Monday, 19 January 2009

DARK-BELLIED BRENT DROPS IN

A DARK-BELLIED BRENT GOOSE touched down on Hilfield Park Reservoir for a short while before continuing its journey on Sunday morning (18th) (Tony Blake)

Redbournbury Golden Plover flock

The big flock of at least 2,000 EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVERS were again in the field opposite "24/7 "with about 700 Lapwings, best viewed from the layby in Punch Bowl Lane. Fewer raptors today but 3 Common Buzzards and a Red Kite. Several coveys of Red-legged Partridge - 25 birds approx still alive. Farmer from Dane End Farm had recently seen a BARN OWL in the lane (Ernie Leany)

Sunday, 18 January 2009

'New' LITTLE EGRET roost at Stanborough Lakes

A late afternoon stroll with the family around Stanborough Lakes was the usual relatively quiet birding experience, with only the guaranteed Common Kingfishers and a dozen roosting Reed Buntings being of any note.

Just as we were leaving I noticed a white blob partially obscured in trees on the island on the north lake - it was a LITTLE EGRET ! Closer examination revealed 2 more birds, and whilst I was watching a further 2 flew in to roost - certainly the highlight of the afternoon as until this evening I thought Amwell was the only roost in Herts. A good morning too -a quick look through the back fence of the fortress that is Lemsford Springs revealed a GREEN SANDPIPER, whilst a check of Brocket Park provided a new tetrad tick for the winter atlas in the form of a single Common Pochard (Anthony Dorman)

Friday, 16 January 2009

SKYLARK JOY

TREE SPARROWS - 14 still surviving at Tyttenhanger. This individual was photographed by Stephen Blain at Clifton in Bedfordshire.







Chaffinch and Common Blackbird (Mike Lawrence)


FRIDAY 16 JANUARY 2009

A dull, dreary grey day with intermittent drizzle and slightly milder southerly winds. Today saw my first real stab at Hertfordshire birding this year (other than Tring Reservoirs and the Waxwing/Shrike twitch) and by the end of the day, I had recorded just 58 species.

HOGPITS BOTTOM (TQ 018 014)

A total of 15 Rooks were back at the 'Rookery' and attending to the nests.

BARNES LANE (BUCKLERS LANE)

In the vast expanse of stubble fields bordering both sides of Barnes Lane, some impressive flocks of farmland birds were located (at approximately TL 054 035). Most important were the COMMON SKYLARKS - of which I click-counted 222 - easily the largest flock I have recorded in the region this winter. In with them were 77 LINNETS - all in stubble just to the right of the footpath that criss-crosses the field (park by the two metal gates and large manure mounds either side of the road).

There were also 28 STOCK DOVES feeding together, as well as 87 Feral Pigeons in the stubble, whilst 17 Fieldfare flew over. A further 11 Redwing were present by Barnes Farm.

KINGS LANGLEY LAKE (TL 073 034)

An excellent selection of waterbirds present, highlighting with an adult drake RUDDY DUCK.

Noted were Great Crested Grebe (1), Little Grebe (8), Mute Swan (2 adults), Mallard (16), Teal (1 drake), Gadwall (19), Shoveler (3 - 2 drakes), Tufted Duck (32), Northern Pochard (16), Moorhen (15) and Coot (25).

TYTTENHANGER FARM (TL 197 050)

An impressive and noisy flock of 14 TREE SPARROWS was attending the feeders at the far end of the main horse paddock, along with 17 House Sparrows and an exceptional 44 YELLOWHAMMERS; also 11 Red-legged Partridges. The pits were very quiet, with 18 Cormorant and a Grey Heron of interest.

LEMSFORD SPRINGS NR

There was no sign of the Jack Snipe present until Monday - just 3 Common Snipe. The cressbeds also held WATER RAIL, 6 Moorhens, 5 Common Teal and a single GREEN SANDPIPER (up to 6 have been present recently).

MIMRAM RIVER VALLEY

At least 5 LITTLE EGRETS wintering along the Mimram between Welwyn and Kimpton Mill

KIMPTON MILL (TL 197 185)

The resident pair of EGYPTIAN GEESE were on the pond by the house. The gander had chased away all of last autumn's five young (6 fledged but one died subsequently) at the end of December. Two pairs of Gadwall were also wintering on the pond, along with 6 Coot and numerous Moorhen.

Nearby, the regular pair of COMMON RAVEN were mating, with the nest already complete (tidied up from last year). In Kimpton (TL 166 181), * Rooks were attending nests at the Luton Road junction.

EAST HYDE

A single GREEN SANDPIPER was showing well from the bridge, along with a GREY WAGTAIL.

The river held 6 Little Grebes, 2 adult Mute Swans, 23 Canada Geese and 4 Gadwall (2 pairs). A flock of 96 Lapwing flew over

At dusk, I tried a regular site for Lady Amherst's Pheasant. There was no sign, just 38 Common Pheasants at the feeder.

REDBOURNBURY LITTLE EGRETS

Now the ice has cleared most of the Snipe have left the riverside. Up to 4 LITTLE EGRETS have been around Redbournbury with one frequently seen on the River Red on Redbourn Common where a Snipe was seen on Wednesday. Today there was a flock of approx 35 Linnets at Redbournbury Farm - the first sightings I have had of these since October. 3 sightings of Red Kites & 3 Common Buzzards today. Yesterday -a large flock of European Golden Plover in a tight pack in Beaumont Fields. Common Gulls patrolling recently ploughed fields were more numerous than Black-headed (Ernest Leany)

JANUARY SIGHTINGS OF INTEREST - 1st-15th

The Story So Far in 2009.....a summary of Ornithological Sightings not previously documented here

EURASIAN BITTERN: 1 at Rye Meads RSPB on 12th
LITTLE EGRET: 2 at Scotsbridge Mill on 4th-14th (Geoff Lapworth et al) with 1 at Lemsford Springs on 9th, 2 at Digswell Meadow on 10th (David Booth), 5 flying south over Hunton Bridge on 11th and 1 at Redbourne on 14th
EGYPTIAN GOOSE: 1 at Amwell on 14th (David Booth)
Red-crested Pochard: female at Amwell NR on 4th
GOOSANDER: redhead at Amwell NR on 4th (David Booth), male at Batchworth Lake on 9th (Geoff Lapworth), 4 (2 drakes) at Stockers Lake on 10th and 3 drakes at Batchworth on 15th
RUDDY DUCK: drake on King's Langley Lake on 1st-11th January (Colin Everett)
COMMON SHELDUCK: 3 at Amwell NR on 1st - Clifford Smout, with 4 at Rye Meads on 12th
PEREGRINE: 1 at Rye Meads on 12th
European Golden Plover: 130 opposite Stevenage Crematorium on 3rd, 30+ at Oaklands, St Albans on 7th, 16 in Coopers Green Lane on 8th, 32 at Woodoaks Farm on 8th-15th, 125 over Hatfield Garden Village on 11th
GREEN SANDPIPER: 2 at Lemsford Springs on 3rd, increasing to 4 on 4th and 6 on 9th, with another at Scotsbridge Mill on 5th-8th (JT, GL) and 1 at Rye Meads on 12th
*JACK SNIPE: trapped and ringed at Lemsford Springs on 4th January (L. Massey) with it or another on 7th & 11th (Paul Moss)
Common Gull: 90 on pasture in King's Langley on 1st (Colin Everett)
*SHORT-EARED OWL: 1 still at Beech Farm/Hatfield Disused Aerodrome on 3rd
Barn Owl: in tree by road above Bridgefoot Farm, Hadham Ford. on 6th
Pied Wagtail: 170 roosted in Wigmores North outside Putterills Estate Agents shop on 6th (David Booth)
Eurasian Skylark: up to 180 in Barnes Lane stubble field, Chipperfield on 1st-11th (Colin Everett)
Common Stonechat: 2 at Beech Farm on 3rd-8th, with long-staying female at Batford from 1st-15th, near Park Wood, Chiswell Green, on 7th, male at Woodoaks Farm on 9th (with a pair there on 10th-15th)
CETTI'S WARBLER: 1-3 at Amwell NR from 1st-15th
Blackcap: male in Bricket Wood garden on 3rd, with 2 in a Stevenage garden on 4th, 1 at Parsonage Farm, King's Langley on 4th, female in Oxhey Hall garden on 9th, male in Garston garden on 10th
Common Chiffchaff: 12+ along River Colne on 11th
TREE SPARROW: 4 at Tyttenhanger Farm on 8th, with 14 counted on 9th and 6 on 12th, 5 in North Mymms Park on 10th
Brambling: 2 males in Hatfield Garden Village garden on 9th
Siskin: 35 at Bourne End on 1st (Colin Everett), 3 at Lemsford Springs on 3rd (with 40+ there on 7th), 15 in Ebury Way, Watford, on 6th, 50 at Croxley Common Moor on 7th (GL), 60-100 in Colney Heath on 7th & 12th, 3 in Oakmere Park, Potters Bar, on 9th, 50+ at Stanborough Lakes on 9th, 100+ in Cassiobury Park on 10th
CORN BUNTING: 21 at Hatchpen Farm, near Reed, on 2nd January (Mike Johnson)
Yellowhammer: 16 at Parsonage Farm, King's Langley, on 4th (Colin Everett), 50+ at Tyttenhanger Farm on 9th (B Haines)

Tuesday, 13 January 2009

WAXWING IN OXHEY



A single BOHEMIAN WAXWING visited an Oxhey Hall Estate garden on Sunday 11 January (Derek Hanson)