Potters Bar & Barnet Local RSPB Group
by Ian Stewart
This report covers the period from early April 2009 to early October 2009. My thanks go to everyone who has contributed reports for this item. I am continuing to itemise selected reports at various sites and if your favourite patch is not included please let me know. First an apology - in my last report I included a record of a kittiwake at Tyttenhanger; this was a mistake on my part and thanks go to Ricky Flesher for drawing my attention to it. Ring necked parakeets and buzzards continue to colonise our area with many reports of both species. Garden nesting goldcrests were reported and an interesting observation of hundreds of swallows in a pre- migration feeding frenzy at Hatfield. Ravens could possibly be the next species expanding into our area with several sightings reported. Some excellent rarities were reported over this period including honey buzzard over Potters Bar and Trent Park, cattle egret at William Girling reservoir, a wryneck at Vicarage Farm, and a pied flycatcher at Newgate Street. An alpine swift was at Aldenham reservoir for one day and a Savi’s warbler sang at Fishers Green for almost the whole month of May, although it remained very difficult to see. In September a glossy ibis was seen over Digswell and one, maybe the same bird, attempted to land at Tyttenhanger. A wood warbler and a whimbrel were reported from Brocket Park.
Selected spring and summer reports from local sites
Tyttenhanger, Welham Green, North Mymms Park and Colney Heath: Egyptian
goose, greylag goose, Canada goose, shelduck, ruddy shelduck, shoveler, wigeon,
ruddy duck, water rail, mandarin, coot, moorhen, little grebe, glossy ibis,
little egret, red kite, buzzard, merlin, peregrine, marsh harrier, hobby,
osprey, green sandpiper, snipe, redshank, golden plover, ringed plover, little
ringed plover, avocet, common sandpiper, whimbrel, dunlin, lapwing,
oystercatcher, greenshank, sanderling, knot, black tailed godwit, grey
partridge, red legged partridge, little gull, great black backed gull, herring
gull, Mediterranean gull, little tern, common tern, black tern, little owl,
tawny owl, kingfisher, lesser spotted woodpecker, skylark, tree sparrow,
stonechat, treecreeper, bullfinch, common redstart, swallow, swift, house
martin, sand martin, whinchat, wheatear, cuckoo, whitethroat, lesser
whitethroat, willow warbler, chiffchaff, blackcap, garden warbler, ring ouzel,
spotted flycatcher, nuthatch, coal tit, reed bunting, sedge warbler, grey
wagtail, blue headed wagtail, yellow wagtail, jay and raven.
Beech Farm and St Albans: Little grebe, mandarin, ruddy duck, gadwall, red kite, buzzard, hobby, common tern, black tern, lapwing, green sandpiper, redshank, common sandpiper, ringed plover, short eared owl, barn owl, green woodpecker, swallow, swift, stonechat, meadow pipit, cuckoo, lesser whitethroat, common whitethroat, willow warbler, sedge warbler, reed warbler, wheatear, blackcap, linnet, whinchat, grey wagtail, crossbill and reed bunting.
Lemsford, Brocket Park, Hatfield, Stanborough and Welwyn Garden City:
Red kite, sparrowhawk, hobby, peregrine, buzzard, glossy ibis, mandarin, golden plover, whimbrel, lapwing, barn owl, lesser spotted woodpecker, kingfisher, swallow, swift, house martin, common tern, stock dove, grey wagtail, whitethroat, chiffchaff, blackcap, nightingale, wood warbler, sedge warbler, spotted flycatcher, siskin, meadow pipit, marsh tit, whinchat, reed bunting, brambling, crossbill and raven.
Potters Bar, Northaw, South Mimms, and Brookmans Park: Red kite, buzzard, sparrowhawk, peregrine, hobby, honey buzzard, little egret, ring necked parakeet, tawny owl, little owl, lesser spotted woodpecker, sandwich tern, swift, swallow, house martin, treecreeper, coal tit, nuthatch, tree pipit, lesser whitethroat, common whitethroat, chiffchaff, blackcap, willow warbler, marsh tit, yellow wagtail, brambling, siskin and goldcrest.
Amwell: Great crested grebe, little egret, cormorant, Egyptian goose,
barnacle goose, Canada goose, garganey, wigeon, teal, red crested pochard,
pintail, shelduck, buzzard, red kite, hobby, redshank, golden plover, snipe,
ringed plover, little ringed plover, common sandpiper, dunlin, black tailed
godwit, wood sandpiper, green sandpiper, grey plover, whimbrel, little gull,
yellow legged gull, common tern, black tern, arctic tern, sand martin, house
martin, swallow, swift, turtle dove, common whitethroat, grasshopper warbler,
sedge warbler, reed warbler, garden warbler, willow warbler, chiffchaff,
blackcap, spotted flycatcher, yellow wagtail, kingfisher, Cetti's warbler,
stonechat, siskin, bullfinch, crossbill and reed bunting.
Rye Meads, Cheshunt Lakes Area, the Mid Lea Valley and Reservoirs:
Black necked grebe, red breasted merganser, cattle egret, little egret, great
crested grebe, little grebe, greylag goose, shag, Egyptian goose, garganey,
wigeon, teal, shoveler, pochard, pintail, gadwall, shelduck, goshawk, hobby,
peregrine, osprey, honey buzzard, buzzard, red kite, sparrowhawk, marsh harrier,
kestrel, oystercatcher, little ringed plover, ringed plover, curlew, dunlin,
green sandpiper, snipe, common sandpiper, greenshank, spotted redshank,
redshank, ruff, golden plover, jack snipe, swallow, swift, house martin, sand
martin, cuckoo, little gull, common tern, arctic tern, sandwich tern, black
tern, white wagtail, grey wagtail, kingfisher, nightingale, Cetti's warbler,
Savi's warbler, whitethroat, blackcap, willow warbler, chiffchaff, reed warbler,
sedge warbler, garden warbler, lesser whitethroat, pied flycatcher, meadow
pipit, stonechat, wheatear, common redstart and brambling.
Trent Park Area, Enfield and Oakwood: Tufted duck, gadwall, pochard,
teal, mandarin, little egret, little grebe, buzzard, honey buzzard, goshawk,
hobby, red kite, kestrel sparrowhawk, red legged partridge, lesser black backed
gull, ring necked parakeet, stock dove, little owl, barn owl, tawny owl, green
sandpiper, lapwing, lesser spotted woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, green
woodpecker, wryneck, common tern, swallow, house martin, swift, cuckoo, song
thrush, mistle thrush, yellow wagtail, grey wagtail, pied wagtail, kingfisher,
meadow pipit, tree pipit, common whitethroat, blackcap, chiffchaff, lesser
whitethroat, garden warbler, willow warbler, whinchat, wheatear, redwing,
fieldfare, treecreeper, nuthatch, pied flycatcher, spotted flycatcher,
goldcrest, skylark, stonechat, common redstart, goldfinch, coal tit, long
tailed tit, reed bunting, crossbill, bullfinch, linnet, yellowhammer and
raven.
Barnet, Totteridge Valley and Hadley: Red kite, buzzard, sparrowhawk, hobby,
kestrel, marsh harrier, mandarin, lapwing, curlew, ring necked parakeet, house
martin, sand martin, swallow, swift, little owl, kingfisher, mistle thrush,
meadow pipit, pied wagtail, grey wagtail, willow warbler, chiffchaff, blackcap,
skylark, bullfinch, fieldfare and redwing
Essendon, Cuffley and Wildhill: Buzzard, red kite, cuckoo, lapwing, white
wagtail, common redstart, spotted flycatcher, pied flycatcher, bullfinch and
raven.
Aldenham Country Park, Hillfield Reservoir Bushey and Borehamwood: Mandarin,
wigeon, little egret, rough legged buzzard, red kite, buzzard, hobby, common
sandpiper, dunlin, yellow legged gull, Mediterranean gull, little gull, ring
necked parakeet, monk parakeet, common tern, little owl, yellow wagtail, white
wagtail, alpine swift, swallow, house martin, sand martin, swift, blackcap,
lesser whitethroat, rock pipit and wheatear.
Recent winter arrivals and passage migrants report, Oct 1 - 17
Barnet and Totteridge: Blackcap, chiffchaff, meadow pipit, grey wagtail
and redwing.
Amwell: Swallow, lesser redpoll, snipe, pintail, goldeneye and
crossbill.
Rye Meads. Green sandpiper and pintail
Trent Park and Oakwood: Teal, house martin, chiffchaff, redwing and
siskin.
Tyttenhanger: Swallow, house martin, chiffchaff, snipe, green sandpiper,
golden plover, stonechat and wheatear.
Hillfield Reservoir: Swallow, grey wagtail, snipe, blackcap, fieldfare
and redwing.
Please keep sending your reports to Ian Stewart, 104 Aberdale Gardens, Potters Bar, Herts. RSPB Langman
EN6 2JF.
Tel 01707 654429
E-Mail: i.stewart693@ntlworld.com
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