Patch Weekender - 25/26.4.26

After a years hiatus it was again the Hertfordshire patch weekend challenge. This year I joined Matt and George Moreton and at 5am we were at Wilstone waiting for it to get light. But before it had we heard Tawny Owls calling from the cemetery corner area. This was a patch tick for myself. Soon after George picked out 3 Shelduck as they circled the reservoir.

We then walked around the reservoir where I added year ticks of Lesser Whitethroat and Swift and by cemetery corner the unmistakable call of a Cuckoo.

When we reached the jetty we finally laid eyes on the Lesser Scaup and with it a bumper 18 points!

Lesser Scaup

When walking along the canal path near Marsworth Reservoir we bumped into a kayaker who was scared to head any further due to a territorial Mute Swan and as we turned around to look at the Swan we all clapped eyes on a female Marsh Harrier as it headed towards Bulbourne! An unexpected bonus. We ended the day on 82 species and the Sunday only added 1 more species to the total which was a fly through Ringed Plover.

Those 18 points eventually won us the competition even though we saw 8 species less than the team with the biggest number of species.

Roll on next year.