Saturday 11 July 2009


SATURDAY 11 JULY

An Atlantic front arrived late afternoon bringing freshening SW winds and sporadic rain showers. Disappointing birdwise at Tring Reservoirs with little of interest other than a juvenile Little Ringed Plover.

WILSTONE RESERVOIR (1730-1820 hours; with Steve Rodwell)

Great Crested Grebe (the sole youngster continues to thrive; 14 adults)
LITTLE EGRET (juvenile still present and showing well from hide)
Mute Swan (26)
Greylag Geese (87)
Pochard (14)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk (proven breeding; female taking large bird prey item back to nest in Poplars near hide)
Red Kites (3 in area)
Lapwings (large increase in numbers with 157 post-breeding birds on the spit)
*LITTLE RINGED PLOVER (juvenile on the spit in front of the hide present for its second day - see Dave Bilcock's excellent image above - SR, DB, RH, IW, LGRE, et al)
COMMON SANDPIPER (1 on the green algae bunds)
Black-headed Gull (increase in numbers, with 27 on Wilstone - including 3 fresh juveniles)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult over)
Common Tern (35+)

Little Owl (dead individual near Marsworth just east of the roundabout - 100 yards west of the Angler's Retreat)
Common Swifts (40+)
*SAND MARTIN (marked increase in numbers with 72 counted over the reedbed)

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