2 (Pair) LAPWINGS holding territory at Eastbrook Hay - seen from fields behind Valley Green, Woodhall Farm.

4 LAPWINGS (2 Pairs), LITTLE EGRET, 2+ GADWALL & C.10 TEAL seen in quick look at Great Gaddesden.

CHIFFCHAFF & LAPWING at Water End.

Wintering CHIFFCHAFF at Water End - calling from back of Water End Fishery (old Kodak Lake).

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1+ LITTLE OWL around horse field at Piccotts End Pools.

Single SNIPE Species flew low over road (A4146) from flood meadows at Great Gaddesden this morning - looked pretty small, didn't notice long bill & flying directly rather than zig-zag so could have been the Jack Snipe seen there recently.

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GREEN SANDPIPER at Piccotts End Pools

HEMEL MEGA: GREAT WHITE EGRET touring Water End, Great Gaddesden & Piccotts End Pools!

GREAT WHITE EGRET at Water End / Great Gaddesden / Piccotts End Pools.

GREAT WHITE EGRET at Great Gaddesden flood meadows, N of Hemel Garden Centre.

Record shot of GREAT WHITE EGRET at Great Gaddesden flood meadows, N of Hemel Garden Centre
- with LITTLE EGRET & GREY HERON in background, showing the habitat & how I found the bird at this location.

More images below...


UPDATE (extract from quick email):

Hi all,
sorry for lack of updates, battery went after trying to get news out, typical!

Basically I only went out early in case the Redbournbury GREAT WHITE EGRET had popped over to the ideal, if a bit disturbed, habitat at Piccotts End / Water End / Great Gaddesden with all the Little Egrets - well just as well I did!

First seen whilst I was stood at Water End flood meadows on N side of Nettleden Road walking S to go home! - At 9.06 I saw a huge pale bird flying N from over Heizdin's Wood, Water End with another bird that appeared a similar size & colour at distance, but that one went down towards the Red Lion Pub area of Water End.

As it neared I could see that amazingly it was the GREAT WHITE EGRET!

HEMEL MEGA: JACK SNIPE & 7 COMMON SNIPE at Great Gaddesden! - at flood meadow N of Hemel Garden Centre.

JACK SNIPE & 7 COMMON SNIPE at flood meadows N or Hemel Garden Centre, Great Gaddesden - in main flood area where stream widens on N side of wooden bridge.

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Probable GREEN SANDPIPER at Great Gaddesden - Sandpiper sp. seen flying in vegetation briefly a few times, at flood meadow N of Hemel Harden Centre.

GREEN SANDPIPER at Piccotts End Pools

GREEN SANDPIPER at Piccotts End Pools - it appears that this bird may be sticking around the Piccotts End area, in particular the pools, but I have seen them flying between the pools & the stream at Piccotts End village in the past so both areas worth checking out. I have added some record shots here, including one with geese nearby to give a sense of scale for anyone that may not have seen a Green Sandpiper & isn't aware of the small size of the bird when looking for it...

Record shot of GREEN SANDPIPER in flight at Piccotts End Pools.

Record shot of GREEN SANDPIPER at Piccotts End Pools.

Record shot of GREEN SANDPIPER at Piccotts End Pools - with CANADA GOOSE for scale.

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GREEN SANDPIPER at Piccotts End Pools

HEMEL MEGA: RINGED PLOVER heard calling whilst passing over Valley Green, Woodhall Farm C.12.30am last night.

RINGED PLOVER uttering upward-inflected 'khu-eep' or 'pu-eep' call as it passed overhead in the darkness at around 00.30 in the night, at Valley Green in Woodhall Farm.

This is only my second record for Hemel Hempstead, the other also being heard at night, though I do know they have been seen with Little Ringed Plover at Piccotts End Pools in adverse weather conditions during migration in the past.

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LAPWING flying around fields between Bridens Camp, P.E.Pools & Water End

LAPWING calling at Piccotts End Pools

LAPWING calling & Male KESTREL at P.E.Pools

2 (Pair) YELLOW WAGTAILS, C.2 REED BUNTINGS & LAPWING at Piccotts End pools

Female WHITETHROAT, 2 Male YELLOW WAGTAILS & 2 (Pair) of LAPWINGS at Water End

WHITETHROAT - 1st of the year.

This mornings highlights... GOLDENEYES & GREY PARTRIDGES plus Spring WARBLERS & HIRUNDINES.

Here is a summary of notable sightings on a cycle before work this morning...

• 2 Female GOLDENEYES! - Very surprised to see these flying low S over Leighton Buzzard Road at Piccotts End, appearing to come from Piccotts End Pools. [I first noticed 2 smallish ducks flapping quickly that looked 'different' heading towards me from across the fields then following the main road. As they neared the short necks & 'tall' heads became apparent. As the birds went over across the road they appeared generally brownish with oval white bellies with diffuse edges, & as they were heading away from me I could see the short white wing bars from behind/below.]

• 2 (Pair) GREY PARTRIDGES - a Pair along the Nettleden Road at Water End down from Highpark Wood.

• 2 (Pair) GADWALLS - on the river at Water End near The Red Lion Pub in an area perfect for them to breed, & these are the first I've seen at Water End for a good while.

• 2 (Pair) LAPWINGS - showing display & courtship behaviour in the field behind Piccotts End Pools where they are rarely seen let alone showing signs of breeding.

• 2+ SWALLOWS - my first of the year over fields S of Piccotts End Pools.

• 5+ HOUSE MARTINS - my first of the year over fields S of Piccotts End Pools.

• 2 WILLOW WARBLERS - my first of the year & both singing W of Piccotts End Village, one at Leighton Buzzard Road & one in the wood across the road to the W.

• 5 CHIFFCHAFFS - all singing. 1 at N Gadebridge Park, 1 at Piccotts End Pools near Gaddesden Hall, 1 at Water End near The Red Lion, 1 at Water End near the E end of Nettleden Road, & 1 at Highpark Wood, Water End.

• 2 RED KITES, 5 BUZZARDS & 1+ Female SPARROWHAWK all up around Piccotts End - Two of the BUZZARDS visiting a previous breeding site.

• 2+ BUZZARDS & a KESTREL at Water End.

• 2 LITTLE EGRETS - 1 at N Gadebridge Park & 1 at Water End near The Red Lion.

• NUTHATCH at Water End near The Red Lion.

• KINGFISHER - at Piccotts End Pools

• REED BUNTING - at Piccotts End Pools.

• Partly Leucistic JACKDAW - at Gadebridge Park. Had bright white markings around its head, neck & underside. 

The rest of my sightings from this morning are listed in the below posts...

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Pair of LAPWINGS showing display or courtship behaviour at field behind P.E Pools

GREEN SANDPIPER, Poss. RING OUZEL & Poss. YELLOW-LEGGED GULL at Piccotts End Pools

Other than the usual or commoner birds, an evening visit to Piccotts End Pools produced...

• 1 LITTLE EGRET
• 2+ BUZZARDS
• 1 GREEN SANDPIPER
• 12 COMMON GULLS over S
• 2 HERRING GULLS (1 Ad, 1 2nd Sum.) over N
• 1 Ad. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL over N, then a bit later 1 more LBB over N with a Possible 2nd Summer YELLOW-LEGGED GULL

• C.2 STOCK DOVES
• 1 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER
• 3+ SKYLARKS
• C.50 FIELDFARES, C.10 REDWINGS, 1+ MISTLE THRUSH, 1 SONG THRUSH & 2 STARLINGS feeding together with CHAFFINCHES in the sheep field SE of the pools, as well as a Possible RING OUZEL seen flying into the hedge SSE of the pools - when inadvertently flushed seen from behind as a black thrush with long wings which looked silvery pale, also heard possible Ring Ouzel 'chucking' call between Fieldfare 'chacking' calls.

• 4 LINNETS
• 13 SISKINS
• 1 Male REED BUNTING partly singing

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