2 HERRING GULLS (1 Ad. & 1 2nd Sum.) over Corner Hall offices

STOCK DOVE flying between Two Waters & Hemel Cricket Club

WHITETHROAT heard from Corner Hall offices

2 COMMON TERNS over Two Waters / Corner Hall

4 SWIFTS & 2+ HOUSE MARTINS over Two Waters

WILLOW WARBLER singing at Two Waters

This is the 4th time I have heard a WILLOW WARBLER singing here over almost 3 weeks since the 23th of April - details > HERE <.

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TREECREEPER singing heard from Corner Hall offices

BRIMSTONE Butterfly at Hemel Cricket Club

WILLOW WARBLER & BLACKCAP singing at Hemel Cricket Club

WHITETHROAT & CHIFFCHAFF singing at E Boxmoor

WHITETHROAT singing at Hemel Cricket Club

This WHITETHROAT is probably the bird I was expecting to return to the few bushes near the reeds at Hemel Cricket Club, between the Two Waters Way canal bridge & the cricket nets, where they appeared to breed last year.

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RED KITE low over Corner Hall offices

WILLOW WARBLER singing at Two Waters

BUZZARD hovering extremely high over Boxmoor

WHITETHROAT singing heard from Corner Hall offices from direction of canal

KESTREL at Corner Hall / Boxmoor

MAGPIE actively hunting Male BLACKBIRD without success at Water Gardens opp. Premier Inn.

Seeing this MAGPIE chasing & trying to catch a Male BLACKBIRD today makes it the third time I have seen it actively hunting other adult birds, after seeing it in pursuit of Feral Pigeons on two occasions recently!

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ORANGE TIP, SMALL WHITE, LARGE WHITE & SPECKLED WOOD Butterflies at Keen's Field, Adeyfield

WHITETHROAT at Keens's Field, Abeyfield

3 SWIFTS near Queensway & Nickey Line, Highfield

3 SWIFTS - 1st of the year.

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2 (Pair) Adult HERRING GULLS at Pennine Way sports fields

This Pair of HERRING GULLS could possibly be breeding nearby & if so this would be the first confirmed record of Herring Gull breeding in Hemel.

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4 LINNETS (2 Pairs) at P.E.Pools

RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE singing & 2 (Pair) STOCK DOVES at P.E.Pools

3 YELLOW WAGTAILS at P.E.Pools

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

WHITETHROAT singing at rough field near Warners End Wood, Gadebridge

3 SWALLOWS at Leverstock Green opp. Travel Lodge

RED KITE over Corner Hall offices

HOUSE MARTIN at Corner Hall offices

BUZZARD over Boxmoor / Apsley

Plenty of fish... at Hemel Cricket Club.

Noticed quite a few fish in the canal near Hemel Hempstead Cricket E of the Two Waters bridge this afternoon including...

3 COMMON CARP of around 1½ foot long,
C.15 BREAM between 8-12 inches long
& lots of small CHUBB.

Also in the last week there have been good numbers of what looked like ROACH near B&Q just W of the bridge.

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3 HOUSE MARTINS at Two Waters

BUZZARD over Boxmoor / Apsley

CHIFFCHAFF singing at K.Field, Adeyfield

BLACKCAP singing at K.Field, Adeyfield

WHITETHROAT singing at Keen's (Kings) Field, Adeyfield

2 CANADA GOOSE Goslings at Water Gardens - 1st of the year.

1st CANADA GOOSE Goslings of the year.

HERRING GULL mobbing SPARROWHAWK over Corner Hall offices

CHIFFCHAFF singing near Nickey Line at Queensway

2 (Pair) HERRING GULLS calling over, & BLACKCAP singing nearby, at Corner Hall offices.

3 YELLOW WAGTAILS at Water End

Yellow Wagtail at Water End, 27/04/13.

Yellow Wagtails at Water End, 27/04/13.

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HOBBY at Water End

HOBBY - 1st of the year.

Hobby at Water End, 27/04/13

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

WHITETHROAT - 1st of the year.

LESSER WHITETHROAT singing & C.4 YELLOW WAGTAILS at Piccotts End Pools

LESSER WHITETHROAT - 1st of the year.
C.4 YELLOW WAGTAILS - 1st of the year.

Male Yellow Wagtail at Piccotts End Pools, 27/04/13.

Male Yellow Wagtail at Piccotts End Pools, 27/04/13.

Record shots of Yellow Wagtails at Piccotts End Pools, 27/04/13.
I used these shots to try to differentiate the individual birds
& came to the conclusion that there were probably 4 birds
but there could have been up to 5.

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NUTHATCH singing at G'bridge Park

Adult HERRING GULL calling over Corner Hall offices with 3 LBB GULLS

BLACKCAP singing opposite B&Q at Two Waters

GREEN WOODPECKER heard calling from Corner Hall offices - a pretty rare occurrence.

Now 5 MALLARD Ducklings outside TK Maxx, Town Centre

Adult LESSER BLACK- BACKED GULL at Water Gardens, Town Centre

WILLOW WARBLER still singing, probably at Two Waters

Large BUZZARD circling around Apsley, Two Waters, Boxmoor & Corner Hall.

Buzzard over Corner Hall.

2 COMMON TERNS perched on street lamp beside Two Waters Way near B&Q, Corner Hall / Boxmoor

WILLOW WARBLER singing - heard from Corner Hall offices

WILLOW WARBLER singing either at Two Waters or Boxmoor, heard from Corner Hall offices & confirms my thoughts that I had possibly heard one at distance here yesterday.

Willow Warblers are actually very rarely heard singing around Hemel Hempstead, especially so close to town, & not really even seen that often so I am pleased with this record.

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1st MALLARD Ducklings, noisy NUTHATCH still, & smart Adult large gulls sticking around.

• NUTHATCH calling again near Queensway & Nickey Line this morning.
• 2 MALLARD Ducklings near TK Maxx, Town Centre - My 1st of the year.
• A very smart Adult HERRING GULL & an Adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL together at Pennine Way sports fields late morning.

2 COMMON TERNS back & forth between canal at Corner Hall & Durrants Hill Fishery, Two Waters

2 COMMON TERNS - 1st of the year.

NUTHATCH singing at Nickey Line near Queensway

BUZZARD being mobbed by 3 HERRING GULLS & 3 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, & SPARROWHAWK closely attending, over Corner Hall

2 (Pair) GREY WAGTAILS, 2 CHIFFCHAFFS (one flycatching) on large island, 3RD Summer LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL coming down to drink, 2+ HERRING GULLS low over N & MAGPIE appearing to catch Feral Pigeon, at Water Gardens, Town Centre

CHIFFCHAFF & BLACKCAP both singing ghis morning at Keen's (Kings) Field, Adeyfield

Male GREY WAGTAIL coming to within 3m at Water Gardens, Town Centre

Grey Wagtail & Feral Pigeon friend at Water Gardens, Town Centre.
(Taken with Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT3 compact camera.)

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CHIFFCHAFF singing at Keen's (Kings) Field, Adeyfield

2 (Pair) of GREY WAGTAILS at Water Gardens, Town Centre

BUZZARD over Boxmoor

BLACKCAP singing at E. Boxmoor

CHIFFCHAFF singing at E. Boxmoor

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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5 BUZZARDS at Piccotts End

LITTLE EGRET & NUTHATCH at Water End near Red Lion

KESTREL hunting at Water End

Pair of GREY PARTRIDGES & 2+ BUZZARDS at Nettleden Road, Water End

Pair of GADWALLS at Water End near Red Lion & 2 CHIFFCHAFFS singing nearby

KINGFISHER, GREY WAGTAIL, STOCK DOVE, GREEN WOODPECKER & GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER at Piccotts End Pools

2 BUZZARDS & Male LINNET at P.E Pools

CHIFFCHAFF singing & REED BUNTING at P.End Pools

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

3 RED KITES at Piccotts End, NE of village.

SKYLARK singing & KINGFISHER at Piccotts End Pools, also BUZZARD, RED KITE & Female SPARROWHAWK

C.3 SWALLOWS & C.5 HOUSE MARTINS over field S of Piccotts End Pools

Another WILLOW WARBLER singing in wood to W of Piccotts End

WILLOW WARBLER singing near L.Buzzard Road at Piccotts End

My 1st WILLOW WARBLER of the year & not actually found that often in the Hemel area.

3 HOUSE MARTINS at Piccotts End

My 1st HOUSE MARTINS of the year.

HEMEL MEGA: 2 Female GOLDENEYES low S over L.Buzzard Road at Piccotts End!

More details of the 2 Female GOLDENEYES > HERE <.

Partly Leucistic JACKDAW at Gadebridge Park

SWALLOW at field N of G'bridge Park, Piccotts End

My 1st SWALLOW of the year.

CHIFFCHAFF singing & LITTLE EGRET in river at N. Gadebridge Park

Male BLACKCAP in parents garden near W.Gadebridge Park

BRIMSTONE Butterfly in parents Garden, W. Gadebridge Park

2 BRIMSTONE Butterflies today - 1 in Gadebridge, 1 in Highfield.

BUZZARD over Boxmoor

4 HERRING GULLS (2+ Adults & 1 1st Year) calling over Two Waters / Corner Hall

2 (pair) GREY WAGTAILS at Water Gardens

CHIFFCHAFF at Water Gardens, Town Centre

Gave away its presence by uttering its 'huit' call a few times.

CORMORANT N over Queensway, Old Town

CHIFFCHAFF singing at Hemel Cricket Club, Boxmoor - 1st of the year.

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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3 COMMON GULLS E over Boxmoor / Two Waters

BUZZARD over Boxmoor

Female KESTREL hunting near Two Waters Road, Boxmoor

30+ PIED WAGTAILS flying N along river landed on roof at W.Herts College with GREY WAGTAIL - unfortunately too hidden to check for White Wagtails.

Road casualty Male POLECAT on A4147

A very large Male POLECAT is dead due to vehicle collision on the A4147 Hemel Hempstead Road at 51.741854,-0.399476 , next to the small raised road divider with national speed limit sign & bollards (E bound side), between layby & M1.

Despite the unfortunate circumstances it is good to see that Polecats are in this area of Hemel where I hadn't seen them before.

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