Birding Tring Reservoirs: September 2016

Friday, 30 September 2016

Three GARGANEY now

FRIDAY 30 SEPTEMBER

IVINGHOE HILLS NATURE RESERVE

Spurned on by Mike Wallen's migrating flock of 16 BLACK-TAILED GODWITS over the Beacon and his impressive count of Meadow Pipits, I ventured down much later in the morning and tried my luck on any remaining VizMig passage. As it was, it had all fizzled out, just 9 Meadow Pipit for my efforts, but most noteworthy was a nice migrant adult HOBBY that was lingering over the Sheep Pen fields and repeatedly returning to the fenceposts to rest (see images on my Ivinghoe Beacon blog). Little in the bushes other than a single Blackcap and 3 Common Chiffchaffs. Again, no hirundine passage

At WILSTONE RESERVOIR, no change from yesterday - 9 PINTAILS, 132 Wigeon, 106 Shoveler, 343 Teal, 101 Tufted Duck, 185 Northern Pochard, the 2 GARGANEY (although Ian Williams & Jeff Bailey had 3), 18 Gadwall, 10 Little Egret, the COMMON SANDPIPER and 5 Grey Wagtails

Thursday, 29 September 2016

Two GARGANEY

WILSTONE RESERVOIR - 29 September - Afternoon visit

Not much to write home about, although both GARGANEY were putting on a good show from the Drayton Bank Hide. Wildfowl numbers rising on a daily basis with 103 Shoveler today, 146 Eurasian Wigeon, 33 Gadwall, 330+ Common Teal, 201 Tufted Duck and an impressive 184+ Northern Pochard.

No sign of any Pintail today but still a lingering COMMON SANDPIPER, 97 Lapwing, 16 Little Egret, a Little Grebe, 3 Grey Wagtails and 33 Mute Swans

Tuesday, 20 September 2016

A new DUNLIN and a major increase in WILDFOWL

MONDAY 19 SEPTEMBER

Flogging a dead horse!

With light northeasterlies and grey skies, it felt promising for IVINGHOE HILLS but in the event, a VizMig vigil from 0900 to midday produced just a single Eurasian Barn Swallow migrating east! I was flogging a dead horse in the bushes too with just a single Common Chiffchaff in the scrub at the far east end of Gallows Hill and a male Blackcap singing in Top Scrub. A single Red Kite, 17 Goldfinch and 16 Meadow Pipits completed the list, while just below the car park, 4 Robins were vying for territory space.

Over at WILSTONE RESERVOIR, the biggest change has been in the wildfowl numbers - a huge increase. For example, PINTAIL numbered 16 (although I hear Steve Rodwell had 27 at the weekend), while Gadwall numbered 18, Common Teal 312, Mallard 216, Eurasian Wigeon 208, Tufted Duck 301 and Northern Pochard an outstanding 192. The GARGANEY was still present, while waders were represented by 181 Lapwing, Common Sandpiper and a new migrant juvenile DUNLIN (Roy had also seen 2 Ringed Plover briefly earlier). Little in the passerine line other than 2 Goldcrest, 3 Grey Wagtail and a large tit flock comprising of at least 8 Blue Tits

Friday, 16 September 2016

This weeks highlights: yet another GREAT WHITE EGRET!

12-16 September 2016

The undoubted highlight this week was the presence of a GREAT WHITE EGRET at Wilstone Reservoir early Thursday morning - 15 September. The bird was typically found by David Bilcock & Roy Hargreaves as they both did their dawn chorus check. Initially seen from the car park steps but feeding by the Drayton Hide, the bird remained in view for about two hours before disappearing around the back at about 0900 hours. Frustratingly, shortly after it was found, thick fog rolled in, making viewing it nigh on impossible.

Otherwise, the single GARGANEY remained all week, with a major build-up of waterfowl as the week went on, with Eurasian Wigeon numbering 60 by Friday, Shoveler up to 58, Mallard at 233 and Common Teal approaching 300. Two NORTHERN PINTAIL are now present.

An OSPREY was seen well at Wilstone on Wednesday (14 September), the same day Jeff Bailey had 2 SANDWICH TERN fly through mid-afternoon. Ian Williams watched a single WHIMBREL pass through at 6pm on Friday (16th), although the only other waders were up to 3 Common Sandpipers.

Although favourable conditions for migrating raptors, particularly Honey Buzzards earlier in the week, it was only passage juvenile Common Buzzards I recorded at Ivinghoe Hills Nature Reserve, while passerines included a party of 9 WHINCHATS at the sheep-pens, at least 5 continuing COMMON REDSTARTS and a migrant GRASSHOPPER WARBLER on 13th. Pitstone Hill also had 1-3 WHINCHAT, with College Lake BBOWT attracting one.

Water levels still dropping on Wilstone

Sunday, 11 September 2016

Weekend Highlights

Dave Bilcock came up with a GARGANEY on Saturday, which was still present today, as well as a PINTAIL - the first so far this autumn. Francis Buckle and others recorded COMMON REDSTART and several migrant Lesser Whitethroats & Spotted Flycatchers in the hedgerow opposite the outflow

Thursday, 8 September 2016

A little passage this week

During his pre-work checks early morning, Dave Bilcock had 2 SANDWICH TERNS through Wilstone and a RED KNOT briefly this week. None was present for longer than a minute! Otherwise, very quiet - just the odd migrant Spotted Flycatcher. Ian Williams had a single flyover OSPREY last week, the only one of the autumn so far

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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