Herts Bird Club Bulletin, covering November and December 1999
Firecests, Waxwings & Gulls Galore!
Bitterns appear to be in short supply this winter with only 2 reported so far, and otherwise low numbers of wildfowl were highlighted by 4 Whooper Swans over Rye Meads (9th Nov), with a Garganey over-wintering there once again. Wilstone Reservoir hosted 12 Pintail, the only Scaup, and Red-crested Pochard, while low numbers of Smew and Goosander were recorded from regular sites.
Apart from the usual sprinkling of Buzzard records, a Peregrine causing mayhem at Wilstone Reservoir (19th Dec), and an escaped Harris Hawk at East Hyde (28th Nov) were the only raptor records of note. Owls were well represented with a couple of Barn Owls at Colney Heath, a Long-eared Owl at Rye Meads and the welcome return of the Short-eared Owls at Beech farm with up to 5 birds present.
A good selection of Waders were to be found; Wilstone Reservoir hosting Oystercatcher, up to 9 Dunlin, a Bar-tailed Godwit and 2 Redshank, and at Rye Meads, up to 6 Green Sandpipers and a flyover Curlew. The Golden Plover flock at Colney Heath peaked at 2,500 and the 'apricot' bird has returned for its fourth winter. Records of 1-2 Jack Snipe (reported from four sites) are not unusual, but a count of 11 near St Albans certainly is! Double figure counts of Common Snipe were recorded at five sites.
A Glaucous Gull graced Amwell Gravel Pit (14th-17th Dec), with up to 5 Yellow-legged Gulls regularly recorded including 2 showing characteristics of 'Caspian Gull'. Amwell also turned up 2 seperate Kittiwakes, but this was overshadowed by a flock of 35 briefly at Hilfield Reservoir on 13th Dec (surely a new county record).
Thirteen was evidently a lucky number for one observer who found 13 Waxwings near Tring on 13th Dec. Three Waxwings were also seen at Cheshunt (4th Dec), and 2 lingered at Stevenage 20th-28th Dec.
Wintering Blackcaps are now regular, but 13 individuals trapped in a Berkhamsted Garden over the period! And you thought that was the same one at your bird table every morning! Two seperate Firecrests brightened up the 6th and 11th of November for the Rye Meads Ringing Group, and another adorned Amwell on 13th Nov.
Finally, after eight years Jack Fearnside has had to stand down as editor of the HBC bulletin due to pressure of work and on behalf of all HBC members I thank him for his hard work in producing such a high quality bulletin. We experienced some problems in transferring the templates between computer systems (hence the lateness of this bulletin) but these have now been overcome. A mistake in the last bulletin suggested that I had moved back to Hertfordshire (not yet I'm afraid). Please ensure that all future records are sent to me at my Hampshire address, preferably by the 7th of the month for inclusion in the next bulletin.
Lee Marshall
Lee's contact details are here.
Systematic bird sightings for Nov/Dec 1999