Tuesday 5 August 2008

August 2008

All sightings LGRE unless otherwise acknowledged

5 August 2008
(SW4; occasional rain)

Wilstone Reservoir
Early morning saw a juvenile Little Egret, the Red-crested Pochard and single Green Sandpiper present (Roy Hargreaves).

4 August 2008
Adult BLACK TERN still present on Wilstone (Roy Hargreaves)

3 August 2008
(1100-1300 hours; with Dave Bilcock) Wilstone Reservoir

Highlights: adult BLACK TERN

Great Crested Grebe: 17
Sinensis Cormorant - 31
Mute Swan - 73 adults
Greylag & Canada Geese - both present
Mallard - 313
Gadwall - 13
Common Teal - 2
Northern Shoveler - 2 remain
Tufted Duck - 97
Northern Pochard - 11 including 2 juveniles fledged locally
RED-CRESTED POCHARD - long-staying eclipse drake still present (note that the pair bred this year fledging 1 young)
RUDDY DUCK - 3 present (2 adult drakes & a female)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Lapwing - 141
COMMON SANDPIPER - 3
GREEN SANDPIPER - 2 adults
Black-headed Gulls - 133 including 38 juveniles
Common Tern - 8 remaining
BLACK TERN - moulting adult appeared in front of Drayton Bank Hide at 1136
COMMON SWIFT - 2
HOUSE MARTIN - impressive count of 93 birds

Dave Bilcock saw both ICELANDIC BLACK-TAILED GODWITS early morning

(moulting male WHINCHAT nearby at Ivinghoe Hills NR, on fenceline below main car park - Dave Bilcock/LGRE/Francis Buckle)

SATURDAY 2 AUGUST

Great Crested Grebe - 17
Mute Swan - 65
Common Teal - 2
Gadwall - 22
Northern Pochard - 8 including 2 juveniles
Red-crested Pochard - eclipse drake still present
Ruddy Duck - 6 present (bred this year, fledging 2 & 5 young respectively)
DUNLIN - adult in breeding plumage roosting on causeway (DB, WC only)
COMMON SANDPIPER - 3
GREEN SANDPIPER - 2 adults
ICELANDIC BLACK-TAILED GODWITS: 2 adults, one in full breeding plumage and the other moulting, showing well in front of the hide up until 1800 hours (Dave Bilcock, Warren Claydon, LGRE, Mike & Rose Collard, et al) (see Mike Collard's image below).
Black-headed Gull - 202 present including 37 juveniles
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2 adults
Common Terns - 8
House Martin - 24
Common Chiffchaff - 4

1 August 2008
Wilstone Reservoir

HOBBY, 1 GREEN SANDPIPER and 2 Common Sandpipers (Jeff Bailey)

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