Raining cats and dogs

WEDNESDAY 18 APRIL

Well, ever since the government announced its hosepipe ban in the South East, it has done nothing but rain - rain, rain, rain. Most of the time it's freezing cold too - hardly weather for migrant warblers to be singing in

Anyway, after receiving several messages from Tring informing me of gross inactivity there, I decided to forego a visit and concentrated closer to home, primarily with the aim of adding Willow Warbler. That turned into a joke though, with constant downpours hampering any such attempts. I gave it up as a bad job.......

SHARDELOES LAKE (BUCKS)

The only meaningful and productive birding carried out today, with 13 species recorded -:

MANDARIN DUCKS were breeding once again on the island, with 6 active Coot nests, 2 pairs of Atlantic Canadas and the Mute Swan nesting pair.

Otherwise both GREAT CRESTED GREBES noted again (and clearly not nesting yet, presumably abandoned their first attempt), 4 Little Grebes, 12 Tufted Duck, a female Mallard with 8 ducklings, all 9 Mute Swans (including the 7 first-summers), Grey Wagtail, both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 singing male Song Thrushes, a male Blackcap and 3 migrant BARN SWALLOWS.

An adult Sinensis Cormorant was roosting and drying out its wings on the island whilst the Rookery now houses 22 active nests. Interestingly, the adult Rooks already have young in the nest as they were busy on the cricket field gathering beakfuls of earthworms and other grubs. 8 Woodpigeons were also feeding on the cricket lawn.