Cracking RING OUZEL

MONDAY 02 APRIL (LGRE DIARY NOTES)

After a very slight frost, it was another glorious day, with light northerly winds, clear skies and unbroken sunshine. Despite the cool wind, temperatures reached 12 degrees C during the afternoon

Following an early morning call from Darrel Bryant, I started off my day at Norton Green.......

NORTON GREEN, STEVENAGE (HERTFORDSHIRE)

Darrel discovered a cracking adult male RING OUZEL at Norton Green last night and luckily, despite clear skies, it was still present this morning. I joined two other observers mid-morning to find the stunning bird resting in Willows on the west flank of the site, just 200 yards in from the parking gate at the south end. It sat there for about 25 minutes before finally being pestered by a male Common Blackbird and then flew to the ground and started feeding. It afforded excellent views and was still present when I departed at 1020 hours.

OFFLEY BOTTOM FARM (HERTS)

Two CORN BUNTINGS noted in the roadside hedgerow at TL 164 287

PEGSDON HILLS NR (BEDFORDSHIRE)

Walked the Icknield Way Path and Deacon Hill area but failed to find any Ring Ouzels or Northern Wheatears - just 4 FIELDFARES on the lower slopes, 1 singing Common Chiffchaff in the Palnatation, a singing male Blackcap in The Meg and several Red-legged Partridges. A Red Kite was busy collecting nest material.

Spent an hour or so in suitable weather scanning over Goshawk habitat but no joy - just several more Red Kites and Common Buzzards.

DUNSTABLE SEWAGE FARM (BEDS)

The two (pair) Whooper Swans were present, along with 15 Common Teal and 8 Gadwall, 4 Common Snipes, a LITTLE RINGED PLOVER and 4 singing male Common Chiffchaffs

GROVEBURY SAND PIT (BEDS)

Not far from Grovebury, I located two displaying pairs of EURASIAN CURLEW, the eery calls penetrating loudly across the fields; also Sparrowhawk and a single FIELDFARE

On the pit itself, very quiet - pair of Great Crested Grebes, pair of Mute Swans and pair of OYSTERCATCHERS

Nearby at GROVE (BUCKS), the small coppice at SP 920 222 held 28 active Rook nests (the total this spring in the county a whopping 1,094 nests - and still more to count)

COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT (BUCKS)

An impressive 35 waders of 5 different species noted, including a pair of LITTLE RINGED PLOVERS from Octagon Hide (my first in Bucks this year), 2 Common Snipes, the usual pair of OYSTERCATCHERS (which, incidentally, do seem likely to be the parents of the Tring 3), the 11 Common Redshank and 18 Lapwing (7 birds now sitting).

Also present were 6 Great Crested Grebes, 9 Mute Swans, the COMMON SHELDUCK pair, 8 Teal, 6 Shoveler, 6 Common Gulls, 1 Argenteus Herring Gull, pair of Lesser Black-backs and singing Blackcap and Common Chiffchaff (2).

JUBILEE RIVER AT TAPLOW LAKES (SOUTH BUCKS)

No sign of KD's Dark-bellied Brent Goose of the last two days but 32 Mute Swans grazing in the second field south of the river.

SPADE OAK PIT, LITTLE MARLOW (SOUTH BUCKS)

Little migrant activity apart from 20 SAND MARTINS, a single BARN SWALLOW (my first in Bucks) and the LITTLE RINGED PLOVER pair on the spit

Usual padders in the form of Egyptian Goose, Gadwall, 8 Teal, 2 Wigeon, 6 Shoveler and 8 Great Crested Grebes, just 12 Lapwing, 18 Herring Gulls, 25 Common Gulls (mostly first-years), 2 Sparrowhawks, upwards of 25 Red Kites and singing Common Chiffchaff and Blackcap.