WHITE WAGTAILS (Martin Cade)
This species is a scarce passage visitor to Tring Reservoirs, with small numbers occurring in September. Two were identified on Wilstone Reservoir today
SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2008
(Another calm day with winds again coming from the east; another very warm day with temperatures reaching 68 degrees F by late afternoon. Dry with long sunny spells)
With large numbers of European Honey Buzzards arriving into Britain, from Aberdeenshire south to Kent on the East Coast, I chanced my arm again by spending most of the day looking skywards on the hills.
Sadly, the morning was marred by the sight of two new roadside BADGER casualties - one in Aldbury village (where sensible drivers would find it difficult to drive at more than 25 mph) and just beyond the Dancers End turning on the Wendover road).
IVINGHOE HILLS NR
All in all, I spent seven hours raptor watching in the hills (from 0800-1300 and again from 1700-1900)
On the East Flank of the Chilterns (0800-1020 hours), I recorded 14 COMMON BUZZARDS and 5 RED KITES, whilst from Pitstone Hill (1054-1230 hours; with Charlie Jackson), a further 18 COMMON BUZZARDS were recorded (including a party of 8 south at 1133 and several smaller groups, virtually all of those migrating over being juveniles) and 3 Eurasian Sparrowhawks. A single YELLOW WAGTAIL flew west, whilst a constant passage of BARN SWALLOWS and Meadow Pipits was noteworthy.
On the main Ivinghoe Beacon watchpoint (lower platform), a congregation of other local birders recorded NORTHERN GOSHAWK (RDA), HOBBY (two adults) (SR/DB), 20+ COMMON BUZZARDS, COMMON CROSSBILL (DB), 16 SISKIN (CJ) and EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD (Mike Wallen watched one flying SSW over Steps Hill at c1000 hours). A single COMMON SWIFT also flew over Steps Hill (RDA) (the only one so far this September).
WILSTONE RESERVOIR
(evening visit; with SR, WC & JN)
Great Crested Grebe - 19
Little Grebe - 8
Sinensis Cormorant - 33
LITTLE EGRET - all 4 birds present
Mute Swan - 48
WHOOPER SWANS - 2 adults
Greylag Geese - 32
*EURASIAN WIGEON - continuing increase with 131 birds now present (WC)
Gadwall - 29
*GARGANEY still present by hide
Common Teal - 228
Northern Shoveler - 93
NORTHERN PINTAIL - 7 still
Northern Pochard - 78
Tufted Duck - 107
RUDDY DUCK - adult drake and juvenile
Red Kites - 3+
Common Buzzards - 2 over
**EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD - a dark morph juvenile flew SSW over Startopsend Reservoir at 1022 hours (Warren Claydon. Roy Hargreaves only).
Common Coot - 647
WATER RAIL - adult on mud briefly (WC)
RINGED PLOVER - 1 briefly (IW & SR)
COMMON GREENSHANK - 1 briefly (SR, PR & IW)
COMMON GULL - 3 over (SR)
HERRING GULL - single over (SR)
Stock Dove
LITTLE OWL calling again from trees behind car park
**WHITE WAGTAIL - 2 on spit opposite car park steps (SR, WC & LGRE)
STARTOPSEND RESERVOIR
Female RED-CRESTED POCHARD
Up to 6 YELLOW WAGTAILS present (RDA, SR)
MARSWORTH RESERVOIR
Great Crested Grebe - 2 juveniles observed (SR)
CETTI'S WARBLER - one singing (SR)
(Another calm day with winds again coming from the east; another very warm day with temperatures reaching 68 degrees F by late afternoon. Dry with long sunny spells)
With large numbers of European Honey Buzzards arriving into Britain, from Aberdeenshire south to Kent on the East Coast, I chanced my arm again by spending most of the day looking skywards on the hills.
Sadly, the morning was marred by the sight of two new roadside BADGER casualties - one in Aldbury village (where sensible drivers would find it difficult to drive at more than 25 mph) and just beyond the Dancers End turning on the Wendover road).
IVINGHOE HILLS NR
All in all, I spent seven hours raptor watching in the hills (from 0800-1300 and again from 1700-1900)
On the East Flank of the Chilterns (0800-1020 hours), I recorded 14 COMMON BUZZARDS and 5 RED KITES, whilst from Pitstone Hill (1054-1230 hours; with Charlie Jackson), a further 18 COMMON BUZZARDS were recorded (including a party of 8 south at 1133 and several smaller groups, virtually all of those migrating over being juveniles) and 3 Eurasian Sparrowhawks. A single YELLOW WAGTAIL flew west, whilst a constant passage of BARN SWALLOWS and Meadow Pipits was noteworthy.
On the main Ivinghoe Beacon watchpoint (lower platform), a congregation of other local birders recorded NORTHERN GOSHAWK (RDA), HOBBY (two adults) (SR/DB), 20+ COMMON BUZZARDS, COMMON CROSSBILL (DB), 16 SISKIN (CJ) and EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD (Mike Wallen watched one flying SSW over Steps Hill at c1000 hours). A single COMMON SWIFT also flew over Steps Hill (RDA) (the only one so far this September).
WILSTONE RESERVOIR
(evening visit; with SR, WC & JN)
Great Crested Grebe - 19
Little Grebe - 8
Sinensis Cormorant - 33
LITTLE EGRET - all 4 birds present
Mute Swan - 48
WHOOPER SWANS - 2 adults
Greylag Geese - 32
*EURASIAN WIGEON - continuing increase with 131 birds now present (WC)
Gadwall - 29
*GARGANEY still present by hide
Common Teal - 228
Northern Shoveler - 93
NORTHERN PINTAIL - 7 still
Northern Pochard - 78
Tufted Duck - 107
RUDDY DUCK - adult drake and juvenile
Red Kites - 3+
Common Buzzards - 2 over
**EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD - a dark morph juvenile flew SSW over Startopsend Reservoir at 1022 hours (Warren Claydon. Roy Hargreaves only).
Common Coot - 647
WATER RAIL - adult on mud briefly (WC)
RINGED PLOVER - 1 briefly (IW & SR)
COMMON GREENSHANK - 1 briefly (SR, PR & IW)
COMMON GULL - 3 over (SR)
HERRING GULL - single over (SR)
Stock Dove
LITTLE OWL calling again from trees behind car park
**WHITE WAGTAIL - 2 on spit opposite car park steps (SR, WC & LGRE)
STARTOPSEND RESERVOIR
Female RED-CRESTED POCHARD
Up to 6 YELLOW WAGTAILS present (RDA, SR)
MARSWORTH RESERVOIR
Great Crested Grebe - 2 juveniles observed (SR)
CETTI'S WARBLER - one singing (SR)
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