(Light SW wind at first, with warm and bright conditions - 18 degrees C; wind then increased late morning with persistent rain setting in)
Ivinghoe Hills NR (Steps Hill)
In Inkombe Hole, Mike Collard, Dave Bilcock, Steve Rodwell, Stuart Wilson and I enjoyed excellent views of a moulting adult male COMMON REDSTART and a juvenile bird. Both birds were frequenting the bushes and vegetation close to the main hedgerow at the bottom end of the south side of the Hole. Dave obtained these images below of the male.
A single LESSER WHITETHROAT and 5 WILLOW WARBLERS were also present in the valley, with 19 Skylarks and 5 Meadow Pipits in the adjacent sheep field.
Wilstone Reservoir
(0800-1400 hours; birding with Mike & Rose Collard, Steve Rodwell & Francis Buckle)
Great Crested Grebe - 16
MANDARIN DUCK - female still present
EURASIAN WIGEON - eclipse drake newly arrived (first this autumn)
Common Teal - 4
Gadwall - 16
Northern Shoveler - large increase overnight to 13 birds
Northern Pochard - 7
*RED-CRESTED POCHARD - although the resident eclipse drake remained present, it was joined overnight by two new birds, both very similar in plumage. It seems likely that they are the adult female and single juvenile present in early July but neither bird has been seen since that time.
Eurasian Sparrowhawk - juveniles still being fed in Poplars near hide
HOBBY - 4 adults hunted over the central causeway for a brief period before the wet front moved in
Coots - 579 + 103 + 117 = 799
Lapwing - 293
RINGED PLOVER - WC had an adult at dusk
COMMON SANDPIPER - 1
GREEN SANDPIPER - 1 adult
Black-headed Gulls - 232
**MEDITERRANEAN GULL: a juvenile (first found by Warren Claydon at 0740) performed extremely well with Black-headed Gulls on the central 'bund' in front of the Drayton Bank Hide until late morning, when the flock were disturbed by a Hobby.
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1 adult
Common Terns - 5 present still (1 juvenile)
Great Spotted Woodpecker - by car park
COMMON SWIFTS - 26 arrived just prior to front Warren Claydon had an impressive 120 just prior to dark at 2030 hours
SAND MARTINS - 27+
House Martins - 62
YELLOW WAGTAIL - 1 juvenile flew west (first this autumn)
Common Chiffchaffs - 2
Common Starlings - 173 on wires south of dry canal; 25 over reservoir
Pitstone Quarry
Same as yesterday - Great Crested Grebes (both present), MANDARIN DUCKS (all surviving), COMMON SANDPIPER and juvenile COMMON GREENSHANK, with 15 House Martins overhead
Pitstone - 2 Stock Doves
Friday 8 August
Pitstone Quarry (1610 hours)
Great Crested Grebe - both birds still present (adult & juvenile, rhe latter the only juvenile GCG that has fledged in the Tring area this summer).
Little Grebes: 6 adults including a pair feeding 4 small young
*MANDARIN DUCK - adult female with 6 young still
Common Kestrel - 1 female
Lapwing - 1
COMMON SANDPIPER
*COMMON GREENSHANK - 1 juvenile
Blackcap, Willow Warbler & Common Chiffchaff
Wilstone Reservoir (Tring) (1625-1900 hours)
Great Crested Grebe - 16
Little Grebes - 3 adults near Cemetery Corner and 2 adults with 3 juveniles by central causeway Mute Swans - 69 present
Greylag Geese - 4 juveniles
Gadwall - 17
Common Teal - increase to 6 birds
**GARGANEY - juvenile favouring reed edge
Northern Shovelers - increase to 7 birds
Tufted Duck - 158
Northern Pochard - 7
Red-crested Pochard - eclipse drake still present
Ruddy Duck - 2 pairs
RED KITE - adult in heavy wing moult flew SW at 1743
Lapwing - 200+
LITTLE RINGED PLOVER - 1 juvenile on mud in NW corner
RINGED PLOVER - 1 adult flew in at 1740 and landed near LRP
GREEN SANDPIPER - 2 adults still present
COMMON SANDPIPER - 1
Common Terns - 5 still present
Collared Dove - 2
Barn Swallow - 3
Robin - family group by car park
Sedge Warbler - 2+
European Reed Warbler - 7+ in reeds
Common Starling - 1
Chaffinch
Greenfinch - 5 in Drayton
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