Wednesday 22 April 2009

WHINCHAT and RING OUZEL

Well at last I am making some inroads with my 2009 Hertfordshire Year List

Thanks to Darin Stanley yesterday (Monday 20 April), I was able to add WHINCHAT when from 1345-1404, the corking male in full breeding plumage performed admirably along the fenceline at the back of the weedy field adjacent to the Lower Luton Road just south of Batford village

Whilst today (Tuesday 21 April), thanks to a sharp-eyed Darrel Bryant, I was able to add my first RING OUZEL - a superb adult male - as it fed unperturbed out on the open flat plateau just south of the traveller encampment in the NW corner of Norton Green (until 1720 hours at least). Earlier in the day, 20 or so observers had connected, including JT, DB and MF. The first of the year in the county. There was also a female NORTHERN WHEATEAR on site, as well as 2+ singing male COMMON WHITETHROATS and a pair of GREY PARTRIDGE

Elsewhere Darin heard a COMMON NIGHTINGALE sing briefly at lunchtime in the hedgerow just south of Batford (not heard again) and many of the commoner migrants such as COMMON CUCKOO and WESTERN REED WARBLER have now arrived.

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