Birding Tring Reservoirs

Monday, 20 September 2010

WRYNECK at Bacomb Hill

Just got back from the Bacomb Hill WRYNECK which is showing extremely well feeding on the tumulus mounds just south and above the Ridgeway Trail (1030-1145 hours). It is a dark-eyed juvenile.

DETAILED DIRECTIONS

Park on the Ellesborough Road just SW of Wendover and follow the upper Ridgeway Trail SW along towards the Coombe Hill monument. To your left after 250 yards is the raised tumuli (at SP 862 072, where the WRYNECK is favouring and can be seen by looking back east from the minor trail that leads south. The bird is showing extremely well and returned even though being inadvertently flushed. A superb find.

There was much Vismig at the site involving Meadow Pipits, a few Bullfinch and Jays, whilst the Low Scrubs woodland held Marsh and Coal Tits and Goldcrests.

Saturday, 18 September 2010

Another BLACK-NECKED GREBE and first RUFF of the year

There is another BLACK-NECKED GREBE at Wilstone this morning, along with a migrant juvenile RUFF and a single DUNLIN. A COMMON GREENSHANK also remains, as does the lingering first-winter COMMON TERN.

Thanks to David Bilcock for the updates

Friday, 17 September 2010

The Early Shift

Three PINTAIL and a male Mandarin were visible from the hide and three COMMON SHELDUCKS were on the cemetery quarter on the water between the two sets of barley bales. The juvenile Common Tern was still present and perched on the jetty – allowing a good opportunity to try out my camcorder. A Yellow Wagtail flew over low heading SW and seven Skylarks were on the fields by Drayton Beauchamp. First thing a flock of c. 30 Sand Martins was supplemented later by a larger flock of House Martins.

Two Chinese Water Deer in the meadow between the cress beds and Rushy Meadow and a Roe Deer in the field south of the Dry Canal to the west of the track to Miswell – managed to be in both counties (Roy Hargreaves)

SHELDUCKS drop in

Three COMMON SHELDUCKS arrived at Wilstone this morning and were still present this evening.

Thursday, 16 September 2010

Strong winds up North but no displaced seabirds here

WEDNESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER

A rare opportunity to do some local birding this evening - my first chance this month ! With rarities flooding in on almost a daily basis, far flung places in the UK are my normal September-November abode.

With strong NW winds battering the coasts of North Wales and NW England, the opportunity of finding storm-driven Grey Phalaropes, Manx Shearwaters and Leach's Petrels inland is now quite high. With this in mind, I ventured out to the reservoirs this evening. The weather here was fine, fairly clear and quite blustery.

WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)

Sadly, no sign of any wind-blown or misplaced seabirds but an opportunity to do a 'stock take'. Wildfowl had arrived in good numbers and a single Common Tern was lingering.........

Great Crested Grebe (11)
Cormorant (15)
Grey Heron (1)
Mute Swan (29+)
WHOOPER SWANS (the two non-naturalised adults from Bedfordshire)
Mallard (57)
Gadwall (12)
*NORTHERN PINTAIL (4 feeding in front of the Drayton Hide)
Shoveler (42)
Eurasian Wigeon (8)
Common Teal (202)
Northern Pochard (29)
Tufted Duck (77)
Common Kestrel and Eurasian Sparrowhawk (up to 3 HOBBIES also in area, and juvenile female PEREGRINE but not seen this evening)
Coot (529)
Lapwing (37)
Black-headed Gull (248)
Argenteus HERRING GULL (2 juveniles)
COMMON TERN (1 first-winter on the rafts)
SAND MARTIN (2)
House Martin (114)
Muntjac (1 stag)

STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR (HERTS)

An excellent selection of birds present including an impressive 14 Great Crested Grebes, 16 Mute Swans, 3 RED-CRESTED POCHARDS, 3 Common Teal, 8 Shoveler, 114 Tufted Duck and 240 Coots. There were also 19 Pied Wagtails present and a large number of hirundines including 215 House Martins, 8 Barn Swallows and 5 SAND MARTINS.

PITSTONE QUARRY (HERTS/BUCKS)

A single COMMON GREENSHANK was present on the muddy scrapes, with 6 Little Grebe, 7 Teal, 4 Shoveler and 3 Tufted Ducks the only other species of note

Sunday, 12 September 2010

Another good day for COMMON REDSTART passage

COMMON REDSTARTS

Ivinghoe Beacon: 1 female along fence line below the beacon and another bird glimpsed briefly in flight from footpath between car park to s-bend

Wilstone: Stuart Wilson found one along the hedgerow west of ringers gate, where the footpath leads up to the dry canal, later it had been joined by a 2nd bird (both females) (David Bilcock).

Thursday, 9 September 2010

More OSPREYS

Jeff Bailey discovered an OSPREY at Wilstone Reservoir this afternoon, the bird lingering for a while before finally off strongly to the south at 1640 hours. This follows another OSPREY seen over Wilstone a few days back.

Otherwise, fairly quiet today - 1 COMMON GREENSHANK still in the area (per Dave Bilcock)

My 2017 Tring Reservoirs Bird Recording Area List

69) Red-crested Pochard, Wilstone, 9 January
68) Common Buzzard, Wilstone, 9 January
60) Greylag Goose, 3 January
59) BITTERN, Marsworth, 4 January
58) CORN BUNTING, Marsworth, 4 January
57) Reed Bunting, 4 January
55) Great Tit, 4 January
54) Blue Tit, 4 January
52) Green Woodpecker, 4 January
48) Common Starling, 4 January
47) Mistle Thrush, Marsworth, 4 January
45) Goldcrest, 4 January
43) Common Gull, 4 January
42) Goldfinch, 2 January
41) Chaffinch, 2 January
40) Carrion Crow, 2 January
39) Jackdaw, 2 January
38) Common Magpie, 2 January
37) Long-tailed Tit, 2 January
36) Blackbird, 2 January
35) Song Thrush, 2 January
34) Robin, 2 January
33) Dunnock, 2 January
32) Wren, 2 January
31) Grey Wagtail, 2 January
30) Pied Wagtail, 2 January
28) Common Kingfisher, 2 January
27) Collared Dove, 2 January
26) Stock Dove, 2 January
25) Woodpigeon, 2 January
24) Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 January
23) Black-headed Gull, 2 January
22) Lapwing, 2 January
20) Coot, 2 January
19) Moorhen, 2 January
18) Water Rail, 2 January
16) Tufted Duck, 2 January
14) Northern Pochard, 2 January
13) Common Teal, 2 January
12) Eurasian Wigeon, 2 January
11) Shoveler, 2 January
10) Gadwall, 2 January
9) Mallard, 2 January
7) Atlantic Canada Goose, 2 January
6) Mute Swan, 2 January
4) Grey Heron, 2 January
3) Cormorant, 2 January
2) Little Grebe, 2 January
1) Great Crested Grebe, 2 January

My 2012 Tring Reservoirs List (Lee G R Evans)

134) Tawny Owl, Marsworth, 01 December
133) BRAMBLING, Wilstone, 26 October
132) SLAVONIAN GREBE, Wilstone, 26 October
131) European Golden Plover, Wilstone, 01 October
130) GREAT WHITE EGRET, Wilstone, 23 September
129) WHIMBREL, Marsworth, 20 August
128) BLACK TERN (5 birds), Startop's, 15 August
127) Garden Warbler, Wilstone Orchard, 6 August
126) NUTHATCH, Wilstone Orchard, 06 August
125) Lesser Whitethroat, Wilstone, 7 July
124) SABINE'S GULL, Startop's, 02 July
123) Spotted Flycatcher, Wilstone, 28 June
122) GARGANEY, Wilstone, 30 April
121) Hobby, Wilstone, 30 April
120) Common Cuckoo, Marsworth, 28 April
119) Common Whitethroat, Dry Canal, 25 April
118) Common Swift, Wilstone, 24 April
117) LITTLE TERN, Wilstone, 17 April
116) Common Redshank, Startop's, 17 April
115) ARCTIC TERN (15), Wilstone, 17 April
114) Western Reed Warbler (3), Marsworth, 13 April
113) Sedge Warbler, Marsworth, 13 April
112) Yellow Wagtail, Marsworth, 13 April
111) GRASSHOPPER WARBLER, Marsworth, 13 April
110) Common Sandpiper, Wilstone, 10 April
109) Willow Warbler, Dry Canal, 08 April
108) KITTIWAKE, Wilstone, 08 April
107) NORTHERN FULMAR, Wilstone, 05 April
106) House Martin, Wilstone, 04 April
105) MARSH HARRIER, Wilstone, 03 April
104) Common Tern, Wilstone, 03 April
103) Mandarin Duck, Marsworth Reservoir, 31 March
102) CURLEW, Wilstone, 31 March
101) Barn Swallow, Wilstone, 31 March
100) WHITE WAGTAIL, Startop's, 26 March
99) Little Ringed Plover, Startop's, 26 March
98) LITTLE GULL (20), Wilstone, 26 March
97) Cetti's Warbler, Marsworth, 17 March
96) Sand Martin (7), Wilstone, 17 March
95) MARSH TIT, Wilstone Orchard, 16 March
94) SCANDINAVIAN ROCK PIPIT, Wilstone, 14 March
93) RED-THROATED DIVER, flew high west over reservoirs, 14 March
92) Common Kingfisher, Marsworth, 13 March
91) Meadow Pipit, Startop's, 13 March
90) Ringed Plover, Startop's End, 13 March
89) Blackcap, Tringford, 13 March
88) OYSTERCATCHER, Wilstone, 13 March
87) Common Chiffchaff, Tringford, 10 March
86) Mistle Thrush, Tring Sewage Farm, 5 March
85) Water Rail, Marsworth
84) Jay, Tringford Reservoir, 5 March
83) COMMON STONECHAT, Wilstone, 5 March
82) BARN OWL, Tring Sewage Farm, 3 March
81) Common Treecreeper, Marsworth
80) Common Buzzard
79) Sparrowhawk, Wilstone, 21 February
78) Green Sandpiper, Wilstone, 17 February
77) PINTAIL, Wilstone, 17 February
76) RUFF (male), Wilstone, 15 February
75) Herring Gull (3), Wilstone, 13 February
74) PEREGRINE, Wilstone, 13 February
73) DUNLIN, Wilstone, 12 February
72) BLACK-TAILED GODWIT, Wilstone, 12 February
71) RED KNOT, Wilstone, 12 February
70) SMEW, Startop's End, 08 February
69) House Sparrow, Startop's Farm, 04 February
68) EURASIAN BITTERN, Marsworth, 03 February
67) Skylark, Dry Canal, 28 January
66) Yellowhammer, Dry Canal, 28 January
65) GOOSANDER (drake), Wilstone, 28 January
64) WATER PIPIT, Wilstone, 10 January
63) GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (3 birds), Wilstone, 8 January
62) Stock Dove, Wilstone, 8 January
61) Lapwing, Wilstone, 8 January
60) Reed Bunting, Marsworth, 4 January
59) CORN BUNTING, Marsworth Reedbed Roost, 4 January
58) Goldcrest, Marsworth, 4 January
57) Bullfinch, Watery Lane, 4 January
56) SISKIN (3), Tringford, 4 January
54) Lesser Black-backed Gull, 4 January
53) Greenfinch, Tringford, 4 January
52) SNOW BUNTING (immature male), Startop's End, 1 January
51) Goldfinch, 1 January
50) Linnet (54 birds), Wilstone, 1 January
49) Chaffinch, 1 January
48) Common Starling, 1 January
47) Carrion Crow, 1 January
46) Rook, 1 January
45) Western Jackdaw, 1 January
44) Common Magpie, 1 January
43) Long-tailed Tit, 1 January
43) Blue Tit, 1 January
42) Great Tit, 1 January
41) Common Blackbird, 1 January
40) Fieldfare, 1 January
39) Redwing, 1 January
38) Song Thrush, 1 January
37) Robin, 1 January
36) Dunnock, 1 January
35) Wren, 1 January
34) Grey Wagtail, 1 January
33) Pied Wagtail, 1 January
32) Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 January
31) Green Woodpecker, 1 January
30) Collared Dove, 1 January
29) Woodpigeon, 1 January
28) MEDITERRANEAN GULL (adult winter), Startop's, 1 January
27) Common Gull, 1 January
26) Black-headed Gull, 1 January
25) JACK SNIPE (2 birds), Marsworth, 1 January
24) Common Snipe (3), Marsworth, 1 January
23) Coot, 1 January
22) Moorhen, 1 January
21) Common Pheasant, 1 january
20) Common Kestrel, 1 January
19) Red Kite, 1 January
18) Common Goldeneye (7), 1 January
17) Tufted Duck, 1 January
16) Red-crested Pochard, 1 January
15) Northern Pochard, 1 January
14) Common Teal, 1 January
13) Eurasian Wigeon, 1 January
12) Northern Shoveler, 1 January
11) Gadwall, 1 January
10) Mallard. 1 January
9) DARK-BELLIED BRENT GOOSE (first-winter), Wilstone, 1 January
8) Atlantic Canada Goose, 1 January
7) Greylag Goose, 1 January
6) Mute Swan, 1 January
5) Grey Heron, 1 January
4) Little Egret, Wilstone, 1 January
3) Atlantic Great Cormorant, 1 January
2) Little Grebe (2 birds), 1 January
1) Great Crested Grebe, 1 January

Birding Tring Reservoirs

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