LITTLE GULLS at Broom

TUESDAY 27 MARCH (LGRE DIARY NOTES)

Another very unseasonally warm day with temperatures again reaching 66 degrees F this afternoon; wall-to-wall sunshine and light SE winds.

After a brief flirtation with Hertfordshire this morning, I spent the rest of the day in Bedfordshire, catching up with a few more migrants........

SHERRARDSPARK WOOD, LNR WELWYN GARDEN CITY (HERTS)

A new site for me and a tremendous relic ancient woodland site. It is one of Hertfordshire's largest and most important Oak woodlands and extends to approximately 80 hectares (200 acres) and has some of the county's finest Oak and Hornbeam trees. It is an ancient woodland for which there is archaelogical evidence to suggest that people lived there some 4,000 years ago. It is also home to an important colony of Hazel Dormice.

Anyway, the reason for my visit. After hearing of numerous reports of LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER from Monks Walk, I decided to visit this morning and was not disappointed. Chris King first espied it - a nice male moving quickly through the tall canopy of Hornbeams to the right of the tree-lined avenue. It called just once and moved rapidly through the trees. A very welcome Herts year tick and a nice new site tick.

The area also held both Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, several Nuthatches, Common Treecreeper, Great and Blue Tits, nesting Stock Dove and Chaffinches.

Being positioned on the A1, I was relatively convenient for Bedfordshire and as it was, Matt Burgess discovered a passage flock of Little Gulls......whilst driving north, a pair of MANDARIN DUCKS flew across the A1 at Welwyn, just over a mile south of Junction 6.....

DEREK WHITE'S EGGS A1 PIT, BIGGLESWADE (BEDS)

A nice selection of waders present including a LITTLE RINGED PLOVER, 2 Ringed Plovers, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Common Redshanks, several Lapwing, a GREEN SANDPIPER and a Little Egret

PEACOCK'S LAKE, BROOM GP (BEDS) (1130-1230 hours)

After an initial dipping session, I joined finder Matt Burgess at the watchpoint and enjoyed good views of his 4 winter-plumaged adult LITTLE GULLS. The birds were extremely restless and active and on at least two occasions, thermalled up very high in the sky and attempted to fly off east; both times they returned back down though. MJP, Pip and SCB soon caught up with them too.

Not many wildfowl left on the lake, just 3 Wigeon, a few Teal, 4 Shoveler and a scattering of Tufted Duck and Pochard, along with 8 Lapwing and 1-2 Common Redshank.

Whilst keeping on the Little Gulls high in the sky, several raptors were intercepted, including 3 Sparrowhawks, a Red Kite and a number of Common Buzzards. A single SAND MARTIN was also picked up.

At least 2 Common Chiffchaffs were singing in the vicinity

WILLINGTON GP (BEDFORDSHIRE)

Not a great deal to report but 304 Barnacle Geese on the grass, 8 Meadow Pipits in the new plough and 2 Common Shelducks, 8 Wigeon, 2 Oystercatchers and 2 Ringed Plovers on Dovecote Pit. Again, also 2 singing Common Chiffchaffs

PRIORY COUNTRY PARK, BEDFORD (BEDS)

The surrounding parkland yielded my first Beds male BLACKCAP of the year, along with 2 more singing male Common Chiffchaffs. The country park itself was heaving with people with dogs galore entering the lake at the eastern shore

Checked out a number of other sites but nothing worth mentioning - just numerous singing Common Chiffchaffs.

At FLAUNDEN (HERTS), I noted my first Orange Tip butterfly of the year

First SWALLOW

A single SWALLOW flew low over Great Barford bridge at 12.50pm this afternoon (Tony P)

WHITE WAGTAILS at Willington

Took a stroll out tonight. Best was a flock of Meadow Pipits (c50) and about 25 Pied Wagtails with one, maybe three White Wagtails on the recently ploughed field. Also about 150 Fieldfares. Two Green Sandpipers on the new workings (Richard Bashford)

BLACK REDSTARTS at The Lodge

Two female type BLACK REDSTARTS currently on the meadow at the front of the house at The Lodge, 15.15 (Steve Blain)

COMMON CROSSBILLS at Stockgrove Park

I was able to get up to Stockgrove Country Park this afternoon for an hour or so. Really chuffed to find a pair of COMMON CROSSBILLS. Initially thought I was still in Bucks but double checked county boundaries and I was about 100 metres inside Bedfordshire. The Crossbills flew off in the direction of Bucks but I didn't actually see them in the county (Lucy Flower Birding & Photography).

First WHITE WAGTAIL

There was a male White Wagtail amongst 75+ Pied Wags on the washout pit at Broom GP this evening. Otherwise very quiet (Steve Blain)

Thurleigh Airfield this morning

Thurleigh Airfield late morning produced a pair of Peregrines on the runway, one on prey, viewed from the Keysoe Row West gate where there was also a calling Chiffchaff on the move and a Stock Dove. At the south-west end, a Curlew was wandering around and a Dabchick was on the reservoir - but no Wheatears to be seen.

A quick stop on the A6 verge at Radwell confirmed well over a hundred Mute Swans still present and a ton of Wigeon too.

A Chiffchaff in my garden just now was a nice surprise.

MJP

Male MERLIN still at Broom

A male MERLIN was showing really well perched on a post at Gypsy Lane West until 13.30 at least, viewed from where the bridleway crosses the gravel conveyor. Also there, one male Wheatear (Tony P)

More BLACK REDSTARTS arrive

MONDAY 19 MARCH (LGRE DIARY NOTES)

A glorious day weatherwise following a sharp overnight frost. Predominantly blue skies, bright sunshine and a light westerly wind.

WATERCRESS COTTAGE LOOP TRAIL, CHESS VALLEY (BUCKS)

Following up a call from Chris Pontin, my first valley COMMON CHIFFCHAFF of the year was singing from the tall Poplar trees by Pow Wow Lake; 8 Gadwall were also freshly arrived, whilst the pair of Mute Swans were still in attendance.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming, with a male Goldcrest singing from thick ivy, 2 Wrens, a pair of Long-tailed Tits and a singing male Great Tit.

(Chris had earlier had 4 Ring-necked Parakeets fly over)

On the lower Chesham road, yet another dead Badger by Bois Mill Cottages.

CHENIES BOTTOM (BUCKS)

Two pairs of Mute Swan were in close proximity near Latimer Bridge, with 4 Little Egrets on the new lake west of the bridge at Chenies Bottom.

KING'S LANGLEY (HERTS)

Checked out a report of a female Black Redstart seen close to Junction 20 of the M25 yesterday but failed to find the correct farm nor the pond accompanying the grid reference ! Anyhow, whilst there, I then took a call from Darrel Bryant who had just found a BLACK REDSTART at Norton Green. Having missed out on two yesterday, I made my way straight over.......driving north up the A1, noticed two more dead Badgers within a mile of each other by the Welwyn Garden City exits

NORTON GREEN (HERTFORDSHIRE)

With Darrel's help, I quickly located his BLACK REDSTART, still frequenting the small scrubby bushes situated around the burnt out rubbish and caravan parts just yards south of the gypsy encampment. It was a young male, most likely a first-summer (slate-grey on the upperparts). It was consorting with a nice male NORTHERN WHEATEAR.

As I walked along the eastern flank of the site, I discovered a second BLACK REDSTART, this time an adult female. It was in the vicinity of some dumped hosing and was showing well. I phoned both Darrel and Mike Ilett to tell them of the update and I was talking to Mike, I had to make a very hasty retreat as three 'youths' were attempting to break in my car parked by the metal gate. One of them was watching me whilst the other two were trying to open the doors. BE VERY CAREFUL WHERE YOU PARK YOUR VEHICLE AT THIS LOCATION.

I then decided to visit the Sandon area in the hope of locating Merlin or Hen Harrier

SANDON, DEADMANS HILL & THERFIELD AREAS (HERTS)

Spent virtually three hours in the area with scant rewards

Yet another dead Badger noted - this time near the Bury Barns entrance

A nice male GREY PARTRIDGE was with 2 Red-legged Partridges close to the Horseshoe Wood Farm entrance, with another pair of GREY PARTRIDGE in the field south of Upper Heath Farm.

No less than 74 BROWN HARES were logged in the area, and three herds of FALLOW DEER

Totalling up the Rook nests lining the A505 came to an impressive 83 active

Just SW of Deadman's Hill, the fields and game strip thereabouts produced 330+ LINNETS and 18 CORN BUNTINGS

I came back through BEDFORDSHIRE, stopping off firstly at PEGSDON HILLS (birdless) and then BARTON HILLS (just 3 Yellowhammers). Finally added a county COMMON CHIFFCHAFF at DUNSTABLE SEWAGE WORKS and then headed back to Herts

TRING RESERVOIRS (HERTS)

Spent the last hour of daylight at Tring whereby WILSTONE offered 23 Great Crested Grebes, the DARK-BELLIED BRENT, the pair of Little Egret, 57 Teal, 46 Shoveler, Wigeon pair, 4 Gadwall, 18 Pochard and an impressive 237 Tufted Ducks. Highlight was a party of 10 COMMON GOLDENEYES - adult drake, first-winter drake and 8 female-types.

The pair of RED-CRESTED POCHARDS were on STARTOP'S, with a singing male COMMON CHIFFCHAFF in the Black Poplars behind MARSWORTH REEDBED. The CORN BUNTING roost was well attended with 151 birds arriving. With Jack O'Neill for company, we watched the BARN OWL appear over the meadow from 1820 hours

KITTIWAKE at Broom GP

Sorry for the late news, but there was an adult KITTIWAKE with the gulls on Gypsy Lane East pits (Broom GP) at lunchtime today (Steve Blain)

SHORT-EARED OWLS at Thurleigh

The pair of SHORT-EARED OWLS were hunting the Backnoe End part of the airfield at 5pm. There were two male Wheatears in the Mount Pleasant horse paddock along Hatch Lane. Earlier at the Keysoe Row West gate, close views of a Barn Owl out in bright sunlight and the pair of Little Owls in their usual spot amongst the derelict buildings, plus another Little Owl in the usual Hatch End tree (Nigel Willitts)

Today's CURLEWS

I was dead chuffed with finding these birds today - breeding CURLEWS in our area being something of an enigma - and GREY PARTRIDGES too (LGRE)

CURLEW pair located and migrant WHEATEARS

Scandinavian Rock Pipit photographed at Startop's End Reservoir, Tring, today by John Foster - one of 3 birds present

SATURDAY 17 MARCH (LGRE DIARY NOTES)

A band of rain crossed the region for the best part of three hours early morning eventually clearing away to leave a fine day. The wind remained in the Southwest and it was quite chilly early on, warming up during the afternoon.

Northern Wheatears seemed to have arrived in good numbers overnight, my tally by the end of the day being 16. Tring Reservoirs saw an arrival of ROCK PIPITS.........

NORTON GREEN (HERTS)

My first port of call was Norton Green where with Tony Hukin and another lad, we enjoyed good views of two male NORTHERN WHEATEARS and a female COMMON STONECHAT in scrub just south of the gypsy encampment. A migrant Song Thrush was also noted (with a resident bird singing nearby), as well as 15 Common Blackbirds, 3 Yellowhammers and a pair of Red-legged Partridges.

WHITWELL AREA (HERTS)

A pair of COMMON RAVENS were busy making plans for nesting whilst Rook nests censused included 42 active ones in Whitwell and a further 54 in the grounds of Kimpton Grange.

EAST HYDE (BEDS)

A single Little Egret and GREEN SANDPIPER was noted on the main river just south of the bridge

BLOWS DOWNS (BEDS)

In drizzly conditions, the two male NORTHERN WHEATEARS were feeding together in the upper section of the paddocks.

CENTRAL BEDFORDSHIRE

After searching an area of farmland previously inhabited by the species, I was very pleased to find a pair of EURASIAN CURLEWS - my first in the county this year. The same field also held a pair of GREY PARTRIDGES and shortly later, a COMMON RAVEN flew in. The latter was then 'attacked' by a mob of Carrion Crows, forcing it to eventually fly off.

GROVEBURY SAND PIT (BEDS)

Not much to speak of, apart from a drake Goldeneye, 37 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a migrating flock of 120 Fieldfares. Four Sand Martins were present briefly.

IVINGHOE HILLS NATURE RESERVE (BUCKS)

I covered the area between the car park and Gallows Hill to the east, finding 3 NORTHERN WHEATEARS in the sheep field just beyond the pens. One was a nice male and the other two females. A flock of 8 Meadow Pipits was also in the sheep field, and 15 Common Gulls.

PITSTONE HILL AND ENVIIRONS (BUCKS)

Two more NORTHERN WHEATEARS, a male and a female, were discovered just SW of the main car park, with then a further 7 birds at the edge of the large fields and on Pitstone Hill proper 500 yards further on.

Skylarks were seemingly everywhere with no less than 60 encountered, including 25 singing males, with several Yellowhammers, a flock of 4 CORN BUNTINGS, a pair of Red-legged Partridges and a pair of Long-tailed Tits

WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)

At WILSTONE mid-afternoon, the DARK-BELLIED BRENT GOOSE was on the bund, with 9 Eurasian Wigeon still present. As Dave Hutchinson and Lucy Flower walked towards the jetty in front of Ted Reed and myself, both the WATER PIPIT and SCANDINAVIAN ROCK PIPIT flew up calling from the reservoir edge and were watched in flight for several minutes. A single Meadow Pipit was also seen and a bit later, a party of 7 SAND MARTINS arrived, gradually moving from the jetty area to over by the hide.

STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR (HERTS)

The OYSTERCATCHER was still present on the mud and showing well, along with the Red-crested Pochard pair and 3 Wigeon. The Pied Wagtail flock still numbered 27, with 3 Grey Wagtails but it was the six pipits present that were causing all of the interest - all being seen from the hide.

Two birds were SCANDINAVIAN ROCK PIPITS in slightly different stages of moult, one having traces of summer plumage. Three more were Meadow Pipits (one quite scruffy and in moult) whilst every now and again, the WATER PIPIT would fly in from Wilstone after being flushed. The two ROCK PIPITS afforded a superb performance, feeding right in front of the hide, allowing John Foster, Dave Bilcock, Dave H and Lucy to obtain some quality pictures (see selection above) and Roy some lengthy video sequences. Both birds were different to the Wilstone Rock Pipit.

On neighbouring MARSWORTH RESERVOIR, the CETTI'S WARBLER released a few snatches of song

Frustratingly, half an hour after I departed the reservoirs, DB and others recorded a CURLEW on the bund in front of the hide at Wilstone

Richard Bashford finds yet another GREEN-WINGED TEAL

FRIDAY 16 MARCH

A very grey and dreary day with very little brightness. Despite a SW wind, temperatures were pegged well back and struggled to reach 8 degrees C by mid afternoon. I expected little to be happening but was surprised, particularly by the first real rush of Northern Wheatears.....

SPADE OAK PIT, LITTLE MARLOW (BUCKS)

Alan Stevens very kindly texted me early on to say that the SANDWICH TERN was still present. Having missed it yesterday, I was most keen to connect and after battling my way through the school traffic, eventually arrived on site at 0922 hours. The bird was still there and in Alan's 'scope ! I had a quick glance and then located it in my own. It was roosting in with the Black-headed and Common Gulls and was in full 'shaggy crested' summer plumage. It was my first of the year and a very welcome county year tick - this species can be particularly tricky to see locally each year. It remained in situ for about 15 minutes before the flock were rudely interrupted by two low-swooping Red Kites. It then flew with the entire mass but returned fairly quickly to the spit. About 20 minutes later, the episode was repeated by two Common Buzzards, and this time all of the gulls and the Sandwich Tern flew off high east at 1010 hours. It seemed to have gone.........

Other species encountered included 9 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Egyptian Geese, a pair of COMMON SHELDUCK, 5 Eurasian Wigeon, 10 Common Teal, 16 Gadwall, 4 Northern Pochard, 12 Shoveler, 39 Lapwings, 57 Herring Gulls (virtually all first-years), 15 Red Kite and 12 migrant Redwings.

CHESHAM VALE (BUCKS)

Had another check of the ROOKERY and found 54 nests active

TRING RESERVOIRS (HERTS)

Flushed with the success of the Sandwich Tern, I was hoping for something new at the reservoirs but it was deadly - nothing new whatsoever really.

On the mud at STARTOP'S END, the OYSTERCATCHER was having a bath at the water's edge, with 17 Pied Wagtails still there and the pair of Red-crested Pochards. MARSWORTH was relatively birdless - just 2 Mute Swans and 6 Great Crested Grebes.

Highlight at WILSTONE was finally connecting with the resident MARSH TIT - the bird showing well and calling frequently just by the entrance gate to the orchard. Seemingly new in was a singing COMMON CHIFFCHAFF in the eastern hedgerow in the extreme SE corner.

Both the DARK-BELLIED BRENT and WATER PIPIT were still present, along with 27 Shoveler, a pair of Wigeon and 4 Little Egrets. A Common Treecreeper was in the Poplars in the SE corner.

BROADWATER GP (MIDDLESEX)

JT phoned me whilst I was at Wilstone to say that John Edwards had located a drake Ferruginous Duck at Broadwater. Being with Tufted Ducks, I fully expected it to be the drake both Joan and I recently enjoyed great views of at Bray GP near Maidenhead. Anyway, got there in about half an hour and eventually located it in the area of the first wooded island - in fact the former Little Egret roost-site. It had a 'perfect' body and rear end but when I saw the head and bill, I felt deflated. It was yet another 'Fudgie-hybrid', this time possibly with a Ring-necked Duck ! The head shape was 'naff' and the basal colour very dark with a hint of dark green but the bill was the nail in the coffin - it had a gleaming white 'ring' around the base of the bill and an extensive amount of white on a sky-blue on the upper mandible; it also had extensive black flanging to the nail. Presumably an escape.

Three GOOSANDER were on the lake (2 adult drakes), whilst at least 8 pairs of Black-headed Gull were utilising the tern rafts and a pair of Oystercatchers flew over calling. A single Common Chiffchaff was singing from the tall trees on the causeway.

Anyway, whilst updating the various news services, news came in that Dave Parmenter had found a SCANDINAVIAN ROCK PIPIT in South Bucks - at Spade Oak again ! A swift exodus followed........

SPADE OAK PIT, LITTLE MARLOW (BUCKS) - SECOND VISIT

Arrived back at Spade Oak at around 1245 hours, where I joined Adam Bassett and Bill Stacey (and latterly Graham Smith and Jackie Newcombe). The SCANDINAVIAN ROCK PIPIT was on the spit and skulking in some longer grass just where the spit meets the reedbed. It was loosely associating with a young male Pied Wagtail and two male Reed Buntings - most likley all migrant birds freshly arrived. Although difficult to see initially, the pipit eventually flew out on to the open spit and afforded some excellent views, latterly literally just beyond the sandy edge. It was moulting well towards spring plumage and already had a nice pale grey head and ear-coverts and salmon-pink underparts. The white orbital ring was there, with the white supercilium running between the lores and the eye. The breast was still heavily sullied and still quite densely streaked but with gleaming white undertail coverts and buffish wingbars. The upperparts were fairly concolorous, with the mantle and back quite olive-tinged (Water Pipit has a nice soft brown back and mantle). Another great bird to get in Bucks - I'm very lucky if I get one per year on average.

Also newly arrived was a singing male COMMON CHIFFCHAFF

Just as I was talking to Graham at 1322 hours, news came through of an AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL at Broom GP in Bedfordshire. I was off..........

BROOM GP (BEDFORDSHIRE)

Richard Bashford had discovered the Nearctic Teal on his lunchbreak and was still present on my arrival at 1530 hours. It was actually residing on a small reed-fringed pool to the east of Gypsy Lane, directly opposite the south end of the west pit on the opposite side of the road. It was showing well and consorting with 11 Common Teal. MJP, Pip, Jim Gurney, Martin Stevens, Lol Carman and Bob Chalkley were all present and the bird remained intermittently in view until at least 1600 hours.

NORTH AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL is a rare vagrant to Bedfordshire and this drake represents only the 8th county record - the previous were as follows -:

1) A drake at Radwell GP on late afternoon and evening 12 April 1987;
2) A drake visited Luton Hoo on 8 February 1995;
3) A drake remained at Dunstable Sewage Works from 2-16 April 1996;
4) A drake was present at Radwell's Viaduct Pit on 10-11 February 2002;
5) 2003 saw two records with a drake at Warren Villas on 12-13 January and another at Harrold-Odell Country Park on the last day of the year on 31 December; The latter remained on site until 4 January 2004;
7) Radwell Viaduct Pit attracted another drake on 15 February 2009.

This pit and the adjacent flashes also yielded a pair of COMMON SHELDUCK, 8 Shoveler and 2 Ringed Plover whilst PEACOCK'S LAKE produced a female-type GOOSANDER and the female RED-CRESTED POCHARD.

I then spent the rest of the afternoon 'dipping' and failing in my quest to find any more migrants

OCTAGON FARM held 225 EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVERS but no Green Sandpipers

ROOKERY censusing found 58 active nests at Bedford Football Club, with an additional 19 by the nearby bypass roundabout, a grand total of 153 nests in the Stewartby area (12 by the landfill and 141 near Martin Green's house at the lake) and a further 33 nests at Brogborough village.

At MARSTON VALE, a male Great Spotted Woodpecker was watched demolishing new nestboxes in the small plantation by the sewage treatment works compound. It was enlarging the holes by bashing all of the wood away and had done this on 5 of the newly erected boxes. Interestingly, as I went closer to inspect the damage, a female Great Spot flew out of one of the boxes so perhaps they were enlarging the holes to make way for roosting !

I then went down to BLOWS DOWNS PADDOCKS but could not find the two male Northern Wheatears seen earlier. Try again tomorrow

Richard Bashford finds yet another GREEN-WINGED TEAL

FRIDAY 16 MARCH

A very grey and dreary day with very little brightness. Despite a SW wind, temperatures were pegged well back and struggled to reach 8 degrees C by mid afternoon. I expected little to be happening but was surprised, particularly by the first real rush of Northern Wheatears.....

SPADE OAK PIT, LITTLE MARLOW (BUCKS)

Alan Stevens very kindly texted me early on to say that the SANDWICH TERN was still present. Having missed it yesterday, I was most keen to connect and after battling my way through the school traffic, eventually arrived on site at 0922 hours. The bird was still there and in Alan's 'scope ! I had a quick glance and then located it in my own. It was roosting in with the Black-headed and Common Gulls and was in full 'shaggy crested' summer plumage. It was my first of the year and a very welcome county year tick - this species can be particularly tricky to see locally each year. It remained in situ for about 15 minutes before the flock were rudely interrupted by two low-swooping Red Kites. It then flew with the entire mass but returned fairly quickly to the spit. About 20 minutes later, the episode was repeated by two Common Buzzards, and this time all of the gulls and the Sandwich Tern flew off high east at 1010 hours. It seemed to have gone.........

Other species encountered included 9 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Egyptian Geese, a pair of COMMON SHELDUCK, 5 Eurasian Wigeon, 10 Common Teal, 16 Gadwall, 4 Northern Pochard, 12 Shoveler, 39 Lapwings, 57 Herring Gulls (virtually all first-years), 15 Red Kite and 12 migrant Redwings.

CHESHAM VALE (BUCKS)

Had another check of the ROOKERY and found 54 nests active

TRING RESERVOIRS (HERTS)

Flushed with the success of the Sandwich Tern, I was hoping for something new at the reservoirs but it was deadly - nothing new whatsoever really.

On the mud at STARTOP'S END, the OYSTERCATCHER was having a bath at the water's edge, with 17 Pied Wagtails still there and the pair of Red-crested Pochards. MARSWORTH was relatively birdless - just 2 Mute Swans and 6 Great Crested Grebes.

Highlight at WILSTONE was finally connecting with the resident MARSH TIT - the bird showing well and calling frequently just by the entrance gate to the orchard. Seemingly new in was a singing COMMON CHIFFCHAFF in the eastern hedgerow in the extreme SE corner.

Both the DARK-BELLIED BRENT and WATER PIPIT were still present, along with 27 Shoveler, a pair of Wigeon and 4 Little Egrets. A Common Treecreeper was in the Poplars in the SE corner.

BROADWATER GP (MIDDLESEX)

JT phoned me whilst I was at Wilstone to say that John Edwards had located a drake Ferruginous Duck at Broadwater. Being with Tufted Ducks, I fully expected it to be the drake both Joan and I recently enjoyed great views of at Bray GP near Maidenhead. Anyway, got there in about half an hour and eventually located it in the area of the first wooded island - in fact the former Little Egret roost-site. It had a 'perfect' body and rear end but when I saw the head and bill, I felt deflated. It was yet another 'Fudgie-hybrid', this time possibly with a Ring-necked Duck ! The head shape was 'naff' and the basal colour very dark with a hint of dark green but the bill was the nail in the coffin - it had a gleaming white 'ring' around the base of the bill and an extensive amount of white on a sky-blue on the upper mandible; it also had extensive black flanging to the nail. Presumably an escape.

Three GOOSANDER were on the lake (2 adult drakes), whilst at least 8 pairs of Black-headed Gull were utilising the tern rafts and a pair of Oystercatchers flew over calling. A single Common Chiffchaff was singing from the tall trees on the causeway.

Anyway, whilst updating the various news services, news came in that Dave Parmenter had found a SCANDINAVIAN ROCK PIPIT in South Bucks - at Spade Oak again ! A swift exodus followed........

SPADE OAK PIT, LITTLE MARLOW (BUCKS) - SECOND VISIT

Arrived back at Spade Oak at around 1245 hours, where I joined Adam Bassett and Bill Stacey (and latterly Graham Smith and Jackie Newcombe). The SCANDINAVIAN ROCK PIPIT was on the spit and skulking in some longer grass just where the spit meets the reedbed. It was loosely associating with a young male Pied Wagtail and two male Reed Buntings - most likley all migrant birds freshly arrived. Although difficult to see initially, the pipit eventually flew out on to the open spit and afforded some excellent views, latterly literally just beyond the sandy edge. It was moulting well towards spring plumage and already had a nice pale grey head and ear-coverts and salmon-pink underparts. The white orbital ring was there, with the white supercilium running between the lores and the eye. The breast was still heavily sullied and still quite densely streaked but with gleaming white undertail coverts and buffish wingbars. The upperparts were fairly concolorous, with the mantle and back quite olive-tinged (Water Pipit has a nice soft brown back and mantle). Another great bird to get in Bucks - I'm very lucky if I get one per year on average.

Also newly arrived was a singing male COMMON CHIFFCHAFF

Just as I was talking to Graham at 1322 hours, news came through of an AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL at Broom GP in Bedfordshire. I was off..........

BROOM GP (BEDFORDSHIRE)

Richard Bashford had discovered the Nearctic Teal on his lunchbreak and was still present on my arrival at 1530 hours. It was actually residing on a small reed-fringed pool to the east of Gypsy Lane, directly opposite the south end of the west pit on the opposite side of the road. It was showing well and consorting with 11 Common Teal. MJP, Pip, Jim Gurney, Martin Stevens, Lol Carman and Bob Chalkley were all present and the bird remained intermittently in view until at least 1600 hours.

NORTH AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL is a rare vagrant to Bedfordshire and this drake represents only the 8th county record - the previous were as follows -:

1) A drake at Radwell GP on late afternoon and evening 12 April 1987;
2) A drake visited Luton Hoo on 8 February 1995;
3) A drake remained at Dunstable Sewage Works from 2-16 April 1996;
4) A drake was present at Radwell's Viaduct Pit on 10-11 February 2002;
5) 2003 saw two records with a drake at Warren Villas on 12-13 January and another at Harrold-Odell Country Park on the last day of the year on 31 December; The latter remained on site until 4 January 2004;
7) Radwell Viaduct Pit attracted another drake on 15 February 2009.

This pit and the adjacent flashes also yielded a pair of COMMON SHELDUCK, 8 Shoveler and 2 Ringed Plover whilst PEACOCK'S LAKE produced a female-type GOOSANDER and the female RED-CRESTED POCHARD.

I then spent the rest of the afternoon 'dipping' and failing in my quest to find any more migrants

OCTAGON FARM held 225 EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVERS but no Green Sandpipers

ROOKERY censusing found 58 active nests at Bedford Football Club, with an additional 19 by the nearby bypass roundabout, a grand total of 153 nests in the Stewartby area (12 by the landfill and 141 near Martin Green's house at the lake) and a further 33 nests at Brogborough village.

At MARSTON VALE, a male Great Spotted Woodpecker was watched demolishing new nestboxes in the small plantation by the sewage treatment works compound. It was enlarging the holes by bashing all of the wood away and had done this on 5 of the newly erected boxes. Interestingly, as I went closer to inspect the damage, a female Great Spot flew out of one of the boxes so perhaps they were enlarging the holes to make way for roosting !

I then went down to BLOWS DOWNS PADDOCKS but could not find the two male Northern Wheatears seen earlier. Try again tomorrow

Arrival of COMMON CHIFFCHAFFS

I had four singing Common Chiffchaffs this morning. Two were between Stocking Leys and Milton Wood, one was at the southern end of Milton Wood and another was by Eversholt Lake. At Eversholt Lake itself, 2 Goosanders (1 drake), 72 Greylags, 3 Canadas, 5 Coots, a couple of Siskins and a Comma butterfly (Barry Nightingale)

SHORT-EARED OWL still at Cranfield Aerodrome

Sitting on the landing lights on the other side of the road then tranferred to the airfield hunting the long dry grass area. Showing very well (per Dave Odell and Dave Murray)

A triple owl sequence of events

Wow, three species of owl in 20 minutes just now!1)

A Barn Owl was quartering the field north of Ravensden Road at the west end of Renhold at 3.45pm and was perched in a hedge on the north side of the field as I returned at 4.15pm.

2) A Short-eared Owl was perched on the fence at the north end of Thurleigh Airfield, just west of the dead end road from Keysoe Row West at 4.00pm, then hunting the arable field adjacent.

3) Two Little Owls were perched on the chimney of the rather dilapidated farmhouse at the north end of Hatch Lane, Keysoe at 4.05pm.

Tony P

Ridiculously early WHIMBREL

I heard a Whimbrel calling from my back garden at c.19.20 yesterday evening (Sat 10th). I realise this is preposterously early (for example: http://blx1.bto.org/bt-dailyresults/results/s202-20-12.html) but I heard it really well, loud and clear, several times in calm conditions. It sounded as though it was circling over the fishing moats before heading away roughly NW and getting fainter.

I know it's a really weird record but what else is there that sounds just like a Whimbrel?!

Also heard Lapwing displaying later in the evening. Didn't hear them last year until 30th March.

Mark Telfer

Kempston Road Wetlands WeBS

Numbers of wildfowl have dropped over the week, especially on the north pool next to Wiles Wood.Today: 1 pair Mute Swans, 3 Little Grebe, 1 GC Grebe, 4 Gadwall, 3 Mallard, 1 Widgeon, 4 Teal. 3 Greylag, 7 Lapwings. The resident? Little Egret and my first for these pools, 2 Oystercatchers. On the southern pools next to Marsh Leys and the ditches provided another pair of young Mute Swans, pair of GC Grebe, 3 Tufted Duck, 16 Widgeon, 3 Cormorant and a few more Mallard, Coot and Moorhen (Warwick Davies)

CETTI'S WARBLER at Harrold and up to 5 CURLEWS at Thurleigh Airfield

A very different story to last weekend - it was a pleasure to be out and about and great that we have daylight earlier so we can enjoy a peaceful dawn without all those terrible humans spoiling it...

06.30 at Harrold offering standard stuff, still two Oystercatchers and the injured Pink-foot. The 13 Goldeneye were enjoying the spring weather with much head tossing. The pair of Red-crested Pochards have been joined by another female. While counting, I thought I heard a Cetti's Warbler over the other side. On listening (hard to do in Spring at Harrold with the constant honking from the Canada Geese), I could only hear a Wren so assumed I'd heard that. I then went to the end of the lake to view and count the birds behind the island. A few more half-hearted snatches of Cetti's-like calls and then the full song. Excellent - I'm not sure if this has been recorded at the site before - but it is now! I walked around to the small patch of reeds and heard it again. Then it moved into the willows where I saw it before it crept out of view. At least three Herons nests and plenty of young Cormorants in nests too.

Radwell still contains loads of birds - a staggering 238 Mute Swans, 458 Wigeon and at least five Heron's nests. Captives on the viaduct pit still surviving - 2 Red-crested Pochards, 2 Bar-headed Geese, one Egyptian and 1 Paradise Shelduck.

Then to Thurleigh where I was greeted with bubbling EURASIAN CURLEWS - three in flight and displaying actively. Really something special to see and hear in Bedfordshire. I saw one displaying beyond the car lot too so four, maybe five birds. I went around to Keysoe Row West and found two on the ground. Scanning from both sides revealed no Wheatears yet, but must be any day now. Lots of Skylark and a few Meadow Pipits in song.

Back home to some gardening.

Richard Bashford

Saturday 10 March

A male Reed Bunting briefly in my small garden was my first here this year.

Mid-morning and a pair of Peregrine were near Cardington, then I went searching for Tree Sparrows and found 3, one photographed.

Late morning, Jim Gurney and I sauntered around Octagon Farm and Meadow Lane GP's etc....... 166 Golden Plover at OFm and the Pinkfoot and 5 Gypos at the latter site [thanks for the recent texts re these DJO].

Early afternoon at the new pools near Marsh Leys r'bout brought a Little Egret, 2 pair Grey Partridges, 8 Linnets, some Yellowhammers and Mipits.

I then nipped over to Marston STW to join Neil and Phil and saw the very drab Chiffchaff that Neil had found the previous week which he tells me has an odd song - probably rusty from the recent weather.

Back home for a late lunch and some work on my moth trap then off later afternoon to the roosts, visiting Brogboro; Lake from 5.05 until 5.45 then Stewartby Lake from 5.52 'til 6.30.

39 Goldeneye were at Brogboro' Lake along with the 4 Scaup (2m2f) together still. L B Backs maxed at 71 and there was a first winter Herring Gull alongside a second-year Yellow-legged Gull - the latter a Beds year tick for me but both birds soon flew off.

I was surprised by the number of large gulls at Stewartby = most I've seen there for weeks and weeks....... 189 Lesser Black-backs, vast majority adults as at BL, were my highest count and were accompanied by at least 7 Herring Gulls tho' one seen in the very late gloom might perhaps have been a YLG I'd seen briefly in flight earlier - not countable tho'. The gulls were very tightly packed for some odd reason and looked unsettled throughout. A second-winter Great Black-back was my first of that species in Beds since the freeze up four weeks ago. My third Peregrine sighting of the day was sat on one of the Stewartby Chimneys for a while just after 6.00pm.

It was good mammal day too....... A Wood Mouse glimpsed in my garden this morning was followed by Grey Squirrel and , of course, Rabbits were commonly seen during the day. A Brown Hare and a C W Deer were in the field south of the Brog Lake watchpoint and my first Pipistrelle sp of the year was fluttering along at the Stew Lake watchpoint around 6.15. Star of the day tho' was the Weasel seen carrying a presumed Bank Vole by the Stew Lake circular path near the stream and Marston STW. Both Neil Wright and I ran off some photos after Phil drew our attention to its presence.

Martin J Palmer

SCAUPS still present

Pip Housden and I visited the MVMP, M Pillinge, Millbrook Station complex for a few hours this afternoon...... almost 50 species found - highlights were 2 singing Cetti's, of which I glimpsed one, by L3 and a "self-found" Oyk on the Pillinge where also 2 Redshanks.

4 Lesser Redpolls were in an alder by the circular path including a pale full summer male but not a mealy how ever much we tried.

Late afternoon at Brogborough Lake and all 4 scaup (2m2f) were close together for once. 24 Goldeneye also seen here and almost a rarity now that the pits have closed, a first-summer and a second-summer Herring Gull, both argenteus, were also found

Martin J Palmer

Recencies

A female RED-CRESTED POCHARD remains on Peacock's Lake, Broom (Richard Bashford) whilst nearby, a LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER is to be found at Swiss Gardens (MJP).

All 4 GREATER SCAUPS remain on Brogborough Lake (per John Temple) and both the PINK-FOOTED GOOSE and 5 EGYPTIAN GEESE are at 100 Acre Field, north of Bedford Sewage Works (Dave Odell)

MERLIN

Lol Carman had nice on-the-deck views of a female-type MERLIN today in fields at Sharpenhoe Clappers

Drat !!

Bum! It wasn't there when I checked the GL east pits just before 1.30. Indeed, a landscape contractor in high vis jacket had reduced number of birds using southernmost pit.

However, at 2.00pm, I did re-find Jim Gurney's female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Swiss Garden. It was unobtrusive but showing really well for quite some minutes on outer branches of various trees alongside the southern length of the circular path no more than 20ft up. Smashing! I texted Mr Plumb and told JG when I met him at Octagon Farm about 3ish. 2 Green Sands and a Grey Wagtail were highlist here (MJP)

GLOSSY IBIS at Broom - FIRST COUNTY RECORD

Martin Stevens had a GLOSSY IBIS briefly at Gypsy Lane East pits at Broom GP, 16:05. If flew off low east over Jordans Mill (per Steve Blain)

...........and from the man himself

''At about 4ish this afternoon all the Gulls on Gypsy lane east got up and there from nowhere in their midst was a GLOSSY IBIS.My views were brief but it was unmistakable.It then done half a circuit of the largest pool before moving off towards Jordan's mill. Then in a blind panic to find my phone I lost sight off it.It was not that high up so could possibly still be lurking somewhere nearby''

First SAND MARTIN of year

News from yesterday (3 March)

Johnny Lynch had a SAND MARTIN at Grovebury Sand Pit mid-morning but otherwise little of interest in the county

RC Pochard, Oyc, Redshank, and Dunlin at Broom GP Saturday morning, per Martin Stevens.

Local RAVEN sightings

A couple of Raven sightings in the region this week: A pair was spotted over Ravensburgh Bank (very apt) on Tuesday 28th Feb, then another pair again on Thursday 1st March at Houghton Regis Quarry. The Wildlife Trust recently took over management of Houghton Regis Quarry to manage it as a nature reserve; as the appointed warden for the site I was particularly pleased about this latter observation (Rebecca Pitman)

COMMON STONECHATS at Aspley Heath

What was presumably the same pair of Stonechat that Pete Smith found on the heath a couple of weeks ago were seen today next to the path which crossesthe heath about 100m south east of the abandoned factory buildings (walk through the pine belt to emerge on the heath and about 100m ahead of you) They were in the area of SP93603498 No sign of any Lesser spot activity around the clay pigeon shoot area atFlitwick Moor though (Rob Dazley)

Ringing at Sandy Smith Nature Reserve, Clophill, this week has its surprises

Ringing at a constant effort this week has resulted in the trapping of a BRAMBLING, LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER and MEALY REDPOLL - all firsts for the site; for images and further details, see Ed's site at http://greenwoodringer.blogspot.com/

First CURLEW of the year

Richard Bashford watched a single EURASIAN CURLEW touchdown at Gypsy Lane East Pits today (Broom) but within a short time it had continued its journey north....it represented the first of the year breaking the 130 species barrier