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For information about Tring Reservoirs and the charity organisation Friends Of Tring Reservoirs, please follow the links on the left.
Please report your bird and other wildlife sightings to us by e-mail
(e-mail is preferred, but if you are without it, you can telephone me on 01442 822471 - and if you leave a message, don't foget to leaver your name).
WE NEED YOUR SIGHTINGS - so that they can be shared with our other members
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 coroborative 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.
Other News follows the Latest Sightings listing
FoTR was set up in October 1993 and the first edition of the Grebe newsletter went out in the autumn of that year.
To commemorate the anniversary, we would like to make the September issue of the Grebe a little bit special, so I am asking for contributions from any of our members by way of short articles or letters or photographs - anything you would like to contribute. You can tell us what makes Tring Reservoirs a special place for you, or provide a memory of some noteable moment, or give us your reflections on how things have changed - or indeed anything. It is you members that makes FoTR such a successful organisation and even if you don't normally write anything, now is the opportunity for you to make the next Grebe a bit different.
Please help with whatever you can. The deadline is the weekend of 26-27 August, but you can let me have your notes and thoughts earlier if you wish. E-mails are fine, but you can add Word or PDF attachments if you wish and photographs in JPEG or pretty well any format would be good too; you can e-mail me by clicking here. Alternatively, handwritten or printed pages would also be welcome; please send them to me, Keith Evand at FoTR, PO Box 1083, Tring, Herts, HP23 5WU; or you can call me on 01442 822471 to discuss your thoughts. Although we would like to include your names, I will consider withholding names if you wish, provided of course the piece isn't too controversial or political!
Please, please help with this special anniversary. Thank you all.
(Posted 16/07/08)
2008:
Wed 6 Aug Wilstone: 4 Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits all adults still retaining full breeding plumage, 314
Lapwings, 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Green Sandpipers, 16
Great Crested Grebes, 72 Mute Swans, 2
Common Teals, 4
Northern Shovelers, 78
Tufted Ducks, 7
Northern Pochard (inc 1 juvenile),
Red-crested Pochard (eclipse drake still present), F Manderin Duck,
6
Ruddy Ducks, 729
Coot, 2 adult
Lesser Black-backed Gull over, 6 Common Terns still remaining,
Eurasian Sparrowhawk - family party (2+ juvs) in Poplars near hide, 1 Red Kite overhead at 1215, 115 House Martins, 10 Sand Martins, 4
Common Starling over (Lee Evans); plus 2 juvenile Shellducks early a.m. (David Bilcock); plus adult Oystercatcher a.m. (Steve Rodwell)
Wed 6 Aug Marsworth: adult pair Mute Swans & 2 cygnets, 8 Coots (Lee Evans)
Wed 6 Aug Startopsend: 1 Great Crested Grebe, 24 Coot, 3 adult Common Terns (Lee Evans)
Wed 6 Aug Tringford: 1 Great Crested Grebe, 34 Coot (Lee Evans)
Tue 5 Aug Wilstone: Eclipse drake Red-crested Pochard, juvenile Little Egret and a single Green
Sandpiper (Roy Hargreaves); plus 2 Dunlin over late p.m. (Steve Rodwell)
Mon 4 Aug Wilstone: a.m. - the male Red-crested Pochard, 1 Black tern & 1 Ringed Plover (Roy Hargreaves); p.m. - Raven, 1 Dunlin, evening - 5 Green Sandpipers, 5 Common
Sandpipers (Steve Rodwell)
Sun 3 Aug Wilstone: 2 Black-tailed Godwits (to right of hide), 2 Common Sandpipers (David Bilcock); plus 73
Mute Swans, 2 eclipse
Northern Shovelers, 97
Tufted Ducks, eclipse M
Red-crested Pochard, 3
Ruddy Ducks (2 adult drakes & a female), 2 Green Sandpipers,
Sparrowhawk,
133 Black-headed Gull, a moulting adult Black Tern (at app 11.36), 2 Common Swifts, 93 House Martins (Lee Evans)
Sat 2 Aug Wilstone: 2 Black-tailed Godwits in front of hide (both adult islandica's moulting out of breeding plumage, Dunlin in breeding plumage roosting amongst the gulls (David Bilcock and others); plus 17 Great Crested Grebes, 65
Mute Swans, 2
Common Teal, 22
Gadwall, 8
Northern Pochards including 2 juveniles, eclipse drake
Red-crested Pochard still present, 6
Ruddy Ducks (bred this year, with two females fledging 5 and 2 young respectively), 3 Common Sandpipers, 2 Green Sandpipers, 202
Black-headed Gulls including 37 juveniles, 2 adult
Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 8
Common Terns still present, 24
House Martins, 4
Common Chiffchaffs, Sparrowhawk (Lee Evans)
Fri 1 Aug Wilstone: 2 Common Sandpipers, Green Sandpiper, Hobby (J Bailey HBC)
Thu 31 Jul Wilstone: 8 Black Terns dropped in before 7.00am (stayed for about
30 minutes without settling) and a Spotted Redshank was on the mud to the left of the hide, but soon left (Ian Willioams/Roy Hargreaves); 3 Little Terns & 4 Black Terns (BN HBC, Mike Wallen); plus 2 Common Sandpipers and 2 Green Sandpipers (Mike Collard); plus 2 Turnstones (Steve Rodwell); otherwise: 69 Mute Swans including 1 first-summer, 1 F Common Teal, 17
Gadwall, 2
Northern Shoveler, 157
Tufted Ducks, 12
Northern Pochard including the two juveniles (both fledged at the site), eclipse M Red-crested Pochard still present, 6 Ruddy Ducks (3 adult drakes, 2 females and an immature drake), 141
Lapwing, 2 adult Ruddy Turnstones, 96 Black-headed Gulls, 2
Common Gulls (flew NW), 1 juvenile
Lesser Black-backed Gull, 8
Common Terns still present, 1
Stock Dove over,
Great Spotted Woodpecker - in Poplars by car park, 2 juv
Grey Wagtails, 37
House Martins (Lee Evans)
Tue 29 Jul Wilstone: a.m. Eclipse M Red-crested Pochard still with the Tufted Ducks, adult summer
Little Gull flying around among the Common Terns and one Common Sandpiper (Roy Hargreaves); evening 2 moulting adult Black Terns (both roosting on the algae-bunds), 19
Great Crested Grebes, 2 juvenile
Grey Herons still in nest, 26
Sinensis Cormorants, 69 adult Mute Swans, juvenile
Mandarin Duck, 17
Gadwall, 115
Tufted Ducks, 16
Northern Pochard (including 2 well-grown juveniles), eclipse M Red-crested Pochard, 6
Ruddy Ducks, 136
Lapwings, 2
Common Sandpipers, 109
Black-headed Gulls roosting (including 21 juveniles), 5
Lesser Black-backed Gulls in pre-roost gathering (including 1 juvenile, a 2nd-summer & 3 adults), 13
Common Terns, 75
Common Swifts, 8+
Pied Wagtails on island (including 7 juveniles), 27
House Martins (Lee Evans)
Tue 29 Jul Startopsend: 8 Barn Swallows at Startop Farm (Lee Evans)
Mon 28 Jul Wilstone: Eclipse M Red-crested Pochard, Common Sandpiper and Green
Sandpiper (Heard) plus a Raven flying over calling at 6am (Roy Hargreaves)
Sat 26 Jul Wilstone: 3 Common Sandpiper, 1 Snipe, 1 Red Kite, 1 Buzzard from hide,
Pair Stock Dove behind hide,
1 Hobby high over far side from bank near car park,
Kingfisher fishing from tree in centre, from jetty, plus
Whitethroat, Yellowhammer along canal (Graham Shortt)
Fri 25 Jul Wilstone: Eclipse male Red-crested Pochard still present and a Greenshank on the mud
to the left of the hide (Roy Hargreaves)
Thu 24 Jul Wilstone: Juvenile Mediterranean Gull with Black Headed Gulls (Roy Hargreaves); A single Common Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper (David Bilcock)
Tue 22 Jul Wilstone: 21 Great Crested Grebes, 9
Cormorants, 74
Mute Swans, 13
Gadwall,
adult F Gargeny roosting on spit, 2
Northern Shovelers (both eclipse birds), 104
Tufted Ducks including some early, well grown and self-sufficient juveniles, 6
Northern Pochard (2 M 4F - no young noted), eclipse M Red-crested Pochard, 3M 1F
Ruddy Ducks, Red Kite, 777
European Coots including 49 juveniles, 47
Moorhens including 17 juveniles, Common Sandpiper, 151
Lapwings including 9 juveniles (and 1 dead), 44
Black-headed Gulls including 1 juvenile, 18
Common Terns including 11 juveniles, 2 juvenile
Grey Wagtails, juvenile
Common Chiffchaff, vocal family of Spotted Flycatchers (Lee Evans with David Bilcock/Roy Hargreaves)
Mon 21 Jul Wilstone: pair of Blackcaps, Garden Warbler & Goldcrest feeding with flock of about 10 Long-Tailed Tits in hedgerow besides path on east side of reservoir (Geoff Young); 2 Common Sandpipers in front of the hide, plus a flock of sixteen Curlew flying over (Roy Hargreaves)
Sun 20 Jul Wilstone: Eclipse M Red-crested Pochard, F Mandarin on rocks forming spit from reed bed to islands, 1M 1F Pochard, a few hundred Sand Martins over water & adjacent fields with scatterings of House Martins & a Swallow, Oystercatcher on jetty, c60 Lapwings above reservoir then C25 on rocks in middle later, pair of Ruddy Duck. at least 1 Hobby, Bullfinch heard, plus possible (but unlikely) 1st winter White Wagtail; c4 Grey Wagtails and c5 Pied Wagtails (Dan & Steve Forder)
Fri 18 Jul Wilstone: Eclipse male Red-crested Pochard still present and an adult Dunlin (Roy Hargreaves)
Thu 17 Jul Wilstone: M Ruff, 2 Common Sandpipers, Green Sandpiper, Little Egret, 62 Lapwings, plus: 24 Great Crested Grebe adults, 15 Cormorants (most likely all Sinensis) including some adults,
Grey Herons - one nest still containing three well grown young plus 4 further juveniles, 59
Mute Swans including 1 first-year, 9
Canada Geese, 37
Greylag Geese all adults, many
Mallards (not counted with several family groups), 9 Gadwall, 1 Common Teal (an eclipse drake), 3 Northern Shoveler (all in eclipse plumage), 44
Tufted Ducks, 5 Northern Pochard, 1 Red-crested Pochard (an eclipse drake by Drayton Bank), 2+ Ruddy Duck, 2 adult Red Kites drifting over, 1 adult Hobby, Moorhen (not counted but numerous juveniles), a high count of 618 Eurasian Coots, 9
Black-headed Gulls including 1 fresh juvenile, 23 Common Terns including 4 juveniles, 215+ Common Swifts, an exceptional July count of 147 Sand Martins (high numbers have been present for 19 days according to RH & SR), 8
House Martins, 15
Barn Swallows including some juveniles, 2
Grey Wagtails both juveniles, 6 Pied Wagtails also juveniles (Lee Evans with others); up to 3 Spot Fly, 15 Lapwing (J Baker HBC)
Thu 17 Jul Marsworth: 3 Great Crested Grebes (including 1 still on nest), Tufted Duck (female with 7 well grown young), Coot and Moorhen (not counted but several young birds of both species noted), Common Tern (3 juveniles), Common Kingfisher and 15 Common Swifts; plus on the Paddock fields adjoining: 33 Canada and 17 Greylag Geese with 2 Greylag Geese accompanied 13 juvenile Canada Geese on the Grand Union Canal (Lee Evans)
Thu 17 Jul Startopsend: Great Crested Grebe, Mute Swan (pair with two cygnets), 27 Coot plus 4+ overflying adult Common Terns (Lee Evans)
Thu 17 Jul Tringford: Great Crested Grebe, 4 Grey Herons, Mallard (with 2 young), Tufted Duck (female with 7 small young), 22 Coots, 16 Sand Martins (Lee Evans)
Wed 16 Jul Wilstone: Green Sandpiper, Oystercatcher (Steve Rodwell)
Tue 15 Jul Wilstone: 2 Dunlin on the exposed mud in front of the hide (David Bilcock); 12 Dunlin from hide, 11 Hobbies (J Bailey HBC)
Sun 13 Jul Wilstone: Oystercatcher & Cullew over (Steve Rodwell)
Mon 7 Jul Wilstone: 3 Redshanks over, 2 Common Sandpipers near the
jetty (Roy Hargreaves)
Sat 5 Jul Startopsend: Little Ringed Plover (David Bilcock)
Sat 5 July Marsworth: Tufted Duck with 7 chicks, Barn Owl over fields behind res. (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 4 Jul Wilstone: Common Sandpiper on rocks in the middle, eclipse M Red-crested Pochard still present
(Roy Hargreaves)
Fri 4 July Startopsend: Gadwall with 1 chick and Tufted Duck with 3 chicks (Steve Rodwell)
Fri 4 Jul Tringford: Tufted Duck with 9 chicks (Steve Rodwell)
Thu 3 Jul Wilstone: Eclipse M Red-crested Pochard and
an Egyptian Goose (Roy Hargreaves)
Tue 1 Jul Wilstone: Eclipse M Red-crested Pochard and a Redshank (Roy Hargreaves)
Note: HBC indicates sightings taken from Herts Bird Club website, with our thanks.
To return to the top of this page click here
To see all of the previous sightings for 2008 click here
To see the sightings for 2007 click here
To see the sightings for 2006 click here
With effect from 1 April, British Waterways (BW) took over the fishing and shooting rights at the Reservoirs. The BW press release can be viewed by clicking here. BW has announced that no more shooting over the water will take place. The fishing on Wilstone, Marsworth and Startopsend Reservoirs is now managed by BW in partnership with the Tring Anglers and the trout fishery at Tringford remains essentially as it was.
(Posted 23/04/08)
The Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, in collaboration with the Herts Natural History Society and the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, is
running a series of 22 ‘Learn About Wildlife’ workshops with the aim of getting more people involved in wildlife conservation.
The workshops aim to introduce participants to new subjects and wildlife, increase their awareness and knowledge of wildlife and conservation, develop their skills in species identification and introduce them to species recording. Topics and species covered range from grasses and wild flowers
to bats and water voles and are open to anyone over the age of 12.
The full programme - covering the period from April through to February 2009 - can be found at http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/herts or you can email jennifer.gilbert@hmwt.org to ask for a copy of the ‘Learning About Wildlife’ brochure. (Posted 20/03/08)
We have had an e-mail from the webmaster of www.fotr.org (note the ommission of .uk) about e-mails sent to their site instead of ours. 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 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 13/07/07)
Many members subscribe to e-Grebe, choosing to view the 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 'adress unknown'.
Send your new e-mail address to Keith Evans
(Posted 02/07 Updated 09/07)