Herts Bird Club Bulletin, covering May and June 1999
Wader variety is high, even if numbers are low
May and June were busy months with many migrants still passing through and breeding birds well into the nesting season.
East Hyde, near Wheathampsted, turned up another Little Egret this period, an occurrence which is becoming almost regular. In Oxhey there was a report of a Purple Heron but this ellusive bird could not be found the next day.
The five Whooper Swans at Wilstone Reservoir put in appearances on various days throughout the period. Does anyone else feel there is a bit of a question mark over these? With feral breeding at Windsor and the close proximity of Whipsnade Zoo, surely their presence in June has got to be suspect. Of proper ducks, Shelduck was proved to breed, a female Pintail and a first-summer Long-tailed Duck were at Tring, a drake Garganey at Rye Meads and a late Goosander at Stocker's Lake.
Nine records of Red Kite was a good spring showing, and perhaps bodes well for the future, while it is rare that all three harriers are seen in Hertfordshire during one period.
Up to six Quails were heard at two sites with possible breeding at one.
There are 17 species of waders in the listings but many of the less usual ones only turned up as single sightings; Oystercatcher, Dotterel, Grey Plover, Sanderling, Bar-tailed Godwit and Turnstone for example. There was only one party of Ruffs seen but rather more Whimbrels this spring.
 | A wide variety of waders was seen, including a few Dunlins - one of which was trapped and ringed at Hilfield Park Reservoir |
Passage terns included two Sandwich, eight Arctic and 15 Black.
A Nightjar roosting in a Hemel Hempstead garden must have been an exciting find and another was heard churring at a different site on one date.
Passerines of note were a few Whinchats, one Stonechat, perhaps eight Nightingales, a Redstart a Cetti's Warbler, four Grasshopper Warblers and a Pied Flycatcher. Most colouful of all was a male Golden Oriole seen by one lucky observer at Tewinbury.
Of non-avian interest, three Clouded Yellow butterflies were seen at Tyttenhanger GP on 30th June (BF).
Jack Fearnside
Systematic bird sightings for May/Jun 1999