Recencies

Not had the opportunity to visit in recent days but migration in full swing in the region with a nice male NORTHERN WHEATEAR on Ivinghoe Hills this morning

Following a BLACK-NECKED GREBE at Wilstone briefly last weekend, this weekend has seen the arrival of at least 5 SAND MARTINS and 8 Common Chiffchaffs, with 3 PINTAIL around and the WATER PIPIT on Startop's End. Saturday saw Ruddy Shelduck, PIED AVOCET and 17 BLACK-TAILED GODWITS through while Sunday saw the first OSPREY. Common Ravens are nesting not that far away from the reservoirs and encouraging are reports of a male Goshawk back at a formerly regular site displaying. A single male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker has been heard in Ashridge (at Ringshall), along with Firecrests at several sites and a few lingering Brambling at Whipsnade.

Remember, if you find a good bird, text my mobile - 07881 906629

First signs of spring......

SATURDAY 8 MARCH

 

A glorious day with wall-to-wall sunshine, light southerly winds and increasing temperatures - migration was seemingly in full swing.......

 

Set off early to look for Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers in Burnham Beeches NNR but as I drove towards there was redirected to COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT, where the first PIED AVOCET of the year had been discovered......

 

I got there about half an hour later, the bird still showing - initially roosting on the westernmost island before walking into the water and swimming out on to the marsh. I took a number of photographs.....

There were no other migrants present on the reserve but other species noted included 9 Mute Swans, 56 Canada Geese, a pair of Common Shelduck, 8 Mallard, 95 Wigeon, 18 Gadwall, 12 Shoveler, 62 Tufted Duck, 3 Pochard, 43 Coot, Little Grebe, 27 Lapwing (including 6 nesting pairs),8 Common Snipe, 6 Common Redshank and singing Dunnock.

Apart from a single Sand Martin early on seen by Dave Bilcock, TRING RESERVOIRS were very quiet - a pair of OYSTERCATCHERS on one of the rafts at WILSTONE being the highlight. I also had a look at PITSTONE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE SCRAPES, but nothing other than 2 Pied Wagtails and a Mistle Thrush, while a very flooded PITSTONE QUARRY yielded 2 Canada Geese, 6 Coot, 6 Mallard, 14 Tufted Duck, 2 Pochard, 70 Black-headed Gulls, 12 Common Gull, Robin, Dunnock, 8 Woodpigeon, 2 Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit and Wren.

Pitstone Quarry in full flood

More passage waders were being found, including 4 Pied Avocets at Tyttenhanger and Black-tailed Godwits at Stockers Farm (2) and Rye Meads NR. Alan Stevens texted to say a further BLACK-TAILED GODWIT was at SPADE OAK PIT (LITTLE MARLOW), the bird still being present when I arrived much later. Although largely in winter plumage flight feather-wise, the orange-rufous underparts and long orange-based bill seemed to suggest a limosa. The bird was showing well on the recently emerging spit.

A female-type COMMON GOLDENEYE was also a good record for the site, while the pair of GARGANEY I first found over a week ago were still present; also at least 7 PINTAILS (3 drakes).

Goldeneye in the background...

......and Pintail flock

The full list comprised of 7 Great Crested Grebe, 37 Cormorant (nesting on the island), 18 Grey Heron, 3 Mute Swan, pair of Australian Black Swan still, pair of Egyptian Geese, 10 Atlantic Canada Geese, pair of Common Shelduck, Mallard, 86 Teal, 62 Shoveler, 71 Gadwall, 79 Tufted Duck, 52 Wigeon, numerous Red Kite, 6 Coot, 9 Moorhen, 14 Lapwing, 8 Common Snipe, 70 Black-headed Gull, 12 Common Gull, adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, Ring-necked Parakeet, 2 male Reed Bunting, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit (on the suet feeders), Robin, Dunnock, 3 COMMON CHIFFCHAFF (singing), 25 migrant REDWING and a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly.

The Cormorant colony on the island

Male Reed Bunting in a neighbouring garden...

.....and a Long-tailed Tit

I then finally got to my planned destination - BURNHAM BEECHES NNR - where I spent over two hours in the area of Park Lane and the Moat in the Northwest Section searching in vain for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. A rich area in biodiversity though with 2 Green Woodpeckers noted, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Stock Doves, 85+ Woodpigeon, Muntjac, 4 BRAMBLING, 10 Chaffinch, Common Treecreeper, 2 Nuthatch, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Common Blackbird and 2 Common Buzzard. Just to the north near ABBEY PARK COTTAGE. a pair of Egyptian Geese on a farm pond and 6 Lapwings in a cereal crop.

A lot of woodpecker activity

At CHESHAM FISHING LAKES, the COMMON CHIFFCHAFF was singing for its third day in the trees on the island in the far corner, along with the GREAT CRESTED GREBE PAIR, Grey Wagtail and 12 Tufted Duck noted. Across the road in LATIMER ROAD, 12 Jackdaws in residence on the chimneys and 2 Common Starlings

PINK-FOOTS back and a flurry of migrant activity

SATURDAY MARCH 1ST

 

A slight overnight frost followed by a gorgeous day - with light winds, largely blue skies and gradually increasing temperatures from 3.5 to 10 degrees C - spring-like at times

 

At COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT first thing, quite a few 'new' migrants, with a pair of OYSTERCATCHER, a pair of COMMON REDSHANK, 26 Lapwing and a pair of COMMON SHELDUCK; also 1 Great Crested Grebe, 101 Wigeon, 16 Shoveler, 18 Gadwall, 72 Tufted Duck and 5 Pochard, along with 24 Coot, 23 COMMON SNIPE and 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls. A singing male Reed Bunting too.

Common Redshank and Common Snipe roosting amongst the sedges

Over at WILSTONE RESERVOIR, I joined Steve Rodwell by the jetty. The PINK-FOOTED GOOSE was back, commuting between the field by the Farm Shop and the reservoir with 33 Greylag Geese, showing very well at times (see pix below). Otherwise, wildfowl numbers were dwindling, with less than 200 Wigeon remaining, 32 Gadwall, very few Teal, 52 Shoveler, 72 Pochard and 117 Tufted Duck; all four COMMON GOLDENEYE still present though. A lot of raptor activity with the blue skies and little wind, involving at least 4 Red Kites, 7 Common Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk. Also noted were 4 Mute Swans, 7 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Lapwing, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail and 2 Pied Wagtails, while on the Drayton Bank, 9 nests of Grey Heron and 17 of Sinensis Cormorant were occupied respectively.

Sparrowhawk being mobbed by a Corvid

 

On TRINGFORD RESERVOIR, just 1 pair of Red-crested Pochard remain, with 2 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, 8 Teal, 8 Mallard, 29 Tufted Duck, 6 Pochard and 32 Coot, while Grey Heron, Wren, Chaffinch, 12 Jackdaw, 4 Long-tailed Tit and Greenfinch were also logged.

The view across Tringford

Tufted Ducks in full regalia

Mallards too

A Grey Heron fishing

Long-tailed Tits

Not much to speak about on STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR other than another pair of Red-crested Pochards - 4 Great Crested Grebe, 20 Coot, 6 Moorhen, 2 first-summer Mute Swan, 65 Tufted Duck and Grey Heron noted - while MARSWORTH RESERVOIR was even more uneventful with just 5 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Tufted Duck, 2 Mute Swan and 76 Black-headed Gulls of note.

Around WIGGINTON VILLAGE, a population census revealed the presence of 8 House Sparrows, 1 Greenfinch and 5 pairs of territorial Jackdaws, plus 2 Carrion Crow, 46 Woodpigeon, 2 Collared Dove, 4 Robin, 3 Blue Tits and a Chaffinch.

 

At HILFIELD PARK RESERVOIR, BLACK-NECKED GREBE numbers had increased to 10 individuals, the majority still in transitional plumage. Not much else there though, with 12 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Mute Swans, 53 Tufted Duck and 2 Common Goldeneye, as well as 3 Song Thrushes. There was a sizeable gull roost involving at least 800 Black-headed and 120 Common, as well as a few Herring and Lesser Black-backed.