Friday, 10 July 2009

QUAIL still calling......and male MONTAGU'S again

I was also at the regular Walligton site yesterday afternoon and noted the new track covering. No Quails called or showed whilst I was there. I then moved towards Wallington and stopped every 200 yards or so to listen for them. I got through Wallington and took the road towards Slip End (on the A505) and repeated the process. At a point about half way between the two "Lodge Farms", on the left hand side of the road (looking towards the Metley Hill radio masts), a COMMON QUAIL called fairly consistently mid pm. I carried on the process for several more roads south of the A505 moving slowly eastwards, but with no further success.

In addition the male MONTAGU'S HARRIER gave stunning views as it quartered the fields for about 15 minutes at Deadman Hill. Also seen there were 5+ Common Buzzard, 2 Hobby, 1 Kestrel and a F female Sparrowhawk (Mike Harris)

Wednesday, 8 July 2009

BLACK-TAILED GODWITS


Fourteen of today's 19 ICELANDIC BLACK-TAILED GODWITS at College Lake phone-scoped by David Bilcock

Tuesday, 7 July 2009

MONTAGU'S HARRIERS still in area

Both adult male and ringtail MONTAGU'S HARRIERS are still being seen in the Deadman Hill area, about 5 miles east of Royston. It is almost certain that they are nesting in the area but despite exhaustive searching, the location has not been found this year.

It has been a good year for this species in the Midlands, where in early June, I located three separate nests within a 7-mile radius of farmland. With young birds fledging in the next three weeks, sightings should increase and activity rise.

Monday, 6 July 2009

Return Wader Passage commences at Tring Reservoirs

SUNDAY 5 JULY

After an incredibly gruelling trip to Scandinavia, I returned back to reality, with (firstly) a dip on a Norfolk Caspian Tern and then an early wader 'fest' at Wilstone Reservoir in the evening. I was staggered to see how quickly the water level had dropped on Wilstone since my last visit in June.

TRING RESERVOIRS (2000-2100 hours; 24 degrees C; increasing SW wind in evening; dry but partly cloudy) (in the presence of Dave Bilcock, Steve Rodwell and Stuart Wilson)

Great Crested Grebe (14 on Wilstone including the sole surviving juvenile from the only successful nest thus far)
Little Grebe (2 juveniles to the right of the Drayton Bank Hide)
Grey Heron (13 on Wilstone)
*LITTLE EGRET (single feeding to right of hide on Wilstone which later flew to 'Cormorant tree' and roosted; 2 have been present in recent days)
Mute Swans (midsummer moult build up in numbers with at least 36 on Wilstone and 29 on Startop's End)
WHOOPER SWAN (the two non-naturalised adults that attempted to breed unsuccessfully at Dunstable Sewage Farm in May-June remained for a second day on Wilstone - SR)
Greylag Geese (96 on Wilstone)
Canada Geese 12)
Mallard (73 on Wilstone; two family parties)
(Red-crested Pochard - eclipse drake still present on Wilstone - RH)
Common Teal (6 on Wilstone)
(Northern Shoveler - two pairs still on Wilstone - SR)
Tufted Duck (65 on Wilstone)
Northern Pochard (13 on Wilstone)
Coot (639 click-counted on Wilstone)

An excellent selection of waders included 8 summer-plumaged adult ICELANDIC BLACK-TAILED GODWITS on the spit by the hide on Wilstone (see Dave Bilcock's photographs above), 5 adult COMMON GREENSHANKS (also feeding to the right of the hide) (also photographed) and a single adult GREEN SANDPIPER on the Sewage Farm Pool. Up to 7 OYSTERCATCHERS have also been present on Wilstone in recent days (per DB, SR). 43 post-breeding Lapwings were also present.

Common Terns (34)

BARN OWL (feeding adult on Wilstone - DB, SR)

Common Swifts (46 over Wilstone and a further 36 in one feeding family frenzy over Tring town)
House Martin (5)

More MARSH WARBLER images
















Another fine selection of images taken by Ian Williams

The Amwell MARSH WARBLER - a selection of images kindly provided by Ian Williams





























Leg Colour of Amwell MARSH WARBLER











Hi Lee,
I've made a few video grabs and checked my pics of the Marsh Warbler (see above).
The good news is: you're not colourblind – the legs were pale pink in good light. The toes look darker in some pics though. I can't really say I see yellow soles.
Kind regards, Jan Hein Steenis