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

A fall of RING OUZEL but still no Yellow-brow

With over 600 being seen around the country, including several inland, there really must be a Yellow-browed Warbler somewhere in the Chiltern Hill escarpment. With this in mind, I did another full day's birding in the area, but to no avail....

 

Mike Wallen had seen a MARSH HARRIER shortly after dawn but in the three hour stint I did at IVINGHOE HILLS, the highlight was a fall of RING OUZEL. Five in total, and all feeding in the same Whitebeam at the far end of Inkombe Hole. Francis and Tony Hukin twitched them but saw them just briefly, seemingly leaving to the West.......

 

Otherwise, at least 40 REDWINGS in Top Scrub/Inkombe, at least 18 CONTINENTAL SONG THRUSHES, 5 Mistle Thrushes, 8 Common Blackbird, a light Chaffinch passage, 70 Goldfinch (on Steps Hill), 21 Skylark, 3 Jays, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Inkombe) and the 7 COMMON STONECHATS still, with 4 on Steps Hill and the 3 at the Sheep Pens. Top Scrub also held up to 6 Bullfinch, a Marsh Tit, 7 Blue Tits, Green Woodpecker and 5 Robins, while Linnet and 2 Yellowhammer were by Steps and the recently ploughed field at the bottom of the slope held 260 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 42 Carrion Crow, 38 Jackdaw and a single Rook.

I did the full circuit of COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT. Extensive work on the marsh meant that birds there were few & far between but on the main lake, waterbirds consisted of just 2 Mute Swan, 4 Eurasian Wigeon, 26 Tufted Duck, 5 Northern Pochard, 27 Coot and 70 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. On the outskirts, 4 Jay, Green Woodpecker, 7 Linnet, 8 Meadow Pipit, 2 Kestrel and 5 COMMON STONECHAT in the weedy field in the NW corner.

 

No change at WILSTONE RESERVOIR with just the 3 GARGANEY and a Common Sandpiper.

 

Most unexpected was a flock of 8 RING-NECKED PARAKEETS in RINGSHALL VILLAGE, feeding on Apple trees in the front garden of one house. I have never seen them here before.

First REDWINGS of the autumn

MONDAY 3 OCTOBER

 

With a forecast of light southerly winds and clear skies, I didn't have high expectations for IVINGHOE BEACON & environs this morning. I did the usual circuit while Mike Wallen & Rob Hill did the VizMig from the small hillock just beyond the S bend. The car park slope held a single Common Chiffchaff, Dunnock and 3 Common Blackbirds while at least 9 Robin were on territory, marking out their areas by singing. A very small number of Meadow Pipit were moving, as well as just 2 Linnet, with the 3 COMMON STONECHAT on the fenceline by the sheep pens. Two Jays were seen.

 

STEPS HILL saw the addition of 4 more COMMON STONECHATS (in scrub at the top of Inkombe Hole), while 3 European Barn Swallow, 2 Bullfinch and a Song Thrush were noted in TOP SCRUB. In fact, I caught up with Rob Hill here and was flabbergasted by what he and Mike had seen while I had been searching for a migrant Yellow-browed Warbler. They had seen well over 400 REDWING go over, including a single flock of 160, plus Brambling and Lesser Redpoll. MW had also seen a MERLIN. Anyhow, we stood chatting for a while and eventually a single REDWING dropped in - my first of the autumn! (photographed below). At this point we were joined by Francis Buckle.

 

Francis & I then decided to check PITSTONE HILL, in the hope that the Redwings had dropped down there. They hadn't unfortunately and the only migrants we managed were a single EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER and two first-winter NORTHERN WHEATEARS. A few Meadow Pipits were about, 6 Yellowhammer, a flock of 48 Linnet, 16 Skylark, Green Woodpecker, Common Buzzard (below) and 2 BLACKCAPS. Still quite a few butterflies on the wing, including Red Admirals, Comma, Small Heath & Speckled Woods.

 

Very quiet at WILSTONE RESERVOIR with nothing new in. Highlight was the 3 continuing GARGANEY, with 178 Eurasian Wigeon, 29 Gadwall, 334 Teal, 96 Shoveler, 23 Mute Swans, 13 Great Crested Grebe, 8 Little Egret, 182 Lapwing, 398 Black-headed Gull and 3 Grey Wagtail