After the heavy and continuous rain of yesterday I thought it maybe worthwhile checking several places around the parish for migrants. Little did I know what was going to be found. I thought maybe a wheatear at Ash Valley Golf Course, or even a ring ouzel. All I got here was a calling willow warbler. However, a first for the parish this year. I checked all likely trees etc for skulking migrants but only unearthed a few chiffchaffs and goldfinches. So, off to Hadham Hall and the ponds and lagoons. Here there is good willow cover and usually turns up some willow warblers and chiffchaffs. As I arrived I heard a green sandpiper call. A new bird for the parish. After trying to improve on distant photos I watched as it flew high in a southerly direction. Anyway, a few record shots. Within 20 minutes I was wandering past a willow and out popped a female redstart. Another parish record. I spent an hour with this bird, waiting for it to show for a photo, but to no avail. 3 trees along I heard another call: a pied flycatcher! My 3rd parish record for the morning. Incredible, considering I have seen one new bird this year and none for the previous three and a half years!
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| willow warbler |
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| willow warbler |
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| distant green sandpiper |
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| green sandpiper |
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| female or 1st year pied flycatcher. |
Other noteworthy birds came and went. 2 teal were only my 3rd parish record. a flyover cormorant is not an everyday sight in Little Hadham. Plenty of chiffchaffs and 3 more willow warblers. 4 little grebes on the water and plenty of yellowhammers and goldfinches knocking about. 2 green woodpeckers and the resident barn owl also went on to the list.
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| yellowhammer |
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| cormorant |
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| teal |
With 3 new birds for the parish, my list now extends to 103 species. I had expected to get green sandpiper and, with luck, redstart but had never imagined a pied flycatcher turning up. Shall be back out at Hadham Hall first light tomorrow to see if anything else has arrived or if these 3 are still about.
congratulations Jono - great records! I bashed round south Sawbo and got a Spotted Flycatcher and Whinchat but nothing to compare with your sightings.
ReplyDeleteHi John, indeed good records, especially pied fly. Not one I had anticipated getting on to the Little Hadham list. Shall try again tomorrow morning, first light but suspect most will have moved on as a calm night at present.
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