Nothing on the hills today despite trampsing round........and College Lake's Little Stint had also done an overnight bunk. I took these images of the Beacon and the favoured 'chat' fence looking across from Pitstone Hill car park.......
Monday, 13 August 2012
Weekend topped off with some quality waders
Late morning Sunday, Rose and Mike Collard discovered this odd-looking LITTLE STINT at College Lake BBOWT. It was feeding on the main marsh in the emergent vegetation close to the Octagon Hide. It was a moulting adult in transitional plumage and remained throughout the rest of the day, despite being hounded by both Lapwing and Moorhens. This is a very rare bird indeed at College and an excellent addition to the year list. Dave Bilcock, Dave Hutchinson and John Foster all managed to get photographs of the bird, as proved above.
Whilst twitching the Little Stint, Dave Bilcock also watched a SPOTTED REDSHANK fly over - another first for the county this year.
Monday, 6 August 2012
Gulls, Redstarts and Nuthatches
MONDAY 06 AUGUST
Some hefty downpours during both the morning and afternoon but continuing warm with light SW winds.
IVINGHOE (BUCKS)
In harvested fields just east of Town Farm and north of the Ivinghoe-Dunstable main road, lots of roosting gulls today, including over 300 graellsii Lesser Black-backed Gulls (predominantly full adults), 4 adult YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS and a single adult Argenteus Herring Gull. No sign of either of the Med Gulls though.
At nearby Incombe Hole after a downpour, the two COMMON REDSTARTS I initially found on 16 July were both still present, frequenting the scrub at the far end of the valley. The male is now in quite heavy moult but both birds are extremely elusive, best located by call. A single migrant WILLOW WARBLER was also noted as well as a male Eurasian Sparrowhawk.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR ORCHARD (HERTS)
Encouraged by a recent email from Johnne Taylor, I returned to Wilstone this afternoon and finally located the 2 NUTHATCHES, well over a month after they first turned up ! The two birds (an adult and juvenile) were amongst a large frenzied feeding flock of birds that included over 25 Long-tailed Tits, several Blue Tits, 5 Common Chiffchaffs, 5 Blackcaps, a juvenile WILLOW WARBLER and best of all, a fresh juvenile GARDEN WARBLER, my first of the year at the ressies. The orchard also held Green Woodpecker, Jay and a family party of Common Whitethroats, as well as 4 BULLFINCHES.
Some hefty downpours during both the morning and afternoon but continuing warm with light SW winds.
IVINGHOE (BUCKS)
In harvested fields just east of Town Farm and north of the Ivinghoe-Dunstable main road, lots of roosting gulls today, including over 300 graellsii Lesser Black-backed Gulls (predominantly full adults), 4 adult YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS and a single adult Argenteus Herring Gull. No sign of either of the Med Gulls though.
At nearby Incombe Hole after a downpour, the two COMMON REDSTARTS I initially found on 16 July were both still present, frequenting the scrub at the far end of the valley. The male is now in quite heavy moult but both birds are extremely elusive, best located by call. A single migrant WILLOW WARBLER was also noted as well as a male Eurasian Sparrowhawk.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR ORCHARD (HERTS)
Encouraged by a recent email from Johnne Taylor, I returned to Wilstone this afternoon and finally located the 2 NUTHATCHES, well over a month after they first turned up ! The two birds (an adult and juvenile) were amongst a large frenzied feeding flock of birds that included over 25 Long-tailed Tits, several Blue Tits, 5 Common Chiffchaffs, 5 Blackcaps, a juvenile WILLOW WARBLER and best of all, a fresh juvenile GARDEN WARBLER, my first of the year at the ressies. The orchard also held Green Woodpecker, Jay and a family party of Common Whitethroats, as well as 4 BULLFINCHES.
Sunday, 5 August 2012
And images from Saturday - David Bilcock
The 3 College BLACK-WITS, an adult MED GULL and a nice adult YELLOW-LEGGED GULL
BLACK-TAILED GODWITS at College Lake
A family party of 3 ICELANDIC BLACK-TAILED GODWITS visited College Lake BBOWT main marsh on Saturday (adult and two juveniles) (Dave Bilcock, Paul Reed, et al)
YELLOW-LEGGED and MEDITERRANEAN GULLS at Ivinghoe
This morning (Saturday 3 August) the number of gulls in the harvested field between the campsite and t-junction to the beacon had increased significantly. Amongst the large number of LBB and BHGs were 9 YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS, 2 MEDITERRANEAN GULLS (an adult and juvenile), 1 Common Gull and 2 Herring Gulls (one with a red darvic ring of its left leg). Pictures of adult YLG and Med from today below.
If trying for these its best looking early morning as they move off the field into the vale during the morning and yesterday there were none present at 1pm.
In Incombe Hole a juvenile COMMON REDSTART was present at the far end and 2 COMMON RAVENS were putting on spectaculae display of tumbing (Dave Bilcock)
If trying for these its best looking early morning as they move off the field into the vale during the morning and yesterday there were none present at 1pm.
In Incombe Hole a juvenile COMMON REDSTART was present at the far end and 2 COMMON RAVENS were putting on spectaculae display of tumbing (Dave Bilcock)
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
The first day of August - one pair of GREAT CRESTED GREBE fledge 3 young
WEDNESDAY 01 AUGUST
The day began overcast and drizzly but soon gave way to clearer conditions from the south and was eventually quite warm in the afternoon, with temperatures just about reaching 72 degrees F.
My first port of call was Calvert Lakes, followed by a roundup of local sites........on route, a dead Badger was besides the A41 just west of Kingswood
CALVERT BBOWT AND SAILING LAKE (NORTH BUCKS)
There was no sign of the recent Black Tern on the Sailing Lake - just 6 Great Crested Grebes. On the opposite side of the road, most surprising was the sight of two juvenile BLACK-NECKED GREBES from the second hide, swimming together in the middle of the lake. One was markedly larger than the other but generally they were identical in plumage, with dusky markings about the head and neck and very striking white throats. The reddish eye was a noticeable feature. These two birds follow hard on the heels of a juvenile at Wilstone Reservoir which I somehow managed to miss, despite it being there an hour or so earlier.
Breeding success was confirmed by both Coot and Tufted Duck (female accompanying 7 small ducklings) whilst the 120-strong Lesser Black-backed Gull throng held 3 different YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS - a 3rd-summer, 2nd-summer and very fresh juvenile.
Most frustrating was the presence of yobbos drinking cans of beer in the second hide and seemingly gathering wood to start a fire.
QUAINTON HILLS (BUCKS)
Spent some time traversing the West Slopes, the highlights being 3 different COMMON REDSTARTS (2 males and a female) and several passage Willow Warblers and Common Chiffchaffs.
GALLOWS BRIDGE BBOWT proved to be birdless whilst ROWSHAM and its adjacent farmland and hedgerows produced no less than 4 different COMMON REDSTARTS.
PITSTONE QUARRY (BUCKS)
The recent heavy rains have transformed this site since my last look with extensive water in the right hand side once again. This consequently held the local OYSTERCATCHER family (the two adults and two surviving young), a GREEN SANDPIPER and 40 Atlantic Canada Geese. Several Common Chiffchaffs were on the slope.
COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT (BUCKS)
Not a great deal to write home about but noteworthy were 2 Great Crested Grebes, 34 Lapwing, an adult Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, 11 Common Swifts and a fabulous HOBBY - seemingly a first-summer rather than a juvenile.
The two juvenile Common Terns were still being fed on the spit with 15 Black-headed Gulls, a female Mallard with two small ducklings, a new baby Moorhen with parent, 2 Mute Swans and a male Common Kestrel making up the logcall.
THE TRING RESERVOIRS (HERTS)
Walked the entire circuit but still failed in my quest to locate the Nuthatches or lone Coal Tit. WILSTONE orchards held 2 Jays, male Common Pheasant and Red Fox whilst the reservoir itself held 46 Mute Swans, 36 Greylag Geese, a drake Gadwall, 7 SHOVELER, 9 Great Crested Grebes, 12 Grey Heron, 27 Sinensis Cormorants, Stock Dove, COMMON KINGFISHERS (much activity still), 1 Barn Swallow, 36 House Martions and numerous Western Reed Warblers. The East Hedgerow held a number of migrant Common Chiffchaffs.
At TRINGFORD RESERVOIR, just 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Mute Swans and 16 Tufted Duck and on MARSWORTH, 2 Mute Swans, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 3 Common Chiffchaffs and a Jay. STARTOP'S END held the only successful nesting pair of Great Crested Grebes (an adult with 3 small stripy young), with 3 additional adults, 2 Mute Swans, 62 Coot (just 2 young) and a notable 52 Tufted Ducks. Also a passage COMMON SANDPIPER. Quite what two Mallard decoy ducks were doing in the middle I do not know but I hope that there was no intention of shooting.
The day began overcast and drizzly but soon gave way to clearer conditions from the south and was eventually quite warm in the afternoon, with temperatures just about reaching 72 degrees F.
My first port of call was Calvert Lakes, followed by a roundup of local sites........on route, a dead Badger was besides the A41 just west of Kingswood
CALVERT BBOWT AND SAILING LAKE (NORTH BUCKS)
There was no sign of the recent Black Tern on the Sailing Lake - just 6 Great Crested Grebes. On the opposite side of the road, most surprising was the sight of two juvenile BLACK-NECKED GREBES from the second hide, swimming together in the middle of the lake. One was markedly larger than the other but generally they were identical in plumage, with dusky markings about the head and neck and very striking white throats. The reddish eye was a noticeable feature. These two birds follow hard on the heels of a juvenile at Wilstone Reservoir which I somehow managed to miss, despite it being there an hour or so earlier.
Breeding success was confirmed by both Coot and Tufted Duck (female accompanying 7 small ducklings) whilst the 120-strong Lesser Black-backed Gull throng held 3 different YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS - a 3rd-summer, 2nd-summer and very fresh juvenile.
Most frustrating was the presence of yobbos drinking cans of beer in the second hide and seemingly gathering wood to start a fire.
QUAINTON HILLS (BUCKS)
Spent some time traversing the West Slopes, the highlights being 3 different COMMON REDSTARTS (2 males and a female) and several passage Willow Warblers and Common Chiffchaffs.
GALLOWS BRIDGE BBOWT proved to be birdless whilst ROWSHAM and its adjacent farmland and hedgerows produced no less than 4 different COMMON REDSTARTS.
PITSTONE QUARRY (BUCKS)
The recent heavy rains have transformed this site since my last look with extensive water in the right hand side once again. This consequently held the local OYSTERCATCHER family (the two adults and two surviving young), a GREEN SANDPIPER and 40 Atlantic Canada Geese. Several Common Chiffchaffs were on the slope.
COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT (BUCKS)
Not a great deal to write home about but noteworthy were 2 Great Crested Grebes, 34 Lapwing, an adult Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, 11 Common Swifts and a fabulous HOBBY - seemingly a first-summer rather than a juvenile.
The two juvenile Common Terns were still being fed on the spit with 15 Black-headed Gulls, a female Mallard with two small ducklings, a new baby Moorhen with parent, 2 Mute Swans and a male Common Kestrel making up the logcall.
THE TRING RESERVOIRS (HERTS)
Walked the entire circuit but still failed in my quest to locate the Nuthatches or lone Coal Tit. WILSTONE orchards held 2 Jays, male Common Pheasant and Red Fox whilst the reservoir itself held 46 Mute Swans, 36 Greylag Geese, a drake Gadwall, 7 SHOVELER, 9 Great Crested Grebes, 12 Grey Heron, 27 Sinensis Cormorants, Stock Dove, COMMON KINGFISHERS (much activity still), 1 Barn Swallow, 36 House Martions and numerous Western Reed Warblers. The East Hedgerow held a number of migrant Common Chiffchaffs.
At TRINGFORD RESERVOIR, just 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Mute Swans and 16 Tufted Duck and on MARSWORTH, 2 Mute Swans, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 3 Common Chiffchaffs and a Jay. STARTOP'S END held the only successful nesting pair of Great Crested Grebes (an adult with 3 small stripy young), with 3 additional adults, 2 Mute Swans, 62 Coot (just 2 young) and a notable 52 Tufted Ducks. Also a passage COMMON SANDPIPER. Quite what two Mallard decoy ducks were doing in the middle I do not know but I hope that there was no intention of shooting.
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