Tuesday, 26 March 2013
Local Mega: MARSH HARRIER in the Misbourne Valley
Yesterday (25 March), Don Stone noticed a male MARSH HARRIER quartering the Misbourne just by the main road by Missendon Abbey, before it was relocated shortly later by Mike Collard and Graham Smith at Shardeloes Lake - a fabulous record and the first in the area to my knowledge.
Monday, 11 March 2013
Todays Images
The dodgy looking Greylag x Canada Goose hybrid at Shardeloes
All 102 Canada Geese at Shardeloes
The Misbourne at Little Missenden
Mute Swans at Deep Mill Lane Pond (my first record there)
Warren Water, behind Missenden Abbey
Seriously cold - Arctic winds blowing in from the Northeast
MONDAY 11 MARCH
It was seriously cold out today, with that force 7 Northeasterly wind slicing right through you. Although temperatures hovered around freezing, the wind chill factor was minus 8 or less, making it extremely uncomfortable and inclement. In addition, the odd snow flurry blew through quickly - how all of these early Sand Martins are surviving is beyond me.
Being so cold, I restricted my birding to very local sites, with a few interesting results.......
SHARDELOES LAKE (BUCKS) proved to be its most productive all year, with my highest site count of Tufted Duck - 51 birds.
The 3 Great Crested Grebes were still present (first seen by RDA yesterday), along with 8 Little Grebes, Grey Heron, the two resident Mute Swans, 3 Mallard, a pair of COMMON TEAL, 4 Gadwall, 6 SHOVELERS (3 independent pairs), 9 NORTHERN POCHARD, 102 Atlantic Canada Geese, a Greylag x Canada hybrid, 68 Coot, 6 Moorhen, 34 Herring Gulls (mostly juveniles), 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Song Thrush, 35 FIELDFARES, 5 REDWING and 2 Long-tailed Tits.
Just west of the Shardeloes roundabout on the A413 at SU 940 985
The RIVER MISBOURNE has now fully recovered and is looking particularly healthy and stopping just west of LITTLE MISBOURNE at SU 916 992, this section held 22 Mallard, 6 Gadwall, 2 Coot and 4 Moorhen, whilst the DEEP MILL LANE POND at SU 907 995 held 4 more Gadwall, 6 Coot (pair nesting), 2 Little Grebes and my first pair of Mute Swan at the sites (see pics above).
WARREN WATER behind MISSENDEN ABBEY (SP 898 008) was also back to full health housing 6 Coot and a pair of Mallard, with the Misbourne south of here adding 4 more Coot, another pair of Mallard and 18 Black-headed Gulls.
Checking out BURY LAKE in CHESHAM produced 10 Mallard, 3 Tufted Duck, 6 Coot and 2 Moorhens, with 95 Woodpigeons and 4 Red Kites in the 'Lapwing Fields' opposite. CHESHAM LOWNDES PARK held 10 Atlantic Canada Geese, 39 Mallard and 4 Moorhen.
At the CHESHAM FISHING LAKES, wildfowl present included 8 Atlantic Canada Geese, 12 Mallard, 8 Tufted Duck, 3 Pochard, 10 Coot, 2 Moorhen and a noisy Great Crested Grebe, whilst Green Woodpecker and the two COMMON CHIFFCHAFFS were also noted; POW WOW LAKE held an additional 8 Gadwall.
At CHESHAM SEWAGE WORKS, Grey Heron, 8 Mallard, 12 Gadwall and 2 Tufted Ducks were counted, with just a single Coot on BOIS MILL LAKE.
The RIVER CHESS between NEPTUNE'S FALLS and LATIMER BRIDGE held 12 Atlantic Canadas, 3 Tufted Duck, a Pochard, 4 Coot and 2 Moorhens, with neighbouring LATIMER GREAT WATER yielding just 6 Mute Swans, 10 Mallard, 7 Tufted Duck, 24 Coot, 10 Moorhens and a single juvenile Argenteus Herring Gull.
I finished my day with a quick sortie into HERTFORDSHIRE, where HILFIELD PARK RESERVOIR provided me with two county year ticks, 3 Shoveler, 4 Great Crested Grebe and 18 Tufted Duck. The gull roost was massive, holding at least 7,400 Black-headed Gulls and 193 Common Gulls - amongst them two adult MEDITERRANEAN GULLS in full breeding plumage. I failed to find Steve Murray's first-year Little Gull.
It was seriously cold out today, with that force 7 Northeasterly wind slicing right through you. Although temperatures hovered around freezing, the wind chill factor was minus 8 or less, making it extremely uncomfortable and inclement. In addition, the odd snow flurry blew through quickly - how all of these early Sand Martins are surviving is beyond me.
Being so cold, I restricted my birding to very local sites, with a few interesting results.......
SHARDELOES LAKE (BUCKS) proved to be its most productive all year, with my highest site count of Tufted Duck - 51 birds.
The 3 Great Crested Grebes were still present (first seen by RDA yesterday), along with 8 Little Grebes, Grey Heron, the two resident Mute Swans, 3 Mallard, a pair of COMMON TEAL, 4 Gadwall, 6 SHOVELERS (3 independent pairs), 9 NORTHERN POCHARD, 102 Atlantic Canada Geese, a Greylag x Canada hybrid, 68 Coot, 6 Moorhen, 34 Herring Gulls (mostly juveniles), 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Song Thrush, 35 FIELDFARES, 5 REDWING and 2 Long-tailed Tits.
Just west of the Shardeloes roundabout on the A413 at SU 940 985
The RIVER MISBOURNE has now fully recovered and is looking particularly healthy and stopping just west of LITTLE MISBOURNE at SU 916 992, this section held 22 Mallard, 6 Gadwall, 2 Coot and 4 Moorhen, whilst the DEEP MILL LANE POND at SU 907 995 held 4 more Gadwall, 6 Coot (pair nesting), 2 Little Grebes and my first pair of Mute Swan at the sites (see pics above).
WARREN WATER behind MISSENDEN ABBEY (SP 898 008) was also back to full health housing 6 Coot and a pair of Mallard, with the Misbourne south of here adding 4 more Coot, another pair of Mallard and 18 Black-headed Gulls.
Checking out BURY LAKE in CHESHAM produced 10 Mallard, 3 Tufted Duck, 6 Coot and 2 Moorhens, with 95 Woodpigeons and 4 Red Kites in the 'Lapwing Fields' opposite. CHESHAM LOWNDES PARK held 10 Atlantic Canada Geese, 39 Mallard and 4 Moorhen.
At the CHESHAM FISHING LAKES, wildfowl present included 8 Atlantic Canada Geese, 12 Mallard, 8 Tufted Duck, 3 Pochard, 10 Coot, 2 Moorhen and a noisy Great Crested Grebe, whilst Green Woodpecker and the two COMMON CHIFFCHAFFS were also noted; POW WOW LAKE held an additional 8 Gadwall.
At CHESHAM SEWAGE WORKS, Grey Heron, 8 Mallard, 12 Gadwall and 2 Tufted Ducks were counted, with just a single Coot on BOIS MILL LAKE.
The RIVER CHESS between NEPTUNE'S FALLS and LATIMER BRIDGE held 12 Atlantic Canadas, 3 Tufted Duck, a Pochard, 4 Coot and 2 Moorhens, with neighbouring LATIMER GREAT WATER yielding just 6 Mute Swans, 10 Mallard, 7 Tufted Duck, 24 Coot, 10 Moorhens and a single juvenile Argenteus Herring Gull.
I finished my day with a quick sortie into HERTFORDSHIRE, where HILFIELD PARK RESERVOIR provided me with two county year ticks, 3 Shoveler, 4 Great Crested Grebe and 18 Tufted Duck. The gull roost was massive, holding at least 7,400 Black-headed Gulls and 193 Common Gulls - amongst them two adult MEDITERRANEAN GULLS in full breeding plumage. I failed to find Steve Murray's first-year Little Gull.
Sunday, 10 March 2013
Pictures from Chesham Fishing Lakes this e
Although I missed the two GREYLAG GEESE, it gave me the opportunity to practise with my new camera....
MEDITERRANEAN and BALTIC GULL at Hedgerley Landfill Site whilst 2 GREYLAG GEESE pause briefly at Chesham Fishing Lakes
SATURDAY 9 MARCH
Following last weeks brief burst of spring weather, Winter returned with a vengeance this weekend, with very cold Easterly winds blasting in from the Continent pegging temperatures back to just above freezing. Skies were largely grey and overcast
Due to Highways Agency commitments, my birding day was limited to post 1530 hours, by which time virtually all of the day's goodies had passed through - eg, Pintails in Bedfordshire and Little Gull, Pintails and Dunlin in the Tring Area. Also unbeknown to me at the time was a Pied Avocet at Marlow, frustratingly twitchable for just under two hours.
Anyway, just as I was available, Lol Carman notified me of an adult KITTIWAKE in Bedfordshire at GROVEBURY PIT, LEIGHTON BUZZARD - so that was where I headed. Within half an hour, I joined Rob Dazley and Johnny Lynch at the mud-infested site, where the KITTIWAKE in full breeding plumage was affording some reasonable views. Two YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS, an adult and first-winter, were also in the roost, whilst a drake GOOSANDER and 3 COMMON SHELDUCK were also present. At 1650 hours, the distinctive whistle of a EURASIAN CURLEW was heard, and flying around we quickly picked up three birds in flight, seemingly trying to find somewhere to land. The calls continued for the next five minutes as the three birds wheeled around when suddenly a fourth bird joined them from the ground, this increasing to an exceptional EIGHT when I latched onto them again, some time later. All eight eventually landed on the east side of the pit (much to Bob & Lol's delight), the pit also attracting a flock of 5 Oystercatchers. Also noted were a flock of 32 Linnets.
I returned to the Tring Area (Herts) and joined David Bilcock and Jenny Wallington on the concrete pad at WILSTONE RESERVOIR. The ten Pintails from earlier had gone but most impressive was the gull roost - the best and varied I had seen it this year. Although Black-headed Gulls probably numbered no more than 1,200 birds, three different MEDITERRANEAN GULLS were with them - two adults in breeding plumage and a 2nd-winter - as well as 46 Common Gulls. Large white-headed gulls were well represented, with an exceptional 43 Lesser Black-backed and two Argenteus Herring Gulls (a first-year and a fourth-year). DB was just commenting upon KITTIWAKE occurrences when I came face-to-face with an adult in my 'scope - another pristine adult in full breeding plumage. Dave quickly got on to it and over the next half hour or more prior to dusk, it showed well, frequently being chased by Lesser Black-backed and Common Gulls. It seemed to frighten the Black-headed Gulls too as it hastened to land, and was heard calling on at least two occasions.
Whilst we were stood on the bank, two Common Starling flocks totalling some 330 birds flew east towards dusk.
SUNDAY 10 MARCH
A further deterioation in the weather with a swing in the wind to an incredibly biting north-easterly - it was raw and felt absolutely mind-numbing freezing in the field. There were a few light snow flurries in the wind and it remained grey and overcast, with temperatures failing to rise above 2 degrees C.
I spent the first couple of hours (1030-1230) of my birding day at HEDGERLEY LANDFILL SITE (BUCKS), trying to locate the recent adult Iceland Gull but again it was nowhere to be seen. Gull numbers had dwindled to around 3,000, with perhaps 750 large white-headed gulls still present. Just 2 Great Black-backed Gulls were identified (an adult and a first-year) and 250 Lesser Black-backed, whilst predominantly Argenteus Herring Gull numbered 462 (the majority juveniles). Amongst the Black-headed Gull throng was a nice breeding-plumaged adult MEDITERRANEAN GULL but most interesting of all was an apparent adult breeding-plumaged BALTIC GULL (form fuscus), standing out like a sore thumb from the other Lesser Black-backed Gulls present. It was like a miniature Great Black-backed Gull in appearance, with very black upperwings leading to little contrast with the wing-tips. It was also strikingly smaller, shorter-legged and longer-winged, with a smaller rounded contrasting clean-white head. It was quite small-billed by comparison and had a more 'gential' feel about it. Sadly, it was bearing no rings, so ruling it out from the blackest intermedius was not possible, but I did get a few distant record shots of it as it fed amongst the rubbish clearly illustrating its blackness and easy detection. In flight, the upperwings appeared all black with no contrast, with the thin white trailing edge to the secondaries and inner primaries and hardly any evidence of white tipping to the outer primaries. It just had to be a fuscus it was so distinctive.
Frozen to the core, I warmed up in the car and drove the 27 miles west to PORT MEADOW in OXFORD (OXFORDSHIRE), which was in absolutely superb condition. Undoubted highlight was the presence of 6 PIED AVOCETS, noisily moving back and forth over the flood. Other waders present included 200+ European Golden Plovers, a single Oystercatcher and 4 Ringed Plovers, whilst the huge numbers of wildfowl present included 604 Common Teal, 698 Wigeon, a few Shoveler and 18 PINTAIL. A flock of 6 GOOSANDER (3 adult drakes) was also present.
Following the presence of a small flock of Sand Martins at midday, I stopped off at SPADE OAK PIT (LITTLE MARLOW) (BUCKS) on my way back but the only evidence of migration in the bitter wind was the flock of 14 Pied Wagtails on the far spit. The massive gull roost held no less than 3 different breeding-plumage MEDITERRANEAN GULLS and 780 Common Gulls, whilst wildfowl highlighted with 2 Common Shelduck and 2 drake PINTAIL.
Last off, I visited CHESHAM FISHING LAKES (BUCKS), where Chris Pontin had seen a pair of GREYLAG GEESE only an hour earlier. They had departed but compensation came in the form of 2 COMMON CHIFFCHAFFS flycatching in the ditch of the smaller lake - my first of the year in the Recording Area
Following last weeks brief burst of spring weather, Winter returned with a vengeance this weekend, with very cold Easterly winds blasting in from the Continent pegging temperatures back to just above freezing. Skies were largely grey and overcast
Due to Highways Agency commitments, my birding day was limited to post 1530 hours, by which time virtually all of the day's goodies had passed through - eg, Pintails in Bedfordshire and Little Gull, Pintails and Dunlin in the Tring Area. Also unbeknown to me at the time was a Pied Avocet at Marlow, frustratingly twitchable for just under two hours.
Anyway, just as I was available, Lol Carman notified me of an adult KITTIWAKE in Bedfordshire at GROVEBURY PIT, LEIGHTON BUZZARD - so that was where I headed. Within half an hour, I joined Rob Dazley and Johnny Lynch at the mud-infested site, where the KITTIWAKE in full breeding plumage was affording some reasonable views. Two YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS, an adult and first-winter, were also in the roost, whilst a drake GOOSANDER and 3 COMMON SHELDUCK were also present. At 1650 hours, the distinctive whistle of a EURASIAN CURLEW was heard, and flying around we quickly picked up three birds in flight, seemingly trying to find somewhere to land. The calls continued for the next five minutes as the three birds wheeled around when suddenly a fourth bird joined them from the ground, this increasing to an exceptional EIGHT when I latched onto them again, some time later. All eight eventually landed on the east side of the pit (much to Bob & Lol's delight), the pit also attracting a flock of 5 Oystercatchers. Also noted were a flock of 32 Linnets.
I returned to the Tring Area (Herts) and joined David Bilcock and Jenny Wallington on the concrete pad at WILSTONE RESERVOIR. The ten Pintails from earlier had gone but most impressive was the gull roost - the best and varied I had seen it this year. Although Black-headed Gulls probably numbered no more than 1,200 birds, three different MEDITERRANEAN GULLS were with them - two adults in breeding plumage and a 2nd-winter - as well as 46 Common Gulls. Large white-headed gulls were well represented, with an exceptional 43 Lesser Black-backed and two Argenteus Herring Gulls (a first-year and a fourth-year). DB was just commenting upon KITTIWAKE occurrences when I came face-to-face with an adult in my 'scope - another pristine adult in full breeding plumage. Dave quickly got on to it and over the next half hour or more prior to dusk, it showed well, frequently being chased by Lesser Black-backed and Common Gulls. It seemed to frighten the Black-headed Gulls too as it hastened to land, and was heard calling on at least two occasions.
Whilst we were stood on the bank, two Common Starling flocks totalling some 330 birds flew east towards dusk.
SUNDAY 10 MARCH
A further deterioation in the weather with a swing in the wind to an incredibly biting north-easterly - it was raw and felt absolutely mind-numbing freezing in the field. There were a few light snow flurries in the wind and it remained grey and overcast, with temperatures failing to rise above 2 degrees C.
I spent the first couple of hours (1030-1230) of my birding day at HEDGERLEY LANDFILL SITE (BUCKS), trying to locate the recent adult Iceland Gull but again it was nowhere to be seen. Gull numbers had dwindled to around 3,000, with perhaps 750 large white-headed gulls still present. Just 2 Great Black-backed Gulls were identified (an adult and a first-year) and 250 Lesser Black-backed, whilst predominantly Argenteus Herring Gull numbered 462 (the majority juveniles). Amongst the Black-headed Gull throng was a nice breeding-plumaged adult MEDITERRANEAN GULL but most interesting of all was an apparent adult breeding-plumaged BALTIC GULL (form fuscus), standing out like a sore thumb from the other Lesser Black-backed Gulls present. It was like a miniature Great Black-backed Gull in appearance, with very black upperwings leading to little contrast with the wing-tips. It was also strikingly smaller, shorter-legged and longer-winged, with a smaller rounded contrasting clean-white head. It was quite small-billed by comparison and had a more 'gential' feel about it. Sadly, it was bearing no rings, so ruling it out from the blackest intermedius was not possible, but I did get a few distant record shots of it as it fed amongst the rubbish clearly illustrating its blackness and easy detection. In flight, the upperwings appeared all black with no contrast, with the thin white trailing edge to the secondaries and inner primaries and hardly any evidence of white tipping to the outer primaries. It just had to be a fuscus it was so distinctive.
Frozen to the core, I warmed up in the car and drove the 27 miles west to PORT MEADOW in OXFORD (OXFORDSHIRE), which was in absolutely superb condition. Undoubted highlight was the presence of 6 PIED AVOCETS, noisily moving back and forth over the flood. Other waders present included 200+ European Golden Plovers, a single Oystercatcher and 4 Ringed Plovers, whilst the huge numbers of wildfowl present included 604 Common Teal, 698 Wigeon, a few Shoveler and 18 PINTAIL. A flock of 6 GOOSANDER (3 adult drakes) was also present.
Following the presence of a small flock of Sand Martins at midday, I stopped off at SPADE OAK PIT (LITTLE MARLOW) (BUCKS) on my way back but the only evidence of migration in the bitter wind was the flock of 14 Pied Wagtails on the far spit. The massive gull roost held no less than 3 different breeding-plumage MEDITERRANEAN GULLS and 780 Common Gulls, whilst wildfowl highlighted with 2 Common Shelduck and 2 drake PINTAIL.
Last off, I visited CHESHAM FISHING LAKES (BUCKS), where Chris Pontin had seen a pair of GREYLAG GEESE only an hour earlier. They had departed but compensation came in the form of 2 COMMON CHIFFCHAFFS flycatching in the ditch of the smaller lake - my first of the year in the Recording Area
Sunday, 3 March 2013
Very quiet
Not a lot going on at the moment with GREAT CRESTED GREBES returning to Chesham Fishing Lakes (Chris Pontin) and a GREEN SANDPIPER on the Chess at Frogmore (Joan Thompson).
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