Tuesday, 7 December 2010
WAXWINGS at Waltham Cross
There are now 6 WAXWINGS at Waltham Cross in the trees on the roundabout opposite KFC and feeding in a pink Rowan beside No. 40 Eleanor Cross Road at 3.00 p.m. (Simon West)
HAWFINCH again in Harpenden
Stopped off at Woburn (Beds) to see the regular flock of Waxwing that has been seen in Leighton street for around 2 weeks now, then straight to Thames Wood outside Harpenden to attempt to locate the Hawfinch found by Graham Knight on the weekend.
What a pre-christmas treat I had when within 30 minutes on site, I saw the HAWFINCH perched on top of a tree to the east side of the wood (east of the large transmitter) at about 11.25 for about a minute, giving glorious views before it headed off toward Mud lane through the wood. Was not able to relocate it in the next hour on site. Jason Chapman and chums came up to assist in the search to relocate it. Hope they got lucky. Co-ordinates are as per Graham Knight, TL151125 - Cheer & Merry Christmas to all - Darin Stanley
What a pre-christmas treat I had when within 30 minutes on site, I saw the HAWFINCH perched on top of a tree to the east side of the wood (east of the large transmitter) at about 11.25 for about a minute, giving glorious views before it headed off toward Mud lane through the wood. Was not able to relocate it in the next hour on site. Jason Chapman and chums came up to assist in the search to relocate it. Hope they got lucky. Co-ordinates are as per Graham Knight, TL151125 - Cheer & Merry Christmas to all - Darin Stanley
Monday, 6 December 2010
Amwell today
MONDAY 6 DECEMBER
After a relatively balmy weekend when temperatures rose to a heady 5 degrees C and melted all the lying snow, the freeze returned with a vengeance today and a combination of freezing fog and overnight frost left many areas a ghostly white. All day the temperatures remained below freezing.
I spent the morning searching the Amersham Recording Area for Waxwings but failed in my quest; none even at the Beacon Sports Centre in Beaconsfield.
I then decided to chance my arm at the Amwell gull roost but that was paltry too - and bitterly cold........
AMWELL NATURE RESERVE (HERTS)
(with Phil Ball fresh in overnight from India!)
I arrived at 1400 hours and stuck it out until 1600 hours, by which time I was virtually frozen stiff.
There was no sign of any Bitterns, Cetti's Warblers or Mealy Redpolls and not much in the way of open water. The following birds were noted -:
Just 3 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Little Egret, 27 Sinensis Cormorants, 9 Mute Swans, 112 Gadwall, just 5 Eurasian Wigeon, 12 Common Teal on the ice, a pair of NORTHERN PINTAIL, 15 Shoveler, 38 Tufted Duck, 5 Northern Pochard, 3 female Red-crested Pochard on Hollycross Lake, 8 Common Goldeneye (including one drake), 3 SMEWS (including a fabulous adult drake), 3 Lapwing, 1 Common Snipe, 106 Coot, 15 Moorhens at the feeding area, 2 WATER RAILS on the ice, Jay, 1,500 Jackdaws south to roost, 12 Common Blackbirds, 1 Song Thrush, 2 Chaffinch, 1 Siskin, 2 Lesser Redpoll and a Goldcrest.
A fairly paltry pre-roost gull gathering on the ice but including 118 Common Gulls, 11 adult Great Black-backed Gulls, just 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 71 Herring Gulls (virtually all Argentatus) and 400+ Black-headed Gulls.
After a relatively balmy weekend when temperatures rose to a heady 5 degrees C and melted all the lying snow, the freeze returned with a vengeance today and a combination of freezing fog and overnight frost left many areas a ghostly white. All day the temperatures remained below freezing.
I spent the morning searching the Amersham Recording Area for Waxwings but failed in my quest; none even at the Beacon Sports Centre in Beaconsfield.
I then decided to chance my arm at the Amwell gull roost but that was paltry too - and bitterly cold........
AMWELL NATURE RESERVE (HERTS)
(with Phil Ball fresh in overnight from India!)
I arrived at 1400 hours and stuck it out until 1600 hours, by which time I was virtually frozen stiff.
There was no sign of any Bitterns, Cetti's Warblers or Mealy Redpolls and not much in the way of open water. The following birds were noted -:
Just 3 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Little Egret, 27 Sinensis Cormorants, 9 Mute Swans, 112 Gadwall, just 5 Eurasian Wigeon, 12 Common Teal on the ice, a pair of NORTHERN PINTAIL, 15 Shoveler, 38 Tufted Duck, 5 Northern Pochard, 3 female Red-crested Pochard on Hollycross Lake, 8 Common Goldeneye (including one drake), 3 SMEWS (including a fabulous adult drake), 3 Lapwing, 1 Common Snipe, 106 Coot, 15 Moorhens at the feeding area, 2 WATER RAILS on the ice, Jay, 1,500 Jackdaws south to roost, 12 Common Blackbirds, 1 Song Thrush, 2 Chaffinch, 1 Siskin, 2 Lesser Redpoll and a Goldcrest.
A fairly paltry pre-roost gull gathering on the ice but including 118 Common Gulls, 11 adult Great Black-backed Gulls, just 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 71 Herring Gulls (virtually all Argentatus) and 400+ Black-headed Gulls.
WAXWINGS in Hertford and St Albans
Six WAXWINGS again present in large tree in front garden of 2 Tanners Crescent (per Graham Knight) and a fairly mobile flock of 21 in Church Street, St Albans, this afternoon.
Sunday, 5 December 2010
Red Letter Day at Amwell - MEALY REDPOLL and CASPIAN GULL recorded
At 12:30, I found a MEALY REDPOLL in a 40-strong Lesser Redpoll flock near Hollycross Lake. A typically "grey" individual, lacking any buff in the face or in the wing. Unfortunately, the birds were very mobile and I lost it quickly. The flock was seen later in the afternoon, but the bird was not. They appear to come back to the birches along the footpath from time to time.
Later, in the gull roost, a 2nd winter CASPIAN GULL was present from 3:30 till 3:45, when someone fired a gun a couple of times which sent all the gulls to the reservoirs (and left one bird for dead: heart attack or shot?)... Alan Harris also had an adult MEDITERRANEAN GULL in this flock.
A Dunlin which spent all day in front of the viewpoint was only the third one this year.
Probably the most curious sight today was a swimming Rabbit, trying to escape a Stoat. The Stoat got out of the water quite quickly, leaving the Rabbit to float around for a minute or so, before it tried to reach the bank. All the while, an unringed juvenile Harris's Hawk watched the proceedings. This was the third day in a row a hunting Stoat was seen.
Other birds:
1 Egyptian Goose
3 Pintail (2 females from the viewpoint, 1 drake out of sight)
2 Smew (female)
1-2 Bitterns (not showy at all)
1 Marsh Tit
Jan Hein Steenis
Later, in the gull roost, a 2nd winter CASPIAN GULL was present from 3:30 till 3:45, when someone fired a gun a couple of times which sent all the gulls to the reservoirs (and left one bird for dead: heart attack or shot?)... Alan Harris also had an adult MEDITERRANEAN GULL in this flock.
A Dunlin which spent all day in front of the viewpoint was only the third one this year.
Probably the most curious sight today was a swimming Rabbit, trying to escape a Stoat. The Stoat got out of the water quite quickly, leaving the Rabbit to float around for a minute or so, before it tried to reach the bank. All the while, an unringed juvenile Harris's Hawk watched the proceedings. This was the third day in a row a hunting Stoat was seen.
Other birds:
1 Egyptian Goose
3 Pintail (2 females from the viewpoint, 1 drake out of sight)
2 Smew (female)
1-2 Bitterns (not showy at all)
1 Marsh Tit
Jan Hein Steenis
More on that HAWFINCH sighting
This morning started off with a quick look for the Waxwings along Merchant Drive in Hertford. Unfortunately there was no sign but plenty of berries still around. I then went to Tyttenhanger where Ricky Flesher had relocated the BITTERN in the small reedbed on the north east side of the main pit. It showed well if distantly from the hide for about half an hour while I was there, occasionally fishing. The particular location can only be viewed from the other side of the pit, ideally the hide. Also present were a Little Egret and female Goldeneye, along with small numbers of the usual winter ducks.
Then it was off to do a Bird Atlas timed visit in Harpenden, TL11L. I was enjoying a pleasant if quiet walk when I approached a number of birds bathing in a small puddle along a public footpath next to Thames Wood. There were 3 Chaffinches, a Redwing, and amazingly a HAWFINCH. I watched it bathe for about 30 seconds before it flew to a nearby tree on the edge of the wood. A couple of minutes later it again showed in another beech tree along the edge of the wood.
The location is at approximately TL151125, along the appropriately named Mud Lane (which is actually a public footpath). As far as I know the wood is private. The exact place is slightly to the east of the large transmitter which is in the wood. If anyone wants to go, the best place to park is probably at the Three Horseshoes pub on Harpenden East Common, and walk northeast along the footpath.
That's what I love about the bird atlas - it takes you to new places and who knows what is there to be found - Graham Knight
Then it was off to do a Bird Atlas timed visit in Harpenden, TL11L. I was enjoying a pleasant if quiet walk when I approached a number of birds bathing in a small puddle along a public footpath next to Thames Wood. There were 3 Chaffinches, a Redwing, and amazingly a HAWFINCH. I watched it bathe for about 30 seconds before it flew to a nearby tree on the edge of the wood. A couple of minutes later it again showed in another beech tree along the edge of the wood.
The location is at approximately TL151125, along the appropriately named Mud Lane (which is actually a public footpath). As far as I know the wood is private. The exact place is slightly to the east of the large transmitter which is in the wood. If anyone wants to go, the best place to park is probably at the Three Horseshoes pub on Harpenden East Common, and walk northeast along the footpath.
That's what I love about the bird atlas - it takes you to new places and who knows what is there to be found - Graham Knight
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