Gulls, Redstarts and Nuthatches

MONDAY 06 AUGUST


Some hefty downpours during both the morning and afternoon but continuing warm with light SW winds.

IVINGHOE (BUCKS)

In harvested fields just east of Town Farm and north of the Ivinghoe-Dunstable main road, lots of roosting gulls today, including over 300 graellsii Lesser Black-backed Gulls (predominantly full adults), 4 adult YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS and a single adult Argenteus Herring Gull. No sign of either of the Med Gulls though.

At nearby Incombe Hole after a downpour, the two COMMON REDSTARTS I initially found on 16 July were both still present, frequenting the scrub at the far end of the valley. The male is now in quite heavy moult but both birds are extremely elusive, best located by call. A single migrant WILLOW WARBLER was also noted as well as a male Eurasian Sparrowhawk.

WILSTONE RESERVOIR ORCHARD (HERTS)

Encouraged by a recent email from Johnne Taylor, I returned to Wilstone this afternoon and finally located the 2 NUTHATCHES, well over a month after they first turned up ! The two birds (an adult and juvenile) were amongst a large frenzied feeding flock of birds that included over 25 Long-tailed Tits, several Blue Tits, 5 Common Chiffchaffs, 5 Blackcaps, a juvenile WILLOW WARBLER and best of all, a fresh juvenile GARDEN WARBLER, my first of the year at the ressies. The orchard also held Green Woodpecker, Jay and a family party of Common Whitethroats, as well as 4 BULLFINCHES.