FRIDAY 29 APRIL (ROYAL WEDDING DAY)
Two heavy showers crossed the Chilterns just as the day was dawning being blown in by the continuing NE wind. It then remained very grey throughout much of the morning before the wind veered round. The afternoon was much brighter, with intermittent sunshine, but at around 1600 hours, an almighty thunder and lightning storm passed through eventually giving way to much warmer conditions and clearer blue skies.
Spurned on by Tina and Sue, I decided to try my luck at a local daylist, but drove around the sites rather than walked as those two intrepidly did. I was somewhat disappointed by my tally - just 84 species.....
Far more disappointing though was missing all of the Bar-tailed Godwits and Whimbrels (80 and 4 respectively) that passed through Wilstone Reservoir prior to 0845 hours (see Dave Bilcock's list of sightings elsewhere on this blog)
COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT (BUCKS)
(0800-0848 hours)
Following up on Dave's earlier text messages, by the time I got to College, just 1 of the 7 BAR-TAILED GODWITS was still present - a cracking full summer-plumaged male feeding on the main marsh just in front of the new hide (see Dave Hutchinson's superb image). And despite the fact that over 80 individuals had passed over between 0530 and 0845 hours, this was the only bird that I was to see all day.....incidentally, it represented my 139th species in Buckinghamshire this year
In addition to the godwit, I notched up the following 19 species -:
Great Crested Grebe (pair still on the deep lake)
Mute Swan (pair on the marsh)
Atlantic Canada Geese (several including one pair now with 7 goslings)
Mallard, Gadwall (pair), Shoveler (3 drakes), Tufted Duck (19), Moorhen and Coot
Lapwing (15+ including young)
OYSTERCATCHER (pair still present, the female sat on a nest)
Common Redshank (4)
LITTLE RINGED PLOVER (pair)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (3 adults over)
Woodpigeon (5)
COMMON CUCKOO (again calling from fen area)
Wren, Common Whitethroat and Blackcap
WILSTONE RESERVOIR (HERTS)
A Song Thrush carrying food flew across in front of me by the sewage farm as I drove with great expectations to Wilstone, particularly as DB had seen several flocks of Bar-tailed Godwits and up to 3 Whimbrels a little earlier. I met Francis Buckle at the top of the steps and he informed me of an interesting flava wagtail he had just seen and that Ian Williams had first seen on Monday. I stood for a while checking the reservoir, adding Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Linnet, Goldfinch and House Sparrow to my day list, as well as the two continuing drake Eurasian Wigeon, several Greylag Geese, Grey Heron, Cormorant, 80+ Common Tern, the single adult BLACK TERN (perhaps new), 6 COMMON SWIFTS and all three hirundines - Barn Swallow, Sand Martin and House Martin.
Walking then on to the overflow corner added Long-tailed Tit (3), Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Dunnock, with a singing male Common Chiffchaff in trees behind the Drayton Bank hide.
I then met up with Dave Bilcock at the bend just beyond the old cressbeds at the back of Wilstone where he quickly showed me the wagtail. It was a very nice male BLUE-HEADED-TYPE WAGTAIL and was paired up with a female YELLOW WAGTAIL (Dave managed a nice shot of it); the bird was favouring the line of fenceposts that lead away from the bend towards the Dry Canal. A single Eurasian Skylark also perched on one of the posts too. No sooner had I joined Dave then I missed a flyover Whimbrel - Francis watched one from the car park steps.
Between the car park and the Hide Meadow, 4 singing male Common Whitethroats were noted, with Jackdaw, CETTI'S WARBLER (singing bird), Mistle Thrush (singing male), Red Kite and a single drake Northern Pochard noted as we both walked back to the car park.
Once again I stood in hope for some more waders but it just didn't happen - a HOBBY was seen, a male YELLOW WAGTAIL flew NE and wildfowl included 6 drake Gadwall and a single drake Shoveler.
ASHRIDGE FOREST (HERTS)
Whilst scanning the skies for waders, Ben Miller texted to say that he and his daughter were watching the Clinksmere Pond TREE PIPIT - and that it was showing very well. Less than ten minutes later, I was with them both, but despite spending yet another two hours searching for this highly elusive and skulking tree and ground dweller, I failed in my quest to relocate it.
The Monument Drive did however provide me with Robin, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Nuthatch, Common Treecreeper, Common Blackbird, Stock Dove and Common Chiffchaff for the day and a very showy female Muntjac. Much more distressing though was the sight of a female Fallow Deer run over and killed just east of the access road.
IVINGHOE HILLS NNR (BUCKS)
Moving around to Top Scrub, several more species were added, including an excellent array of warblers. As others have commented, GARDEN WARBLERS abound there this spring with at least 7 males in full song, also several Willow Warblers and Common Whitethroats and a rattling male Lesser Whitethroat. A few Common Chiffchaffs were also singing from the scrub, with a Long-tailed Tit with food, the usual pair of BULLFINCHES, Jay and Common Magpie. A pair of Common Pheasants frit the life out of me as they exploded from the ground cover. Displaying Meadow Pipits were near the S-bend.
DOWN FARM AND PITSTONE HILL (BUCKS)
I then did my regular circuit between Pitstone Hill car park and the Down Farm entrance track, taking in the perimeter fence around the fields. There was no shortage of Skylarks (25+) nor of Rooks to-ing and fro-ing from the Aldbury Rookery, whilst several pairs of Linnets were encountered, more Meadow Pipits, the local pair of Common Kestrels and a pair of Yellowhammers in the roadside hedge. There were five singing male Common Whitethroats (two within a few yards of each other by Down Farm entrance track and a further three males in the roadside hedge back to the car park) whilst two migrant House Martins went north over Pitstone Hill.
Most disconcerting though was the total lack of Corn Buntings - not a jangler to be heard anywhere - the first time I have failed to find this species here in spring.
In Aldbury village, the House Sparrow colony was still intact at Hill View.
COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT (BUCKS)
I returned once more to College Lake, where at 1300 hours the BAR-TAILED GODWIT was still present. This time I saw both male and female COMMON SHELDUCK, a single drake Eurasian Wigeon (on the deep lake), 4 Shoveler (1 female) and a COMMON SANDPIPER
Nearby at Pitstone Industrial Estate, 18 Common Starlings were feeding on the grass verges.
MARSWORTH RESERVOIR (HERTS)
Several Eurasian Collared Doves were seen in Marsworth village, whilst the reedbed and small wood adjacent to the reservoir yielded Song Thrush (singing male), both Sedge and Western Reed Warblers, a male Willow Warbler, a male Reed Bunting and on the reservoir, 5 Great Crested Grebes, a female RED-CRESTED POCHARD with one survivng chick (see Francis Buckle's images) and the male Grey Wagtail carrying food back to the nest.
STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR (HERTS)
My only Black-headed Gull of the day - an adult in breeding plumage - was here, with 4 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Mute Swans, 4 Greylag Geese, 55 Tufted Duck, 2 Pied Wagtails and 14 Sand Martin the only other birds of note.
TRINGFORD RESERVOIR (HERTS)
Very, very quiet with just 1 Great Crested Grebe, a pair of Mute Swans nesting and a female Mallard with five chicks.
THE DRY CANAL FIELDS (HERTS)
Walked from Drayton Beauchamp canal bridge east to the first wooden bridge across the canal where I located a pair of nesting Long-tailed Tits, two singing male Yellowhammers, several Goldfinch and Linnet, a further 3 singing male Common Whitethroats and a Mistle Thrush. A pair of Mallards accompanied two chicks, with a second female with 6 chicks.
In the field immediately south of the Dry Canal, a single male NORTHERN WHEATEAR was still to be seen, along with 3 Stock Doves - whilst a male LESSER WHITETHROAT was rattling from the hedgerow.
I finally located a male Greenfinch - singing from the tall Ash tree at the junction of Little Tring Road and the main road.
IVINGHOE HILLS (BUCKS)
During the afternoon, the sun finally came out for a short while and I took this opportunity to catch up with some local butterflies I had not had the chance to see yet this year. Walking the ''Duke Gully'' was very productive, yielding 7 very fresh DUKE OF BURGUNDY FRITILLARIES, an early Small Heath, an early SMALL BLUE, 6 DINGY SKIPPERS and a single GRIZZLED SKIPPER. Another LESSER WHITETHROAT was heard and more Common Whitethroats and Linnets.
DAGNALL (BEDS)
The nesting pair of COMMON RAVENS were very busy feeding young, the female now being very heavily worn in the wing. The only Common Buzzard of the day was near Well Farm.
After that it all fizzled out really with a very sudden lightning storm not producing any new migrants but a lot of rain and flash-flooding. The smell of the Bluebells in the now famous wood along the Beacon Road after the rain was incredible.
Late Additions: Common Kingfisher was added from yet another return visit to College and a visit to the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal produced the only Little Grebe of the day and Great Spotted Woodpecker.
So, a total of just 84 species - I missed Whimbrel, Green Woodpecker, Common Teal, Tawny & Little Owl, Sparrowhawk, Marsh Tit, Corn Bunting, Mandarin Duck and Red-legged Partridge - Firecrest too
Two heavy showers crossed the Chilterns just as the day was dawning being blown in by the continuing NE wind. It then remained very grey throughout much of the morning before the wind veered round. The afternoon was much brighter, with intermittent sunshine, but at around 1600 hours, an almighty thunder and lightning storm passed through eventually giving way to much warmer conditions and clearer blue skies.
Spurned on by Tina and Sue, I decided to try my luck at a local daylist, but drove around the sites rather than walked as those two intrepidly did. I was somewhat disappointed by my tally - just 84 species.....
Far more disappointing though was missing all of the Bar-tailed Godwits and Whimbrels (80 and 4 respectively) that passed through Wilstone Reservoir prior to 0845 hours (see Dave Bilcock's list of sightings elsewhere on this blog)
COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT (BUCKS)
(0800-0848 hours)
Following up on Dave's earlier text messages, by the time I got to College, just 1 of the 7 BAR-TAILED GODWITS was still present - a cracking full summer-plumaged male feeding on the main marsh just in front of the new hide (see Dave Hutchinson's superb image). And despite the fact that over 80 individuals had passed over between 0530 and 0845 hours, this was the only bird that I was to see all day.....incidentally, it represented my 139th species in Buckinghamshire this year
In addition to the godwit, I notched up the following 19 species -:
Great Crested Grebe (pair still on the deep lake)
Mute Swan (pair on the marsh)
Atlantic Canada Geese (several including one pair now with 7 goslings)
Mallard, Gadwall (pair), Shoveler (3 drakes), Tufted Duck (19), Moorhen and Coot
Lapwing (15+ including young)
OYSTERCATCHER (pair still present, the female sat on a nest)
Common Redshank (4)
LITTLE RINGED PLOVER (pair)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (3 adults over)
Woodpigeon (5)
COMMON CUCKOO (again calling from fen area)
Wren, Common Whitethroat and Blackcap
WILSTONE RESERVOIR (HERTS)
A Song Thrush carrying food flew across in front of me by the sewage farm as I drove with great expectations to Wilstone, particularly as DB had seen several flocks of Bar-tailed Godwits and up to 3 Whimbrels a little earlier. I met Francis Buckle at the top of the steps and he informed me of an interesting flava wagtail he had just seen and that Ian Williams had first seen on Monday. I stood for a while checking the reservoir, adding Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Linnet, Goldfinch and House Sparrow to my day list, as well as the two continuing drake Eurasian Wigeon, several Greylag Geese, Grey Heron, Cormorant, 80+ Common Tern, the single adult BLACK TERN (perhaps new), 6 COMMON SWIFTS and all three hirundines - Barn Swallow, Sand Martin and House Martin.
Walking then on to the overflow corner added Long-tailed Tit (3), Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Dunnock, with a singing male Common Chiffchaff in trees behind the Drayton Bank hide.
I then met up with Dave Bilcock at the bend just beyond the old cressbeds at the back of Wilstone where he quickly showed me the wagtail. It was a very nice male BLUE-HEADED-TYPE WAGTAIL and was paired up with a female YELLOW WAGTAIL (Dave managed a nice shot of it); the bird was favouring the line of fenceposts that lead away from the bend towards the Dry Canal. A single Eurasian Skylark also perched on one of the posts too. No sooner had I joined Dave then I missed a flyover Whimbrel - Francis watched one from the car park steps.
Between the car park and the Hide Meadow, 4 singing male Common Whitethroats were noted, with Jackdaw, CETTI'S WARBLER (singing bird), Mistle Thrush (singing male), Red Kite and a single drake Northern Pochard noted as we both walked back to the car park.
Once again I stood in hope for some more waders but it just didn't happen - a HOBBY was seen, a male YELLOW WAGTAIL flew NE and wildfowl included 6 drake Gadwall and a single drake Shoveler.
ASHRIDGE FOREST (HERTS)
Whilst scanning the skies for waders, Ben Miller texted to say that he and his daughter were watching the Clinksmere Pond TREE PIPIT - and that it was showing very well. Less than ten minutes later, I was with them both, but despite spending yet another two hours searching for this highly elusive and skulking tree and ground dweller, I failed in my quest to relocate it.
The Monument Drive did however provide me with Robin, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Nuthatch, Common Treecreeper, Common Blackbird, Stock Dove and Common Chiffchaff for the day and a very showy female Muntjac. Much more distressing though was the sight of a female Fallow Deer run over and killed just east of the access road.
IVINGHOE HILLS NNR (BUCKS)
Moving around to Top Scrub, several more species were added, including an excellent array of warblers. As others have commented, GARDEN WARBLERS abound there this spring with at least 7 males in full song, also several Willow Warblers and Common Whitethroats and a rattling male Lesser Whitethroat. A few Common Chiffchaffs were also singing from the scrub, with a Long-tailed Tit with food, the usual pair of BULLFINCHES, Jay and Common Magpie. A pair of Common Pheasants frit the life out of me as they exploded from the ground cover. Displaying Meadow Pipits were near the S-bend.
DOWN FARM AND PITSTONE HILL (BUCKS)
I then did my regular circuit between Pitstone Hill car park and the Down Farm entrance track, taking in the perimeter fence around the fields. There was no shortage of Skylarks (25+) nor of Rooks to-ing and fro-ing from the Aldbury Rookery, whilst several pairs of Linnets were encountered, more Meadow Pipits, the local pair of Common Kestrels and a pair of Yellowhammers in the roadside hedge. There were five singing male Common Whitethroats (two within a few yards of each other by Down Farm entrance track and a further three males in the roadside hedge back to the car park) whilst two migrant House Martins went north over Pitstone Hill.
Most disconcerting though was the total lack of Corn Buntings - not a jangler to be heard anywhere - the first time I have failed to find this species here in spring.
In Aldbury village, the House Sparrow colony was still intact at Hill View.
COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT (BUCKS)
I returned once more to College Lake, where at 1300 hours the BAR-TAILED GODWIT was still present. This time I saw both male and female COMMON SHELDUCK, a single drake Eurasian Wigeon (on the deep lake), 4 Shoveler (1 female) and a COMMON SANDPIPER
Nearby at Pitstone Industrial Estate, 18 Common Starlings were feeding on the grass verges.
MARSWORTH RESERVOIR (HERTS)
Several Eurasian Collared Doves were seen in Marsworth village, whilst the reedbed and small wood adjacent to the reservoir yielded Song Thrush (singing male), both Sedge and Western Reed Warblers, a male Willow Warbler, a male Reed Bunting and on the reservoir, 5 Great Crested Grebes, a female RED-CRESTED POCHARD with one survivng chick (see Francis Buckle's images) and the male Grey Wagtail carrying food back to the nest.
STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR (HERTS)
My only Black-headed Gull of the day - an adult in breeding plumage - was here, with 4 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Mute Swans, 4 Greylag Geese, 55 Tufted Duck, 2 Pied Wagtails and 14 Sand Martin the only other birds of note.
TRINGFORD RESERVOIR (HERTS)
Very, very quiet with just 1 Great Crested Grebe, a pair of Mute Swans nesting and a female Mallard with five chicks.
THE DRY CANAL FIELDS (HERTS)
Walked from Drayton Beauchamp canal bridge east to the first wooden bridge across the canal where I located a pair of nesting Long-tailed Tits, two singing male Yellowhammers, several Goldfinch and Linnet, a further 3 singing male Common Whitethroats and a Mistle Thrush. A pair of Mallards accompanied two chicks, with a second female with 6 chicks.
In the field immediately south of the Dry Canal, a single male NORTHERN WHEATEAR was still to be seen, along with 3 Stock Doves - whilst a male LESSER WHITETHROAT was rattling from the hedgerow.
I finally located a male Greenfinch - singing from the tall Ash tree at the junction of Little Tring Road and the main road.
IVINGHOE HILLS (BUCKS)
During the afternoon, the sun finally came out for a short while and I took this opportunity to catch up with some local butterflies I had not had the chance to see yet this year. Walking the ''Duke Gully'' was very productive, yielding 7 very fresh DUKE OF BURGUNDY FRITILLARIES, an early Small Heath, an early SMALL BLUE, 6 DINGY SKIPPERS and a single GRIZZLED SKIPPER. Another LESSER WHITETHROAT was heard and more Common Whitethroats and Linnets.
DAGNALL (BEDS)
The nesting pair of COMMON RAVENS were very busy feeding young, the female now being very heavily worn in the wing. The only Common Buzzard of the day was near Well Farm.
After that it all fizzled out really with a very sudden lightning storm not producing any new migrants but a lot of rain and flash-flooding. The smell of the Bluebells in the now famous wood along the Beacon Road after the rain was incredible.
Late Additions: Common Kingfisher was added from yet another return visit to College and a visit to the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal produced the only Little Grebe of the day and Great Spotted Woodpecker.
So, a total of just 84 species - I missed Whimbrel, Green Woodpecker, Common Teal, Tawny & Little Owl, Sparrowhawk, Marsh Tit, Corn Bunting, Mandarin Duck and Red-legged Partridge - Firecrest too
