Tuesday 22 December 2015

A complete census of the Waterbirds of the Upper Colne Valley: 3,372 counted of which 1,702 Coot!

TUESDAY 22 DECEMBER 2015
 
Unprecedented temperatures today for Christmas Week, with warm southerly winds from North Africa pushing thermometers to beyond a sultry 15 degrees C! I took the opportunity to fully census the waterbirds of the Upper Colne Valley - a staggering 3,372 being counted including a whopping 1,709 Coot - over half the total!
 
TROY MILL LAKE (HERTS)
 
Great Crested Grebe (6)
Grey Heron (2)
Little Egret (1)
Continental Cormorant (8)
Mute Swan (28)
Atlantic Canada Goose (12)
Mallard (10)
Gadwall (78)
Shoveler (5)
Tufted Duck (22)
Northern Pochard (8) - [6 drakes]
Coot (619)
Moorhen (4)
 
*5 GOOSANDER flushed off of River Colne which flew north...
 
GRAND UNION CANAL (MAIN LINE) (MIDDLESEX)
Section between Copper Mill and Black Jack's Lochs
 
Grey Heron (4)
Mallard (24)
Coot (4)
Moorhen (16)
 
BROADWATER LAKE (MIDDLESEX)
 
Great Crested Grebe (15)
Continental Cormorant (63)
Mute Swan (10)
Egyptian Goose (3)
Mallard (8)
Gadwall (105)
Eurasian Wigeon (75)
Common Teal (3) [flushed from the River Colne]
Shoveler (12)
Tufted Duck (274)
Northern Pochard (132) [83 drakes]
Common Goldeneye (single drake)
GOOSANDER (adult drake on River Colne)
Coot (407)
Moorhen (8)
 
Also noted were Common Kingfisher, Fieldfare, 5 Redwing, 8 Common Chiffchaff, Green Woodpecker, Song Thrush, 2 Lesser Redpoll & 15 Siskin
 
TILEHOUSE PIT NORTH (BUCKS)
 
Mute Swan (1)
Gadwall (16)
Coot (28)
Common Kingfisher
 
HAREFIELD LAKE (MIDDLESEX)
 
Grey Heron (1)
Coot (1)
 
KORDA LAKE (MIDDLESEX)
 
Great Crested Grebe (2)
Mute Swan (2)
Mallard (16)
Gadwall (10)
Tufted Duck (25)
Coot (6)
 
NORTH TROY/HELICON LAKE (MIDDLESEX)
 
Great Crested Grebe (2)
Grey Heron (1)
Mute Swan (2)
Mallard (8)
Gadwall (4)
Tufted Duck (35)
Coot (56)
 
NORTH PYNESFIELD LAKE (MIDDLESEX)
 
Great Crested Grebe (2)
Tufted Duck (22)
Northern Pochard (2)
Coot (12)
 
LYNSTER'S LAKE (HERTS)
 
Great Crested Grebe (3)
Tufted Duck (13)
Coot (8)
 
LYNSTER'S FIELD (HERTS)
 
Greylag Geese (10); Atlantic Canada Geese (24) & Egyptian Geese (2)
 
SPRINGWELL LAKE (MIDDLESEX)
 
Great Crested Grebe (2)
Mute Swan (2)
Mallard (7)
Gadwall (4)
Tufted Duck (17)
GOOSANDER (5)
Coot (22)
 
INNS LAKE (MIDDLESEX)
 
Great Crested Grebe (1)
Gadwall (6)
Tufted Duck (56)
Coot (29)
 
STOCKER'S LAKE (HERTS)
 
Great Crested Grebe (8)
Continental Cormorant (53)
Grey Heron (18)
*Little Egret (48 came in to roost by 1620 hours, the most this winter)
Mute Swan (23)
Atlantic Canada Geese (24)
Mallard (15)
Gadwall (34)
Shoveler (8)
Eurasian Wigeon (52)
Tufted Duck (55)
Northern Pochard (9)
*Red-crested Pochard (24 in total including 19 drakes)
Common Goldeneye (7 including 2 adult drakes)
*GOOSANDER (5 roosted - 4 adult drakes and an adult female)
Coot (473)
Common Kingfisher
 
BURY LAKE (HERTS)
 
Great Crested Grebe (1)
Mute Swan (14)
Mallard (25)
Gadwall (5)
Tufted Duck (6)
Coot (44)
 

Lee G R Evans