Friday 15 July 2011

COMMON REDSTART at last

FRIDAY 15 JULY

In the sunshine, temperatures were high and as the day wore on, fresher conditions and increasing winds spread from the southwest. It became increasingly overcast during the day.......

INKOMBE HOLE, STEPS HILL, IVINGHOE HILLS NR (BUCKS)

With six COMMON REDSTARTS already recorded in the county this autumn, I finally struck lucky today and found a moulting, rather scruffy male in Inkombe Hole this morning. The bird was frequenting the scrub either side of the 'orange-rolling' slope and was initially located on call; it barely moved more than 20 yards and kept commuting between two patches of vegetation. It was typically elusive.

There was also a migrant adult WILLOW WARBLER in the Hole, a Lesser Whitethroat and a family party of 5 Common Whitethroats, as well as a flyover HOBBY, 2 Common Kestrels, 18 Linnets, Red Admiral, 3 Commas and on wires by the Pitstone Hill car park, a 'jangling' male CORN BUNTING.

At nearby Gallows Hill, good numbers of CHALKHILL BLUE butterflies were on the wing (35+), along with several Small Heath, Ringlet and a Red Admiral.

WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)

A 1230 hours visit produced a Gatekeeper butterfly in the car park, an astounding 13 LITTLE EGRETS, 38 Mute Swans, 28 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Eurasian Wigeon and 169 Lapwings

TOTTERNHOE (BEDFORDSHIRE)

There was no sight nor sound of the Quail along the lane, just 3 singing CORN BUNTINGS, but in Church Green cul-de-sac, a House Martin colony held 6 active nests.

No comments: