A colour-ringed adult COMMON GREENSHANK was present on Wilstone Reservoir on 31st July 2008,bearing the following colour ring combination - RED over YELLOW on the right tibia with BLACK on the left tibia and RED above the left tarsus.
Peter Potts and Jason Crook very kindly replied ''This Greenshank was first ringed at Farlington Marshes in Hampshire as an adult on 12th August 1999 and was retrapped at Thorney Island on 29th September 2001. It was seen again at Farlington, regularly between 5th September and 13th October 2005, and again on 27th September 2006. It has not been previously sighted away from Langstone Harbour and Chichester Harbour''
Thursday, 14 August 2008
ELECTRIC STORMS FORCE WADERS DOWN INCLUDING AN EXCEPTIONAL FLOCK OF 29 RED KNOT
THURSDAY 14TH AUGUST
(Another very unsettled day, with blustery SW winds and some very heavy rain showers, interspersed with lightning and thunder; relatively warm though)
Once again, it was day-flying migrating waders that topped the bill, with today's haul including WHIMBREL, DUNLIN and my largest flock of RED KNOT in Hertfordshire/Buckinghamshire (in fact the 2nd highest-flock ever)
WILSTONE RESERVOIR
(1504-1600 hours - with Francis Buckle, Mig & Jan Wells, Geoff & Fred Young & Kevin Holt)
The WHIMBREL, which initially flew on to the bund at 1115 hours, roosted in superb view of the Drayton Bank Hide until 1527 hours, when I watched it fly west into Buckinghamshire and over Drayton Beauchamp village. It showed excellently throughout the four hours and was photographed by both Francis Buckle and Geoff Young during its stay - see image at top of page. It was very vocal during its stay, particularly when it departed to the west (Richard Birch, LGRE, DB, et al). Francis's image above shows that the bird was a JUVENILE (neatly spotted on wing-coverts, tertials and upperparts).
Great Crested Grebe - 16
Mute Swans - 71 present
EURASIAN WIGEON - single eclipse drake still
GADWALL - sizeable increase to 29 birds
Common Teal - 7
*GARGANEY - juvenile still present to the right of the hide, feeding just off the reed-edge about 130 yards away.
Northern Pochard - 8
RED-CRESTED POCHARD - all 3 birds still present and all together
RUDDY DUCKS - 2 adult drakes
Moorhen - 2 injured birds just left of hide - one with a broken wing (briefly bothered by a HOBBY) and another with a broken leg.
Lapwings - 317 roosting on bund but worryingly just 9 are juveniles.
COMMON KINGFISHER - 1 by hide
GREEN SANDPIPER - 2 adults present still
Common Tern - 6 still present including the two juveniles
HOBBY - 2 adults
Great Spotted Woodpecker
COMMON SWIFTS - 11
SAND MARTINS - high count of 62 birds
House Martin - 47+
PITSTONE QUARRY
(1615-1720 hours)
An electrical storm passed overhead inducing torrential rain - as well as a large fall-out of large, white-headed gulls. Some 334 'resting' gulls were click-counted, including 251 Black-headed, 3 BRITISH HERRING GULLS (2 adults and a 3rd-summer - my first in the area this autumn), a staggering 77 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (including 12 juveniles) and 3 juvenile YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS.
During the rain, a 'new' juvenile COMMON GREENSHANK arrived, as well as 2 DUNLIN (both in the Buckinghamshire section of the Quarry, like the gulls). The latter stayed just four minutes (1705-1709) before heading west into Herts and over the bordering tree belt.
Both Great Crested Grebes remained, the juvenile still 'begging' the parent.
Incidentally, I phoned Dave Bilcock to inform him of the two Dunlin and he relocated them 15 minutes later on Wilstone, indicating that birds clearly move between the two sites.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR
(1725-1830 hours; with Dave Bilcock, Steve Rodwell & Ian Williams)
I returned to Wilstone Reservoir at 1725 to obtain better views of the 2 DUNLIN and to confirm their ageing - both juveniles incidentally. Although they had initially landed on the far southern edge of the SE quarter, they quickly relocated to the bund, where they fed voraciously along the edge until 1830 at least. DB photographed them both (see below).
Whilst chatting to SR close to the new overflow, a large flock of waders suddenly came into view just east of the tall Poplars by Cemetery Corner at 1758. I quickly got the 'scope on to them and was astonished to find that they were a fast-flying flock of summer-plumaged RED KNOT. As they winged their way along the line of Poplars and westward, I counted them, with the flock totalling an unbelievable 29 birds - the largest flock I have ever seen in Hertfordshire. I continued to follow them in the 'scope and confirmed that all 29 were adults - in near or full summer finery. Steve and I kept on the short and straight-billed, long-winged, short-bodied, pale wing-barred rufous-orange birds as they entered the airspace above the extensive mud but they kept going west as they flew high over the hide. Steve then exclaimed that the flock was doubling back and for a brief period, they wheeled high over the hide bay. They then reverted to their original course of migration and flew strongly into Buckinghamshire airspace, being lost to view over Aston Clinton. Unfortunately, Dave Bilcock narrowly missed them - he had just walked back to the car park when I screamed at him.
The RED KNOT is a rare passage migrant and winter visitor to both Tring Reservoirs and Hertfordshire, with just 43 recorded in the county since 1990. At Tring Reservoirs, the 12 occurrences prior to 1980 involved eight in autumn (between August and November), and two records in both winter and spring, with a record flock of 45 birds west over Wilstone Reservoir on 7th September 1978. Since 1980, there have been just 25 birds recorded, with an adult on Wilstone on 19 August 1988 (and another or perhaps the same on 6 September 1988), a flock of 6 there on 11th September 1990, an impressive flock of 14 over on 10th April 1996, a first-winter on 23rd-24th December 1997 and a juvenile on Wilstone on 29 September 1998 (relocated on Startopsend Reservoir next day). More recently, LGRE and DB identified a first-winter at Wilstone on 21st-24th January 2006 (data retrieved from LGRE Tring Reservoirs database).
Since 1990, 43 have occurred in Hertfordshire, with 6 in 1990, 5 in 1993, 1 in 1995, 17 in 1996, singles in 1997 and 1998, 6 in 2002, singles in 2004 and 2005, 3 in 2006 (all winter occurrences) and 1 in 2007.
Our flock of 29 this evening represent the 2nd highest flock ever recorded in Hertfordshire.
In addition to the Knots, 60+ Barn Swallows were counted over Wilstone village this evening, and a juvenile RED KITE drifted over.
At Ivinghoe Beacon, a NORTHERN WHEATEAR remained for a second day.
(Another very unsettled day, with blustery SW winds and some very heavy rain showers, interspersed with lightning and thunder; relatively warm though)
Once again, it was day-flying migrating waders that topped the bill, with today's haul including WHIMBREL, DUNLIN and my largest flock of RED KNOT in Hertfordshire/Buckinghamshire (in fact the 2nd highest-flock ever)
WILSTONE RESERVOIR
(1504-1600 hours - with Francis Buckle, Mig & Jan Wells, Geoff & Fred Young & Kevin Holt)
The WHIMBREL, which initially flew on to the bund at 1115 hours, roosted in superb view of the Drayton Bank Hide until 1527 hours, when I watched it fly west into Buckinghamshire and over Drayton Beauchamp village. It showed excellently throughout the four hours and was photographed by both Francis Buckle and Geoff Young during its stay - see image at top of page. It was very vocal during its stay, particularly when it departed to the west (Richard Birch, LGRE, DB, et al). Francis's image above shows that the bird was a JUVENILE (neatly spotted on wing-coverts, tertials and upperparts).
Great Crested Grebe - 16
Mute Swans - 71 present
EURASIAN WIGEON - single eclipse drake still
GADWALL - sizeable increase to 29 birds
Common Teal - 7
*GARGANEY - juvenile still present to the right of the hide, feeding just off the reed-edge about 130 yards away.
Northern Pochard - 8
RED-CRESTED POCHARD - all 3 birds still present and all together
RUDDY DUCKS - 2 adult drakes
Moorhen - 2 injured birds just left of hide - one with a broken wing (briefly bothered by a HOBBY) and another with a broken leg.
Lapwings - 317 roosting on bund but worryingly just 9 are juveniles.
COMMON KINGFISHER - 1 by hide
GREEN SANDPIPER - 2 adults present still
Common Tern - 6 still present including the two juveniles
HOBBY - 2 adults
Great Spotted Woodpecker
COMMON SWIFTS - 11
SAND MARTINS - high count of 62 birds
House Martin - 47+
PITSTONE QUARRY
(1615-1720 hours)
An electrical storm passed overhead inducing torrential rain - as well as a large fall-out of large, white-headed gulls. Some 334 'resting' gulls were click-counted, including 251 Black-headed, 3 BRITISH HERRING GULLS (2 adults and a 3rd-summer - my first in the area this autumn), a staggering 77 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (including 12 juveniles) and 3 juvenile YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS.
During the rain, a 'new' juvenile COMMON GREENSHANK arrived, as well as 2 DUNLIN (both in the Buckinghamshire section of the Quarry, like the gulls). The latter stayed just four minutes (1705-1709) before heading west into Herts and over the bordering tree belt.
Both Great Crested Grebes remained, the juvenile still 'begging' the parent.
Incidentally, I phoned Dave Bilcock to inform him of the two Dunlin and he relocated them 15 minutes later on Wilstone, indicating that birds clearly move between the two sites.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR
(1725-1830 hours; with Dave Bilcock, Steve Rodwell & Ian Williams)
I returned to Wilstone Reservoir at 1725 to obtain better views of the 2 DUNLIN and to confirm their ageing - both juveniles incidentally. Although they had initially landed on the far southern edge of the SE quarter, they quickly relocated to the bund, where they fed voraciously along the edge until 1830 at least. DB photographed them both (see below).
Whilst chatting to SR close to the new overflow, a large flock of waders suddenly came into view just east of the tall Poplars by Cemetery Corner at 1758. I quickly got the 'scope on to them and was astonished to find that they were a fast-flying flock of summer-plumaged RED KNOT. As they winged their way along the line of Poplars and westward, I counted them, with the flock totalling an unbelievable 29 birds - the largest flock I have ever seen in Hertfordshire. I continued to follow them in the 'scope and confirmed that all 29 were adults - in near or full summer finery. Steve and I kept on the short and straight-billed, long-winged, short-bodied, pale wing-barred rufous-orange birds as they entered the airspace above the extensive mud but they kept going west as they flew high over the hide. Steve then exclaimed that the flock was doubling back and for a brief period, they wheeled high over the hide bay. They then reverted to their original course of migration and flew strongly into Buckinghamshire airspace, being lost to view over Aston Clinton. Unfortunately, Dave Bilcock narrowly missed them - he had just walked back to the car park when I screamed at him.
The RED KNOT is a rare passage migrant and winter visitor to both Tring Reservoirs and Hertfordshire, with just 43 recorded in the county since 1990. At Tring Reservoirs, the 12 occurrences prior to 1980 involved eight in autumn (between August and November), and two records in both winter and spring, with a record flock of 45 birds west over Wilstone Reservoir on 7th September 1978. Since 1980, there have been just 25 birds recorded, with an adult on Wilstone on 19 August 1988 (and another or perhaps the same on 6 September 1988), a flock of 6 there on 11th September 1990, an impressive flock of 14 over on 10th April 1996, a first-winter on 23rd-24th December 1997 and a juvenile on Wilstone on 29 September 1998 (relocated on Startopsend Reservoir next day). More recently, LGRE and DB identified a first-winter at Wilstone on 21st-24th January 2006 (data retrieved from LGRE Tring Reservoirs database).
Since 1990, 43 have occurred in Hertfordshire, with 6 in 1990, 5 in 1993, 1 in 1995, 17 in 1996, singles in 1997 and 1998, 6 in 2002, singles in 2004 and 2005, 3 in 2006 (all winter occurrences) and 1 in 2007.
Our flock of 29 this evening represent the 2nd highest flock ever recorded in Hertfordshire.
In addition to the Knots, 60+ Barn Swallows were counted over Wilstone village this evening, and a juvenile RED KITE drifted over.
At Ivinghoe Beacon, a NORTHERN WHEATEAR remained for a second day.
LATE NEWS: Ian Williams saw 2 CHINESE WATER DEER come out to feed on the mud at Wilstone at dusk; an adult WATER RAIL was seen (IW/SR).
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Wednesday 13 August
WEDNESDAY 13 AUGUST(heavy showers throughout the day, with a strong WSW wind, gusting to force 6 at times; 13 degrees centigrade)
RED KITES were the order of the day with large numbers seen as farmers begin ploughing up stubble. Otherwise very few new arrivals.
Drayton Beauchamp
Just south of the Lower Icknield Way (B489), an adult RED KITE was showing very well and lingering over a large field at SP 884 124 (1227-1237), with it or another drifting south over Wilstone Cemetery at 1320.
Wilstone Reservoir (Tring) (1250-1350 hours)
(Birding with Steve Rodwell)
Eurasian Wigeon - eclipse drake still present
GARGANEY* - juvenile still present, feeding (and sleeping) 140 yards 'right' of the hide
Northern Shoveler - 13 still Gadwall - 17 Common Teal - 7 still
Northern Pochard - 8
RED-CRESTED POCHARDS - all 3 birds still present, commuting between the bund and the bay
RUDDY DUCK - 2 females
GREEN SANDPIPER - 2 adults still present
Common Sandpiper - juvenile still present
Common Terns - 6 roosting on the bund
Common Buzzard - adult over
COMMON SWIFTS* - at least 47 present
House Martins - 45
Sand Martins - 27
Long-tailed Tit - 13
Common Chiffchaff - 2
A helicopter passed over flushing a huge flock of corvids from a field bordering the north bank of the reservoir, comprising an impressive 298 Jackdaws and 109 Rooks.
(DB and SR additionally had juvenile YELLOW-LEGGED GULL over at 1704 and 2 HOBBIES, one of which caught a Common Swift; earlier, 3 COMMON REDSHANKS were reported, with D.Platt noting 2 SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS and 2 male Bullfinches in the 'Meadow Fields')
Bridgewater Park Industrial Area
Four Linnets feeding. Recent heavy rain has rekindled the many pools that attracted a few waders in the spring. Nearby, 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were present in the newly ploughed field just south of the industrial estate.
Pitstone Quarry
The undoubted highlight of today's visit here was a fabulous and very fresh juvenile RED KITE working its way slowly along the Pitstone Hill ridge. For a while, it pitched down and fed on something on the ground.
Both Great Crested Grebes remained, 8 Little Grebes and 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (including 2 juveniles).
Ivinghoe Hills NR
The moulting male COMMON REDSTART was still present at the bottom end of Inkombe Hole today (Steve Rodwell)
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
TUESDAY 12 AUGUST
Heavy rain fell on the Chilterns and elsewhere from 0300-0800 hours resulting in a few new birds overnight. Further torrential showers this afternoon saw an impressive fall of passerines at Shardeloes Lake, including 3 fresh juvenile PIED FLYCATCHERS. The wind veered from a light SE overnight through south and then increased during the afternoon to a moderate southwesterly. It was decidedly warm, especially during periods of sunshine.
Drayton Beauchamp Canal (SP 903 120) - 6 Barn Swallows hawking over Grand Union Canal
Wilstone Reservoir (1000-1100 hours)
Very quiet, with few new arrivals - DB had seen a Common Redshank earlier, as well as the GARGANEY. Undoubted highlight was the finding of a 'new' juvenile Great Crested Grebe - only the second this year in the Tring area. I also did a complete census of MOORHENS - totalling 117 birds
Great Crested Grebe - 17 present including a juvenile
Mute Swans - 69
EURASIAN WIGEON - eclipse drake present still
Gadwall 12 Common Teal 7 Northern Shoveler 3 Northern Pochard 8
RED-CRESTED POCHARD - two birds still present including adult male
RUDDY DUCK - 3 adult drakes
**Moorhen - complete census - 74 in total including 11 juveniles, with 42 in the SW quarter, 10 in the NW, 4 on the central bund and 18 in the SE.
Lapwing - 211 on bund
Common Sandpiper - juvenile still
GREEN SANDPIPER - 1 adult still
Common Terns - 5 remain (including 2 juveniles)
HOBBY - superb views of a juvenile which successfully caught a Sand Martin in flight. It flew with the bird in its talons to the Poplars by the hide and represented my first local juvenile of the year (SR had one a few days previous)
Common Kingfisher
House Martins - 31
SAND MARTIN - 8+
SONG THRUSH - an adult in the hedgerow 100 yards north of the Cemetery.
Marsworth Reservoir
The adult female Red-crested Pochard was still consorting with 64 Mallards.
Startopsend Reservoir
Adult Great Crested Grebe still present, along with 3 Common Terns
A further 43 MOORHENS was counted including 22 on Marsworth, 18 on Tringford and 3 on Startopsend. A grand total of 117 birds was counted overall.
Pitstone Quarry (1300)
Highlight was a juvenile YELLOW-LEGGED GULL roosting with 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the spit (most probably the bird later located by SR and DB at Wilstone early evening)
The 2 Great Crested Grebes were still present, whilst a JAY was my first in the area this August.
Nearby at Aldbury Nowers (SP 950 133), a party of 4 COMMON CROSSBILLS flew over calling.
Drayton Beauchamp Canal (SP 903 120) - 6 Barn Swallows hawking over Grand Union Canal
Wilstone Reservoir (1000-1100 hours)
Very quiet, with few new arrivals - DB had seen a Common Redshank earlier, as well as the GARGANEY. Undoubted highlight was the finding of a 'new' juvenile Great Crested Grebe - only the second this year in the Tring area. I also did a complete census of MOORHENS - totalling 117 birds
Great Crested Grebe - 17 present including a juvenile
Mute Swans - 69
EURASIAN WIGEON - eclipse drake present still
Gadwall 12 Common Teal 7 Northern Shoveler 3 Northern Pochard 8
RED-CRESTED POCHARD - two birds still present including adult male
RUDDY DUCK - 3 adult drakes
**Moorhen - complete census - 74 in total including 11 juveniles, with 42 in the SW quarter, 10 in the NW, 4 on the central bund and 18 in the SE.
Lapwing - 211 on bund
Common Sandpiper - juvenile still
GREEN SANDPIPER - 1 adult still
Common Terns - 5 remain (including 2 juveniles)
HOBBY - superb views of a juvenile which successfully caught a Sand Martin in flight. It flew with the bird in its talons to the Poplars by the hide and represented my first local juvenile of the year (SR had one a few days previous)
Common Kingfisher
House Martins - 31
SAND MARTIN - 8+
SONG THRUSH - an adult in the hedgerow 100 yards north of the Cemetery.
Marsworth Reservoir
The adult female Red-crested Pochard was still consorting with 64 Mallards.
Startopsend Reservoir
Adult Great Crested Grebe still present, along with 3 Common Terns
A further 43 MOORHENS was counted including 22 on Marsworth, 18 on Tringford and 3 on Startopsend. A grand total of 117 birds was counted overall.
Pitstone Quarry (1300)
Highlight was a juvenile YELLOW-LEGGED GULL roosting with 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the spit (most probably the bird later located by SR and DB at Wilstone early evening)
The 2 Great Crested Grebes were still present, whilst a JAY was my first in the area this August.
Nearby at Aldbury Nowers (SP 950 133), a party of 4 COMMON CROSSBILLS flew over calling.
RED-CRESTED POCHARDS at TRING RESERVOIRS in 2008
In 2008, a pair of RED-CRESTED POCHARDS was first seen on Wilstone Reservoir on 11th February (D. Girvan). What was most likely the same pair reappeared at Startopsend Reservoir on 19th March (LGRE et al; both photographed above by Charlie Jackson) and then remained there until 9th April. The female then disappeared off into the reeds (probably on Marsworth) presumably to breed and the adult drake remained on Startopsend Reservoir until at least 7th May (Ben Miller).
On 16th June, the adult female was seen on Marsworth Reservoir accompanying a very small duckling, the first confirmed breeding of the species at Tring (Steve Rodwell). Unfortunately, the sole surviving young bird was never seen again.
This same drake (now in eclipse plumage) relocated to Wilstone Reservoir on 1st July (Roy Hargreaves et al) and remained dredging for weed in the SE quarter (often with Tufted Ducks) until 9th August, when suddenly two juveniles appeared overnight. Ever since, all three birds have remained together and have frequented the bay and bund in front of the hide (LGRE, SR, DB, et al) (the photograph above depicts all three birds together - Dave Bilcock - the eclipse drake has a completely deep pink bill whereas the two juveniles have only slight remiges of pink and predominantly brown-tinted eyes (the adult has a bright red eye).
The original female appeared once again with Mallards on Marsworth Reservoir from at least 11th August (JT, LGRE)
Monday 11 August
The wind veered slightly SE and light, with overcast skies and a muggy feel to the day
At Wilstone Reservoir, the highlight was this very confiding GARGANEY, feeding at the edge of the mud on the emergent vegetation in the shallows just to the left of the Drayton Bank Hide. This is the bird first seen last week (and our second of the autumn). This bird has a very narrow white trailing edge in flight and is therefore a juvenile (JT/FB/LGRE/DB). These superb photographs were taken by Dave Bilcock
The 3 RED-CRESTED POCHARDS remained (all asleep on the bund), along with the eclipse drake EURASIAN WIGEON, 72 Mute Swans and an adult HOBBY.
DB also saw both adult GREEN SANDPIPERS in the evening
At Marsworth Reservoir, Joan and I saw a 4th RED-CRESTED POCHARD - eclipse adult female - feeding at very close range with Mallards. There were also single pairs of Mute Swans on the Grand Union Canal and on Startopsend Reservoir.
In Marsworth Village, 43 House Sparrows were again in the Angler's Retreat garden, with 4 more in one of the gardens in the village.
A juvenile Mistle Thrush was feeding on the verge in Pitstone village
At Pitstone Quarry, all 7 MANDARINS (SR), the COMMON SANDPIPER and COMMON GREENSHANK (JT) all remained present.
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Juvenile Dunlin still present this evening
The view from the new outfall this evening, illustrating just how much mud is now showing between the Drayton Bank Hide and the reservoir north bank (Dave Bilcock image).
Sunday 10 August (evening visit)
Thanks to Joan Thompson, I was finally able to add DUNLIN to my Tring Reservoirs Year List this evening - with the juvenile found by Mike Ilett this morning still feeding on the central causeway, just left of the Cormorant Roosting Trees in amongst the rocks (1840-1900 hours)..
Otherwise, it was fairly quiet, with COMMON SWIFTS increasing to 35, Shoveler back to 10 birds, Common Teal still at 7 and Long-tailed Tits numbering 13 behind the hide.
The juvenile GARGANEY was still present today, showing briefly to the right of the hide before disappearing over the central bank (LGRE, DB).
Mike Collard and the Tring Ringing Group activated the Wilstone Reedbed mistnets and trapped and ringed 2 Garden Warblers and single European Reed and Sedge Warblers.
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