21 NOVEMBER 2008

A first-winter MEDITERRANEAN GULL roosted on Wilstone Reservoir this evening (Dave Bilcock)

Roosting Starlings at dusk make a wonderful sight

WEDNESDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2008

A colder day, with a fresh westerly wind blowing bringing down the overall temperature. Dry throughout with the odd bright period.

Skirting around the Hunt's Green area, a raptor survey revealed the presence of 3 RED KITES, a Common Buzzard and a single male Common Kestrel.

AYLESBURY

Two RED KITES were over Long Meadow in Aylesbury with a third bird over the Tring Road; all at 1310.

BROUGHTON POOLS, AYLESBURY

Following a call from Mike Collard, I followed up a report of a drake American Wigeon or hybrid - as I expected, it related to an adult drake CHILOE WIGEON present at Wilstone Reservoir earlier in the month. Interestingly, this escaped bird was feeding alone on the closest bank of the first trout pool. At the back of the pool were 22 Eurasian Wigeons (14 drakes).

There were also 3 Grey Herons at the pools, a single fishing Cormorant and 3 Redwings in adjacent hedgerows.

WILSTONE RESERVOIR (birding with Peter Leigh)
(1400 hours)

Great Crested Grebe (16)
Little Grebe (3)
Mute Swans (15 adults)
WHOOPER SWANS (2 adults still)
Greylag Geese (94)
Eurasian Wigeon (332)
Common Teal (256)
Gadwall (5)
Northern Shoveler (85)
Northern Pochard (59)
Tufted Duck (97)
RED-CRESTED POCHARD - adult female, straight out from car park
COMMON GOLDENEYE (3 females together in NW corner)
RUDDY DUCK (1 winter male)

Lapwings (432)
EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVERS (243, most now roosting on the bund with the rise in water level)

Lesser Black-backed Gull (2 adults roosting)

LITTLE OWL (roosting out in the open in bush behind car park)
Pied Wagtails (2) Grey Wagtail (1)
Meadow Pipit - 1 in NW corner
REDWINGS - 25 in 'Overflow Hedgerow'

TRINGFORD RESERVOIR

3 Great Crested Grebes, 13 roosting Sinensis Cormorants, 5 adult Mute Swans, 4 Gadwall and 4 Pochards.

Walking through Tringford Wood and then back along the canal towards Little Tring Farm yielded -:

COMMON TREECREEPER, Great Tit, Blue Tit (4), Long-tailed Tit (two parties totalling 12 birds), Wren, 5 Goldcrests, 15 Common Blackbirds (including 9 in isolated berry-bearing shrubs adjacent to the canal and 6 around Little Tring Farm and Manor House), 3 Redwings, 2 COMMON STONECHATS (a pair by the canal and horse paddocks), 7 Goldfinch, 3 European Robins and 25 Feral Pigeons (on the flour mill).

PITSTONE QUARRY

Tufted Duck (23), Pochard (7), Lesser Black-backed Gull (7), Common Gull (4) and Linnet (4)

DOWN FARM STUBBLE FIELDS

Black-headed Gulls (180)
Jackdaws - 373 click-counted; all feeding in the Kale field
Rooks - 122
Carrion Crows (20)
Stock Dove (7)
Common Starling (27)
Skylark (8)
Linnets (83 in flock - large reduction)
Yellowhammer (5)
Meadow Pipit (1)
*COMMON STONECHAT - single male by Kale field opposite entrance to farm

STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR

Great Crested Grebe (26), Mute Swan (2 adults with 1 first-winter), Tufted Duck (63)

MARSWORTH RESERVOIR (1515 until dusk) (with Peter Leigh)

**SHOVELERS - 166 in feeding frenzy including a large gathering of 50+ birds that were all 'shovelling' together in one tight mass. Extremely entertaining to watch.
Great Crested Grebe (9)
Tufted Duck (4)

WATER RAIL (2 squealing)
Little Grebe (1 fishing in the new cut)
Fieldfare (6 over)
Redwing (4)
Common Gull (4 over)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk (hunting near dusk)

GREY WAGTAILS - communal roost at the edge of the reedbed involving 7 birds, a single male of which was extremely vocal as dusk approached.

Reed Bunting (3 roosted)

*CORN BUNTINGS - a total of 120 roosted. The first 45 arrived before 1530 hours, perched up high on the trees above the main causeway. These were followed by a single at 1540, 6 (1542), 9 (1544), 21 (1555), 10 (1557), 5 (1559), 10 (1601), 9 (1604) and the last 4 at 1609.

**COMMON STARLINGS (1,600+ roosted) A remarkable spectacle: the first flock of about 500 birds first started wheeling around at 1550 with smaller groups of up to 120 birds joining frequently from thenon. The flock gradually got larger and larger, with the usual acrobatics following. At around 1605 hours, one group of 650 birds broke away and flew towards us and went in with a loud 'whoosh' into the reeds just left of the new cut through. The sound was amazing. These birds then gradually moved from the left side of the cut to the right hand side, where there is more protection. The remaining 1,000 or so birds then roosted at the opposite end of the reservoir, in the smaller reedbed not far from the canal.

RED-CRESTED POCHARD FLOCK TOUCHES DOWN ALL-TOO BRIEFLY

SATURDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2008

STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR (with Ben Miller)

26 Great Crested Grebes, 2 adult Mute Swans, 63 Tufted Ducks and 2 RUDDY DUCKS.
(Much earlier, MW had seen a redhead GOOSANDER briefly)

TRINGFORD RESERVOIR (with Ben Miller)

Great Crested Grebes (3), Little Grebe (1), Grey Heron (12 roosting), Sinensis Cormorant (18), Mute Swans (4 adults), Common Teal (3), Tufted Duck (12), Pochard (4) and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. The undoubted highlight was a group of 6 MANDARIN DUCKS (5 drakes and a single female) by the overhanging trees and vegetation in the SW corner.
(Earlier, Dave Bilcock had seen and photographed 5 drake RED-CRESTED POCHARDS - see top image - but they had clearly gone).

MARSWORTH RESERVOIR (with Ben Miller)

Great Crested Grebe (3), Little Grebe (1) and Mute Swan (2 adults and a first-winter)

WILSTONE RESERVOIR

Great Crested Grebe (16), Little Grebe (3), Grey Heron (5 - making a total of 17 overall), Mute Swans (just 10 adults), WHOOPER SWAN (both adults by hide), Eurasian Wigeon (311+), Common Teal (235+), Gadwall (16), Northern Shoveler (158), Tufted Duck (127+), Northern Pochard (56), RED-CRESTED POCHARD (dark-billed female-type by central spit), GOOSANDER (redhead still roosting between new overflow and Drayton Bank - see images above taken by Francis Buckle - with possibility of second redhead seen), Coot (300), Lapwing (458), EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER (302), Common Snipe (6+ - note that 26 were seen on 14th), and DUNLIN (on remaining islands - SR et al).

PITSTONE QUARRY

Little Grebe (7), Tufted Duck (25), Pochard (6), COMMON GULL (18, including 17 adults and a first-winter) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (6 adults).

Most intriguing was the presence of 27 Carrion Crows feeding on the mud; also 4 Magpies.

GOOSANDER heralds large duck influx

THURSDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2008
A return to damp, dismal and very grey conditions, with persistent and steady rain from mid-afternoon

Highlight today was an exceptional gathering of NORTHERN SHOVELER and my first Tring GOOSANDER of the year

Cheddington

Two Moorhens in the pool by the railway bridge

Long Marston (Cricket Club Fields)

40+ FIELDFARES

TRING RESERVOIRS

Woodpigeons (72 on wires just NE of the Wingrave Road roundabout)

Startop's End Reservoir

Great Crested Grebes (28), Mute Swans (3 - 1 first-winter), Mallard (8), Shoveler (1), Tufted Duck (65), Pochard (11), Coot (68), Common Gull (1 adult), Common Blackbird (4) and Goldcrest (3).

Tringford Reservoir

Great Crested Grebe (2), Grey Heron (12 roosting in trees), Mute Swans (3 adults), Tufted Duck (8) and Coot (34)

Marsworth Reservoir

Great Crested Grebe (6 including two first-winters), Mallard (18), COMMON KINGFISHER, Redwing (1 over), Wren and CETTI'S WARBLER (still near overflow)
Highlight was a staggering feeding 'frenzy' of 197 NORTHERN SHOVELERS - the highest gathering of the year so far. They were all 'shovelling' around the algae bund 'balls'.

Wilstone Reservoir
With recent heavy rain, the level has raised substantially and with it, large numbers of wildfowl.

Great Crested Grebe (16)
Sinensis Cormorants (high count of 51 roosting)
Mute Swan - just 9 adults
Greylag Geese (19)
Mallard (43)
Eurasian Wigeon (587+ - huge increase)
Common Teal (334+)
Gadwall (33 - large increase)
Northern Shoveler (22)
Tufted Duck (145)
Northern Pochard (96)
Ruddy Duck (1 winter drake)

COMMON GOLDENEYE (2 females just off car park)
**GOOSANDER - a single 'redhead' was roosting in the NW corner, easily visible from the hide or new overflow.

A total of 1,264 ducks was counted comprising of ten species

Lapwing (504)
EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVERS (430)
Common Snipe (5)

COMMON GULLS (2 roosting on spit - an adult and first-winter)

Collared Dove - 3 on wires at Wilstone Great Farm
Common Starlings - 360 in fields NW of reservoir

BERRYFIELDS, just NW of AYLESBURY

Constant rain, very unsuitable weather for hunting owls and consequently none seen

Tim Watts and I watched the juvenile HEN HARRIER arrive from the east at 1605 hours and after a couple of passes at a male and female Common Pheasant in the long grass, it flew towards the far hedgerow and was lost in the gloom at 1608.

Jackdaws were flighting to roost all evening, with 222 too the SW by 1608, with 24 Rooks and the odd Carrion Crow mixed in with them; 2 Goldcrests moved west along the car park hedgerow.

8 NOVEMBER 2008

All Sightings and Counts today from STEVE RODWELL

G.C.Grebe 54 (22 S, 8 M, 6 T, 21 W),
Little Grebe 10 (2 S, 2 T, 6 W),
Cormorants 51 roosted Wilstone,
Mute Swan 33 (3 S, 1 C, 10 T, 19 W),
Greylag Goose 21 (2 C, 19 W),
Canada Goose 2 (1 C, 1 W),
Wigeon 400+ Wilstone,
Teal 272 (3 S, 5 T, 264 W),
Tufted Duck 195 (62 S, 1 M, 7 T, 125 W),
Shoveler 153 (1 T, 152 W),
Mallard 126 (16 S, 32 C, 15 M, 22 T, 41 W),
Pochard 99 (6 S, 93 W),
Gadwall 21 (12 T, 9 W),
Ruddy Duck 2 Wilstone,
Pintail 1 Wilstone,
Moorhen 82 (10 S, 3 M, 5 T, 64 W),
Coot 547 (55 S, 3 M, 6 T, 484minimum W),
Lapwing 379 W,
Golden Plover 400+ W,
Grey Wagatil 4 (2 S, 2 W),
Kingfisher 2 (1 S, 1 W),
Siskin 1 Startops.

W=Wilstone, S=Startops, M=Marsworth, T=Tringford, C=canal next to Startops

Two COMMON STONECHATS in field behind Tringford (between flour mill and pumping station).
81 Feral Pigeons flour mill.

Marsworth at dusk: Starling Roost, 1 Daubenton's Bat.

Wilstone Gull roost with Dave:2000+ B.h. Gull, 41 Common Gulls, 4 L.B.B. Gulls, 1 adult MEDITERRANEAN GULL
Earlier there was 1 2nd winter Herring Gull.

Neighbouring HEN HARRIER continues to draw crowds

FRIDAY 7 NOVEMBER 2008

WILSTONE RESERVOIR

(A pleasant day, with light SW winds and much milder temperatures than of late)
(1200-1320 hours, with Adrian Conlon et al)

Great Crested Grebes (15)
Little Grebes (5)
Sinensis Cormorants (41)
Mute Swans (18) Interestingly, a family group of 9 birds - adult pair with 7 cygnets - flew around the reservoir at 1241 hours and then headed off east. Such a large family group is quite unusual and I cannot help thinking that it is the same family of 9 which originated from the Chess River Valley where I live and I last recorded two weeks ago. A first-winter was killed overnight (presumably by a Red Fox) with its remains adjacent to the isolated pool in the NW corner.
Greylag Geese: 18 including the sick juvenile
Eurasian Wigeon (332)
Gadwall (7)
NORTHERN PINTAIL - an adult drake was showing well by the hide
Common Teal (235+)
Northern Shoveler (105)
Northern Pochard (71)
*COMMON GOLDENEYE - 2 females showing well favouring the North Bank by the car park
RUDDY DUCK (6 still)
Eurasian Coot (579)
Moorhen (96)

Lapwings (428+)
EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVERS (404, but very flighty)
Common Snipes (3 roosting in front of hide)

Black-headed Gulls (154+)
Common Gull (1 adult)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (3 adults)

Common Pheasants (2 'Ring-necked' males in front of hide)
RED KITE - 1 over
Common Buzzard - 1 over

Meadow Pipits - 5 on North Bank
Grey Wagtails - 2 first-winters in front of hide
Common Chiffchaff - 1 by hide
Long-tailed Tits - two groups, one of 8 and 1 of 13


Just outside the recording area

BERRYFIELDS A41 SITE, NW of AYLESBURY

A record 37 observers was present at 1600 hours, all anticipating tonight's 'show'. First to perform, as usual, were the SHORT-EARED OWLS, with all three birds hunting widely across the fields for over half an hour.

At 1635 hours, I located the juvenile HEN HARRIER, once again appearing from the east and then flying across the road and to within 75 yards of the large, assembled crowd. Fantastic views were obtained, allowing me to fully explain and illustrate to others the intracacies of ageing ringtail harriers. The viewing lasted just over four minutes as at 1639, it dived down into the long grass and did not reappear.

A noisy flock of 17 Greylag Geese flew SW, 2 COMMON STONECHATS were seen, 3 Roe Deer, 27 FIELDFARES, 352 Common Starlings SE to roost and as dusk approached, a beautifully close BARN OWL.

5 NOVEMBER 2008 - VALIANT TROOPER GET TOGETHER

This evening was devoted to one of our regular get-together socials, organised by local birder Francis Buckle. The theme was Sri Lankan food, of which I of course opted out of and had fried Whooper Swan instead !!

It was a tremendous social evening and very well attended, with Francis and Maggie, Rob Andrews, Steve and Vicky Rodwell, Mike and Rosie Collard, Charlie Jackson, Peter & Erika Lyons, Rachel (Indra's friend), Mic & Jan Wells, our IT man Patrick Boys and of course Carmel and I. The cuisine was prepared by Charlie's wife Indra, who must be thanked for her hard work and effort in keeping Francis satisfied.

Despite the poor weather and the cancelled fireworks party, the Valiant Trooper was heaving and Carmel and I only just made it home before midnight. Well done Francis.

Inset top, from left to right, Chaz Jackson, Mic and Jan, then Peter Lyons, Maggie, Patrick and Rachel; bottom, LGRE with top man Steve Rodwell