West Watford and HPR - 27.8.09

3 Photos of the Wheatear at Hilfield Reservoir.

3 RN Parakeets over KGV Playing Fields along with 16 Pied Wagtails a calling Chiffchaff and 2 Swallows. At Cassiobury Park 5 RN Parakeets flew over.

At Hilfield Reservoir a fem/juv Wheatear was on the dam with a Common Sandpiper and 4 Sand Martins flew South.

Cassiobury Park - 26.8.09

The day started off with a singing Goldcrest around the bowling green followed by 5 Mistle Thrushes on the footy pitches. 2 Ring-Necked Parakeets flew over and so did a Sparrowhawk.

Cassiobury Park - 25.8.09

Well only 4 months to Christmas or 121 shopping days!! Not that i'm counting! Anyway back to the birds. Todays highlights if you can call them that were 2 Ring-Necked Parakeets, 5 Stock Doves and a flock of 13 Greenfinches that flew over the Bowls Club.

Bah Humbug!

Cassiobury Park - 24.8.09

Highlights today were a Ring-Necked Parakeet, around a dozen House Martins and a fly-over Grey Wagtail. Just before I finished work I found a freshly dead Nuthatch at the base of a tree. The first time i've found this species dead. I'll hopefully be able to get it stuffed and mounted soon!

Raptor fest (well nearly) - 23.8.09

A Buzzard over the M25 junction 20 being mobbed by a Carrion Crow around 11.15am was followed later in the day by a Sparrowhawk soaring over the A41 in Watford. Not quite as good as Sandon at the moment!!

Tyttenhanger - 22.8.09

Speckled Wood and a Turkey in Willows Farm!

An afternoon stroll with my mum and son didn't really produce much apart from a Dunlin on the main pit viewed from the hide and a Chiffchaff. Unless you can tick a moaning bored child?!!

Curlew County Tick - 19.8.09

The juv Curlew. Now thankfully on my county list!

After a morning of having new windows fitted I checked my pager around 3.50pm and was stunned to read of a Curlew at Wilstone Reservoir. I left right away and just before 5pm connected with the juvenile bird showing very well from the hide as it bathed and called.

Also present were 6 Little Egrets, 1 Greenshank and a fly by Kingfisher. The Egrets took my UK total of the species past the 900 mark! Sad ain't I?!!

Aldenham CP - 15.8.09

1 of the 3 Mandarins and a Grey Heron.

3 Mandarins were the highlight of an afternoon stroll. Other notable sightings were 7 Mute Swans (2 ads and 5 cygnets), 50+ Swallows, 1 Common Tern and a Hobby.

Cassiobury Park - 12.8.09

2 early morning RN Parakeets were followed by 2 calling Nuthatches a Cormorant and now 10 Mistle Thrushes. A Sparrowhawk upset the Long-Tailed Tits in the afternoon by drifting over my yard. Its outermost tail feathers looked like they were still growing.

Cassiobury Park + Love is in the Back Garden - 11.8.09

2 photos of the Love-bird.

At 8.40am whilst just about to start cutting the tennis courts a Hobby flew in hunting 2 small passerines but failed to catch either. It then drifted off towards the Met line station. Also present were 2 RN Parakeets and 7 Mistle Thrushes.

Later on in the day when at home watching TV, I heard a strange bird calling from the garden. On further inspection I noticed high in a Sycamore tree a lovely Love-Bird! I managed 2 shots before it flew. Not being much of a cage bird enthusiast my guess is that it was of the Peach-Faced variety but if anyone knows otherwise please let me know.

Cemetary Sightings - 10.8.09

A female Sparrowhawk and a Cormorant flying over Vicarage Road cemetary towards Watford FC's ground this morning.

Back Garden Tick - 9.8.09

Whilst in the bathroom a Little Owl started calling from one of the trees from the garden. At this rate i'll have to start a bathroom list as thats LBB Gull and now the owl!

A Tern up for the books! - 7.8.09

Black Tern, Little Tern and blurry Sanderling!

Early morning while at KGV playing fields 4 Ring-Necked Parakeets flew off from a tree by the community centre.

Then after a phone call from Ricky Flesher I took my boy along to Tyttenhanger GP's in the hope of seeing 3 good county birds. On arrival I was told by Lee Evans that the Little Tern had just flown off but fortunately the Black Tern and Sanderling were still on show. Just as I was leaving Simon West said that he'd refound the Little Tern and sure enough there it was. I managed to get some shots of all 3 birds (to appear here soon!).

Last but not least was a fly-by Kingfisher which was the first i'd seen anywhere in months!

KGV Playing Fields - 6.8.09

A morning preparing cricket wickets yielded 16 LBB Gulls (13 ads and 3 juvs), 4 Swallows over and a couple of Ring-Necked Parakeets. I could also hear Common Terns calling all the way from Hampermill Lake!

Cassiobury Park - 5.8.09

8 Ring-Necked Parakeets flew NW this morning. 3 juvs (very short tails) followed 30 seconds later by a male Sparrowhawk then a minute later another 5 RN Parakeets also flew NW. A Grey Wagtail flew over the river and 8 Stock Doves were flying around. 5 Herring Gulls (3 ads and 2 juvs begging for food) were flying over for most of the day calling very loudly.

No show Spoonbills - 2.8.09

Golden Plovers, Greenshanks, Whimbrels and Curlew Sandpipers.

An early afternoon visit to Oare Marshes in the hope of adding 3 more year ticks didn't quite produce the goods.

3 Spoonbills that had been on the West flood had flown off 5 minutes before we arrived and were never seen again and the reported Wood Sandpiper had also done a bunk. Thats 3 times i've dipped a Woody this year! The only species to show itself of the 3 hoped for were the 5 moulting adult Curlew Sandpipers on the East Flood. 6 Little Egrets, 2 juv Shelducks, 3 Sandwich Terns, 2 Greenshank, c.200 Black-Tailed Godwits, 4 juv Yellow Wagtails and another 15 Whimbrel were also seen.

Then to add insult to injury around 2 hours after we left a Great White Egret flew in for a few minutes before flying off!

Whimbrels a plenty - 1.8.09

The lone Greenshank and 1 of the 13 Whimbrels.

Went down to visit the future mother-in-law at the weekend with mixed fortunes. (the birds not the mother-in-law!)

At Otterham Quay a single Little Egret and 6+ Black-Tailed Godwits.

While at Riverside CP there was a good number of waders on show on the low tide viewed from Horrid Hill. Highlights were 13 Whimbrels (year tick), 5 glorious summer plumaged Turnstones, 36 Avocet, 14 summer plumage Grey Plovers, 1 Greenshank, 24 Little Egrets and hundreds more Black-Tailed Godwits. The only passerine of note was a juvenile Lesser Whitethroat.

Then just as we were leaving to go for dinner 15 more Whimbrel flew over Otterham Quay calling loudly.