- cloud 2/3 shade 1-2/3
- wind 1-2/3
- temp. 1-2/3
Saturday, 14 April 2012
Fields behind the RSSKL (12th April)
Fields behind the RSSKL (11th April)
The highlights on my short walk with Theo in the fields behind the RSSKL were 2 Buzzards, 1 Red Kite and 1 Grey Heron.
Early start at Ashridge and Ivinghoe Beacon still hosting Ring Ouzels (10th April)
I got up at 3:30am in order for an early start at Ashridge Estate. I still had to cycle there in darkness before reaching my favoured spot where I hoped to encounter Woodcock and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.
As I was getting my bike out of the shed to leave at 4:15am a male Tawny Owl was calling only metres form outside my back garden. Unfortunately, there was barely any light which made it impossible to see despite only being metres from were I was stood.
I arrived at about 5:40am and the sun had not yet risen. I walked around the clearing for the whole period of time before the sun rose hoping to encounter at least one obliging Woodcock but to no avail. The only bird of note before sunrise was a hooting male Tawny Owl. Later on after sunrise, I resorted to trudging through the wood hoping to either flush one whilst listening out for the drumming of a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, my second target species. However, this barely reaped rewards as I only got a brief view of a probable WOODCOCK burst up from the forest floor grunting and zigzagging away into a clearing where I assumed it landed out of sight but could not relocate it. As the morning wore on, the commoner woodland species made an appearance. I was particularly surprised at the large number of Treecreepers and Nuthatches present. This probably helped to explain the 3 Sparrowhawks and 2 Kestrels hunting through the wood. Also of note were 3 Buzzards and a single Fieldfare. I also saw and heard my first Willow Warbler of the year (at least 3 were present in the small area I visited).
I was given the tip of that another Ring Ouzel had been found in Incombe Hole prior to my visit so I made a brief visit hoping for a female as I had only seen males so far at Ivinghoe. Luck was on my side and soon I had a distant view of yet another ♀ RING OUZEL feeding on the open ground amongst the bramble bushes. Also of note were several more singing Willow Warblers, 1 Red Kite, 2 Bullfinches, 2 Kestrels and 1 Green Woodpecker.
BACK GARDEN
As I was getting my bike out of the shed to leave at 4:15am a male Tawny Owl was calling only metres form outside my back garden. Unfortunately, there was barely any light which made it impossible to see despite only being metres from were I was stood.
ASHRIDGE
I arrived at about 5:40am and the sun had not yet risen. I walked around the clearing for the whole period of time before the sun rose hoping to encounter at least one obliging Woodcock but to no avail. The only bird of note before sunrise was a hooting male Tawny Owl. Later on after sunrise, I resorted to trudging through the wood hoping to either flush one whilst listening out for the drumming of a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, my second target species. However, this barely reaped rewards as I only got a brief view of a probable WOODCOCK burst up from the forest floor grunting and zigzagging away into a clearing where I assumed it landed out of sight but could not relocate it. As the morning wore on, the commoner woodland species made an appearance. I was particularly surprised at the large number of Treecreepers and Nuthatches present. This probably helped to explain the 3 Sparrowhawks and 2 Kestrels hunting through the wood. Also of note were 3 Buzzards and a single Fieldfare. I also saw and heard my first Willow Warbler of the year (at least 3 were present in the small area I visited).
IVINGHOE BEACON
- cloud 2/3 shade 1-2/3
- wind 2/3 (at top of hill)
- temp. 1/3
2 of the 3 male Ring Ouzels on the SE Beacon slope
male Wheatear
STEPS HILL AND INCOMBE HOLE
I was given the tip of that another Ring Ouzel had been found in Incombe Hole prior to my visit so I made a brief visit hoping for a female as I had only seen males so far at Ivinghoe. Luck was on my side and soon I had a distant view of yet another ♀ RING OUZEL feeding on the open ground amongst the bramble bushes. Also of note were several more singing Willow Warblers, 1 Red Kite, 2 Bullfinches, 2 Kestrels and 1 Green Woodpecker.
Kings Langley Fisheries (9th April)
- cloud 3/3 shade 1/3
- wind 2/3
- temp. 1/3
- rain 2/3
Fields behind the RSSKL (8th April)
- cloud 3/3 shade 2/3
- wind 0/3
- temp. 1/3
Saturday, 7 April 2012
Red Kites and Buzzards the Ridgeway from Dunstable to Ivinghoe (6th April)
My dad and I set out from the car park near Ivinghoe Beacon to complete a section of the ridgeway walk. Unfortunately birding wasn't the top priority but I did note a few along the way.
I only had a few minutes at the Beacon so it wasn't a surprise I couldn't locate any Ring Ouzels (apparently despite at least a dozen observers covering the area, none were reported at Ivinghoe Beacon so I didn't miss any thankfully). However, 5 Wheatear plenty of Meadow Pipits, Yellowhammers and singing Skylarks were OK compensation. I was also surprised to still see 15 Fieldfare head south past the Beacon. Also of note was 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and 1 Red Kite.
DAGNALL AND WHIPSNADE
From the ridgeway, 1 Red Kite flew over and I glimpsed 2 probable Ravens fly over south, near Whipsnade Zoo. As well as the variety of captive animals, Whipsnade Zoo also had 2 Red Kites and 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers chasing each other loudly through the wood.
The downs had even more raptors, in the form of 1 kestrel, 3 Buzzards and 1 Red Kite. Unfortunately, there was to much human activity for any passerines to make fall at the downs.
On our return a Red Fox crossed the path carrying its prey whilst 1 Buzzard flew over. Also of note were 6 Stock Dove, 1 Green Woodpecker and 3 escapee Guineafowl (including 1 white morph type) feeding at the edge of a small coppice west of Dagnall.
As we passed Ringshall Coppice I was alerted to the call of a CROSSBILL, I eventually picked up on it as it flew over from the Coombe direction into the coppice. However, I got my biggest surprise when, near the end of our walk, we passed a field literally swarming with 200+ Fieldfare and 10+ Redwing feeding amongst a flock of sheep, before they were spooked by another flyover Red Kite.
IVINGHOE BEACON
I only had a few minutes at the Beacon so it wasn't a surprise I couldn't locate any Ring Ouzels (apparently despite at least a dozen observers covering the area, none were reported at Ivinghoe Beacon so I didn't miss any thankfully). However, 5 Wheatear plenty of Meadow Pipits, Yellowhammers and singing Skylarks were OK compensation. I was also surprised to still see 15 Fieldfare head south past the Beacon. Also of note was 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and 1 Red Kite.
DAGNALL AND WHIPSNADE
From the ridgeway, 1 Red Kite flew over and I glimpsed 2 probable Ravens fly over south, near Whipsnade Zoo. As well as the variety of captive animals, Whipsnade Zoo also had 2 Red Kites and 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers chasing each other loudly through the wood.
DUNSTABLE DOWNS
The downs had even more raptors, in the form of 1 kestrel, 3 Buzzards and 1 Red Kite. Unfortunately, there was to much human activity for any passerines to make fall at the downs.
DAGNALL
On our return a Red Fox crossed the path carrying its prey whilst 1 Buzzard flew over. Also of note were 6 Stock Dove, 1 Green Woodpecker and 3 escapee Guineafowl (including 1 white morph type) feeding at the edge of a small coppice west of Dagnall.
RINGSHALL COPPICE AND THE COOMBE
As we passed Ringshall Coppice I was alerted to the call of a CROSSBILL, I eventually picked up on it as it flew over from the Coombe direction into the coppice. However, I got my biggest surprise when, near the end of our walk, we passed a field literally swarming with 200+ Fieldfare and 10+ Redwing feeding amongst a flock of sheep, before they were spooked by another flyover Red Kite.
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Wendover Firecrests, Wilstone long-stayers and Ivinghoe Ring Ouzel (3rd April)
WHITETHRON'S FARM, NORTH CHESHAM
As I approached Francis Wood, I noticed a number of Rooks congregating in the trees. I also remembered LGRE is doing a Rook survey in Buckinghamshire, so I checked for nesting signs and after a short scan located 33+ nest (although I'm not sure how many are infact occupied). During my scan a single Red Kite also flew over, 2 Chiffchaffs were singing in the wood and I heard what sounded like the faint call of a Little Owl, not a big surprise as the surrounding habitat is ideal for them.
WENDOVER WOODS
As I reached the southern border of the wood, a Muntjac stepped out onto the road followed by the sad sight of a dead Badger lying at the side of Hale Lane. I started at the southern edge of the wood near the Hale entrance, in hope of finding the resident Firecrests and after almost two hours of searching the only birds of interest I found included 3 BRAMBLING (including a summer plumaged male), 11+ flyover Redpoll (most likely all Lessers) and a single Redwing. In my continuing effort I still could not find any, the only other birds of note included a single Buzzard, 1 Song Thrush, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a ♂ Tawny Owl hooting quietly further north in the wood. I was also surprised at the sight of Treecreeper clambering over the footpath (quite an unusual sight) whilst there was an almost continuous chorus of "chink" notes from the resident Crossbills, although I never saw any. However, near the end of my patience and shortly before I was about to leave, a kind birding couple pointed me in the right direction and soon, I was treated to excellent views of 2 FIRECRESTS feeding in the lower canopy, stunning birds and well worth the effort taken to see them.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR
Not much change but still the long-staying specialities, including the juvenile Brent Goose, 1 CURLEW and 2 OYSTERCATCHERS all on the spit infront of the hide. The other usual birds at the reservoir included 1 Little Egret, c.10 Lapwing and 1 Kestrel.
some record shots of the Curlew (a Hertfordshire lifer)
The only new arrival I found was a single Common Tern amongst the Black-headed Gulls. Other birds of note included 3 Buzzards, 30+ flyover Meadow Pipits and 3 Mandarin (including two males).
IVINGHOE HILLS
I first checked Steps Hill in hope of some early migrants. However, the only birds showing were a mass of raptors approaching me very closely and putting on a good show, including 4 Red Kites, 3 Buzzards and a single Kestrel. In my visit to Steps Hill a brief shower of rain arrived, hopefully this would bring some migrants in. Ivinghoe Beacon seemed equally birdless, however just before I was about to leave I found a stunning ♂ RING OUZEL feeding in the sheep field on the south-facing slope just east of the beacon!
male Ring Ouzel
my first record shot taken on the opposite side of the sheep field, it's just underneath the central bush
just a very quick snap of the female Wheatear (my first for the year)
Later, I also located 1♀ Wheatear. However, I didn’t check the beacon itself so it is likely there may have been more.
In all not a bad days birding by bike.
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