WATER PIPIT at last

WEDNESDAY 23 FEBRUARY

A very wet morning but considerably milder than of late, with temperatures recovering to 14 degrees C by mid-afternoon - spring is on the way! The drizzle did eventually clear at about 1300 hours but grey cloud prevailed throughout.

I managed to clean up on Dunlin and Water Pipit today and evidenced hints of migration......

CHAFFINCH HOUSE, LITTLE CHALFONT (BUCKS)

Many LESSER REDPOLL now visiting the feeders including some bright adult males, with a pair of Greenfinches present for at least an hour this morning.

TYTTENHANGER GP (HERTS)

Following a call from Steve Blake, I returned to the Main Pit at Tyttenhanger and connected with my first Hertfordshire DUNLIN of the year. Steve had earlier seen six (presumably part of yesterday's flock of 9) but when I arrived at midday, just 5 winter-plumaged birds were showing well on the sand spit.

The spit also held 28 European Golden Plovers and 212 Lapwing, whilst the gull roost yielded 2 adult Argenteus Herrings, 8 Lesser Black-backed, 27 Common and 168 Black-headed. A drake Gadwall was present, Great Crested Grebe, 18 Tufted Duck, 9 Common Teal and 24 Coot, whilst passerines included a yaffling male Green Woodpecker, 2 Bullfinches and a Eurasian Skylark in full song.

WATER END (HERTS) - 2 drake Gadwall on the Gade.

GREAT GADDESDEN (HERTS) - a single LITTLE EGRET present on the river and 7 Common Teal just north of the village on the Gade.

MERRY WEATHER HOUSE, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD ROAD (HERTS)

Found a new ROOKERY today in trees at the back of Merry Weather House, close to Hudnall Corner. A total of 18 active nests. This part of the Gade Valley also yielded no less than 8 different RED KITES.

HALL FARM, DAGNALL (BUCKS) (SP 995 158) - a male Skylark in full song

WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)

Thanks to Roy Hargreaves, I was finally able to add WATER PIPIT to my local Year List. I have been chasing this bird since the turn of the year but at long last it has finally given itself up and was showing well early afternoon just yards before the new overflow on the north bank, feeding unobtrusively and fertively along the concrete edge. It still remains in full streaked winter plumage.

The other interesting thing was the number of COMMON GOLDENEYES - a total of 10 seen, by far my highest count this winter. The two adult drakes were still present and for about five minutes, both birds with three females flew around as if they were getting ready to depart.

Also noted were 19 Great Crested Grebe, 2 LITTLE EGRETS, 12 active Grey Heron nests on the Drayton Bank, 1 Mute Swan, 65 Greylag Geese, 12 Gadwall, just 34 remaining Eurasian Wigeon, 73 Common Teal, 33 Shoveler, 39 Pochard, 38 Tufted Duck, just 172 Coot,316 Woodpigeons (feeding on the crop), 8 Common Starlings and 9 Redwings.

TRINGFORD RESERVOIR (HERTS)

I decided to do a complete census of the birds present in the woodland bordering the south end of the reservoir with a total of 18 species recorded. The reservoir held just 2 Mute Swans, a Great Crested Grebe and 5 Teal but the wood produced 54 Jackdaws (several pairs now on territory), 7 Rook, Great Spotted Woodpecker (drumming), Robin (4), Blue Tit (9, mostly singing or displaying), Goldfinch (12), Common Blackbird (4), Song Thrush (2, 1 in the gardens and a singing male), Mistle Thrush (pair), Jay (pair), Great Tit (3 singing males), Dunnock (singing male), Wren (just 1 songster noted), Long-tailed Tit (pair) and Chaffinch (4). A single SISKIN was the highlight but note no Nuthatch, Common Treecreeper or Coal Tit.

A single Skylark was in full song over fields south of the Grand Union Canal by Little Tring.

COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT (BUCKS)

Most interesting was an apparent migrant flock of female COMMON GOLDENEYES - 8 birds together in one close-knit flock on the main pit.

Otherwise, typically quiet with just the 1 OYSTERCATCHER still (on the island on the main pit), 8 Common Snipe and 12 Lapwing on the marsh, 3 Mute Swans, 2 Gadwall, 4 Wigeon and 9 Pochard. A flock of winter thrushes was feeding on one of the islands including 3 Mistle Thrush, 15 Fieldfare and 2 Redwing.

TUNNEL WAY, PITSTONE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE (BUCKS)

A Song Thrush was an unusual sighting here whilst 8 Pied Wagtails were clearly freshly arrived immigrant birds.