Tuesday 21 October 2008


TUESDAY 21 OCTOBER 2008

(Dry with bright periods and a mild SW airflow)

TRING RESERVOIRS (afternoon visit)

Generally very quiet with little of note apart from a continuing DUNLIN and a marked increase in Golden Plover numbers. Startopsend Reservoir continues to drop in level with the recent heavy rain providing some much needed 'new' pools on Wilstone.

WILSTONE RESERVOIR

Great Crested Grebes (25)
Little Grebes (7)
Mute Swans (down to 18)
WHOOPER SWANS (adult pair still)
Common Teal (201)
Eurasian Wigeon (87)
NORTHERN PINTAIL (7 still including 4 adult drakes)
Northern Shoveler (118 mainly roosting on central spit)
Northern Pochard (85+)
Tufted Ducks (92+)
Common Coot (537 click-counted)

Lapwings (512)
EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVERS (202 roosting on mud)
DUNLIN - 1 remaining
Common Snipe (only 2)

Common Buzzard (2 over)

STARTOPSEND RESERVOIR

Great Crested Grebes (9), Common Teal (19), Shoveler (49) & Pochard (24)

PITSTONE QUARRY

Little Grebes (9) and Pochard (15)

IVINGHOE HILLS NR

3 COMMON STONECHATS in the Sheep Pens but nothing else of note

ASHRIDGE FOREST

Large stag FALLOW DEER on road. The Ashridge stags are now in rut (Mike Collard obtained the excellent image above)

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