Monday, 29 November 2010
WAXWING numbers increase in Hertford
There were 19 in the vicinity of Neal's Court at 1100 hours (per Bill Last and Roland Powers) but they flew off at 11.10am (per Alan Reynolds) - initially found by Laurence early morning
Sunday, 28 November 2010
........And another shower of WAXWINGS
5 Waxwings this morning briefly at 11.00am by junction of Guessens Road and Church Road. The birds were very mobile - in the next half hour also seen in flight over Handside Lane and Valley Road (Anthony Dorman)
Saturday, 27 November 2010
Very late WILLOW WARBLER at Rye Meads
30-40 Redwings, 1 WILLOW WARBLER (ringed a fortnight ago, fat score 5, had lost c.2g since then, 2nd Rye Meads winter record), 1 Blackcap, 1 Cetti's Warber, several Common Chiffchaffs and 1 Oystercatcher (Paul Tout)
WAXWING in Bishop's Stortford
Had a single WAXWING on the Rowan in my Pynchbek garden briefly at 1.30pm today. Unfortunately it flew off and has not yet returned. A search of the surrounding area was unsuccessful (per Ron)
WAXWINGS now in Tring and Aldbury
SATURDAY 27 NOVEMBER
It was a particularly heavy frost overnight, freezing over parts of Wilstone, Tringford and Marsworth Reservoirs. This gave me an ideal opportunity to get some very accurate counts of the wildfowl and Coot present as they were all forced in to smaller areas of open water. The main highlight was a flock of Waxwings in Tring town..........
THE TRING RESERVOIRS (HERTS)..........
STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR
The only reservoir free of ice and consequently attracting 5 Great Crested Grebes, 9 Mute Swans, 3 RED-CRESTED POCHARDS (1 drake), 17 Teal, 3 Shoveler, 66 Tufted Duck, 9 Pochard, 192 Coot, 14 Moorhen and 2 male Pied Wagtails.
TRINGFORD RESERVOIR
Largely frozen over but the open patches held 3 Great Crested Grebes, 8 Grey Heron, 2 adult Mute Swans, 9 Shoveler and 16 Coot whilst the woodland walk yielded Long-tailed Tit, 4 Common Blackbirds, 2 Redwing, 39 Jackdaws and a pair of Carrion Crows.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR
Again, a surprising amount frozen, possibly because it so shallow now, but still harbouring the highest number of wildfowl, with 20 Great Crested Grebes present, 2 Little Grebe, 42 Cormorants, 35 Mute Swans (including 11 first-years), the two Whooper Swans, 83 Mallard, 15 Gadwall, 426 Common Teal, 404 Eurasian Wigeon, a pair of PINTAIL, 82 Shoveler, 79 Tufted Duck, 122 Pochard, 1 female Common Goldeneye, 576 Coot, a single DUNLIN and a single COMMON REDSHANK.
TRING
David Bilcock discovered at least 8 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS mid-afternoon in gardens along Cow Lane not far from Tring Squash Rackets Club and Rugby Club. Roy Hargreaves managed to join him in time before they flew. I arrived shortly later and widening the search as far east to Aldbury (where incidentally up to 11 Waxwings had been recorded yesterday), I eventually relocated a flock feeding on berries by Clarkes Spring, opposite the Royal Hotel by Tring Station. All of the birds - either 7 or 8 - were adults but within minutes flew back towards Pendley Manor and the outskirts of Tring town. A single Red Kite was also in the same vicinity.
It was a particularly heavy frost overnight, freezing over parts of Wilstone, Tringford and Marsworth Reservoirs. This gave me an ideal opportunity to get some very accurate counts of the wildfowl and Coot present as they were all forced in to smaller areas of open water. The main highlight was a flock of Waxwings in Tring town..........
THE TRING RESERVOIRS (HERTS)..........
STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR
The only reservoir free of ice and consequently attracting 5 Great Crested Grebes, 9 Mute Swans, 3 RED-CRESTED POCHARDS (1 drake), 17 Teal, 3 Shoveler, 66 Tufted Duck, 9 Pochard, 192 Coot, 14 Moorhen and 2 male Pied Wagtails.
TRINGFORD RESERVOIR
Largely frozen over but the open patches held 3 Great Crested Grebes, 8 Grey Heron, 2 adult Mute Swans, 9 Shoveler and 16 Coot whilst the woodland walk yielded Long-tailed Tit, 4 Common Blackbirds, 2 Redwing, 39 Jackdaws and a pair of Carrion Crows.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR
Again, a surprising amount frozen, possibly because it so shallow now, but still harbouring the highest number of wildfowl, with 20 Great Crested Grebes present, 2 Little Grebe, 42 Cormorants, 35 Mute Swans (including 11 first-years), the two Whooper Swans, 83 Mallard, 15 Gadwall, 426 Common Teal, 404 Eurasian Wigeon, a pair of PINTAIL, 82 Shoveler, 79 Tufted Duck, 122 Pochard, 1 female Common Goldeneye, 576 Coot, a single DUNLIN and a single COMMON REDSHANK.
TRING
David Bilcock discovered at least 8 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS mid-afternoon in gardens along Cow Lane not far from Tring Squash Rackets Club and Rugby Club. Roy Hargreaves managed to join him in time before they flew. I arrived shortly later and widening the search as far east to Aldbury (where incidentally up to 11 Waxwings had been recorded yesterday), I eventually relocated a flock feeding on berries by Clarkes Spring, opposite the Royal Hotel by Tring Station. All of the birds - either 7 or 8 - were adults but within minutes flew back towards Pendley Manor and the outskirts of Tring town. A single Red Kite was also in the same vicinity.
More WAXWINGS
The WAXWING flock in Stevenage increased to at least 27 birds at 1500 hours yesterday afternoon whilst today, Graham Knight has 5 visiting his garden in Hertford.
Friday, 26 November 2010
WAXWINGS galore in STEVENAGE

Phil Bishop (photographer), Darrel Bryant and others saw these 21 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in Stevenage this morning before they all flew off at 1215 hours. They were north of Fairlands Way at the Grace Way/Sish Lane junction.
A further 4 birds were discovered in Hertford town, in the garden of 2 Tanners Crescent.
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