WHINCHAT passage continues in earnest

TUESDAY 21 AUGUST


Several degrees cooler than of late but still very pleasant. A light SW breeze but as evening approached, a belt of heavy rain arrived. WHINCHATS were the name of the day with numerous birds discovered in the Home Counties, with Darin finding a second bird at Batford and Simon West seeing one at Amwell...

CHAFFINCH HOUSE, LITTLE CHALFONT (BUCKS)

The highlight this morning was the arrival of 3 juvenile Common Blackbirds and a Song Thrush on the lawn - my resident pair of Blackbirds failing to raise any surviving young this year from their three broods. Also a Coal Tit repeatedly visiting

SPRINGFIELD FARM QUARRY, BEACONSFIELD (BUCKS)

With so many WHINCHATS about, I simply knew that Springfield would reap rewards and after walking 150 yards down the perimeter footpath, two fresh juveniles were located and seen well. Both birds were favouring weeds by the cinder track.

SPADE OAK GRAVEL PIT, LITTLE MARLOW (BUCKS)

Stopped off briefly at 1400 hours but little going on: Egyptian Geese numbered 29 (including young), the Bar-headed Goose, 427 Black-headed Gulls and the continuing juvenile Common Sandpiper. There was no sign of the juvenile Turnstone.

Then scoured Pump Lane North for Adam's Whinchats but could not locate them

IVINGHOE HILLS NATURE RESERVE (BUCKS)

A single juvenile WHINCHAT was showing well on the fenceline just before the sheep pen (earlier SR and FB had seen 2), along with a single CORN BUNTING and 8 Linnets, whilst in the section of scrub just below the main car park, 3 COMMON REDSTARTS were flicking to and fro, including an adult male still in nice condition.

There was nothing of note at TRING RESERVOIRS or COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT