenile on Wilstone)

Wren (adults feeding four fledged young by hide on Wilstone)
Dunnock (singing male by Grand Union Canal on Marsworth)
European Robin (3 on Wilstone, with 2 on Marsworth)
Common Blackbird (15+ including several fledged juveniles)

Western Reed Warbler (4 singing males on Marsworth)
Blackcap (1 on Marsworth)
Common Chiffchaff (singing male on Marworth)

Great Tit (family party on Wilstone)
Blue Tit (several family parties on the move)

Jackdaw (adult with single youngster at Wilstone Great farm; 2= pairs breeding on Marsworth All Saints Church)
Carrion Crow (4)
Common Starling (1 in Marsworth village, 14 by Startops End, 1 on Wilstone and 1 by Wilstone Great Farm)

House Sparrow (30+ by Angler's Retreat Pub with several nesting pairs in Marsworth Village, including at Vicarage Gardens and along the High Street)

Greenfinch (a male at Startops End)

Reed Bunting (singing male still present in Marworth Reedbed)

PITSTONE QUARRY

A total of 18 Black-headed Gulls included just 1 juvenile, whilst other species noted included 6 Little Grebes, the first-summer Mute Swan, 8 adult Common Terns, 4 Linnets and a singing Common Chiffchaff.