Thursday 13 June 2013

First summer inventory of 2013

THURSDAY 13 JUNE


Today's weather was very unseasonal with near gale force SSW winds and heavy showers during the morning. Being quiet elsewhere, it provided me with an opportunity of carrying out the first summer inventory of the reservoirs this year. A total of 54 species was noted -:

1) Great Crested Grebe: Just 4 birds on Wilstone, 8 on Startop's, 4 on Marsworth and a pair on Tringford, the latter the only pair seemingly nesting (see pic)


2) Sinensis Cormorant: 17 active nests on the Drayton Bank at Wilstone with at least 27 juveniles being fed

3) LITTLE EGRET: a pair acting suspiciously on Wilstone, most likely nesting or building a nest

4) Grey Heron: 14 active nests on the Drayton Bank with at least 7 young already fledged; 5 additional birds on Tringford

5) Mute Swan: the moulting flock on Wilstone has now increased to 23 birds, with a further individual on Startop's; the only successful nesting pair was on Tringford, today accompanying 5 small cygnets (see pix)




6) Greylag Goose: 66 on Wilstone, with 16 on Startop's, the latter accompanying 5 goslings

7) Atlantic Canada Goose: 35 on Wilstone




8) Mallard: 15 on Wilstone, 9 on Marsworth, 44 on Startops and 18 on Tringford, one female with 4 small young and another with 6 well grown young

9) Gadwall: 2 pairs on Tringford

10) NORTHERN SHOVELER: lingering drake on Startop's (see pic)


11) EURASIAN WIGEON: summering drake near hide on Wilstone (see pic)


12) Red-crested Pochard: 2 drakes and a female on Startops (see pic)



13) Tufted Duck: just a pair on Wilstone with 42 on Startops

14) Red Kite: present in recording area but with no direct evidence of nesting

15) Common Buzzard: again, certainly present but no direct evidence of nesting

16) HOBBY: 2 birds hunting over the reedbed on Wilstone

17) Common Kestrel: pair present in adjoining farmland

18) Common Pheasant: present and breeding by the Dry Canal

19) Moorhen: surprisingly few encountered with no direct evidence of breeding yet this year

20) Coot: 102 non-breeding adults on Wilstone, with 22 more on Startops and 18 on Tringford (including at least 5 active nests)


21) OYSTERCATCHER: pair with two small young on raft on Wilstone

22) Common Tern: no evidence of nesting yet although birds visiting tern rafts today; 34 adults present on Wilstone with a further pair on the concrete tower on Tringford

23) Stock Dove: at least 3 nesting pairs on Wilstone and another pair on Tringford

24) Woodpigeon: at least 27 pairs nesting, mainly on Wilstone and Tringford

25) COMMON SWIFT: incredible numbers present for mid June with 1,600 on Wilstone and a further 900 over Marsworth and the canal




26) European Barn Swallow: four pairs around Little Tring Farm

27) House Martin: 40 over Wilstone

28) Pied Wagtail: pair feeding young by car park on Wilstone

29) YELLOW WAGTAIL: pair nesting in farmland to north of Startop Farm

30) GREY WAGTAIL: singles noted on Wilstone and Tringford, with nesting almost certainly taking place on the canal

31) Wren: 9 territories on Wilstone, 3 in Marsworth Wood and a further 6 around Tringford

32) Dunnock: under-recorded, with perhaps 3 nesting pairs around Wilstone and two in Tringford Wood

33) European Robin: at least 7 successful breeding pairs in recording area

34) SONG THRUSH: just 1 singing male in Tringford Wood

35) MISTLE THRUSH: pair feeding young in Black Poplars in Marsworth Wood, with at least 1 further pair around Wilstone

36) Common Blackbird: 17 birds around Tringford, with at least 15 on Wilstone and two pairs at least on Marsworth

37) Blackcap: 4 singing males/pairs on Marsworth, 8 on Tringford and at least 12 around Wilstone

38) Common Whitethroat: a singing male by the car park at Marsworth and at least 7 singing males/pairs in hedgerows at the Dry Canal

39) Sedge Warbler: very poor numbers with just 2 males noted on Marsworth

40) Western Reed Warbler: at least 14 singing males/pairs in Marsworth Reedbed and perhaps as many as 35 pairs in Wilstone Reedbed

41) Common Chiffchaff: 5 singing males around Wilstone, 2 on Marsworth, 1 by the road at Tringford and 3 more in Tringford Woods

42) Goldcrest: singing males in Marsworth Wood and near the hide on Wilstone

43) Great Tit: pair with 3 fledged young on Tringford

44) Blue Tit: 7 family parties noted - on Wilstone and Tringford

45) Common Magpie: 4 on Wilstone

46) Jackdaw: 58 birds in Tringford Wood where breeding in holes

47) Rook: 37 active nests in Tringford Wood although most young now fledged

48) Carrion Crow: at least 16 resident birds with 3 fledged young noted

49) House Sparrow: 3 on Wilstone and a party of 8 near the hide on Marsworth (see pix)



50) Chaffinch: as many as 23 singing males in the Recording Area

51) Linnet: 3 pairs nesting in the hedgerows of the Dry Canal

52) Goldfinch: 3 on Marsworth

53) BULLFINCH: pair in bushes by road on Startop's

54) REED BUNTING: male collecting food on Marsworth (see pix) with two additional singing males in Marsworth Reedbed



55) YELLOWHAMMER: two nesting pairs on the Dry Canal

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