LITTLE EGRET S over Corner Hall offices, 17.31

HOBBY N over Piccotts End Pools

HOBBY over Piccotts End Pools then heading N towards E Water End & Bridens Camp - First of the year.

HOBBY over Piccotts End Pools.

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CUCKOO at Piccotts End Pools - near poplars N of pools.

CUCKOO at E Water End - just N of Varney's Wood.

2 GREY PARTRIDGES feeding out in open at NE side of horse fields b/w Link Rd. & Piccotts End Lane - great chance to get a tricky local tick!

RAINBOW TROUT & C.20 BREAM in canal at B&Q, Corner Hall

C.40cm RAINBOW TROUT accompanied by same sized BREAM near surface beside canal bank at B&Q, Corner Hall.

Also loose shoal of C.20 BREAM of decent size visible there, some feeding.

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'COMIC' TERN high over Durrants Hill Fishery, Apsley / Two Waters at 10.30

COMMON TERN or ARCTIC TERN in gloom high over Durrants Hill Fishery, Apsley / Two Waters at 10.30 - first thought Common seen at long distance but then noticed at times it looked a bit bull-necked & short billed with grey look below & obvious white cheeks more like Arctic. The bill did look darkish red but it was in dim light. I also couldn't make out a dark wedge on the wing. Tail streamers & birds movement weren't conclusive & even looking at the shocking record shots I managed I still can't decide. It soon headed off NW vaguely following the canal before dipping down & being lost from sight behind trees. It was silent unlike almost all Common Terns I see following the canal.

'Comic' TERN high over Two Waters in gloom.

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KESTREL Hunting at W Boxmoor

Male KESTREL, RED KITE & BUZZARD around N Gadebridge Park / Piccotts End area.

C.2 WHITETHROATS at layby on Dodds Lane, Piccotts End

C.2 WHITETHROATS at layby on Dodds Lane, N Piccotts End - First of the year, though may have been here for a few days as I haven't visited this very reliable site.

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2 COMMON TERNS at canal at Corner Hall

2 COMMON TERNS at canal at Corner Hall - First of the year

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HEMEL MEGA: 2 SAND MARTINS, + Poss. PIED FLYCATCHER, YELLOW WAGTAIL, GARDEN WARBLER & GADWALL at Piccotts End Pools.

Of particular interest at Piccotts End Pools before work this morning...

2 SAND MARTINS (HEMEL MEGA) - plus possibly another different bird through as I arrived
11+ HOUSE MARTINS
C.30 SWALLOWS

1 of 2 SAND MARTINS (far right) with 11+ HOUSE MARTINS & C.30 SWALLOWS in drizzle at Piccotts End Pools.

1 of 2 SAND MARTINS (bottom) in flight in drizzle with HOUSE MARTINS at Piccotts End Pools.

YELLOW WAGTAIL
2 (Pair) PIED WAGTAIL

WILLOW WARBLER
GARDEN WARBLER near the stile which Sang briefly - my First of the year though found by Jim Middleton last weekend

Possible Female PIED FLYCATCHER

Visiting Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire for Easter - where should I go birding?

I have had a few requests from people visiting Hemel for Easter who wanted to know where to go birding in the area so I have copied here my quick(ish) response with details of where to get both quantity & quality of species without travelling around too much...

If you want to go birding immediately around Hemel then the best spots at this time of year are

(1) The Water End & Great Gaddesden area - at the moment WHITE WAGTAILS, YELLOW WAGTAILS & WHEATEARS can be found in the horse paddock at times here: Grid Ref. to paste to Google maps 51.779245,-0.515996 . SWALLOWS & HOUSE MARTINS have arrived here: 51.782365,-0.501319 . There is a walk you can do & add to published on this map: http://www.chilternsaonb.org/uploads/files/Walks_and_Rides/Gade_Valley.pdf .You will also find all sorts of other birds around this area, it is good for RED KITE, BUZZARD SPARROWHAWK, KESTREL, LAPWING, REED BUNTING, YELLOWHAMMER, SKYLARKS, RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGES, GREY WAGTAIL, MEADOW PIPIT, CHIFFCHAFF, BLACKCAP, GADWALL, KINGFISHER, LITTLE EGRET & GREY HERON. WHITETHROATS will be returning now along with HOBBY if you're very lucky. A little harder to find but are are around are RAVEN & GREY PARTRIDGE. This area is also good for seeing BROWN HARES on the farm fields.

WHITE WAGTAIL, YELLOW WAGTAIL, WHEATEAR, 2 HOUSE MARTINS etc. at Water End.

Another great quick visit to Nettleden Road at Water End before work this morning.


At the horse paddock at the W end of the road...

1 WHITE WAGTAIL for about 5 mins (visited 3 days this week & seen White Wags here all 3 times, though only briefly)
1 YELLOW WAGTAIL moving around area
Usual 3 (2 Male, 1 Female) PIED WAGTAILS
1 WHEATEAR at S sloped side
1 SWALLOW over
A few LINNETS
1+ YELLOWHAMMER


At the horse paddock at the E end...

2 HOUSE MARTINS over the flood meadow - First of the year.
2 SWALLOWS still visiting shed
Local GREYLAG X CANADA GOOSE Hybrid on the flood meadows


At the dung piles between horse paddocks 1/3 way from the W one...

A RED ADMIRAL Butterfly
Usual PIED WAGTAILS visiting from horse paddock

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Female KESTREL at Two Waters

2 (Pair) LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS at Corner Hall.

BRIMSTONE BUTTERFLY & 2 HERRING GULLS over at B&Q, Corner Hall.

HEMEL MEGA: 2 WHITE WAGTAILS, Male YELLOW WAGTAIL, 2 SWALLOWS, 2 (Pair) LAPWINGS & MEADOW PIPIT at Water End.

Had a good quick visit to Nettleden Road at Water End this morning before work.


Starting at the horse paddock at the W end of Nettleden Road...

2 WHITE WAGTAILS joined the usual 3 PIED WAGTAILS in the paddock. Like Monday's bird [> HERE <] they flew in, fed for a bit, then carried on their journey NW together. Though rarely seen around the Hemel area & what I would consider a local MEGA, I think in reality they are probably often overlooked, the areas they seem to like are under-watched, & they seem to be a bird I only see if I go to a spot where I think the habitat is good at the right time of year (such as ploughed fields or horse paddocks - this area has both side by side) & sit & wait until they come through, stopping to feed for a while, before moving on minutes later.

A stunning Male YELLOW WAGTAIL flew around the paddock a few times but I couldn't find it once landed, though could hear it a few times. Later seen flying to fields on other side of road. When I first arrived I also saw a Yellow Wag up high mobbing a BUZZARD up with a RED KITE over these fields (the Rape field & cerial(?) field below Highpark Wood) which I think was the same bird.

An interesting lone SWALLOW Species flying strongly ESE which both sounded & appeared similar to Red-rumped Swallow, though I was looking directly into the sun so I'm not sure what it was.

2 (Pair) LAPWINGS were in the paddock, though later relocating to the flood meadow.

At least 1 LINNET & 1 YELLOWHAMMER about as well as the regular scattering of SKYLARKS.

A GREEN WOODPECKER called from Heizdin's Wood.


...then at the horse paddock at the E end of Nettleden Road...

2 SWALLOWS were feeding & often visiting the wooden shed for up to a minute at a time.

A MEADOW PIPIT with a particularly pronounced supercilium, especially behind the eye, kept popping up along the wire fence.

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2 RED KITES tussling over Bennett's End

Male KESTREL caught FIELD VOLE at E Boxmoor & carried it to Two Waters - probably to nest site.