26th Sep 2017: Ruff

A Ruff was flying around this morning when John arrived It didn't land and after circling the reservoir a few times it left to the north. There was also two Teal that lingered for most of the day.

25th Sep 2017: Edit - Arctic Tern

This mornings conditions looked really good, light easterly winds with rain starting in the early hours. John was up and out to have a look and found a Common Tern Arctic Tern (see below), a Whitethroat and had more hirundines through. The forecast looked like it would produce more, but it wasn't to be.

Pictures courtesy and copyright of JFT

Not long after I published this post I had a text message off Ian Lewington saying this was an interesting looking tern, possibly a first summer (2CY) Arctic Tern that had failed to undergo it's first primary moult. Unfortunately, even though John saw the bird in the morning and at lunch time, he had only seen it sat on this buoy. so he did not see the open wing or have any photos of the open wing. 

John had sent me a photo of the bird and we discussed it briefly. Even though we both said the bird looked structurally like an Arctic Tern we concluded it must be an Common Tern because it still had dark primaries (for reference see this post of a bird we had earlier this year). 

A couple of emails with Ian later and he was fairly happy to conclude that this was an Arctic Tern, based on it's structural characteristics. However, after a bit of research it was more interesting than just a second calendar year bird. This is what Ian wrote:

'I think we can safely say this is an Arctic (short legs, short bill, cap shape, general shape etc). It was it's state of moult that puzzled me. I've since learnt that 3rd cal year birds do not have a complete pre-breeding moult in early spring unlike 1st summers and adults. In their 2nd summer they have a body moult but do not replace their primaries (except sometimes p1 or p2). There is a hint of a grey p2 tip on the photo. The bill is also more colourful than a 1st summer.

So a bird about 27 months old! Very educational and I don't recall this plumage/age class in the county before.'

So that's another Arctic Tern I've missed this year! 

24th Sep 2017: Little Gull and a few extras

There was quite a bit going on this week. Nothing too exciting, but a lot more interesting than it can be!

On Tuesday John had a drake Shoveler in the morning that lingered all day and in the evening he jammed in on a juv/1st winter Little Gull. It was present, sat on the railings, when John arrived but was disturbed and within a few minutes had drifted off high away from the reservoir.

All pictures courtesy and copyright of JFT

On Wednesday morning John also found a Whinchat along the western bank of the reservoir and had a bit of overhead passage, including 90+ Swallows and 30 Meadow Pipits all over in 15 minutes.  In the evening there was a Yellow-legged Gull. On top of that there have been a few Blackcaps around still and Common Gulls are being seen again. 

Sunday morning Colin and Steve were out early and had a Wigeon at the Borrow Pit pool and in the valley had a Reed Warbler, a Willow Warbler and a Redpoll over. The Wigeon relocated to the reservoir while John and I were there, but it soon moved on when the sailing started. We also had our first Skylarks of the autumn over and a steady trickle of hirundines and pipits.

17th Sep 2017

After the excitement of the start of the week the end has seemed rather quiet. Mike reported no sign of the phalarope on Friday morning and it was gone. However, there were thirteen Grey Wagtails that morning with two Yellow Wagtails. That must be a record number for the site. Also, in the afternoon John had an immature Peregrine over. 

This morning John had a Wheatear at the reservoir and a steady trickle of Meadow Pipits and Swallows over.

14th Sep 2017

Much to my surprise, the Phalarope was still present this morning. It was on the eastern bank and seemed to remain there most of the day, being seen by several people.

This morning there was some obvious vis-mig, or at least signs that things are on the move. Most notable was at least eight Grey Wagtails, feeding as a loose group around the edge of the reservoir. Over head there was a single Yellow Wagtail, at least 30 Meadow Pipits (including a group of 13) and a large ball of c.70 hirundines.

13th Sep 2017

Yesterday and today the Grey Phalarope continued to grace us with its presence. At times it has looked weak, possibly unwell, but then it seems to perk up again and become very active. Actually, this evening it had a good fly around and at one point Mike saw it circle high over the wood and it appeared to be making an exit but then it returned to the waters edge an continued feeding. I would not be surprised it it gone in the morning.

The supporting cast has been a 3CY Yellow-legged Gull yesterday evening, a Wheatear most of today and at least four Yellow Wagtails in with the cattle this evening.

Photos courtesy and copyright of Colin (taken on Monday)

11th Sep 2017: Grey Phalarope!!

This evening John found a Grey Phalarope at the reservoir. There have been very strong westerly winds today with numerous sea birds seen along the western coast and a few have been turning up in land. There had been little (nothing) of note at Grimsbury all day and then John goes finds this beauty in the evening on his after work walk.

Quite a few Grimsbury regulars and BOS members managed to see it, some getting a good soaking whilst doing so. Information from Mike Curnow, via Mike Pollard, indicates that this is the fourth record for the BOS area. The first one was found dead in Kiddington in 1982 and there are two records in a records book not yet on the system. I assume this is the first record for Grimsbury Reservoir though.

Photos courtesy and copyright of JFT

The scene as I arrived, before I'd seen the Phalarope and got absolutely soaked!

10th Sep 2017

A few minor highlights this week to keep us ticking over. On Thursday John saw a juvenile Little Grebe at the reservoir.

Saturday morning there was a bit of overhead passage with a steady trickle of Meadow Pipits (c.15), House Martins (c.30) and Sand Martins (c.5) over. There was a few Swifts that joined a group of hirundines gathering late morning and I heard a Willow Tit in the wood. Late afternoon a Hobby cruised over, which I was alerted to by the alarm calls of a group of House Martins but the Hobby apparently wasn't on the hunt and just passed over. 

On Sunday afternoon Steve, John and Colin were all out. There was one (possibly two) Yellow Wagtails in the cattle field, 22 Meadow Pipits - mostly overhead but one down at the reservoir edge, a big gathering of the three hirundines (at points c.100 House Martins and c.30 Sand Martins) but it was evident that birds were moving through, a Swift and a Yellow-legged Gull. 

03rd Sep 2017

It's a very quiet week, even by Grimsbury standards. Steve and Colin were out on Monday when they had six Yellow Wagtails over and a Swift.  They also had a Kingfisher at the reservoir and nine Little Grebes at the Borrow Pit pool.

Today Colin had two Ringed Plovers fly through low over the reservoir at 13:45. they didn't stop and were last seen disappearing past the water treatment works. There was also seven Swifts, c.40 mixed hirundines and two Kingfishers.