MONDAY 20 JULY
Another very warm day, with temperatures
peaking at 76 degrees fahrenheit. Quite a bit of cloud, the odd light shower and
a fresh SW breeze...
After a worrying start, the COMMON SWIFTS in
my CHAFFINCH HOUSE colony have peaked at 22 birds, suggesting an excellent
breeding season.......
At around 9.45am, Steve Rodwell 'phoned to
say that he had just discovered a PIED AVOCET on the main marsh at COLLEGE LAKE
BBOWT RESERVE, so I headed straight over....
Twenty minutes later and the bird was still
there, showing very well in front of the Octagon Hide. It was a fresh juvenile
as can be seen from my assorted shots below. Mike Campbell joined me in the
hide, as did Francis Buckle and Richard Woodhead shortly later. The bird
remained present until at least 1300 hours.
Nothing much else in the wader line other
than 15+ Lapwing and the local Oystercatchers (an adult and youngster keeping
close together at times), while Common Terns have fared well, with 13 fledged
juveniles in vegetation in front of the hide.
Other species noted included 2 Great Crested
Grebe on the main marsh, 4 Mute Swans, 7 Gadwall, 2 Tufted Duck, Sparrowhawk, 3
Red Kite, Green Woodpecker, Common Starling, 15 Goldfinch, 6 Linnet, Bullfinch
and Western Reed Warblers.
Over at nearby WILSTONE RESERVOIR, newly
arrived were 2 Common Sandpipers, while the adult GREEN SANDPIPER was still in
the bay by the Drayton Bank Hide. Lapwing numbers had now increased to 177,
while other species encountered included 8 Little Egret, 9 Pochard, 15 Gadwall,
47 Tufted Duck, 18 Mute Swan, 8 Black-headed Gull, 8 Common Tern, Grey Wagtail,
4 Linnet and a Reeve's Muntjac.
Knowing that lucky old Rodders was still
skygazing, I nipped back to the car for a rest but as I watched him walk back
towards the car park, I saw him shudder in excitement and almost drop his
'scope. I knew he was on to something so I darted out of the car to the top of
the steps - it was an adult OSPREY being mobbed by several local Lesser
Black-backed Gulls. The bird remained on view from 1237-1245 hours, making short
circuits of the reservoir, but then thought better of the gulls and flew off
strongly west and into Buckinghamshire airspace - heading in the direction of
Weston Turville. Don't know why, just knew I had to hang around - Steve Rodwell
is just so good at finding birds (or then finding him!). Johnny Lynch was also
fortuitously in the car park and observed the Osprey with us.
With Steve heading home for lunch, I felt it
safe to head off and look elsewhere - TRINGFORD being my target. At the west
end, 2 Grey Heron, 2 Mandarin Duck, 2 Stock Doves, Common Kingfisher and 5
Black-headed Gulls but no sign of the juvenile Water Rails of late, while the
woodland trail produced Common Treecreeper, 2 male Blackcap and large numbers of
Comma & Ringlet butterflies and at least 1 Holly Blue. Walking right round,
the return lap yielded the 4 Mute Swans, 23 Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, 2
Little Grebe, Grey Wagtail and a singing male Common Chiffchaff.
Still plenty of mud on STARTOP'S END
RESERVOIR but not much to show for it, although 10 Moorhen, 18 Canada Geese, 3
Greylag Geese, 41 Black-headed Gulls, 6 Common Tern and 2 Lapwing were making
the most of it. At least 122 Coot remained, 22 Mute Swan and 4 Great Crested
Grebe.
Dropping in at SHARDELOES LAKE, highlights
there included 48 Coot, adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, both Great Spotted &
Green Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, a singing male Reed Bunting and 6 SPOTTED
FLYCATCHERS.
Steve then phoned me again - he had only
gone and relocated the juvenile PIED AVOCET in PITSTONE QUARRY - a new site
tick. With two youngsters having a swim there, it was a race against time, but
fortunately the bird was still present as I arrived at 1550 hours, along with 15
LITTLE RINGED PLOVER and 5 Common Swifts. Phew - what a day!!
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