NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE still present

This NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE is still present today at Cuffley (latest photographs by Kevin Biker), whilst at Stockers Lake, the 2 drake SMEW, drake GOOSANDER and 2 RED-CRESTED POCHARDS were seen

AMWELL NR RECENCIES

In addition to the drake PINTAIL detailed below (11 January only), 3 SMEW have been regularly present at Amwell NR, along with a single JACK SNIPE and 1 of the 2 wintering EURASIAN BITTERNS (last reported on 2nd). Up to 18 LITTLE EGRETS have roosted each evening on the wooded island (per Barry Reed)

TRING RESERVOIRS TODAY

TUESDAY 13 JANUARY 2009

A much milder day than of late with temperatures reaching 9 degrees centigrade. The thaw continues with much of the ice now disappearing on the reservoirs. SW winds.

WESTLAND FARM FIELDS, NORTHFIELD ROAD (SP 953 126)

A flock of 20 Magpies was feeding close to the horses in the paddock, with a lone FALLOW DEER sat on the ground amongst the horses. Nearby, 138 Woodpigeons were in fields west of the road south of Park Hall Farm.

PITSTONE QUARRY

Little Grebe (2), COMMON TEAL (9), Tufted Duck (17), Pochard (5), LAPWING (135), Black-headed Gull (211), Common Gull (4 including a first-winter), Lesser Black-backed Gull (5 adults), Carrion Crow (8 together), Song Thrush (1), Redwing (4) and Goldcrest (1).

The TRING RESERVOIRS

Tringford Reservoir: a creck of 14 Moorhens feeding together in the field just east of the reservoir at SP 920 134, whilst the reservoir held 3 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Grey Herons, 8 Mute Swans, 16 Gadwall, 22 Common Teal, 8 Tufted Ducks, 1 Pochard and 7 Shoveler. A single first-winter Herring Gull flew over.

Nearby, 2 male STOCK DOVES were displaying from tall trees at the south end, with 2 male Common Pheasants opposite Little Tring Farm and 76 Jackdaws feeding in the paddocks between the wood and the Grand Union Canal. A single female COMMON STONECHAT was still present just east of the new plantation and horse paddock, 100 yards east of Tringford Pumping Station, frequenting the small weedy field and fenceline (at SP 920 129) (present since November 2008). A small flock of 8 Meadow Pipits was in the grass field adjacent to the Canal.

Startop's End Reservoir was very quiet with the 3 Mute Swans (1 first-winter), 2 Greylag Geese, 15 Tufted Duck, 14 Pochard and 32 Coot present, whilst Marsworth Reservoir was equally uninspiring, yielding just 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Little Grebe, 59 Shoveler, 3 Tufted Ducks, 5 Pochard, 4 Wrens, 1 Song Thrush, 2 Great Tits, Goldcrest and a pair of BULLFINCHES. The Sewage Farm held a further 15 Shoveler and a pair of Mute Swans.

WARNING: An employee of British Waterways Board asked me to be particularly vigilant now in the area as 'travellers' have acquired a plot by Wilstone Reservoir and are grazing their horses in neighbouring fields. They have moved in heavy machinery and caravans and are now residing on the plot. Very recently, the pumping station shed was broken into and over £7,000 worth of uninsured tools and machinery was stolen.

Wilstone Reservoir: again, very quiet, with less wildfowl than of late - 8 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Little Grebes, just 6 adult Mute Swans, 64 Greylag Geese, 302 Eurasian Wigeon, 26 Gadwall, 89 Common Teal, 1 Shoveler, 83 Tufted Duck, 43 Pochard, 1 drake RUDDY DUCK, 5 COMMON GOLDENEYES (2 adult drakes, 3 females), 126 Lapwings, 2 adult Common Gulls, 40 Redwing (near car park) and 1 Fieldfare (with Adrian Condon)

FIRST PINTAIL OF THE YEAR

This adult drake PINTAIL was present at Amwell GP on 11 January - so far the only one of the year (Francis Buckle)

SHRIKE STILL ON TERRITORY

The adult NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE, present since December 2008, showed well throughout the weekend in the vicinity of Cattlegate Farm, often frequenting the tall trees bordering the railway cutting. On one occasion, it captured a Blue Tit and flew with it in its talons to its larder in a distant hedgerow (LGRE, Alan Stevens, Chris Hazell). Jan Hein Steenis obtained these excellent images above.

ACCESS INSTRUCTIONS: Park in the Sports Centre car park at TL 303 022 just outside Cuffley and follow the public footpath SE to the railway. Turn right, 50 yards beyond and then after a further 250 yards, turn right again under the viaduct. Keep on the main footpath as it rises up the slope and continue for nearly half a mile to Cattlegate Farm, where the trees at TL 306 010 can be viewed. The bird is extremely mobile and in one flight, moves between the railway cutting and the hedgerow running parallel with the minor road, as far north as the power lines.

The 10 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were still present in Stortford Hall Park Road in Bishop's Stortford on Sunday morning, whilst the 7 in Stevenage were still present in Great Ashby Way (TL 252 273) on Saturday.

A single EURASIAN BITTERN remains at Marsworth Reservoir reedbed, with another two still in front of the Bittern Watchpoint Hide at Fisher's Green (Lee Valley Park). Up to 160 CORN BUNTINGS are roosting each evening at the former site, with a single LITTLE EGRET on Wilstone, whilst 5 SMEW are currently wintering in the county, with two adult drakes at Stocker's Lake, Rickmansworth, and a drake and two redheads in Tumbling Bay at Amwell NR.

Up to 17 RED-CRESTED POCHARDS remain on Stocker's Lake, along with 1 drake GOOSANDER, with up to 30 Siskin in this area.

TRING BITTERNS

These two EURASIAN BITTERNS were roosting in Marsworth Reedbed, Tring, on 3rd January (Dave Bilcock). Temperatures plummeted to as low as -12 degrees centigrade in subsequent nights, freezing the entire reservoir over.

Two different birds have also been present at nearby Weston Turville Reservoir (Buckinghamshire)

WAXWINGS, RED-CRESTED POCHARDS AND A NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE

In the first week of JANUARY 2009, the coldest winter weather for over 25 years has seen virtually every open water in the county freeze over. Avian-wise, BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS have stolen the headlines, with the flock of 7 still visiting the Rowan tree in front of 77 York Road, Stevenage, throughout (see Mike Lawrence's fabulous images above) [access off of the first roundabout in Canterbury Way] (Dave Beer et al)and another flock of 10 in Bishop's Stortford, in bushes opposite 158 Stortford Hall Park Road.

A NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE, present on private land near Crews Hill from at least 31st December 2008 to 2nd January 2009 was relocated just south of Cuffley on 9th, at Cattlegate Farm (view only from the public footpath).

With the icy conditions predominating, up to 2 EURASIAN BITTERNS have been seen at Tring Reservoirs, with two in Marsworth Reservoir reedbed on 3rd (with 1 remaining until 5th and the other moving to Wilstone reedbed on 4th-6th).

Wildfowl have included two adult drake SMEW at Stocker's Lake, Rickmansworth, on 8th-9th (LGRE et al), with up to 17 RED-CRESTED POCHARDS in or around the main unfrozen patch (JT et al) and a single adult GOOSANDER on 9th (JT), and at Aldenham Country Park, 14-16 Mandarin Ducks have been counted in recent days.

A JACK SNIPE was seen well at Tyttenhanger GP on 3rd.