Today's birds

Visited Wilstone this morning where there were good numbers of Lapwing and Golden Plover. Also on show:-

1 Snipe

2 Common Redshank

1 Black-tailed Godwit

1 Dunlin

1 Kingfisher

1 Pintail

Went on to College Lake where Chris located a JACK SNIPE which could be seen from the main hide. One Raven over and a rare visit from an adult Great Black-backed Gull which was later joined by another juv on an island on the main pit.

Dave Hutchinson

Dancers End today

Dancers End NR Fri 11-14.30

Decided to seek the shelter of one of my favourite places and enjoyed a beautiful winter walk catching up on the wildlife. Patches of frost remained in sheltered spots all day despite the bright sun. I always check the open chalk field and bushes on the far side of DE because I always thought it could be a good spot for Shrikes! Little did I know there was one not far away....

In the fenced paddock were two Roe Deer, a pleasant change from Muntjac and the following birds seen:-

3 Red Kites playing tag; pair of Buzzards; Red-legged Partridge; Pheasant; Woodcock flushed (star bird); flock of 16 White Doves circling, presumably from nearby residence; Great-spotted Woodpecker; Green Woodpecker; Pied Wagtail over; Wren; Dunnock; Robin; Blackbird; Only 1 Fieldfare which landed in nearby Rowan until it saw me; Blue, Great, Long-tailed and Marsh Tits; Nuthatch; Magpie; Jay; Pair of Ravens over; Carrion Crow, Chaffinch; Goldfinch and Bullfinch (Sally Douglas)

Not an awful lot about but 2 WATER PIPITS, LITTLE STINT..........

FRIDAY 22 NOVEMBER

 

A very cold NE wind blowing, pegging temperatures back to about 4 degrees C; pretty clear too and devoid of rain all day.....

 

Highlight throughout the week has been a flock of 14 RED-CRESTED POCHARDS on TRINGFORD, the largest flock that I have ever recorded at TRING RESERVOIRS

 

Other than that, WILSTONE today had 2 WATER PIPITS (both in Cemetery Corner), the LITTLE STINT (still present on the main spit out from the jetty - see Andrew Moon's superb image below), 3 DUNLIN (yesterday, Steve Blake had 9), the last of the BLACK-TAILED GODWIT, 2 COMMON REDSHANK (present for 6th day), 9 EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER and 603 Lapwing.

 

On the water, click-counted were 7 Little Grebe, just 7 Great Crested Grebe, 48 Mute Swans, 21 Gadwall, 206 Eurasian Wigeon, 470 Common Teal, 1 drake PINTAIL, 72 Shoveler, 95 Tufted Duck and 109 Pochard.

 

Also noted were 6 Pied Wagtails, a female Grey Wagtail and a flock of 140 FIELDFARE south

 

Nearby, there was no sign today of yesterday's 4 adult WHOOPER SWANS on COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT

 

In the CHESS VALLEY, 2 Little Egrets were back at Bois Mill

TODAY'S IMAGES

A superb portrait of our long-staying first-winter LITTLE STINT (Andrew Moon)

Drake Common Teal

The two COMMON REDSHANK favouring the creek slightly to the right of the Drayton Bank Hide

A female Grey Wagtail

And the WATER PIPITS

College Lake JACK SNIPE still present

Sunday had a Water Rail in front of the Octogan Hide and Mandarin Ducks on the Marsh - 3 Little Grebe and a Great Crested Grebe on the Lake. Numerous Reed Buntings feeding on the barley along the path and plenty of Bullfinches all around the reserve. Today Had  Redwing and Fieldfare along with a pair of Red Crested Pochards on the Lake. The single JACK SNIPE on same island as before, seen from Visitor Centre hide. Plenty of Common Snipe also present (per Chris Ruckell)

A new record flock of RED-CRESTED POCHARDS

A flock of 14 RED-CRESTED POCHARDS was still present on Tringford Reservoir this afternoon, the largest number ever recorded at the reservoirs as far as I know. I couldn't get a single shot with them all in but here they all are in parts -:

And a few panoramic views from Tringford today including a gorgeous sunset