MONDAY 3 NOVEMBER 2008
Another cold and grey day with a brisk (and increasing) NE wind blowing. Mainly dry but with intermittent drizzle late afternoon.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR
(1030-1230 hours)
Great Crested Grebe (20)
Little Grebe (6 including a group of 4)
Mute Swans (24 including the first-winter still)
WHOOPER SWANS (adult pair still, noisily calling on the central spit)
Greylag Geese (17)
Mallard (34) Gadwall (7) Eurasian Wigeon (263) Common Teal (297 click-counted)
Chiloe Wigeon - the escaped adult was still present with the Eurasian Wigeon. This species natively breeds in South America in southern Argentina and Chile, as well as on the Falkland Islands. It migrates north to winter in Paraquay, Uruquay and extreme southern Brazil (see photograph above, taken by Will Forrest).
NORTHERN PINTAIL (Just 1 female noted)
Northern Shoveler (148) Tufted Duck (117) Northern Pochard (72)
COMMON GOLDENEYE: the adult drake and single female were both still present
RUDDY DUCK (5)
Eurasian Coot (484) Moorhen (107)
EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER (big increase overnight, with 303 birds click-counted on the mud
Lapwing (341)
DUNLIN (just 1 remaining from Sunday and this bird too flew off south at 1215)
Common Snipes (14 roosting on the spit in front of the hide)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (5 adults roosted on the spit)
Collared Dove (1 at Wilstone Great farm)
Pied Wagtail (11 feeding on the mud in the NW corner)
Grey Wagtails (2)
Meadow Pipits (7 feeding on the mud and short vegetation in the NW corner)
European Robin (marked increase, with 9 in the surrounding hedgerow)
Common Blackbird (8 in the small wood between the Farm Shop and East Bank)
Song Thrush (male singing in the small wood)
PITSTONE QUARRY
Water birds included 7 Little Grebes, 14 Tufted Duck, 4 Pochards and 2 Eurasian Coot, whilst roosting gulls included 2 adult Commons, 5 adult Herrings and 16 adult Lesser Black-backeds.
IVINGHOE HILLS NR
Following 40 FIELDFARE feeding on berries on the sheltered west side of Beacon Hill, very large numbers of winter thrushes were recorded in 'Top Scrub' and the 'Copper Beech belt'. The flocks contained predominantly REDWING, with c600 counted, with 80 FIELDFARE, at least 50 Common Blackbird and 3 Song Thrushes also noted.
Two Green Woodpeckers were also recorded, with 170 Jackdaws in a nearby field.
ASHRIDGE FOREST
Much FALLOW DEER activity, with some 70 animals encountered. Very quiet birdwise, with just Coal Tit of note. Sadly, a dead Badger was by the houses in New Road, Northchurch.
Another cold and grey day with a brisk (and increasing) NE wind blowing. Mainly dry but with intermittent drizzle late afternoon.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR
(1030-1230 hours)
Great Crested Grebe (20)
Little Grebe (6 including a group of 4)
Mute Swans (24 including the first-winter still)
WHOOPER SWANS (adult pair still, noisily calling on the central spit)
Greylag Geese (17)
Mallard (34) Gadwall (7) Eurasian Wigeon (263) Common Teal (297 click-counted)
Chiloe Wigeon - the escaped adult was still present with the Eurasian Wigeon. This species natively breeds in South America in southern Argentina and Chile, as well as on the Falkland Islands. It migrates north to winter in Paraquay, Uruquay and extreme southern Brazil (see photograph above, taken by Will Forrest).
NORTHERN PINTAIL (Just 1 female noted)
Northern Shoveler (148) Tufted Duck (117) Northern Pochard (72)
COMMON GOLDENEYE: the adult drake and single female were both still present
RUDDY DUCK (5)
Eurasian Coot (484) Moorhen (107)
EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER (big increase overnight, with 303 birds click-counted on the mud
Lapwing (341)
DUNLIN (just 1 remaining from Sunday and this bird too flew off south at 1215)
Common Snipes (14 roosting on the spit in front of the hide)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (5 adults roosted on the spit)
Collared Dove (1 at Wilstone Great farm)
Pied Wagtail (11 feeding on the mud in the NW corner)
Grey Wagtails (2)
Meadow Pipits (7 feeding on the mud and short vegetation in the NW corner)
European Robin (marked increase, with 9 in the surrounding hedgerow)
Common Blackbird (8 in the small wood between the Farm Shop and East Bank)
Song Thrush (male singing in the small wood)
PITSTONE QUARRY
Water birds included 7 Little Grebes, 14 Tufted Duck, 4 Pochards and 2 Eurasian Coot, whilst roosting gulls included 2 adult Commons, 5 adult Herrings and 16 adult Lesser Black-backeds.
IVINGHOE HILLS NR
Following 40 FIELDFARE feeding on berries on the sheltered west side of Beacon Hill, very large numbers of winter thrushes were recorded in 'Top Scrub' and the 'Copper Beech belt'. The flocks contained predominantly REDWING, with c600 counted, with 80 FIELDFARE, at least 50 Common Blackbird and 3 Song Thrushes also noted.
Two Green Woodpeckers were also recorded, with 170 Jackdaws in a nearby field.
ASHRIDGE FOREST
Much FALLOW DEER activity, with some 70 animals encountered. Very quiet birdwise, with just Coal Tit of note. Sadly, a dead Badger was by the houses in New Road, Northchurch.
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