The thaw is on

MONDAY 13 FEBRUARY

The northerly wind increased today with afternoon temperatures reaching 7 degrees. The wind also bought some rain, much of the lying snow being washed away.

MILLFIELDS ALLOTMENTS, CHESHAM WATERSIDE (BUCKS)

No sign of any Water Rails but a single Little Egret, 3 Moorhens, 60 Redwings and a superb perched COMMON KINGFISHER by the stream

WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)

Still massively covered by a layer of ice but melting at the edges and affording wildfowl with some good welcome feeding opportunities. The big story was the Common Teal numbers - no less than 657 dabbling around the edges, one of my largest counts of this species at Wilstone ever. Also 273 Eurasian Wigeon.

The BLACK-TAILED GODWIT was showing very well once again - this time in the NW corner, Dave Hutchinson obtaining some exceptional images of it (see above). Closeby, the single DUNLIN was feeding along the vegetated edge.

The ice-free patch held a single female Common Goldeneye, whilst other species noted included 3 argenteus HERRING GULLS (a 3rd-winter and two juveniles), 25 Fieldfares and 24 Linnets.

An adult female PEREGRINE was showing very well from the Drayton Hide, flying occasional sorties from the tall Poplar trees. I did not see her catching anything but it was the Teal she had her eyes on.

In the Cemetery Corner Fields, the DARK-BELLIED BRENT was with the 70 Greylags but the Atlantic Canada Geese flock had multiplied to 166 birds. A single white goose was also with them.

STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR (HERTS)

Both the redhead SMEW and SNOW BUNTING were still present, with Northern Pochard numbering 196.

A BITTERN was still apparently alive on MARSWORTH but I missed it as it flew the length of the reedbed.

RINGSHALL (HERTS)

A quick jaunt through the forest searching for Woodcock yielded 2 Nuthatch, 4 Coal Tit, 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Jay.

BENINGTON (HERTS)

Thanks to Kathy Sharman and Darrel Bryant, I took a trip over to Benington to see the BARN OWLS. They were late appearing this evening (1650 hours) but once out put on a fantastic display, hunting for Field Voles in the grass. The site is adjacent to Watton Place Clinic and is situated to the north of the village - at TL 306 238. The birds remained in view for half an hour.

I also saw Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Great Spotted Woodpecker on the common

*LATE NEWS FOR SUNDAY*

The pipit that Dan Forder had photographed just prior to me meeting him at the WATER END tributary bridge on Sunday afternoon was incredibly a WATER PIPIT - a very rare bird in the area these days.