Birding Tring Reservoirs

Sunday, 31 March 2013

Despite the conditions, a trickle of migrants battling through

EASTER SUNDAY 31 MARCH

With temperatures failing to rise above 4 degrees C all day, March 2013 goes down as the coldest in the UK since 1962 - a staggering 51 years - and not set to get any better anytime soon......

I spent the day trying to eek out some migrants that may have managed to get through and did succeed in connecting with the odd few....

PITSTONE QUARRY is the deepest I have ever seen it but was largely iced over - just 6 Coot and 4 Mallard noted - whilst just 1 LITTLE RINGED PLOVER was on view at the INDUSTRIAL ESTATE SCRAPES at PITSTONE.

Steve Rodwell had been sitting on the jetty bench at WILSTONE RESERVOIR since 0600 hours and at the time when the temperature was still at minus 6. For this privelege, he recorded 2 flyover YELLOW WAGTAILS and a PEREGRINE. I joined him at a more sociable hour but as we stood there, two pipits appeared on a number of occasions - a WATER PIPIT in near breeding plumage and a SCANDINAVIAN ROCK PIPIT. For a short while, both birds landed on the East Bank but were quickly flushed by the succession of Easter walkers. This was a different Water Pipit to the one I saw a few days ago on Startop's. A couple of male Reed Buntings also flew through.

Wilstone was dominated by an impressive number of duck, including 214 Northern Pochard, 152 Wigeon, 276 Tufted Duck, 46 Shoveler and 2 female Common Goldeneye, as well as 12 Great Crested Grebe and 2 Mute Swans. The clear blue skies also played host to much raptor activity, with up to 9 Red Kites and 8 Common Buzzards overhead.

Ian Williams had seen a pair of Grey Partridge just NW of Startop's End Reservoir early morning but all I could find in a lengthy search was a single Chinese Water Deer and several singing Skylarks. Ian had also seen two male Yellowhammers by the Dry Canal and reported recent sightings of the 2 Nuthatches by the orchard.

The male NORTHERN WHEATEAR was still showing in the paddock at STARTOPS FARM, whilst Dave Bilcock confirmed the presence of 4 more just below the Beacon at Ivinghoe Hills CP.

I moved on to WESTON TURVILLE RESERVOIR where I was pleased to finally connect with the SAND MARTIN there (after several unsuccessful visits). Incredibly, this was my first year since 1972 that I had not seen a March bird at Tring. In fact, other than today's bird at Tringford (DB), there had not been one all month - exceptional.

A drake MANDARIN DUCK was flying about the reservoir, with the 2 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Pochard and drake Shoveler still there.

At WEST WYCOMBE HILL, a pair of COMMON RAVEN was in tumbling display.

And then, back to a very windswept DORNEY LAKES, where the LITTLE RINGED PLOVER pair were still displaying by the Reserve Pool and 4 NORTHERN WHEATEARS were on the grass (three adult males and a single first-summer male). No sign of any White Wagtail but Pied Wagtails and Green Woodpecker (and two freshly dead Mute Swans too, curiously missing legs and feet).

Just up the road at the MARSH LANE WEIR (JUBILEE RIVER), the adult male BLACK REDSTART was still present but as elusive as ever; also 95 FIELDFARES

Wednesday, 27 March 2013

My images from today

The two drake GOOSANDERS

Male Pied Wagtail

The 3 Red-crested Pochards

Lingering Eurasian Wigeon on Startop's North Bank

This fine male Northern Wheatear was feeding on the North Bank of Startop's

Redwings

A biting Easterly wind

WEDNESDAY 27 MARCH

Really, really cold with a strong, biting, Easterly wind. Snow still lying and another overnight frost with some light snow flurries during the day. Top temperature - FREEZING....

Anyhow, devoted all my time today to HERTFORDSHIRE - picking up at least 3 County Year-ticks...

WOODOAKS FARM at MAPLE CROSS was my first destination of the day and with Geoff Lapworth and four other local birders enjoyed a beautiful adult male MARSH HARRIER as it interacted with one of 3 Red Kites as it flew east across the fields. It is most likely the male that Geoff saw at Stockers Lake yesterday and that seen previously in the Misbourne Valley at Shardeloes - presumably waiting for a change in the weather.

Other migrants included 74 EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER (several of which were in breeding attire), 2 male NORTHERN WHEATEARS and a male COMMON STONECHAT. Not a bad start to the day.

I then headed north to TRING RESERVOIRS where MARSWORTH RESERVOIR held two adult drake GOOSANDERS (see images above), 6 Coot, 4 Moorhen, 6 Tufted Duck, 9 Great Crested Grebe and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull; two WATER RAILS were walking about the reeds too, with a male Reed Bunting in song.

The WATER PIPIT was showing well with two Pied Wagtails in the Buckinghamshire SE corner of STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR, where also 28 Coot, 3 RED-CRESTED POCHARD, 3 Northern Pochard, 12 Mallard, 15 Eurasian Wigeon, 67 Tufted Duck and 2 Great Crested Grebe were present. A singing male Chaffinch and 7 House Sparrows were by STARTOPS FARM, as well as a pair of Greylag Geese, with a cracking male NORTHERN WHEATEAR on the North Bank and 34 migrant REDWING in a tree there. Additional fare included 4 Moorhen, 4 Pied Wagtails and a single male Grey Wagtail.

TRINGFORD RESERVOIR was relatively quiet with little more than 2 Mute Swans, 22 Coot, 4 Gadwall, 2 Shoveler, 24 Tufted Duck, 10 Teal, 1 Pochard and 15 Mallard noted, with 2 Long-tailed Tits and a Goldcrest in the hedgerow.

WILSTONE was bleak and windswept with little of interest - 3 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Mute Swans, 36 Shoveler, 78 Pochard and 303 Tufted Duck being the pick of the bunch.

Nesting species on the Drayton Bank included 11 active Sinensis Cormorant nests (including four on the lower stretch of Willows) and 4 active Grey Herons.

Lastly, I visited TEWINBURY NATURE RESERVE near WELWYN, where from the reserve's Judy Adams hide I obtained excellent, prolonged views of a JACK SNIPE feeding at the edge of the mud - one of two birds present at the site for over a month. Also a single Common Snipe feeding, 2 Little Grebes and a reed-dwelling Wren.

Tuesday, 26 March 2013

Recent Highlights: 15-25 March

On 15 March, Dave Bilcock noted two different adult summer KITTIWAKES in the Wilstone roost, with a BLACK-TAILED GODWIT at College Lake BBOWT briefly next morning (Rose Collard)

Lucy Flower then found both WATER and SCANDINAVIAN ROCK PIPIT on Startop's End Reservoir on 19 March, these two birds remaining for several days.

The first of three MARSH HARRIERS flew over College on 23rd (RDA), with both a male and a female at Wilstone next day (Steve Rodwell/Warren Claydon).

Dave Bilcock had up to 5 NORTHERN WHEATEARS over the weekend, including 2 at the Pitstone Industrial Estate scrapes and a bird on the bank at Wilstone.

Thursday, 14 March 2013

Waders moving

Dave Bilcock had a DUNLIN and two COMMON REDSHANKS on the little stretch of mud at Startop's End this morning, proving that this spot is well worth keeping an eye on

Meanwhile LOCAL MEGA - there is a first-winter RING-BILLED GULL at Stewartby Lake this evening

My New Group is up and running - feel free to join

The new 'Birding Tring Reservoirs' email group is now up and running - simply click on the following link and press JOIN NOW - I will do the rest - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BirdingTringReservoirs/

Remember, this group is for active members of the Reservoir natural history brigade and we welcome sightings of bird, mammal, reptile, butterfly or plant interest. It also embraces the wider general area and therefore covers sites such as Wendover Woods, Dancers End, Dagnall, Ashridge Forest, Weston Turville and the Ivinghoe Hill escarpment.

What I don't want is back-biting, suppression or argumentative behaviour, but constructive criticism and healthy discussions are fine. Photographic contributions are particularly welcome and information is welcome, whether it is of the most common or rarest of local birds.

Obviously as moderator, I shall control who can become a member and who cannot, but if you have something to offer, are particularly active or just appreciate the help that I and other friendly locals can offer, then you are most welcome. The four individuals involved with the Wilstone Savi's Warbler suppression are certainly not welcome - local birding is about sharing and caring - and this particular local community will be just that.

Very best wishes

Lee G R Evans

Tuesday, 12 March 2013

Tringbirding email group

The Tringbirding email group seems to have died a death as birder participation seems to have tailed off through petty squabbling. As such, I shall be setting up a new group for those interested in discussing the birds of the Reservoirs and the neighbouring areas such as Ivinghoe Beacon, Weston Turville, Wendover Woods and the like. If you would like to be considered for this closed group, please email me on LGREUK400@aol.com

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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