High winds and heavy rain

Not much to report this weekend as the wind direction is still stifling bird migration; however, David Bilcock had a BAR-TAILED GODWIT move swiftly east through Wilstone today and a number of observers struck lucky with an adult summer KITTIWAKE at Great Hardmead Lake at Amwell

SCAUP still present at Startop's

Once again, a reminder that all of my Tring Reservoirs news can be found on my blogspot there.......

23/3

 

Three LITTLE EGRETS flew from Stocker's Lake over Chorleywood heading towards the Chess Valley at 0550 hours

 

Checked a number of Bedfordshire woodlands early morning where 2 LESSER REDPOLLS highlighted and 2 singing Common Chiffchaffs; LITTLE OWL in usual tree at SANDY SMITH NR and 9 Chinese Water Deer at BECKERINGS PARK FARM. Another singing Chiffchaff at HOCKLIFFE McDONALDS.

 

Over at TRING RESERVOIRS, the female GREATER SCAUP remained at STARTOP'S, plus 2 Common Redshank, 2 Little Grebes, 2 Wigeon and 4 Grey Wagtails. The Barnacle Goose was in the MARSWORTH PADDOCKS before flying off to WILSTONE, where 5 SAND MARTINS, 2 Oystercatchers and 4 EGYPTIAN GEESE were seen. Also, singing male MARSH TIT, Treecreeper, Green & Great Spotted Woodpecker and 5 Goldeneye noted.

 

A male NORTHERN WHEATEAR graced the manure pile at WOODOAKS FARM, where also 10 Skylark, 22 Fieldfare and 8 Redwing were noted

Wilstone's drake COMMON SCOTER on Friday

First LITTLE RINGED PLOVER

Thanks to Joan Thompson, photographed this LITTLE RINGED PLOVER at Stocker's Farm Flood on Saturday - the first and my first in the county this year

Twitching the LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER.....

I have been inundated with requests for information on LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKERS in recent days so as there is a regular male visiting a dead tree daily at the moment, here is the detailed gen......

It is visiting a dead tree at the Stocker's House end of the causeway at STOCKERS LAKE, RICKMANSWORTH (see map and image below) and is very reliable between 0700 and 0950 hours each day, visiting for up to 20 minutes at a time. The grid reference is at TQ 051 936 and parking at the Aquadrome TQ 055 938

The bird is commuting between the dead trees marked with a yellow asterisk

DARK-BELLIED BRENT GOOSE in Stevenage

Alan Ford located an adult DARK-BELLIED BRENT GOOSE in Fairlands Valley Park, Stevenage, yesterday morning and although I failed to locate it in a visit shortly later, it was back again when Alan visited this morning. The bird was showing exceptionally well on the grass slope between the car park and the sailing lake......