Birding Tring Reservoirs: December 2013

Sunday, 22 December 2013

Nailed him at last - PINK-FOOTED GOOSE

SUNDAY 22 DECEMBER

A colder day with long clear spells and a gradually freshening SW wind; the forecast rain did not arrive until after dark but follows several days of heavy rain that has now started to fill the reservoirs quite quickly.

Pink-footed Goose with 15 Greylag Geese in field near car park at Wilstone

My limited birding today was restricted to TRING RESERVOIRS where the adult PINK-FOOTED GOOSE was still present and finally giving itself up (both Ian Williams and I photographing it for the first time - see images above).......

Unlike yesterday, when it was highly mobile and constantly moving fields, today it spent virtually all of daylight feeding with 15 Greylag Geese in the field immediately north of WILSTONE RESERVOIR, between the car park and the new overflow. The other 61 Greylag Geese (and 1 Atlantic Canada) spent time again at COLLEGE FARM in MARSWORTH.

At STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR, a flock of 11 RED-CRESTED POCHARD included this pale female variant,

...whilst on WILSTONE, the highlights included the continuing LITTLE STINT, 3 COMMON REDSHANK, 298 EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER, 1 BLACK-TAILED GODWIT and 1 Little Egret. I did not count the wildfowl and left Steve Rodwell to go through the roosting Black-headed & Common Gulls.

Yesterday afternoon, Roy Hargreaves had a brief Bittern at MARSWORTH REEDBED, where also just 80 Corn Buntings roosted, around 2,500 Common Starlings, 5 Reed Buntings and 5 Water Rails - Steve Rodwell also had 3 Woodcock at dusk recently there

Saturday, 21 December 2013

PINK-FOOTED GOOSE

Greylags and Pink-foot at College Farm

Dave Bilcock discovered a PINK-FOOTED GOOSE at Startop's End Reservoir this morning. It stayed for a short time before relocating to fields NNW of Startop Farm. The Greylag Goose flock was then flushed and flew to Wilstone. It remained on the spit out from the jetty for a while before flying back towards Startop's where I relocated the Greylags (all 81 of them) and the Pinkfoot in a field near College Farm, east of Marsworth (in Bucks). The flock soon flew and then relocated to a field on the ridge just SSE of the Cemetery on Wilstone but then flew again and I lost them.

Otherwise, 8 Red-crested Pochards on Tringford Reservoir, a Meadow Pipit on Startop's and a fair few wildfowl, including 42 Gadwall and 26 Wigeon on College Lake BBOWT

Saturday, 7 December 2013

Local BRAMBLINGS

I decided yesterday to have a walk round Ivinghoe Beacon CP area as there is only so many times you can look at the same Water Pipit!

Having seen a large flock of Chaffinches as I drove up I walked a short distance down the hill

and soon connected with a few Brambling.

Today I called in at College Lake and was soon joined, by chance, by Ed Griffith.

Just before he arrived, I and one other had a Water Rail fly into the island to the left

of the 'overlook' from the visitor centre. Also on the far right tip of the island was a Snipe

with a partially concealed JACK SNIPE close to it. Walking clockwise approaching the June Ives

Hide we had a flock of 6 Bullfinches (3 males). Nothing of note seen from the hide but a

pleasant walk followed by a cup of tea and a free mince pie! - Francis Buckle

Thursday, 5 December 2013

Nothing New

European Golden Plovers

THURSDAY 5 DECEMBER

Anthony of the Washington Post wanted to interview me today so I took him over to WILSTONE RESERVOIR to show him a few birds. We met Steve Blake on our way round to the Drayton Bank Hide who informed us of nothing 'new' and no evidence of any storm-driven seabirds with the current conditions........

The reservoir was still very low, especially for December. A full inventory comprised........

Great Crested Grebe (11)

Little Grebe (1)

Sinensis Cormorant (37)

Little Egret (2)

Mute Swan (37)

Mallard (76)

Wigeon (237)

Gadwall (24)

Common Teal (478)

NORTHERN PINTAIL (3 - drake and two females)

Tufted Duck (86)

Northern Pochard (72)

Coot (578)

Moorhen (32)

Lapwing (106)

EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER (51 in two flocks)

DUNLIN (2)

COMMON REDSHANK (now 4)

BLACK-TAILED GODWIT (single still remaining)

Common Gull (adult)

Wednesday, 4 December 2013

Not a lot happening........

A brief visit to Wilstone this afternoon. Not much has changed with the Water Pipit showing well in the sunshine. Also 3 Redshanks and 3 Dunlin and a good number of Golden Plover

Few shots attached

Dave Hutchinson

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

Birding Tring Reservoirs

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Sunday, 22 December 2013

Nailed him at last - PINK-FOOTED GOOSE

Saturday, 21 December 2013

PINK-FOOTED GOOSE

Saturday, 7 December 2013

Local BRAMBLINGS

Thursday, 5 December 2013

Nothing New

Wednesday, 4 December 2013

Not a lot happening........

My 2017 Tring Reservoirs Bird Recording Area List

My 2012 Tring Reservoirs List (Lee G R Evans)

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