Yet another GREAT WHITE EGRET (becoming annual)

DAVE HUTCHINSON kindly supplied the following -:

After seeing the juvenile BLACK TERN at Startop's, I moved on to Wilstone where Steve Rodwell had spotted a GREAT WHITE EGRET fly in.

Also noted at Wilstone were 9 BLACK-TAILED GODWITS, 2 Green Sands, 2 Greenshanks, 2 Whoopers and 3 Shelducks

Hobby at College Lake

Great White Egret on Wilstone - remained on view for about 10 minutes before flying off to College Lake

Juvenile Black Tern on Startop's End Reservoir

BAR-TAILED GODWIT for 15 minutes

Phone-'scoped picture of today's BAR-TAILED GODWIT found by Mike Campbell.

Mike watched it fly in and land at 12:10, unfortunately it was only present ca. 15 mins before flying off towards Aston Clinton (David Bilcock)

OSPREY overnights it

One of yesterday's OSPREYS remained overnight. The bird photographed by Dave Hutchinson above reappeared over Wilstone at 0900 hours this morning (Steve Rodwell) and then flew purposefully east towards Tringford, where I intercepted it. It then continued to Marsworth, where it hovered for a while (to 0917), before relocating to College Lake and lastly Pitstone Quarry, eventually disappearing from view at about 0930.

Otherwise, nothing new: Little Grebe, 8 Little Egret, 2 Whooper Swans, Barnacle Goose, 3 juvenile Common Shelduck, 5 Eurasian Wigeon, 130 Teal, Hobby, juvenile Common Buzzard, numerous Red Kite, 598 Lapwing, the 13 juvenile Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Common Redshank, 2 Common Greenshank, a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, 3 Green Sandpiper, 3 Common Sandpiper, 7 Common Swift, 375 House Martin (LGRE, SR, Francis Buckle, Richard Woodhead)

A Red Letter Day at Tring

Please find attached some (very much) record shots of the OSPREY this afternoon taken from the Jetty bank as it moved over the Drayton bank (0.4 miles away). Spotted by Graham Gillan flying north to
south over Drayton bank spooking everything in sight. Subsequently seen catching a fish in Wilstone, so no doubt there are better pictures out there. This was one of two OSPREYS present simultaneously (Michale Nott)

Otherwise, first thing Dave Bilcock had 8 Ringed Plover and 2 Dunlin fly through, then Steve Rodwell located a party of 3 SANDWICH TERNS (2 adults and a juvenile), which stayed for just over an hour before flying off east. Later in the afternoon, Steve had 13 BLACK-TAILED GODWITS, 2 GREENSHANK, a juvenile LITTLE RINGED PLOVER, 2 Common Redshanks, the 2 Whooper Swans, the Barnacle Goose, Peregrine and 1 Common Swift (up to 6 in recent days). Steve also had a juvenile YELLOW-LEGGED GULL yesterday.

On the Hills, up to 6 WHINCHATS still present.

Chats on the Hills

There were still 2 WHINCHAT and 2 NORTHERN WHEATEAR on Ivinghoe Sheep Fields this morning (Francis Buckle, Richard Woodhead, et al) whilst at Wilstone Reservoir, everything was the same bar 2 Dunlin (13 juvenile BLACK-TAILED GODWITS, 2 GREENSHANK, 4 Shelduck, etc)

Saturday's Highlights

A summary of news taken from the Diaries of Ian Williams, David Bilcock and Steve Rodwell -:

Not much change at WILSTONE where BLACK-TAILED GODWITS had risen by 1 to 14 juveniles, COMMON GREENSHANKS now become 2, a 'new' juvenile DUNLIN and up to 8 Common Sandpipers; the juvenile PEREGRINE was patrolling again.

Steve had what was possibly a HONEY BUZZARD drift through very high mid-morning, while Ian saw the 3 SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS in the field behind the hide access track.

David did the IVINGHOE HILLS between 0700 and 0900 hours and had 4 WHINCHATS in the sheep pen vicinity (not located later) and 4+ COMMON REDSTARTS between the car park and trig point (I had 7 this evening, with a Tawny Owl hooting loudly from the Beech strip).

A PIED AVOCET was reported from Wilstone last knockings last night but was not there at dawn this morning.

GODWIT flock still present

FRIDAY 22 AUGUST

 

Wind now in the Southwest but still very light - pretty cloudy but no rain

 

At WILSTONE RESERVOIR with increasing mud by the day, all 13 juvenile BLACK-TAILED GODWITS are still present (3rd day), as well as the 6 Common Sandpipers, 2 Green Sandpipers, the long-staying juvenile COMMON GREENSHANK and 102 Lapwing; 3 juvenile DUNLIN were new in.

 

Otherwise, Ian Williams and I noted 16 Great Crested Grebe, 30 Mute Swan, the 2 adult Whooper Swans, 106 Greylag Geese, the BARNACLE GOOSE with them, 170 Atlantic Canda Geese, 4 juvenile COMMON SHELDUCK, 216 Mallard, 2 MANDARIN DUCK, 30 Gadwall, 96 Common Teal, 15 Northern Shoveler, 9 Pochard, 199 Black-headed Gull, juvenile Argenteus Herring Gull, 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (all flying east), 3 HOBBY, 90+ Sand Martin and 16 Pied Wagtails (mainly juveniles).

 

Images below -:

 

Earlier in the day, I partook in my first VizMig session of the autumn on IVINGHOE HILLS NATURE RESERVE. Unsurprisingly, it was very quiet - just a few raptors moving (HOBBY, 5 Common Kestrel, several Red Kites) - only migrants being the odd Common Chiffchaff and single TREE PIPIT and YELLOW WAGTAIL. Otherwise, 10 Stock Dove, Green Woodpecker and Yellowhammer of note.

Belated news of an adult CASPIAN GULL

Dave Bilcock informs me this morning that he saw an adult CASPIAN GULL and up to 5 YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS in recently ploughed fields near Tring Station on Sunday not far from Cow Roast on the old A41 - the first to ever be recorded in the Tring area

Even more mud exposed and BLACK-TAILED GODWIT numbers increase

A flock of up to 17 juvenile BLACK-TAILED GODWITS are now to be found on the mud at Wilstone, along with 6 Common Sandpipers, 3 Green Sandpipers, the long-staying Greenshank and a juvenile Dunlin; also the 2 Whooper Swans, 8 Little Egret, 92 Teal, 18 Shoveler, 432 Coot, Hobby and up to 160 passage Sand Martins......