RING-NECKED DUCK returns

Roy Hargreaves discovered this drake RING-NECKED DUCK with Tufted Ducks off of the jetty at WILSTONE RESERVOIR this morning, while Ian Williams relocated it this afternoon and obtained these excellent images. It is presumably the same drake that we had at Wilstone last autumn and last seen in early November....

An old friend has returned!

I was very pleased to see the return of this adult drake GREATER SCAUP this afternoon on STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR, the bird showing very well not far offshore in the NW corner. I am assuming it is the same drake that afforded us the pleasure of his presence last winter, departing with the Tufted Ducks in late May. I was very pleased to get these shots of him in this afternoon's sunshine. However, the cool NW winds ensured that there was little else about, Startop's producing just 4 Mute Swans, an increase of Great Crested Grebes to 8, 2 Little Grebes, 2 Gadwall, 8 Eurasian Wigeon, 33 Tufted Duck, 18 Northern Pochard & Grey Wagtail, with 44 Shovelers still present on MARSWORTH.

 

Little to add from WILSTONE, other than 3 of the JACK SNIPE, 2 Common Snipes and a long-staying Common Sandpiper.

 

JACK SNIPES in residence

Not a lot to report locally I am afraid. The continuing highlight is the presence of up to 4 JACK SNIPES feeding along the muddy reedbed fringe of WILSTONE RESERVOIR in Cemetery Corner (see image below for location but basically first reedbed right of largest bay looking across from jetty bench). A couple of Water Rail also feeding in this area, with wildfowl numbers still high, including 454 Common Teal & 94 Shoveler but only 2 Pintail remaining and a single GARGANEY. A few Grey Wagtails about and the odd migrant Skylark and Meadow Pipit overhead. A further 68 Shoveler feeding on MARSWORTH RESERVOIR.

 

Dave Bilcock informs me that the drake GREATER SCAUP is back on STARTOP'S, in pretty much full eclipse, while Richard Whitehead had 150 European Golden Plover over WILSTONE yesterday

SCANDINAVIAN ROCK PIPIT

Dave Hutchinson managed this excellent image at Wilstone on 6 October, this littoralis remaining until at least 10th (Dave Bilcock)

JACK SNIPES on Wilstone!!

MONDAY 10 OCTOBER

 

The continuing East/NE winds resulted in another large arrival of thrushes on IVINGHOE HILLS, involving at least 300 REDWING, several Continental Song Thrush and perhaps 8 RING OUZEL. The latter included two very elusive birds in the Whitebeam by the S bend, one in Top Scrub, another 2 in Inkombe Hole and 3 on Steps Hill. Eight COMMON STONECHAT included a 'new' bird on the Beacon scrub, with the 3 along the fenceline to the sheep pens and 4 still above Inkombe, while 80 Meadow Pipit were noted, a constant trickle of Chaffinch, a honking COMMON RAVEN over, a single Blackcap in Top Scrub and a Marsh Tit there. Little to add at PITSTONE HILL other than 45 Linnet.

 

TUES/WEDS 11-12 OCTOBER

 

Roy Hargreaves discovered 4 JACK SNIPES on the mud in Cemetery Corner at WILSTONE on Tuesday and at least 3 of these remained today. A single elusive SCANDINAVIAN ROCK PIPIT has also been on the reservoir

Three GARGANEY now

FRIDAY 30 SEPTEMBER

 

IVINGHOE HILLS NATURE RESERVE

 

Spurned on by Mike Wallen's migrating flock of 16 BLACK-TAILED GODWITS over the Beacon and his impressive count of Meadow Pipits, I ventured down much later in the morning and tried my luck on any remaining VizMig passage. As it was, it had all fizzled out, just 9 Meadow Pipit for my efforts, but most noteworthy was a nice migrant adult HOBBY that was lingering over the Sheep Pen fields and repeatedly returning to the fenceposts to rest (see images on my Ivinghoe Beacon blog). Little in the bushes other than a single Blackcap and 3 Common Chiffchaffs. Again, no hirundine passage

 

At WILSTONE RESERVOIR, no change from yesterday - 9 PINTAILS, 132 Wigeon, 106 Shoveler, 343 Teal, 101 Tufted Duck, 185 Northern Pochard, the 2 GARGANEY (although Ian Williams & Jeff Bailey had 3), 18 Gadwall, 10 Little Egret, the COMMON SANDPIPER and 5 Grey Wagtails

Two GARGANEY

WILSTONE RESERVOIR - 29 September - Afternoon visit

 

Not much to write home about, although both GARGANEY were putting on a good show from the Drayton Bank Hide. Wildfowl numbers rising on a daily basis with 103 Shoveler today, 146 Eurasian Wigeon, 33 Gadwall, 330+ Common Teal, 201 Tufted Duck and an impressive 184+ Northern Pochard.

 

No sign of any Pintail today but still a lingering COMMON SANDPIPER, 97 Lapwing, 16 Little Egret, a Little Grebe, 3 Grey Wagtails and 33 Mute Swans