Birds
Sun, downpours, windy and calm weather made for an interesting visit. The Curlew Sand was joined by at least 4 Dunlin and 4 Common Sands, mainly along the north shore and NW corner of F1 (northerly basin). The same corner around 15:10 saw a Hobby catching insects before gliding east and north. The wooded hills to the north had up to 6 Buzzards slope soaring joined by 2 Kestrels at times. One Red Kite slowly moving SE made one of the rare days when Common Buzzards earned their proper name relative to the normally ubiqitous Spanish imports. The singleton Common, Black and Little Terns tended to feed in the SW corner when not perched out in the middle. In the post-downpour period they were joined by around 600 Sand Martin simiialry feeding facing into the wind, before dissapearing in the calm sunny periods. A range of ages in Yellow-legged Gulls included an adult bird perching frequently and often closely in the SE corner, displaying their yellowish legs - normally well hidden in the roost flocks. Around 17:00 swifts appeared in this corner and increased to at least 8 birds feeding along the east bank of F2 as I left. Many 10's of Pied Wagtails along the east banks shared ground around the sewage works grassland in particular with some 30 Yellow Wagtails, with a single Grey Wagtail at the waters edge.
All in all a very pleasant, unplanned, visit producing two personal county ticks. Thanks to the dedicated Farmoor birders, rare bird finders and helpful text alerts.
- Farmoor Quiet Evening 18.30 - 20.30
Massive fly hatch in hot calm weather Common Tern - 2 appeared at 19.15 on F1, then 4, then back to 2 as 2 left SW B H Gull - Building up to c 16 at sundown Yellow-legged Gull - 2 immatures but possibly more (Heat shimmer across F2) Great Black-backed...
- Grimsbury Reservoir: 13th April
Morning: 3 Willow Warblers (singing), 2 Common Sandpipers, Yellow Wagtail (over north), 2 White Wagtails, House Martin, 22+ Swallow (through north some lingering), 7+ Sand Martin (through north some lingering), 12 + Chiffchaff (9 singing), 11+ Meadow...
- Farmoor Gull Roost
Single adult winter Little Gulls in SE corner and East side. c 95% BH Gulls are now adult plumaged. c100 Common of all ages but possibly more immatures than recent days, The large gulls again looking to be mainly immatures and less of them; But lock out...
- Rushy Island Hopping Skulking Temminck's
Temminck's showed for about 30 out of 90 minutes on at least three islands to the WNW corner of Rushy Common up to around 3pm. Amongst veg, slow moving or static and noticeably smaller in body than a showy Pied Wag alongside, you have to have real...
- Farmoor Reservoir: Farmoor I: 10th August
Black-necked Grebe: In north east corner of F1. Also 2 Yellow Wagtail, Common Tern, 4 Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, Grey Wagtail, Oystercatcher. Joe Harris Grebe still present at 19:50 (Badger) ...
Birds
Farmoor F1 c14:00 - 17:15 Saturday
Sun, downpours, windy and calm weather made for an interesting visit. The Curlew Sand was joined by at least 4 Dunlin and 4 Common Sands, mainly along the north shore and NW corner of F1 (northerly basin). The same corner around 15:10 saw a Hobby catching insects before gliding east and north. The wooded hills to the north had up to 6 Buzzards slope soaring joined by 2 Kestrels at times. One Red Kite slowly moving SE made one of the rare days when Common Buzzards earned their proper name relative to the normally ubiqitous Spanish imports. The singleton Common, Black and Little Terns tended to feed in the SW corner when not perched out in the middle. In the post-downpour period they were joined by around 600 Sand Martin simiialry feeding facing into the wind, before dissapearing in the calm sunny periods. A range of ages in Yellow-legged Gulls included an adult bird perching frequently and often closely in the SE corner, displaying their yellowish legs - normally well hidden in the roost flocks. Around 17:00 swifts appeared in this corner and increased to at least 8 birds feeding along the east bank of F2 as I left. Many 10's of Pied Wagtails along the east banks shared ground around the sewage works grassland in particular with some 30 Yellow Wagtails, with a single Grey Wagtail at the waters edge.
All in all a very pleasant, unplanned, visit producing two personal county ticks. Thanks to the dedicated Farmoor birders, rare bird finders and helpful text alerts.
- Farmoor Quiet Evening 18.30 - 20.30
Massive fly hatch in hot calm weather Common Tern - 2 appeared at 19.15 on F1, then 4, then back to 2 as 2 left SW B H Gull - Building up to c 16 at sundown Yellow-legged Gull - 2 immatures but possibly more (Heat shimmer across F2) Great Black-backed...
- Grimsbury Reservoir: 13th April
Morning: 3 Willow Warblers (singing), 2 Common Sandpipers, Yellow Wagtail (over north), 2 White Wagtails, House Martin, 22+ Swallow (through north some lingering), 7+ Sand Martin (through north some lingering), 12 + Chiffchaff (9 singing), 11+ Meadow...
- Farmoor Gull Roost
Single adult winter Little Gulls in SE corner and East side. c 95% BH Gulls are now adult plumaged. c100 Common of all ages but possibly more immatures than recent days, The large gulls again looking to be mainly immatures and less of them; But lock out...
- Rushy Island Hopping Skulking Temminck's
Temminck's showed for about 30 out of 90 minutes on at least three islands to the WNW corner of Rushy Common up to around 3pm. Amongst veg, slow moving or static and noticeably smaller in body than a showy Pied Wag alongside, you have to have real...
- Farmoor Reservoir: Farmoor I: 10th August
Black-necked Grebe: In north east corner of F1. Also 2 Yellow Wagtail, Common Tern, 4 Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, Grey Wagtail, Oystercatcher. Joe Harris Grebe still present at 19:50 (Badger) ...