HIGHLIGHTS OF 7 MARCH

Highlights from various sites visited today (7 March):

Pitstone Industrial Estate: 2 Ringed Plovers were present on the wader flashes

Pitstone Quarry: single Oystercatcher with gulls on far shore and 9 Little Grebes present

College Lake: 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Redshanks and a hybrid duck.

Wilstone: juvenile MEDITERRANEAN GULL again in the roost this evening. This bird is particularly obliging as it sits on the barley bales allowing it to the readily picked out (see picture above).

DAVE BILCOCK

WEEKEND BIRDING

Saturday: Steps Hill/Ivinghoe Beacon: 1 Golden Plover, Male Stonechat, 3 Siskin.

Ashridge - Monument Drive: 2 Mandarin Ducks (with DB, SW).

Pitstone Quarry: 32 Common Gulls, 1 Herring Gull, 26 Coot, 21 Teal, 17 Tufted, 2 Mallard, 4 Moorhen. (310 B.h.Gulls Sun).

College Lake: 1 L. Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, 51 Tufted, 8 Mallard, 5 Teal, 1 Wigeon, 1 hybrid R.C. Pochard x ?, 38 Coot, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Redshank, 15 Lapwing, 5 Snipe. (Sunday, also 1 G.C. Grebe, 6 Canada Goose, 6 Cormorant, 7 Shoveler, 6 Pochard).

Startops: 1 G.C.Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, 35 Tufted, 24 Pochard, 13 Mallard, 24 Coot. Adjacent canal: 2 Mute Swan, 3 Canada Goose, 18 Mallard, 4 Coots.

Marsworth: 24 G.C.Grebes, 1 Mute Swan, 15 Shoveler, 13 Mallard, female R.C.Pochard, 11 Coot, 2 Moorhen. 1 Cetti's Warbler.

Tringford: 1 L. Grebe, 7 Mute Swan, 36 Canada Goose, 42 Tufted, 1 Pochard, 9 Mallard, 2 Gadwal1, 15 Teal, 18 Coot, 4 Moorhen.

Wilstone: G.C.Grebe 7, 1 L. Grebe, 11 Greylag Geese, 24 Canada Goose, 1 Egyptian Goose (SW), 155 Tufted, 43 Pochard, 21 Gadwall, 48 Wigeon, 107 Shoveler, 28 Mallard, 5 Ruddy Duck, Teal 17, 13 Goldeneye (4M, 1F), 1 Oystercatcher (flew from College Lake area and returned back towards that direction), 5 Lapwings, 2 Snipe. Gull roost also had 84 Common Gulls, 1 L.B.B.Gull.

Sunday

Wendover Woods: 1 Raven, 10 Siskin.

Wilstone: 2 Little Egrets (1 roosted). Gull rost with Dave: 180 Common Gulls, 8 L.B.B. Gulls, 1 Herring Gull. 42 Cormorants roosted.

Pitstone: 2 of the College Lake Redshanks went to the small floodwater pond on farmland just before the Pitstone Industrial Estate.

Marsworth (evening): 1 Woodcock, 5+ Snipe, 1 Water Rail heard.

Steve Rodwell

6 MARCH

This afternoon myself, Stuart and Ian located a 1W MEDITERRANEAN GULL in the roost at Wilstone, this is the first I've found in the roost since 22nd February. Gull numbers were down from earlier in the week when ca.5000 BHGs were present on Monday, which is the largest number I've seen this winter (Dave Bilcock)

ASHRIDGE TODAY

Had a brief stop at the Monument at Ashridge between 11.00 and 12.15 this morning in between jobs and had a LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER calling noisily for about 5 minutes in the vicinity the small pond opposite the main car park. The bird was moving rapidly around the area rarely settling in a tree for more than a few seconds. I chased around after it but was only rewarded with a fleeting flight view as it headed away from me. Very frustrating.

Also several Nuthatch, 2 Stock Dove, 2 Great-spotted Woodpeckers and a Marsh Tit (Charlie Jackson)

BELATED NEWS FROM SUNDAY

1 EURASIAN BITTERN was present on Marsworth (fourth concecutive evening). Didn't show until virtually dark - 6.11pm. No Barn Owls but 1 present on Saturday and Sunday. 1 Tawny Owl calling (from Tringford area) and the Little Owl from Startops still calling most evenings.

Also at Marsworth 1+ Water Rail calling, my first CETTI'S WARBLER of the year, a total of 13 G.C. Grebes and 3+ Snipe.

On Sat March 1st still large number of B.H.Gulls roosting at Wilstone c.4000ish, 40+ Common Gulls, 3 Herring Gulls and 1 L.B.B. Gull (3 L.B.B.Gull and 35 Common Gulls on Sunday). The Cormorant roost at Wilstone on Sunday was 52. Also of note on Saturday was a high count of Jackdaws (100+) flying towards Wilstone Village (Steve Rodwell)

ASHRIDGE LESSER SPOT

Encouraged by Don Otter's message earlier in the week, I started the day by searching for LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER along Monument drive. After an hour eventually located a female, feeding in the top of a tree along one of the tracks that runs parrallel to the road, approximately 3/4 the way up the drive on the right-hand side. After a while it settled down and started preening and I was able to scope it until it was disturbed by a Great Spot landing in the same tree.

Lots of Great Spot activity, drumming and calling, but the Lesser Spot was silent throughout.

Also present was a flock of ca.30 LESSER REDPOLLS feeding in the tops of the Birch trees close to the car park half way up the drive (Dave Bilcock)

The superb image portrayed above was taken by Garth Peacock.

EGYPTIAN GOOSE ARRIVES (ON SATURDAY)

SATURDAY 28 FEBRUARY

WILSTONE RESERVOIR

This morning there were two LITTLE EGRETS roosting in the usual bushes. They flew out together, but one returned later, which may have been the third bird.

Ian Williams spotted an EGYPTIAN GOOSE flying in from the North and there were eleven COMMON GOLDENEYE still and a Red Kite and Buzzard flying around as well.

The Egyptian Goose remained until at least mid-morning, often skulking in vegetation within the Drayton Bank (Dave Bilcock/Lee Evans). Dave managed a couple of record shots, published above.