Today's weather was very unseasonal with near gale force SSW winds and heavy showers during the morning. Being quiet elsewhere, it provided me with an opportunity of carrying out the first summer inventory of the reservoirs this year. A total of 54 species was noted -:
1) Great Crested Grebe: Just 4 birds on Wilstone, 8 on Startop's, 4 on Marsworth and a pair on Tringford, the latter the only pair seemingly nesting (see pic)
2) Sinensis Cormorant: 17 active nests on the Drayton Bank at Wilstone with at least 27 juveniles being fed
3) LITTLE EGRET: a pair acting suspiciously on Wilstone, most likely nesting or building a nest
4) Grey Heron: 14 active nests on the Drayton Bank with at least 7 young already fledged; 5 additional birds on Tringford
5) Mute Swan: the moulting flock on Wilstone has now increased to 23 birds, with a further individual on Startop's; the only successful nesting pair was on Tringford, today accompanying 5 small cygnets (see pix)
6) Greylag Goose: 66 on Wilstone, with 16 on Startop's, the latter accompanying 5 goslings
7) Atlantic Canada Goose: 35 on Wilstone
8) Mallard: 15 on Wilstone, 9 on Marsworth, 44 on Startops and 18 on Tringford, one female with 4 small young and another with 6 well grown young
9) Gadwall: 2 pairs on Tringford
10) NORTHERN SHOVELER: lingering drake on Startop's (see pic)
11) EURASIAN WIGEON: summering drake near hide on Wilstone (see pic)
12) Red-crested Pochard: 2 drakes and a female on Startops (see pic)
13) Tufted Duck: just a pair on Wilstone with 42 on Startops
14) Red Kite: present in recording area but with no direct evidence of nesting
15) Common Buzzard: again, certainly present but no direct evidence of nesting
16) HOBBY: 2 birds hunting over the reedbed on Wilstone
17) Common Kestrel: pair present in adjoining farmland
18) Common Pheasant: present and breeding by the Dry Canal
19) Moorhen: surprisingly few encountered with no direct evidence of breeding yet this year
20) Coot: 102 non-breeding adults on Wilstone, with 22 more on Startops and 18 on Tringford (including at least 5 active nests)
21) OYSTERCATCHER: pair with two small young on raft on Wilstone
22) Common Tern: no evidence of nesting yet although birds visiting tern rafts today; 34 adults present on Wilstone with a further pair on the concrete tower on Tringford
23) Stock Dove: at least 3 nesting pairs on Wilstone and another pair on Tringford
24) Woodpigeon: at least 27 pairs nesting, mainly on Wilstone and Tringford
25) COMMON SWIFT: incredible numbers present for mid June with 1,600 on Wilstone and a further 900 over Marsworth and the canal
26) European Barn Swallow: four pairs around Little Tring Farm
27) House Martin: 40 over Wilstone
28) Pied Wagtail: pair feeding young by car park on Wilstone
29) YELLOW WAGTAIL: pair nesting in farmland to north of Startop Farm
30) GREY WAGTAIL: singles noted on Wilstone and Tringford, with nesting almost certainly taking place on the canal
31) Wren: 9 territories on Wilstone, 3 in Marsworth Wood and a further 6 around Tringford
32) Dunnock: under-recorded, with perhaps 3 nesting pairs around Wilstone and two in Tringford Wood
33) European Robin: at least 7 successful breeding pairs in recording area
34) SONG THRUSH: just 1 singing male in Tringford Wood
35) MISTLE THRUSH: pair feeding young in Black Poplars in Marsworth Wood, with at least 1 further pair around Wilstone
36) Common Blackbird: 17 birds around Tringford, with at least 15 on Wilstone and two pairs at least on Marsworth
37) Blackcap: 4 singing males/pairs on Marsworth, 8 on Tringford and at least 12 around Wilstone
38) Common Whitethroat: a singing male by the car park at Marsworth and at least 7 singing males/pairs in hedgerows at the Dry Canal
39) Sedge Warbler: very poor numbers with just 2 males noted on Marsworth
40) Western Reed Warbler: at least 14 singing males/pairs in Marsworth Reedbed and perhaps as many as 35 pairs in Wilstone Reedbed
41) Common Chiffchaff: 5 singing males around Wilstone, 2 on Marsworth, 1 by the road at Tringford and 3 more in Tringford Woods
42) Goldcrest: singing males in Marsworth Wood and near the hide on Wilstone
43) Great Tit: pair with 3 fledged young on Tringford
44) Blue Tit: 7 family parties noted - on Wilstone and Tringford
45) Common Magpie: 4 on Wilstone
46) Jackdaw: 58 birds in Tringford Wood where breeding in holes
47) Rook: 37 active nests in Tringford Wood although most young now fledged
48) Carrion Crow: at least 16 resident birds with 3 fledged young noted
49) House Sparrow: 3 on Wilstone and a party of 8 near the hide on Marsworth (see pix)
50) Chaffinch: as many as 23 singing males in the Recording Area
51) Linnet: 3 pairs nesting in the hedgerows of the Dry Canal
52) Goldfinch: 3 on Marsworth
53) BULLFINCH: pair in bushes by road on Startop's
54) REED BUNTING: male collecting food on Marsworth (see pix) with two additional singing males in Marsworth Reedbed
55) YELLOWHAMMER: two nesting pairs on the Dry Canal
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