Wilstone Reservoir

I don't often visit Wilstone Reservoir but thought I would visit in advance of a U3A meeting there next week.  Plenty of birds to look through including larger numbers of Coot, Canada Geese, Tufted Ducks, etc.  A couple of Little Egrets were nice albeit common these days.  A few Shovelor and Teal were present, no doubt more to arrive fairly soon.  A Kingfisher was perched on a fallen tree in the water near the NW corner but a little distant.  A Green Sandpiper further along was even more distant. There was no sign of the Spotted Flycatchers reported the day before. I went around to the hide, which was empty and scanned around for a while.  Then something caught my eye and to the side of the hide was a stunning Kingfisher.  I rattled off a few photos before it few off.  Nearby a young Grebe appeared and I also took some photos of that.

So not an amazing birding experience but worth it for the Kingfisher alone!

Kingfisher photographed from the hide.

Little Grebe - A juvenile but no sign of any adults.

The Wendover arm of the Grand Union Canal - Work proceeding to restore it to working order.  It has been dry for many years.

Colour Ringed Gulls at Little Marlow

An early evening visit to Little Marlow GP was nice in that the heat of the day gave way to a very pleasant temperature.  The two juvenile Little Ringed Povers were again present along with an adult bird.  Two Common Sandpipers were also present again,  Three Teal have arrived but whether they stay remains to be seen.

Two repeat colour ringed gulls were present, which is somewhat surprising considering the rather small numbers present.  Firstly Black-headed Gull "Black X.A51" which I previously reported on 20th July 2018.  See my blog at this link.  Also present was Lesser Black-backed Gull "Black 9N5".

Lesser Black-back Gull "Black 9N5".  For full list of sightings see below.

Lesser Black-back Gull "Black 9N5" and Herring Gull "Orange N8MT" (this photo from 26th July).  I was rather surprised to see two colour ringed gulls so close together given that very few gulls were present on site.

Full details of the sightings of Lesser Black-back Gull "Black 9N5" follow :-

Date	Location	Country
19/05/2011	Chouet Landfill	GUERNSEY
20/01/2012	Villarrasa Landfill; Huelva	SPAIN
16/03/2012	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
20/03/2012	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
23/03/2012	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
29/03/2012	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
31/03/2012	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
11/04/2012	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
12/04/2012	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
26/04/2012	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
12/05/2012	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
08/03/2013	Chouet Landfill	GUERNSEY
04/04/2013	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
13/04/2013	Chouet Landfill	GUERNSEY
16/04/2013	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
20/04/2013	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
03/05/2013	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
23/05/2013	Chouet Landfill	GUERNSEY
30/05/2013	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
10/03/2014	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
24/03/2014	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
29/03/2014	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
12/04/2014	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
22/04/2014	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
06/06/2014	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
11/03/2015	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
24/04/2015	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
21/06/2016	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
25/07/2016	Grovebury Sandpit; near Leighton Buzzard	ENGLAND
03/08/2016	Farmoor Reservoir; Oxfordshire	ENGLAND
04/03/2017	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
17/03/2018	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
03/04/2018	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
14/05/2018	Chouet Landfill Beach	GUERNSEY
26/07/2018	Little Marlow	ENGLAND

In Search of a Cuckoo

News came through from local birder Adam Bassett of a recently fledged Cuckoo that was being fed by Reed Warblers.  The Cuckoo was already up in the trees so could have fledged a few days ago and perhaps unlikly to stay too long being it's long migration to Africa.  So I popped down there but despite walking the lehgth of the west bank a few times and checking on adjacent areas, I could not find the bird.

However a few waders on return migration had dropped in overnight, so these were at least some consolation.  Two Common Sandpipers were on the sand spit but distant so I did not attempt to photograph.  A single Dunlin was on the west side of the sand spit and well away from two more along the southern edge of the sand spit, although they did all meet up later.  Adam had seen five Little Ringed Plovers but I only saw three , so maybe two birds had dropped in briefly.

Summer plumaged Dunlin with a juvenile Little Ringed Plover.

Dunlin

Great Crested Grebe - In the backwater by the cottages.

Evening Birding at Little Marlow

This was a fairly quick visit to see if anything new had dropped in during the day.  I did manage to see two Kingfishers, a species that seems scarce here this year.  Nothing exceptional had arrived but there seemed to be a movement of Hirundines moving through with Swallows, Sand Martins, House Martins and Swifts.  The Black-headed Gull pictured below was of interest.

The two fledgling Little Ringed Plovers are growing fast and still feeding along the west bank of the sand spit.

Yellow-legged Gull - The adult seemingly resident here at present.  Not the best photo but you just about make out the red eye ring making it look as though it has a hangover!

Colour ringed Black-headed Gull "Black X.A51".  The bird was ringed in Germany at fishponds of Diehsa, Saxony, Germany on 11th May 2018. It was ringed as a 3rd calendar year (at least) female.  It was also seen at the breeding site on 28th June 2018.

The distance traveled by the above bird.  Almost 1100km!

Two Uncommon Gulls

A late visit with the sun going down and the heat of the day fading.  Firstly I checked on the two young Little Ringed Plovers and they were still being looked after by a parent and clearly growing fast.  Hopefully the worst of the danger period is past.

Then checking out the rest of the sand spit I spotted a small gull that was clearly not the usual Black-headed Gulls but a juvenile Mediterranean Gull.I assume this bird would have been raised in the country but I am not sure where the nearest breeding site is.  They certainly breed along the south coast. 
A short while later I spotted the now regular Yellow-legged Gull sat down on the sand spit.  Considering the small number of gulls present, to see two of the less common gulls was a good result.

Mediterranean Gull - This juvenile had rather a greyish plumage, a greyish hue to the face, greyish legs and a black bill.

It was seen a short while later flying off south towards the Thames.

Yellow-legged Gull - This adult was present again.  Initially sat down but later seen walking.  

More Breeding Birds at Little Marlow

Several birds have successfully raised young this year.  Here are a selection of those I could mange to photograph!

Little Ringed Plover and chick - Showing one of two surviving chicks.  It is thought that the brood was originally at least four but the others clearly lost somewhere along the way.

Great Crested Grebes - A pair on a fairly recently built nest  in the works bay.

Great Crested Grebe - a pair had built a nest close to the west bank supported on some submerged branches (see my post of 23rd June). Unfortunately it seemed to sink a little and they appeared to abandon.  I assume it is the same pair that are now building a nest on a submerged metal frame.  This should be very solid so hopefully a better bet.

Little Egret - An adult on the NW island watching the youndster (below) on the SW island.

Little Egret - Juvenile perched in the island where it was raised.

Oystercatchers - Two of three birds present.  These are two juveniles and the third an adult.  It is unclear as to where they parents bred.

Butterflies at Holtspur Bottom

By way of a change I thought I would visit Holtspur Bottom reserve which is owned by Beaconsfield Council and managed for Butterflies by Butterfly Conservation Upper Thames Branch.  I had not visited the site before despite it only being a few miles from my house.  The single track road is not for the faint hearted.  Ridings Lane is very narrow and with only one passing place in a 600 metre distance!  Just don't meet anyone half way!

The reserve is close to the railway and is on a grassy slope with hedgerows and several paths across it.  Plenty of wild flowers to see also.  No-one else was there during the whole time I was there.

Ridings Lane Tunnel - The railway is high overhead. 
A nice shady place to park.  Almost no traffic.

Not too many birds to see but I thought I heard a Firecrest and definitely heard Bullfinches and Linnets.  As for the Butterflies :-

Marbled Whites were very common with hundreds present. 

Another Marbled White - They seemed reluctant to perch with their wings open.

Brimstone - The only one seen.

Ringlet - Would not land in the open!

Gatekeeper - A few seen.

Skipper Sp - Quite a few Skippers seen with Little and Essex likely here. This is probably an Essex Skipper.
Note the retracted proboscis.

Note the proboscis inserted into the flower..

Six Spot Burnet Moth - and below.

Silver Y Moth.  

White Plume Moth.  When I first saw this I thought it was just a bit of dead plant but on closer inspection I could see it's narrow wings.  See also below.