MEDITERRANEAN GULL; 4 August (juvenile with about 150 Black-headed Gulls bathing early evening - presumed same as bird recorded at Amwell GP on 30 July)
COMMON GREENSHANK; 5 August - single bird flying south calling 6:40am (Phil Ball)
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
Early morning risers reap benefits of overnight wader arrivals again
This morning was pretty good.
Four BLACK-TAILED GODWITS flew through/off in SSE direction at about 6:15. A COMMON REDSHANK flew in calling, but I could not relocate it again. What sounded like a poorly-heard, quiet WHIMBREL when I first arrived became clear when David B and I got to the hide and I scanned for the Redshank and found a TURNSTONE on the rocks near the Drayton sluice. It sat there for a few minutes before circling round and flying south-west, over the hide, into Bucks at about 6:36. A single Common Sandpiper, three Green Sandpipers and a lone Little Egret were the supporting cast.
Could only find one of the drake Wigeon this morning despite seeing two last week. Startops remains a wader-free zone despite all that mud! (Roy Hargreaves)
Four BLACK-TAILED GODWITS flew through/off in SSE direction at about 6:15. A COMMON REDSHANK flew in calling, but I could not relocate it again. What sounded like a poorly-heard, quiet WHIMBREL when I first arrived became clear when David B and I got to the hide and I scanned for the Redshank and found a TURNSTONE on the rocks near the Drayton sluice. It sat there for a few minutes before circling round and flying south-west, over the hide, into Bucks at about 6:36. A single Common Sandpiper, three Green Sandpipers and a lone Little Egret were the supporting cast.
Could only find one of the drake Wigeon this morning despite seeing two last week. Startops remains a wader-free zone despite all that mud! (Roy Hargreaves)
Tuesday, 4 August 2009
Belated Reports from 01 August
1ST AUG: Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, 4 WHIMBREL flew south at 18:40; 2 GREY PLOVERS, summer plumage flew south at 18:40 (Phil Ball)
Baldock, 3 COMMON QUAIL, At least three calling males and one bird seen well in flight from farm track on Wallington Road (the farmer states that the barley fields are due to be harvested this coming week) (Ray Hooper, John Edwards)
Berkhamsted, 400 Common Swifts, at least (C. M. Everett)
East Hyde, 3 Little Egret, Remaining around meadow (Mike Russell)
Potters Bar, SANDWICH TERN over at 4pm (Rupert Pyrah)
Baldock, 3 COMMON QUAIL, At least three calling males and one bird seen well in flight from farm track on Wallington Road (the farmer states that the barley fields are due to be harvested this coming week) (Ray Hooper, John Edwards)
Berkhamsted, 400 Common Swifts, at least (C. M. Everett)
East Hyde, 3 Little Egret, Remaining around meadow (Mike Russell)
Potters Bar, SANDWICH TERN over at 4pm (Rupert Pyrah)
Monday, 3 August 2009
Assumed Staffordshire Ruddy Shelducks make overnight splashdown on Wilstone
SUNDAY 2 AUGUST
WILSTONE RESERVOIR (1745-1900 hours)
Shortly after 0730 hours this morning, I took a call from the Drayton Bank Hide at Wilstone Reservoir informing me of the appearance of two unknown species of wildfowl feeding to the right of the hide. Having been in the hide close to dusk the night before counting Green Sandpipers, I could not work out from the description what the birds were.
Anyway, an hour or so later, Dave Bilcock texts to say two RUDDY SHELDUCK were in front of the hide and showing very well. There was the answer !!
Frustratingly, I was committed for much of the day and unable to get away, and after hearing from Mike Campbell that the birds were still present at lunchtime, I eventually got down early evening.
Fortunately, both birds were still present and showing well. I joined Ian Williams just beyond the new overflow (who was photographing them both) and enjoyed excellent views as they postured aggressively on the mud in front of the Poplars. After a short while, they took flight and went directly to what had become their favourite feeding place just to the right of the hide. I walked round and again enjoyed superb views as they dredged up weed from the shallow water.
The two birds were a distinct pair and were adults. The female had a striking white face and forehead whilst the male still had a hint of a summer black neck-collar. In every other aspect they were very similar in plumage, although there were some plain differencies in the tertial patterning. I was soon joined by Dave Bilcock, and then later by Joan Thompson, the two birds remaining until at least 1900 hours when we all left. During the observation period, the birds were very mobile, flying on three occasions when disturbed by noisy individuals walking into the hide, particularly those with dogs not on leads ! On one such occasion, they flew high and east, reaching the Poplars in the SE corner of the reservoir before heading back and briefly landing near the spit opposite the car park steps. Every time they returned to just right of the hide. On a couple of occasions they climbed out of the water and on to the shingle bank in front of the hide - the plain grey legs could clearly be seen to be unringed. Also, in flight, the primaries and secondaries were in immaculate order, with no missing feathers, damage or gaps.
There has been a small arrival of Ruddy Shelducks into Britain during the past week perhaps indicating that they are post-breeding dispersing migrants from non-naturalised populations in the Netherlands and Switzerland. Disregarding the presumed escaped female on the River Thames in Barking Bay and off Crossness (London) on 31 July to 2 August (in fact this is the bird which was previously seen at Tyttenhanger GP), the long-staying female on the Eric Morecambe Pools at Leighton Moss RSPB (Lancs) and the 3 birds at Rutland Water (Leics), those that can be linked to the Dutch population include two off Old Montrose Pier, Montrose Basin (Angus) on at least 20-27 July, a drake at Loch Leven (Fife) on 30 July, two at Coate Water CP (Wilts) on 31 July to 1 August and a pair at Frolesworth Manor Lake (Leics) briefly on 1 August. What were presumably the latter pair flew in to Uttoxeter Quarry (Staffordshire) at 2035 hours on 1 August and it is my assumption that today's Wilstone pair are in fact one and the same.
The only previous record of presumed wild (and when I say wild, I mean from non-naturalised populations rather than outright escapes) Ruddy Shelducks at Tring Reservoirs was of a flock of five juveniles on Wilstone in August 2005, seen earlier in Lancashire and subsequently at Sidlesham Ferry Pool, West Sussex, before migrating south over the English Channel.
Dave Bilcock and Ian Williams both obtained excellent images of the two birds, Dave's being reproduced above.
In addition to the shelducks this evening was 1 LITTLE EGRET (roosting in the central bank of trees), the drake EURASIAN WIGEON, 6 Shoveler, 7 Tufted Ducks, 8 Gadwall and 6 Common Teal. A total of four GREEN SANDPIPERS remained from yesterday and at least 3 juvenile WESTERN REED WARBLERS were feeding at the edge of the reedbed.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR (1745-1900 hours)
Shortly after 0730 hours this morning, I took a call from the Drayton Bank Hide at Wilstone Reservoir informing me of the appearance of two unknown species of wildfowl feeding to the right of the hide. Having been in the hide close to dusk the night before counting Green Sandpipers, I could not work out from the description what the birds were.
Anyway, an hour or so later, Dave Bilcock texts to say two RUDDY SHELDUCK were in front of the hide and showing very well. There was the answer !!
Frustratingly, I was committed for much of the day and unable to get away, and after hearing from Mike Campbell that the birds were still present at lunchtime, I eventually got down early evening.
Fortunately, both birds were still present and showing well. I joined Ian Williams just beyond the new overflow (who was photographing them both) and enjoyed excellent views as they postured aggressively on the mud in front of the Poplars. After a short while, they took flight and went directly to what had become their favourite feeding place just to the right of the hide. I walked round and again enjoyed superb views as they dredged up weed from the shallow water.
The two birds were a distinct pair and were adults. The female had a striking white face and forehead whilst the male still had a hint of a summer black neck-collar. In every other aspect they were very similar in plumage, although there were some plain differencies in the tertial patterning. I was soon joined by Dave Bilcock, and then later by Joan Thompson, the two birds remaining until at least 1900 hours when we all left. During the observation period, the birds were very mobile, flying on three occasions when disturbed by noisy individuals walking into the hide, particularly those with dogs not on leads ! On one such occasion, they flew high and east, reaching the Poplars in the SE corner of the reservoir before heading back and briefly landing near the spit opposite the car park steps. Every time they returned to just right of the hide. On a couple of occasions they climbed out of the water and on to the shingle bank in front of the hide - the plain grey legs could clearly be seen to be unringed. Also, in flight, the primaries and secondaries were in immaculate order, with no missing feathers, damage or gaps.
There has been a small arrival of Ruddy Shelducks into Britain during the past week perhaps indicating that they are post-breeding dispersing migrants from non-naturalised populations in the Netherlands and Switzerland. Disregarding the presumed escaped female on the River Thames in Barking Bay and off Crossness (London) on 31 July to 2 August (in fact this is the bird which was previously seen at Tyttenhanger GP), the long-staying female on the Eric Morecambe Pools at Leighton Moss RSPB (Lancs) and the 3 birds at Rutland Water (Leics), those that can be linked to the Dutch population include two off Old Montrose Pier, Montrose Basin (Angus) on at least 20-27 July, a drake at Loch Leven (Fife) on 30 July, two at Coate Water CP (Wilts) on 31 July to 1 August and a pair at Frolesworth Manor Lake (Leics) briefly on 1 August. What were presumably the latter pair flew in to Uttoxeter Quarry (Staffordshire) at 2035 hours on 1 August and it is my assumption that today's Wilstone pair are in fact one and the same.
The only previous record of presumed wild (and when I say wild, I mean from non-naturalised populations rather than outright escapes) Ruddy Shelducks at Tring Reservoirs was of a flock of five juveniles on Wilstone in August 2005, seen earlier in Lancashire and subsequently at Sidlesham Ferry Pool, West Sussex, before migrating south over the English Channel.
Dave Bilcock and Ian Williams both obtained excellent images of the two birds, Dave's being reproduced above.
In addition to the shelducks this evening was 1 LITTLE EGRET (roosting in the central bank of trees), the drake EURASIAN WIGEON, 6 Shoveler, 7 Tufted Ducks, 8 Gadwall and 6 Common Teal. A total of four GREEN SANDPIPERS remained from yesterday and at least 3 juvenile WESTERN REED WARBLERS were feeding at the edge of the reedbed.
Sunday, 2 August 2009
Sandon area
Nice morning for Birds of Prey out near Sandon - a PEREGRINE the highlight, but also Hobby and several Red Kites. Plus plenty of Common Buzzards, Kestrels and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. Also at least one COMMON QUAIL still calling near Deadman's Hill (R. Davies)
TYTTENHANGER GP today
At Tyttenhanger GP today: Green Sandpiper 3 (1 at Willows farm and 2 on main pit); juvenile EGYPTIAN GOOSE still; Little Grebe with 2 young on back scrape and an escaped White-cheeked Pintail (Ricky Flesher)
TRING RESERVOIRS Saturday
At Wilstone Reservoir today: 1 TURNSTONE briefly at 12.30 (the first at the site in 2009), 1 Juvenile MEDITERRANEAN GULL on mud until flushed by a dog, 11 Green Sandpiper, 3 Common Sandpiper, 9 Shoveler, 16 Teal, 1 Wigeon, 54 Common Tern and a Red Kite. At Rye Meads: 8 Green Sandpiper, 15 broods of Tufted Duck, 3 of Pochard. At Amwell, 1 Red-crested Pochard (Graham White)
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