Birding Tring Reservoirs

Sunday, 13 December 2009

BITTERN is back

SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER: This evening the gull roost at Wilstone was quite disturbed from nearby shooting. One second winter MEDITERRANEAN GULL roosted that was seen by a number of observers. Together with Mike Campbell and Joan at Marsworth we tried for the EURASIAN BITTERN. About 10 minutes before it was dark, Mike picked it out on the opposite bank, standing at the front of the reedbed in full view. Just before dusk the Bittern flew and roosted in the Bucks section. At least 2 Cetti's Warblers singing and several Water Rails (per Steve Rodwell)

Saturday, 12 December 2009

LITTLE EGRETS rise in number

Joan Thompson counted a record 26 LITTLE EGRETS flighting out from the 'new' Stocker's Lake roost early this morning. There were also 4 RED-CRESTED POCHARDS present.

Another Saturday morning - and another brief-staying rarity (or rarities in this case, with a flock of WHOOPERS)

A herd of 6 adult WHOOPER SWANS flew in to Wilstone Reservoir at 0830 hours this morning and remained for less than 20 minutes before flying off (Dave Bilcock, Roy Hargreaves and Mike Campbell only).

The BLACK-TAILED GODWIT was still present (photographed above - DB), along with the two adult COMMON REDSHANKS, 200+ European Golden Plovers and a fresh pair of NORTHERN PINTAILS roosting on the Drayton Bank.

The female Red-crested Pochard was on Startop's End Reservoir (DB, LGRE)

Thursday, 10 December 2009

Med in roost

The adult winter MEDITERRANEAN GULL roosted on Wilstone this evening (Steve Rodwell)

Two RUFF early on but not later

THURSDAY 10 DECEMBER

A much colder day, with temperatures struggling to reach 7 degrees C. A beautiful day though, with clear blue skies, all day sunshine and a cold NE breeze. Once again, I found myself back at Wilstone, where Roy had discovered two RUFF early on, roosting on the remaining section of spit visible from the jetty. They were not be found however.

WILSTONE RESERVOIR
(Joan Thompson and Mike Campbell also checking)

Checked all of the available mud on Wilstone. The BLACK-TAILED GODWIT was still present close to the Drayton Bank Hide, there were two COMMON REDSHANKS in the same area, a total of 14 COMMON SNIPE, 225 Lapwing and 473+ EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVERS.

A female COMMON GOLDENEYE was in 'Boathouse Corner', the juvenile GREATER SCAUP was in the SW quadrant, with Great Crested Grebes still numbering 12. Otherwise, very much the same as yesterday.

STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR

Great Crested Grebes (2), Mute Swan (6 adults), Common Teal (1 drake), Shoveler (4), Tufted Duck (31), Pochard (1 drake), Moorhen (12) and Redwing (8 in Hawthorns by sharp bend).

MARSWORTH RESERVOIR

Reed-cutting for the Bitterns in progress and new rides being created. Little of note other than 14 Great Crested Grebes and an adult Mute Swan still. No Shoveler !

Wednesday, 9 December 2009

No sign of yesterday's Ruff but a BLACK-TAILED GODWIT in replacement

WEDNESDAY 9 DECEMBER

A much milder day than of late, with temperatures reaching 9 degrees C. It was very misty and drizzly early on but this gave way to clearer conditions, with a slight SW breeze. It remained dry until darkness fell.

After it transpired that an adult RUFF had been present on Wilstone yesterday afternoon (photographed from the hide), I endeavoured to try and relocate it, and visited early afternoon.........

WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING
(1230-1350 hours)

The water level on Wilstone had increased dramatically, totally submerging much of the mud and vegetation exposed since July. This had attracted large numbers of dabbling duck back again, especially Teal and Mallard, as well as large numbers of Lapwing.

There was no sign of yesterday's Ruff but I did find a BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. The full list below....

Great Crested Grebe (12)
Little Grebe (4)
Continental Cormorant (15)
Mute Swan (just 6 adults remaining)
Greylag Geese (62)
Mallard (56)
Gadwall (18)
Shoveler (94)
Eurasian Wigeon (411)
Common Teal (368+)
Pochard (22)
GREATER SCAUP (juvenile still present)
Tufted Duck (77)
COMMON GOLDENEYE (adult drake feeding off the spit)
Common Pheasants (2 males and a female feeding out in the open)
Lapwing (374+)
EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVERS (638 click-counted)
*BLACK-TAILED GODWIT (one showing well and feeding on 'new' pool to left of hide)
Common Snipe (6)
GREEN SANDPIPER (1 still present in the 'cut-off pool' in the NW corner

Meadow Pipits (8 on mud)
Redwing (18)
Fieldfare (1)

Adult RUFF at Wilstone

The RUFF in the centre of these three images was photographed at Wilstone Reservoir yesterday afternoon but I could not locate it today (LGRE). The photos were taken by Lucy Flowers.

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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Sunday, 13 December 2009

BITTERN is back

Saturday, 12 December 2009

LITTLE EGRETS rise in number

Another Saturday morning - and another brief-staying rarity (or rarities in this case, with a flock of WHOOPERS)

Thursday, 10 December 2009

Med in roost

Two RUFF early on but not later

Wednesday, 9 December 2009

No sign of yesterday's Ruff but a BLACK-TAILED GODWIT in replacement

Adult RUFF at Wilstone

My 2017 Tring Reservoirs Bird Recording Area List

My 2012 Tring Reservoirs List (Lee G R Evans)

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