SCAUP still with us

This morning the juvenile GREATER SCAUP was in its new usual haunt on the lagoon to the right of the hide. Also a Little Egret flew into the creek to the right of
the hide. There was a Green Sandpiper in the inlet to the left of the hide and
40+ Meadow Pipits on the mud by the hide. Finally there were eight
Red-legged Partridges on the field south of the canal where I have seen Ring
Ouzels in the past (Roy Hargreaves).

Poor weather continues

This morning the juvenile GREATER SCAUP was still on the lagoon to the right of the hide. There were also three Lesser Redpoll along the Dry Canal and Cetti's Warbler singing to the right of the hide.

Conditions were drizzly (so the light was poor), and breezy so a thorough search was not possible in the conditions and time that I had before work (Roy Hargreaves)

Saturday Counts - 21 November - LGRE

SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER

Continuing very unsettled with strong SW winds, intermittent rain but very mild.

WILSTONE RESERVOIR (full counts undertaken)
(1200-1600 hours)

Great Crested Grebe (only 11 present)
Mute Swans (43 including 7 first-winters)
Greylag Goose (39)
Gadwall (25)
Common Teal (234)
Eurasian Wigeon (211 including 62 grazing in front of the hide)
Shoveler (just 15)
Tufted Duck (73)
Pochard (15)
GREATER SCAUP (the juvenile showing well with Tufted Ducks just to the right of the Drayton Bank when looking straight out from the hide - little change in plumage)
Coot (551)
Lapwing (222)
EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER (702 click-counted, the largest number present this autumn)
COMMON SNIPE (8 feeding in the channel)
Black-headed Gull (798 in roost)
MEDITERRANEAN GULL (first-winter present) (SR had two - first and second winter in roost on Sunday 22)
Common Gull (5)

MEADOW PIPIT (13)
GOLDCREST (1 in trees behind hide)

TRINGFORD RESERVOIR

Little Grebe (1)
Continental Cormorants (35 in feeding raft)
Mute Swan (2 adults)
Common Teal (8)
NORTHERN PINTAIL (female feeding along south bank)
Coot (23)

STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR

Little Grebe (2)
Great Crested Grebe (4)
Mute Swan (8)
Canada Geese (61)
Shoveler (pair)
Pochard (21)
Tufted Duck (22)
Coot (123)
Moorhen (12)

MARSWORTH RESERVOIR

Two species which were particularly lacking on Wilstone seemed to have relocated to Marsworth.....

Great Crested Grebe (16 present)
Mute Swan (1 adult)
SHOVELERS (141 present)
Common Starling (22)

COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT

Little Grebe (3)
Mute Swans (39)
*MANDARIN DUCK (high count of 20 birds in the Willow vegetation along the west bank of the main marsh - including 13 adult drakes)
Eurasian Wigeon (58)
Gadwall (36)
Tufted Duck (27)
Pochard (21)
RUDDY DUCK (2 female-types still present on main marsh)
Coot (89)
Yellowhammer (single over)

Partial albinistic Black-headed Gull at Pitstone

This morning (Sunday 22 November) the leucistic Black-headed gull was present roosting amongst the other gulls at Pitstone Quarry. This is a stunning bird as hopefully can be seen in the pictures above. When it is in flight it can be readily picked out as its upper wing is pure white except for black tips to the outer primaries. Last weekend myself and Steve saw it in the roost at Wisltone and I've also seen it at Startops.

Otherwise the juvenile GREATER SCAUP was still at Wilstone and a GREEN SANDPIPER at Tringford (Dave Bilcock).

COMMON CROSSBILLS at Ringshall

A flock of 10 COMMON CROSSBILLS was seen in Ringshall this morning (Don Otter)

MED GULL in roost

A first-winter MEDITERRANEAN GULL was in the roost (Dave Bilcock) whilst the juvenile GREATER SCAUP and 6 Common Snipe were still present (Jeff Bailey)

GREATER SCAUP still present

The juvenile GREATER SCAUP was present on the lagoon to the right of the hide - although it was actually straight out.

A Siskin also flew over this morning. There are also still good number of Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails on the mud.

The water level, having risen 40mm over the weekend, has dropped back about 20mm (figures from the BWB employee). They are still pumping water out to maintain the canal level and apparently they have taken a large amount out of Tringford so this might be where the Green Sandpipers have moved to (Roy Hargreaves)