TUESDAY 22 JULY
A further day of very hot conditions with
temperatures again in the high seventies. Clear blue skies too
WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING
With the Grand Union Canal in optimum usage
with holiday barges etc, the water levels at Wilstone are finally starting to
drop to reveal a narrow fringe of mud and the spit between the Drayton Bank hide
and central bank. Most significant birdwise is the post-breeding build up of
LITTLE EGRETS, with 18 logged again today, including the nesting pair and their
offspring. It was also pleasing to see one pair of Great Crested Grebes with 3
small young, while Black-headed Gull numbers had increased to at least 334.
Clearly associated with this arrival was a very fresh juvenile MEDITERRANEAN
GULL. Found by Steve Rodwell during one of his regular mammoth sessions, the
bird was commuting between the bales and fields in Cemetery Corner - see my pix
below.
Great Crested Grebe and 3 young
Otherwise, fairly standard fare: 32 Mute
Swans, 86 Greylag Geese, 6 Common Teal, 5 Shoveler, 35 Tufted Duck, 334 Coot, 96
Lapwing, 32 Common Terns (including at least 15 juveniles), HOBBY, 9+ Red Kite
(foraging the fields as they were being muck-spread), Common Buzzards, 2+
Sparrowhawk (nesting again near the hide),Green Woodpecker, Jay, Great Tit
(family party), Blackcap, 8+ Western Reed Warblers, 4 Stock Dove, Great Spotted
Woodpecker, 15 Chaffinch (mainly juvenile, again taking advantage of the
sillage), Song Thrush and 6 Common Whitethroats (family party).
Red Kites taking advantage of the spraying
There was no sign of the male Turtle Dove
heard on Sunday in the orchard while Steve discovered a COMMON GREENSHANK on my
departure - another first for the year.
Over at MARSWORTH RESERVOIR, both pairs of
Coot have bred (one with 2 babies, the other with a single), with 4 Great
Crested Grebe, 10 Greylag Geese, 41 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Lesser Black-backed
Gulls and Wren noted, whilst STARTOPSEND yielded 5 Mute Swans, 56 Coot, 8 Tufted
Duck and a pair of Great Crested Grebes with their single surviving youngster.
TRINGFORD held all 7 Mute Swans (family group) and 78 Coot (some still nesting),
with a female Tufted Duck with 3 ducklings. Up to 20 Common Terns were moving
between all 3 reservoirs.
Elsewhere, the GREYLAG GOOSE was again with
Atlantic Canada Geese in LOWNDES PARK, CHESHAM and all 18 Common Swifts were
still around my garden in LITTLE CHALFONT, 3 days later than last year so far.
