Plates 1-3: Bar-tailed Godwits at Wilstone Reservoir - on 7 November 2004, 23 April 2006 and on 1 May 2006 (all taken by Dave Bilcock).
Plates 4-5: Bar-tailed Godwit, Wilstone Reservoir, Tring, 28 April 2007 (the previous somewhat twitchable individual) and plates 6-11, the latest juvenile present on 13 September 2008 (Ian Williams)
Bar-tailed Godwits are a rare passage visitor to Tring Reservoirs with just three twitchable individuals in the past 10 years. Records clearly show a late April/early May peak to occurrences, with smaller numbers in late August and early September.
Since 1985, a total of 207 have occurred, with just two in November 2004 remaining for longer than two hours. A whopping 154 of these have occurred since 2000
One was standing on the ice at Startopsend Reservoir on 22 Feb 1985 (Roy Hargreaves), with another reported there on 22 January 1987 (M.R.Flack).
Three adults flew over Wilstone Reservoir on 11 July 1988 (Stuart Wilson), followed by a flock of 16 over Wilstone on 1 May 1989 (Paul Clarke). These were subsequently followed that spring by 2 on 3 May and in the autumn by 3 on 23 July and singles on 7 August and 9 September (many observers).
A flock of 17 flew east over Wilstone on 3 May 1990 (Steve Dudley), with a single east there on 6 May 1993 (Rob Young) and 4 east on 7 May 1994 (one had earlier flown over Pitstone Quarry on 20 April 1994 - John Taylor). A further adult was in Pitstone Quarry on 26 April 1995 (Dave Russell) with an unseasonal bird present at Wilstone on 19 December 1997 and another there on 7 November 1999.
The first of the New Millenium was one flying over Wilstone Reservoir on 6 May 2000 (Dave Bilcock), with further singles there on 21 and 27 July 2000 (LGRE). Three flew over Wilstone on 18 May 2002 (Dave Bilcock) whilst the first 'twitchable' birds for nearly 20 years roosted and fed for much of the day at Wilstone on 7 November 2004 (many observers). More recently, a juvenile flew through Wilstone on 11 September 2005 (DB, JT), followed by a female on 23 April 2006, 2 non-breeders on 29 April, a flock of 13 on 30 April and a breeding plumaged male present for an hour in front of the hide on 1 May 2006 (all Dave Bilcock). A flock of 14 flew east towards College Lake on 27 April (DB), with a further 9 on 28 April 2007 (DB, RH) followed by an incredible 54 east on 29 April 2007 (Mike Campbell & Ian Williams) (with a further adult on the bank for half an hour before being inadvertently flushed - IW). Lastly, an impressive 37 flew west on 17 August 2008 (Dave Bilcock).
In addition, 11 further individuals were seen in or over College Lake, all on 29 April (a flock of 7 and then two flocks of two birds, with two which remained until at least 1 May).
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