Saturday, 10 October 2009

Major arrival of REDWINGS


A major arrival of REDWING in Hertfordshire today
Trims Green (08:50-09:30) I counted for 40 minutes and had 114 West. 60+ Mallard (on fishing pools); 1 Kestrel; 42 European Golden Plover (26, 16); 40 Collared Dove; 10 Skylark; 15 Meadow Pipit; 1 Alba Wagtail; 114 REDWINGS (1, 16, 23, 70, 2, 2); 1 Song Thrush; 30 Linnet; 25 Goldfinch; 27 Chaffinch; 10 Greenfinch (Mike Harris)

Non-naturalised birds invade Tyttenhanger

Steve Blake noted 8 EGYPTIAN GEESE and a single female RUDDY SHELDUCK at Tyttenhanger GP today (9 October)

Tuesday, 6 October 2009

YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS at Amwell

Over 1000 gulls at Amwell this evening – among them were seven adult YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS.

A Lesser Black-backed Gull I photographed on Saturday turned out to be a fellow Dutchman, ringed at the Europoort (near Rotterdam), where I dipped a Pallas's Grasshopper-Warbler on Sunday (Jan Hein Steenis)

PICCOTT'S END and environs




























































































Yesterday afternoon (Sunday 4 October) I thought I'd see if last year's Osprey at Piccotts End Pools area had returned, or if any other opportunists had decided to make the most of the never-ending supply of fish there. No sign of any Ospreys or raging fish-farm workers, but I did see what I believe to be the highest count of LITTLE EGRETS at this location so far, four in total. They were favouring the tree that stands at the southern-most tip of the Hillier Garden Centre car park & the more open section of stream just SE of the pools. They are almost certainly relocating birds from Wilstone.

Also of note in the area was a single 'sinensis' Cormorant, 2 Little Grebes, at least one Kingfisher, about 5 Grey Wagtails, about 5 Meadow Pipits & 12 Skylarks passing over, 4 or 5 Yellowhammers, a pair of Kestrels of which the male was repeatingly calling, a male Sparrowhawk, up to 2 Red Kites, 4 or more Buzzards & around 20 Red-legged Partridge.

As it started to get dark every bush or tree from the main road, along the lane, along the footpath & back to the road, where scattered with Long-tailed Tits joined by Great Tits, Robins & large numbers of Blue Tits & Chaffinches. Unfortunately the light wasn't good enough to get any really decent photos all day, the best being of a house fly! (Dan Forder)

Friday, 2 October 2009

SCANDINAVIAN ROCK PIPIT at Wilstone


Late this afternoon a SCANDINAVIAN ROCK PIPIT was present near the jetty at Wilstone, either feeding along the shore or hiding amongst the vegetation high up the bank (phone'scoped picture below). Also present was a Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plovers and a Green Sandpiper (Dave Bilcock)

Tyttenhanger 1/10

A nice NORTHERN WHEATEAR in the overflow car park at Willows Farm, 3 TREE SPARROWS at Tyttenhanger farm in the usual hedge along with a female Blackcap.

Two Snipe were flushed from the scrape as I crossed it on the footpath and there were a large number of Jackdaws on the main pit along with around 20 Crows. At one stage the Jackdaws drove off a Lesser Black-backed Gull attempting to land. Four juvenile Mute Swans around the site and are now well spread out. The two adults were on the scrape and six other adults were seen during the course of my visit (Alan Gardiner)

Roosting PEREGRINE

THURSDAY 1 OCTOBER

LILLEY AREA (HERTFORDSHIRE)

I decided to take a drive out to Lilley late afternoon in an attempt to see the PEREGRINE roosting most evenings there and I was not to be disappointed. As soon as I 'scoped along the pylons at 1700 hours it was there, roosting on the horizontal girder on 'Pylon 23' at cTL 120 280. Excellent views were obtained from near Lilley Manor Farm but for easier access it is best to park on the sharp bend at TL 108 283 and view from the public footpath east of there. The fields were also alive with Common Pheasants and at least 85 Red-legged Partridges (Lee Evans)