Wednesday 15 July 2015

Post-breeding waders arriving....

Steve Rodwell and I had 3 adult male ICELANDIC BLACK-TAILED GODWITS in PITSTONE QUARRY this afternoon, as well as 21 LITTLE RINGED PLOVERS (13 juveniles) and 17 Lapwing; also 84 Black-headed Gulls (6 juveniles) while Steve had a flyover COMMON CROSSBILL. Just look at that extensive mud....






At nearby TRING RESERVOIRS, WILSTONE supported my first GREEN SANDPIPER of the year - in the bay by the hide - whilst the autumn's second COMMON GREENSHANK was to the right of the hide, 122 Lapwing, 11 Little Egret, 8 Common Tern, 19+ Mute Swan, the continuing adult Australian Black Swan, 9 Pochard, 537 Coot, 3 Common Kingfisher and several Grey Wagtails.

STARTOP'S END yielded a further 122 Coot, 24 Mute Swans, 4 Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 9 Pied Wagtails (mostly juveniles) and 3+ Grey Wagtails, with TRINGFORD adding 66 more Coot, 35 Tufted Duck, another Kingfisher and 2 Common Chiffchaffs. The Mute Swan pair there have only managed 2 cygnets this year compared to 8 last year!

On MARSWORTH, a family party of 5 SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS was hunting insects from the Poplars, with an adult OYSTERCATCHER noisily flying around and 12 Great Crested Grebes (7 juveniles).

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