Huge arrival of Black-headed Gulls at midday

Steve Rodwell discovered yet another juvenile MEDITERRANEAN GULL this lunchtime in Pitstone Quarry, consorting with an arrival of an outstanding 350 Black-headed Gulls, 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and an adult COMMON GULL. It was not present late afternoon when most of the gulls had dispersed.

COMMON REDSTARTS still present

The two juvenile COMMON REDSTARTS are still present in Inkombe Hole this morning, favouring the same three Hawthorn bushes as before on the north side of the valley (Steve Rodwell)

Early morning risers reap benefits of overnight wader arrivals again

This morning was pretty good.

Four BLACK-TAILED GODWITS flew through/off in SSE direction at about 6:15. A COMMON REDSHANK flew in calling, but I could not relocate it again. What sounded like a poorly-heard, quiet WHIMBREL when I first arrived became clear when David B and I got to the hide and I scanned for the Redshank and found a TURNSTONE on the rocks near the Drayton sluice. It sat there for a few minutes before circling round and flying south-west, over the hide, into Bucks at about 6:36. A single Common Sandpiper, three Green Sandpipers and a lone Little Egret were the supporting cast.

Could only find one of the drake Wigeon this morning despite seeing two last week. Startops remains a wader-free zone despite all that mud! (Roy Hargreaves)

RUDDY SHELDUCKS

Sadly, the two RUDDY SHELDUCKS present at Wilstone on Sunday did not move far, and have been present near Dunstable today. Dave Bilcock obtained the images above.

A day of heavy HOUSE MARTIN passage

TUESDAY 4 AUGUST

A warm wet front arrived from the south overnight bringing intermittent rain, overcast grey skies and surprisingly warm temperatures. I was hoping for an arrival of waders at Tring but as usual this failed to materialise but it was a good day for House Martin passage.

WILSTONE RESERVOIR
(1500-1730 hours, partly with DB, SR)

Very quiet considering the muggy conditions with few new arrivals; most impressive was the heavy hirundine passage, involving large numbers of House Martins.

Great Crested Grebes (24 including two first-winters and the locally fledged juvenile)
Little Grebes (after a long absence, I was pleased to see that the two juveniles are still doing well, both keeping together by the old boathouse)
LITTLE EGRETS (at least two present this afternoon and both mobile; Dave and Roy recorded at least 4 birds this morning, possibly 5)
Mute Swans (35)
EURASIAN WIGEON (eclipse drake still present)
Common Teal (3)
Shoveler (increase to 10 birds by hide)
Tufted Duck (15)
Pochard (9)

Common Terns (52 still present, including 33 juveniles)

Lapwings (570)
COMMON SANDPIPER (1 on the algae bunds)
GREEN SANDPIPER (2 on mud)

COMMON SWIFTS (constant southerly passage over adjacent fields peaking at 58 birds shortly before the rain arrived at 1730)

*HOUSE MARTINS (tremendous passage, with a peak 262 birds counted over neighbouring farmland)
Barn Swallow (6 by Wilstone Great Farm)
SAND MARTINS (just 8 noted)

Pied Wagtails (11 present predominantly juveniles)
Common Starling (117 by Wilstone Great Farm)

STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR

Mute Swans (28 adults)
Greylag Geese (53)
Tufted Duck (female with 4 small young)
COMMON SANDPIPER (1 feeding on the mud)
House Martins (25)

PITSTONE QUARRY

Little Grebes (13)
Mute Swan still present
Pochard (4)
Stock Doves (2)
Blackcap (1)
Common Chiffchaff (3 juveniles)

DOWN FARM, PITSTONE HILL AND IVINGHOE HILLS RESERVE

An exhaustive walk from Pitstone Hill car park to Ivinghoe Beacon and back yielded poor results and no migrants. Most noteworthy was the number of singing male YELLOWHAMMERS - 9 in total - with 1 south of Down Farm, four on wires between the car park and Down Farm, three between Steps Hill and the Beacon and 1 below the main car park. Only 1 singing male CORN BUNTING was located - on wires by Pitstone Hill car park.

Several Linnets were noted, and a pair of Stock Dove

Early morning WHIMBRELS and increase in Little Egrets

Just before 6am two WHIMBRELS calling departed to the SSW - appearing to take off from the bank in front of the hide. Two to three Green Sandpipers were also present - although one flew off to the east. There were four, probably five, Little Egrets around and a Common Sandpiper on the barley bales (Roy Hargreaves)

Ruddy Shelducks have departed

There was no sign of the two adult Ruddy Shelducks at Wilstone Reservoir this morning - both birds presumably continuing their migration south. The 4 GREEN SANDPIPERS were still present close to the hide (per Dave Bilcock)