WOOD SANDPIPER this afternoon

THURSDAY 5 AUGUST

WILSTONE RESERVOIR (HERTS)

Ian Williams, his son and I failed in our quest to locate the juvenile WOOD SANDPIPER this evening - there was no sign of it from the Drayton Bank Hide or along the numerous muddy stretches of bank now emerging. It had been present from at least 1630 to 1830 hours and was discovered by Jeff Bailey and seen by Roy, Mike Campbell and Chaz Jackson at least. It is the first record at the reservoirs this year, although of course, nearby was the well-watched College Lake adult in June.

There were 3 Common Sandpipers present this evening, as well as 131 Lapwings and a COMMON SNIPE. Also of interest, a juvenile WATER RAIL was showing well, indicating that it had bred in the reedbed.

Also seen were adult and juvenile Little Grebe, 22 Great Crested Grebes, 59 Mute Swans, 4 Common Teal, 15 Pochard, the Sparrowhawk family and just 1 Common Tern.

There was also 100 Common Starlings roosting in the Wilstone reedbed this evening.

Elsewhere today, I saw a single COMMON TERN on one of the new catchment pools besides the southbound M25 a mile south of Junction 17 at Maple Cross and a singing male YELLOWHAMMER on wires in Chesham Vale

Early August counting

MONDAY 02 AUGUST

A day dominated by heavy cloud with few bright periods. Nevertheless, it was still fairly warm, but the wind was coming from the Northwest. I started off the month recording a total of 51 species......

CHESHAM VALE (BUCKS)

A party of 43 Jackdaws feeding in freshly cut hay meadow

HORSEBLOCK LANE (BUCKS)

Confirmed breeding of European Barn Swallow at Hillside Farm (SP 956 064), with a Grey Heron feeding in a field there and 3 Magpies.

WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)

Water level starting to drop very slowly with plenty of emergent vegetation along the west bank, attracting large numbers of dabbling Mallard and Coot. There was no sign of any hirundines or Common Swifts.

GREAT CRESTED GREBE* (marked increase with 18 birds recorded including 4 first-winters and a begging juvenile with one of its parents by the main car park)

Little Grebe (1 adult near the hide)
Continental Cormorant (14 roosting on the Drayton Bank)
Grey Heron (1)
LITTLE EGRET (juvenile showing well feeding by the hide)
Mute Swan (43+)
Greylag Goose (2)
Atlantic Canada Goose (14)
Gadwall (10)
Common Teal (1)
Northern Shoveler (5 - present since Friday)
Tufted Duck (26)
Northern Pochard (13)
Moorhen and Coot (604)
Lapwing (103)
COMMON SANDPIPER (2) (RH had seen 4 earlier in the day)
Black-headed Gull (12)
Common Terns (55)

Red Kite (1)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk (noisy young screeching from the Poplar nest site by the hide)
COMMON KINGFISHER (the young bird photographed at the weekend still showing well by the hide)
Grey Wagtail (1)
Common Starling (3)

COMMON BLUES (10+ by car park)

ST MARY'S CHURCH, PUTTENHAM (HERTS)

The House martins were still present in the village but there was no sign of the Spotted Flycatcher family in the churchyard.

TRINGFORD RESERVOIR (HERTS)

The reservoir held 1 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Grey Heron, 3 Mute Swans, 2 Greylag Geese, 15 Tufted Ducks and 18 Coot.

STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)

The water level on this reservoir has fallen sharply leaving a large muddy area in the SW corner. Birds noted included 1 Great Crested Grebe, 13 Mute Swans,, 61 Greylag Geese, 7 Atlantic Canada Geese, 2 Gadwall, the juvenile Red-crested Pochard, 8 Moorhens (5 juveniles) and 66 Coot.

MARSWORTH RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)

A total of 6 Great Crested Grebes present (including the sole youngster), 1 Mute Swan, 102 Mallard-types, 4 Coot (family party), Red Kite, 10+ Western Reed Warblers and 1 Great Tit.

On the neighbouring Grand Union Canal, a female Mute Swan was attending 4 cygnets and a family party of 7 Atlantic Canada Geese was encountered. The Mute Swan family that had been resting quietly on the far bank were very rudely and dangerously interrupted by a couple walking their very excited dog. The dog ran full pelt at the mother swan and caused major panic amongst the cygnets, the entire family having to plunge into the canal water. I shouted at the dog and their ignorant owners and stated to them that dogs should be kept on a lead at all times at this site but they told me to mind my own business and that they could do whatever they liked. They said that the swans were a danger to the children and to the canal users and should be put down - nice people !

PITSTONE QUARRY (HERTS)

Full of children screaming, playing and swimming, despite signs to the contrary warning of the hazards. Few birds of note other than 7 Dabchicks and 2 juvenile Pied Wagtails, whilst another Common Blue butterfly was noted.

DOWN FARM STUBBLE FIELDS, PITSTONE HILL (HERTS)

Virtually birdless with just Yellowhammer, Common Kestrel, Stock Dove and 4 Linnets noted.

NEW GROUND PUMPING STATION (HERTS)

Confirmed breeding of European Barn Swallow.

HADDEN'S PLANTATION, NEAR HEATH END (BUCKS) (SP 958 063)

A male BULLFINCH flew along the roadside

Confiding COMMON KINGFISHER - amazing pic

There was a young COMMON KINGFISHER sitting on a branch just outside the right hand side of the Drayton hide at Wilstone Sunday morning at about 10am. Stayed for 10 minutes and then flew off back to the right into the arm. See image above

Mike Nott (and Dave Hutchinson)

One pair of Kingfishers bred on the Grand Union Canal this year and fledged two young =-this individual probably being one of them (Lee Evans)

Morning Update

Water level is definitely dropping, but still not enough bank for a WWBT to stand on – although the 1999 bird on 31st July made do with posts.

Anyway this morning there were three Little Egrets again, also Dunlin, Green Sandpiper and 2 or 3 Common Sandpipers. A COMMON RAVEN perched in a tree by the dry canal was my personal highlight though as it was the first I have seen perched at the reservoirs.

A Hobby was also about this morning and the juvenile Sparrowhawks are definitely in their noisy phase at the moment (Roy Hargreaves)

Recent sightings - Steve Rodwell

Had the chance to do quite a bit of birding as I was home the first couple of days of the week and did the rounds after work yesterday. It is remarkably quiet. Best bird was an adult YELLOW-LEGGED GULL (the first of the year) over Wilstone Wednesday evening. At Pitstone Quarry there have been up to 3 LRPs, 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 Green Sandpiper (probably the same bird that has been at the sewage works), 1 Snipe, 2 juv Redshanks and 1 Mandarin. At Wilstone there were 27 Great crested Grebes including 7 juvs, 6 Shoveler and 5 Teal. 1 Red-crested Pochard was still at Startops. That's about it. Kind regards, Steve

Helleborines in the Missenden area

Here are a few photographs of various Helleborines at a site near Princes Risborough taken this weekend. The Narrow-lipped Helleborines are an enigma, much studied and written about as they show characteristic's of Broad-leaved Helleborine, such as the shape of the lip (broader) and the fact that they are cross-pollinating (allogamous). Suggestions are that they are hybrids, a new variety of Narrow-lipped Helleborine or a variety of Broad-lipped Helleborine. I have named the photographs Narrow-lips for now. Currently their identity is unproven (see top three images).

There are also around 20 Violet Helleborine at the site, currently still in bud - see photo. Also gone over White Helleborines making 4 species together (Charlie Jackson)

Early morning roundup - Dave Bilcock

College Lake: 1 Green Sandpiper on the marsh, 1 WOOD SANDPIPER flew off towards Cheddington (05:55) may have been present unseen on the marsh earlier.

Puttenham Church yard: 2 SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS still present

Sewage Lagoon: 2 Green Sandpipers

South of Wing: 1 COMMON QUAIL calling from wheat field