Male TEAL, 2 LITTLE EGRETS, 5 CORMORANTS & NUTHATCH at Piccotts End Pools

GREEN SANDPIPER at Piccotts End Pools

Herts Bird Club: Chris Williams reported a BARN OWL on a fencepost along Nettleden Road, Water End at 10.30pm last night - I was only recently thinking that the fields S of the horse paddock at the W end of this stretch look ideal at the moment for Barn Owl.

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TREECREEPER at S Gadebridge Park

Adult HERRING GULL low over Corner Hall offices

NUTHATCH singing, C.2 TREECREEPERS & some REDWINGS at Margaret Lloyd Park, Grovehill.

LITTLE EGRET S over Corner Hall offices - going off to roost.

No sign of Great White Egret today despite scouring the Gade valley between Great Gaddesden & Gadebridge Park, including Water End & Piccotts End - though there is suitable habitat N of Gt. Gaddesden, parrallell to the A4146, that I did not check.

SISKIN, REED BUNTING, 2 LITTLE EGRETS, KESTREL & RED KITE at Piccotts End Pools.

2 RAVENS circling over field W of Piccotts End Pools then heading W over pools towards Potton End.

2 RAVENS - pair(?) seen in this area in previous Winters.

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LITTLE EGRET at Water End b-w 'S-bend' bridge & Red Lion pub.

LITTLE EGRET, REED BUNTING & C.20 TEAL at Great Gaddesden.

3 LITTLE EGRETS S over Corner Hall offices

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!

RAVEN low S over Great Gaddesden

RAVEN low over Great Gaddesden, heading S towards Water End.

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C.25 TEAL, 2 LITTLE EGRETS, 3 GREY WAGTAILS & MEADOW PIPIT at Great Gaddesden.

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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Adult Winter COMMON GULL at Water Gardens, Town Centre.

PEREGRINE FALCON low over Corner Hall offices - heading towards town centre.

PEREGRINE FALCON - appeared to be Female due to large size, possibly returning Winter roosting bird, though not at roost on BT building when checked about 5 mins later.

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4 LITTLE EGRETS, 2 KINGFISHERS, 5 CORMORANTS, 2 TEAL, GREY WAGTAIL, GREEN WOODPECKER, KESTREL & RED KITE at Piccotts End Pools.

2 BUZZARDS at Howe Grove, Highfield

REED BUNTING at Piccotts End Pools

LITTLE EGRET at Great Gaddesden

3 BUZZARDS, 2 RED KITES & SKYLARK at Nettleden Road, Water End.

Female CHAFFINCH with Viral Papilloma on both feet & legs at Valley Green, Woodhall Farm.

Female CHAFFINCH with Viral Papilloma on both feet & legs looking like its wearing white boots due to the thick coating, at Valley Green, Woodhall Farm - thankfully the bird seems unfazed by its condition, which is only lightly contagious in close contact & supposedly usually only through open wounds.

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2nd Winter COMMON GULL at Water Gardens, Town Centre

COMMON GULL at Gadebridge Park

TREECREEPER at Margaret Lloyd Park, Grovehill

11 FIELDFARES SW over Margaret Lloyd Park, Grovehill.

11 FIELDFARES SW over Margaret Lloyd Park, Grovehill - First of the Winter despite there being birds within a few miles of Hemel for a couple of weeks.

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REED BUNTING W over Margaret Lloyd Park, Grovehill!

REED BUNTING W over Margaret Lloyd Park, Grovehill! - an unusual location for this species, clearly migrating.

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2 RED KITES low over Belswains Lane, Nash Mills this morning.

3 TUFTED DUCKS, 2 LITTLE GREBES & KINGFISHER at Kings Langley Fishery.

2 (Pair) GADWALLS at private fishing pool N of wooden bridge, Water End.

3 MEADOW PIPITS at Nettleden Road, Water End.

LITTLE EGRET at Water End - one of Great Gaddesden birds.

LITTLE GREBE on small stream S of Hemel Garden Centre, KINGFISHER & GREY WAGTAIL, at Great Gaddesden.

24+ TEAL at Great Gaddesden

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

2 SNIPE, C.4 TEAL, 2 LITTLE EGRETS, 4 MEADOW PIPITS, 2 RED KITES & BUZZARD at Great Gaddesden.

3 REDWINGS at Noak Mill Lane, Piccotts End Pools.

2 RED KITES, BUZZARD, SPARROWHAWK, COMMON GULL & STOCK DOVE at Piccotts End Pools.

SISKIN & MEADOW PIPIT over Piccotts End Pools.

2 LITTLE EGRETS, KINGFISHER & 5 CORMORANTS (1 with large Pike lure stuck to bill!) at Piccotts End Pools.

Here is some footage I digi-vid-scoped of the Juvenile 'Sinensis' CORMORANT with the large Pike lure attached to its bill at Piccotts End Pools. Fellow fishermen should act more responsibly with their tackle. How long before this poor bird dies of starvation?

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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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Male PEREGRINE FALCON drifting low over field behind Valley Green, Woodhall Farm!

Male PERGRINE FALCON drifting low over field behind Valley Green, Woodhall Farm, near Holtsmere End Lane - As this will be my first Winter living in Woodhall Farm I had plans to put some effort in to find Peregrines hunting the farmland behind my flat in Valley Green, as on previous visits the surroundings looked promising & I have seen birds only a few miles away East-ish in recent years. Well on my very first visit specifically for this reason, early in the season, this bird showed itself within minutes of me leaving the front door, in fact this was the first bird I noted, & hard not to as it went straight over me looking around for prospective prey!

Male PEREGRINE near Valley Green.

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SKYLARK over Valley Green, Woodhall Farm

2 RED KITES & BUZZARD over Valley Green, Woodhall Farm.

2nd Winter COMMON GULL at Water Gardens, Town Centre.

2 LITTLE EGRETS, 8 TEAL & GREY WAGTAIL at Great Gaddesden.

GREEN SANDPIPER at Piccotts End Pools

GREY WAGTAIL, GREEN WOODPECKER, RED KITE, STOCK DOVE, 3 CORMORANTS (2 Juvs. 1Ad.), C.2 SKYLARKS & a few MEADOW PIPITS over, at Piccotts End Pools.

2 LITTLE EGRETS, KINGFISHER, SPARROWHAWK, Juv. CORMORANT, GREYLAG GOOSE, & COMMON GULL over, at Piccotts End Pools.

KINGFISHER at stream at Piccotts End village

TREECREEPER at Valley Green, Woodhall Farm

2+ SWALLOWS at Valley Green, Woodhall Farm

2 GREY WAGTAILS at Water Gardens, Town Centre

2 REDWINGS S at Gadebridge Park

PEACOCK Butterfly enduring cold & wind at B&Q, Corner Hall.

3rd Winter HERRING GULL at Corner Hall - last years local bird returning?

C.45 REDWINGS WSW over Corner Hall offices

Female KESTREL & Female SPARROWHAWK at N Gadebridge Park.

C.150 REDWINGS WSW over & SKYLARK E over N Gadebridge Park

30+ REDWINGS W at Valley Green, Woodhall Farm

2 SKYLARKS S over Gadebridge Park

MISTLE THRUSH over Valley Green, Woodhall Farm

C.40 BREAM between 30 & 40cm long at surface at canal at B&Q, Corner Hall, including 3 aberrant individuals - 2 leucistic pale fish & 1 golden coloured fish.

Unfortunate roadkill Rufous Phase TAWNY OWL at Leighton Buzzard Road, S Gadebridge Park.

KINGFISHER, 2 SKYLARKS over, & GREY WAGTAIL around Old Fishery Lane, Chaulden.

CHIFFCHAFF singing, & 10 MISTLE THRUSHES over, football pitch at N Gadebridge Park.

GREYLAG GOOSE with 3 CANADAS over Corner Hall / Two Waters.

GREYLAG GOOSE at Water Gardens, Town Centre

BUZZARD at N Gadebridge Park

NUTHATCH singing at Gadebridge Park

CHIFFCHAFF singing at Grovehill playing fields

C.3 LINNETS at Grovehill playing fields

A trickle of migratory SKYLARKS at fields N of Woodhall Farm & Grovehill.

HEMEL MEGA: MEDITERRANEAN GULL flying low over hedge at N side of Grovehill playing fields in fog.

MEDITERRANEAN GULL - only 2nd record for Hemel, 1st being only 8 months ago (details > HERE <).

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Numbers of LINNETS (at least 1 flock of C.15), SKYLARKS (at least 1 flock of C.5, & MEADOW PIPITS (3+) starting to build up around Nettleden Road, Water End.

5 SKYLARKS S over Piccotts End village.

TREE BUMBLEBEE at Piccotts End Pools

2nd Winter COMMON GULL at Piccotts End Pools.

CHIFFCHAFF singing at Piccotts End Pols.

2nd Winter HERRING GULL, 2 LBB GULLS, RED KITE & BUZZARD at Piccotts End Pools.

BULLFINCH, 2 MISTLE THRUSHES, some SWALLOWS & C.2 JAYS at Piccotts End Pools.

REED BUNTING, 10+ LINNETS, 3+ MEADOW PIPITS, KINGFISHER & 3 Juv. CORMORANTS at Piccotts End Pools.

3 LITTLE EGRETS, 5 LINNETS, SKYLARK, MEADOW PIPIT, 4 STOCK DOVES & 2 Juv. CORMORANTS at Piccotts End Pools.

REDWING over Valley Green, Woodhall Farm.

LESSER REDPOLL around Corner Hall offices

2 BUZZARDS over Corner Hall

BULLFINCH, JAY, BUZZARD, & 7 MEADOW PIPITS S, at Piccotts End Pools.

2 LITTLE EGRETS at Piccotts End Pools

LITTLE OWL, GREY WAGTAIL, 4 HOUSE MARTINS & another SKYLARK at Piccotts End Pools.

2 REED BUNTINGS at Piccotts End Pools

C.4 MEADOW PIPITS at Piccotts End Pools

3 migratory SKYLARKS at Piccotts End Pools.

LITTLE EGRET, KINGFISHER, NUTHATCH, MEADOW PIPIT, 6 LINNETS & 2 STOCK DOVES at Piccotts End Pools.

4 LINNETS, & MISTLE THRUSH over S, at Howe Grove, Highfield.

1+ SISKIN at Corner Hall offices

KINGFISHER at Gadebridge Park

MEADOW PIPIT over Valley Green, Woodhall Farm