Bird of the day - first-winter BOHEMIAN WAXWING in Finchley, North London - photographed by Jonathan Lethbridge and David Bradnum
SATURDAY 27 FEBRUARY
With temperatures reaching 11.5 degrees C, Saturday was the warmest day of the year thus far. As a result, the first migrant waders arrived, including Oystercatchers, Ringed Plovers and Common Redshanks.
Not long after 0900 hours, Richard Bashford rang to say that he had re-seen the Common Crane that Adam Bassett had found the afternoon before, almost exactly in the same place. It had flown high east of Derek White's Eggs Pit and appeared to come down east of the railway line on Biggleswade Common. Spurned on by Richard's sighting, I made my way straight over, believing that it was possible to relocate the bird.
WARREN VILLAS (BEDFORDSHIRE)
Knowing that Richard, Steve Blain and other locals were checking the south part of Biggleswade Common, I decided to start from the north and walked down the east side of the River Ivel to Warren Villas. All I saw for my troubles was a single LITTLE EGRET.
BIGGLESWADE COMMON (BEDFORDSHIRE)
After drawing a blank checking the paddocks west and south of Sandy Warren, I went round to Biggleswade and drove north out on Furzenhall Road to the Common. By the farm at TL 195 462, I was very pleased to see a male COMMON STONECHAT - a belated first for the county this year. It was also nice to hear several singing Eurasian Skylarks - all newly returned after the harsh winter.
UPPER CALDECOTE (BEDFORDSHIRE)
In fields just to the west of the A1 and north of the Biggleswade-Old Warden road were my first Beds EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER of the year - a flock of 247 with 98 Lapwing. The A1 roundabout trees here also held 11 occupied Rook nests.
DEREK WHITE'S EGGS PIT, BIGGLESWADE (BEDFORDSHIRE) (TL 185 460)
No sign of the Common Crane anywhere but the pit itself held 2 Little Grebes, 6 Great Crested Grebes, 2 pairs of COMMON SHELDUCK, several Common Teal and 55 Lapwing.
BLUNHAM LAKE (BEDFORDSHIRE)
No sign of yesterday's drake Northern Pintail but 2 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Mute Swans, 38 Eurasian Wigeon, 20 Gadwall, 5 Common Teal, 27 Northern Pochard and 7 Common Goldeneye (3 adult drakes and four females).
Whilst checking Blunham, Richard Bashford 'phoned again to say that a group of 20 people had seen the Common Crane whilst on the cycleway between Blunham and Willington. It had flown west towards Willington.
WILLINGTON AREA (BEDFORDSHIRE)
After receiving Richard's call, I immediately checked the Ouse Valley both sides between Great Barford and Willington, driving a circuit through Chalton, Moggerhanger, Willington, Cuckoo Bridge and Blunham and guess what - nothing ! The Crane was probably long gone.
Willowhill Farm yielded 5 Stock Doves, whilst the Willington sheep fields held 303 non-naturalised BARNACLE GEESE and 44 Greylag Geese. A flock of 45 EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVERS was wheeling about the cycleway and 2 male Song Thrushes were in full song in Willington village.
BEDFORD SEWAGE WORKS AND OCTOGON FARM POOLS (BEDFORDSHIRE)
My next obligatory 'dip' was with Lol, Bob and Roy Nye at Octogon Farm, where of course there was no sign of the wintering Water Pipit late morning/early afternoon. A cracking duo of male COMMON STONECHATS was showing well in weeds by the raised bank (presumably migrants) and the sewage works yielded some 55 Pied Wagtails, a single Grey Wagtail and 2 Redwings.
FINCHLEY (NORTH LONDON)
By 1300 hours, I had decided to give up on my luck in Bedfordshire and chose to drive south, where others had continually 'phoned me about a very showy BOHEMIAN WAXWING in Finchley. What was most frustrating however was the fact that two birds were less than five miles from where I was in North Buckinghamshire !
When I arrived in Finchley, Paul Whiteman, David Bradnum, Jonathan Lethbridge and others informed me that the bird had not been seen for almost two hours and had flown off strongly west at 1300 hours. Apparently, it had done this on Friday, so I waited and lo and behold at 1448 hours, it flew into the top of a nearby tree adjacent to the Total garage. It was very nervous and after sallying in the air on numerous occasions, eventually plucked up enough courage to drop down into the lone berry-bearing tree and began feeding. It was a first-winter bird and for quite a while, it afforded some outstanding views (Tony Duckett, Jonathan and David all firing away at it and obtaining some impressive results - see above). It remained in the general area of the Total garage until 1515 hours before flying off strongly once more.
TEWINBURY RESERVE (HERTFORDSHIRE)
(1620 hours)
A most impressive hide overlooking the small reedbed and marshland reserve on the Mimram valley at TL 264 139, just north of the B1000 between Hertford and Welwyn. Pride of place went to 3 JACK SNIPES which briefly came out to the edges of the central 'dyke' (all simultaneously) and fed for ten minutes out in reasonable view before disappearing back into the reeds.
The small reserve also held 5 Atlantic Canada Geese, 4 Common Teals (3 drakes), a singing male Song Thrush and 3 Reed Buntings (including a singing male).
EAST HYDE (BEDS/HERTS BORDER)
My fourth JACK SNIPE of the day was a very confiding bird roosting out in the open (and waking very occasionally) by the 'sedge bed' at the confluence of the streams, 50 yards south of the bridge. This has been the best winter I can remember for Jack Snipes in the county and the views really have been outstanding.
The male FIRECREST was still present in the hedgerow and a Grey Wagtail flew over.
Darkness fell at 1755 hours, but Jack Snipe numbers remained at one.
With temperatures reaching 11.5 degrees C, Saturday was the warmest day of the year thus far. As a result, the first migrant waders arrived, including Oystercatchers, Ringed Plovers and Common Redshanks.
Not long after 0900 hours, Richard Bashford rang to say that he had re-seen the Common Crane that Adam Bassett had found the afternoon before, almost exactly in the same place. It had flown high east of Derek White's Eggs Pit and appeared to come down east of the railway line on Biggleswade Common. Spurned on by Richard's sighting, I made my way straight over, believing that it was possible to relocate the bird.
WARREN VILLAS (BEDFORDSHIRE)
Knowing that Richard, Steve Blain and other locals were checking the south part of Biggleswade Common, I decided to start from the north and walked down the east side of the River Ivel to Warren Villas. All I saw for my troubles was a single LITTLE EGRET.
BIGGLESWADE COMMON (BEDFORDSHIRE)
After drawing a blank checking the paddocks west and south of Sandy Warren, I went round to Biggleswade and drove north out on Furzenhall Road to the Common. By the farm at TL 195 462, I was very pleased to see a male COMMON STONECHAT - a belated first for the county this year. It was also nice to hear several singing Eurasian Skylarks - all newly returned after the harsh winter.
UPPER CALDECOTE (BEDFORDSHIRE)
In fields just to the west of the A1 and north of the Biggleswade-Old Warden road were my first Beds EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER of the year - a flock of 247 with 98 Lapwing. The A1 roundabout trees here also held 11 occupied Rook nests.
DEREK WHITE'S EGGS PIT, BIGGLESWADE (BEDFORDSHIRE) (TL 185 460)
No sign of the Common Crane anywhere but the pit itself held 2 Little Grebes, 6 Great Crested Grebes, 2 pairs of COMMON SHELDUCK, several Common Teal and 55 Lapwing.
BLUNHAM LAKE (BEDFORDSHIRE)
No sign of yesterday's drake Northern Pintail but 2 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Mute Swans, 38 Eurasian Wigeon, 20 Gadwall, 5 Common Teal, 27 Northern Pochard and 7 Common Goldeneye (3 adult drakes and four females).
Whilst checking Blunham, Richard Bashford 'phoned again to say that a group of 20 people had seen the Common Crane whilst on the cycleway between Blunham and Willington. It had flown west towards Willington.
WILLINGTON AREA (BEDFORDSHIRE)
After receiving Richard's call, I immediately checked the Ouse Valley both sides between Great Barford and Willington, driving a circuit through Chalton, Moggerhanger, Willington, Cuckoo Bridge and Blunham and guess what - nothing ! The Crane was probably long gone.
Willowhill Farm yielded 5 Stock Doves, whilst the Willington sheep fields held 303 non-naturalised BARNACLE GEESE and 44 Greylag Geese. A flock of 45 EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVERS was wheeling about the cycleway and 2 male Song Thrushes were in full song in Willington village.
BEDFORD SEWAGE WORKS AND OCTOGON FARM POOLS (BEDFORDSHIRE)
My next obligatory 'dip' was with Lol, Bob and Roy Nye at Octogon Farm, where of course there was no sign of the wintering Water Pipit late morning/early afternoon. A cracking duo of male COMMON STONECHATS was showing well in weeds by the raised bank (presumably migrants) and the sewage works yielded some 55 Pied Wagtails, a single Grey Wagtail and 2 Redwings.
FINCHLEY (NORTH LONDON)
By 1300 hours, I had decided to give up on my luck in Bedfordshire and chose to drive south, where others had continually 'phoned me about a very showy BOHEMIAN WAXWING in Finchley. What was most frustrating however was the fact that two birds were less than five miles from where I was in North Buckinghamshire !
When I arrived in Finchley, Paul Whiteman, David Bradnum, Jonathan Lethbridge and others informed me that the bird had not been seen for almost two hours and had flown off strongly west at 1300 hours. Apparently, it had done this on Friday, so I waited and lo and behold at 1448 hours, it flew into the top of a nearby tree adjacent to the Total garage. It was very nervous and after sallying in the air on numerous occasions, eventually plucked up enough courage to drop down into the lone berry-bearing tree and began feeding. It was a first-winter bird and for quite a while, it afforded some outstanding views (Tony Duckett, Jonathan and David all firing away at it and obtaining some impressive results - see above). It remained in the general area of the Total garage until 1515 hours before flying off strongly once more.
TEWINBURY RESERVE (HERTFORDSHIRE)
(1620 hours)
A most impressive hide overlooking the small reedbed and marshland reserve on the Mimram valley at TL 264 139, just north of the B1000 between Hertford and Welwyn. Pride of place went to 3 JACK SNIPES which briefly came out to the edges of the central 'dyke' (all simultaneously) and fed for ten minutes out in reasonable view before disappearing back into the reeds.
The small reserve also held 5 Atlantic Canada Geese, 4 Common Teals (3 drakes), a singing male Song Thrush and 3 Reed Buntings (including a singing male).
EAST HYDE (BEDS/HERTS BORDER)
My fourth JACK SNIPE of the day was a very confiding bird roosting out in the open (and waking very occasionally) by the 'sedge bed' at the confluence of the streams, 50 yards south of the bridge. This has been the best winter I can remember for Jack Snipes in the county and the views really have been outstanding.
The male FIRECREST was still present in the hedgerow and a Grey Wagtail flew over.
Darkness fell at 1755 hours, but Jack Snipe numbers remained at one.
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