Minsmere - 21.5.23

 It’d been many years since I’d joined a coach trip with the Watford RSPB group so when a day at probably my favourite reserve was on offer I’d signed up to go.

It was strangely quiet birdwise although the group total was 105 species I only managed 80. The usual cacophony of Black-headed Gulls was sadly dimmed due to bird flu and Mediterranean Gulls had all but vanished with just 1 bird seen. 

A total of 9 year ticks were had with the highlight 2 Cranes that I picked up calling as they flew over the west hide towards Lucky Pool/Sluice area. 

Not 1 but 2 First’s For Britain! - 6.5.23

 

Grey-headed Lapwing

Just before Christmas last year the first Stejneger’s Scoter for Britain was found lingering off Lothian allowing some twitchers to get it on their lists but it soon disappeared leaving many disappointed. Just before the patch challenge took place it was re found off of Lower Largo in Fife in with an enormous number of other scoters presumably pushed towards land by the easterly winds

I did mention to my wife about going for it at the weekend but she wasn’t too pleased with me going birding again after being out most of last weekend! As it was on arrival at Wilstone on the bank holiday Monday I was alerted to yet another first for Britain having been found in Northumberland.

Stejneger’s Scoter

Again I broached the subject and I think the thought of having me at home being miserable because I couldn’t go for them was enough for her to give me permission! So I packed up the car and at about 11pm Friday night I headed north. A Barn Owl flew over the car near Retford,Notts and I finally arrived at High Newton by-the-sea just before 6am and as I was getting my gear together Mark Leitch drove into the car park. He’d arrived just too late the night before to see it so had come back this morning for another go. Unfortunately overnight thick fog had enveloped the area and so we had to wait about a while for it to clear enough before the magic words rang out. “I’ve got it” and sure enough through the gloom we all managed to get onto our first ever GREY-HEADED LAPWING. Slowly the fog cleared enough to get good views but as you can see from my photos it was still a bit gloomy. This species had turned up in Europe back in 2019 and as it had been spreading westwards from it Far Eastern range it had been touted as a possible addition to our lists. After 20 minutes or so of watching it I headed back to the car for the next leg of my journey.

The next stop was Lower Largo about 2.5 hours north. Again the traffic was kind and I arrived in good time and found a car park. Another birder from the Lapwing had arrived at the same time so we walked down to the Crusoe Hotel to join a dozen or so birders already on site. One of them was Dan Pointon who kindly let us look through his scope at it and within 10 seconds I was laying my eyes on my second first for Britain by 9.13am! A drake STEJNEGER’S SCOTER!

I set my scope up and found it myself with its ‘horn’ protruding from its pinky/yellow bill but it could quite easily vanish and take a while to re find it again. It was part of a scoter spectacular which included over 600 Velvet Scoters (I’d only seen 94 in my 39 years of birding!) many Common Scoters and at the far end of the beach I had only my second ever White-winged Scoter (there has been up to 3-4 of these present!) which was near to a pair of Surf Scoters. I’d only previously seen 3 female/juvenile birds before so it was nice to finally see a drake. After my fill of scoters I scanned the bay and noted year ticks of Kittiwake, Shag, Sandwich and Arctic Terns, Guillemot, Razorbill and Eider. And Matt Eade kindly showed me 2 summer plumaged Long-tailed Ducks through his scope which from memory were my first summer birds. 

Happy with my mornings birding I got in the car and headed for home. I arrived back with 887 miles on the clock and 2 more birds on the life list and a further 14 on the year list.

Thank you to my lovely understanding wife for letting me go though I’m sure she’ll get her own back soon!

Tring etc - 1.5.23

 The final day of the challenge was here but it was quite clear that I wasn’t going to win this year as there was no mud around for any waders to drop in and a lack of any movement/decent weather for things to be moving. That said just before I left home I received a text from Ian Williams saying he’d just found a pair of Whinchat at Rushy Meadow. This was his first at the reservoirs for roughly 10 years and would be my  first on patch. 

Whinchat

Upon arrival I headed round to Rushy Meadow and quite quickly got onto the female Whinchat. It took another minute or so before I laid eyes on the stunning male. I can’t remember the last time I saw a spring male with its glorious orange frontage. Ian joined me and while trying to get a photo he said what’s that? I looked up and there was a Marsh Harrier flying above the trees with a Red Kite. Ian managed some photos before it dropped behind the trees. We headed to the hide in the hope it’d appear again but after an hour or so there was no sign so I went back for more Whinchat action.

Wheatear

As I was watching them James Reader turned up to look at them (nice to finally meet you James) so I got them in my scope for him as they’d flown to the far end of the hedge. Other birders turned up and whilst trying to find them again I found a Wheatear in the same hedge. This was my first here for a few years. 

I finished the weekend on 85 species which is 5 less than last year and I was a whopping 25 points behind the eventual winner Phil Ball at Amwell and Rye Meads. Thanks again to all the organisers for an enjoyable weekend. 

Tring etc - 30.4.23

 A quieter day than yesterday with a few new birds for the weekend list but just a House Martin for the year list. A Kingfisher that flew past the hide at Wilstone was noteworthy as they had been notable by their absence so far this year.

Tring etc - 29.4.23

 It was the Herts bird club patch challenge competition weekend and after winning it last year I was keen to retain my crown so I was up at 4am and on site just before 5. 

Cuckoo

The walk around Wilstone saw my first Cuckoo, Swift, Lesser and Common Whitethroat and 3 Common Sandpipers.

Terrapin

At Marsworth I added Reed Warbler to the year list and on Tringford I noted a Terrapin!

Pitstone Quarry held a pair of Little Ringed Plover and a Phylloscopus Warbler than was singing both Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler!

Mediterranean Gulls

Even though College Lake isn’t in Herts I still popped in to see the pair of Mediterranean Gulls for the other patchwork challenge I’m taking part in.

Watford Firecrest - 28.4.23

 It was mid morning and I was cutting some grass in one of Watford’s 17 award winning green flag parks getting ready for judging when even though with the mower running and I had ear defenders on I thought to myself I’m sure I can hear a Firecrest singing. As it was my mower then ran out of petrol and with the silence I confirmed that yes I was hearing one. It was obviously annoyed at my presence as it came out into the open singing its head off trying to make me go away! This was the 5th Firecrest I’ve found while at work plus another while on the way to work.

Tring, College Lake And Pitstone - 9.4.23

Willow Warbler

Shelduck

Common Tern

 After the excitement of the day before I was up early to put some chocolate eggs in the garden on behalf of the Easter bunny for the kids to find once they’d woken up. I arrived at Wilstone at 7am and while putting my boots on a Yellow Wagtail flew east. A walk round added a pair of Shelduck, Mandarin, Treecreeper, six Swallow, a handful of Sand Martin, pair of Bullfinch and a late Fieldfare. 

At Marsworth were another two Mandarin, two Sedge Warbler, 2 Common Tern and a screeching Water Rail.

Tringford was quiet and back full of water but a Lesser Redpoll flew over the hide.

College Lake held another/the same pair of Shelduck and a couple of Willow Warbler.

Pitstone Quarry failed to produce any LRP but there was a single Redshank.

ALPINE SWIFT Garden Mega! - 8.4.23

 As the weather continued to be reasonable I decided to weed the shrub beds in the back garden as I’d been lazy last year and not bothered. Four hours in and only a couple of Linnet going over I suddenly heard the raucous calls of Black-headed Gulls. As I’d not had one over the garden for a few weeks I looked up and saw twenty birds circling around. 

Presumably non breeding birds I thought I’d better check them through the bins just in case the group contained something better like a Mediterranean Gull.  I walked up to the patio to get my bins and looked through them but they were all BH Gulls.  But while watching them I picked up a bird behind them flying fast and erratically and my initial thought was it was going to be one of the towns Peregrines hunting but it then dawned on me it that I was watching an Alpine Swift!! The characteristic deep powerful wing beats and large white breast patch were clearly noted. I watched it for around a minute as it zoomed about but as it was heading away towards Hemel town centre I then lost it behind my neighbour’s house and frustratingly didn’t pick it up again from the other side.

This was my second self found Alpine Swift for Herts (though the first one wasn’t accepted, not that that bothered me!) and my first in the UK for twenty years after seeing one at Minsmere back in 2003. I’m not sure I’ll beat that as a garden tick but if I do it’ll be some bird!

Four Swallow flew north while trying to see it again but alas that was it.

Hemel - 7.4.23

 As the weather was amazingly nice for a bank holiday I thought I’d a sit out on the patio and see what flew over. A Swallow headed north and was on the year list. A couple of Linnet and a group of three Stock Dove were also noted but while scanning over the town centre through my scope I noted Peregrine, two Sparrowhawk, ten Red Kite and a kettle of nine Buzzard. That group was one more than my biggest group in Herts. 

Cassiobury Park - 22.3.23

Mandarin pair and Wood Duck

With a Drs appointment mid morning I spent a couple of wet hours litter picking the park. A pair of Mandarin flew over Cha Cha cafe and down around the nature reserve the song of Chiffchaff filled the air  with at least 6 birds singing. A duelling couple of Treecreeper were so busy fighting each other they nearly flew into me but they were a year tick. On the lake at Cassiobury Farm were two pairs of Greylag Geese and from the hide were a pair of Mandarin and with them was a smart drake Wood Duck. Although an escape it was the first record for the park.  A Little Egret was in the river and a further three Mandarin flew over the canal.