Birding Tring Reservoirs

Tuesday, 17 February 2015

SCAUP still present

17/2

No sign of the female Common Stonechat today at DOWN FARM CEREAL FIELDS but 10+ Skylarks in song

An impressive 37 Northern Pochards on MARSWORTH this morning, along with 11 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Greylag Geese, 1 Mute Swan, 4 Coot, 5 Shoveler and a singing male Reed Bunting

All 6 of last summer's Mute Swans have survived the winter on TRINGFORD, where 54 Coot, 12 Pochard, 2 Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Kingfisher and Jay were all noted

The first-winter female GREATER SCAUP remains on WILSTONE but otherwise a major decrease in wildfowl numbers - just 3 Goldeneye, 75 Teal, 120 Shoveler & 175 Wigeon counted; 210 Lapwing flew over while this Grey Wagtail was feeding beneath the car park....

A walk along the DRY CANAL yielded 10 Chaffinch, 5 Yellowhammer, 3 Red Kite, 2 Common Buzzard, 6 singing Skylark, 2 Fieldfare, Song Thrush, 8 Redwing, a male Bullfinch and these 13 Meadow Pipit....

Monday, 16 February 2015

AVOCETS and heavy rain........

PIED AVOCETS arrive with a deluge of rain - Monday 16 February

From around 10 o'clock onwards today, it rained all day, bringing with it 3 passage PIED AVOCETS locally...

First off, 8 year-old Tom Bacon and his father Gary stumbled upon one on the main marsh at COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT late morning before a pair made landfall at TYTTENHANGER MAIN PIT in the afternoon

Following Gary's phone call, David Hutchinson & 1 quickly arrived, confirming their suspicions - the bird showing well from the Octagon Hide. No fewer than 32 Common Snipe were also present on the marsh, as well as the first Common Redshank of the year, along with 18 Mute Swan, 215 Wigeon & 2 Teal. Up to 3 WATER RAILS were showing well in the first bay as you walk down to Octagon, while the Deep Pit held 3 Red-crested Pochard, a Little Grebe and the first Great Crested Grebe of the year. At the feeding station, 20 Chaffinch and 2 Reed Bunting were noted.

At TRING RESERVOIRS, highlight at TRINGFORD was a pair of COMMON SHELDUCK, while on WILSTONE RESERVOIR, the first-winter female GREATER SCAUP was still present, 8 COMMON GOLDENEYE (including a single drake), an impressive 184 Shoveler, 170 Wigeon, 30 Gadwall, 100 Teal, 12 Common Snipe in flight & 140 Common Starlings

The PIED AVOCET pair at TYTTENHANGER GP remained on view until 1700 hours at least, at the end of the spit with 450 Lapwings

Wednesday, 11 February 2015

No sign of the Med again at Wilstone but 2 BITTERNS roosting at WTR

11/2

Did the roost again tonight where an impressive 2,700 Black-headed Gulls roosted, as well as 103 Common Gull, a first-winter argenteus Herring Gull and a single adult Lesser Black-backed Gull but once again, no Med. A total of 56 Great Crested Grebes on Wilstone was the highest count this winter.

At WESTON TURVILLE RESERVOIR at dusk, 2 EURASIAN BITTERNS were seen (5.01pm onwards), a pale bird roosting just 75 yards from the hide and a darker individual in the reedbed opposite; also 5 Water Rails, 3 Little Egrets, 3 WOODCOCKS and a Common Snipe noted

Tuesday, 10 February 2015

TREE SPARROWS still present in Long Marston village

TUESDAY 10 FEBRUARY

A pair of Mallard was sat on CHOLESBURY VILLAGE POND as I drove by, while in LONG MARSTON, 3 of the 4 wintering TREE SPARROWS were chirping away in the hedgerow just north of the village. Lots more birds were in Matt Rossor's back garden, including 10 Chaffinch, 8 Goldfinch, 6 Greenfinch, 6 Dunnock, etc whilst in the village proper, Song Thrush and 25 House Sparrows present.

In the main car park at STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR, several House Sparrows and 4 Greenfinches were 'gritting' - both species 'new' for my local list of 2015

Nothing new on the reservoirs, with 8 Mute Swans, 14 Pochard, 42 Tufted Duck & 115 Coot on TRINGFORD and 28 Coot, 68 Tufted Duck, 8 Teal, 3 Wigeon, 17 Pochard, 6 Great Crested Grebe & a Little Grebe on STARTOP'S.

A lot of wildfowl present on COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT including 21 Mute Swans (5 first-years), 278 Wigeon, 54 Gadwall, 8 Teal, 50 Tufted Duck, 18 Pochard, a pair of Red-crested Pochard, 108 Coot, Water Rail, 230 Lapwing and 4 Common Snipe; 2 Collared Dove and a singing male Song Thrush are scarce here.

On neighbouring PITSTONE QUARRY, 4 Wigeon were unusual here, with 26 Coot, 3 Teal, 8 Tufted Duck & 1 Pochard completing the numbers. A male Song Thrush was in song

Saturday, 7 February 2015

No Med in roost but 3 HERRING GULLS

Although Dave Bilcock had seen a partial summer-plumaged adult MEDITERRANEAN GULL roost on Wilstone Reservoir last night, there was no sign this evening as 6 of us searched, just 3 argenteus Herring Gulls, 9 Lesser Black-backed, 193 Common and 2,000 odd Black-headed Gulls. DB had seen a Common Shelduck very early on, as well as an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Thursday, 5 February 2015

GREAT GREY SHRIKE still present

Short video of the Slapton bird https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OssaP4wT_DM

Don Stone

Wednesday, 4 February 2015

TREE SPARROWS in Long Marston

Three TREE SPARROWS are wintering at the north end of Long Marston village, visiting feeders in 3 separate gardens. I saw all 3 today, these birds first being seen in December.

The GREAT GREY SHRIKE still continues to show very well at Slapton while the first COMMON SHELDUCK has arrived at Tringford Reservoir

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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