MONDAY 3 JANUARY
Another frosty start leaving a pleasant dry day. Another day spent trying to catch up on birds remaining present from the Christmas week.....
CHESHAM AREA (BUCKS)
A single LITTLE EGRET was east of Bois Mill, 2 Mute Swans were in Lowndes Park and 43 WAXWINGS were still present in the Broadway (although had largely stripped the Rowan trees bare).
The most exciting find was an adult drake NORTHERN SHOVELER - present with 12 Mallard and a pair of Gadwall on the Pow Wow Lake - a very rare bird in the Recording Area averaging just one occurrence per year. Chris Pontin discovered it whilst walking the dog and I was able to connect with it later after he texted me. A superb start to the year with Goosander, Common Teal and Shoveler recorded.
ASHRIDGE FOREST (HERTS)
Spent several hours searching for Dave Bilcock's redpoll flock but without success. Charlie Jackson had also spent a long time looking. In fact, the woodland was almost birdless - just 2 Nuthatches, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Carrion Crows, 2 Stock Doves and a singing male Chaffinch noted.
WATER END (HERTS)
Had a brief look for Raven without success at Dagnall before adding 5 Gadwall and 2 Fieldfare from Water End.
BIRCH WOOD, CHISWELL GREEN (HERTS) (TL 123 056)
A Common Buzzard was feeding on the ground in a field just east of Birch Wood. Nearby, there was no sign of the Waxwing flock on Watford Road.
MICHAEL'S MEAD POND SOUTHERN COUNTRY PARK, BISHOP'S STORTFORD (HERTS) (TL 473 193)
(with Martin Parr & partner, Mick & Lynn Frosdick, et al)
A 'new' site for me and many thanks to Graeme J Smith and Mike Harris for very kindly supplying me with detailed access directions (which I shall share below).
As Martin Parr acknowledged, the pair of BEARDED TITS that were discovered on New Years Eve were difficult today. They remained very elusive, feeding at the bottom of the reed stems and sedge vegetation. After just missing them, I had to wait 90 minutes before they reappeared (in exactly the same spot), and then enjoyed fragmented views over a 10 minute period as they flew to Phragmites towards the opposite side of the reedbed. I was lucky - I got some great views of both the adult male and the female before they dived deep down into cover. Ian Bennell obtained some excellent images yesterday which I have reproduced above. A superb record and following hard on the heels of last autumn's Amwell occurrences (which I managed to miss).
The small reedbed also yielded 2 WATER RAILS and up to 4 Reed Buntings but little else of note.
DIRECTIONS: The Country Park is situated to the south of Bishop's Stortford and easily accessed from the bypass running south and west of the town. Once in Michael's Mead, take Moor Hall Lane from the southernmost roundabout and park carefully just beyond Brook Farm Close. The park is to your right. Take the perimeter footpath anti-clockwise and after 45 yards, view the reedbed and vegetation left of the pond.
KING'S MEADS, HERTFORD (HERTS)
Mainly frozen, with 78 Lapwing the highlight.
CROMER HYDE (HERTS)
At TL 211 122, just SE of the Crooked Chimney Public House car park, a covey of 6 Red-legged Partridges was present in the field. In nearby Batford, by the migrant paddocks, a Common Buzzard was roosting.
EAST HYDE (HERTS)
The geese flock had moved from the river to the fields NE of the B653 about halfway between Lower Heath Lane and Farrs Lane at TL 137 165 and comprised the two adult EURASIAN WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, 6 Greylags and 77 Atlantic Canada Geese.
In Bower Heath, a male Greenfinch was observed, along with 25 Eurasian Skylarks in the 'goose field', whilst East Hyde and its River Lea produced the 8 long-staying EGYPTIAN GEESE, 12 Gadwall and 6 Common Teal.
Nearby, Thrales End Lane produced another covey of 6 Red-legged Partridges.(just inside Beds at TL 123 158).
A further Common Buzzard was seen in the Shell garage compound north of the A5 at Flamstead.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)
Arrived just in time to see the last 4 of perhaps 50 CORN BUNTINGS roost in the reedbed.
Another frosty start leaving a pleasant dry day. Another day spent trying to catch up on birds remaining present from the Christmas week.....
CHESHAM AREA (BUCKS)
A single LITTLE EGRET was east of Bois Mill, 2 Mute Swans were in Lowndes Park and 43 WAXWINGS were still present in the Broadway (although had largely stripped the Rowan trees bare).
The most exciting find was an adult drake NORTHERN SHOVELER - present with 12 Mallard and a pair of Gadwall on the Pow Wow Lake - a very rare bird in the Recording Area averaging just one occurrence per year. Chris Pontin discovered it whilst walking the dog and I was able to connect with it later after he texted me. A superb start to the year with Goosander, Common Teal and Shoveler recorded.
ASHRIDGE FOREST (HERTS)
Spent several hours searching for Dave Bilcock's redpoll flock but without success. Charlie Jackson had also spent a long time looking. In fact, the woodland was almost birdless - just 2 Nuthatches, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Carrion Crows, 2 Stock Doves and a singing male Chaffinch noted.
WATER END (HERTS)
Had a brief look for Raven without success at Dagnall before adding 5 Gadwall and 2 Fieldfare from Water End.
BIRCH WOOD, CHISWELL GREEN (HERTS) (TL 123 056)
A Common Buzzard was feeding on the ground in a field just east of Birch Wood. Nearby, there was no sign of the Waxwing flock on Watford Road.
MICHAEL'S MEAD POND SOUTHERN COUNTRY PARK, BISHOP'S STORTFORD (HERTS) (TL 473 193)
(with Martin Parr & partner, Mick & Lynn Frosdick, et al)
A 'new' site for me and many thanks to Graeme J Smith and Mike Harris for very kindly supplying me with detailed access directions (which I shall share below).
As Martin Parr acknowledged, the pair of BEARDED TITS that were discovered on New Years Eve were difficult today. They remained very elusive, feeding at the bottom of the reed stems and sedge vegetation. After just missing them, I had to wait 90 minutes before they reappeared (in exactly the same spot), and then enjoyed fragmented views over a 10 minute period as they flew to Phragmites towards the opposite side of the reedbed. I was lucky - I got some great views of both the adult male and the female before they dived deep down into cover. Ian Bennell obtained some excellent images yesterday which I have reproduced above. A superb record and following hard on the heels of last autumn's Amwell occurrences (which I managed to miss).
The small reedbed also yielded 2 WATER RAILS and up to 4 Reed Buntings but little else of note.
DIRECTIONS: The Country Park is situated to the south of Bishop's Stortford and easily accessed from the bypass running south and west of the town. Once in Michael's Mead, take Moor Hall Lane from the southernmost roundabout and park carefully just beyond Brook Farm Close. The park is to your right. Take the perimeter footpath anti-clockwise and after 45 yards, view the reedbed and vegetation left of the pond.
KING'S MEADS, HERTFORD (HERTS)
Mainly frozen, with 78 Lapwing the highlight.
CROMER HYDE (HERTS)
At TL 211 122, just SE of the Crooked Chimney Public House car park, a covey of 6 Red-legged Partridges was present in the field. In nearby Batford, by the migrant paddocks, a Common Buzzard was roosting.
EAST HYDE (HERTS)
The geese flock had moved from the river to the fields NE of the B653 about halfway between Lower Heath Lane and Farrs Lane at TL 137 165 and comprised the two adult EURASIAN WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, 6 Greylags and 77 Atlantic Canada Geese.
In Bower Heath, a male Greenfinch was observed, along with 25 Eurasian Skylarks in the 'goose field', whilst East Hyde and its River Lea produced the 8 long-staying EGYPTIAN GEESE, 12 Gadwall and 6 Common Teal.
Nearby, Thrales End Lane produced another covey of 6 Red-legged Partridges.(just inside Beds at TL 123 158).
A further Common Buzzard was seen in the Shell garage compound north of the A5 at Flamstead.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)
Arrived just in time to see the last 4 of perhaps 50 CORN BUNTINGS roost in the reedbed.
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