THURSDAY 4 MARCH
Although temperatures in the south climbed to 7.5 degrees C, a cold easterly wind made it feel very bitter. It remained bright throughout, with long spells of sunshine and clear blue skies.
Recent days have heralded the arrival of spring with many waders returning to breeding localities, including Curlew, Common Redshank, Lapwing, Oystercatcher and Ringed Plover, as well as some early returning migrants such as Little Ringed Plover, Northern Wheatear, Sand Martin and White Wagtail. There has been a wave of coastal GARGANEYS but it still came as a surprise when Alan Reynolds telephoned to say that Bill Last had discovered a pair at Amwell - a very early date. Frustratingly, I was in Dorset, and a mere 198 miles away........
HEMEL HEMPSTEAD (HERTS)
The adult female PEREGRINE was roosting in its usual spot and showing very well (see Dan Forder's superb array of new images above).
A41 (HERTS) - dead Badger on westbound A41 near Dudswell.
MARSWORTH RESERVOIR (HERTS)
No sign of the Red-crested Pochard pair but 11 Great Crested Grebes, 2 adult Mute Swans, 105 Shoveler, 3 Tufted Duck, 5 Northern Pochard and 3 Coot; some 62 CORN BUNTINGS roosted.
STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR (HERTS)
Four Great Crested Grebe, 76 Coot, 22 Tufted Duck and 30 Northern Pochard.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR (HERTS)
(1745-1825 hours; with Steve Rodwell)
The number of roosting gulls has decreased dramatically with just 1,200 Black-headed Gulls estimated this evening, along with 87 Common Gulls and 6 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls; Steve located the 2nd-winter MEDITERRANEAN GULL, this bird being the same as that present on 27-28 February and photographed by David Bilcock above. It has some blackish feathering coming through on the head, with a blood-red bill and black band and black primary patterning.
Two LITTLE EGRETS flew in to roost on the Drayton Bank, whilst wildfowl included 8 COMMON GOLDENEYE (3 adult drakes), diminishing numbers of Eurasian Wigeon (just 214) and 18 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Gadwall, 26 Shoveler, 96 Tufted Duck and 38 Pochard.
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To publish and gather ornithological and mammalian sightings in the Tring Reservoirs area and environs
My 2017 Tring Reservoirs Bird Recording Area List
- 69) Red-crested Pochard, Wilstone, 9 January
- 68) Common Buzzard, Wilstone, 9 January
- 60) Greylag Goose, 3 January
- 59) BITTERN, Marsworth, 4 January
- 58) CORN BUNTING, Marsworth, 4 January
- 57) Reed Bunting, 4 January
- 55) Great Tit, 4 January
- 54) Blue Tit, 4 January
- 52) Green Woodpecker, 4 January
- 48) Common Starling, 4 January
- 47) Mistle Thrush, Marsworth, 4 January
- 45) Goldcrest, 4 January
- 43) Common Gull, 4 January
- 42) Goldfinch, 2 January
- 41) Chaffinch, 2 January
- 40) Carrion Crow, 2 January
- 39) Jackdaw, 2 January
- 38) Common Magpie, 2 January
- 37) Long-tailed Tit, 2 January
- 36) Blackbird, 2 January
- 35) Song Thrush, 2 January
- 34) Robin, 2 January
- 33) Dunnock, 2 January
- 32) Wren, 2 January
- 31) Grey Wagtail, 2 January
- 30) Pied Wagtail, 2 January
- 28) Common Kingfisher, 2 January
- 27) Collared Dove, 2 January
- 26) Stock Dove, 2 January
- 25) Woodpigeon, 2 January
- 24) Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 January
- 23) Black-headed Gull, 2 January
- 22) Lapwing, 2 January
- 20) Coot, 2 January
- 19) Moorhen, 2 January
- 18) Water Rail, 2 January
- 16) Tufted Duck, 2 January
- 14) Northern Pochard, 2 January
- 13) Common Teal, 2 January
- 12) Eurasian Wigeon, 2 January
- 11) Shoveler, 2 January
- 10) Gadwall, 2 January
- 9) Mallard, 2 January
- 7) Atlantic Canada Goose, 2 January
- 6) Mute Swan, 2 January
- 4) Grey Heron, 2 January
- 3) Cormorant, 2 January
- 2) Little Grebe, 2 January
- 1) Great Crested Grebe, 2 January
My 2012 Tring Reservoirs List (Lee G R Evans)
- 134) Tawny Owl, Marsworth, 01 December
- 133) BRAMBLING, Wilstone, 26 October
- 132) SLAVONIAN GREBE, Wilstone, 26 October
- 131) European Golden Plover, Wilstone, 01 October
- 130) GREAT WHITE EGRET, Wilstone, 23 September
- 129) WHIMBREL, Marsworth, 20 August
- 128) BLACK TERN (5 birds), Startop's, 15 August
- 127) Garden Warbler, Wilstone Orchard, 6 August
- 126) NUTHATCH, Wilstone Orchard, 06 August
- 125) Lesser Whitethroat, Wilstone, 7 July
- 124) SABINE'S GULL, Startop's, 02 July
- 123) Spotted Flycatcher, Wilstone, 28 June
- 122) GARGANEY, Wilstone, 30 April
- 121) Hobby, Wilstone, 30 April
- 120) Common Cuckoo, Marsworth, 28 April
- 119) Common Whitethroat, Dry Canal, 25 April
- 118) Common Swift, Wilstone, 24 April
- 117) LITTLE TERN, Wilstone, 17 April
- 116) Common Redshank, Startop's, 17 April
- 115) ARCTIC TERN (15), Wilstone, 17 April
- 114) Western Reed Warbler (3), Marsworth, 13 April
- 113) Sedge Warbler, Marsworth, 13 April
- 112) Yellow Wagtail, Marsworth, 13 April
- 111) GRASSHOPPER WARBLER, Marsworth, 13 April
- 110) Common Sandpiper, Wilstone, 10 April
- 109) Willow Warbler, Dry Canal, 08 April
- 108) KITTIWAKE, Wilstone, 08 April
- 107) NORTHERN FULMAR, Wilstone, 05 April
- 106) House Martin, Wilstone, 04 April
- 105) MARSH HARRIER, Wilstone, 03 April
- 104) Common Tern, Wilstone, 03 April
- 103) Mandarin Duck, Marsworth Reservoir, 31 March
- 102) CURLEW, Wilstone, 31 March
- 101) Barn Swallow, Wilstone, 31 March
- 100) WHITE WAGTAIL, Startop's, 26 March
- 99) Little Ringed Plover, Startop's, 26 March
- 98) LITTLE GULL (20), Wilstone, 26 March
- 97) Cetti's Warbler, Marsworth, 17 March
- 96) Sand Martin (7), Wilstone, 17 March
- 95) MARSH TIT, Wilstone Orchard, 16 March
- 94) SCANDINAVIAN ROCK PIPIT, Wilstone, 14 March
- 93) RED-THROATED DIVER, flew high west over reservoirs, 14 March
- 92) Common Kingfisher, Marsworth, 13 March
- 91) Meadow Pipit, Startop's, 13 March
- 90) Ringed Plover, Startop's End, 13 March
- 89) Blackcap, Tringford, 13 March
- 88) OYSTERCATCHER, Wilstone, 13 March
- 87) Common Chiffchaff, Tringford, 10 March
- 86) Mistle Thrush, Tring Sewage Farm, 5 March
- 85) Water Rail, Marsworth
- 84) Jay, Tringford Reservoir, 5 March
- 83) COMMON STONECHAT, Wilstone, 5 March
- 82) BARN OWL, Tring Sewage Farm, 3 March
- 81) Common Treecreeper, Marsworth
- 80) Common Buzzard
- 79) Sparrowhawk, Wilstone, 21 February
- 78) Green Sandpiper, Wilstone, 17 February
- 77) PINTAIL, Wilstone, 17 February
- 76) RUFF (male), Wilstone, 15 February
- 75) Herring Gull (3), Wilstone, 13 February
- 74) PEREGRINE, Wilstone, 13 February
- 73) DUNLIN, Wilstone, 12 February
- 72) BLACK-TAILED GODWIT, Wilstone, 12 February
- 71) RED KNOT, Wilstone, 12 February
- 70) SMEW, Startop's End, 08 February
- 69) House Sparrow, Startop's Farm, 04 February
- 68) EURASIAN BITTERN, Marsworth, 03 February
- 67) Skylark, Dry Canal, 28 January
- 66) Yellowhammer, Dry Canal, 28 January
- 65) GOOSANDER (drake), Wilstone, 28 January
- 64) WATER PIPIT, Wilstone, 10 January
- 63) GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (3 birds), Wilstone, 8 January
- 62) Stock Dove, Wilstone, 8 January
- 61) Lapwing, Wilstone, 8 January
- 60) Reed Bunting, Marsworth, 4 January
- 59) CORN BUNTING, Marsworth Reedbed Roost, 4 January
- 58) Goldcrest, Marsworth, 4 January
- 57) Bullfinch, Watery Lane, 4 January
- 56) SISKIN (3), Tringford, 4 January
- 54) Lesser Black-backed Gull, 4 January
- 53) Greenfinch, Tringford, 4 January
- 52) SNOW BUNTING (immature male), Startop's End, 1 January
- 51) Goldfinch, 1 January
- 50) Linnet (54 birds), Wilstone, 1 January
- 49) Chaffinch, 1 January
- 48) Common Starling, 1 January
- 47) Carrion Crow, 1 January
- 46) Rook, 1 January
- 45) Western Jackdaw, 1 January
- 44) Common Magpie, 1 January
- 43) Long-tailed Tit, 1 January
- 43) Blue Tit, 1 January
- 42) Great Tit, 1 January
- 41) Common Blackbird, 1 January
- 40) Fieldfare, 1 January
- 39) Redwing, 1 January
- 38) Song Thrush, 1 January
- 37) Robin, 1 January
- 36) Dunnock, 1 January
- 35) Wren, 1 January
- 34) Grey Wagtail, 1 January
- 33) Pied Wagtail, 1 January
- 32) Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 January
- 31) Green Woodpecker, 1 January
- 30) Collared Dove, 1 January
- 29) Woodpigeon, 1 January
- 28) MEDITERRANEAN GULL (adult winter), Startop's, 1 January
- 27) Common Gull, 1 January
- 26) Black-headed Gull, 1 January
- 25) JACK SNIPE (2 birds), Marsworth, 1 January
- 24) Common Snipe (3), Marsworth, 1 January
- 23) Coot, 1 January
- 22) Moorhen, 1 January
- 21) Common Pheasant, 1 january
- 20) Common Kestrel, 1 January
- 19) Red Kite, 1 January
- 18) Common Goldeneye (7), 1 January
- 17) Tufted Duck, 1 January
- 16) Red-crested Pochard, 1 January
- 15) Northern Pochard, 1 January
- 14) Common Teal, 1 January
- 13) Eurasian Wigeon, 1 January
- 12) Northern Shoveler, 1 January
- 11) Gadwall, 1 January
- 10) Mallard. 1 January
- 9) DARK-BELLIED BRENT GOOSE (first-winter), Wilstone, 1 January
- 8) Atlantic Canada Goose, 1 January
- 7) Greylag Goose, 1 January
- 6) Mute Swan, 1 January
- 5) Grey Heron, 1 January
- 4) Little Egret, Wilstone, 1 January
- 3) Atlantic Great Cormorant, 1 January
- 2) Little Grebe (2 birds), 1 January
- 1) Great Crested Grebe, 1 January
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2010
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March
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- Winter returns with a vengeance with a major fall ...
- Belated reports of both OSPREY and EGYPTIAN GOOSE ...
- OSPREY over Steps
- First YELLOW WAGTAIL of year
- And a longer, prolonged watch over the smaller res...
- Early COMMON TERN arrives - Saturday
- Saturday morning on the hills
- A washout
- COMMON SHELDUCK at Broughton Trout Pools briefly
- Another WHEATEAR
- More Migrants arrive
- First WHEATEAR arrives at Tring
- LITTLE RINGED PLOVER and first WILLOW WARBLER arrive
- Migrant COMMON CROSSBILLS
- Major arrival of BARN SWALLOWS and hills get their...
- Ad MEDITERRANEAN GULL in the roost (there were sti...
- CROSSBILL and MANDARIN highlights but no Lesser Pe...
- Saturday: very lean pickings - LGRE sightings
- LESSER SPOT puts on a good show
- Drake GOOSANDER drops in briefly
- First DUNLIN of the year - briefly
- Another MARSH TIT survives the winter
- First COMMON SHELDUCK of year
- Late Snippets from Steve Rodwell
- Saturday Highlights
- MED tonight
- 2nd-winter MED roosted again - 28 February
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March
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About Me
- Lee G R Evans
- I have been birding since 1969 but became obsessed with 'twitching' in 1974 and haven't looked back since. Have driven over 1.3 million miles in pursuit of rare birds in the UK, where to date I have recorded 588 species in Britain and Ireland. I also have a fascination for the Birds of the Western Palearctic, where I have currently recorded 880 of the 1,064 species ever recorded. I am widely travelled in North America, as well as in Africa and Asia, and have written at least 29 books on my chosen subject, including best-sellers ''Ultimate Site Guide to Scarcer British Birds' and 'Rare Birds in Britain 1800-1990'. Established the UK400 Club in 1981 to cater for the most obsessive of the British birding fraternity and now concentrate on online publishing, via the www.uk400clubonline.co.uk website. Record Birding achievements include recording 386 species in Britain & Ireland in 1996 and 627+ in the Western Palearctic in 2008
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