Wow - what a day
Dave Bilcock captures today's highlights, with the top image showing part of the Black-tailed Godwit flock (the largest this year so far), the first-winter Mediterranean Gull asleep on the bund late morning and the two juvenile White-winged Black Terns - the initial juvenile and then the second
SATURDAY 30 AUGUST
(strengthening SE wind throughout the day, grey and overcast early on giving way to very warm sunshine and clear skies, with temperatures reaching 77 degrees fahrenheit)
HIGHLIGHTS - tremendous tern passage early morning, with two different WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERNS arriving, as well as 41 BLACK TERNS and an adult SANDWICH TERN; also continuing wader passage, with the arrival of 23 juvenile BLACK-TAILED GODWITS.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR (0700-1200 hours)
(birding with DB, SW, RH, AN, JT, IW, SR, CJ, RDA, MW, EG et al)
Cormorants - 33 roosting, including 16 together 'fishing'
LITTLE EGRET - adult still present and joined by a second bird that flew in at 1845
Mute Swans - 75
WHOOPER SWANS - the pair remain, but flew off east when flushed by a balloon at 1830
Eurasian Wigeon - new female arrived in evening (JT, LGRE)
Common Teal - 51
Shoveler - 67
Gadwall - 19
Northern Pochard - 17
*GARGANEY - present all day
*RED-CRESTED POCHARD - 3 birds still present
Lapwing - 274 on bund
RINGED PLOVER - 3 (2 adults and a juvenile) (flew off south at 1100 hours)
COMMON SANDPIPER - 2 present
Common Redshank - 1 flew west (IW, LGRE)
COMMON GREENSHANK - increase to 5 juveniles
**BLACK-TAILED GODWITS - a flock of 23 juveniles flew in at 0905 and landed on the mud in the south corner (SW, LGRE, et al).
**MEDITERRANEAN GULL - first-winter roosting on bund with Black-headed Gulls from 0940 and showing very well. It then flew to right of hide and fed for a while before flying off south at 1056 (DB, LGRE, et al).
*YELLOW-LEGGED GULL - 1 juvenile present briefly (RDA, SR, LGRE)
*SANDWICH TERN - 1 adult arrived with a Black Tern at 0645 hours and stayed for a few minutes before departing (DB).
**BLACK TERNS - initial 6 birds flew in shortly after 0600 hours, followed by a single at 0645. All departed to the west. These were then replaced by a further 27 birds from 0700-0735 hours and a further 7 from 0748-0803 (DB, AN, LGRE, et al). Again, all departed to the west.
***WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN - a juvenile arrived from the west over Stuart Wilson's house and the Drayton Bank Hide at 0748 hours (LGRE et al) and remained until 0835, when it flew off high WNW into Buckinghamshire airspace. At 0834, a second juvenile flew in (again alone) and remained until 0902, when it too flew off high west into Buckinghamshire (DB, RH, MW, LGRE, et al) (see separate entry). Both individuals were photographed. FIRST BUCKINGHAMSHIRE RECORDS
Common Terns - 3 noted including an odd-plumaged juvenile late morning.
RED KITE - 1 drifted over at 1223 hours
Eurasian Sparrowhawk - 3
HOBBY - 4 birds still present including the locally fledged juvenile
COMMON SWIFT - 1 (LGRE)
Barn Swallows - 15+
House Martins - 36+
YELLOW WAGTAIL - 1 flew NE at 1840 hours
COAL TIT - 1 present and singing from tall Poplars by Wilstone Little Farm.
IVINGHOE HILLS NR
(with Charlie Jackson)
An adult HOBBY was showing well, hunting over the cornfield just below the Beacon main car park, with 4 WHINCHATS still present on the fence line, along with the juvenile male COMMON STONECHAT.
PITSTONE HILL
Very quiet in the heat of the afternoon - just 4 CORN BUNTINGS noted.
(strengthening SE wind throughout the day, grey and overcast early on giving way to very warm sunshine and clear skies, with temperatures reaching 77 degrees fahrenheit)
HIGHLIGHTS - tremendous tern passage early morning, with two different WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERNS arriving, as well as 41 BLACK TERNS and an adult SANDWICH TERN; also continuing wader passage, with the arrival of 23 juvenile BLACK-TAILED GODWITS.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR (0700-1200 hours)
(birding with DB, SW, RH, AN, JT, IW, SR, CJ, RDA, MW, EG et al)
Cormorants - 33 roosting, including 16 together 'fishing'
LITTLE EGRET - adult still present and joined by a second bird that flew in at 1845
Mute Swans - 75
WHOOPER SWANS - the pair remain, but flew off east when flushed by a balloon at 1830
Eurasian Wigeon - new female arrived in evening (JT, LGRE)
Common Teal - 51
Shoveler - 67
Gadwall - 19
Northern Pochard - 17
*GARGANEY - present all day
*RED-CRESTED POCHARD - 3 birds still present
Lapwing - 274 on bund
RINGED PLOVER - 3 (2 adults and a juvenile) (flew off south at 1100 hours)
COMMON SANDPIPER - 2 present
Common Redshank - 1 flew west (IW, LGRE)
COMMON GREENSHANK - increase to 5 juveniles
**BLACK-TAILED GODWITS - a flock of 23 juveniles flew in at 0905 and landed on the mud in the south corner (SW, LGRE, et al).
**MEDITERRANEAN GULL - first-winter roosting on bund with Black-headed Gulls from 0940 and showing very well. It then flew to right of hide and fed for a while before flying off south at 1056 (DB, LGRE, et al).
*YELLOW-LEGGED GULL - 1 juvenile present briefly (RDA, SR, LGRE)
*SANDWICH TERN - 1 adult arrived with a Black Tern at 0645 hours and stayed for a few minutes before departing (DB).
**BLACK TERNS - initial 6 birds flew in shortly after 0600 hours, followed by a single at 0645. All departed to the west. These were then replaced by a further 27 birds from 0700-0735 hours and a further 7 from 0748-0803 (DB, AN, LGRE, et al). Again, all departed to the west.
***WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN - a juvenile arrived from the west over Stuart Wilson's house and the Drayton Bank Hide at 0748 hours (LGRE et al) and remained until 0835, when it flew off high WNW into Buckinghamshire airspace. At 0834, a second juvenile flew in (again alone) and remained until 0902, when it too flew off high west into Buckinghamshire (DB, RH, MW, LGRE, et al) (see separate entry). Both individuals were photographed. FIRST BUCKINGHAMSHIRE RECORDS
Common Terns - 3 noted including an odd-plumaged juvenile late morning.
RED KITE - 1 drifted over at 1223 hours
Eurasian Sparrowhawk - 3
HOBBY - 4 birds still present including the locally fledged juvenile
COMMON SWIFT - 1 (LGRE)
Barn Swallows - 15+
House Martins - 36+
YELLOW WAGTAIL - 1 flew NE at 1840 hours
COAL TIT - 1 present and singing from tall Poplars by Wilstone Little Farm.
IVINGHOE HILLS NR
(with Charlie Jackson)
An adult HOBBY was showing well, hunting over the cornfield just below the Beacon main car park, with 4 WHINCHATS still present on the fence line, along with the juvenile male COMMON STONECHAT.
PITSTONE HILL
Very quiet in the heat of the afternoon - just 4 CORN BUNTINGS noted.
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