Maple Lodge Nature Reserve, Lynsters Farm & Stockers Lake

A brief afternoon visit to the reserve with Steve Carter provided the following species of note:-
Canada Goose (130), Cackling Goose (1), Greylag Goose (38), Egyptian Goose (3), Feral Rock Dove (c100), Stock Dove (10) all present at Lynsters Farm viewed from Lynsters Hide, Great-spotted Woodpecker (2), European Goldfinch (2).

                                          Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii minima.

                                                                        Canada Goose.           
We then headed off to a rather wet and damp Stockers Lake where the causeway was flooded in many places. The flooded meadow at the west side of the causeway had attracted a Little Egret which we watched for some time.

 
                                

Chenies Bottom, Chess Valley

A late afternoon visit produced the following species of note:-
Little Egret (4), Red Kite (1), Common Buzzard (1), Common Kestrel (1), Common Pheasant (1), Filedfare (3), Redwing (10).
 

Maple Lodge Nature Reserve & Lynsters Farm

An afternoon visit in very unsettled conditions provided the following species:-
Little Grebe (2), Great Cormorant (1over), Mute Swan (1), Greylag Goose (54 Lynsters Farm), Canada Goose (10 Lynsters Farm), Cackling Goose (1 Lynsters Farm), Egyptian Goose (2 Lynsters Farm), Common Teal (7), Mallard (9), Common Pochard (3), Tufted Duck (9), Common Buzzard (2), Green Sandpiper (1 Lynsters Farm), Water Rail (1), Common Moorhen (14), Eurasian Coot (16), Black-headed Gull (6 over), Feral Rock Dove (1 over), Stock Dove (2), Woodpigeon, Collared Dove (1), Ring-necked Parakeet (8), Common Kingfisher (1), Green Woodpecker (3), Great-spotted Woodpecker (1), Wren, Dunnock, European Robin (2), Common Blackbird (2), Redwing, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Common Treecreeper (1), Eurasian Jay (1), Common Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Common Chaffinch, European Goldfinch (2), Eurasian Siskin (26), Reed Bunting (2).

                                                 A distant Water Rail from Rotunda Hide.

                                                    Little Grebe from Sluice Hide.

                                Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii minima at Lynsters Farm.

Maple Lodge Nature Reserve and Lynsters Farm

A late afternoon visit produced the following species of note:-
Maple Lodge N.R:-
Little Grebe (1), Common Teal (4), Redwing (20), Eurasian Jay (1), Western Jackdaw (c150) pre roost gathering.
Lynsters Farm:-
Greylag Goose (47), Canada Goose (30), Stock Dove (1).

Stockers Lake & Stockers Farm

My New Years birding began with an afternoon visit to Stockers Lake & Farm in sunny, mild conditions with the following species observed :-
Great Crested Grebe, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Black Swan (1), Canada Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard (pair copulating), Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Red-crested Pochard (pair), Common Goldeneye (4), Goosander (1 over briefly), Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Northern Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Ring-necked Parakeet (6), Little Owl (1 Stockers Farm), Green Woodpecker (1), Grey Wagtail (1), Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, European Robin, Common Blackbird, Redwing (c20 Stockers Farm), Fieldfare, Chiffchaff (4), Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Common Treecreeper, Common Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin.   
Along the bank of the River Colne a total of 4 Chiffchaff including one bird showing characteristics of the race tristis were observed feeding on flying insects in the winter sunshine.

                                                      House Sparrow at Stockers Farm

                                            
                                        Chiffchaff probable race tristis at Stockers Lake

Stockers Lake

An afternoon visit in sunny, mild conditions provided the following species:-
Great Crested Grebe, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Black Swan (1), Greylag Goose (2), Canada Goose, Eurasian Wigeon (c40), Gadwall, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Common Goldeneye (3), Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Northern Lapwing (28), Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Ring-necked Parakeet (2), Common Kingfisher (1), Green Woodpecker (1), Great-spotted Woodpecker (1), Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, European Robin, Common Blackbird, Fieldfare, Redwing, Common Chiffchaff (3), Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Common Treecreeper (1), Nuthatch (1), Common Magpie, Carrion Crow, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin.
Along the bank of the River Colne I observed 3 Chiffchaff feeding above the water among Crack Willows with at least one individual showing characteristics of the Siberian (tristis) sub-species.

                                                                   Black Swan

                                                     Possible Siberian Chiffchaff

                                                                European Robin



 

Stockers Lake in the fog

A morning visit to Stockers Lake with Steve Carter proved to be a challenging experience due to heavy fog covering the lakes with visibility down to approx 30 feet. We did find a small flock of Siskin feeding amongst the Alders adjacent Stockers House. On the lake an adult Mute Swan was doing its best to chase off an immature bird but it too was struggling to see in the fog. From somewhere out on the lake a few Eurasian Wigeon and a Common Kingfisher called. We soon made our way back to the car and headed off to Rickmansworth for a hot cup of tea.