Monday, 8 August 2011

SPOT SHANK still present and more BLACKWITS arrive

MONDAY 8 AUGUST

A very autumnly feel to the weather today, with quite strong and cool NW winds and grey, overcast skies for much of the time.........

Another freshly killed Badger I am afraid - this time on the A404 at Hazlemere, by the plantation there at SU 897 958

WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)
(from 1100-1300 hours and in the company of Steve Rodwell, Paul Lewis and Steve Carter)

With water levels continuing to dramatically fall due to the water usage in the neighbouring Grand Union Canal, the vast tracts of mud are continuing to pull in passage waders.....

Today's new arrivals were 6 adult summer ICELANDIC BLACK-TAILED GODWITS (initially 5 but then followed by a further single mid-morning), all feeding together in the bay in the far SW of the reservoir right of the hide.

Meanwhile, the juvenile SPOTTED REDSHANK first seen on Saturday remains (see Sally's images above), 6 COMMON GREENSHANKS, 6 GREEN SANDPIPERS and at least 2 Common Sandpipers (9 were noted on 6th).

The remaining roll-call was as follows, with some additional records from Saturday -:

Great Crested Grebe (17)
Sinensis Cormorant (19 roosting)
LITTLE EGRET (21 still present)
Mute Swan (31)
WHOOPER SWAN (both adults still present in the NW corner)
Gadwall (10)
Common Teal (8+, with 18 present on Saturday)
Shoveler (increase of 1 to 8)
Common Buzzard (6)
Red Kite (8)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk (the three young still being fed in the Black Poplar nest by the hide and an additional bird flew south)
HOBBY (successful breeding in the area - probably Mentmore Park - with Steve and I seeing an adult and begging juvenile)
Coot (186 + 74 + 128 = 388 today, but 607 logged on Saturday)
Lapwing (172 today - with 197 present on Saturday)
LITTLE RINGED PLOVER (adult on spit between jetty and Drayton Bank - new arrival)
Black-headed Gull (268 present including 26 juveniles)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (up to 40 in area, including juveniles, some being attracted to fields being ploughed by Cemetery Corner)
Common Tern (just 44 logged, following 82 on Saturday)
Sand Martins (11 migrants)
House Martins (32 today, following the 66 present on Saturday)
Common Starling (11 in area)
Mistle Thrush (party of 29)
Rook and Jackdaw (mixed flock of over 240 birds in fields by the Dry Canal)

TRINGFORD RESERVOIR (HERTS)

Four broods of Tufted Duck this year on Tringford, totalling just 14 ducklings

MARSWORTH RESERVOIR (HERTS)

Another adult HOBBY seen drifting over the ''White Lion'' by the Grand Union Canal bridge in Marsworth village.



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