GREY PLOVER arrives after appalling overnight conditions; also large DUNLIN flock

SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER 2008

After a belt of very heavy rain passed over the region overnight, today dawned very still and misty. It remained very grey all day, with the NE wind picking up again in the afternoon. It also remained rather cold. These conditions resulted in an excellent day locally with the highlight being a juvenile GREY PLOVER and an impressive flock of DUNLIN

WILSTONE RESERVOIR
(1100-1400 hours, birding with SR, FB, MC, and others)

Great Crested Grebe (19)
Little Grebe (5)
Cormorant (23)
Mute Swan (21 including the first-winter)
WHOOPER SWAN - both adults back on the main spit (2nd day)
Greylag Geese (15)
Mallard (43)
Eurasian Wigeon (250+)
*Chiloe Wigeon - an adult drake moulting out of eclipse was with 56 Eurasian Wigeon close to the Drayton Bank Hide and showing very well. It had first been seen on Saturday 1st (RH, SR, LGRE, FB, MC, et al).
Common Teal (298+)
Northern Shoveler (125+)
Northern Pochard (76)
Tufted Duck (105)
NORTHERN PINTAIL (2 adult drakes on spit)
RUDDY DUCK (5)

EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVERS (169)
**GREY PLOVER
A juvenile landed on the main spit from the jetty at 0930 hours (Ed Griffiths) and then quickly flew from there towards the hide. It was relocated at 1015 and then remained on view, mainly in the far right bay from the hide, until dusk (Mike Collard, Dave Hutchinson, LGRE, SR, FB, SW, RH, DB). It was 1100 hours when I first saw it, feeding on the far mud and viewed from the north bank. Mike Collard had very kindly informed me of the bird some 25 minutes earlier when its identification was unknown, I enjoyed much better views from the hide, where it could be seen to be obviously larger than the Golden Plovers, longer-legged, much greyer in plumage and heavier-billed. It had very beige, lightly streaked underparts, fading to white on the lower breast and undertail-coverts, with heavily notched and neatly spotted upperwing-coverts and similarly-patterned mantle feathers. It had a slightly darker area on the ear-coverts and a darker cap, with an ill-defined whitish eye-stripe and a noticeably heavy, all-dark bill. It fed typically plover-style on the mud, taking short, fast steps and deep pecks at the ground, similar in fashion to the Lapwings.
Later in the afternoon, it was seen in flight from the top of the car park steps, flying back and forth over the SE quarter. The black axillaries were diagnostic, as well as the bold white upper wing-bar and pure white rump and lightly barred uppertail. The long legs did not trail beyond the tail. I did not hear it call.

DUNLIN - 15 in total, the highest number recorded this year, with 3 from Saturday in with the Golden Plovers to the north of the hide and a 'new' flock of 12 which arrived mid-morning in the misty conditions.

Common Snipe (6)

It was a remarkable day for gull passage with the pre-roost Black-headed Gull flock containing a single first-winter MEDITERRANEAN GULL (SR), a total of 21 Herring Gulls either over or roosting on the spit (including 9 east at 1210) (SR, LGRE), 21 Common Gulls (SR) and 48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (SR). Most impressive (and rare) were up to 5 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS, including two adults, two first-winters and a third-winter bird (an adult and first-winter roosted on the spit for over two hours) (SR, LGRE, FB, RH).

At least 1 ROCK PIPIT was seen near the new overflow late afternoon (SR), whilst other species noted included COMMON KINGFISHER and a single YELLOWHAMMER west.

DAUBENTON'S BATS were seen at both Wilstone and Marsworth, as well as the regular female CHINESE WATER DEER (SR).

At Startop's Farm/Angler's Retreat garden, 31 HOUSE SPARROWS were counted.

PITSTONE HILL/DOWN FARM STUBBLE FIELDS (SP 960 145)

A large flock of LINNETS consisted of 204 birds (in stubble opposite Down Farm entrance), with 15 Goldfinch mixed in, with 537 Woodpigeons in the area and 273 Rooks.

On the Down Farm side, the stubble field there held 5 Yellowhammers, several Chaffinch, 125 Common Starlings and 175 Jackdaws