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Sightings last updated 10:00 11/02/12; last reported sighting 10/02/12
Latest news posted - 20/11/12 (upd. 27/01/12)
Please report your bird and other wildlife sightings to us as soon as you can please. You can send them by e-mail here
or if you don't have access to e-mail, you can telephone me on 01442 822471 - and if you leave a message, don't forget to leave your name.
WE NEED YOUR SIGHTINGS - so that they can be shared with our other members and help to give a fuller record of what we have.
Latest Sightings of birds and other wildlife appear below the Latest News section. To go straight there click here
And, please note that unless a reported sighting is clearly a mistake, I try to post them without too much delay, regardless of their source. Therefore many of these sightings are unchecked and not all of them have been officially accepted by the appropriate rarities committee, or even by the FoTR Committee! Please bear this in mind when checking sightings below and, if appropriate, please send me further corroborative records or any other information you may have.
For other bird sightings in the area please visit Herts Bird Club. For information about other wildlife see Hertfordshire Natural History Society.
And don't forget Lee Evans' website Birding Tring Reservoirs which looks at the reservoirs and other local sites, including the surrounding hills.
Other News follows the Latest Sightings listing
To conserve the scarce water reserves, British Waterways have closed the main line of the canal over the summit, so that water levels can be reduced to minimise leakage - and to give water levels in the reservoirs a chance to recover, which seems to be working. Dick Pilkinton, from The Tring Anglers has reported that an emergency fish rescue operation took place over the weekend from Friday 20th January in the 'Reservoir Pound' locks 39-40, following a larger than expected fall in water levels in the canal. (Posted 20/01/11 Updated 27/01/11)
2012:
Fri 10 Feb Wilstone: am: Water Pipit, Brent Goose in usual field (Roy Hargreaves)
Fr1 10 Feb Startopsend: am: F Smew, Snow Bunting, ad. Little Gull (Roy Hargreaves)
Fri 10 Feb Marsworth:
am: Bittern (Roy Hargreaves)
Thu 9 Feb Wilstone: early am: Brent Goose in usual field with Greylags (Roy Hargreaves); plus Water Pipit, 3 Goldeneye (inc. 1 M) (Steve Blake HBC)
Thu 9 Feb Startopsend:
F Smew, Snow Bunting (Roy Hargreaves)
Wed 8 Feb Wilstone: Brent Goose with 70 Greylag Geese in the Cemetery Corner field, 13 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Mute Swans, 18 Mallard, 149 Wigeon, 135 Teal, 22 Tufted Duck, 47 Pochard and 322 Coot (Lee Evans)
Wed 8 Feb Startopsend: F Smew, 41 Mute Swans (inc. 10 first-year), 5 Great Crested Grebes, 134 Mallard, 1 M Gadwall, 18 Teal, 10 Wigeon, 25 Tufted Duck, 103 Pochard, 233 Coot and 14 Moorhens, plus 3 Robins, 9 Blackbirds and 8 Fieldfares (Lee Evans)
Wed 8 Feb Marsworth:
Treecreeper in wood (Lee Evans)
Tue 7 Feb Wilstone: early am: Brent Goose back in the usual field nr. cemetery corner (Roy Hargreaves); early pm: M Goosander (Lee Coles)
Tue 7 Feb Startopsend: early am: Snow Bunting, 2 M Goosander (Roy Hargreaves)
Tue 7 Feb Marsworth:
early am: Bittern (Roy Hargreaves); pm: Bittern, Kingfisher, 3 Red Kites, plus Red Fox (Lucy Flower)
Mon 6 Feb Marsworth:
Bittern, 2 Water Rail, 120 Corn Bunting in trees pre roost (Jeff Bailey HBC)
Sun 5 Feb Startopsend: Snow Bunting (Rich Moore via Ian Muirhead)
Sun 5 Feb Marsworth: Bittern, Water Rail (Gavin Broad HBC)
Sat 4 Feb Startopsend: Snow Bunting, 2 Pied Wagtails, res. mostly frozen with birds crammed into the small ice-free area: 35 Mute Swans, 9 Shovelers, 25 Tufted Ducks, 5 Great Crested Grebes and 272 Coots, plus 15 House Sparrows and 8 Goldfinches nr. Startop's Farm (Lee Evans)
Sat 4 Feb Marsworth: am: 2 Bitterns (Lucy Flower); Brent Goose with 71 Greylag Geese and 83 Canada Geese in field app. 400 yards SSE of College Farm, Marsworth (Lee Evans); 3 Bittern (Lee Evans/L Flower HBC), 89 Corn Buntings to roost,
2 Water Rail, Brent Goose over (Lee Evans HBC)
Fri 3 Feb Wilstone: early am: Brent Goose (with Greylag Geese) (Roy Hargreaves); plus Black-tailed Godwit & Redshank (LeeEvans)
Fri 3 Feb Startopsend: Snow Bunting (Lee Evans)
Fri 3 Feb Marsworth: early am: Bittern (walking on the ice in front of the reeds in front of the overgrown meadow), Fox (walking on the ice about 10 metres from the Bittern) (Roy Hargreaves); Bittern visible on- and off all day out on ice, 3 Dunlin (briefly), Shelduck (Lee Evans)
Thu 2 Feb Wilstone: early am: Brent Goose, Water Pipit, Little Egret, F Goosander (Roy Hargreaves); 4 Common Snipe (Steve Blake HBC)
Thu 2 Feb
Startopsend: early am: Snow Bunting, 4 Dunlin, 1 Shelduck, M Goosander over (Roy Hargreaves); late pm: 6 Dunlin (Charlie Jackson)
Thu 2 Feb Marsworth: late pm: Bittern (flew out of the reeds on the far side in front of the 'Barn Owl' field), c 80 Corn Buntings (in 3 groups), M Merlin, 1 Snipe (Charle Jackson)
Wed 1 Feb Wilstone: early am: Brent Goose, Water Pipit, Dunlin (Roy Hargreaves)
Wed 1 Feb Startopsend: Snow Bunting, 4 Dunlin (Ben Miller)
Tue 31 Jan Wilstone: early am: Brent Goose (in usual field), Water Pipit nr. jetty, M Goosander (Roy Hargreaves)
Mon 30 Jan Wilstone:
2 Little Egret, M Goosander, 65 Linnet, Brent Goose, 220 Golden Plover (Jeff Bailey HBC)
Sun 29 Jan Wilstone:
2 Little Egret, 2 Goldeneye (1M 1F), M Pintail,
M Goosander, c20 Redwing, c25 Fieldfare (plus others moving in small flocks) (Tony Birch HBC), Redshank (Ian Bennell HBC)
Sun 29 Jan Startopsend: am: Snow Bunting, Grey Wagtail, Goldcrest, plus lots of Fieldfare and a couple of Redwing (John Amatt)
Sat 28 Jan Wilstone: early am: Water Pipit, Brent Goose in field nr. cemetery track with Greylag & Canada Geese, 2 Little Egrets, and the M Goosander (which is certainly mobile, having been seen at College Lake, Wilstone and Startopsend and further afield) (Roy Hargreaves); plus 4 Grey Herons roosting on Drayton Bank, 2 Little Grebes, 13 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Mute Swans, 164 Pochard, Grey Wagtail over, plus nr. on Wendover Arm above res (by Bridge 5 at Drayton Beauchamp): 7 Mute Swans (pair with 5 of their last year's young), 6 Coots, with
2 Yellowhammers and 4 Skylarks in nearby farmland (Lee Evans)
Sat 28 Jan Startopsend:
early am: Snow Bunting, M Goosander (Roy Hargreaves)
Fri 27 Jan Wilstone:
Brent Goose, M Goldeneye, 38 Fieldfare, 35 Lapwing (Lee Evans HBC), 50 Linnet, M Goosander, Little Egret, 2 Red Kite (Jeff Bailey HBC)
Fri 27 Jan Startopsend:
Snow Bunting (Lee Evans HBC)
Tue 26 Jan Wilstone: Brent Goose (Steve Blake HBC)
Wed 25 Jan Wilstone: early am: Brent Goose, Water Pipit (Roy Hargreaves); Goosande (M) (John Fisher HBC)
Wed 25 Jan Marsworth:
c40 Corn Bunting, Kingfisher (John Fisher HBC)
Tue 24 Jan Wilstone: 3 Goldeneye (inc 1 M), Little Egret, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail (Jeff Bailey HBC)
Tue 24 Jan Startoppsend:
Snow Bunting (Jeff Bailey HBC)
Mon 23 Jan Startopsend:
Snow Bunting (Mike Wallen HBC)
Sun 22 Jan Wilstone: 3 Goldeneye, the long staying 1st winter Brent Goose (Mike & Ted Wallen); M Goosander, M Pintail (Alex Lewis HBC)
Sun 22 Jan Marsworth:
Kingfisher (Mike & Ted Wallen)
Sat 21 Jan Wilstone: 3 Little Egret (Steve Rodwell HBC)
Sat 21 Jan Startopsend: M Goosander (Steve Rodwell HBC)
Fri 20 Jan Wilstone: Water Pipit and Brent Goose (Roy Hargreaves); plus Little Egret (Tony Clarke & Derek Turner HBC)
Fri 20 Jan Startopsend:
Snow Bunting (Roy Hargreaves)
Thu 19 Jan Wilstone: Brent Goose, Peregrine Falcon (Steve Blake HBC)
Thu 19 Jan Startopsend:
Snow Bunting (Martin Johnson HBC)
Tue 17 Jan Wilstone: M Goosander, Water Pipit, Brent Goose in field with other geese (Roy Hargreaves); plus M Goldeneye, Common Snipe (Jeff Bailey HBC)
Tue 17 Jan Startopsend:
M Goosander, Snow Bunting (Jeff Bailey HBC)
Sun 15 Jan Wilstone: Water Pipit, M Goosander (David Hutchinson);
plus Mediterranean Gull in roost, 2 Goldeneye, Brent Goose (Steve Rodwell HBC)
Fri 13 Jan Startopsend: Snow Bunting (Mike Collard)
Fri 13 Jan Marsworth: 131 Corn Bunting to roost (Lynne Lambert HBC)
Thu 12 Jan Wilstone:
M Goosander (Clifford Smout HBC), Brent Goose (Steve Blake HBC)
Tue 10 Jan Wilstone: early am: Brent Goose, 2 Little Egrets (Roy Hargreaves); Water Pipit with 3 Pied Wagtails and 1 Grey Wagtail, 54 Linnets, 2 Little Egrets, 6 Goldeneye, Brent Goose with Canada Geese (Lee Evans)
Tue 10 Jan Startopsend: early am: Water Pipit (later seems to have moved to Wilstone), 33 Corn Buntings left roost(Roy Hargreaves); 13 House Sparrows at Startops Farm (Lee Evans)
Mon 9 Jan Wilstone: early am: Brent Goose with Canada Geese, 2 Little Egrets, Shelduck (Roy Hargreaves); Woodcock (Johne Taylor)
Mon 9 Jan Marsworth: early am: 20+ Corn Buntings leaving roost (Roy Hargreaves)
Sun 8 Jan Wilstone: 3 Great Black-backed Gulls (ad. & 2 imm.), Brent Goose with 30 Canada Geese, 72 Greylag Geese, 1 ad. Mute Swan, 4 Grey Herons, 7 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Goldeneyes (inc 1 M), Stock Dove, the 54 Linnet flock, 24 Jackdaws (Lee Evans); Red Kite, 66 Lapwing (Lee Evans HBC)
Sun 8 Jan Startopsend:
Snow Bunting (Andrew Steele HBC)
Sun 8 Jan Marsworth: Barn Owl over reedbed, Water Rail (Lynne Lambert HBC), Kingfisher (L. Flower/S. Mclaggan HBC)
Sat 7 Jan Startopsend: Snow Bunting (Mike & Rose Collard)
Sat 7 Jan Marsworth: Jack Snipe, Mediterranean Gull (Mike & Rose Collard)
Fri 6 Jan Startopsend: Snow Bunting (B Norcott HBC)
Fri 6 Jan Marsworth: 2 (pair) Kingfishers, Water Rail (Sally Douglas); 78 Corn Buntings to roost, c5 Common Snipe, Woodcock (Roy Hargreaves); plus Water Rail, Jack Snipe (both in SE corner) (Peter Griffin HBC)
Thu 5 Jan Startopsend:
Snow Bunting, F Red-crested Pochard (Jeff Bailey HBC)
Wed 4 Jan Wilstone: 70 Greylag Geese, 29 Canada Geese, the Brent Goose (all in fields behind jetty), 8 Great Crested Grebes, 2 F Goldeneye, plus 3,300+ Black-headed Gulls and 84 Common Gulls in Gull roost (Lee Evans)
Wed 4 Jan Startopsend: Snow Bunting, 13 Mute Swans (3 first-years), 3 Great Crested Grebes, 249 Coot, 29 Gadwall, 22 Pochard, 31 Tufted Duck, 18 Wigeon and 12 Moorhen, 182 Black-headed Gulls and 9 Common Gulls (including 2 first-winters) in gull roost, 8 Pied Wagtails (Lee Evans)
Wed 4 Jan Marsworth:1 Great Crested Grebe, 25 Shovelers, plus 17 Common Starlings in Marsworth and Bullfinch in Church Lane, plus (at 15.00: 9 Corn Buntings and 4 Reed Buntings to roost, 1 Goldcrest (Lee Evans)
Wed 4 Jan Tringford: 2 adult Mute Swans, 53 Coot, 9 Tufted Duck, 3 Northern Pochards, 5 Teal, 195 resting Black-headed Gulls, 1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gul, plus in woodland: 1 Greenfinch (flyover), 3 Robins, 7 Common Blackbirds, 1 Redwing, 4 Fieldfare, 5 Rook, 15 Western Jackdaws, 5 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Blue Tits, 3 Siskins, (in row of Alder trees atW end), F Grey Wagtail (Lee Evans)
Tue 3 Jan Wilstone: Grey Wagtail (Lee Batten HBC)
Mon 2 Jan Wilstone: Brent Goose still in fields behind jetty (Mike & Ted Wallen); 2 Goldeneye (F), Golden Plover (Tony Wileman HBC), Peregrine (juv) (no obs. recorded HBC)
Mon 2 Jan Startopsend:
Snow Bunting, Sparrowhawk (Mike & Ted Wallen); plus
2 Red-crested Pochard (Mike Ilett HBC), Water Pipit (Tony Wileman HBC)
Mon 2 Jan Marsworth:
Common Snipe, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail (Mike and Ted Wallen HBC), Jack Snipe (Ephraim Perfect HBC)
Sun 1 Jan Wilstone: Brent Goose with Canada Goose flock in fields behind jetty, Water Pipit (David Bilcock); plus Brent Goose with 73 Greylag Geese and 29 Canada Geese, 8 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Little Grebe, 5 Mute Swans, 240 Wigeon, 330 Common Teal, 53 Shoveler, 77 Tufted Duck, 97 Pochard, 7 Goldeneye (inc 2 M), Little Egret, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 11 Blackbird, 54 Linnets behind hide (Lee Evans)
Sun 1 Jan Startopsend: Snow Bunting, ad. Mediterranean Gull with Black-headed Gulls in SW corner (David Bilcock); plus 3 Pied Wagtails, 1 Little Grebe, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 11 Mute Swans (3 first-years), 27 Canada Geese, 93 Mallard, 17 Wigeon, 15 Common Teal, 42 Gadwall, 53 Tufted Duck, 11 Pochard, 289 Coot and 13 Moorhen, 3 adult Common Gulls with Black-headed Gulls (Lee Evans)
Sun 1 Jan Marsworth: 2 Jack Snipes (David Bilcock); plus 3 Common Snipe, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 33 Shoveler, Great Spotted and Green Woodpecker, 2 Grey Wagtails (Lee Evans)
Sun 1 Jan Tringford:
2 Mute Swans, 54 Coot and a few ducks, plus 35 Fieldfares in field nr. Tringford Rd. (Lee Evans)
2011:
Sat 31 Dec Wilstone: ad. Mediterranean Gull in gull roost (David Bicock); 25+ Linnet, Water Pipit (Chris Woodham HBC)
Sat 31 Dec Startopsend: Snow Bunting (Rob Andrews)
Sat 31 Dec Marsworth:
Jack Snipe, 30+ Corn Bunting in to roost (Chris Woodham HBC)
Fri 30 Dec Wilstone: Mediterranean Gull in roost (Steve Rodwell HBC)
Fri 30 Dec Startopsend: Snow Bunting (Chris Needham); plus 2 Red-crested Pochard (F) (Martin Johnson HBC)
Fri 30 Dec Marsworth:
Jack Snipe (in SE corner) (Martin Johnson HBC)
Thu 29 Dec Wilstone: early am: colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit (yellow above orange on L leg and green above yellow above green on R leg), Brent Goose, Water Pipit (Roy Hargreaves); 1 Little Grebe, 8 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Mute Swans, 256 Wigeon, 8 Gadwall, 375 Teal, 44 Shoveler, 107 Pochard, 73 Tufted Duck, 7 Goldeneye (inc 2 M), 760 Coot, 45 Golden Plover, 32 Lapwings, 17 Pied Wagtails, plus 52 Linnets in flock nr. hide, plusin field nr. Cemetery Corner: 71 Greylag Geese, 10 Canada Geese, 1 Brent Goose (Lee Evans)
Thu 29 Dec Startopsend: Snow Bunting, 12 Mute Swans, 7 Canada Geese, 46 Gadwall, 4 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Little Grebe (Lee Evans)
Thu 29 Dec Marsworth: 4 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Teal, 21 Shovelers (Lee Evans); 2 Common Snipe, Jack Snipe (in SE corner but elusive) (Jeff Bailey HBC)
Thu 29 Dec Tringford: 2 Mute Swans, 5 Grey Heron, 22 Teal and 2 M Shoveler (Lee Evans)
Wed 28 Dec Wilstone: Brent Goose (in field behind jetty), 4 Bewick's Swan (Anthony Dorman HBC)
Wed 28 Dec Startopsend:
Snow Bunting, this afternoon. (Anthony Dorman HBC)
Tue 27 Dec Wilstone: early am: Brent Goose, 4 Bewick’s Swans, plus 70+ Linnets (Roy Hargreaves); plus first-winter Peregrine hunting plover, c150 Golden Plover (in air after Peregrine attack) (Mike & Ted Wallen HBC), 2 Little Egret, 5 Goldeneye (inc 1 M) (Jeff Bailey HBC)
Tue 27 Dec Startopsend:
early am: Snow Bunting, plus immature M Peregrine over (Roy Hargreaves)
Tue 27 Dec Marsworth:
2 Grey Wagtail, Kingfisher, Water Rail (T.Wood HBC)
Mon 26 Dec Wilstone: early am: Brent Goose (in field with Greylag Geese), 4 Bewick’s Swans, 2 Little Egrets, 3 Goldeneye (1M 2F), c300 Golden Plover (Roy Hargreaves)
Mon 26 Dec Startopsend:
Snow Bunting (Nick Sinden HBC)
Mon 26 Dec Marsworth: Jack Snipe (Simon Cumming HBC)
Sun 25 Dec Startopsend: am: Snow Bunting (Francis Buckle)
Sun 25 Dec Marsworth: am: 2 Water rails (Francis Buckle)
Sat 24 Dec Wilstone: Brent Goose in field with Greylag Geese (nr. jetty) Mike/Ted Wallen)
Sat 24 Dec Startopsend: am: Snow Bunting still (Mike/Ted Wallen)
Sat 24 Dec Marsworth: am: Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, 3 Water Rails, Grey Wagtail, 19 Shoveler (Mike/Ted Wallen)
Fri 23 Dec Wilstone: Water Pipit, 4 Bewick's Swan, 150 Golden Plover (David McCarthy HBC)
Fri 23 Dec Startopsend: Snow Bunting (in NE corner) (Ben Miller)
Thu 22 Dec Wilstone: ad. Mediterranean Gull in Gull roost (David Bilcock)
Thu 22 Dec Startopsend: Snow Bunting (Mike Collard)
Thu 22 Dec Marsworth:
Water Rail (Ephraim Perfect HBC)
Wed 21 Dec Wilstone: ad. Mediterranean Gull in Gull roost (David Bilcock); 4 Bewick's Swan, Brent Goose in field behind jetty, 175 Golden Plover (Jeff Bailey HBC)
Wed 21 Dec Startopsend: Snow Bunting (Lucy Flower)
Wed 21 Dec Marsworth:
Jack Snipe & Water Rail (Lucy Flower)
Tue 20 Dec Wilstone: Brent Goose and 4 Bewick’s Swans still (Roy Hargreaves)
Tue 20 Dec Startopsend: Snow Bunting (Roy Hargreaves)
Tue 20 Dec Marsworth:
Jack Snipe, Common Snipe (Roy Hargreaves); plus 2 Water Rail, 44 Fieldfare (Lee Evans HBC)
Mon 19 Dec Wilstone: 4 Bewick’s Swans, plus Brent Goose in field with Greylag Geese (Roy Hargreaves); 31 Linnets, Brent Goose in field nr. Cemetery Corner with 7 Canada Geese and 67 Greylag Geese 4 Bewick's Swans, 11 Great Crested Grebes, 9 Mute Swans, 311 Wigeon, 18 Shoveler, 230 Common Teal, 42 Tufted Duck, 106 Pochard and 752 Coot (Lee Evans); plus 66 Fieldfare (Lee Evans HBC)
Mon 19 Dec Startopsend: Snow Bunting , Meadow Pipit with Pied Wagtails (Roy Hargreaves); 3 Pied Wagtails, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Mute Swans, 65 Gadwall, 31 Wigeon, 22 Shoveler, 37 Tufted Duck, 8 Pochard, 287 Coot and 10 Moorhens (Lee Evans)
Mon 19 Dec Tringford: 2 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Mute Swans, 6 Teal, 8 Shoveler, 26 Tufted Duck, 6 Pochard and 62 Coots (Lee Evans)
Sun 18 Dec Wilstone: 4 Bewick’s Swans, Brent Goose with Greylag and Canada Geese in field nr. Cemetery Corner, Water Pipits with Meadow Pipits, Shelduck (Roy Hargreaves); plus 23 Golden Plover, Little Egret (HBC obs. not recorded)
Sun 18 Dec Startopsend: Snow Bunting (Roy Hargreaves); plus Peregrine (Lee Batten HBC)
Sun 18 Dec Marsworth:
2 Water Rail, Grey Wagtail (Lee Batten HBC)
Sat 17 Dec Wilstone: Brent Goose with the 67 Greylag Geese in grass field E of res. nr. Cemetery Corner (Lee Evans), 4 Bewick's Swans, M Shelduck (David Bilcock via Lee Evans), Water Pipit (Tony Hukin via Lee Evans)
Sat 17 Dec Startopsend:
Snow Bunting ( first-winter M) (Lee Evans/Francis Buckle/Rob Andrews); plus M Pintail (Rose Collard HBC)
Fri 16 Dec Wilstone: Brent Goose with Greylag Geese in field behind jetty, 4 Bewick's Swans (from hide) (David Bilcock); Water Piptit (nr. jetty) (Mike Campbell); plus 10 Golden Plover, M Goldeneye, F Red-crested Pochard, Shelduck (Jeff Bailey HBC)
Fri 16 Dec Startopsend:
Snow Bunting (David Bilcock); plus 2 (pr.) Red-crested Pochard (Mike Campbell)
Thu 15 Dec Wilstone: Goldeneye (M), 2 Red-crested Pochard (F), Shelduck (Steve Blake HBC), Goosander (F), Brent Goose (in field with 20+ Greylag Geese), 4 Bewick's Swan (John Fisher HBC)
Thu 15 Dec Startopsend: Snow Bunting (Mike Collard and others); Red Kite (Andrew Steele HBC)
Thu 15 Dec Marsworth:
Kingfisher (Andrew Steele HBC)
Thu 15 Dec Tringford:
Green Sandpiper (Steve Blake HBC)
Wed 14 Dec Wilstone: Brent Goose, 4 Bewick's Swan (David Bilcock); plus 11 Mute Swans, 250 Wigeon, 883 Coots, plus report of Great Grey Shrike in meadow behind the hide (Lee Evans)
Wed 14 Dec Startopsend:
Snow Bunting (David Bilcock/Mike Collard); plus 2 Red-crested Pochard (pr.), 42 Gadwall (Lee Evans)
Wed 14 Dec Marsworth:
Goosander (F) (Lee Evans)
Tue 13 Dec Wilstone: Brent Goose (with 67 Greylag Geese), 4 Bewick Swans (David Bilcock/Lee Evans)
Tue 13 Dec Startopsend: Snow Bunting (Mike Collard/David Bilcock/Ben Miller/Lucy Flower); plus 2 Grey Wagtail (Simon West HBC), 2 Red-crested Pochard (pair), Red Kite (Ian Bennell HBC)
Mon 12 Dec Startopsend:
Snow Bunting (via Lee Evans)
Sat 10 Dec Wilstone: 11 Great Crested Grebe, 32 Cormorant, 24 Mute Swan, 4 Bewick’s Swan, 67 Greylag Geese, 7 Canada Goose, Dark-bellied Brent Goose (juv. still in field by Rushy Meadow), 16 Mallard, 4 Gadwall, 24 Shoveler, 85 Wigeon, 230 Common Teal, 134 Northern Pochard, 2 f Red-crested Pochard, 54 Tufted Duck, 5 Goldeneye (all F-type), 23 Common Pheasant, 531 Coot, 47 Moorhen, 21 Linnet (Lee Evans); Grey Wagtail, 30+ Linnet (Tony Birch HBC)
Sat 10 Dec Startopsend: 9 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Little Grebe, 7 Mute Swan, 96 Mallard, 40 Gadwall, 2 Shoveler (M), 24 Common Teal, 1 Northern Pochard (M), 2 (pr.) Red-crested Pochard, 23 Tufted Duck, 288 Coot (Lee Evans)
Sat 10 Dec Marsworth: 9 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Cormorant (fishing), 2 Grey Heron, 17 Mallard, 27 Shoveler, 11 Common Teal, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Redwing, 7 Fieldfare, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Magpie, 3 Starling, 7 Chaffinch, 8 Goldfinch, 5 Reed Bunting, 147 Corn Bunting to roost in reedbed (from 15.30) (Lee Evans)
Sat 10 Dec Tringford:
3 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Mute Swan, 30 Common Teal, 6 Tufted Duck, 62 Coot (Lee Evans)
Wed 7 Dec Wilstone: 2 Red-crested Pochard, Brent Goose, Red Kite, 4 Bewick's Swan (Andrew Steele HBC)
Tue 6 Dec Wilstone:
3 Bewick's Swan (1 ad. 2 juv.) (Nigel Agar HBC),
M Goldeneye (Stuart Harrison HBC)
Mon 5 Dec Wilstone:
Little Egret, 50 Golden Plover, Red Kite, 4 Bewick's Swan, Shelduck (Jeff Bailey HBC)
Sat 3 Dec Wilstone: 3 Goldeneye (inc. 1 M), 150+ Linnet (in two flocks of 110 and 40+ seen from hide), 4 Bewick's Swan (Ian Williams HBC), Brent Goose in usual field (Phil Rhodes HBC)
Fri 2 Dec Wilstone: Shelduck, M Pintail, 2 Water Rail, Brent Goose (first-winter still in fields E of res.) (Mike Wallen HBC)
Notes: HBC indicates sightings taken from Herts Bird Club website, with our thanks.
TWTW is FoTR's Tring Water Treatment Works site.
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Click on these links to see previous sightings:
Earlier 2011 Sightings
2010 Sightings
2009 Sightings
2008 Sightings
2007 Sightings
2006 Sightings
Do not to leave valuables in your cars. Please exercise caution when parking your vehicle at the reservoirs of other local beauty spots and do not leave items, such as handbags, wallets, mobile phones - nor bird watching gear - in your vehicle. Do not be tempted to 'hide' items in your vehicle before you leave it, as a potential offender may be watching where you place the item. Take all valuables with you.
Report any suspicious activity in rural car parks to the Police. If possible, make a note of the registration number and type of vehicle if one is being used and pass this information to Hertfordshire Police on 08453 300 222 (or Thames Valley Police on 08458 505 505 for Bucks). Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111. These are the non-emergency police telephone numbers, but please use the emergency number 999 if there is a risk of injury to someone, or a risk of serious damage to property, or you suspect a crime is in progress, or if there is a serious incident which needs immediate police attendance. (Updated 07/09)
The Friends of Tring Reservoirs website is www.fotr.org.uk. There is also a website www.fotr.org, without the 'uk' suffix. They are an organization similar to ours, the Friends of the Trinity River in California. So, if you send e-mails to us, please make sure you use the full fotr.org.uk, address, because if you miss off the .uk, they will go to the Friends of Trinity River in California, not us! And for other sites with links to fotr.org.uk, we would be grateful if you can please check you are using the correct address, including the .uk at the end. (Posted 07/07)
More than half of members subscribe to eGrebe, choosing to view our newsletter online, instead of receiving paper copies, which saves us printing and postage costs, giving us more for conservation work.
And the pictures are in colour, with additional pictures where possible.
We always send e-mails to all e-Grebe members, to tell them when the newsletter is published online.
The e-mails are sent to the members last known e-mail addresses, so if you have changed yours, or if you are an e-Grebe member and haven't received an e-mail notification, we would be grateful if you could please let us know. This will avoid us getting e-mails returned 'address unknown'.
Send your new e-mail address to Keith Evans by e-mail here
(Updated 07/09)
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For older News items from the website, please click on these links:
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2008 News Archive
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