THURSDAY 2 APRIL
At 0824 hours, a COMMON RAVEN once again
flew over my LITTLE CHALFONT garden; also a singing male Coal Tit
At GROVEBURY SANDPIT (BEDFORDSHIRE),
connected with both SAND MARTIN (6 birds) and BARN SWALLOW (4), while 2 Mute
Swans, 11 Greylag Geese, 6 Canada Geese, 15 Tufted Duck, 2 Great Crested Grebe,
40 Black-headed Gull, 2 first-year Argenteus Herring Gull, 8 Lesser
Black-backed Gulls and a Common Redshank.
The BLACK-NECKED GREBE that had wintered at
Dunstable Sewage Works had been relocated on the SHOULDER OF MUTTON POND in
WOBURN PARK and was showing reasonably well in front of the island. It was still
largely in the same transitional plumage that I had seen it in last time I
espied it. My first ever record in the park though....
The lake also held 2 pairs of Mute Swan (1
female on nest), 3 EGYPTIAN GEESE, 80+ Greylag Geese, 8 Mallard, a drake
Gadwall, 4 lingering Eurasian Wigeon, 3 Shoveler (2 drakes), 21 Tufted Duck and
around 30 Coot. A usual selection of woodland species including Red Kite, Green
Woodpecker, Jay, Nuthatch, Mistle Thrush and Greenfinch, plus a pair of Pied
Wagtail by the pond and 2 Meadow Pipits.
At LIDLINGTON, a large crowd had gathered,
with just 1 male LADY AMHERST'S PHEASANT showing erratically - very, very
occasionally in the ride where the G & M Growers Pheasant feeder had been
placed. The usual TAWNY OWL was calling from there, with 2 singing Common
Chiffchaffs, LESSER REDPOLL, Common Treecreeper, 4 Fieldfares, Jay and
Long-tailed Tits all encountered.
A fair-sized turn-out today
They had even bought their camping chairs!
and faced with no other options, the Proving Ground have instilled this G & M Growers pheasant feeder along one of the rides in the hope of preventing further trespassing
...and with that in mind, the fencing where so many twitchers had been breaking in beforehand has now been better secured
COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT excelled once again early
afternoon when a COMMON GREENSHANK in full summer plumage was discovered by Mike
Campbell. The bird was roosting on a patch of island that could only be viewed
from the Octagon Hide (pix below).
Still no 'ringed' Plovers on site but 8 pair
of Lapwing either prospecting or nesting, 5 Common Redshank, the Oystercatcher
pair and still 10 lingering Common Snipe, while 3 Mute Swan, 8 Common Teal, 2
Shoveler, Little Grebe, COMMON SHELDUCK pair, Grey Heron, 130 Woodpigeon, 7
Common Gull and 4 Linnet were all noted.
With Lucy Flower at PITSTONE HILL, ecstatic
at finding nesting COMMON STONECHATS - the first in over 40 years in the region.
At least 19 YELLOWHAMMER in the area too, and some cracking and very curious
CORN BUNTINGS. One Meadow Pipit was in full parachuting display while two others
were nearby, with a pair of Linnet back, at least 12 Skylark and an overflying
Red Kite.
Very quiet at the reservoirs with no
migration to speak of - just 20 Great Crested Grebe, drake Tufted Duck, 2 Mute
Swans and singing Common Chiffchaff on MARSWORTH (plus the singing CETTI'S
WARBLER in the Bucks section of reedbed) and Little Grebe, Grey Wagtail and 4
migrant male Reed Buntings on STARTOP'S.
I spent the rest of the day at MARSTON VALE
MILLENIUM PARK (BEDFORDSHIRE) with Jim Gurney, searching for Bearded Tits. We
failed dismally but a nice brand of variety with a gorgeous pair of GARGANEY, 8
Teal, 8 Gadwall, 6+ WATER RAIL, a female MARSH HARRIER back on territory, 2
CETTI'S WARBLERS, 2 singing Common Chiffchaffs, Green Woodpecker and some nice
male Reed Buntings.
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