Three MEDITERRANEAN GULLS this evening

This evening with Dave, Charlie, Ian, Mike and Rose Collard, there were 3 MEDITERRANEAN GULLS in the roost, plus the 'white' B.h.Gull. The med gulls included 2 second winters and an adult. Unfortunately the first winter was playing hard to get and has failed to materialise the last 2 evenings (I have never seen the 3 different age groups together). The second winter that Dave saw just before it was dark is a very interesting bird. It was seen several weeks before and is quite difficult to pick out, as the primaries have an unusual amount of black on them. There was also one second-winter Herring Gull (Steve Rodwell)

Another good Black-headed Gull roost

Both SMEW were still present late this afternoon, the male a real challenge to find as it was diving in amongst the roosting BHGs. The roost contained 2 MEDITERRANEAN GULLS (a new adult and the regular 1W) as well as the albinistic Black-headed Gull (pictured above) (Dave Bilcock).

SMEW bonus of colder weather

Redhead and drake SMEWS (Martin Parr)

FRIDAY 5 DECEMBER

Another overnight frost and a clear, bright, sunshine-filled day, with temperatures reaching a high of 6 degrees C. The raw westerly wind had dropped and had been replaced by a light SW, making it much more pleasant to bird than yesterday. Highlight of the day was the two SMEW that Roy Hargreaves found on his early morning walk round.

WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING
(1130-1430 hours; with Ian Williams, Mike Campbell, John Gearing, Geoff Young and others)

**SMEWS (the first of the year and first record since a redhead on Wilstone on 16 December 2008. Like that bird, this pair were found by Roy, seen later by MC and still present when I arrived - the drake spending a fair bit of time preening as well as diving and the adult female keeping largely close to the Drayton Bank and both easily visible from the bank by the car park steps)

Great Crested Grebes (12)
Little Grebe (2)
Continental Cormorant (23 roosting)
Grey Heron (3)
Mute Swan (10, including 1 first-winter)
Greylag Geese (62)
Gadwall (9)
Shoveler (27)
Eurasian Wigeon (317)
Common Teal (96)
Northern Pochard (28)
GREATER SCAUP (still present with Tufted Ducks in SW quadrant, viewable only from hide)
Tufted Duck (101)
COMMON GOLDENEYE (pair in 'Boathouse Corner' and an adult drake in the 'cut-off' pool in NW corner)
GOOSANDER (redhead present just briefly mid morning - Mike Campbell)
Red Kite (1 perched in tree and later hunting over fields near car park)
Moorhen (66)
Coot (412)
Lapwing (416)
EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER (126)
GREEN SANDPIPER (1 in the 'cut-off' pool)
COMMON REDSHANK (mobile bird still around, moving between NW corner and mud in Cemetery Corner)
Common Snipe (2+)
Black-headed Gull (53)
Common Gull (8)

Woodpigeon (57 just east of reservoir in fields and a further 109 in the crop field opposite the Cemetery)
LITTLE OWL (sat on its usual fence)
Meadow Pipits (20 in grassy field east of reservoir)
Grey Wagtail (1)
Wren (1 on bank and another in Poplar Wood on east bank)
SONG THRUSH (5 in the East Bank Hedgerow)
Mistle Thrush (1 in full song)
Common Blackbird (marked increase, with 17 in the East Bank Hedgerow)
FIELDFARE (4 in trees along the East Bank)

STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR

Great Crested Grebes (3), Mute Swan (11 including 2 first-winters), Common Teal (4), Shoveler (1 drake), Tufted Duck (24), Pochard (3 drakes), Moorhen (12) and Coot (119).

TRINGFORD RESERVOIR

Great Crested Grebes (4), Little Grebe (2), Grey Heron (8), Mute Swan (2 adults), Common Teal (8),Tufted Duck (31) and Coot (48)

MARSWORTH RESERVOIR

Great Crested Grebe (16) and Shoveler (109)

COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT (BUCKS)

Little Grebe (1)
Mute Swan (36 including 1 first-winter)
Common Teal (11)
Eurasian Wigeon (44)
Gadwall (36)
RED-CRESTED POCHARD (female on Main Lake)
Shoveler (6)
Northern Pochard (36)
Tufted Duck (30)
Coot (44)
COMMON SNIPE (1)
Redwing (16)

PITSTONE QUARRY

Little Grebe (6), Tufted Duck (27), Moorhen (6), Lesser Black-backed Gull (6 adults), Common Gull (8) and Redwing (1)

The total number of COOTS in the area = 623 birds

A drop in temperatures bring first SMEW of year

This morning the juvenile GREATER SCAUP was still on the lagoon to the right of the hide and a vociferous CETTI'S WARBLER was in the reed bed.

The undoubted highlight however was the pair of SMEW that I found. Initially I saw the redhead (presumed female), and phoned David Bilcock to alert him and ask him to put word out - it was quite cold this morning so I figured texting would take me even longer than normal with gloves on. After alerting David I then carried on checking the duck, and trying to relocate the Smew and when I refound it there was a drake with it. When I called David again he was a little concerned until I reassured him that it was only to let him know that there was also a second bird.

There was also a Green Sandpiper on the inlet to the left of the hide and a drake Common Goldeneye about. The water level also appears to be rising fairly quickly at the moment, but fortuntaely these Smew will not be able to swim into the bushes like the last one I found did.

Mike Campbell also texted me about a redhead GOOSANDER at 8:50, but I would think that this bird flew in after I had moved on from the jetty as I would be surprised if I had missed that (Roy Hargreaves)

December Counting

CORN BUNTINGS are back roosting for the winter in Marsworth Reedbed and Northern Shovelers galore are feeding there (pictures by kind courtesy of Mike Lawrence, one of the UK's foremost bird photographers)

THURSDAY 3 DECEMBER

A 12mph Westerly wind carried very cold conditions to our area today with temperatures struggling to just 5 degrees C. It remained dry but was extremely sodden underfoot, with heavy cloud cover.

I carried out my first December counts at the reservoirs - most pleasing was the return of roosting CORN BUNTINGS on Marsworth........

MARSWORTH RESERVOIR, TRING

Great Crested Grebe (now 18 present, an exceptional gathering on this reservoir in winter)
Northern Shoveler (133 busy 'shovelling' close to the reedbed and affording fantastic views)
*CORN BUNTINGS (46 came in to roost in the reedbed)

STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR

Great Crested Grebe (2)
Mute Swan (8)
Gadwall (1 drake)
Common Teal (28)
Shoveler (8)
Tufted Duck (36)
Pochard (11)
Coot (increase to 173)

WILSTONE RESERVOIR
(1545-1615 hours)

Great Crested Grebe (11)
Mute Swan (12)
Greylag Geese (57)
Atlantic Canada Geese (48)
Common Teal (211)
Gadwall (22)
Eurasian Wigeon (313)
Shoveler (15)
Tufted Duck (73)
Pochard (27)
GREATER SCAUP (juvenile still present in SW quadrant)
COMMON GOLDENEYE (adult pair together, my belated first of the 'winter' at the site)
Lapwing (200+)
EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVERS (242 roosting on central spit)

The Gull Roost

Very impressive this evening with no less than 3,289 birds in by dark, including the two regular MEDITERRANEAN GULLS (first and second-winter), the albinistic Black-headed Gull, 3,244 Black-headed Gulls in total, 37 COMMON GULLS (mostly adults) and 6 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls pre-roost.

REDSHANK flock drop in

At Wilstone this morning, the GREATER SCAUP was still on the lagoon to the right of the hide as was a male Common Goldeneye. I also saw four Lesser Redpoll, by the cress beds, that might be the same four I saw last week by Rushy Meadow. I also saw five Common Redshank land on the lagoon by the hide - although I was by the jetty at the time (Roy Hargreaves).

BARN OWL delight

Just seen a BARN OWL 2320 sitting on top of the left hand roadside hedge opposite Wilstone Reservoir shortly before the S bend approaching from Aylesbury direction
(Dave R Lee, Pitstone)