MONDAY 13 FEBRUARY
The northerly wind increased today with afternoon temperatures reaching 7 degrees. The wind also bought some rain, much of the lying snow being washed away.
MILLFIELDS ALLOTMENTS, CHESHAM WATERSIDE (BUCKS)
No sign of any Water Rails but a single Little Egret, 3 Moorhens, 60 Redwings and a superb perched COMMON KINGFISHER by the stream
WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)
Still massively covered by a layer of ice but melting at the edges and affording wildfowl with some good welcome feeding opportunities. The big story was the Common Teal numbers - no less than 657 dabbling around the edges, one of my largest counts of this species at Wilstone ever. Also 273 Eurasian Wigeon.
The BLACK-TAILED GODWIT was showing very well once again - this time in the NW corner, Dave Hutchinson obtaining some exceptional images of it (see above). Closeby, the single DUNLIN was feeding along the vegetated edge.
The ice-free patch held a single female Common Goldeneye, whilst other species noted included 3 argenteus HERRING GULLS (a 3rd-winter and two juveniles), 25 Fieldfares and 24 Linnets.
An adult female PEREGRINE was showing very well from the Drayton Hide, flying occasional sorties from the tall Poplar trees. I did not see her catching anything but it was the Teal she had her eyes on.
In the Cemetery Corner Fields, the DARK-BELLIED BRENT was with the 70 Greylags but the Atlantic Canada Geese flock had multiplied to 166 birds. A single white goose was also with them.
STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR (HERTS)
Both the redhead SMEW and SNOW BUNTING were still present, with Northern Pochard numbering 196.
A BITTERN was still apparently alive on MARSWORTH but I missed it as it flew the length of the reedbed.
RINGSHALL (HERTS)
A quick jaunt through the forest searching for Woodcock yielded 2 Nuthatch, 4 Coal Tit, 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Jay.
BENINGTON (HERTS)
Thanks to Kathy Sharman and Darrel Bryant, I took a trip over to Benington to see the BARN OWLS. They were late appearing this evening (1650 hours) but once out put on a fantastic display, hunting for Field Voles in the grass. The site is adjacent to Watton Place Clinic and is situated to the north of the village - at TL 306 238. The birds remained in view for half an hour.
I also saw Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Great Spotted Woodpecker on the common
*LATE NEWS FOR SUNDAY*
The pipit that Dan Forder had photographed just prior to me meeting him at the WATER END tributary bridge on Sunday afternoon was incredibly a WATER PIPIT - a very rare bird in the area these days.
The northerly wind increased today with afternoon temperatures reaching 7 degrees. The wind also bought some rain, much of the lying snow being washed away.
MILLFIELDS ALLOTMENTS, CHESHAM WATERSIDE (BUCKS)
No sign of any Water Rails but a single Little Egret, 3 Moorhens, 60 Redwings and a superb perched COMMON KINGFISHER by the stream
WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)
Still massively covered by a layer of ice but melting at the edges and affording wildfowl with some good welcome feeding opportunities. The big story was the Common Teal numbers - no less than 657 dabbling around the edges, one of my largest counts of this species at Wilstone ever. Also 273 Eurasian Wigeon.
The BLACK-TAILED GODWIT was showing very well once again - this time in the NW corner, Dave Hutchinson obtaining some exceptional images of it (see above). Closeby, the single DUNLIN was feeding along the vegetated edge.
The ice-free patch held a single female Common Goldeneye, whilst other species noted included 3 argenteus HERRING GULLS (a 3rd-winter and two juveniles), 25 Fieldfares and 24 Linnets.
An adult female PEREGRINE was showing very well from the Drayton Hide, flying occasional sorties from the tall Poplar trees. I did not see her catching anything but it was the Teal she had her eyes on.
In the Cemetery Corner Fields, the DARK-BELLIED BRENT was with the 70 Greylags but the Atlantic Canada Geese flock had multiplied to 166 birds. A single white goose was also with them.
STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR (HERTS)
Both the redhead SMEW and SNOW BUNTING were still present, with Northern Pochard numbering 196.
A BITTERN was still apparently alive on MARSWORTH but I missed it as it flew the length of the reedbed.
RINGSHALL (HERTS)
A quick jaunt through the forest searching for Woodcock yielded 2 Nuthatch, 4 Coal Tit, 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Jay.
BENINGTON (HERTS)
Thanks to Kathy Sharman and Darrel Bryant, I took a trip over to Benington to see the BARN OWLS. They were late appearing this evening (1650 hours) but once out put on a fantastic display, hunting for Field Voles in the grass. The site is adjacent to Watton Place Clinic and is situated to the north of the village - at TL 306 238. The birds remained in view for half an hour.
I also saw Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Great Spotted Woodpecker on the common
*LATE NEWS FOR SUNDAY*
The pipit that Dan Forder had photographed just prior to me meeting him at the WATER END tributary bridge on Sunday afternoon was incredibly a WATER PIPIT - a very rare bird in the area these days.
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