The Duck Count - LGRE

SUNDAY 16 JANUARY

Another very windy day, with blustery SW winds bringing moist moderately mild conditions. It did just about remain dry during daylight hours but was generally grey and dull.

I took the opportunity to do a full count at the reservoirs and was impressed by the number of wildfowl and waders had returned since the freeze. Lapwings were in impressive numbers, whilst other highlights were a redhead Goosander and 4 Little Egrets........

STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)

I could only locate three (two drakes) of the recently present 8 RED-CRESTED POCHARDS on Startop's but other wildfowl present included 1 Mute Swan, 31 Atlantic Canada Geese, 94 Mallard, 22 Tufted Duck, 21 Northern Pochard and 312 Coot.

TRINGFORD RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)

A party of 44 Shoveler was a high count for Tringford whilst 1 Great Crested Grebe, 6 Grey Heron, 1 Mute Swan, 13 Pochard, 18 Coot and 3 Moorhen were also counted.

MARSWORTH RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)

Just 1 Great Crested Grebe back (just where are they all - with just 6 in total, this is pathetic), along with 2 Canada, 4 Greylags, 12 Mallard and 4 Coot.

WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)

Great Crested Grebe (a pitiful 4 noted)
Little Grebe (2)
Cormorant (predominantly Sinensis) (23)
Grey Heron (8 roosting by the 'pool' by the tall Poplars)
LITTLE EGRET (4 roosting with the Grey Herons)
Mute Swan (just 2 - another species that has emigrated!)
WHOOPER SWAN (the two adults are back for their second day - not seen anywhere during the freeze)
Greylag Geese (50 exact)
Mallard (55)
Gadwall (just 5)
Eurasian Wigeon (609 - dramatic increase)
Pintail (none - perhaps all 8 moved on to Calvert)
Common Teal (412)
Shoveler (44)
Tufted Duck (78)
Pochard (142)
COMMON GOLDENEYE (3 still, including the adult drake)
GOOSANDER (redhead still present - 2nd day? - in front of Drayton Hide)
Coot (345)
*LAPWING (an impressive 853 birds click-counted - the highest total in several years)
*EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER (26 birds in with the Lapwing flock)
*COMMON REDSHANK (1 on mud by the hide) (not seen by me - RH, DB, et al)
Black-headed Gull (501)
Common Gull (83)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (2)
BRITISH HERRING GULL (Argenteus) (1 juvenile - my first in Herts this year)