03/05/10 - Bank Holiday Birding

Starting at the bright early time of 6:00 am, Dad and I headed out to three local areas for a nice big 10-hour birdwatch!

--Wilstone Reservoir - 06:00 to 09:30--
In the car on the way to the reservoir we saw starling, woodpigeon, 2 kestrels, blackbird, carrion crow and magpie.
At Wilstone there were great numbers of swallows, house martins and swifts flying around overhead. On the water there were mallards, tufted ducks, mute swans, great crested grebes, coots, Canada geese, many common terns, greylag geese, cormorants (nesting in large numbers in the trees), grey herons, lapwings, pochard, and shoveler.
As we walked round clockwise, we encountered blue tits, great tits, pied wagtail, song thrush (the song was unfamiliar to me and confused us for quite a while before we saw the bird!), chaffinches, many chiffchaffs, countless wrens both seen and heard, robins, a pheasant, long-tailed tits, and reed warblers singing in the reeds just before the woodland (I saw one briefly during the time we spent listening to them). An oystercatcher was alone on the bank near here too.
Further round along the hedge tunnel just before the dry canal, we caught sight of a small bird and heard a very distinctive song - patient following of the bird proved fruitful as we got some brief but good views of it - it was a male whitethroat! The first of that species I've ever seen! After the dry canal along the hedgerows, we encountered another 3 or 4 of the smashing birds, singing away and affording exceptional views - a great treat! A muntjac deer strolled casually across the dry canal footpath!
A single first-summer hobby flew over the hide and perched nicely in a tree behind it. Whilst we watched it, a red kite soared majestically across our field of view and wheeled away.
Finishing the walk back to the car park yielded collared doves and a superb male blackcap, singing away in a brilliant position.

--College Lake - 09:30-14:00--
House sparrows were just outside the Startops Reservoir Car park, as we drove to College Lake. The new visitor centre was superb, and admission was free!
From the Window in the Woods hide, a male blackcap was heard, and a female great spotted woodpecker turned up to feed on the nuts. Upon walking down to the newly built (and excellent) hide on the central spit, we viewed moorhens, black-headed gulls, a gadwall, and 2 redshank popped in for a while. The real excitements were the fledgling lapwing chicks and pair of little ringed plovers which were feeding and guarding their nest. Another pair were visible on a further island!
Walking up and round to the Tump hide provided us with a green woodpecker, 2 stock doves, and skylarks, along with nice views of rabbits and a hare.
Another bird of prey flew briefly across us with some prey in its talons - unfortunately we couldn't identify it properly, but I reckon it was another hobby.

--Incombe Hole - 14:30-16:00--
With the prospect of ring ouzels in mind, we headed swiftly onto Incombe Hole by Ivinghoe Beacon. Unfortunately we saw none of them, but amidst short showers, we did see a yellowhammer and 2 glorius male wheatear that gave excellent views.
After walking down into the valley part to walk back up, we added the much missed goldfinch to the list, and amongst further blackcaps and chiffchaffs, we spotted a jay in the distance, and identified one or two willow warblers singing away and showing quite well. There were further whitethroats around, singing and showing!
Back on the way to the car, a herd of about 8 deer were skulking around in the wooded area, and Dad and I finished the day on a superb pair (male and female together) of blackcaps feeding.

Overall, a superb day, yielding 54 definite species seen. Some may have been overlooked or not decisively identified, but a fantastic day with lots of bird life and 1 new species for myself!