Herts Bird Club Bulletin, covering July and August 2001
Egrets are Everywhere but Red-foot and Serin elude
The highlights of the period were undoubtedly a male Red-footed Falcon at Wilstone on the 12th July seen by just one, and a Serin at Watford on the 26th and 29th by two lucky observers. Little Egret have become much more regular in recent times, but an influx of probably at least 9 birds from 28th July is unprecedented. Up to 4 were seen at Rye Meads, and 3 at Tring Reservoirs, with a further four sites recording single birds, with at least one bird (seen at Hilfield Reservoir) being a juvenile.
The best of the rest included a Black-necked Grebe at Wilstone Reservoir (12th Aug), single Garganey at Amwell and Hilfield late Jul, with a pair at Wilstone in Aug, and a female Red-crested Pochard at Amwell (21st Aug). Raptors were few, but included 1-2 Red Kites at Langley and Rickmansworth, a Marsh Harrier at Wilstone (26th Aug), and an Osprey at Amwell on the 29th Aug.
Eighteen species of wader were recorded with sixteen to be found at Tyttenhanger GP alone. Highlights from Tyttenhanger were single Little Stints at on four dates in Aug, a Curlew Sandpiper (1st-3rd Aug), 3 Ruff, 2 Black-tailed Godwit (22nd Jul), a Spotted Redshank (16th Aug), and a Wood Sandpiper (22nd-31st Aug). Tring saw the first returning Golden Plover on the 15th Aug, a Little Stint (24th Aug), 2-3 Black-tailed Godwits, and 2 Wood Sandpipers (19th-20th Aug). 2 Whimbrel flew over Amwell (20th Jul), 7 flew over Hilfield (20th Aug), and a single was found at Redbourn Golf Course on the 20th Aug, and a Curlew flew over Rye Meads on the 22nd Aug.
The escaped Grey-headed Gull remained a feature of Tyttenhanger GP throughout the period, and was seen to roost at Hilfield on the 5th Aug. Adult Mediterranean Gulls were found at Tyttenhanger (9th and 11th Jul), and at Rye Meads on the 3rd Aug. Pitstone Quarry saw an adult Yellow-legged Gull (14th Aug), with an adult at Wilstone (16th Aug), and a 3rd year (18th Aug), and 2 adults with a possible juvenile were seen at Coursers Road Fields on the 27th Aug. A Black Tern graced Amwell GP (10th-12th Jul), and a total of 11 birds were recorded at Tring Reservoirs.
Tree Pipits were proved to have bred at Berkhamsted Common with two young birds trapped and ringed there. The return passage of Wheatear and Whinchat began on the 1st and 14th Aug respectively, and a juvenile Grasshopper Warbler was trapped at Tring on the 8th Jul. There were an encouraging number of Spotted Flycatcher records, and the good news from Coursers Road is that Gary Elton and Jack Fearnside ringed 5 broods of Tree Sparrows.
Finally my apologies for the lateness of this bulletin, but I have been away (must invest in a lap-top).
Lee Marshall
Lee's contact details are here.
Systematic bird sightings for Jul/Aug 2001