Wednesday, 29 June 2011

First returning passage ICELANDIC BLACKWIT







WEDNESDAY 29 JUNE

Much cooler conditions than of late but clear blue skies and occasionally showers..........

COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT (BUCKS)

Despite being there earlier when David Bilcock visited (see his images above), there was no sign of the single adult Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit on the marsh when I visited.

Both OYSTERCATCHERS and a single surviving youngster were on view, one pair of Common Redshanks with two young, numerous Lapwings and well grown chicks, 10 Common Terns and the pair of Mute Swans with one surviving cygnet

PITSTONE QUARRY (HERTS)

The right hand section is virtually dried up now and all that was in the pit were the 6 MANDARINS and the two pairs of LITTLE RINGED PLOVERS (both pairs accompanying young this week)

WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)
(Evening visit; with Steve Rodwell)

The first returning waders on site today, with 1 of this morning's 3 COMMON SANDPIPERS still present this evening. Otherwise, a full inventory of birds included -:

Little Grebe (1 juvenile near the hide)
Great Crested Grebe (22 birds in total, including 1 independent juvenile and another younger bird still being attended to by the parents)
Cormorant (16)
LITTLE EGRET (6 birds present this evening, including 2 fresh juveniles)
Mute Swan (non-breeding flock of 43 birds)
Greylag Geese (193 moulting birds present)
Mandarin Duck (drake present for fourth day (SR)
EURASIAN WIGEON (oversummering drake)
Common Teal (large increase this evening with 12 birds feeding by hide)
Gadwall (8)
NORTHERN SHOVELER (pair near hide and two of 5 birds which have oversummered)
Tufted Duck (22)
Northern Pochard (9)
Coot (282 logged)
Lapwing (4 on spit)
OYSTERCATCHER (adult roosting on spit)
Black-headed Gulls (3 flew east)

Monday, 27 June 2011

Another CURLEW at the reservoirs

Despite the bright sunny weather it was nice to see something different this morning. After David had left I made my way to the hide and was most surprised to find a Curlew stood on the spit. It certainly hadn’t been there when we had scanned earlier. It was there until at least 7:20 when I left to do my BBS. Four Little Egrets, two Teal and the Wigeon were also present. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to check if the Goldeneye was still on Tringford.

During my BBS survey near Ivinghoe Aston I was very surprised to see four Crossbills fly over about five metres above the ground – easily the best thing I have seen while doing it (Roy Hargreaves)

Friday, 24 June 2011

SILVER-WASHED FRITILLARIES on the wing



Sally Douglas photographed this beautiful male SILVER-WASHED FRITILLARY in Wendover Woods today, one of two seen. Also, two Garden Warblers still singing.

Tuesday, 21 June 2011

CURLEWS on the move......

At Wilstone Reservoir just prior to dark, Steve Rodwell had four EURASIAN CURLEWS fly over

Monday, 20 June 2011

Redshank drop in as autumn passage gets under way

1 Little Egret, 2 Redshank and 2 Teal were this morning’s highlights at Wilstone. 2 Cuckoos were flying around at Wilstone but when I first arrived one was singing from Little Tring direction.

Roy Hargreaves

Sunday, 19 June 2011

COMMON QUAILS at Ivinghoe

Johnne Taylor heard at least 1 caling QUAIL this afternoon at Gallows Hill, at the far east end of Ivinghoe Hills

Friday, 17 June 2011

Breeding COMMON TERNS

Pleased to confirm the new raft went out on to Wilstone on Saturday, Well done to Mike Collard for raising the money and to everyone who contributed. We checked the other rafts on Thursday and counted 34 chicks, they were quite well advanced so we decided not to risk approaching them to ring them.The double-raft had 18 large chicks, the single HMWT raft held 6+ large chicks and the second (slightly listing) HMWT raft held 6 large and 4+ small chicks. I suspect there were more chicks than this, so if anyone has a higher count please let me know (Lynne Lambert)