My first WHEATEAR of the year

SUNDAY 13 MARCH

An invariably wet morning but pleasantly mild, with temperatures hovering at around 13 degrees C. A fresh westerly wind eventually cleared the rain and the afternoon was bright and mainly clear.

BOIS MILL LAKE, CHESS VALLEY (BUCKS)

Still 1 Little Egret present and 45 Redwings in flight

IVINGHOE BEACON (BUCKS)

My first NORTHERN WHEATEAR of the year - a nice male - feeding on the slope just SE of the Beacon and presumably one of the two birds found by Dave Bilcock yesterday; also my first Bucks Meadow Pipits of the year (5+) and several Eurasian Skylarks in full song - 5 Linnets also but no Common Stonechats

At least 11 Common Gulls were wandering amongst the lambs and sheep on the slope

DOWN FARM AND PITSTONE HILL AREA (BUCKS)

I could not find the Northern Wheatear that DB saw earlier on the fenceline but 13 male Skylarks were in song and one jangling CORN BUNTING on the wires

ALDBURY VILLAGE (HERTS)

A herd of 32 Fallow Deer just north of the village and 19 active Rook nests opposite the Walled Garden (in Walk Wood) at SP 963 135

First NORTHERN WHEATEARS

Dave Bilcock discovered two NORTHERN WHEATEARS at Ivinghoe Beacon Saturday morning (one male photographed above), as well as a male COMMON STONECHAT

BARNACLE GEESE at Wilstone and first SAND MARTIN

FRIDAY 11 MARCH

Not a bad day with westerly winds accompanied by dry but cloudy conditions. Being away in North Africa since late February, this was my first chance of local birding in over two weeks. Thanks to Roy Hargreaves and his early morning check, I was able to add my first Sand Martin to the Year List......

Yet another local dead Badger had been hit by a car overnight - this time on the A 355 Amersham Road between Old Amersham and Beaconsfield at SU 955 938, just north of Red Barn Farm. This was followed by two separate dead Barn Owls on the northbound M40 in Oxfordshire.

Just north of Horton and near Burton Mill Farm, 5 Brown Hares were playing together in fields at SP 923 205 with Rookeries nearby at Cheddington Station (13 active nests in trees at SP 925 185) and at Lukes Lane, Gubblecote (9 active nests in trees at SP 905 152).

WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)

A lone SAND MARTIN was feeding low over the water surface and ranging widely over the reservoir whilst a party of 8 BARNACLE GEESE were feeding with 65 Greylag Geese in the second field west of the main car park visible from just beyond the new overflow. These were presumably the same 8 Barnacles seen at Otmoor RSPB in Oxfordshire yesterday and could well relate to birds of continental origin (of which an exceptional influx took place in southern Britain this winter). All eight birds were unringed and Dave Bilcock managed to photograph them (see above). Otherwise, two adult male Pied Wagtails were clearly migrants.

Two Little Egrets remained, along with 8 Mute Swans, just 9 Eurasian Wigeon, 8 Gadwall, 27 Common Teal, 49 Shoveler, 46 Tufted Duck, 8 Pochard and 5 female Common Goldeneye. A single Song Thrus was by the farm shop.

And more STONECHATS

Highlight of a walk round Pitstone Hill this morning were 2 male Stonechats on the edge of the ploughed field. Also 3 Corn Buntings singing and loads of Skylarks singing (Rob Andrews)

First STONECHAT of year - 10/3

This morning the windy conditions made migrants unlikely so I was pleasantly surprised to find a male COMMON STONECHAT on the fence that runs parallel to the cemetery track – spring migration!! I couldn’t find the Sand Martins reported last night but a male Red-crested Pochard was in front of the hide and two Little Egrets were in the creek to the right.

Today I also had a splendid male Brambling and an adult and 1st winter female Brambling in the garden.

Looking at the weather forecast the weekend and early part of next week don’t look too bad for migrants – southerly and south-easterly winds in there coming from southern Europe.

Roy Hargreaves

Annual MEDITERRANEAN GULL spring passage through Wilstone

05 March: After failing to find a Mediterranean Gull in the Wilstone roost for the last three weeks until yesterday, a different adult was in the roost this evening. Today's bird was almost in full breeding plumage (lower picture), whereas Fridays was in transition having a speckled hood and white around the bill (top phone 'scoped picture).
In previous years this is the best time to see Mediterranean Gulls in the roost, as I guess they are starting to move back to breeding sites which probably explains different individuals on consecutive nights.

This morning the Water Pipit was between the Jetty and Cemetery corner and the Goosander remaining. (David Bilcock)

Sightings and images from today - 05 March - Michael Nott

Water levels at maximum with outflow running hard. Five sets of perch fishermen all around north and east banks. Only one perch (4lb) caught this morning.

Red Kite - In tree at Drayton Beauchamp. Pair are regularly there and flying over surrounding area.

Great Crested Grebe - Pair were going through mimic mating ritual. Always warms my heart to see them do this.

Tufted Ducks - seemed to be the most obvious duck on Wilstone. The females are very popular as the photo above shows.

Fieldfares and Starlings - these were in the big field on the opposite side of the old canal opposite the memorial seat. They were spooked by a red kite and there was a mixture of wood pigeons, starlings, fieldfares and skylarks - maybe 150 in total.

Black headed Gull - has a partially visible ring. It was sat on the north bank at Wilstone near the outflow and flushed the Water Pipit as it flew away.

Michael Nott