As is typical recently when I put my car in for a service something good birdwise turns up and this year is no different. Mid morning news broke on the WhatsApp group of not one but two Red-throated Divers at Wilstone Reservoir. Not that rare you would think? But in Hertfordshire birding terms it’s as rare as hens teeth.
The last record was of a bird that was found just up the road at College Lake, Bucks that flew off into Herts airspace. Before that the previous two records were from 2003 and 1997.
News was positive throughout the day and as I said at the start my car was in the garage and my optics were at home but thankfully my wife brought them to me so I could head straight up after work. But it was still not straightforward as there’s currently major works going on at Wilstone strengthening the banks and so most of the banks are closed until March next year. So parking at cemetery corner I headed up to the woods in the SE corner passing a Stonechat in the scrub just off the path and walked into the woods to the what was the waters edge (the works meant draining the water level down) and joining Ray Hooper and Andy Day. I set my scope up and instantly got onto the adult diver then the juvenile. The adult then went missing for nearly ten minutes before being re found. After 20 minutes of viewing I headed for home and walked back to my car along with Brendon Fagan who’d arrived after finishing work.
Just need a Black-throated Diver to turn up now but seeing as the last record is from 1996 I’m not holding my breath!
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