Another new year and Spring is upon us as first NORTHERN WHEATEARS arrive

Well it has been a fairly quiet winter locally with little of interest being recorded.......

 

Apart from up to 4 BITTERNS and the odd flyover GOOSANDER, the RESERVOIRS proved very hard work

 

Since February when Dave Bilcock photographed an immature/female MERLIN near WILSTONE CEMETERY, highlights have been a first-winter CASPIAN GULL in the roost one night (5th March), an unprecedented 32 KITTIWAKES in the roost (6th March), no fewer than 7 MEDITERRANEAN GULLS in February, a 20-year record of just under 200 HERRING GULLS in February, a pair of COMMON STONECHATS in Rushy Meadow for 3 weeks (to 1st March) and a female in Cemetery Corner on 4th March, two pairs of GARGANEY on 11 March and up to 50 SAND MARTINS since the first on 5th

 

The first NORTHERN WHEATEARS arrived today on the Hills, with a pair at PITSTONE HILL with a female COMMON STONECHAT (the second migrant this month following a male on 11th). Meanwhile, IVINGHOE BEACON has been particularly quiet, with just a daily passage of Meadow Pipit and Common Gull in recent days

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)