4 JANUARY 2009 INVENTORY COUNTS - ICE FORCING BIRDS OUT

Few additional records. Still some free water on all reservoirs, although Marsworth now virtually frozen. Waterbird numbers down (counts below 4/1/09, all reservoirs). G.C. Grebe 26, L. Grebe 4, L. Egret 1, Pochard 72, Mute Swan 23, Greylag Goose 116, Canada Goose c.30, Mallard 90+, Gadwall 5, Shoveler 148, Teal 80+, Tufted Duck 81, Common Goldeneye 4, Ruddy Duck 1, Water Rail 2 Tringford + 1 Marsworth (opp Lock 41), Coot 470.

Gull Roost with Dave Bilcock also 65 Common Gulls and 6 L.B.B.Gulls.

Also female COMMON STONECHAT nr Tringford in field over canal (3rd Jan), Common Chiffchaff Wilstone. Female Siskin Lakeside Tring (Steve Rodwell)

STONECHATS AT COLLEGE LAKE

I walked right round the far end of COLLEGE LAKE this afternoon and the only thing to add to Ben Miller's sightings was the pair of COMMON STONECHAT on the fenceline north of the main lake.

At Marsworth Reservoir, no sign of any Bitterns in the last half hour before dusk for 7-8 assembledbirders. Apparently 100+ CORN BUNTINGS flew in to roost before I got there but the reedbed was very quiet. Not even a Water Rail calling. Possibly the Bitterns have moved to Wilstone where there may be some ice-free areas in the reeds.

Good birding

Rob Andrews

Late this afternoon with Steve Rodwell at Wilstone roost 2 HERRING GULLS were present, the first I've seen in the roost for several weeks (picture of one of the birds above - an adult Argentatus - Scandinavian). Otherwise most gulls were standing on the ice close together making it difficult, if not impossible, to pick any Med gulls out.
Just after I'd left Stuart Wilson found a EURASIAN BITTERN roosting in the reed bed from the hide, which Steve could see distantly from the car park bank (David Bilcock).

4 JANUARY 2009

At the re-opened COLLEGE LAKE, things had returned to normal after being packed out on New Years Day. The marsh is almost completely frozen, however the main lake remains free of ice and contained good numbers of wildfowl, though not a hoped-for Smew! Great to have the patch open again. Highlights included;

3 RED-CRESTED POCHARDS (drake and two ducks) still, on the main island and rear bank
4 Great-crested Grebes - This is a monster count for the site, as Great-crested are strangely rare at College Lake
4 Little Grebes
2 Common Snipe - One on the frozen marsh, one on the main island
6 COMMON GOLDENEYE
46 Gadwall

A through search produced no sign of the Common Sandpiper found by Dave Bilcock on New Years Day. There have also recently been two Stonechats at the far end of the reserve

Elsewhere, the rest of the Bucks Tring areas I checked produced very little. Both Pitstone Hill and Steps Hill were very quiet, as were Startops and Marsworth, both of which were 90%+ frozen. Two separate sessions looking for the Marsworth Bitterns, late morning and mid afternoon, produced no success, which wasn't helped by an air ambulance circling the reed-bed and landing on the causeway between the reservoirs.

Earlier, 50 European Golden Plovers were in the fields alongside Beggars Lane, at the Tring Station end.

Cheers & Good Birding,

Ben Miller

3 JANUARY 2009

This morning 2 EURASIAN BITTERNS were present at Marsworth, both sat up in the reeds along the far side from the causeway. One bird enjoying the morning sunshine and the other sat in the shade looking very cold and miserable (see photographs above depicting both individuals). Also CETTI'S WARBLER heard calling from the reed bed.

At Wilstone several WOODCOCKS seen including one flushed from the footpath to the hide early morning and another flying along the bank near the new overflow late afternoon (Dave Bilcock)

2 JANUARY 2009

FRIDAY 2 JANUARY 2009

A slightly warmer day than of late with no frost and somewhat overcast conditions; E wind picked up during the afternoon

TRING RESERVOIRS (1200-1330)

Very quiet, apart from the regular wintering species

Wilstone Reservoir

Great Crested Grebe (18)
Sinensis Cormorants (11)
Mute Swans (now down to just 7 adults)
Greylag Geese (54 in fields near Cemetery Corner including one with damaged leg and wing)
Mallard (19 plus 3 'Aylesbury' white types
Eurasian Wigeon (419 and visiting the fields east of reservoir to feed)
Common Teal (230+)
Shoveler (45+)
Tufted Duck (107)
Pochard (26)
COMMON GOLDENEYE (2 - drake and female)
RUDDY DUCK (3 present, an adult drake, immature drake and female)
Coot (398)
**MEDITERRANEAN GULL (first-winter roosted - Dave Bilcock)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (1 adult)

Woodpigeon (51 around the North Bank)
Blue Tit (1)
Common Blackbird (5 in fields on east side)
Redwing (4 with the above)
Song Thrush (2 with the above)
European Robin (1 by Cemetery)

Startop's End Reservoir

Woodpigeon (283 feeding in field immediately west of the Pine shop)
House Sparrow (35 in Angler's Retreat garden favouring aviary and Leylandii)
Redwing (47 feeding in paddock north of reservoir)

Mute Swan (2 - 1 first-winter)
Greylag Goose (1)
Tufted Duck (44)
Northern Pochard (7)
Coot (48)

Marsworth Reservoir

Great Crested Grebe (5)
Grey Heron (1)
Shoveler (156)
Pochard (3)

Tringford Reservoir

Mute Swan (9 adults)
Common Teal (2)
Tufted Duck (11)
Pochard (1 female)
Coot (31)
Carrion Crow (1)

PITSTONE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE

Wintering flock of 16 MEADOW PIPITS located, in grass field immediately opposite waste site

NORTHFIELD ROAD

No sign of any European Golden Plovers but 21 LAPWING, 18 FIELDFARES and 181 Woodpigeons in field at SP 952 127

PITSTONE QUARRY

Mostly frozen but in small patch at top end was gathered 4 Little Grebe, 1 adult Mute Swan, 11 Common Teal, 6 Eurasian Wigeon, 31 Tufted Duck, 8 Pochard and 3 Coot. The gull roost contained 12 Commons.

Highlight was 3 BULLFINCHES in trees by the road

DRAYTON BEAUCHAMP - Common Buzzard

COLLEGE LAKE today held a redhead GOOSANDER and 2 female COMMON GOLDENEYES (per RBA)

COMMON SANDPIPER ON ICE IS STAR SURPRISE

This COMMON SANDPIPER was an unusual arrival this morning at a very frozen College Lake (David Bilcock). Unfortunately it didn't linger too long, particularly when the newly furnished reserve opened its doors to over 200 visitors.

1 JANUARY 2009 (NEW YEARS DAY)

UPPER WENDOVERDEAN FARM (SP 880 049)

In the slurry field immediately opposite Cobblershill Lane and Berryhill Farm & Nursery, another superb selection of birds: SPARROWHAWK (male perched on hedge), 47 LAPWING, 500+ Woodpigeons, 30 STOCK DOVE, 55 FIELDFARE, 25 YELLOWHAMMER, 211 Common Starlings, 100+ Chaffinches but no Skylarks.

NW of WENDOVER

215 Rooks feeding in field at SP 883 107

DRAYTON BEAUCHAMP

A dead Chinese Water Deer at the crossroads at SP 895 129

COLLEGE LAKE (1330)

No sign of the Common Sandpiper seen earlier, nor of 2 Woodcocks

Mute Swans (9+)
Eurasian Wigeon (50+)
Gadwall
Shoveler (8)
Tufted Duck
Pochard
*RED-CRESTED POCHARD - adult drake and two females on main lake
*COMMON GOLDENEYES - 2 females on main lake
Coot (81+)
COMMON SNIPE (2)
BULLFINCH (pair)

BROUGHTON TROUT POOLS

COMMON KINGFISHER showing very well by Canal
COMMON SNIPE (4)

ADDITIONAL SIGHTINGS TODAY

The LITTLE EGRET was in the creek next to the hide first thing this morning (Roy Hargreaves).

Probably the most noteworthy record was the sighting of 12 adult and one 1st winter GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS on Wilstone first thing. Eight adults and the 1st winter then flew off east with a Herring Gull and leaving adults, which remained in company with a few LBB Gulls and departed later so that all were gone by 8:45. I have never seen this many GBBG at Tring Reservoirs and they were not in the roost the previous evening so must have dropped in very early this morning or after David Bilcock left Wilstone the previous evening (Roy Hargreaves).

There was also a female COMMON STONECHAT on the trees and bushes next to the Wendover Arm of the canal above the horse paddocks at Tringford (Roy Hargreaves).

Highlights from around Tring today (David Bilcock):

Steps Hill - 2 WOODCOCKS in the Top Scrub area as well as 2 MARSH TITS and a single COMMON STONECHAT along the fence line from the sheep pens.

College Lake - COMMON SANDPIPER was unexpected on the marsh which eventually flew off to the main lake, where 3 RC Pochards were amongst the ducks present.

Wilstone - LITTLE EGRET roosting along Drayton bank this afternoon but no sign of any Med gulls in the roost.

Marsworth - EURASIAN BITTERN roosting in Bucks section, in reed bed nearest the canal.