Friday 11 September 2009

LITTLE GREBES relocate but apart from that - little change

FRIDAY 11 SEPTEMBER

A moderate NE wind continuing with a fair bit of cloud cover and intermittent bright, sunny periods. Still fairly warm. Considering the excellent conditions, migrants continue to be thin on the ground and wader passage virtually nil. Buzzard passage has also surprisingly ceased.

WHIPSNADE HEATH (BEDS) (TL 017 180)

Very quiet - no sign of any black-capped tits - but interestingly a 'black' or melanistic Grey Squirrel.

CROSSWATERS FARMHOUSE FIELDS, NEAR EDLESBOROUGH (at SP 990 187) (BEDS)

An adult YELLOW-LEGGED GULL was roosting amongst 115 Lesser Black-backed Gulls in ploughed fields south of the B489.

STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR (HERTS)

Very quiet, with the two adult WHOOPER SWANS, 5 Mute Swans, 18 Greylag Geese and 8 Northern Pochards noted. No sign of the earlier Pintail nor of any Yellow Wagtails.

WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)

(1600-1700 hours; with Ian Williams)

Surprisingly quiet, with virtually no new arrivals

Little Grebes (increase to 5 birds, with an additional 7 on Tringford and 2 on Startop's End - all immigrants from neighbouring Pitstone Quarry where the water level has dropped dramatically)
LITTLE EGRETS (all 6 birds still, all fishing in the shallows in front of the Drayton Hide)
Mute Swans (36)
Common Teal (131)
Shoveler (47)
Wigeon (5+)
Pochard (108)
Gadwall (13)

HOBBY (single adult)
Red Kite (2 over)

RINGED PLOVERS (2 juveniles remaining on mud in NW corner)
COMMON GREENSHANK (2 juveniles still)
RUFF (just 2 juvenile males present this afternoon)

SAND MARTIN (1)
Barn Swallow (45)

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