CURLEWS displaced in the fog

TUESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER

 

Summer seems to have returned with temperatures this afternoon reaching a balmy 24 degrees C. Light winds throughout and clear skies but thick fog over part of the area until mid morning....

 

At home in the garden, 4 BULLFINCH visited the Sunflower Heart feeder for about 20 minutes around 0900 hours whilst over at WILSTONE RESERVOIR (TRING), a full inventory went like this........

 

Highlight was a party of 4 EURASIAN CURLEW and single BLACK-TAILED GODWIT that arrived noisily from the east at 1209, not that long after the fog had cleared. After a few flyarounds, they eventually came down on the Drayton bank and were still present after I had walked round to the hide from the jetty. I was able to take a large number of images (see immediately below) before they finally flew off strongly SSW at 1316. Bill Pegram, JT and Ken Simmons all connected.

 

Great Crested Grebe (15 - including the 2 juveniles)

Little Egret (10)

Grey Heron (3)

Mute Swan (45)

Greylag Geese (78)

Mallard (260)

Common Teal (535 - large increase)

Eurasian Wigeon (135 - increase)

Gadwall (29)

NORTHERN PINTAIL (4 present - 3 drakes and a female - my first of the autumn)

Northern Pochard (146)

Tufted Duck (not counted)

Red-crested Pochard (2, with both juveniles still surviving on Tringford too)

Red Kite (5)

Common Buzzard (6)

HOBBY (at least 3 still present)

WATER RAILS (8 along SE shore and another by the hide)

Coot (down to 501 birds)

BLACK-TAILED GODWIT (still 4 juveniles present whilst an additional bird arrived with the Curlew)

COMMON GREENSHANK (long-stayer still present in Cemetery Corner)

Common Kingfisher (2)

Great Spotted Woodpecker (1)

Meadow Pipit (slight passage - 4 birds)

Grey Wagtail (4)

Mistle Thrush (2)

LESSER WHITETHROAT (3 - 2 in the East Hedgerow and another in the orchard)

Blackcap (male in the orchard)

Long-tailed Tit (roving flock of 16 in wood behind hide)

Chaffinch (light passage - 5 birds noted)

Bullfinch (pair in the orchard)

The 'new' Black-tailed Godwit

Up to 8 Water Rails running around on the mud

Grey Heron taking advantage of a manure heap

......and the view from Cemetery Corner

 WEEDONHILL WOODS, NEAR HYDE HEATH (BUCKS)

 

Just in the nick of time, HOBBY was added to my Recording Area Yearlist, with a family party of 4 birds hunting over the wood (Don Stone had 5); also Sparrowhawk, 11 Common Buzzard, 15 Red Kite and 28 Stock Doves, with 6 Barn Swallows through.