Maple Lodge Nature Reserve & Lynsters Farm

A late afternoon visit produced the following species of note:-
Maple Lodge
Little Grebe (4), Great-crested Grebe (1 from shell hide), Common Teal (3), Gadwall (4), Mallard (duck with brood of young), Common Buzzard (1 mobbed by resident pair of Carrion Crow), Common Chiffchaff (1), Blackcap (3).
Lynsters Farm
Greylag Goose (20), Canada Goose (24), Egyptian Goose (11), Stock Dove (4).

                                                      Grey Heron from Rotunda Hide.

                                                        Gadwall (male) from Shell Hide.

                                                   Gadwall (female) from Shell Hide.



   

Woodoaks Farm

A morning visit in sunny mild conditions with my daughter Emily provided the following species:-
Common Buzzard (2), Stock Dove (1), Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Green Woodpecker (1), Eurasian Skylark (singing male), Wren (singing male), Dunnock (singing male), European Robin (adult with food), Common Blackbird (male with food), Song Thrush (2 singing male), Lesser Whitethroat (singing male), Blackcap (9 including displaying pair), Common Chiffchaff (5 singing male), Willow Warbler (2 singing male), Goldcrest (displaying pair), Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Jay (1), Common Magpie (4), Western Jackdaw (3 pairs nest building), Carrion Crow, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Common Chaffinch (female with nest material), European Greenfinch (singing male).
Mammals:-
Muntjack
Butterflies:- 
Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock.

                                                             Lesser Whitethroat.

                                                              Common Chiffchaff.

    

 

Stockers Farm & Stockers Lake

A brief early evening visit produced the following species of note:-
Stockers Farm
Egyptian Goose (pair on flooded field), Common Sandpiper (on flooded field), Barn Swallow (4), House Martin (2), Ring-necked Parakeet (4 over), Little Owl (1).

                                               Egyptian Goose (pair) at Stockers Farm.

                                                          Mallard (drake) at Stockers Farm.
 Stockers Lake
Little Egret (1), Common Buzzard (4 over causeway), Cetti's Warbler (singing male on causeway), Eurasian Nuthatch (singing male).

Broadwater Gravel Pit

An afternoon visit in sunny, mild conditions provided the following species:-
Great-crested Grebe, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Gadwall, Mallard, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Common Goldeneye (4 female), Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Pheasant, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Northern Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Ring-necked Parakeet, Eurasian Cuckoo (singing male), Common Kingfisher (1), Green Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, European Robin, Common Blackbird, Sedge Warbler (singing male), Common Whitethroat (singing male), Blackcap (13 singing male), Common Chiffchaff (6 singing male), Goldcrest (3 singing male), Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Jay, Common Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Common Chaffinch.
Mammals:-
Rabbit, Common Pipistrelle (feeding above lake).
Butterflies:-
Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone.  

19-04-13 Croxley Common Moor

A brief afternoon visit produced the following species of note:-
Northern Wheatear (1), Whinchat (1), Common Whitethroat (3).

                                                          Northern Wheatear (female).

                                                                Whinchat (male).

Stockers Farm & Stockers Lake

After being laid up in bed for a few days with flu and a chest infection it was no wonder that I was now beginning to fall foul to cabin fever! No better treatment then than a brief visit to Stockers Farm where earlier in the day Geoff Lapworth had discovered a Common Sandpiper on the flooded field. To my delight the bird was still present during my late afternoon visit. On the meadow above the flooded field a pair of Northern Wheatear and pair of Mistle Thrush fed while overhead 4 Barn Swallow chased insects. Then on to Stockers Lake where the following species of note were observed:-
Little Egret (2 in flight above the causeway), Common Tern (4), Sedge Warbler (2 singing male on causeway), Reed Warbler (1 singing male on causeway), Willow Warbler (1 singing male in alders).

                                                  Common Sandpiper at Stockers Farm.

                                                     Sedge Warbler at Stockers Lake.

Stockers Lake & Bury Lake

A late morning visit to conduct WeBS counts in mild but windy conditions provided the following species:-
Great-crested Grebe (7), Great Cormorant (8), Grey Heron (26), Mute Swan (35), Black Swan (1 Bury Lake), Greylag Goose (2), Canada Goose (64), Gadwall (6), Mallard (43), Northern Shoveler (2), Common Pochard (4), Tufted Duck (53), Red-crested Pochard (4 drake), Common Goldeneye (4 inc a drake), Red Kite (1), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (1), Common Buzzard (1), Common Kestrel (female), Common Moorhen (4), Eurasian Coot (49), Northern Lapwing (1), Black-headed Gull (51), Lesser Black-backed Gull (4), Common Tern (2), Stock Dove (3), Woodpigeon, Common Kingfisher (1), Green Woodpecker (1), Great-spotted Woodpecker (1), Barn Swallow (4), Grey Wagtail (3), Pied Wagtail (2), Wren (5), Dunnock (1), European Robin (6), Common Blackbird (2), Mistle Thrush (1), Song Thrush (1), Cetti's Warbler (singing male on causeway), Blackcap (1), Common Chiffchaff (7), Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Common Magpie (6), Western Jackdaw (3), Carrion Crow, Common Starling (7), House Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, European Greenfinch (2), European Goldfinch (2).
Butterflies;
Small Tortoiseshell (3).

                                                     Black Swan (escapee) at Bury Lake.

 

Grey Wagtail on River Colne at Stockers Lake.