TUESDAY 15 SEPTEMBER
After failing badly in Suffolk first thing, with near gale force northerlies and driving rain, I made my way back to Hertfordshire and after a brief fattening up of my latest gathering of Edible Dormice, rushed out to Tring at pager reports of a Grey Plover at Wilstone. I was delighted to find it still present early afternoon, along with an ever-increasing throng of wildfowl and a record gathering of Little Egret.
Even at Wilstone, the wind was strong NNE, with heavy cloud and occasional showers.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR
(with Dave Cleal)
Great Crested Grebes (19)
*LITTLE EGRET (a new record count of 11 birds)(see Dave Bilcock's photograph above)
Mute Swan (32)
Gadwall (32)
*NORTHERN PINTAILS (four present, including one with Wigeon by the jetty on the east side and three together south of the hide)
Shoveler (marked increase; 87 birds)
EURASIAN WIGEON (major overnight increase with at least 62 birds present)
Common Teal (numbers keep going up and up with at least 203 counted)
Northern Pochard (106)
RINGED PLOVERS (all 3 juveniles still present; in NW corner)
**GREY PLOVER (the first of the year, a superb juvenile, showing to the right of the hide. Lanky bird, with long greyish legs, and a distinct grey wash of streaks across the mid-breast. Much whiter on the vent and undertail coverts with a white area at the forecrown, darker grey ear-coverts and fresh and neatly patterned dark-centred coverts on the upperwings, scapulars and mantle feathers. Characteristic black axillaries (armpits) when stretching and preening, with a white rump contrasting with a darker grey and barred upper tail and a striking white outer wing-bar on a dark outer hand. Photographed by DB later in the afternoon - see above - and still present at dusk. Superb record - TAW, LGRE, DC, Jason Chapman, et al)
Lapwing (major decrease - just 152)
RUFF (1 juvenile still present)
COMMON SNIPE (4 on the mud)
SAND MARTIN (8)
HOUSE MARTIN (119)
After failing badly in Suffolk first thing, with near gale force northerlies and driving rain, I made my way back to Hertfordshire and after a brief fattening up of my latest gathering of Edible Dormice, rushed out to Tring at pager reports of a Grey Plover at Wilstone. I was delighted to find it still present early afternoon, along with an ever-increasing throng of wildfowl and a record gathering of Little Egret.
Even at Wilstone, the wind was strong NNE, with heavy cloud and occasional showers.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR
(with Dave Cleal)
Great Crested Grebes (19)
*LITTLE EGRET (a new record count of 11 birds)(see Dave Bilcock's photograph above)
Mute Swan (32)
Gadwall (32)
*NORTHERN PINTAILS (four present, including one with Wigeon by the jetty on the east side and three together south of the hide)
Shoveler (marked increase; 87 birds)
EURASIAN WIGEON (major overnight increase with at least 62 birds present)
Common Teal (numbers keep going up and up with at least 203 counted)
Northern Pochard (106)
RINGED PLOVERS (all 3 juveniles still present; in NW corner)
**GREY PLOVER (the first of the year, a superb juvenile, showing to the right of the hide. Lanky bird, with long greyish legs, and a distinct grey wash of streaks across the mid-breast. Much whiter on the vent and undertail coverts with a white area at the forecrown, darker grey ear-coverts and fresh and neatly patterned dark-centred coverts on the upperwings, scapulars and mantle feathers. Characteristic black axillaries (armpits) when stretching and preening, with a white rump contrasting with a darker grey and barred upper tail and a striking white outer wing-bar on a dark outer hand. Photographed by DB later in the afternoon - see above - and still present at dusk. Superb record - TAW, LGRE, DC, Jason Chapman, et al)
Lapwing (major decrease - just 152)
RUFF (1 juvenile still present)
COMMON SNIPE (4 on the mud)
SAND MARTIN (8)
HOUSE MARTIN (119)
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