2009:
Wed 30 Dec Wilstone: pm: pm: 1 ad. Great Black-backed Gull and 1 Herring Gull in gull roost, 1Little Egret (Steve Rodwell); plus Redshank, M Goldeneye (Jeff Bailey HBC)
Tue 29 Dec Wilstone: am: M Pintail, Redshank (Steve Rodwell); pm: 121 Common Gulls, 14 Lesser Black Backed Gulls and 5 Herring Gulls in gull roost, 1Little Egret (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 29 Dec Startopsend: am: F Red-crested Pochard (Steve Rodwell)
Mon 28 Dec Wilstone: early am: F Ruddy Shelduck,
4 Goldeneye (3M 1F) (David Bilcock); late am: (FoTR Christmas Walk) 4 Goldeneye, 1 Egyptian Goose, 1 Redshank (Keith Evans and others); 2 Herring Gulls in gull roost (Steve Rodwell); plus 15 Golden Plover (Drew Lyness HBC)
Mon 28 Dec Startopsend: F Pintail (Drew Lyness HBC)
Mon 28 Dec Marsworth: Bittern showed quite well opposite the hide (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 27 Dec Wilstone: 2 Herring Gulls & 32 Lesser Black-backed Gulls in gull roost (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 27 Dec Marsworth: late pm: Bittern (at 16:20) (David Bilcock)
Sat 26 Dec Wilstone: 2 M Goldeneye, Redshank (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 26 Dec Startopsend: F Pintail (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 26 Dec Marsworth: late am: Kingfisher on adjacent canal (Chris Needham)
Wed 23 Dec Wilstone: early am: Little Egret (Roy Hargreaves); pm: M Hen Harrier nr. car park (Stuart Wilson/Steve Rodwell via Roy Hargreaves)
Tue 22 Dec Wilstone: early am: 1 Little Egret, 2 M Goldeneye (Roy Hargreaves)
Tue 22 Dec Marsworth: late pm: Bittern (at 16.22) (Steve Rodwell)
Mon 21 Dec Wilstone: 92 Common Gulls in gull roost (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 20 Dec Wilstone: 280 Golden Plovers, 1 M Goldeneye, 2 Little Egret (in fields opposite car park), 15+ Meadow Pipits, Chiffchaff in scrub near overflow (Charlie Jackson); late am: 3 Goldeneye, plus 6 Lesser Redpolls nr. car park (briefly) ((Steve Rodwell via Joan Thompson); plus Redshank, Red Kite (Jeff Bailey HBC)
Sun 20 Dec Startopsend: the F Red Creseted Pochard (Steve Rodwell via Joan Thompson)
Sun 20 Dec Marsworth: 2 Kingfishers (Charlie Jackson) ;late pm: Great White Egret over (landed briefly at Tringford), Bittern to roost at 16.30 (Mike Wallen, David Bilcock and others); plus Water Rail (Mike Wallen)
Sat 19 Dec Wilstone: 2 Redshank (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 19 Dec Startopsend: 2 Redshank (from Wilstone) (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 19 Dec Marsworth: Bittern flying to roost, first to N band then to S bank (at 16.20 - much of res. frozen) (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 18 Dec Marsworth: Bittern (went to roost at 16.12) (Steve Rodwell)
Wed 16 Dec Wilstone: early am: Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Redshank, plus 1 or 2 Egyptian Geese (2nd may have been Egyptian Goose X Ruddy Shelduck) (Roy Hargreaves)
Mon 14 Dec Wilstone: early am: 2 Redshank, 2 Ruff (juv./first-winter), 50 Meadow Pipits (Roy Hargreaves)
Sun 13 Dec Wilstone: 2 Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, plus second-winter Mediterranean Gull & the 'White' Back-headed Gull in gull roost (Steve Rodwell); Woodcock flushed, 2 Chiffchaffs caught plus the original M and a F Cetti's Warbler (Johne Taylor (Ringing Group))
Sun 13 Dec Startopsend: F Pintail & 2 Redshanks calling (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 13 Dec Marsworth: Bittern showing well at 16.10, plus possible second bird (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 12 Dec Wilstone: early am: 6 Whooper Swans (David Bilcock via Ben Miller); late pm: second-winter Mediterranean Gull in gull roost (Steve Rodwell); Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, 16 Golden Plover (David Wheatcroft HBC); 2 Redshank, 2 Pintail (pair), 600 Lapwing (Joan Thompson HBC); plus 5 Mute Swan, 16 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Little Grebe, 51 Shoveler, 2 M Goldeneye, juv. Herring Gull (Lee Evans)
Sat 12 Dec Startopsend: 9 Mute Swans (including 1 first-winter), 3 Great Crested Grebes, F Red-crested Pochard (from College Lake), 47 Shoveler (disturbed off Marsworth), 1 Wigeon, 11 Common Teal, 1 M Pochard, plus 38 Redwing over (Lee Evans)
Sat 12 Dec Marsworth: 2 Cetti's Warbler singing; & late pm: Bittern (went to roost in Bucks section) (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 11 Dec Wilstone: pm: 2 Redshank, 1 M Pintail, 1 M Goldeneye, plus 20+ Common Gulls in gull roost, plus 1Red Kite (Nick Goss); plus Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Common Snipe, 4 Goldeneye, (3M 1F), 28 Golden Plover (Jeff Bailey HBC)
Thu 10 Dec Wilstone: early am: 2 Redshank, 2 Ruff, plus the usual Lapwings, Golden
Plovers, Snipe and Green Sandpiper (Roy Hargreaves); plus (later): Black-tailed Godwit, 14 Common Snipe, 225 Lapwing, 473+ Golden Plover, F Goldeneye, juv Scaup, 12 Great Crested Grebes (Lee Evans); adult Mediterranean Gull in gull roost (Steve Rodwell); plus Little Owl in tree in fielf opp. car park (Geoff Young HBC); plus 500+ Golden Plover, M Goldeneye, 3 Redshank (Joan Thompson HBC)
Thu 10 Dec Startopsend: 2 Great Crested Grebes, 6 ad. Mute Swan, 1 M Common Teal, 4 Shoveler, 31 Tufted Duck, 1 M Pochard, 12 Moorhen, 1 Redwing (Lee Evans)
Thu 10 Dec Marsworth: 14 Great Crested Grebes, 1 ad. Mute Swan - reed cutting in progress and new rides being created (Lee Evans)
Wed 9 Dec Wilstone: early pm: 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Green Sandpiper, plus 12 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Little Grebe, 15 Cormorant, 6 ad.
Mute Swan, 62
Greylag Geese, 56
Mallard, 18
Gadwall, 94
Shoveler, 411 Wigeon, 368+
Common Teal, 22
Pochard, juv. Scaup, 77
Tufted Duck, M Goldeneye, 3
Common Pheasants (2 M 1 F), 374+
Lapwing, 638 Golden Plover, 6
Common Snipe, 8 Meadow Pipits, 18
Redwing, 1
Fieldfare (Lee Evans)
Tue 8 Dec Wilstone: 15 Common Snipe, Ruff (L Flower HBC)
Tue 8 Dec Marsworth: 80+ Corn Buntings to roost, 1 Woodcock (Tim Hill HBC)
Sun 6 Dec Wilstone: juv Scaup, 1 Redshank (Joan Thompson); Green Sandpiper over, plus 1 Fox (Mike Collard); late pm/dusk: 3 Mediterranean Gulls (1 ad., 2 second-winter) plus the 'white' Black-headed Gull in gull roost (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 5 Dec Wilstone: 2 Mediterranean Gulls (1 ad. 1 second-winter) and the 'albinistic Black-headed Gull in gull roost (David Bilcock)
Sat 5 Dec Tringford: Kingfisher, Red Kite (Nick Goss HBC)
Fri 4 Dec Wilstone: early am: 2 (pair) Smew, juv Scaup, M Goldeneye, Green Sandpiper (Roy Hargreaves); late am/early pm: 12 Great Crested Grebes, 2
Little Grebe, 23 Cormorant, 3
Grey Heron, 10
Mute Swan (inc. 1 first-winter), 62 Greylag Geese, 2 Smew, 9
Gadwall, 27
Shoveler, 317 Wigeon, 96
Common Teal, 28 Pochard, Scaup, 101
Tufted Duck, 2 (pair) Goldeneye, F Goosander 1
Red Kite, 66
Moorhen, 412
Coot, 416
Lapwing, 126 Golden Plover, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Redshank, 2+ Snipe, 53
Black-headed Gull, 8
Common Gull, plus 166
Woodpigeon (57 in fields E of res. & 109 in field opposite Cemetery), Little Owl, 20
Meadow Pipits (in field E of res.), 1
Grey Wagtail, 2
Wren, 5 Song Thrush, 1 Mistle Thrush, 17 Blackbird, 4 Fieldfare (Lee Evans); late pm: 2 Snew (still), plus 2 Mediterranean Gulls (1ad. 1 first-winter) and an 'albinistic Black-headed Gull in gull roost (David Bilcock)
Fri 4 Dec Startopsend: late am/early pm: 3 Great Crested Grebes, 11 Mute Swan (inc. 2 first-winters), 4 Common Teal, 1 M Shoveler, 24 Tufted Duck, 3 M Pochard, 12 Moorhen, 119 Coot (Lee Evans)
Fri 4 Dec Marsworth: late am/early pm: 16 Great Crested Grebe, 109 Shoveler (Lee Evans)
Fri 4 Dec Tringford: late am/early pm: 4 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Little Grebe, 8 Grey Heron, 2 ad. Mute Swan, 8 Common Teal, 32 Tufted Duck, 48 Coot (Lee Evans)
Thu 3 Dec Wilstone: mid/late pm: 11 Great Crested Grebe, 12
Mute Swan, 57
Greylag Geese, 48 Canada Geese, 211
Common Teal, 22
Gadwall, 313 Wigeon, 15
Shoveler, 73
Tufted Duck, 27 Pochard, juv. Scaup, 2 (pair) Goldeneye, 200+
Lapwing, 242 Golden Plover, plus 3,289 birds in the gull roost incl. 2 Mediterranean Gull, (first and second-winter), the albinistic Black-headed Gull, 3,244 Black-headed Gulls, 37 Common Gulls (mostly adults) and 6 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Lee Evans)
Thu 3 Dec Startopsend: 2 Great Crested Grebe, 8
Mute Swan, 1 M
Gadwall, 28
Common Teal, 8
Shoveler, 36 Tufted Duck, 11
Pochard, 173
Coot (Lee Evans)
Thu 3 Dec Marsworth: 18 Great Crested Grebe, 133 Shoveler, 46 Corn Buntings to roost (Lee Evans)
Tue 1 Dec Wilstone: early am: juv Scaup (or is it now a first-winter?), M Goldeneye, 5 Redshank, plus 4 Lesser
Redpoll (nr. cress beds) (Roy Hargreaves); later: 1 Redshank, F Blackcap behind hide, 18 Fieldfare, 1 Goldeneye, 2 Grey Wagtails, plus 1 Little Owl in field right of cemetery track (Nick Goss)
Sat 28 Nov Wilstone: early am: juv Scaup, 1 Little Egret, 1 Green Sandpiper, 40+ Meadow Pipits, plus 8 Red-legged Partridge on field south of dry canal (Roy Hargreaves); at 23:20: Barn Owl sitting on L-hand roadside hedge opposite reservoir just before S bend from Aylesbury (Dave Lee)
Fri 27 Nov Startopsend: early pm: 50 Canada Geese left after c15 flew off E (Keith Evans)
Fri 27 Nov
Marsworth: early pm: 80+ (poss up to 100) Shoveler in feeding 'rafts', 7 Great Crested Grebes (Keith Evans)
Wed 25 Nov Wilstone: 660 Golden Plover (D Girvan HBC)
Tue 24 Nov Wilstone: early am: juv Greater Scaup, Cetti's Warbler singing nr. hide, plus 3 Lesser Redpoll along the Dry Canal (Roy Hargreaves)
Sun 22 Nov Wilstone: Scaup (David Bilcock); 2 Mediterranean Gulls in roost (1 first- and 1 second-winter) (Steve Rodwell via Lee Evans)
Sun 22 Nov Tringford: Green Sandpiper (David Bilcock)
Sat 21 Nov Wilstone: early am: juv Scaup,
Siskin over, Cetti's Warblers were vociferous, a calling Chiffchaff, Red Kite (Roy Hargreaves); 2 Mediterranean Gulls (1 first-winter 1 second-winter) in gull roost (Steve Rodwell); pm: 11 Great Crested Grebe, 43
Mute Swans (inc. 7 first-winter), 39
Greylag Goose, 25
Gadwall, 234
Common Teal, 211
Eurasian Wigeon, 15
Shoveler, 73
Tufted Duck, 15
Pochard, juv. Greater Scaup, 551 Coot, 222
Lapwing, 702 Golden Plover, 8 Common Snipe, 798
Black-headed Gull in roost, inc 1 first-winter Mediterranean Gull, 5
Common Gull, 13 Meadow Pipit, 1 Goldcrest (in trees behind hide) (Lee Evans)
Sat 21 Nov Startopsend: pm: 2 Little Grebe, 4
Great Crested Grebe, 8
Mute Swan, 61
Canada Geese, 2
Shoveler (pair), 21 Pochard, 22
Tufted Duck, 123
Coot, 12
Moorhen (Lee Evans)
Sat 21 Nov Marsworth: pm: 16 Great Crested Grebe, 1
Mute Swan (adult), 141 Shoveler, 22
Common Starling (Lee Evans)
Sat 21 Nov Tringford: pm: 1 Little Grebe, 35 Cormorants, 2 ad.
Mute Swan, 8
Common Teal, 1 F Pintail, 23
Coot (Lee Evans)
Fri 20 Nov Wilstone: juv Scaup, 6 Common Snipe (Jeff Bailey HBC); first-winter Mediterranean Gull in gull roost (David Bilcock)
Tue 17 Nov Wilstone: early am: juv Greater Scaup, Siskin over, good numbers of
Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails, plus Chinese Water Deer on Rushy Meadow (Roy Hargreaves)
Sat 14 Nov Wilstone: early am: Black-necked Grebe (found earlier by David Bilcock), plus a Peregrine hunting, scaring the
Teal, Golden Plover and Lapwings (Roy Hargreaves); late am: 14 Great Crested Grebe, 2
Little Grebe, 35
Mute Swan (inc. 7 first-winters), 4
Greylag Geese, 198
Common Teal, 19
Gadwall, 256
Eurasian Wigeon, 87
Shoveler, 1 F Pintail, 117
Tufted Duck, 14
Pochard, 529 Coot, 212
Lapwing, 502 Golden Plover, 8
Common Snipe, 1 Peregrine (scattering the plovers on several occasions), 2
first-winter Herring Gull, 14
Meadow Pipits (Lee Evans); late pm: 1 second-winter Mediterranean Gull and 2 Herring Gulls in the roost, of c2000 birds (David Bilcock with Steve Rodwell)
Sat 14 Nov Startopsend: mid-day: 7 Mute Swans, 57 Greylag Geese, 61 Mallard, 31 Common Teal, 2 Little Grebes, 6 Gadwall, 33 Tufted Ducks, 16 Pochard, 127 Coot, plus Goldcrest in ivy close to road bend (Lee Evans)
Sat 14 Nov Tringford: mid-day 2 Mute Swan (Lee Evans)
Wed 11 Nov Wilstone: early am: juv Greater Scaup, good numbers of Golden Plover,
40 Pied Wagtails, 40 Meadow Pipits (Roy Hargreaves)Tue 10 Nov Wilstone: early am: 1 Siskin (nr. hid), plus 4 Chinese Water Deer and 1Fox (Roy Hargreaves)
Sun 8 Nov Wilstone: early am: Scaup still present, plus a single Dunlin was amongst the Golden Plovers and CUA-ringed Cormorant roosting (David Bilcock); 450+ Golden Plovers (Don Otter); late pm: adult Yellow-legged Gull in Gull roost (David Bilcock)
Sat 7 Nov Wilstone: late pm: second-winter Mediterranean Gull in Gull roost (David Bilcock)
Wed 4 Nov Wilstone:early am: 2 Dunlin, plus hundreds of Golden Plovers (Roy Hargreaves); mid pm: 13 Great Crested Grebe, 33
Cormorant (inc. both ringed birds), 26
Mute Swan (inc. 7 first-winters), 32
Gadwall, 3 Pintail (inc. 2 M), 97
Shoveler, 155 Wigeon, 203 Common Teal, 73 Pochard, 1 juv. Scaup, 94
Tufted Duck, 346
Coot, 588
Lapwing, 615 Golden Plover, 2 Dunlin, 1 Red Kite over, 4
Pied Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Chiffchaff (Lee Evans)
Tue 3 Nov Wilstone: F Merlin rapidly through (Roy Hargreaves)
Mon 2 Nov Wilstone: pm: Little Owl roosting in tree in middle of field behind car park (Geoff Young HBC); late pm: first-winter Mediterranean Gull in roost with 600+ Black-headed Gulls, plus Scaup, 1+ Dunlin (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 1 Nov Wilstone: 100+ Golden Plover, 3 Common Snipe, 3 Pintail, 2 Dunlin (Jeff Bailey HBC)
Sat 31 Oct Wilstone: early am: Scaup, 1 Dunlin in large flock of Lapwing (David Bilcock); mid pm: Scaup (Anthony Dorman HBC); 2 Red Kite (Anthony Dorman HBC)
Sat 31 Oct Startopsend: early am: 2 Goldeneye, 1 leuistic Blach-headed Gull with other gulls (snowy white, with milky tea coloured primaries) (David Bilcock)
Sat 31 Oct Tringford: early am: The other colour-ringed Cormorant from the Sands of Forvie, Aberdeen CUA back for its 5th winter - see also 24th (David Bilcock)
Fri 30 Oct Wilstone: early am: 2 M Cetti's Warblers, 14 Snipe, 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Dunlin flying around with the Lapwing (Roy Hargreaves); during day: 43 Gadwall, 3 Pintail (inc. 2 adult M), 159 Shoveler, 28 Mute Swans (inc. 7 first-winter), 119 Golden Plover, 2 ad. Common Gull (Lee Evans); late pm: c700 gulls in gull roost inc. 2 Mediterranen Gulls (1 ad. 1 first-winter), but many left before darkness (Steve Rodwell); plus Scaup (Nick Sinden HBC)
Thu 29 Oct Wilstone: am: Cetti's Warbler singing in cressbed bushes, 1 Green Sandpiper, 14 Snipe, 40 Meadow Pipits on mud, Scaup, plus a group of Bullfinch over
(Roy Hargreaves) pm: plus c200 Golden Plover (Joan Thompson); plus Little Owl feeding from small willow tree in field between Cemetry and pier (Nick Goss HBC)
Mon 26 Oct Wilstone: Scaup and partial albino Coot (Mike Wallen)
Sun 25 Oct Wilstone: This evening was the first the gulls remained to roost at Wilstone: c600 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Common Gulls, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull (David Bilcock plus Steve Rodwell)
Sat 24 Oct Wilstone: Scaup,
Green Sandpiper, 4 Snipe, c80 Golden Plover, 18 Mute Swans (poss. more), 1 Little Egret (Mike Collard) plus amongst the roosting cormorants was one of the returning colour-ringed birds DXA from Sands of Forvie, Aberdeen its 3rd winter around Tring (David Bilcock)
Thu 22 Oct Wilstone: Little Egret, Green Sandpiper, Scaup, Ringed Plover (Steve Blake HBC)
Wed 21 Oct Wilstone: am: Scaup still present, c 20 Meadow Pipits, 2 Pintail and c120 Golden Plover (Mike Wallen); plus 4 Common Snipe (Mike Wallen HBC)
Wed 21 Oct Marsworth: Grey Wagtail nr.Lock 45 (Geoff Young HBC)
Tue 20 Oct Wilstone: early am: juv.
Scaup was still present (Roy Hargreaves)
Sun 18 Oct Wilstone: early am: juv. Dunlin, Ringed Plover, 2 Rock Pipits, 2 (pair) Pintail, plus 1 Chinese Water Deer in field between cress-beds and Rushy
Meadow (Roy Hargreaves);mid pm: juv. Greater Scaup, 17 Great Crested Grebe,
3 Little Grebe, 21 Cormorant, 6
Grey Heron, 18 ad. Mute Swan, 30 Canada Goose, 76
Mallard, 18
Gadwall (inc. 12M), 3 Pintail, 156 Shoveler, 215 Wigeon, 338
Common Teal, 121
Pochard, 72
Tufted Duck, 1 hybrid Aythya spp, 2
Red Kite, 1F Sparrowhawk, 1M Kestrel, 1M Common Pheasant, 63
Moorhen, 382
Coot, 65
Lapwing, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 juv. Dunlin, 1 Green Sandpiper, 9 Common Snipe, 102
Black-headed Gull, 7
Lesser Black-backed Gull (inc. 1 juv.), 37 Woodpigeon, 2 Rock Pipit, 37
Pied Wagtails (in field N of overflow), 3
Wren, 2
Dunnock, 4 Robin, 2
Mistle Thrush, several
Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits, 1
Magpie, 54 Jackdaw, 6 Carrion Crow, 7 Starling 1 Chaffinnch (Lee Evans); late pm: Hobby (Steve Rodwell) and Green Sandpiper (Mike Collard)
Sun 18 Oct Tringford: 9 Common Pheasant (in field S of res.), 102 Jackdaw & 15 Rook (nr. Little Tring) (Lee Evans)
Sat 17 Oct Wilstone: am: juv Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover (Roy Hargreave); pm: 3 Rock Pipits (David Bilcock)
Fri 16 Oct Wilstone: early am: Rock Pipit by jetty, 1 or 2 Green Sandpiper, plus 1 Chinese Water Deer (Roy Hargreaves)
Thu 15 Oct Wilstone: early am: 3 Goldeneye (1M 2F),1 Redpoll, 2 Green
Sandpipers, c70 Golden Plover, c300 Redwings (Roy Hargreaves); plus later: 3 Mandarin (2M 1F), 2 Ringed Plover, 5 Common Snipe, 71 Golden Plover, Little Owl (near 'new' cnal) (Steve Blake HBC)
Wed 14 Oct Wilstone:early am: 1 Green Sandpiper, several Common Snipe and Golden
Plover, plus 5Siskins, 1 Brambling and a few Redwing through. plus 2 Chinese Water Deer and 1 Muntjac in field between cressbeds and Rushy Meadow (Roy Hargreaves); early pm: 17 Great Crested Grebe, 6
Little Grebe, 14 Mute Swan, 17
Gadwall, 117
Wigeon, 336
Common Teal, 153
Shoveler, 32
Pochard, 1 Pintail,
Greater Scaup x Tufted Duck hybrid (female-type), 144 Tufted Duck, 403
Coots (inc. at least one piebald bird), 311 Lapwing, 147 Golden Plover, 2 Ringed Plover, 2 Green Sandpiper, 9 Common Snipe, plus 2 Little Owls (on usual fence) (Lee Evans)
Mon 12 Oct Wilstone: Green Sandpiper, Common Snipe (Joan Thompson HBC); 98 Golden Plover spooked by a Sparrowhawk, 2 Little Owl, (on fence behind field across the road from car park) (Derek Girvan HBC)
Sun 11 Oct Wilstone: late pm: c100 Golden Plover, 6 Common Snipe, plus the Little Owl (on back fence of field behind car park) (Keith Evans)
Sun 11 Oct Marsworth: mid-late pm: 2 Barn Swallows over (Nick Goss)
Sat 10 Oct Wilstone: am: 2 Rock Pipits, 100+ Golden Plover, 2 Pintail, 1 Little Egret (Mike Wallen)
Sat 10 Oct Startopsend: am: 2 Grey Wagtail (Mike Wallen)
Fri 9 Oct Wilstone: early am: 1 Dunlin, 1 Green Sandpiper, c50 Golden Plover, plus c 40 Redwings on Dry Canal (Roy Hargreaves); dusk: Water Rail calling (Johne Taylor)
Thu 8 Oct Wilstone: early am: 14 Skylarks over, 5 Pintail, 1-2 Little Egrets, 2 Ringed Plover, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Golden Plover, 1 M White Wagtail, plus 4 Chinese Water Deer, 1 Muntjac (Roy Hargreaves); later early-am: 6 Pintail, 2 Ringed Plover, 32 Golden Plover (Mike Wallen); Cetti's Warbler singing from reedbed (Mike Wallen HBC)
Wed 7 Oct Wilstone: early pm: 17 Great Crested Grebe, 6
Little Grebe, 27 Cormorant, 3 Grey Heron, 1 Little Egret, 13
Mute Swans, 2 (pair) Ruddy Shelduck, 19
Gadwall, 5 Pintail, 116 Shoveler, 85 Wigeon, 311
Common Teal, 44
Pochard, 73
Tufted Duck, 319
Coot, 2 Ringed Plover, 176 Golden Plover, 411
Lapwing, 1 1st-winter Dunlin, 1 Rock Pipit (Lee Evans); plus late pm: 5 Common Snipe, 2 Ruddy Shelducks (Joan Thompson HBC)
Wed 7 Oct Startopsend: early pm: 3 Great Crested Grebe, 10 Mute Swan, 4
Canada Geese, 3
Common Teal, 1 Pintail, 51
Northern Pochard, 43
Tufted Duck, 145
Coot (Lee Evans)
Wed 7 Oct Marsworth: early pm: 4 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Mute Swan, 2 Tufted Ducks (Lee Evans)
Wed 7 Oct Tringford: early pm: 3 Great Crested Grebe (inc.1 1st-winter), 12+ Little Grebe (inc. an adult still feeding young), 15 Cormorant, 8
Grey Heron, 1 Little Egret, 1
Mute Swan, 5 Manarin Ducks (3 M, 2 F), 17
Mallard, 24
Common Teal, 4
Shoveler, 24
Tufted Duck, 1 imm. Ruddy Duck, 76 Coot, 22
Moorhen, 1 Kingfisher, 1 singing M
Goldcrest (Lee Evans)
Tue 6 Oct Wilstone: mid pm: 7 Great Crested Grebe, 5
Little Grebe, 12
Mute Swan, 19
Gadwall, 253
Common Teal, 96
Shoveler, 5 Pintail, 82
Pochard, 1 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, 5 Common Snipe, 382
Lapwings, 47 Golden Plover, 1 3rd-winter Herring Gull (Lee Evans); late pm: 1 Rock Pipit, 1 Dunlin, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Green Sandpiper, 40 Golden Plovers, 2 Pintail (Steve Rodwell)
Mon 5 Oct Wilstone: early am: c30 Golden Plovers (Richard Bennett)
Mon 5 Oct Startopsend: c50 Swallows through (Roger Merrison)
Sun 4 Oct Wilstone: early am: Rock Pipit, Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, 6 Pintail, 2 Little Egrets, plus 1 Little Owl (on fence as before), plus 3 Chinese Water Deer (Roy Hargreaves/Steve Rodwell); plus 3 Little Egret, Green Sandpiper, 3 Golden Plover, 2 Little Owl, NE of carpark (Clifford Smout HBC)
Sat 3 Oct Wilstone: Rock Pipit (in NE corner), Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, 6 Common Snipe, 12
Mute Swans, 4 Pintail, 289 Lapwings, plus 2 Little Owls (on fence visible from bank looking towards Wilstone village) (Lee Evans)
Fri 2 Oct Wilstone: late pm: Rock Pipit, Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Green Sandpiper (David Bilcock)
Thu 1 Oct Wilstone: early am: juv Dunlin, 6 Snipe, 1 Green Sandpiper, 7 Little Egrets (3 left at 07.15) (Roy Hargreaves); plus Red Kite, 3 Ringed Plover, 6 Little Egret (Steve Blake HBC)
Tue 29 Sep Wilstone: early am: immature Shelduck, 2 Ringed Plover, 5 Pintail, 'a few' Little Egrets, plus 1 Chinese Water Deer (Roy Hargreaves); later am: Raven, 4 Golden Plover, 2 Meadow Pipit (D Girvan HBC); early pm: Leach's Petrel (Ben Miller and others); late pm: 21 Great Crested Grebe, 5
Little Grebe, 30 Cormorant, 5
Grey Heron, 4 Little Egret, 15
Mute Swan, 122
Mallard, 18
Gadwall, 57
Eurasian Wigeon, 236+
Common Teal, 69
Shoveler, 4 Pintail, 32
Tufted Duck, 14
Pochard, 302
Coot, 106
Lapwing, 1 Common Greenshank, 303+
Black-headed Gulls, 23
Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Herring Gull, 1 Little Owl (on fence behind car park), 27
Pied Wagtails, 2
Tue 29 Sep Startopsend: 7 Mute Swans, 8 Great Crested Grebes, 24 Pochard, 37 Tufted Ducks, 163 Coot (Lee Evans)
Tue 29 Sep Marsworth: 1 Mute Swan, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Coot, juv. Common Buzzard (Lee Evans)
Tue 29 Sep Tringford: 2 Mute Swans, 72 Coot and 28 Shovelers (Lee Evans)
Sat 26 Sep Wilstone: Gargany (David Bilcock)
Fri 25 Sep Wilstone: early am: 2 Spotted Redshank, 3 or 4 Little Egrets, 2 Yellow Wagtails in field nr. overflow, plus 2 Chinese Water Deer (Roy Hargreaves); mid am: 2 Green Sandpipers, 7 Little Egrets, 3 Little Grebes (Mike Wallen); 15 Meadow Pipit (Mike Wallen HBC); 2 Hobby, 2 Red Kite (Chris HBC)
Fri 25 Sep Startopsend: 2 Kingfisher (Chris HBC); 10 Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail (Mike Wallen HBC)
Thu 24 Sep Wilstone: pm: 2 Spotted Redshanks, 1 Ringed Plover, 4 Pintail, 9 Little Egrets, 5 Snipe, 1 Green Sandpiper, 3 Swallows over, Red Kite over, 3 Common Buzzards, 1 Little Owl was in field behind car park steps, several Meadow Pipits and 1 Yellow Wagtail in field near
overflow contained several M. Pipits and a Yellow Wagtail (Mike Collard/Joan Thompson)
Thu 24 Sep Startopsend: 3 Egyptian geese over (Joan Thompson)
Wed 23 Sep Wilstone: early pm: 2 Spotted Redshanks, 3 Little Egrets, 1 ad. Common Gull (Mike Wallen/Don Otter)
Mon 21 Wilstone: early pm: 11 Little Egrets, 20 Mute Swan, 17
Great Crested Grebe, 2
1st-winter Little Grebe, 17 Cormorant, 4
Grey Heron, 26 Canada Goose, 126
Mallard, 18
Gadwall, 1 Northern Pintail, 118
Shoveler, 83
Eurasian Wigeon, 413 Common Teal, 1 Gargany, 11
Pochard, 34
Tufted Duck, 3
Red Kite, 82
Moorhen, 473
Coot, 14
Lapwing, 2 juv. Spotted Redshanks, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Snipe, 33
Black-headed Gull, 1 juv. Herring Gull, 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4
Meadow Pipit over, 4 Yellow Wagtails (in ploughed field NW of the new overflow), 2
Linnets (Lee Evans); mid pm: plus 3 Yellow Wagtails (seen from hide),
Common Buzzard & Kestrel (seen from fields at the back), Little Owl (Geoff Young)
Mon 21 Sep Startopsend: early pm: 2 Great Crested Grebe, 8
Mute Swans, 12
Greylag Geese, 32
Tufted Duck, 126
Coot (Lee Evans)
Mon 21 Sep Marsworth: early pm: 7 Great Crested Grebes (inc. this year's 3 late-brooded juvs), Hobby, plus 1 Jay over Sewage Farm (Lee Evans)
Sun 20 Sep Wilstone: early am: 2 juv. Spotted Redshank (David Bilcock); plus 3 Little Egrets (Mike Wallen); plus 8 Northern Pintail (Steve Rodwell via Lee Evans); plus 7 Yellow Wagtail, 8 Little Egret, Common Snipe, with large flock of Lapwing, 3 Spotted Redshank (Drew LynessHBC), Green Sandpiper, 11 Little Egret, 4 Red Kite, 16 Yellow Wagtail in field between overflows, 2 White Wagtail in with Yellows and Pieds, 4 Common Snipe, Hobby over Rushy Meadow, juv. Ringed Plover (Ian Bennell HBC), 3 Grey Wagtail, Little Owl (Mike Wallen HBC)
Sun 20 Sep Startopsend: 1 Green Sandpiper (Mike Wallen)
Sat 19 Sep Wilstone: early am: M Stonechat on hedges nr, Rushy Meadow, Rock Pipit & Meadow Pipit over, plus 'a good showing of' Little Egrets (Roy Hargreaves); early pm: Gargany, 24 Yellow Wagtails in field beyond overflow; & late pm: 2 Spotted Redshanks, 1 Green Sandpiper, 4 Snipe, 2 Ringed Plovers, 3 Pintail (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 18 Sep Wilstone: early am: M Stonechat nr. Rushy Meadow (Roy Hargreaves); pm: 3 Common Snipe, 7+ Little Egrets, plus 1 Little Owl on field fence opposite car park (Geoff Young); Parties of Swallows and House Martins, mainly Swallows, passing through all day, Buzzard over reed bed, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Phil Tyler); late pm: 11 Little Egrets, plus a large F Sparrowhawk nr. Rushy Meadow,(Mike Collard); plus 2 Little Owls as seen 17th (Mike Collard/Roy Hargreaves)
Thu 17 Sep Wilstone: pm: Pintail, 4 Wigeon, 2 Snipe, plus a flock of 40 - 50 pipits and wagtails in ploughed field behind woods to the hide inc. 6 Yellow Wagtails (Colin Lambert); late pm: 2 Little Owls on fence behind field opposite car park (Roy Hargreaves)
Wed 16 Sep Wilstone: early am: Grey Plover, 1 juv. Ruff (David Bilcock); Grey Plover still, 1 Ruff, 2 Snipe, 2 Mediterranean Gulls (briefly - 1st-winter & 1 2nd-winter) (Mike Wallen with Steve Rodwell); plus 2 Little Owl on fence nr. farm opposite car park, Shelduck, 15 Yellow Wagtail (Lee Coles HBC), 20 Yellow Wagtail (Paul Thrush HBC), 6 Little Egret (Mike & Ted Wallen HBC)
Tue 15 Sep Wilstone: early pm: juv. Grey Plover, juv. Ruff, 11 Little Egrets, 4 Snipe (Joan Thompson); late pm: 5 Common Gulls & 40 Lesser Black-backed Gulls with Black headed Gulls, 3 Pintail (Steve Rodwell); plus 19 Great Crested Grebes, 32
Mute Swan, 32
Gadwall, 4 Northern Pintail, 87
Shoveler, now 62 Eurasian Wigeon, 203+
Common Teal, 106
Northern Pochard, 3 juv. Ringed Plover, 152
Lapwing, 1 juv. Ruff, 4 Common Snipe, 8 Sand Martin, 119 House Martin (Lee Evans)
Mon 14 Sep Wilstone: early pm: 15 Yellow Wagtails & 3 White Wagtails (nr. overflow & adjacent fields), 3 juv. Ringed Plover, 1 juv. Dunlin, 1 juv. Common Greenshank, 2 juv M Ruff, plus 14 Great Crested Grebes, 3+
Little Grebe, 32 Cormorant, 9 Little Egret, 32
Mute Swan, 18 Gadwall, 1 Northern Pintail, 35
Shoveler, now 20
Eurasian Wigeon, 171
Common Teal, 111
Pochard, 106
Tufted Duck, 1-2
Red Kite, 82
Moorhen, 496
Coot, 382 Lapwing, 202
Black-headed Gull, M
Common Chiffchaff (singing from hedgerow nr. overflow) (Lee Evans)
Sun 13 Sep Wilstone: noon: Water Rail calling, 2 Yellowhammer (Nick Goss); late am: Gargany & pm: 9 Little Egrets, 2 Ruff, 4 Ringed Plover, 1 Greenshank, 4 Snipe (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 12 Sep Wilstone: Gargany, 9 Wigeon, 2 Ruff, 1 Greenshank and 6 Little Egrets (David Bilcock)
Sat 12 Sep Startopsend: early am: Red-crested Pochard (escape/ feral F), 2 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Meadow Pipit (Mike Wallen HBC)
Fri 11 Sep Wilstone: pm: 5 Little Grebes, 6 Little Egret, 36
Mute Swan, 131
Common Teal, 47
Shoveler, 5+
Wigeon, 108
Pochard, 13
Gadwall, ad. Hobby, 2
Red Kite, 2 juv. Ringed Plover, 2 juv. Common Greenshank, 2 juv. Ruff, 1 Sand Martin, 45
Barn Swallow (Lee Evans)
Fri 11 Sep Startopsend: early am: F Pintail, 1Teal, 1+ Yellow Wagtail (Ben Miller); pm: 2 Little Grebe (Lee Evans)
Fri 11 Sep Marsworth: early am: Cetti's Warbler calling from reeds(Ben Miller)
Fri 11 Sep Tringford: pm: 7 Little Grebe (Lee Evans)
Thu 10 Sep Wilstone: early pm: 5 Little Egrets, 40
Mute Swans , 233
Canada Geese, 4 Eurasian Wigeon, 146+ Common Teal, 1 Ruddy Duck, 3 juv. Ringed Plover, 4 juv. Ruff, juv. Black Tern, 1 Yellow Wagtail over, 5
Mistle Thrush over (Lee Evans); late pm: 5 Yellow Wagtail, 38 Pied Wagtail, F Red-crested Pochard (Steve Rodwell); plus 4 juv. Ringed Plover, juv. Black Tern, Greenshank, 5 Little Egret, 8 Wigeon (Joan Thompson HBC)
Thu 10 Sep Startopsend: am: 15 Eurasian Wigeon, 2 Yellow Wagtails over (Steve Rodwell); late am: 2 Whooper Swans (Lee Evans)
Wed 9 Sep Wilstone: 6 Little Egrets, 3 Greenshanks, 3 Ringed Plovers, 4 Ruffs and 1 juv. Black Tern (Steve Rodwell); plus 44
Mute Swan, M
Wigeon, 13
Gadwall, 56
Common Teal, 47
Shoveler, 105
Tufted Duck, 121
Northern Pochard, 63
Barn Swallows (Lee Evans); plus 4 Willow Warblers in hedge by jetty (Geoff Young)
Mon 7 Sep Wilstone: am: juv Peregrine, 4 Ruffs, 1 Dunlin, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, 2+ Greenshank (Steve Rodwell); late pm: 16 Great Crested Grebe, 3
Little Grebe, 23 Cormorant, 4
Grey Heron, 5 Little Egret, 44 Mute Swan, 5
Greylag Geese, 204
Atlantic Canada Geese, 109
Mallard, 18
Gadwall, 43
Shoveler, 54
Common Teal, 111
Pochard, 73
Tufted Duck, 83 Moorhen, 567
Coot, 5 Little Ringed Plover (1 ad. 4 juv.), 758
Lapwing, 1 juv. Dunlin, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 juv. Common Sandpiper, 2 juv. Common Greenshank, 4 juv. Ruff (inc.3 F Reeves & 1 M Ruff), 106
Black-headed Gulls, juv. Black Tern, 18 Sand Martin, 7
Barn Swallow, 67+
House Martin, 1
Grey Wagtail, 1 Lesser Whitethroat (nr. overflow), plus 1
Chinese Water Deer (on mud) (Lee Evans)
Mon 7 Sep Startopsend: am: 5 Ringed Plover (Steve Rodwell); pm: 2 Whooper Swans (Lee Evans)
Mon 7 Sep Marsworth: Chiffchaff calling (am),Cetti's Warbler calling (all day), 2 Kingfisher, several parties of Swifts, Swallows and House Martins, Grey Wagtail (Phil Tyler)
Sun 6 Sep Wilstone: pm: 3 juv. Ruff, 3 Greenshanks, 2 Ringed Plover, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1+ Common Sandpiper, 1 juv. Dunlin, 2 Hobby, 2 Herring Gull (Steve Rodwell); late pm: 4 Ruff, 5 Ringed Plover (David Bilcock)
Sun 6 Sep Startopsend: pm: 3 Ringed Plover (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 5 Sep Wilstone: early am: 2 juv. Ruff (David Bilcock); plus Common Sandpiper (Joan Thompson HBC)
Sat 5 Sep Startopsend: early am: 4 Ringed Plovers (David Bilcock); 2 feral Whooper Swans (Ben Miller)
Sat 5 Sep Marsworth: juv Red-crested Pochard (with Mallards), 3 Kingfishers (presumably family) (Ben Miller)
Fri 4 Sep Wilstone: early pm: 2 Ruff , 3 Greenshank, Hobby, 1 Golden Plover, 5 Little Egret, Black Tern(Mike Wallen/David Bilcock); late pm: 5 juv. Ringed Plover, 2 Ruff, Golden Plover, Black Tern, 4 Common Tern, c.150 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 7 Herring Gulls, 600 Black-headed Gulls (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 4 Sep Startopsend: pm: 5 Ringed Plover (Mike Wallen) plus 2 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Whooper Swan (Mike Wallen HBC)
Thu 3 Sep Wilstone: 9 Common Terns, 17 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Herring Gull (ad. + juv.), 1 Water Rail (Steve Rodwell); 3 Greenshank, 2 Common Sands, 2 Snipe, 2 Black Terns, 2 Hobbies and a Chinese Water Deer (Don Otter)
Thu 3 Sep Startopsend: 5 Ringed Plovers (4 juv. 1 ad.), 2 Yellow Wagtail, F Red Crested Pochard (now reunited with her hybrid offspring) (Steve Rodwell)
Wed 2 Sep Wilstone: 2 juv. Black Terns,
4 Greenshank,
1 Common Sand,
1 Little Egret,
4 Chiffchaffs nr. hide (Joan Thompson); plus juv. Grey Wagtail (Mike Collard)
Wed 2 Sep TWTW: late pm: Green Sandpiper (Warren Claydon)
Tue 1 Sep Wilstone: pm: 16 Great Crested Grebe, 3
Little Grebe, 15 Cormorant, 6
Grey Heron, 5 Little Egret, 42
Mute Swan, 147
Canada Geese, 84
Greylag Geese, 117
Mallard, 23
Gadwall, 38
Common Teal, 44
Shoveler, 62
Tufted Duck, 75
Pochard, the
Ferruginous Duck x Northern Pochard hybrid, 2
Red Kite, 2
Common Kestrel, 2 Hobby (1 ad. 1 juv.), 603
Coot, 78
Moorhen, 498
Lapwing, 4 Ringed Plover (ad. + 3 juv. - also seen on Startopsend), 1 Common Sandpiper, 4 Common Greenshank, 172
Black-headed Gull, 27
Lesser Black-backed Gull, 4 Herring Gull, 3
Common Terns (ad. + 2 juv.), 1 juv. Black Tern, 2 Common Swift through, 45 Sand Martin, 78 House Martin (Lee Evans; also John Hale); 5 Greenshank, 525 Lapwing (Lynne Lambert)
Tue 1 Sep Startopsend: juv. Black Tern (Mike Wallen); early pm: 4 Great Crested Grebe (inc. pair with a well developed juv.), 11
Mute Swan, 15
Tufted Duck, 75
Coot, 4 Ringed Plover (the birds from Wilstone), 1 Common Sandpiper, 18
Pied Wagtail, 17
Barn Swallow, 43 Sand Martin, 66 House Martin (Lee Evans); late pm: 1 juv. Black Tern, 1 ad. Common Tern, 2 feral Whooper Swans (Ben Miller)
Tue 1 Sep Marsworth: 5 Great Crested Grebes (2 ad. 3 juv.), 2
Gadwall (pair), 2 F
Tufted Duck (Lee Evans)
Tue 1 Sep Tringford: 46 Coot, 8 Tufted Duck (Lee Evans)
Mon 31 Aug Wilstone: pm: Ferruginous x pochard hybrid duck, 5 Little Egrets, 3 Greenshank, 3 Common Sandpipers, 3 Ringed Plovers, 2 Hobbies, 5 Yellow Wagtails over, 1 Common Gull, c200 Sand Martins, juv. Water Rail, plus 3 Chinese Water Deer (Steve Rodwell); late pm: plus 2 juv. Black Tern (prob. incl. the Startops bird) (Rob Andrews)
Sun 30 Aug Wilstone: early am: 2 Dunlin (via Steve Rodwell); later: 3 Ringed Plover, 4 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Greenshank, 3 Common Sandpipers, 5 Little Egrets, 1 Swift, 147 Canada Geese, plus the hybrid Ferruginous x Pochard, 1 juv. Water Rail, 2 Hobby (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 30 Aug Startopsend: am: 1+ Dunlin (pos. from Wilstone), 1 Yellow Wagtail (Steve Rodwell); pm: juv Black Tern, 2 Whooper Swans, 2 or 3 Swifts, juv. Great Black-backed Gull, ad. Lesser Black-backed Gull with 2 juvs.,
100 Sand Martins(Lynne Lambert); plus Common Sandpiper (Mike Wallen, Ted Wallen HBC)
Sun 30 Aug Tringford: am: Osprey (Ben Miller)
Sat 29 Aug Wilstone: pm: 1 Swift, 2 Yellow Wagtails (Steve Rodwell/Joan Thompson); plus Black Tern (early am), 4 Little Egret, 3 Greenshank, 3 Common Sandpiper, Hobby (Joan Thompson HBC)
Sat 29 Aug Startopsend: early am: juv Black Tern, 2 feral Whooper Swans, 9 Yellow Wagtails (Mike Wallen); midday: eclipse M Red-crested Pochard, juv Black Tern (still), 1 Common Sandpiper (Mike Wallen)
Sat 29 Aug Marsworth: evening Bat walk: Soprano & Common Pipistrelle, Noctule, Daubenton's Bat, possible Serotin, plus Tawny Owl calling (Keith Evans)
Fri 28 Aug Wilstone: early pm: 5 Little Egrets standing with 7 Grey Herons on mud, 4 Greenshanks feeding (6 reported), c45 Mute Swans, hundreds of Coot in three or four large groups, 1 Little Grebe, plus the ferruginous/pochard hybrid, 3 Common Terns(Keith Evans); plus late pm: 2 Swifts, 1 Herring Gull, 2 Hobby (Steve Rodwell); 6 Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpipers and 4 plus Spotted Flycatchers (Charlie Jackson); plus 2 Spotted Flycatcher in field behind hide, 6 Greenshank, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Little Egret, Common Sandpiper, Kingfisher (Joan Thompson HBC)
Fri 28 Aug Startopsend: late pm: 2 ad. Black-tailed Godwits, juv Black Tern, juv Common Gull, 2 feral Whooper Swans
(Steve Rodwell); plus feral 2 Whooper Swan, 2 Common Sandpiper (Joan Thompson HBC), 6 Yellow Wagtail (early am), juv. Hobby attacked hirundines (Mike Wallen HBC)
Thu 27 Aug Wilstone: am: juv. Black Tern, 6 Greenshanks, 7 Common Sandpipers (David Bilcock); 11 Common Terns, juv. Common Gull (from Startopsend) (Steve Rodwell); plus M Wigeon, 2 feral Whooper Swan, 5 Little Egret (Joan Thompson HBC)
Thu 27 Aug Startopsend: early am: c250 Sand Martin being attacked by juv. Hobby, 6 Yellow Wagtails (Mike Wallen); Black Tern (Charlie Jackson)
Thu 27 Aug Marsworth: Cetti's Warbler singing (Phil Tyler)
Wed 26 Aug Wilstone: early am: 2 interesting hybrid ducks: 1 'ferruginous' type & 1 'lesser scaup' type, plus increase in Tufted Ducks & Pochards (David Bilcock); late pm: 3 Little Egret, M
Wigeon, 16
Northern Pochard, M
Ferruginous Duck x Pochard hybrid, 2 Common Sandpiper, 6 juv. Greenshank, 1
Common Snipe, 2 Common Swift, 22
Barn Swallows, 55+
House Martins, 30+ Sand Martin, 20
Pied Wagtail in roost, juv Willow Warbler in hedgerow in NW corner (Lee Evans); plus Common Sandpiper, 4 Little Egret (Mike Wallen HBC)
Wed 26 Aug Startopsend: early am: eclipse M Red-crested Pochard (Mike Wallen); late pm: 2 Whooper Swans, 25+
Barn Swallows, plus at least 670 Sand Martins drifting around Startopsend, Marsworth & Tringford (Lee Evans); plus juv. Hobby attacked hirundines (Mike Wallen HBC)
Tue 25 Aug Wilstone: 6 Greenshank, 1 Snipe, 4 Little Egret, 1 juv. Hobby (Mike Wallen); plus 2 Hobby (ad. & juv.), 3 Common Sandpiper, M Kingfisher, 8 Spotted Flycatcher in field behind hide (Lee Evans HBC)
Tue 25 Aug Startopsend: 2 Common Sandpiper, the pair of feral Whooper Swans,1 ad. Little Grebe, 7 Common Tern (Mike Wallen); M Ruddy Duck (John Kendrick)
Mon 24 Aug Wilstone: mid pm: 15 Black Terns, juv. Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, 1 Yellow Wagtail over, 1 juv. Herring Gull, 1 ad. Water Rail (to R of hide), 6 Greenshanks (Steve Rodwell/Roger Merrison); mid to late pm: plus 20 Great Crested Grebes, 3
Little Grebes, 25 Cormorant, 8
Grey Heron, 5+ Little Egrets, 44
Mute Swan, 2 Whooper Swans , 16 Greylag Geese, 55
Canada Geese, 171
Mallard, 9
Gadwall, 58+ Shoveler, M
Eurasian Wigeon, 45
Common Teal, 7
Pochard, 45
Tufted Duck, 77
Moorhen, 362
Coot, 416
Lapwing, 3 Common Sandpiper, 104
Black-headed Gulls, 1 ad. Common Gull, 1 juv. Mediterranean Gull (was on Startopsend Res. this am), 10
Lesser Black-backed Gull, 11
Common Terns, up to 18 Black Terns, 1 Common Kingfisher, 25
House Martins through, 13
Pied Wagtails, 1
Grey Wagtail, 1 Western Reed Warbler, 3
Jay (nr. hide) (Lee Evans inc. David Bilcock)
Sun 23 Aug Wilstone: am: 27 Black Terns; late pm: Black Terns (still), Yellow-legged Gull, 47 Lesser black-backed Gulls (David Bilcock); plus 1 Common Snipe, 68 Black Headed Gulls (Lee Evans); plus 28 Black Tern, , 3 Greenshank, 6 Little Egret (Jeff Bailey HBC)
Sun 23 Aug TWTW: Green Sandpiper (Lynne Lambert)
Sat 22 Aug Wilstone: mid pm: 4 Little Egrets, 1 Greenshank (from a quick look!) (Keith Evans); pm: 8 Spotted Flycatchers (in meadow behind hide) (David Bilcock); late pm: 4 Little Egrets, 16 Common Terns, 2 Kingfishers,
Greenshank and Green Sandpiper (Rob Andrews); also 2 Ruddy Shelduck (David Bilcock via Lee Evans)
Fri 21 Aug Wilstone: Red Kite over (Mark Harris HBC)
Thu 20 Aug Wilstone: 2 first-winter Little Grebes, 26 Cormorant, 9
Grey Heron, 7 Little Egrets, 34
Mute Swan, 2 Whooper Swans (pair), 47+
Mallard, 8
Gadwall, 39
Shoveler, M Wigeon, 38+
Common Teal, 4
Pochard, 9
Tufted Duck, 73+
Moorhen, 393
Coot, 416 Lapwing, 2 juv. Green Sandpiper, 5 Common Sandpiper, 3 juv. Common Greenshank, 3
Lesser Black-backed Gulls (2 ad.1 juv.), 14
Common Terns, 72+
House Martins, 15
Pied Wagtails, plus 25 Barn Swallows over Wilstone Village (Lee Evans); pm 4 Greenshanks, 3 Green Sandpipers, 2 Hobby (1 ad. 1 juv.), plus 2 Swifts reported earlier (Steve Rodwell)
Thu 20 Aug Startopsend: Northern Pintail, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 25 Mute Swan, 129 Mallard, 40+ Barn Swallow, plus at least 239 Common Starlings in paddocks N of res. (Lee Evans)
Wed 19 Aug Wilstone: early am: juv. Curlew (Richard Bennett/Lee Evans); late am: plus 7 Little Egrets, ad. Hobby, 398 Lapwing, 3 juv. Common Greenshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, M Eurasian Wigeon, 22 Common Teal, 35 Northern Shoveler,
19 Common Tern, 1 Common Kingfisher (Lee Evans); late pm: Curlew, 1 Greenshank (Sue Rowe); plus Yellow Wagtail (Joan Thompson HBC)
Wed 19 Aug Startopsend: Swift over field towards Wilstone Cemetery (Rob Andrews)
Tue 18 Aug Wilstone: am: juv Little Ringed Plover, 2+ Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, 4+ Little Egrets plus Whinchat near Miswell Fm (Roy Hargreaves); midday: 23 Great Crested Grebes,
2 juv. Little Grebe, 4 Little Egrets, 34
Mute Swans, 22
Common Teal, 32
Northern Shoveler, 407
Lapwing, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 juv. Common Greenshank, 17
Common Tern, 2 Little Owl (in tree by car park) (Lee Evans; early pm: 7 Little Egrets (Jack O'Neil); plus Yellow Wagtail over, Common Snipe (Mike Wallen HBC), 3 Greenshank (Jeff Bailey HBC), 5 Spotted Flycatcher in field behind hide (Lee Evans HBC), ad.Hobby (Mike Wallen HBC)
Tue 18 Aug Startopsend: eclipse-plumaged Northern Pintail, 2 ad, Whooper Swans, 26 Mute Swans, 2 Shoveler, F Tufted Duck with her four young, 27 House Martins (Lee Evans); plus 2 Yellow Wagtail (Mike Wallen HBC)
Tue 18 Aug Marsworth: hybrid resembling a Ferruginous Duck in full eclipse, plus juv. Little Grebe, 1 ad. Mute Swan, the escaped F Red-crested Pochard, 4 Gadwalls, plus 3 Jays (Lee Evans)
Mon 17 Aug Wilstone: pm: Hobby, Red Kite, Kestrel, 2 Whooper Swans, 4 Little Egret, Greenshank (Geoff Young)
Sun 16 Aug Wilstone: early am: 2 Tree Pipits over calling, 5+ Little Egrets, 3 Common Sandpipers, 2Green Sandpipers, 1+ Greenshank, 1 Lesser Whitethroat calling between old and new overflow (Roy Hargreaves);mid am: 1 Greenshank 2 Green Sandpiper, 4 Little Egrets (Don Otter); pm: 2 Green Sandpipers, 1 Greenshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 3+ Little Egrets, plus ad. Chinese Water Deer (Charlie Jackson)
Sun 16 Aug Startopsend: Lapwing, 5 Shoveler (Mike Wallen)
Sat 15 Aug Wilstone: early am: 4+ Little Egrets, 4 Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpiper, 3 Common Sandpiper & 1 Ringed Plover (Roy Hargreaves)
Fri 14 Aug Wilstone: 4 Little Egrets, 3 Common Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpiper, Common Snipe, M Wigeon (Lee Evans)
Thu 13 Aug Wilstone: pm: Little Egret, Greenshank, Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, Lapwing (with one leg), Spotted Flycatchers feeding young in Rushy Meadow, Willow Warblers, Goldcrest, Jay (Nick Goss); plus 22 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Little Egrets, 29
Mute Swans, 23
Common Teal, 29+
Shoveler, Common Sandpiper, 3 Common Greenshank,
Common Gull, 8
Lesser Black-backed Gull (in newly ploughed field including 3 juv.), 27
Common Terns, 1
House Martin (just 1 today), White Wagtail, plus Common Swifts (Lee Evans); plus 4 Greenshank (3 on deck 1 over calling), Green Sandpiper, Red Kite (Joan Thompson HBC)
Wed 12 Aug Wilstone: early am: juv. Mediterranean Gull (colour ringed as a chick in Pest, Hungary on 20 June, it has flown 1,519 km in 55 days) (David Bilcock): plus 5 Little Egrets, 5 Common Greenshanks, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Green Sandpipers, 3 Common Sandpipers and 2 Ruddy Shelduck (very briefly) (Roy Hargreaves via Lee Evans); plus 23+ Great Crested Grebes, 2
Little Grebes (juvs), 16 Cormorants (inc. 6 sub-adult), 5
Grey Heron, 6 Little Egret (2ad. 2juv.), 26
Mute Swans, 7
Gadwall, M
Wigeon, 19
Common Teal, 35
Shoveler, 12
Tufted Duck, 9 Pochard, 411
Coot, 57
Moorhens (inc. 31 juv.), 206 Lapwing, 25
Common Tern,
juv. Red Kite over, 1 Common Swift, 47 House Martins, 26 Sand Martins, 15
Pied Wagtails, 25+
Western Reed Warblers in reedbed, plus Chinese Water Deer (Lee Evans)
Wed 12 Aug Startopsend: 28 Mute Swans, 92
Greylag Geese, 166
Mallards (inc. F with 6 chicks), 2 Shoveler, 6
Common Tern, 13
Pied Wagtails, 17
House Martins, plus 4 Red Kites over village (Lee Evans)
Wed 12 Aug Tringford: 2 Great Crested Grebe, 9
Grey Heron, 3
Mute Swan, 34 Tufted Duck, 38
Coots (inc. a family of piebald birds) (Lee Evans)
Wed 12 Aug Marsworth: 4 Great Crested Grebe (2 pair each with 1 chick), F Red-crested Pochard, 63 Mallard (inc. RCP hybrid), Common Terns (Lee Evans)
Tue 11 Aug Wilstone: 2 Sand Martin, Green Woodpecker, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Little Owl calling from nr. car park (Nick Goss)
Tue 11 Aug Startopsend: 2 Ruddy Shelducks (Dave Bilcock via Lee Evans)
Mon 10 Aug Wilstone: am: 5 Greenshanks (David Bilcock); late pm: 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 3+ Greenshanks, 1 Green Sandpiper (David Bilcock); later pm: 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 5 Common Greenshanks, 2 Green Sandpiper, 3 Common Sandpiper, 1 Little Egret, plus 35 Great Crested Grebes, 29+
Mute Swans, 15+
Common Teal, 36
Shoveler, 9
Pochard, 114 Lapwing, 34
Common Terns, 7
House Martins (Lee Evans)
Sun 9 Aug Wilstone: 6 Greenshanks (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 8 Aug Wilstone: 1 Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Little Egrets (David Bilcock); plus Common Snipe (Roy Hargreaves)
Fri 7 Aug Wilstone: early am: Black Tern, 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Little Egret (David Bilcock/Sue Rowe); plus juv. Mediterranean Gull (Rob Norris via Ben Miller); late am: 3 European Shags (2 juv. 1 second-year) (Steve Rodwell and others);Marsh Harrier over (Chris Deary via Lee Evans); plus 4 Common Greenshanks, 2 Green Sandpipers, 32 Common Terns, the juv. Mediterranean Gull, 2 ad. Common Gulls, 2 Common Sandpipers, 15 Shoveler, M Wigeon, 4 Common Teal, 7 Red Kites, 1 Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 2+ Common Buzzards, 32 Common Swifts, 11 Barn Swallows (Lee Evans with others); plus 2 Little Grebe,
2 Great Crested Grebes with 1 well-grown juvenile (Lynne Lambert)
Fri 7 Aug Startopsend/Marsworth: 1 Common Sandpiper commuting between both res, Red-crested Pochard, the small Great-crested Grebe chick still on its parent's back, 1 juv. Lesser Black-backed Gull over (Ben Miller)
Thu 6 Aug Wilstone: early am: Wood Sandpiper, juv. Mediterranean Gull (Steve Rodwell & David Bilcock via BM/SR); mid pm: Wood Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpipers, Common Sandpiper, Little Egret, family party of 4 Reed Warblers in reeds (Geoff Young); Black Tern (Lee Evans via Jon Thompson); plus Common Gull (Nick Goss); late pm: 3 ad. Ringed Plover (Steve Rodwell); plus am: 15+ Great Crested Grebes, 39
Mute Swans, 6
Common Teal, 15
Shoveler, 398
Lapwing, 2
Eurasian Sparrowhawk families, 2
Stock Doves, 8
Sand Martins (Lee Evans)
Thu 6 Aug Startopsend: Common Sandpiper, F Red-crested Pochard (Ben Miller); 2 Great Crested Grebes, 28 Mute Swans, 64 Greylag Geese, 1 Gadwall, F Tufted Duck with 4 growing chicks (Lee Evans)
Thu 6 Aug Marsworth: Great Crested Grebe with 3-day old chick on mother's back, F Red-crested Pochard (moves between Marsworth/Startopsend), 20+ Western Reed Warblers, 2 Cetti's Warblers (Lee Evans)
Thu 6 Aug Tringford: 4 Great Crested Grebe, 8
Mute Swan, 35
Tufted Ducks (inc 2 F with 3 & 5 ducklings) (Lee Evans)
Wed 5 Aug Wilstone: 4 Black-tailed Godwits through, Redshank, Turnstone, Common Sandpiper, 3 Green Sandpipers, 1 Little Egret (Roy Hargreaves)
Tue 4 Aug Wilstone: early am: 2 Whimbrel (departed 06:00), 2 or 3 Green Sandpipers, 4 or 5 Little Egrets, 1 Common Sandpiper (Roy Hargreaves); mid pm: 24 Great Crested Grebes (including 2 first-winters and 1fledged juv.), 2 juv. Little Grebes , 2+ Little Egrets, 35 Mute Swans, 1 M Eurasian Wigeon, 3 Common Teal, 10 Shoveler, 15 Tufted Duck, 9 Pochard, 52 Common Terns (inc. 33 juvs), 570 Lapwings, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, 262 House Martins, 8 Sand Martins, 11 Pied Wagtails (most juvs.), plus 6
Barn Swallow & 117
Common Starling nr. Wilstone Great Farm (Lee Evans); Greenshank (Martin Johnson HBC)
Tue 4 Aug Startopsend: 28 Mute Swans, 53
Greylag Geese, F
Tufted Duck (with 4 small young), 1 Common Sandpiper, 25
House Martins (Lee Evans)
Mon 3 Aug Wilstone: am: 4 Green Sandpipers (David Bilcock via Lee Evans); later: Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Bullfinch, Sedge Warbler and Blackcaps in hedgerow all on Wendover Arm canal (Lynne Lambert)
Mon 3 Aug Startopsend: F Tufted with 5 ducklings (Lynne Lambert)
Mon 3 Aug Marsworth: F Great Crested Grebe with stripy chick on her back, with M bringing small fish to feed it (Lynne Lambert)
Mon 3 Aug Tringford: 2 F Tufted Ducks, one with 5 ducklings, one with 2 large ducklings,
3 adult Coot two with 3 chicks each, one with one chick (Lynne Lambert)
Sun 2 Aug Wilstone: 2 Ruddy Shelducks (Ben Miller/Richard Bennet); late pm: plus 4 Green Sandpipers, 1 Little Egret, the M Eurasian Wigeon, 6 Shoveler, 7 Tufted Ducks, 8 Gadwall, 6 Common Teal, plus 3+ juv. Western Reed Warblers feeding along reedbed edge (Lee Evans)
Sat 1 Aug Wilstone: early am: 2 M Wigeon (in eclipse), 1+ Little Egrets, 3 Common Sandpipers, plus 2 young Chinese Water Deer (out of reeds to R of hide) M Roe Deer nr, Miswell Fm (Roy Hargreaves); late am: 10 Green Sandpipers on mud in front of hide & late pm: 13 Green Sandpipers (David Bilcock)
Sat 1 Aug TWTW: late pm: 1 Green Sandpiper (David Bilcock)
Fri 31 Jul Wilstone: late pm: Redshank (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 31 Jul Startopsend: mid pm: Kingfisher, Red Kite, Common Buzzard, Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, plus Common Sandpiper amongst Pied Wagtails (Nick Goss)
Thu 30 Jul Wilstone: early pm: ad. & juv. Little Egret, ad. Common Gull roosting with Black Headed Gulls (David Bilcock); late pm: 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Little Egret (Chris Carpenter)
Thu 30 Jul Startopsend: Common Sandpiper (Chris Carpenter)
Wed 29 Jul Wilstone: late pm: 22 Great Crested Grebes (inc. 2 young), 5 Grey Heron, juv. Little Egret, 29 Cormorant, 43 Mute Swans (almost all adults - post-breeding moult gathering), 5 Greylag Geese, 9 Gadwall, 3 Common Teal, M Eurasian Wigeon, 10 Northern Pochard, ad. Common Sandpiper, 14 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull (heavily moulting 3rd-summer), 71 Common Terns (inc. 29 noisy juvs.), 86 Common Swifts, 186+ Sand Martins, 55 House Martins (inc. many juvs.), juv. Grey Wagtail, plus Goldcrest (family group of 3 birds near hide) (Lee Evans)
Wed 29 Jul Startopsend: Common Gull over (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 28 Jul Wilstone: early am: Green Sandpiper, juv. Little Ringed Plover, 2 Little Egrets (Steve Rodwell); late pm: 22 Great Crested Grebe (inc. 2 first-winters), 1 Little Egret, 26 Mute Swans, 1 Common Teal, M Eurasian Wigeon, 3 Gadwall, 1 Shoveler, 7 Pochard, 555 Lapwings, 33 Common Terns, 236+ Sand Martins 35 House Martins (inc. several juveniles) (Lee Evans)
Tue 28 Jul Startopsend: late pm: 1 ad. Great Crested Grebe, 30 Mute Swans, 5 Greylag Geese, 2 F Tufted Duck (one with 5 small young, one with 4 larger young), 47 Coots, 51 Black-headed Gulls, M Common Kestrel, 2 Swifts, 5 Sand Martins, 7 Barn Swallows, 1 Linnet over calling - a scarce visitor), plus 22 Greylag Geese in the horse paddock N of res. inc. 5 fledged juvs.) (Lee Evans)
Tue 28 Jul Tringford: Mandarin Duck (Steve Rodwell)
Mon 27 Jul Wilstone: dusk: juv Common Scoter, Barn Owl (briefly) (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 26 Jul Startopsend :pm: juv Shelducks (Steve Rodwell); 3 Oystercatchers (Nick Goss); plus 2 Common Sandpiper (Mike and Rose Collard HBC)
Sun 26 Jul Marsworth: 2 Cetti's Warblers (Dave Hutchinson)
Sat 25 Jul Wilstone: early am: 2 Common Sandpipers , 2 Little Egret, 1 Red-Crested Pochard (Mike Wallen); later am: 23 Great Crested Grebes (inc. 1 juv), 2 juv. Little Egrets, 1 Eurasian Wigeon, 1 Shoveler, 1 Red-crested Pochard, 8+ Pochard, 463 Lapwings, 2 Common Sandpipers, 42 Common Terns (Lee Evans)
Sat 25 Jul Startopsend: early am: Dunlin, Red-crested Pochard (Mike Wallen); later am: 1ad+ 1juv. Great Crested Grebe, F Tufted Duck with 3 large young + 4 tiny young (Lee Evans)
Sat 25 Jul Marsworth: early am: Common Sandpiper (Mike Wallen)
Fri 24 Jul Startopsend: late pm: 3 roosting eclipse-plumaged Red-crested Pochards, 30 Mute Swans, 72 Mallard, F Tufted Duck with 4 small young, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 10 Moorhens (Lee Evans)
Fri 24 Jul Marsworth: late pm: F Red-crested Pochard, F Reed Bunting in reedbed feeding young (Lee Evans)
Fri 24 Jul Tringford: late pm: Tufted Duck with a fresh brood of 9 ducklings (Lee Evans)
Wed 22 Jul Wilstone: late pm: juv. Mediterranean Gull, juv Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Little Egret, plus Wigeon, Shoveler, Teal, Kingfisher and numerous Sand Martin (Jonathan Nasir)
Tue 21 Jul Wilstone: late pm c17:30: 2 Dunlin, 3 Common Sandpiper, plus 22 Mute Swans, 1 Common Teal, 1 Eurasian Wigeon, 248 Lapwing, 78 Common Tern, 230+ Sand Martins, 1 Hobby (Lee Evans); later c19:00: 2 Oystercatchers over (Rob Clarke via Sue Rowe); later c20:00 : Barn Owl in field near car park, plus, Tawny Owl heard from behind reedbed, Little Owl heard in Black Poplars towards dry canal, plus Fox hunting in long grass near Rushy Meadow, Badger in dry canal (Sue Rowe)
Tue 22 Jul Startopsend: late pm: 32 Mute Swan, 54 Sand Martins (Lee Evans); later: 1 Little Egret (David Bilcock)
Mon 20 Jul Wilstone: pm: 22 Great Crested Grebe, 15 Cormorant, 2 juv. Little Egret, 1 Eurasian Wigeon, 1 Common Teal, 6 young Tufted Duck, 314 Coot (in 3 separate feeding rafts of c100 swirling in circles and diving to retrieve weed), 243 Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, 3 Common Sandpiper, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 8 Sand Martin, 12+ House Martin, Wren (family group in hedgerow by new overflow) (Lee Evans)
Mon 20 Jul Startopsend: 1 Common Sandpiper, plus 30 Mute Swan, various Mallards (F with 6 very small ducklings, others with 3, 5 and 8 well grown youngsters) F Tufted Ducks (with 4 small young), 43 Coot, (43) (Lee Evans)
Tue 20 Jul Marsworth: 3 Great Crested Grebe, F Red-crested Pochard (presumably of captive origin), 1 Coot, 1 Common Kingfisher, 1 Western Reed Warbler (Lee Evans)
Mon 20 Jul Tringford: 2 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Mute Swan, F Mandarin Duck, 60 Coot (inc. 17 fledged young), 1pr. Greenfinch (Lee Evans)
Sun 19 Jul Wilstone: Spotted Flycatchers pair with 4-5 newly-fledged young family , Goldfinch pair with 3 young (both near overflow/car park), Yellow Wagtail (in adjacent field) (Sue Rowe + Lee Evans); plus 22 Great Crested Grebes (inc. 1 juv.), 14 Cormorants, 42 Mute Swans, 78 Greylag Geese, 1 Eurasian Wigeon, 7 Gadwall, 1 Shoveler, 12 Pochard, 217+ Coot, juv. Little Ringed Plover, 2 Common Sandpiper, 68 Common Terns (inc. 33 juv.), 48 Common Swifts, 238+ Sand Martins, 135+ House Martins (Lee Evans)
Sun 19 Jul Tringford: 2 juv. Little Egrets, 113 Coot (Lee Evans)
Sat 18 Jul Wilstone: early am: 3 Whimbrel over, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, juv. Little Ringed Plover, juv. Little Egret (Roy Hargreaves); late pm: 21 Whimbrels and 1 ad. Common Gull over, Green Sandpiper & Little Ringed Plover still (David Bilcock); plus Kingfisher (Lee Coles)
Sat 18 Jul Startopsend: late pm: 2 Little Egrets (Rob Andrews)
Fri 17 Jul Wilstone: early am: 3 Black-tailed Godwits over (Roy Hargreaves/David Bilcock); late am: 2 Little Egrets, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Little Ringed Plover (David Bilcock); midday: 18 Great Crested Grebes (inc. 1 juv.), 7 Gadwall, 82 Lapwing, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Common Sandpiper, 42 Black-headed Gull, 51 Common Tern (inc. 23 juv.), 104 Sand Martins (Lee Evans); late pm: Whimbrel over (Ian Williams via Roy Hargreaves)
Thu 16 Jul Wilstone: early am: 1 Coal Tit, 1 Redshank, 3 Common Sandpipers, juv Little Owl (in F Black Poplar) (Roy Hargreaves); later: Common Redshank (David Bilcock & Roy Hargreaves via Lee Evans); late pm: 2 Green Sandpipers, 4 Common Sandpipers, 132 Lapwings, 1 Common Teal, 12 Great Crested Grebe, 190+ Coot, 16 Black-headed Gulls, 44 Common Terns, 38 House Martins (Lee Evans)
Thu 16 Jul Startopsend: Common Sandpiper, 32 Mute Swans, 12 Greylag Geese (inc. 3 goslings), 1 F Tufted Duck feeding 4 small ducklings, 7 juv. Moorhens (Lee Evans)
Thu 16 Jul Marsworth: 2 (pair) Spotted Flycatcher feeding 3 young, M Common Chiffchaff singing, Cetti's Warbler singing from reedbed (Lee Evans)
Tue 14 Jul Wilstone: early am: 4 Common Shelduck (briefly) (Roy Hargreaves/David Bilcock); later am:9 Grey Heron (fishing), juv Little Egret, 108 Greylag Geese, 217 Lapwing, 1 Common Sandpiper, 38 Black-headed Gulls, 40+ Common Terns (inc. 11 fledged juv.), 16 Common Swift, 5 Sand Martin, 35 House Martin, 1 juv. Grey Wagtail, M House Sparrow (nr. car park) (Lee Evans)
Tue 14 Jul Marsworth: late pm: Spotted Flycatcher, Reed Warbler, F Red-crested Pochard (David Bilcock)
Mon 13 Jul Wilstone: early am: 1 or 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 Green Sandpiper, plus 20 to 30 Crossbills flying over (Roy Hargreaves)
Sun 12 Jul Startopsend: Spotted Flycatcher in wood near causeway (Jack O'Neill)
Sat 11 Jul Wilstone: early am: Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper (David Bilcock); later pm:Juv. Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, 14 ad. + 1 young Great Crested Grebe, 1 juv. Little Egret, 26 Mute Swan, 87 Greylag Geese, 14 Northern Pochard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk (taking prey back to nest), 3 Red Kites, 157 Lapwings, 27 Black-headed Gull (inc. 3 fresh juvs.), 1 ad. Lesser Black-backed Gull over, 35+ Common Tern, 40+ Common Swifts, 72 Sand Martin (Lee Evans with Steve Rodwell)
Sat 11 Jul TWTW: Green Sandpiper (David Bilcock)
Fri 10 Jul Wilstone: early pm: Little Egret (Steph Taylor); late pm: juv. Little Ringed Plover and juv. Little Egret over (Jack O'Neill/Steve Rodwell)
Thu 9 Jul Wilstone: 5 Redshank, 1 Common Sandpiper (Steve Rodwell)
Thu 9 Jul Marsworth: Green Sandpiper (poss. the bird from TWTW) (Steve Rodwell)
Wed 8 Jul Wilstone: Whimbrel over, Barn Owl (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 7 Jul Wilstone: pm: 14 Great Crested Grebe, 2 juv. Little Grebe, 13 Cormorant roosting, 15+ Grey Heron (around all reservoirs inc 8 juv), 1 juv. Little Egret, 33 Mute Swans, 2 Whooper Swan, 108 Greylag Geese, 36 Canada Geese, 107 Mallard, 6 Northern Sloveler, 1 M Eurasian Wigeon, 5 Common Teal, 23 Northern Pochard, 12 Tufted Duck, 17 fledged young Moorhen, 516 Eurasian Coot, 43 Lapwing, 15 ad. Black-headed Gull, 50+ ad. Common Tern plus 18+ chicks being fed on the breeding rafts & 2 chicks fledged and feeding independently (adults scattered around all four reservoirs), 60 Common Swift, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Eurasian Skylark (singing Me in field NW of res.), 7 Sand Martin (returning autumn birds), 6 Barn Swallow, 32 House Martin, 1 juv. Pied Wagtail, ad. Wrens feeding four fledged young by hide, 3 European Robin, Great Tit family party, several family parties Blue Tit, 1 Common Starling (Lee Evans); late pm: 4 Redshanks (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 7 Jul Startopsend: pm: 29 Mute Swan (inc. 9 first-summer), 5 Greylag Geese, 29 Eurasian Coot, 5 Sand Martin, 3 Barn Swallow, 14 Common Starling (Lee Evans); late pm: 27 Pied Wagtails (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 7 Jul Marsworth: pm: 2 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Greylag Geese on adjacent Canal (with 2 gosling Greylag and 1 gosling Canada Goose), 57 Mallard, F Red-crested Pochard (with 1 hybrid young), 3 well-grown young Tufted Duck, immature male Common Kestrel, 1 Eurasian Coot, 10 ad. Black-headed Gull (in paddock fields over canal), 37 Common Swift, 16 House Martin, singing M Dunnock (nr. adj. canal), 2 European Robin, 4 singing M Western Reed Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 1 singing M Common Chiffchaff, 30+ House Sparrow ( by Angler's Retreat Pub), M Reed Bunting in reedbed (Lee Evans); Water Rail (Peter Medcalf)
Tue 7 Jul Tringford: pm: 1 Great Crested Grebe, 7 Tufted Duck, 39 Eurasian Coot (Lee Evans)
Tue 7 Jul TWTW: pm: 4 young Tufted Ducks(Lee Evans)
Mon 6 Jul Wilstone: am: 1 Black-tailed Godwit, Greenshank (David Bilcock)
Mon 6 Jul TWTW: am: Green Sandpiper (David Bilcock)
Sun 5 Jul Wilstone: am: 5 Greenshanks (all adults moulting out of breeding plumage) feeding on mud and in creek R of hide, 1 Little Egret, up to 3 Oystercatchers; pm plus several damselflies inc. 5 Red-eyed and a single Small Red-eyed Damselfly (David Bilcock); late pm: 8 Black-tailed Godwits, 5 Greenshanks (still) (Steve Rodwell/David Bilcock/Lee Evans); plus 14 Great Crested Grebe (inc. 1 juv.), 2 Little Grebe, 13 Grey Heron, 1 Little Egret, 36 Mute Swans (for midsummer moult), 2 Whooper Swan (these are the two non-naturalised adults that attempted to breed unsuccessfully at Dunstable Sewage Farm in May-June), 96 Greylag Geese, 12 Canada Geese, 73 Mallard (with 2 family parties), eclipse M Red-crested Pochard, 6 Common Teal, 4 (2-pr) Northern Shoveler, 65 Tufted Duck, 13 Northern Pochard, 639 Coot, 43 post-breeding Lapwings, 34 Common Terns, 1 Barn Owl, 46 Common Swifts, 5 House Martin (Lee Evans with Dave Bilcock, Steve Rodwell and Stuart Wilson)
Sun 5 Jul Startopsend: early am: Oystercatcher feeding along west shore (David Bilcock); late pm: 29 Mute Swan (for summer moult)
Sun 5 Jul TWTW: am & late pm: 1 Green Sandpiper, on mud to right of hide in front on the reed bed (David Bilcock)
Sat 4 Jul Wilstone: early am: 6 Common Sandpipers (David Bilcock/Steve Rodwell)
Sat 4 Jul Startopsend: 1 Common Sandpiper (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 4 Jul Marsworth: F Red-crested Pochard with young, now looking very Mallard like (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 3 Jul Wilstone: Red Kite (in moult) over W end, 150+ Coot, 11+ Common Tern, plus plenty of butterflies, damselflies, inc. 1 Southern Hawker (by path down from dry canal to hide corner, and young frogs all heading W (Christopher Carpenter)
Thu 2 Jul Wilstone: 2 Whooper Swans (prob. feral) (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 30 Jun Wilstone: early am: M Red-crested Pochard (now in eclipse), 8 Teal, Cetti's Warbler singing from reedbed, plus a young Little Owl calling (in the polarded female Black Poplar tree in hedge just before you turn up towards the Dry Canal) plus plenty of butterflies (Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Large Skipper etc) and damselflies (Common Blue) (Roy Hargreaves)
Sun 28 Jun Wilstone: late pm: 2 Little Egrets (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 27 Jun Wilstone: young Little Owl in pollarded tree down from Wendover Arm (Howard Clarke)
Thu 25 Jun Wilstone: 4 Teal and 2 Shoveler (going into eclipse plumage), 1 Mandarin Duck (Steve Rodwell)
Thu 25 Jun Marsworth: pm: Cuckoo calling from tall trees behing, plus Red Kite (Geoff Young)
Tue 23 Jun Wilstone: 14 Cormorant, 5 juv. Grey Heron, 16 Mute Swan, 17 Canada Goose, 46 Greylag Goose, 18 ad. Gadwall, 2 Eurasian Wigeon, 18 Pochard, M Red-crested Pochard, 43 ad. Tufted Duck, 557 ad. Coot with 18 young, 25 Lapwing (post-breeding birds), 4 Black-headed Gull (2 ad. 2 first-summer), 53 ad. Common Tern with 15+ chicks on rafts, 2 (pair) Stock Dove, 2 House Martin, 2 Pied Wagtail (Lee Evans)
Tue 23 Jun Startopsend: 38 Mute Swan, 2 Greylag Goose, single F Mallards with 4 & 2 ducklings, 14 ad. Tufted Duck, 4 Moorhen, 16 Coot with 2 young, 22 House Sparrow inc. fresh juv. nr. Angler's Retreat, 2 (pair) Goldfinch feeding 3 young (Lee Evans)
Tue 23 Jun Marsworth: 56 Mallard, F Red-crested Pochard with young (pos. hybrid), 2 (pair) Tufted Duck, 2 pairs Coot nesting, M Common Kestrel (hunting over reedbed), 4 Wren singing, 4 Robin, 2 family parties Blackcap in wood, Cettifs Warbler singing, 8+ Western Reed Warbler in reedbed, 2 singing M Common Chiffchaff in wood, 2 fledged young Chaffinch in wood (Lee Evans)
Tue 23 Jun Tringford: 1 Little Grebe, 1 Cormorant, 3 ad. Grey Heron, 12 Mute Swan, single F Mallards with 9, 5 & 3 ducklings, 16 ad. & 1 young Tufted Duck plus F with 5 small young, 4 active Coot nests with 4 juv., 5 fledged juv. Blackbirds in wood, 20+ juv. Jackdaw (Lee Evans)
Tue 23 Jun TWTW: 3 juv. Mandarin Duck, 4 (2 prs.) plus F Tufted Duck with 5 small young, M Cuckoo calling, 8 Swift, family group of c4 Cettifs Warbler, 3 singing Western Reed Warbler (Lee Evans)
Mon 22 Jun Wilstone: late pm: c100 Common Terns (it looked like the local birds were at Wilstone!), plus 5 Black-headed Gulls (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 21 Jun Wilstone: 11+ Red Kites over fields NW of res. as fields were being cut, hunting over the cut fields and occasionally perching in the nearby trees (David Bilcock); late pm: 2 Oystercatchers, 6 Hobbies, 74 Common Terns, 3 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Red-legged Partridge (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 21 Jun Tringford: Tufted duck - 2 broods of 8 chicks (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 21 Jun Aylesbury Arm: between Puttenham bridge and Wilstone - lots of White-legged Damselflies (David Bilcock)
Sat 20 Jun Wilstone: M Red-crested Pochard, family party of 7 Goldcrests behind hide (Ian Williams); 2 Red Kites soaring over (Geoff Young)
Fri 19 Jun Wilstone: 1 Mandarin, 1 Redshank (Steve Rodwell)
Thu 18 Jun Wilstone: early am: Barn Owl flying over fields to the north of the reservoir and drying off
in trees, plus 1M Eurasian Teal, Red-crested Pochard, 2 Wigeon (Roy Hargreaves)
Sun 14 Jun Startopsend: Yellow Wagtail with 2-3 Pied Wagtails (Nick Goss)
Sat 13 Jun Wilstone: M Red-crested Pochard, plus a brood of 2 Pochard with their mother, 6+ Common Tern chicks on raft, plus 2 Blue-tailed Damselflies in front of hide (Roy Hargreaves); late am: 1 Oystercatcher (briefly) (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 12 Jun Marsworth: F Red-crested Pochard with 1 chick (possibly a hybrid) (Steve Rodwell)
Thu 11 Jun Wilstone: 14 ad. Great Crested Grebe (including a pair with two small stripy young), 9 Mute Swan, 11 ad. Canada Geese, 22 ad. Greylag Goose (with 17 well-grown goslings), 62 Mallard (mainly eclipse drakes), 2 M Eurasian Wigeon ( one in eclipse plumage), 2pr. Gadwall, 1pr. Shoveler, 17 ad. Northern Pochard (inc. 5 F, one with two small young), 36 Tufted Duck, 1 M Red-crested Pochard, 311 Coot, 1 Black-headed Gull, 99 Common Terns, 4 Hobbies (Lee Evans); Yellowhammer in the Cattle Field / Disused canal area, plus 2 Red Kites (Nick Goss)
Mon 8 Jun Wilstone: M Red-crested Pochard (Roy Hargreaves)
Sun 7 Jun Wilstone: M Red-crested Pochard (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 6 Jun Wilstone: c3,000 Swifts, c200 House Martin, c100 Swallow, c50 Sand Martin (Mike Wallen)
Sat 6 Jun Startopsend: c200 Swift, c70 House martin, c40 Swallow, c15 Sand Martin (M Wallen HBC)
Fri 5 Jun Wilstone: 2 Common Tern chicks on tern raft (Roy Hargreaves)
Wed 3 Jun Wilstone: pm: 1 Black Tern (David Bilcock)
Tue 2 Jun Wilstone: 4 Black Terns (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 2 Jun Marsworth: 2 Shoveler (Steve Rodwell)
Mon 1 Jun Wilstone: early am: 1 Black Tern, 3 Common Sandpipers, 1 Little Egret (Roy Hargreaves); plus 50+ Common Gulls, 2 Hobbies (Chris Carpenter)
Mon 1 Jun Marsworth: am: 1 Black Tern, Cetti's Warbler calling, Oystercatcher over (mid am), Kingfisher (Phillip Tyler)
Sun 31 May Wilstone: 2 M Wigeon, 2 Hobbies hunting over fields towards Drayton B (Geoff Young); plus 3 Black Terns (Rob Andrews/Sue Rowe); plus 19 Black-headed Gulls, 4 Lesser Black Backed Gulls (David Bilcock)
Sat 30 May Wilstone: pm: Osprey over (unknown obs, via Lee Evans)
Wed 27 May Marsworth: Red-crested Pochard with 2 ducklings (Lynne Lambert)
Mon 25 Mat Wilstone: late pm: Oystercatcher (David Bilcock)
Sun 24 May Wilstone: late pm: 6 Barnacle Geese
Fri 22 May Wilstone: mid pm: F Marsh Harrier (briefly) quartering reedbed (David Bilcock and others); late pm/early pm: 13 Canada Goose (groups of 10 and 3), 43 Greylag Goose, 7 Hobbies, 37 Common Terns, 3 Pied Wagtail, 4 very young coots on logs with female near the old overflow (Adrian Condon)
Thu 21 May Wilstone: 12 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Mute Swans (inc. two first-summers), 12 Atlantic Canada Goose, 27 Greylag Goose, 23 M Mallard, 2M Eurasian Wigeon, (1 with a damaged wing), 18 Gadwall, 3 Northern Shoveller, 10 Northern Pochard, 56 Tufted Duck, 1 Ruddy Duck, 166+ Coot, Eurasian Sparrowhawk over, 7 Hobbies, 43 Common Terns, 2 Pied Wagtail, 2,300+ Common Swifts
(hunting over fields and fairly high above the reservoir) (Lee Evans)
Thu 21 May Startopsend: 2 Mute Swan (Lee Evans)
Thu 21 May Marsworth: 10 Great Crested Grebe, 21 Mallard (14 M, 1 'Khaki-type' Fwith 6 growing young), 1M Gadwall, 6 Tufted Duck, 2 Northern Shoveler, 2 M Song Thrush singing, Sedge Warbler singing, 8 Western Reed Warbler (inc. 4 in the main reedbed, 2 in Bucks section and single males in isolated thin strips of reeds on the east bank), 1M Common Chiffchaff singing, Reed Bunting singing (Lee Evans)
Thu 21 May Tringford: 8 Mute Swans, 2 Gadwall (Lee Evans)
Wed 20 May Wilstone: late pm: 12+ Hobbies hawking for insects (Rob Andrews)
Tue 19 May Marsworth: Cetti's Warbler heard calling from reed bed, Cuckoo heard calling, Hobby over reservoir chasing swifts (Phillip Tyler)
Mon 18 May Wilstone: possible Grasshopper Warbler in Rushy Meadow (Roy Hargreaves); late pm: 'hundreds' of Swifts (Sue Rowe)
Sun 17 May Wilstone: late am: Little Egret (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 16 May Wilstone: late pm: 90 Common Terns, 17 Hobbies (David Bilcock)
Fri 15 May Wilstone: early am: Ringed Plover through; plus late pm: 97 Common Terns (David Bilcock); 6 Hobbies (J Bailey HBC)
Fri 15 May Startopsend: Dunlin (along N bank) (David Bilcock)
Thu 14 May Wilstone: early am: 10 Black Terns plus David Bilcock via Ben Miller); plus 11th Black Tern, 2 Little Terns (John Gearing); late am: Little Tern, 11 Black Terns (Lee Evans via Ben Miller); plus Redshank heard (Mike Campbell); plus poss. Dunlin & Curlew over (Lee Evans via Joan Thompson); pm: 13 Black Terns, 1 Common Sandpiper (Steve Rodwell)
Thu 14 May Startopsend: early am: Dunlin (briefly) (David Bilcock via Ben Miller)
Wed 13 May Wilstone: mid am: 12+ Black Terns, 1 Little Tern (Mike Nicholls/Colin Strudwick); mid-late pm 17 Black Terns, 1 Little Tern (Roy Hargreaves (and others))
Tue 12 May Wilstone: 5 Black Terns (Ben Miller)
Mon 11 May Wilstone: 5 Black Terns (Steve Rodwell/Roy Hargreaves/David Bilcock)
Sun 10 May Wilstone: 0800: M Marsh Harrier through (David Bilcock); 1215-1255: Marsh Harrier quartering reedbed (prob. immature no white patch on breast or white on leading edge of wings otherwise characteristic female type plumage), plus 3+ hobbies hawking insects over reservoir (Esmond Brown); 14:00: F Marsh Harrier (briefly) (David Bilcock); 14:15-16:45: FoTR Hobbies Walk: 2 or 3 Hobbies (mostly high up, but one flew down to catch a Swift and carry it off behind hide), 2 (poss. 3) Buzzards, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Red Kite, Coot, Great Crested Grebes, Gadwall, Pochard, Wigeon, Teal, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Canada Geese, Greylag geese, c15-20 Common Terns, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Common Sandpiper, Lapwing, Cuckoo (seen and heard), Sand/House Martins, Swift, Swallows, Black-headed Gulls, Pied Wagtails, Goldfinches, Reed Bunting, Carrion Crows, Jay, Dunnock, Wood Pigeons, plus House Sparrow, Blackbird, Chiffchaff, Robin, Yellow Wagtail, Reed Warbler & Blackcap heard; plus Butterflies: Common Blue, Peacock, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, (Keith Evans and others)
Sat 9 May Wilstone: early pm: 12+ Hobbies (inc. 8 together hunting over reed bed) (David Bilcock)
Fri 8 May Marsworth: Cetti's Warbler heard calling from reed bed, Cuckoo heard calling, Red Kite over reed bed (Phil Tyler)
Tue 5 May Wilstone: pm: c 200 Swifts and 8+ House Martins (Roger Payne)
Mon 4 May Startopsend: mid pm: c40 Swifts, 40+ Sand Martins with some House Martins & a few Swallows, 8 Common Terns, plus 10 Mute Swan on adjacent canal (Keith Evans)
Mon 4 May Marsworth: 9 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Shoveler (Keith Evans)
Sun 3 May Wilstone: early am: c60 Swift, M Wigeon (Mike Wallen); Cuckoo in poplar trees, prob. Tawny Owl nr. Rushy Meadow (Sue Rowe)
Sun 3 May Startopsend: early am: c50 Sand Martin, 8 Swift (Mike Wallen)
Fri 1 May Wilstone: 4 Hobbies feeding over res. (Mike Wallen)
Fri 1 May Marsworth: 2 Common Terns, 2 Yellow Wagtails with c8 Pied Wagtails in horse paddocks, Whitethroat singing hedge, 3 Swifts, 15 Sand Martins (Lynne Lambert)
Thu 30 Apr Wilstone: mid pm: Hobby hawking over res. (Geoff Young)
Thu 30 Apr Startopsend: mid pm: 50+ Swifts, plus Grey Wagtail nr. Lock 44, Hobby nr. New Mill, Wendover Arm (Geoff Young)
Tue 28 Apr Wilstone: late pm: M Garganey (Ian Williams)
Tue 28 Apr Startopsend: 2 Yellow Wagtails (Ben Miller)
Tue 28 Apr Marsworth: Cetti's Warbler calling from reed-bed opposite canal bank, Buzzard, c8 Common Terns, Mallard-cross with 13 chicks, plus Blackcaps calling from hedge-row alongside canal, Cuckoo (heard from Canal bank several times during day, from beyond reeds) (Phil Tyler)
Mon 27 Apr Wilstone: am: 2 M Yellow Wagtail, 24 Common Swift, 18 House Martins, 58 Common Terns (Lee Evans); mid pm: 1 Hobby (Wil Berdinner); late pm: 34 Common Tern, 2 Hobbies (Rob Andrews)
Mon 27 Apr Startopsend: 5 Yellow Wagtails (Rob Andrews)
Mon 27 Apr Marsworth: am: 168 Sand Martins, 73 Barn Swallows, 11+ House Martins, 2 Common Kingfishers (Lee Evans); pm: M Peregrine over (towards Wilstone) (Rob Andrews)
Sat 25 Apr Wilstone: early am: 3 Chinese Water Deer, 1 Muntjac and 1 Red Fox (Roy Hargreaves); early pm: 2 Hobbies (over reedbed) (Mike Collard); pm: plus 20+ Swifts, F Wheatear (at concrete posts in fields nr. Rushy Meadow), 2 Common Sandpipers, White Wagtail by the jetty, plus 1 Yellow Wagtail (in paddock nr. barn conversions in Wilstone) (Roy Hargreaves); late pm: Hobby, Oystercatcher (briefly) (Sue Rowe)
Fri 24 Apr Wilstone: early pm: Hobby, & late pm: Whimbrel over (from Startopsend direction), 4+ Swift, 5 Yellow Wagtail (Ian Williams)
Fri 24 Apr Startopsend: Whimbrel over (towards Wilstone) (Jonathan Nasir)
Fri 24 Apr Marsworth: c30 Common Tern, 2 Yellow Wagtail (Jonathan Nasir)
Thu 23 Apr Wilstone: am: Grasshopper Warbler nr. Rushy Meadow, & pm: ad. summer Little Gull (Roy Hargreaves)
Wed 22 April Wilstone: early pm: White Stork over (poss. escape from Whipsnade) (Jack O'Neil via Joan Thompson)
Tue 21 Apr Wilstone: Garganey, 8 Common Tern (J Bailey HBC)
Tue 21 Apr Marsworth: Cuckoo calling (Mike Collard)
Mon 20 Apr Wilstone: 10 (5 pr) Great Crested Grebes, 9 Mute Swan, 28 Greylag Geese, 2 (1 pr) Mallard with 8 small ducklings, Gargany, 5 Eurasian Wigeon (3M 2F), 12 Gadwall, 4 Shoveler (inc. 3 M), 1 M Pochard, 85 Tufted Duck, 116 Common Coot, 6 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Red Kites over, 3+ Buzzard, 4 Wren, (1 singing nr car park; 3 in wood nr hide), 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Jay, 1 Linnet over (Lee Evans)
Mon 20 Apr Startopsend: up to 22 Common Terns (Lee Evans)
Mon 20 Apr Marsworth: 2 Common Cuckoos, Mallars with now only 3 ducklings, 2 (1 pr) Gadwal, plus l Red-crested Pochard hybrid, 1 Jay through, 1 Common Kingfisher, House Sparrow, 3 Sedge Warblers, 7 (Western) Reed Warblers, 3 Cetti's Warblers, plus in corner woodland: singing Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Goldfinch, 2 Chaffinch, Dunnock, Wren, 2 nesting pairs of Blackbird (Lee Evans)
Sun 19 Apr Wilstone: early am: Swift over hide (Mike Wallen); plus 2 Wheatear (Ian Williams); mid-day: Gargany (David Bilcock); plus M Ruddy Duck, Cetti's Warbler calling in Rushy Meadow, plus 2 Common Whitethroats together on dry canal (Dave Hutchinson); mid pm: plus Raven, ad. Little Gull, Red Kite, Buzzard (Ian Bennell); plus 30 Common Tern (J Thompson HBC)
Sun 19 Apr Startopsend: Cetti's Warbler calling from canal (Dave Hutchinson); House Martin, 3 Yellow Wagtails (inc. 1 M) in paddock just down from Anglers Retreat (Ian Bennell); plus 20 Common Tern (J Thompson HBC)
Sun 19 Apr Marsworth: Grasshopper Warbler (via Ben Miller); plus Cuckoo, Sedge Warbler, 9 Sand Martin, 2 Grey Wagtail (Ian Bennell)
Sun 19 Apr Tringford: Red Kite, 5 Teal (inc 3 M) (Ian Bennell)
Sat 18 Apr Wilstone: am: 15 Common Terns and the adult Little Gull (Mike Wallen); plus mid am: 3 Yellow Wagtails (Ian Williams); Raven, Garganey, Little Gull, Buzzard (I Bennell HBC)
Sat 18 Apr Startopsend: am: 40 Common Terns (Mike Wallen); plus Grey Wagtail, 3 Yellow Wagtails, House Martin (sev obs HBC)
Sat 18 Apr Marsworth: am: 1-2 Arctic Terns (Mike Wallen); plus Cetti's Warbler, 2 Grey Wagtail, Cuckoo, Sedge Warbler (sev obs HBC)
Fri 17 Apr Wilstone: Cuckoo, Barn Owl above dry canal at Rye House, Whitethroat on dry canal (Johne Taylor); Gargeny, Cuckoo behind hide (Andy Radford via Ben Miller)
Fri 17 Apr Startopsend: 5 Common Terns (Ben Miller); 1 Adult Little Gull and 1 Common Sandpiper (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 17 Apr Marsworth: 2 Yellow Wagtail (Steve Rodwell); plus M Brambling, 2 Curlews over (Andy Radford via Ben Miller); plus Cuckoo, 2 Sedge Warbler (J Bailey HBC)
Thu 16 Apr Wilstone: early am: Little Egret flew from roost, Curlew circling, Whitethroat singing on dry canal (Roy Hargreaves); late am: adult M Common Shellduck, Common Sandpiper, 5 (Eurasian) Wigeon (3M 2F), 4 Common Teal, 18 Gadwall, 14 Shoveler, 63 Tufted Ducks, 8 Great Crested Grebes (inc. 2 displaying pairs), 5 Common Terns (Lee Evans)
Thu 16 Apr Startopsend: late am/early pm: 4 summer-plumaged Little Gulls, up to 27 Common Terns, (Common) Kingfisher (Lee Evans); mid pm: possible 2 Black Terns (via Ben Miller); plus Cuckoo, Sedge Warbler (R Woodhead HBC)
Thu 16 Apr Marsworth: (Common) Cuckoo (seen and heard in large tree beyond far reedbed) (Howard Clarke/Ian Williams via Lee Evans); late am/early pm: 16 Great Crested Grebe (8 pairs), 8 Gadwall, 3 Shoveler, plus 3 M Dunnocks singing in hedge near Lock 40, 2 Wrens, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Robin, plus 1 M Song Thrush (in the 'Corner Wood'), plus in reedbeds: 10+ (Western) Reed Warblers (3 in Bucks, 7+ in Herts), 3+ Sedge Warblers (1 Bucks 2 Herts) (Lee Evans)
Thu 16 Apr Tringford: 2 (pair) Manderin Ducks (Ian Williams via Lee Evans)
Wed 15 Apr Wilstone: mid am: Osprey over, being mobbed by Common Terns (Jonathan Nasir via Lee Evans); Lesser Whitethroat singing on Aylesbury Arm (Johne Taylor)
Wed 15 Apr Startopsend: early am: Woodlark over (calling) (Warren Claydon via Lee Evans); am: 18 Common Terns, 70 Sand Martins, 20 Swallows (Ben Miller); early pm: 1 Arctic Tern (Steve Rodwell)
Wed 15 Apr Marsworth: Sedge and Reed Warblers singing from reedbeds (2 Sedge, 1 Reed in Bucks section, others in Herts), Cetti's Warbler singing (in Herts) (Ben Miller)
Tue 14 Apr Wilstone: early am: 2 Oystercathers over, 1 Little Egret flew out of roost, 13 Common Terns, plus a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls (Roy Hargreaves); early pm: 3 Little Gulls, 6 Common Terns, 5 Eurasian Wigeon (inc. 3 M), 4+ Common Teal, 5 Shoveler, 3 Northern Pochards, 15 Gadwall, plus pair Stock Doves near Cemetery (Lee Evans) ; mid pm: first-summer Peregrine (flying N) (Mick Frosdick via Lee Evans); late pm: M Gargeny, 1 Oystercatcher (prob. one of the 2 from Marsworth) (Lee Evans/ plus Steve Rodwell); plus 30 Golden Plover (seen distantly), 1 first-winter Greater Black-backed Gull (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 14 Apr Marsworth: early am: 1 ad. winter Little Gull, 10 Common Terns, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Cetti's Warblers and 1 Sedge Warbler singing from the reedbed (Ben Miller); mid pm: 3 Little Gulls (those previously seen at from Wilstone), 3 Black-headed Gulls through, 2 'new' Oystercatchers, 4 Shoveler, 6 (3 pairs) Gadwall, 14 Great Crested Grebes, 14 Sand Martins, 22 Barn Swallows, 1 Grey Wagtail, plus in reedbed: 3 (Western) Reed Warblers, 5+ Sedge Warblers singing, 3 Cetti's Warblers singing, 3 Reed Buntings singing, plus in paddock fields over Canal: 2 M Yellow Wagtails, 2 White Wagtails (Lee Evans/ plus Steve Rodwell)
Tue 14 Apr Tringford: 3 Little Gulls (R Woodhead HBC)
Mon 13 Apr Wilstone: 3+ Yellow Wagtails over, 1 Red-legged Partridge, plus c.40 Golden Plovers distantly (Steve Rodwell)
Mon 13 Apr Startopsend: early am: Curlew circling (passed over Wilstone & Marsworth too), 2 Little Gulls, 10 Common Terns (Mike Wallen/Mike Collard); late pm: Kittewake through (Jonathan Nasir via Lee Evans)
Mon 13 Apr Marsworth: 2+ Sedge Warbler (in reeds near canal, 1 by sluice), 2 Yellow Wagtails (in horse field across canal), 1 M White Wagtail (in trees along causeway), 20 + Common Terns, 1 Red Kite, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kingfisher, Several Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs calling, Mallard with 6 new young, Moorhen with 5 new young (Roger Merrison); plus 2 Cetti's Warblers (Mike Wallen)
Sun 12 Apr Wilstone: am: M Common Scoter, Common Sandpiper, 3 Common Terns (David Bilcock); 30+ Siskins (in Poplars near hide) (Sue Rowe/Mike Wallen); late am: M Hen Harrier through (towards Puttenham), Curlew over (Steve Rodwell/Rose Collard, also J Thompson HBC); mid pm: Common Scoter (still), 5 Eurasian Wigeon, 4 Common Teal, 1 Common Tern, 1 Common Sandpiper, plus a Song Thrush feeding along res. bank (Lee Evans); later: 29 Cormorants (4 pairs breeding), 5 ad. Mute Swan, 12 Gadwall, 3+ pairs Coot nesting, 2 imm. Great Black-backed Gulls (flying E), 6+ Herring Gulls (flying E), 10 Black-headed Gulls over, 8 House Martins, 1 Jay (Lee Evans)
Sun 12 Apr Startopsend: pm: Arctic Tern (Steve Rodwell); plus 10+ Common Terns, and a mixed flock of >100 of all three hirundines (Ben Miller); Common Terns up to 15+ later, plus 10 Mute Swans on adjacent canal (Lee Evans)
Sun 12 Apr Marsworth: in horse paddock behind canal (in Bucks): up to 9 Yellow Wagtails, Cetti's Warbler calling, plus possible Water or Rock Pipit (Ben Miller); plus 7 Meadow Pipits, 12 Barn Swallows, 2 Cetti's Warblers singing (Lee Evans)
Sun 12 Apr Tringford: noon: 2 Sandwich Terns (Ben Miller, also J Thompson HBC)
Sat 11 Apr Wilstone: early am: 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Redshank (briefly), 4 Common Terns, plus a Sedge Warbler singing (in Rushy Meadow), a Cetti's Warbler singing (behind meadow), plus Chiffchaff and Blackcap singing (Roy Hargreaves); plus a few House Martins (Charlie Jackson); later: up to 4 Buzzards and 3 Red Kites, Common Sandpiper still present. plus small groups passage gulls through: 50+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 2 Herring Gulls (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 11 Apr Startopsend: am: 90 Tufted Duck, c100 hirundines incl. 8+ House Martins, plus 6 Yellow Wagtails in horse paddocks over canal (Mike Wallen & Charlie Jackson); 4 Artctic Terns (Steve Rodwell); 4 ad. Little Gulls (via Ben Miller); Channel Wagtail (a flava-type wagtail probably a so-called "Channel Wagtail" (flava-flavissima intergrade) in the horse field behind the canal (Mike Collard via Ben Miller); late pm: Kittewake through (Jonathan Nasir via Roy Hargreaves); 13 Common Tern, c150 Sand Martin, c40 Swallow, 5 House Martin, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 1 White Wagtail (M Wallen HBC)
Sat 11 Apr Marsworth: am: 14 Common Terns, Cetti's Warbler singing (Mike Wallen & Charlie Jackson)
Fri 10 Apr Wilstone: Heronry contains 33 active nests, (Mike A'Court/Lynne Lambert); late pm: Little Egret to roost in central bushes (Sue Rowe)
Fri 10 Apr Startopsend: 13 Common Terns over (Mike Collard)
Fri 10 Apr Marsworth: 6 Common Tern, Grey Wagtail (J Bailey HBC)
Thu 9 Apr Wilstone: early am: M Gargeny (near reedbed in Cemetery Corner, but spooked by some Tufted Ducks and lost), plus a Siskin singing in the poplars by the overflow (Roy Harhreaves); 8 Common Terns, 204 Sand Martins, 9 House Martins, 8 Barn Swallows, 1 M Common Goldeneye, 4 Eurasian Wigeon, 14 Teal, 5 Shoveler and 15 Gadwall, 3 M Ruddy Ducks (Lee Evans)
Thu 9 Apr Startopsend: 2 Great Crested Grebes (Lee Evans)
Thu 9 Apr Marsworth: 26 Barn Swallows, 3 House Martins, 83 Sand Martins, 1 winter adult Black-headed Gull, 14 Great Crested Grebes, 1 F Red-crested Pochard, 5 M Shoveler and the 8 Common Terns, plus in the paddock fields on the east side of the Canal (in Bucks): 26 alba-type Pied Wagtails (incl. 3 M White Wagtails), 6 M Yellow Wagtails, 2 Meadow Pipits, 96 Common Starling around dung heaps, plus 1Song Thrush singing in wood, 1 M Goldcrest, 3 Goldfinches, 1 Willow Warbler, 3 Chaffinch, 1 M Reed Bunting (in reedbed), plus 2 Cetti's Warbler singing (Lee Evans)
Thu 9 Apr Tringford: 1 M Gargeny (at 1800), 1 F Mallard with a brood of 12 very tiny ducklings, 2+ Coot nests active, plus pair of Common Teal, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Blackcap singing, 1 Common Chiffchaff singing, plus 9 active nests in Rookery at S end of res. (Lee Evans)
Wed 8 Apr Wilstone: M Common Redstart still in hedge near dungheap (see 7th), 2 Common Tern (1 at 09.45 joined by 2nd bird at 17.00), plus 4 Red-legged Partridge, 1 Lapwing (Charlie Jackson); plus 5 ad. Mute Swan, 32 Greylag Geese, 9 Gadwall, 5 Shoveler, 2 (pair) Eurasian Wigeon, 85 Tufted Duck, 158 Eurasian Coot (some now nest-sitting), 1 ad. winter Black-headed Gull, 2 ad, Common Terns, 1 Common Buzzard over, pair Stock Dove over, 157 Sand Martins, 2 M Pied Wagtails, pair Mistle Thrush (near main car park), 2 Common Chiffchaff singing (near hide), M Blackcap singing (near hide trail entrance), 2 M Willow Warbler singing (behind hide) (Lee Evans); a flock of 5+ Siskin in the poplars near overflow (Roy Hargreaves)
Tue 7 Apr Wilstone: Common Redstart (in hedge near dung heap by the road west of the old overflow (in Bucks)), Willow Warbler near dry canal, plus resonable flocks of Sand Martins (Roy Hargreaves); plus 2 Red-legged Partridge (D Girvan HBC)
Tue 7 Apr Marsworth: F Red-crested Pochard, 1 hybrid - which really does look like a Pochard x Red-crested Pochard cross, plus reasonable flocks of Sand Martins, with 10+ Swallows and 1+ House Martin, 2 singing Cetti's Warbler in reedbed (Roy Hargreaves); 2 Red-legged Partidges (D Girvan HBC)
Mon 6 Apr Wilstone: early am: Willow Warbler, Blackcaps & Chiffchaffs; late am: 13 Little Gulls with 8 Black-headed Gulls & 1 Common Tern, plus 1 Eurasian Wigeon, 10 Pochard, 8 Shoveler (Lee Evans); early pm: 10 Little Gulls (3 first-summer, 7 adults), 1 Common Tern (Roy Hargreaves)
Mon 6 Apr Startopsend: 1 Little Grebe, 71 Tufted Ducks, 2 Pochards, 123 Sand Martins, 1 M White Wagtail, plus on the adjacent Canal: 5 first-year Mute Swans and 1 pair Common Kingfishers (Lee Evans)
Mon 6 Apr Marsworth: 1 F Red-crested Pochard, 1 pair Gadwall, 2 Grey Wagtails, 8 Great Crested Grebes, plus 5 singing M Common Chiffchaffs, (including 4 in the Reedbed Wood), a singing M Blackcap, 1 Cetti's Warbler near overflow (Lee Evans)
Sun 5 Apr Marsworth: Barn Owl (in village) (Mike Wallen HBC)
Sat 4 Apr Wilstone: early am: 2 Little Egrets (left roost at 06.40), Willow Warbler in meadow near hide (Roy Hargreaves)
Fri 3 Apr Wilstone: 4 Goldeneye (2M2F) (Mike Collard HBC)
Fri 3 Apr Startopsend: 26 Sand Martins (Mark Grantham)
Wed 1 Apr Wilstone: 1 Little Egret, 1 second-winter Herring Gull, 4 Buzzards, 3 Red Kites (Steve Rodwell)
Wed 1 Apr Startopsend: 1 White Wagtail (Steve Rodwell)
Wed 1 Apr Marsworth: F Red-crested Pochard )Steve Rodwell)
Wed 1 Apr Tringford: Pair of Mandarin Ducks (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 31 Mar Wilstone: very early am (pre-dawn): winter-plumage Dunlin (briefly), 3 Little Egrets roosting, 15 Sand Martin, several Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps (Roy Hargreaves; early am: pair Goldeneye, c20 Sand Martin (Mike Wallen); later: an unusual hybrid duck (R.C. Pochard type), 3 Red Kitesplus c200 Golden Plover in flock (seen from res.)(Steve Rodwell)
Tue 31 Mar Startopsend: early am: c40 Sand Martin, 2 Grey Wagtails (Mike Wallen)
Mon 30 Mar Wilstone: early am: 2 roosting Little Egrets, plus greater number of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs singing, and 2 Red-legged Partridge (near dung heap north-west of the old overflow) (Roy Hargreaves); later: Redshank (on straw bales) plus c.200 Golden Plover distantly (Steve Rodwell/Mike Campbell); late pm: c200 Sand Martins and 10 plus Swallows (Charlie Jackson)
Mon 30 Mar Startopsend: 1 White Wagtail (Steve Rodwell/Mike Campbell); late pm: 30 'alba' Pied Wagtails, with 3 White Wagtails (inc 1M 1 first-winter), 2 Reed Buntings (Charlie Jackson)
Sat 28 Mar Wilstone: 1 Swallow and a Common Buzzard (Charlie Jackson); late pm 1 F Goosander (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 28 Mar Startopsend:1 House Martin, 12+ Swallows, 20+ Sand Martins, plus 2 White Wagtails (1F 1M) amongst 20 or so 'alba' Piers Wagtails (Charlie Jackson)
Sat 28 Mar Marsworth: F Red-crested Pochard, 2 Reed Buntings, 1 Grey Wagtail (Charlie Jackson)
Fri 27 Mar Wilstone: 40+ Sand Martins and a Barn Swallow (Don Otter); pm: M White Wagtail in field next to jetty (Charlie Jackson)
Fri 27 Mar Startopsend: 40 + Sand Martins, 6+ Barn Swallows, plus near canal: c20 Pied Wagtails incl. 2+ White Wagtails, 2 Grey Wagtails, 1 Red Kite over (Charlie Jackson); 50 Sand Martin, 1+ Barn Swallow, 6 Wigeon, 4 Little Grebe, 50 Fieldfare over (R Woodhead HBC)
Tue 24 Mar Startopsend: 1 Barn Swallow (flying along canal), 1 White Wagtail in amongst 32 Pied Wagtails, 22 Sand Martins (Rob Andrews)
Mon 23 Mar Wilstone: am: 2 Little Egrets, 3 Red Kites, 13 Sand Martins, plus 22 Herring Gulls through (Mike Wallen); prob Osprey over (at app. 1500) (Jean de Selincourt)
Sun 22 Mar Wilstone: 1 M White Wagtail, c8 Pied Wagtails, 12 Sand Martins, 1 singing Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, a male Sparrowhawk, 1 Red Kite, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Goldeneye, 1 Green Woodpecker and a Greater-spotted Woodpecker (Charlie Jackson)
Sun 22 Mar Marsworth: Cetti'd Warbler (near overflow), Chiffchaff singing (Charlie Jackson)
Sat 21 Mar Wilstone: early am: 2 Little Egrets (1 returned at abt. 10:10), 4 Sand Martins, 2 Blackcaps in trees between Cemetery corner and the gate, plus flocks of Golden Plover flying around towards Ivinghoe Beacon, vivible from res. (Roy Hargreaves); 4 Goldeneye, 5+ Sand Martin (K Hornby HBC)
Sat 21 Mar Startopsend: 26 Pied Wagtails (incl. 3 alba White Wagtails) (David Bilcock)
Sat 21 Mar Marsworth: Cetti's Warbler & Chiffchaff singing (Charlie Jackson); 20+ Sand Martin, F Red-crested Pochard (K Hornby HBC)
Fri 20 Mar Wilstone: early am: Scandinavian Rock Pipit, 2 M Goldeneye, Barn Owl hunting in field opposite car park (Charlie Jackson & others); plus 5+ Sand Martins, 1 Little Egret roosting (- they leave very early!)(Roy Hargreaves)
Fri 20 Mar Startopsend: 17 Sand Martins, 10+ Pied Wagtails (Lynne Lambert)
Fri 20 Mar Marsworth: 61 Corn Bunting, 250 Woodpigeon (Lynne Lambert)
Thu 19 Mar Wilstone: am: Scandinavian Rock Pipit (Ben Miller & others); 62 Fieldfare flying N (Lee Evans)
Thu 19 Mar Startopsend: up to 19+ Sand Martins, a migrant flock of birds including 16 'alba' wagtails (all mostly adult male Pieds but including two very alba-like first-year male Pieds), a Grey Wagtail and 2 'grey' Meadow Pipits (Lee Evans)
Thu 19 Mar Marsworth: 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2+ Chiffchaff singing, 3 Sand Martins (Ben Miller)
Wed 18 Mar Wilstone: Treecreeper with assorted Tits at entrance to hide path (Jill Goss); late pm: 4 Goldeneye (Charlie Jackson); Rock Pipit (Warren Claydon); plus 8 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Little Egrets (roosting on Drayton Bank), 23 Eurasian Wigeon, 2 Common Teal, 73 Shoveler, 1 M Ruddy Duck, 3 Lapwing, 6 Common Gulls (2 ad. 4 first-winter migrating E), 227 Woodpigeon, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, plus 1 Small Tortoisehell butterfly (Lee Evans); late pm: 4 Goldeneye (Charlie Jackson)
Wed 18 Mar Startopsend: 16+ Sand Martins between Startopsend and Marsworth (Rob Andrews); 4 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Gadwall, 67 Tufted Ducks, a male Common Kestrel and 35 House Sparrows (by the Angler's Retreat) (Lee Evans)
Wed 18 Mar Marsworth: F Red-crested Pochard, 2 adult Mute Swans, 1 Grey Heron, 12 Great Crested Grebes, plus in woods around: 3 singing M Chiffchaffs, 2 singing Chaffinches, 2 Wrens, a Robin, a Blue Tit, plus 1 Brimstone Butterfly (Lee Evans)
Tue 17 Mar Startopsend: early am: F Red Crested Pochard (Ben Miller)
Tue 17 Mar Marsworth: early am: 1 Sand Martin, Cetti's Warbler singing (Ben Miller)
Sun 15 Mar Wilstone: early am: 2 Little Egrets, 5+ Sand Martins, 2+ Chiffchaffs, 2 Siskins, plus several Linnets near dry canal (Roy Hargreaves); later: large F Sparrowhawk over (Ben Miller); late pm: 11 Goldeneye, 7 Sand Martins (Mike Wallen & HBC)
Sun 15 Mar Startopsend: 2 Brimstone butterflies along adjacent canal, 3 Chiffchaffs singing along canal towards Bulbourne (Ben Miller)
Sun 15 Mar Marsworth: pm: 1 Chiffchaff (Jonathan Nasir); F Red Crested Pochard, 4 Red Kites over (Ben Miller)
Sun 15 Mar Tringford: pm: 5+ Common Buzzard soaring, 2 Ravens displaying, 1 Sand Martin over, c40 Golden Plover over, 22 Teal, c20 Fieldfare and c10 Redwing in woods (Jonathan Nasir)
Sat 14 Mar Wilstone: am: 11 Sand Martins (Charlie Jackson); Little Gull and first-winter Mediterranean Gull in gull roost (David Bilcock); plus adult Mediterranean Gull (at 18.00), 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 33 Common Gulls (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 14 Mar Startopsend: late pm: 25 Sand Martins (between Startops/Marsworth), 1 Redshank, 1 Common Snipe (Jonathan Nasir)
Sat 14 Mar Marsworth: am: 1 singing Chiffchaff, 1 F Red-crested Pochard (Charlie Jackson); late pm: F Red Crested Pochard, 1 Common Buzzard over (Jonathan Nasir); 1 Cetti's Warbler singing and c30 Starlings to roost (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 14 Mar Tringford: 2 Chiffchaff in woods (Jonathan Nasir)
Fri 13 Mar Wilstone: early am: 2 Little Egrets, Cetti's Warbler heard behind Rushy Meadow, 4 Lesser Redpoll on hedge just south of Rushy Meadow, plus parties of Redwings and Fieldfares flying through (Roy Hargreaves); later am: 14 Common Goldeneye (Mike Wallen); late pm: 8 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Little Grebe, 4 pairs Cormorant (nesting in the tallest tree), 9 Common Teal, 12 Gadwall, 23 remaining Eurasian Wigeon, 115 Shoveler, 1 M Ruddy Duck, 13 Common Goldeneye (Lee Evans); 10 Sand Martins (parties of 2 and 8), 1 Curlew over (David Bilcock); in gull roost: 457 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Common Gulls, 2 Mediterranean Gulls (Lee Evans/David Bilcock and others); plus c200 Starlings to roost (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 13 Mar Startopsend: 1 Sand Martin (Ben Miller); 1 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Pochard, 54 Tufted Ducks, 1 M Ruddy Duck, 1 Common Gull (Lee Evans)
Fri 13 Mar Marsworth: 14 Great Crested Grebe, 1 M Gadwall, 8 Pochards, 1 F Red-crested Pochard with the few Mallard (Lee Evans)
Thu 12 Mar Wilstone: 2 Sand Martins (via David Bilcock); 2 Little Egrets, plus Red Kite over dry canal (Roy Hargreaves); the first winter Mediterranean Gull in gull roost (Steve Rodwell)
Thu 12 Mar Tringford: 10 Mute Swans, 2 Redpolls, 1 Linnet, 16 Rook nests (most occupied) (Steve Rodwell)
Wed 11 Mar Startopsend: 1 F Red-crested Pochard (Steve Rodwell)
Wed 11 Mar Marsworth: 1 Barn Owl, plus several bats including one large (noctule?) species (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 10 Mar Wilstone: 2 Little Egrets still roosting, 1 Red Kite over poplars by hide, plus 5 Red-legged Partridge on ridge above Dry Canal (Roy Hargreaves); late pm: first-winter Mediterranean Gull still (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 10 Mar Marsworth: 26 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Cetti's Warbler singing, 1+ Water Rail heard, 5+ Snipe (Steve Rodwell); Red-crested Pochard, Barn Owl (J Bailey HBC)
Mon 9 Mar Wilstone: 2 Mediterranean Gulls in gull roost (David Bilcock)
Sun 8 Mar Wilstone: 2 Little Egrets (1 roosted), 42 Cormorants roosted, plus in gull roost: 180 Common Gulls, 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 1 Herring Gull (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 8 Mar Marsworth: 1 Woodcock, 5+ Snipe, 1 Water Rail heard (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 7 Mar Wilstone: early am: 2 Little Egrets roosted (left before 0700), 10 Goldeneye, Water Rail, plus 2 Grey Partridge distantly visible from the westernmost of the two wooden canal footbridges over the dry canal (Roy Hargreaves); Great Crested Grebe, 1 Little Grebe, 11 Greylag Geese, 24 Canada Goose, 1 Egyptian Goose, 155 Tufted Ducks, 43 Pochard, 21 Gadwall, 48 Wigeon, 107 Shoveler, 28 Mallard, 5 Ruddy Duck, 17 Teal, 13 Goldeneye (4M, 1F), 1 Oystercatcher (flew from College Lake area and returned back towards that direction), 5 Lapwings, 2 Snipe; plus in gull roost: 84 Common Gulls, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, plus a white 'ermine' Stoat (Steve Rodwell); plus 7 Sand Martins through (Mike Wallen HBC)
Sat 7 Mar Startopsend: 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, 35 Tufted Ducks, 24 Pochard, 13 Mallard, 24 Coot, plus on adjacent canal: 2 Mute Swan, 3 Canada Goose, 18 Mallard, 4 Coots (Steve Rodwell)
SAt 7 Mar Marsworth: 24 G.C.Grebes, 1 Mute Swan, 15 Shoveler, 13 Mallard, female R.C.Pochard, 11 Coot, 2 Moorhen. 1 Cetti's Warbler (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 7 Mar Tringford: Little Grebe, 7 Mute Swan, 36 Canada Goose, 42 Tufted Ducks, 1 Pochard, 9 Mallard, 2 Gadwal1, 15 Teal, 18 Coot, 4 Moorhen (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 6 Mar Wilstone: Stonechat in bushes near Rushy Meadow (Mike Campbell/Ian Williams via RH); 2 Red-Legged and 2 Grey Partridges in fields N of dry canal, seen from westerly wooden footbridge (Roy Hargreaves); 1 first-winter Mediterranean Gull in gull roost (David Bilcock)
Thu 5 Mar Wilstone: 2 Little Egrets roosting first thing (Roy Hargreaves)
Wed 4 Mar Wilstone: early am: Egyptian Goose (flew towards Tringford at 0700) (Roy Hargreaves); later: 4 Goldeneye (3M 1F), plus 'brown' heron flying over reported by fishermen (poss. Bittern), plus 4 M Yellowhammers singing to 2 females along Miswell Lane Farm track (Doug Helsby)
Mon 2 Mar Wilstone: early am: 2 Little Egrets roosting, 13 Goldeneye (5M 8F) (Roy Hargreaves); c5,000 Black-headed Gulls in gull roost (David Bilcock)
Mon 2 Mar Startopsend: Little Owl calling (Steve Rodwell)
Mon 2 Mar Marsworth: 1 Bittern, 1+ Water Rails calling, Cetti's Warbler, 13 Great Crested Grebe, 3+ Snipe (Steve Rodwell)
Mon 2 Mar Tringford: Tawny Owl calling (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 1 Mar Wilstone: 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 35 Common Gulls in gull roost (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 1 Mar Marsworth: 1 Bittern, Barn Owl (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 28 Feb Wilstone: early am: 2 Little Egrets roosting, Egyptian Goose flying over, 11 Goldeneye, plus 1 Red Kite and 1 Buzzard over (Roy Hargreaves/Ian Williams); later in gull roost: c.4000ish Black-headed Gulls, 40+ Common Gulls, 3 Herring Gulls and 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, plus 52 Cormorants roosting, and 100+ Jackdaws over (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 28 Feb Marsworth: 1 Bittern, 1 Barn Owl (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 27 Feb Marsworth: 1 Bittern (Steve Rodwell)
Thu 26 Feb Wilstone: early pm: 4 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Little Grebe, 29 Cormorant (2 pairs nesting), 15 Grey Heron (nesting), 18 Gadwall, 107 Shoveler, 83 Eurasian Wigeon (much reduced numbers), 4 Common Teal, 22 Pochard, 77 Tufted Ducks (+ 1 Scaup-type hybrid), 4 Common Goldeneye (2M+2F), 6 Ruddy Ducks (2M+1imm.M+3F), 202 Coot, 10 Lapwing, 39 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Common Gulls (adults), 2 Carrion Crows (Lee Evans)
Thu 26 Feb Startopsend: early pm: 2 Great Crested Grebe, 18 Canada Geese, 4 Common Teal, 12 Pochard, 26 Tufted Ducks, 28 Coot, plus 34 House Sparrows at Angler's Retreat pub. (Lee Evans)
Thu 26 Feb Marsworth: early pm: 15 Great Crested Grebe, 1 first-winter Mute Swan, 116 Shoveler, 18 Pochard, 8 Moorhen, 6 Coot, plus in woodland: 3 Long-tailed Tits, 1 singing Chaffinch (Lee Evans)
Thu 26 Feb Tringford: early pm: 1 Grey Heron, 14 Mute Swan, 52 Canada Geese and 2 Greylag Geese feeding in adjacent field, 25 Tufted Ducks, 22 Coot, plus in Tringford wood: 12 Siskin, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Redwing, 3 Great Tit, 2 Blue Tit, 30 Jackdaw, 1 Greenfinch, with singing: 1 Wren, 1 Dunnock, 3 European Robin, 2 Song Thrush, plus 1 F Common Stonechat on Wendover Arm E of Tringford Pumping Stn. (Lee Evans)
Wed 25 Feb Wilstone: am: 3 Little Egrets (Roy Hargreaves)
Wed 25 Feb Startopsend: 1 Barn Owl near res. (Steve Rodwell)
Wed 25 Feb Marsworth: 1 Bittern (roosting in Bucks corner) (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 24 Feb Marsworth: Water Rail (Mike Edwards)
Mon 23 Feb Wilstone: in gull roost: c.4000 Blach-headed Gulls, 92 Common Gulls, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Steve Rodwell)
Mon 23 Feb Startopsend: 5 adult Mute Swans and 7 Cygnets, 1 Greylag (that snapped at a jogger!); plus 2 Mute Swans, 1 Kestrel on/over adjacent canal (Adrian Condon)
Mon 23 Feb Marsworth: 86 Shovelers, 9 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Mute Swans, 2 Herons (Adrian Condon); at 17.55: 1 Bittern, 1 Barn Owl (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 22 Feb Wilstone: 1 Little Egret, 7 Goldeneye, 1 Golden Plover over, first-winter Mediterranean Gull (late am), 3 (2M, 1F) Pintail, Woodcock, Cetti's Warbler, plus in gull roost: 80 Common Gulls, 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Herring Gulls (Steve Rodwell and others)
Sun 22 Feb Tringford: 1 F Stonechat (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 21 Feb Wilstone: 2 Red Kites, 1 Buzzard and 2 Ravens calling (Roy Hargreaves)
Sat 21 Feb Startopsend: 3 Red-crested Pochard (David Bilcock via Steve Rodwell)
Sat 21 Feb Marsworth: late pm: 80 Corn Buntings to roost, 2 Barn Owls behind reed bed (Roy Hargreaves/Steve Rodwell)
Fri 20 Feb Wilstone: am: 2 Northern Pintail, 3 F Goldeneye, 3 Mute Swans, 573 Eurasian Wigeon, 92 Common Teal, 27 Gadwall and 24 Shoveler, plus 320 Black-headed Gulls (remaining from overnight), 2 Pied Wagtails (Lee Evans); pm: 1 adult Great Black-backed Gull in gull roost (Steve Rodwell)
Thu 19 Feb Wilstone: 3 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Mute Swan, 2 Herring Gulls over; later in gull roost: first-winter Mediterranean Gull, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls(Steve Rodwell)
Thu 19 Feb Startopsend: 8 Mute Swans (Steve Rodwell)
Thu 19 Feb Marsworth: 10 Great Crested Grebes (mostly in pairs displaying), 4 Mute Swans (Steve Rodwell); 70 Corn Buntings, 28 Fieldfares, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Water Rail, 1 Ruddy Duck, 81 Shoveller, 1 Snipe, 1 Common Buzzard and 70 Lapwing, plus 1 Bittern reported earlier at the canal end (Charlie Jackson)
Thu 19 Feb Tringford: 1 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Mute Swans, 1 Treecreeper (Steve Rodwell)
Wed 18 Feb Wilstone: am: 14 Grey Herons at 7 different nest sites, 4 Yellowhammers (2 males singing); pm: First-winter Mediterranean Gull, 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 4 Herring Gulls in gull roost (Steve Rodwell)
Wed 18 Feb Startopsend: 1 Little Owl (Steve Rodwell)
Wed 18 Feb Marsworth: 1 Little Owl (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 17 Feb Wilstone: c4,200 Black-headed Gulls, 150 Common Gulls and only 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls in gull roost, plus 58 Cormorants roosting (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 17 Feb Marsworth: c60 Corn Buntings to roost, 2 Barn Owls quartering fields behind, Water Rail calling, c200 Woodpigeons in trees plus 2 Bats (Lynne Lambert/Jack O'Neill)
Mon 16 Feb Wilstone: 4 Herons already in attendance at nests (Lee Evans)
Mon 16 Feb Marsworth: 2 Bittern (one flew to small reedbed near Canal Lock & one flew from near the overflow corner along the path and over to the opposite side), 8 Great Crested Grebe (starting displaying despite still being in winter plumage), 2 Snipe, 1 Woodcock, 2 Grey Wagtails, >100 Corn Buntings to roost, 14 Lapwings over (Chris Evans/Charlie Jackson/Sally Douglas)
Sun 15 Feb Wilstone: Bittern in reedbed, 2 Water rails, Cetti's Warbler singing, Fieldfares & Redwings roosting (Johne Taylor); late pm: 2 Shelducks, 4 Red-crested Pochard (David Bilcock); 7Great Crested Grebes, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, 4 Greylag Geese, 48 Canada Geese, 45 Mallard, 68 Gadwall, 135 Shoveler, 584 Wigeon, 26 Teal, 74 Pochard, 121 Tufted Duck, 5 Goldeneye, 4 Ruddy Duck, 470 Coot, 3 Moorhen and in gull roost: 88 Common Gulls, 1 first-winter Herring Gull, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 15 Feb Startopsend: 2 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Mute Swan, 30 Greylag Geese, 18 Mallard, 37 Pochard, 62 Tufted Duck, 2 Goldeneye, 40 Coot (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 15 Feb Marsworth: early am: Bittern over small reedbed next to Lock 41 (Mike Campbell); late pm: Bittern initially sat up in reeds on far side opposite hide then flew to the reedbed where seen earlier (David Bilcock); ealier: 2 adult Herring Gulls over, plus 6 Great Crested Grebe, 11 Mallard, 7 Pochard, 1 Tufted Duck, 8 Coot, 4 Moorhen, plus 1 small bat prob. Pipistrelle (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 15 Feb Tringford: 4 Siskins and 10 Golden Plover over, plus 2 Great Crested Grebes, 14 Mute Swan, 15 Mallard, 41 Teal, 6 Pochard, 22 Tufted Duck, 34 Coot, 6 Moorhen (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 14 Feb Wilstone: 11 Goldeneye (4M 3F) (Steve Rodwell/David Bilcock)
Sat 14 Feb Marsworth: c175 Corn Buntings to roost, Woodcock, Bittern (flew down into reeds near Corn Bunting roosting area 17.00) (Chris Evans)
Fri 13 Feb Wilstone: Little Egret, Red Kite over (Roy Hargreaves)
Fri 13 Feb Marsworth: Kingfisher (perched near overflow), 1 Snipe, c60 Corn Buntings to roost, Barn Owl quartering field behind reedbed (Sally Douglas)
Thu 12 Feb Wilstone: 3 Female Goldeneye, 2 Mute Swans, 2 'Aylesbury' white Mallards, 8 Fieldfare, 6 male Blackbirds on grassy banks, 300+ Woodpigeons in fields near cemetery, Pied Wagtail near car park, plus a Rabbit in the field by the jetty (Adrian Condon)
Thu 12 Feb Marsworth: Barn Owl quartering stubble field between TWTW and Wendover Arm (at 16.15) (Graham Whale)
Wed 11 Feb Wilstone: am: 2 Red-crested Pochard, 1M 4F Goldeneye, 9 Common Snipe in front of hide (Roy Hargreaves); mid pm: 8 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Little Grebe, 44 Cormorant (roosted), 4 Mute Swan (including 1 first-winter), 29 Canada Geese, 2 Greylag Geese, 29 Mallard, 26+ Gadwall, 646 Eurasian Wigeon, 188 Common Teal, 145 Northern Shoveler, 76 Tufted Duck, 20 Pochard, 6 Goldeneye (1 adult drake, 5 females), 3 Ruddy Duck (1 adult drake, 1 immature drake, 1 female), 303 Coot, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult), 6 Common Gulls (adults roosting on ice), 2 Common Kestrel (sat by the B489), 1 Song Thrush (feeding on snow-melt opposite Cemetery); late pm - to 17.30: Gull roost comprised at least 3,867 Black-headed Gulls (and still coming in), 1 first-winter Mediterranean Gull, 217 Common Gulls (including 27 first-winters) and 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (4 adults, 1 2nd-winter) (Lee Evans)
Wed 11 Feb Startopsend: mid pm: 1 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Mute Swan (inc. 1 first-winter), 43 Canada Geese, 1 Greylag Goose (very tame bird on bank that feeds from hand), 43 Tufted Duck, 26 Pochard, 37 Coot, 1 male Mistle Thrush in song (Lee Evans)
Wed 11 Feb Marsworth: mid pm: (nearly frozen over) 1 Pochard (Lee Evans)
Wed 11 Feb Tringford: 1 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Mute Swans, 3 Pochard, 15 Tufted Duck (Lee Evans)
Tue 10 Feb Wilstone: early pm: 95 Canada Geese, 1 Kestrel, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Goosander (male), 2 Goldeneye (male) (Adrian Condon)
Tue 10 Feb Marsworth: dusk: c105 Corn Buntings to roost, poss. Bittern flight call heard (a low hoarse croaky growl) but didn't see it in the gloom at 17.45, plus 24 Greylag Geese grazing on the snow-free grass in the meadow behind the woodland at the Tringford Road corner and c30 Goldfinches in roadside hedge (Keith/Chris Evans)
Mon 9 Feb Wilstone: am: 1 Little Egret, 1 Red Kite over (Roy Hargreaves); later: 1st-winter Mediterranean Gull, 1 adult Great Black-backed Gull, 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 88 Common Gulls in gull roost, plus 3 Goldeneye, 1 Water Rail, 5 Snipe (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 8 Feb Wilstone: 2 Little Egrets, Gull roost contained fewer Black- headed gulls, with 1 1st-winter Mediterranean Gull, 1 1st-winter Greater Black-backed Gull, 61 Common Gulls and 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Steve Rodwell/David Bilcock)
Sun 8 Feb Marsworth: Kingfisher, Woodcock (Steve Rodwell/Chris Evans); 1 Water Rail seen and several heard, plus 1 Water Rail on the Wendover Arm behind res. and c.40 Goldfinches in the field behind res. (next to Tring WTW) (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 7 Feb Wilstone: 7(?) Goldeneye, 5 Snipe (3 flew up from in front of hide & 2 in field between new overflow and carpark) (Sue Rowe); 48 Mallard, 104 Tufted Duck, 141 Pochard, 121 Teal, 45 Gadwall, 136 Shoveler, 653 Wigeon, 6 Ruddy Duck, 2 Goldeneye, 5 Mute Swan, 35 Greylag geese, 2 Canada Geese, 416 Coot, 16 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Little Egret, 1 1st-winter Mediterranean Gull in gull roost (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 7 Feb Startopsend: 53 Mallard, 42 Tufted Duck, 27 Pochard, 4 Mute Swan, 1 Greylag Goose, 60 Canada Geese, 72 Coot, 1 Great Crested Grebe (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 7 Feb Marsworth: 6 Mallard, 4 Coot, 4 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Water Rails by Lock 4; & later: 1 Woodcock, the Bittern flew to Bucks corner again at 5.35pm (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 7 Feb Tringford: 40 Mallard, 19 Tufted Duck, 3 Pochard, 54 Teal, 4 Gadwall, 10 Mute Swan, 30 Coot, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Little Grebe (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 6 Feb Wilstone: Little Egret roosting and a male Goosander (poss. the Marsworth bird) (Roy Hargreaves); plus 8 Common Snipe in front of hide plus 1 near car park (Lee Evans/Roy Hargreaves)
Fri 6 Feb Marsworth: male Goosander, Bittern (flew across back of reedbed at 5.23pm, landing somewhere in Bucks corner), Woodcock, Little Owl heard (Steve Rodwell)
Thu 5 Feb Wilstone: 4 Goldeneye, plus 90 Common Gulls and 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls in gull roost (Steve Rodwell)
Thu 5 Feb Startopsend: 1 Goldeneye (Steve Rodwell); mid pm: 17 Pochard and 17 Shoveler, plus 1 adult Mute Swan with the Mallards on the adjacent Canal, and Fildfares over (in small numbers) and 35 House Sparrows near Startops Farm (Lee Evans)
Thu 5 Feb Marsworth: am/mid pm: male Goosander (Steve Rodwell); plus 12 Northern Pochard, 47 Shoveler and 6 Great Crested Grebes & late pm: 88 Corn Buntings to roost, 1 Eurasian Sparrowhawk (over reedbed) and the Eurasian Bittern ( constructing its roosting platform of reedmace in its favoured area in line with the tallest isolated tree on the backdrop), Barn Owl over fields N of Water Treatment Works (Lee Evans)
Thu 5 Feb Wilstone: 1 Water Rail, 1 Little Egret roosting, 43 Cormorants roosting and 31 Gadwall (Steve Rodwell)
Wed 4 Feb Wilstone: early pm: 60+ Greylag Geese, 1 Kestrel, 1 Robin, 1 Grey Wagtail, 8 Blackbirds (male), 4 Song Thrushes, 1 Bullfinch near overflow, group of 200+ Pigeons flew into the trees at the Cemetery end (Adrian Condon)
Wed 4 Feb Startopsend: Pair Goldeneye (Howard Clarke); early pm: 12 Shovelers, 10 Pochard, 1 Little Grebe, 4 Mute Swans (incl. 1 juvenile) (Adrian Condon)
Wed 4 Feb Marsworth: 44 Shovelers (with one group of 26 shovelling in a very tight circle), 1 Grey Heron, 2 Cormonants, 4 Great Crested Grebes (one pair were displaying), 500+ Pigeons wheeled around the sky before settling in the trees near the big reed bed (Adrian Condon)
Mon 2 Feb Startopsend: 2 (pair) Goldeneye (Rob Andrews); plus several Pochards with snow on their backs! (David Bilcock)
Mon 2 Feb Marsworth: Snipe, 2 Herons (Rob Andrews)
Sun 1 Feb Startopsend: early am: 3 Whooper Swans (David Bilcock); late pm: 50 Shoveler, 30 Pochard, 4 Pied Wagtails (Chris Evans)
Sun 1 Feb Marsworth: 20 Shoveler, 10 Pochard, 6 Herons, 2 Grey Wagtails, Kestrel, 3 Reed Buntings, 15 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Goldcrests, 175+ Corn Buntings to roost (probably more but lost in blizzard!) (Chris Evans)
Sun 1 Feb Tringford: 15 Teal, 2 Heron (Chris Evans)
Sat 31 Jan Wilstone: early am: 14, later up to 20 Brent Geese (departed alas around 10.40) (David Bilcock/Mike Collard/Joan Thompson)
Sat 31 Jan Startopsend: 60 Shoveler, 2 Gadwall, 3 Common Teal, 37 Tufted Ducks, 8 Pochard and 24 Coot (Lee Evans)
Sat 31 Jan Marsworth: just 2 Great Crested Grebes (Lee Evans)
Thu 29 Jan Wilstone: 34 Cormonants, 38 Pochard, 1,500+ Gulls in to roost by 15:35, 1 Dunnock on path to hide, 3 rafts of Lapwings, 2 Goldeneye (M & F), 10 Gadwall (Adrian Condon)
Thu 29 Jan Marsworth: 10.00: Bittern by the 'cut outs' in the reeds opposite the hide (Brian Scott via Jack O'Neill)
Mon 26 Jan Startopsend: early am: Barn Owl near adjacent roundabout (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 25 Jan Startopsend: 130 Shoveler, 3 Gadwall (Chris Evans)
Sun 25 Jan Marsworth: 50 Shoveler, 30 Pochard, 4 Heron, plus 110 Corn Buntings and 2 (!) Starlings to roost, 3 Pied Wagtails, 1 Wren, 2 Robin, 6 Blackbird, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Barn Owl in fields behind (Chris Evans)
Sun 25 Jan Wilstone: 12 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Little Grebe, c660 Eurasian Wigeon, 179 Common Teal, 42 Shoveler, 10 Gadwall, 57 Tufted Duck, 25 Pochard and a pair of Common Goldeneye (Lee Evans)
Sat 24 Jan Wilstone: am: 4 Pintail (2 M 2 F); pm: first-winter Mediterranean Gull in gull roost (Roy Hargreaves)
Sat 25 Jan Marsworth: Barn Owl over filds at back (Roy Hargreaves/Steve Rodwell)
Fri 23 Jan Wilstone: late pm: in gull roost: first-winter Mediterranean Gull, 206 Common Gulls, 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, also 2 Little Egrets and 40 Cormorants roosting (Steve Rodwell/David Bilcock)
Tue 20 Jan Wilstone: late pm: 2 Little Egrets (Roy Hargreaves)
Tue 20 Jan Startopsend: at dusk: Little Owl perched high in one of the canalside car park bushes opposite Angler's Retreat PH (Lee Evans)
Tue 20 Jan Marsworth: at dusk: 1 Water Rail (Lee Evans)
Mon 19 Jan Wilstone: Little Egret (still), 5 Common Goleneye (2M 3F), plus in the gull roost : 1 first-winter Mediterranean Gull, 186 Common Gulls, 1 first-winter Herring Gull and 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, with c3,000 Black-headed Gulls, plus 68 Cormorants roosting, a Marsh Tit in little wooded copse in field beyond hide and 1 Little Owl in Hawthorn bush behind car park (Steve Rodwell/Ian Williams/Lee Evans)
Sun 18 Jan Marsworth: 60+ Corn Buntings to roost, Sparrowhawk, 2 Fieldfare & 20+ Greylag Geese over (towards Tringford), Barn Owl quartering field behind reed-bed (Keith/Margaret/Chris Evans)
Sat 17 Jan Wilstone: In the gull roost: 1 first-winter Mediterranean Gull, 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 1 first-winter Herring Gull (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 17 Jan Marsworth: 2 Water Rail and 2+ Snipe (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 17 Jan Tringford: 5 Siskins over, female Stonechat (paddocks between flour mill and pumping station) (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 16 Jan Wilstone: In the Gull Roost: c.3,200 Black-headed Gulls, 195 Common Gulls, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Herring Gull, plus: 54 Teal, 2 M Ruddy Duck, 170 Lapwing (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 16 Jan Startopsend: early pm: 20+ Shoveler, 2 Red Kite together over (Howard Clarke)
Fri 16 Jan Marsworth: 2 Water Rail (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 16 Jan Tringford: Kestrel flew up from overflow (Howard Clarke)
Fri 16 Jan All Reservoirs totals: 15 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Little Grebe, 5 Grey Heron, 22 Mute Swan, 69 Canada Geese, 26 Greylag Geese, 61 Mallard, 18 Gadwall, 104 Shoveler, 477 Wigeon, 117 Pochard, 115 Tufted Ducks, 6 Goldeneye (3M 3F), 11 Moorhen, 465 Coot (Steve Rodwell)
Wed 14 Jan Wilstone: (still some ice) 1 Little Egret, plus 72 Common Gulls, 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 1 Herring Gull, 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull with up to c2,000 Black-headed Gulls in gull roost (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 13 Jan Wilstone: Marsh Tit (in bushes by creek to R of hide), 1/2 Red Kites, bout and 2/3 M 1F Goldeneye (Roy Hargreaves); 5 Goldeneye (2M +3F), 40+ Redwings in field near car park, 10 Fieldfare, Bullfinch near overflow, 5 Little Grebe, 1 Ruddy Duck, 300+ Wood Pigeon near cemetery end (Adrian Condon); plus 8 Great Crested Grebes, just 6 adult Mute Swans, 64 Greylag Geese, 302 Eurasian Wigeon, 26 Gadwall, 89 Common Teal, 1 Shoveler, 83 Tufted Duck, 43 Pochard, 126 Lapwings, 2 adult Common Gulls, 1 Fieldfare (Lee Evans); 2+ Water Rails calling, plus 1 bat (prob. Daubenton's) (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 13 Jan Startopsend: 1 Little Owl calling (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 13 Jan Tringford: 1 Tawny Owl calling (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 13 Jan Marsworth: 50+ Corn Buntings to roost (16.00 to 16.10) (Geoff Young)
Tue 13 Jan Tringford: 14 Moorhens feeding field just east of Res., 3 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Grey Herons, 8 Mute Swans, 16 Gadwall, 22 Common Teal, 8 Tufted Ducks, 1 Pochard, 7 Shoveler, 1 first-winter Herring Gull over; plus 2 male Stock Doves displaying from tall trees at south end, 2 M Common Pheasants opp. Little Tring Farm, 76 Jackdaws feeding in paddocks between wood and the Grand Union Canal, 1 Common Stonechat (F) just east of the new plantation and horse paddock 100 yards east of Tringford Pumping Station, flock of 8 Meadow Pipits in grass field adjacent to Canal (Lee Evans)
Tue 13 Jan WTW: 15 Shoveler, pair of Mute Swans (Lee Evans)
Sun 11 Jan Wilstone: am: Water Rail heard, c.20 Siskins over, 1 Golden plover (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 11 Jan Startopsend: 2 Meadow Pipits on edge, but res. largely still frozen (Keith Evans)
Sun 11 Jan Marsworth: am: Bittern in NW (Bucks) section, Water Rail nr lock 41 (Steve Rodwell); pm: (Bittern Roost Watch - still mostly frozen) no bitterns (one possible in NE section), but 2 or 3 Water Rails, only 20 or so Corn Buntings & 20 or so Starlings to roost, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk (F), 20+ Canada Geese & 20+ Greylag Geese over, Fieldfare, Reed Buntings, Wren, blackbird Robin, Moorhen plus 1 bat, prob, Daubenton's (Keith Evans)
Sat 10 Jan Wilstone: Little Egret standing on ice (Roy Hargreaves); 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 1 third-winter Herring Gull (adult also present earlier) & 1 first-winter Greater Black-backed Gull in gull roost (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 10 Jan Startopsend: Little Owl near the roundabout (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 10 Jan Marsworth: Kingfisher near sluice, Water Rail crossed from Startopsend and ice-skated into reeds, Common Sandpiper over the reeds towards the sewage farm (Mike Collard); c55 Corn Buntings & 3 Starlings to roost (Sue Rowe)
Fri 9 Jan Wilstone: Little Egret, Buzzard (Roy Hargreaves); 23 Gadwall, 729 Wigeon, 1 F Goosander, 4 Goldeneye, 1 Ruddy Duck, 426 Coot, 426 Wilstone, 1200+ Black-headed Gulls and 37 Common Gulls in gull roost (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 9 Jan Startopsend: 9 Coot (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 9 Jan Tringford: 6 Gadwall, 85 Coot (Steve Rodwell)
Thu 8 Jan Wilstone: am: Chiffchaff in Rushy Meadow, Bank Vole feeding in open by the track along the NW side, app. 20-metres from old overflow (Roy Hargreaves); (200+ Teal, 1 Water Rail (Steve Rodwell); pm: 21 Great Crested Grebe, 84 Canada Geese, 2 Greylag Geese, 3 Mute Swans, 76 Mallard, 604 Eurasian Wigeon, 144 Common Teal, 18 Gadwall, 205 Shoveler, 102 Tufted Duck, 116 Pochard, 2 (pair) Red-legged Partridge, 432 Black-headed Gulls (roosting on ice), 6 Common Gulls (adults) (Lee Evans)
Thu 8 Jan Marsworth: 127+ Corn Buntings to roost (Lee Evans)
Wed 7 Jan Wilstone: 1 Fieldfare, 1 Jay and 1 Bullfinch along the bushes from the new outlet, 7 Lapwings standing on the ice by raft, 32 Teal (Adrian Condon); 54 Canada Geese, c950 Wood Pigeon around res. (Steve Rodwell)
Wed 7 Jan Startopsend: 3 Mute Swan, 87 Canada Geese
Wed 7 Jan Marsworth: 87 Corn Buntings roosted, 3 Water Rails (2 opp Lock 41), 25 Siskins over (Steve Rodwell)
Wed 7 Jan Tringford: 27 Mute Swan
Tue 6 Jan Wilstone: Bittern, Little Egret, 1 Golden Plover over, Gull roost greatly reduced with c.450 Black-headed Gulls & 15 Common Gulls (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 6 Jan All Reservoirs totals: 25 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Little Grebe, 29 Mute Swan, 105 Greylag Goose, 62 Canada Goose, 90 Mallard, 8 Gadwall, 101 Shoveler, 582 Wigeon, 94 Teal, 116 Pochard, 127 Tufted Duck, 5 Goldeneye, 1 Ruddy Duck, 494 Coot (Steve Rodwell)
Mon 5 Jan Wilstone: am: Little Egret (very dejected looking roosting under bushes in front of hide), 14 Golden Plover over, 1 Buzzard being hassled by 2 Carrion Crows, 1 Chinese Water Deer near Rushy Meadow (Roy Hargreaves); late pm: 6 Great Black-backed Gulls over, 70 Cormorants roosting, 2 Woodcock flew in front of the hide (Steve Rodwell)
Mon 5 Jan Marsworth: (almost completely frozen) 2 Great Crested Grebes (on a very tiny open patch), 1 Eurasian Bittern (roosting in one of the cut-strips of reeds), 1 Water Rail squealing (Lee Evans)
Sun 4 Jan Wilstone: 65 Common Gulls, 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Herring Gulls in gull roost, Chiffchaff (Steve Rodwell/David Bilcock); Bittern (Stuart Wilson via DB)
Sun 4 Jan Startopsend: late pm: Meadow Pipit on sloping sides near canal) (Keith/Chris Evans)
Sun 4 Jan Marsworth: 1 Water Rail (opposite Lock 41) (Steve Rodwell); 100+ Corn Bunting to roost, Kingfisher, c65 Canada Geese in horse fields opposite canal, only c100 Starlings roosting (Keith/Chris Evans/Rob Andrews)
Sun 4 Jan Tringford: 2 Water Rail, Stonechat (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 4 Jan All Reservoirs totals: 26 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Little Grebe, 1 Little Egret, 72 Pochard, 23 Mute Swan, 116 Greylag Goose, c30 Canada Goose, 90+ Mallard, 5 Gadwall, 148 Shoveler, 80+ Teal 80, 81 Tufted Ducks, 4 Goldeneye, 1 Ruddy Duck 1, 470 Coot (Steve Rodwell)
Sat 3 Jan Wilstone: several Woodcocks (incl. one flushed from footpath to hide early am and another flying along the bank near new overflow late pm) (David Bilcock)
Sat 3 Jan Marsworth: am: 2 Bitterns (both sat up in the reeds along the far side from the causeway) (David Bilcock)
Sat 3 Jan Tringford: Stonechat in field over canal (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 2 Jan Wilstone: early pm: 2 Common Goldeneye (1M 1F), 18 Great Crested Grebe, 11 Cormorants, 7 (only) Mute Swans, 54 Greylag Geese (in fields near Cemetery Corner incl, one with damaged leg and wing), 19 Mallard (plus 3 'Aylesbury' white types), 419 Eurasian Wigeon (some visiting fields east of reservoir to feed), 230 Common Teal, 45+ Shoveler, 107 Tufted Duck, 26 Northern Pochard, 3 Ruddy Duck (1M, 1 imm M, 1F), 398 Coot, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 51 Woodpigeon (around North Bank), 1 Blue Tit, 5 Common Blackbird (in fields on east side), 4 Redwing and 2 Song Thrush (with the Blackbirds), 1 European Robin (near Cemetery) (Lee Evans); late pm: 1st-winter Mediterranean Gull in gull roost (David Bilcock)
Fri 2 Jan Startopsend: early pm: 283 Woodpigeon (283 feeding in field immediately west of the Pine shop), 35 House Sparrow (in Angler's Retreat garden), 47 Redwing (feeding in paddock north of reservoir), 2 Mute Swan (incl. 1 1st-winter), 1 Greylag Goose, 44 Tufted Duck, 7 Northern Pochard, 48 Coot (Lee Evans)
Fri 2 Jan Marsworth: early pm: 5 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Grey Heron, 156 Shoveler, 3 Northern Pochard (Lee Evans)
Fri 2 Jan Tringford: early pm: 9 adult Mute Swan, 2 Common Teal, 11 Tufted Duck, 1 F Northern Pochard, 31 Coot, 1 Carrion Crow (Lee Evans)
Thu 1 Jan Wilstone: am: Little Egret ( in the creek next to the hide), 13 Greater Black-backed Gulls (12 adult & 1st-winter) with Herring Gull and a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls (but all gone by 08.45) (Roy Hargreaves);
Thu 1 Jan Marsworth: Water Rail (eating dead gull just within reed-bed) (Sue Rowe); Bittern roosting in Bucks section, in reed bed nearest the canal (David Bilcock)
Thu 1 Jan Tringford: F Stonechat (on the trees and bushes next to the Wendover Arm of the canal above the horse paddocks (Roy Hargreaves)
Notes:
HBC indicates sightings taken from Herts Bird Club website, with our thanks.
WTW is FoTR's Tring Water Treatment Works site.
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