LITTLE RINGED PLOVER fly-through

MONDAY 14 MARCH

The day started fairly bright and mild but as the morning wore on, a brisk SE wind blew in and dramatically decreased temperatures. The bright conditions prevailed throughout the rest of the day but it felt mightily cold.

HOLLOWAY LANE, CHESHAM BOIS (BUCKS)

Checked out the Rookery in the trees adjacent to the railway bridge at SU 973 998; there were 32 active nests.

GRAND UNION CANAL WALK (HERTS)

Spent some time looking for yesterday's Firecrest but no joy, despite prime habitat; Coal Tit, 6 Blue Tits and 2 Long-tailed Tits noted.

PITSTONE HILL AND DOWNS FARM FIELDS (BUCKS)

Mike Campbell had seen a male Northern Wheatear and a male Common Stonechat earlier but despite walking the entire circuit of fields, I failed to find either. Eurasian Skylarks were singing everywhere, perhaps 15 males, whilst 2 CORN BUNTINGS, 8 Yellowhammers, Sparrowhawk, female Common Kestrel, 2 Common Magpies and 86 Black-headed Gulls were also seen.

WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)

A LITTLE RINGED PLOVER flew east at 1303 hours but other than that, Wilstone was extremely quiet. There was no sign of any Wigeon or Goldeneye or Sand Martins, 18 Great Crested Grebe being the only count I made. The fine weather meant that numerous Red Kites and Common Buzzards were soaring.

PITSTONE QUARRY (HERTS/BUCKS BORDER)

Waders included 3 Lapwings and a Common Redshank, whilst roosting gulls included 377 Black-headed and 24 Common; 8 Redwing feeding in leaf litter were clearly migrants. My first butterfly of the year was a BRIMSTONE.