WHEATEAR at last

FRIDAY 16 SEPTEMBER

For the first time in a week, the winds became light and from an easterly direction. As a result, there was much early morning passage overhead.....

CHENIES VILLAGE (BUCKS)

Don Stone discovered 3 NORTHERN WHEATEARS on the freshly ploughed field behind Chenies Baptist Church on Thursday - the first of this species in my Recording Area this year. As such, I was out bright and early searching for them but with no luck.

Diurnal migration was much in evidence with 4 YELLOW WAGTAILS flying south, a number of Meadow Pipits and a constant passage of Barn Swallows and House Martins. A single RING-NECKED PARAKEET flew over Don and I heading back from Chenies Bottom..........

I moved across to the other side of the A404 and checked the Chorleywood Playing Fields where 40 Meadow Pipits, 15 Pied Wagtails, several Linnets, 63 Common Starlings, 8 Common Magpies and a single COMMON WHITETHROAT were noted.

CROXLEY COMMON MOOR (HERTS)

Migrants in thick scrub north of the river included 5 LESSER WHITETHROATS and 5 Blackcaps, whilst a COMMON KINGFISHER was seen

CHENIES VILLAGE (BUCKS)

Second time lucky! I returned to Chenies to join Don and his son watching a single juvenile NORTHERN WHEATEAR in the ploughed field behind the church. It was in exactly the same place as yesterday's three - about 40 yards from the lightning-struck tree - and was showing well (1430 hours)

The farmer was ploughing another field nearby where a gull flock attracted to it included 11 HERRING GULLS (2 juveniles) and 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

WOODOAKS FARM, MAPLE CROSS (HERTS)

No sign of yesterday's Whinchat nor Spotted Flycatcher...

WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)

Frustratingly, my afternoon visit coincided with that of a man walking 5 dogs across the main bund, quickly followed by another two youths! Birds were flying in every direction! Remonstrating with them had little affect.

Since my last visit last weekend, the Tuesday storm has bought down crashing one of the guano-covered Cormorant nesting trees on the Drayton Bank and a Black Poplar in the hide wood (blocking the main footpath),

After the disruption, little was to be found - the long-staying juvenile BLACK-TAILED GODWIT, just 2 Ringed Plovers, an adult HOBBY, the 2 WHOOPER SWANS, 38 Mute Swans, 11 Great Crested Grebes and 11 Little Egrets.

Two juvenile Common Buzzards went south, as did 30 or so Barn Swallows