BRAMBLINGS

MONDAY 28 NOVEMBER

 Up to 8 BRAMBLING are with 40 Chaffinches in the Beech trees about half a mile back towards Ringshall from the main car park

A morning of WOODPIGEONS and FIELDFARES

THURSDAY 3RD NOVEMBER

 

A thick frost at dawn at home in LITTLE CHALFONT, where over the next hour, no fewer than 728 WOODPIGEON tracked west during the first hour of daylight - 0645-0745. This was my second movement of this species in a week, following the 1,043 I logged also migrating slightly west of south on 28th October.

 

Anyhow, expecting a bumper movement, I headed straight to IVINGHOE BEACON, watching the visible migration there from 0837-1115 hours. There were WOODPIGEONS moving, but in nothing like the number I expected - just 295 passing over, with the largest single flock of 84 - all on a southerly trajectory (see photographs below).

 

What was more impressive however was the FIELDFARE migration - 361 in total including a single flock of 260 (see image). Just 6 REDWING and 13 Common Starling, while 2 EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER also flew west. Little else of note bar a few Chaffinch, Skylark & Yellowhammer - Red Kite, a Jay and 5 Goldcrest in the car park.

 

Down at WILSTONE RESERVOIR, the adult drake FERRUGINOUS DUCK was wide awake and feeding and still keeping close to the Drayton Bank. Still plenty of wildfowl to see, including 213 Shoveler and the long-staying GARGANEY. Little Grebe had increased to 7, Little Egret were down to 2, 27 Cormorant, 27 Mute Swan, 147 European Golden Plover, 3 Grey Wagtail, Common Kingfisher and 5 Redwing.

 

The adult drake RING-NECKED DUCK was performing well on STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR, with 17 Great Crested Grebe, 26 Wigeon, 8 Teal, 2 Shoveler, 17 Pochard, 53 Tufted Duck, 7 Mute Swan (including 4BTM as well as 3 first-years), 94 Coot, 8 Moorhen, Little Egret and Grey Wagtail also noted. Little on TRINGFORD RESERVOIR other than the two resident Mute Swans, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Little Grebe, 24 Coot, 24 Teal, 15 Tufted Duck & 4 Pochard and just marginally more on MARSWORTH, with Common Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Water Rail, 2 Great Crested Grebe, Red Kite and 21 Shoveler (pictured)

The first signs of WOODPIGEON passage, more Winter Thrushes, BRAMBLINGS and a hefty STARLING passage

I had just arrived at the Beacon this morning than no sooner I get a text informing me of 5 WHOOPER SWANS on WILSTONE. Rushed immediately down but arrived at the car park just in time to miss them - the four adults and one juvenile flying off SE at 0920! Their arrival followed that of 9 last night at Foxcote Reservoir, Buckingham, as well as a widespread arrival elsewhere. Had a good look around whilst I was there but no sign of the Ring-necked Duck (it had apparently relocated to Startop's) and just 125 EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER on the mud by the hide, 96 Shoveler, a mammoth 533 Teal, the Common Kingfisher, 3 Grey Wagtail and 4 Little Grebe.

 

I then returned to IVINGHOE BEACON and did a VizMig Watch from 1015 through to 1300 hours. A nice and varied passage followed -:

 

11 Goldcrest (noticeable arrival)

113 Fieldfare

69 Redwing

143 Common Starling

36 Chaffinch

4 BRAMBLING

1 REDPOLL

2 CORN BUNTINGS

1 Yellowhammer

36 Skylark

Stock Dove

11 Woodpigeon (the first evidence of any movement this autumn)

2 Bullfinch

FIELDFARES flooding over

20 OCTOBER 2016

 

Flitted over to WILSTONE RESERVOIR first thing, after Roy Hargreaves had discovered a drake RING-NECKED DUCK yesterday morning - presumably the same bird Ian Williams had found last autumn and remained throughout October 2015. A small crowd had gathered on the jetty, including Francis Buckle, Tony Hukin & Lucy Flower, the duck performing impeccably not that far out. It was diving non-stop and resurfacing with weed, allowing me to obtain a large series of images during the hour or so I observed it (see below). Wildfowl numbers were still fairly high, especially of Teal, Tufted Duck & Pochard, while 4 RED-CRESTED POCHARD were by the Drayton Hide (two pairs) and the two remaining PINTAIL. A flock of 86 EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER landed briefly on the mud, while 3 of the JACK SNIPE were seen, including one that was forced out by the 2 Water Rails patrolling the reed edge right out into the open (see also below). Otherwise, much the same as usual - 8 Little Egrets, the 'tame' Common Kingfisher fishing from the bank, several Red Kites and 2 migrant SISKINS.

 

It was migrating FIELDFARES however that really made my day - masses of them. At IVINGHOE BEACON, I counted no less than 2,628 in 5 hours - streaming north in single flocks of up to 274 birds! And streaming NORTH - that was a surprise, particularly as that was the wind direction in which they were flying into. Migration is such a magnificent thing - so wonderful and always full of surprises! Just 198 REDWING were associated with the movement and a handful of Chaffinches, as well as 21 Yellowhammers, my largest passage of the autumn. A pair of MARSH TITS showed well in Top Scrub, as well as 4+ Jays and Great Spotted & Green Woodpeckers - 2 Bullfinch too.

PEREGRINE only recent highlight

At IVINGHOE BEACON, little of note in recent days, although juvenile PEREGRINE, 4 COMMON STONECHATS and 9 Redwing noted on 13th October.

Not a lot to report locally either I am afraid. The continuing highlight is the presence of up to 4 JACK SNIPES feeding along the muddy reedbed fringe of WILSTONE RESERVOIR in Cemetery Corner (see image below for location but basically first reedbed right of largest bay looking across from jetty bench). A couple of Water Rail also feeding in this area, with wildfowl numbers still high, including 454 Common Teal & 94 Shoveler but only 2 Pintail remaining and a single GARGANEY. A few Grey Wagtails about and the odd migrant Skylark and Meadow Pipit overhead. A further 68 Shoveler feeding on MARSWORTH RESERVOIR.

 

Dave Bilcock informs me that the drake GREATER SCAUP is back on STARTOP'S, in pretty much full eclipse, while Richard Whitehead had 150 European Golden Plover over WILSTONE yesterday

Another wave of thrushes brings numerous RING OUZELS

MONDAY 10 OCTOBER

 

The continuing East/NE winds resulted in another large arrival of thrushes on IVINGHOE HILLS, involving at least 300 REDWING, several Continental Song Thrush and perhaps 8 RING OUZEL. The latter included two very elusive birds in the Whitebeam by the S bend, one in Top Scrub, another 2 in Inkombe Hole and 3 on Steps Hill. Eight COMMON STONECHAT included a 'new' bird on the Beacon scrub, with the 3 along the fenceline to the sheep pens and 4 still above Inkombe, while 80 Meadow Pipit were noted, a constant trickle of Chaffinch, a honking COMMON RAVEN over, a single Blackcap in Top Scrub and a Marsh Tit there. Little to add at PITSTONE HILL other than 45 Linnet, although 3 Fallow Deer as I drove back through ASHRIDGE FOREST were novel.

 

TUES/WEDS 11-12 OCTOBER

 

Roy Hargreaves discovered 4 JACK SNIPES on the mud in Cemetery Corner at WILSTONE on Tuesday and at least 3 of these remained today. A single elusive SCANDINAVIAN ROCK PIPIT has also been on the reservoir