Herts Bird Club Bulletin, covering March and April 2001
Summer Slavs shine as Waxwings wane
Steve Murray found a pair of Slavonian Grebes at Hilfield Res (28th Apr), but still not satisfied, he then hogged a Wood Warbler for 45 minutes at the same site the following day. Waxwings continued to draw admirers until the last birds were reported on the 16th Apr. Otherwise, spring got off to a slow start courtesy of the Foot and Mouth epidemic, which was undoubtedly at least partly to blame for the slightly later than usual arrival dates of some migrants. Swifts however were arriving exceptionally early, with the first 11 at Bayfordbury on the 11th April, and matching the previous earliest date of 3 at Hilfield Reservoir in 1997 (although ‘The Birds of Hertfordshire’ (Gladwyn and Sage) mentions an unsubstantiated but published record of 300 at Tring Reservoirs on 8 April 1967).
Amwell claimed the last (and only) Bittern and Smew records, while Tring Reservoirs turned up the only Garganey, and Rye Meads the last Goosander. Ospreys were found at Amwell, Tewin Fish Farm, and Tring; the Tewin Fish Farm bird reportedly present for about a week; I wonder why? There were five records of Red Kite and 3 Marsh Harriers and a possible Hen Harrier seen. Hobbies began to arrive from the 19th April, 2 Merlins were found at Wilstone Res, and the Red-tailed Hawk still lives on at Hunsdon.
Passage waders included 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Whimbrel, 4 Curlew, a party of 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Wood Sandpiper, and a Turnstone. The Bar’wits (a rather illusive species in the county) allowed close views for Steve Murray and Joan Thompson as they rested on the causeway at Hilfield. Steve also found a total of 4 of Little Gulls at Hilfield, with another 3 were seen at Wilstone. The last days of March saw the first returning Common Terns, and Arctic Terns were passing through from the 16th April, with totals of 5 at Hilfield, and 41 at Tring Reservoirs. Tring also hosted 4 Little Terns, and Hilfield, the only Black Tern.
Monk Parakeets appear to commoner than Ring-necks in Hertfordshire, though restricted to the Boreham Wood area where up to 30 were seen, with at least one pair of exhibitionists family-planning in broad daylight. How many do there have to be before we can count them on our British list? Two Long-eared Owls were heard calling at Chesfield Downs Golf Club on the 19th Mar, and a Barn Owl was found in NE Herts. Another Barn Owl was unfortunately found dead at Hilfield.
A Tree Pipit was found at Potters Crouch Plantation, a male Blue-headed Wagtail with Yellow Wagtails at Redbourn, and a handful of White Wagtails were seen. Wintering Stonechats were last recorded on the 7th Mar, and Wheatears began to arrive from the 16th Mar. Male Black Redstarts were discovered at Hitchin and Hertford, and a Common Redstart was trapped and ringed at Rye Meads. A Raven was seen distantly from Startops End Reservoir, flying from the Pitstone area towards Tring. Two Bramblings frequented Andrew Palmer's Bishops Stortford garden in March, but Glen Barnes had to wait until almost the end of April for just one bird.
Finally, if you still haven’t seen a Pelican in Herts, the escaped White Pelican is still performing well at Tring Reservoirs.
Lee Marshall
Lee's contact details are here.
Systematic bird sightings for Mar/Apr 2001