Sunday 15 October 2017

Amwell Visit

Yesterday, I had been asked to lead a walk around HMWT Amwell Reserve, near Ware, Herts, for the South Leicester Bird Club. We met in Amwell Lane at 10.00a.m. and headed to the Viewing Point where we met voluntary Warden, Darren. Bearded reedlings had been present, but had flown off high to the south just 15 minutes before our arrival. From this vantage point we noted a few wigeon, lapwing, greylag geese, mallards, coots and a variety of gulls. A grey heron was motionless in front of us and a male stonechat sporadically posed on top of the reeds and willows.
From here we headed to the hides, noting comma and red admiral butterflies whilst over the other side of the water, ravens, red kites, buzzards and a solitary sparrowhawk circled, attracting the attention of carrion crows and jackdaws.
We noted several species of leaf mining moths on leaves of bramble, sycamore and hazel as we headed along the boardwalk to the main hide. Tufted duck dived on the adjacent pool and from the hide: pochard, wigeon, grey heron and overhead several meadow pipits and a linnet.
Comma

Red admiral

From the viewing point

Greylag, black headed gulls and lapwing

Distant raven, on of 2 present over the Easeneye Estate

From here, we set off to meet Darren again along the dragonfly trail. A flock of blue, long tailed and great tits were working their way through the willows as we came across a single goldcrest, Common blue damsels, common darters and migrant hawkers were on the wing as were plenty of caddis flies. Red signal crayfish made the day list and soon after we watched as a kestrel dived from a telegraph pole into the grass, to then be chased by a magpie. Overhead, a sparrowhawk flew by after a Great Spotted woodpecker. A green woodpecker called as we checked the buddleia for butterflies and finches but a Speckled cricket on the fence was all we noted.
Tufted duck washing

tufted duck

grey heron


drake pochard

great crested grebe

Over the bridge and through the coppice finished the 2.5 hour stay where several flowering plants were noted along with more comma and red admirals as well as one Large white.
In all, a wonderful morning in great company. I then drove the group to Rye Meads RSPB Reserve just a few miles the other side of Stansted Abbotts. Here, it was picnic time, so after a check on the board to see what was about and having enjoyed a coffee, I left the group to go in search of green sandpiper, kingfishers, wildfowl and more stonechats. With a bit of luck, the day list of bird species may have reached a most creditable 70.
Thanks to Darren Bast for helping with this trip and giving up his morning to show us around the dragonfly trail. Most grateful.
Great crested grebe

Goldcrest

Distant red kite

Comma, showing the "comma" marking on the underwing

  1. Little grebe
  2. Great crested grebe
  3. Cormorant
  4. Grey heron
  5. Mute swan
  6. Greylag goose
  7. Canada goose
  8. Mallard
  9. Gadwall
  10. Shoveler
  11. Wigeon
  12. Pochard
  13. Tufted duck
  14. Red kite
  15. Common buzzard
  16. Sparrowhawk
  17. Kestrel
  18. Red legged partridge (feathers only!)
  19. Pheasant
  20. Water rail (heard)
  21. Moorhen
  22. Coot
  23. Lapwing
  24. Black headed gull
  25. Herring gull
  26. Lesser Black backed gull
  27. Wood pigeon
  28. Collared dove
  29. Green woodpecker (heard)
  30. Great spotted woodpecker
  31. Skylark (heard)
  32. Meadow pipit
  33. Pied wagtail
  34. Wren
  35. Dunnock
  36. Robin
  37. Stonechat
  38. Blackbird
  39. Ctti's warbler (heard)
  40. Goldcrest
  41. Great tit
  42. Blue tit
  43. Long tailed tit
  44. Nuthatch (heard)
  45. Magpie
  46. Jay (heard)
  47. Jackdaw
  48. Carrion crow
  49. Raven
  50. Chaffinch
  51. Goldfinch
  52. Linnet
Large white butterfly
Red admiral
Comma
Speckled cricket
Red signal crayfish
Migrant hawker
Common darter
Common blue damselfly
Various caddisfly
White tailed bumblebee
Hornet
Wasp
Harlequin ladybird
Merveille du Jour (released, trapped in Little Hadham)
White point moth (released, trapped in Little Hadham)
Stigmella aurella leafmine
Phyllonorycter coryli leafmine
Phyllonorycter messaniella leafmine
Phyllonorycter devoniella leafmine
Stigmella microtheriella leafmine
Cameraria ohridella leafmine
Herb robert
Mallow
Common comphrey
Indian balsam
Scarlet pimpernel
Common field speedwell
White dead nettle
Bristly ox tongue
Merveille du Jour (Pleasure of the day)


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This is me

This is me
At the end of another Norfolk Coastal footpath walk. 47 miles, 3 days 99 species of bird. September 2009

Caley Wood view

Caley Wood view
sunshine through the canopy 29.05.08

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007
Best birds on this walk: black and middle spotted woodpecker and short toed treecreeper

About Me

My photo
A primary school teacher for 30 years, I retired from teaching in July 2009 to set up my own science enhancement and communication company. The Primary Works offers science clubs, workshops and staged science shows nationwide. I have always been interested in bird watching since my early years. Apparently my first tick was after inquiring about a chaffinch and then receiving the Observer book of birds. By the age of 9 I had moved on to Tory Peterson's collins guide and was now involved on YOC birding holidays to Northumbria, Essex coast, Slimbridge and Yorkshire. My twitching rule is that I will willingly travel 1km for each gram the bird weighs. However, I have had many rarities just by being in the right place. I have travelled widely throughout Europe and also visited Australia and Sri Lanka. In 2016 I spent time at Portland Bird Obs and two trips to Aviero, Portugal. 2017 found me back in Sri Lanka in Feb/March, then July and back for New Year's Eve celebrations in December. Also returned to The Camargue in May for a 4 day trip. Few plans for 2018, but nothing yet booked apart from a trip to the IOW.

Grey heron

Grey heron
Over the allotment 28.09.08

Southern Hawker

Southern Hawker
Ridge footpath 27.08.08

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)
Note the stripes, denoting a bird fledged this year.

common blue

common blue
Ash Valley G.C. 15.08.08

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)
River Ash

azure damselfly

azure damselfly
River Ash 28.07.08

marbled white

marbled white
Discovered at Westland Green 22.07.08

ruddy darter

ruddy darter
Bush Wood 21.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08
growing in hedgerow in Chapel Lane

cinnabar moth caterpillar

cinnabar moth caterpillar
Photographed on ragwort 19.07.08

Bittersweet

Bittersweet
Study of petals 11.06.08

male yellowhammer

male yellowhammer
08.06.08

common blue butterfly

common blue butterfly
06.06.08

River Ash

River Ash
looking south from the bridge at Hadham Ford

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)
in rape field 29.05.08

Caley Wood sunshine

Caley Wood sunshine
29.05.08

Millenium Wood fox

Millenium Wood fox
24.05.08

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)
06.05.08 banks of the River Ash

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)
flowers, leaves and fruit edible . Good in salad and pesto

April showers

April showers
Double rainbow 30.04.08

Caley Wood bluebells

Caley Wood bluebells
22.04.08

Yellow Archangel

Yellow Archangel
Chapel Lane (20.04.08)

sunlight 16.04.08

sunlight 16.04.08
looking south west from Bush Wood

snowy buds

snowy buds
06.04.08 in Bush Wood

Looking north west

Looking north west
05.04.08 evening shower approaching

Back Garden

Back Garden
Easter Sunday (23.03.08)

Brick Kiln Hill

Brick Kiln Hill
Looking east (23.03.08)

No play today

No play today
The 2nd hole at Ash Valley golf course

Teasel head

Teasel head
Bush Wood (21.03.08)

Reflections

Reflections
daffodils at Bush Wood pond (21.03.08)

Swollen River Ash

Swollen River Ash
The river at the bottom of Winding Hill 16.03.08

Daybreak over the chapel

Daybreak over the chapel
Thursday 13th March

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)
growing in Bush Wood

January snowdrops

January snowdrops
Banks of River Ash, north of Much Hadham

Good Moon

Good Moon
From garden 24.01.08

Village Green

Village Green
Looking east towards Acremore Street

Looking south before Hadham Ford

Looking south before Hadham Ford
rare January blue sky

Useful sites

The following are some useful websites that may interest readers of this blog.
Firstly, Bishop's Stortford Natural History Society http://bsnhs.webplus.net/

Fellow birder, Gary Whelan's blog. Gives reports from our trips out together plus reports from his trips abroad. http://hairybirders.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.hertsbirdclub.org.uk/ The official herts bird club website. Frequently updated, listing bird sightings around the county. Offers links to many other websites. Both of these sites also offer links to yahoo discussion groups.
http://www.birdforum.net/ An international site. You can enter as a guest but become a member( free) to post comments, bird sightings and just about anything to do with wild birds. Good news updates, classified section for binoculars, cameras etc.
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com/ A new site set up where you can contact people worldwide who will help you find good birds in their country. UK section being set up presently.
http://www.britainsbirder.co.uk/
Fellow birders blog. Strtford resident, Graeme Smith regulary birds the area south of Stortford as well as around Spellbrook and the River Stort from Spellbrook to Twyford Locks. Some superb bird photography: Graeme uses a digital camera attached to his powerful telescope to get detailled images of the birds he sees. Well worth a browse.
Two local sites that may be of interest can be found at
http://www.thehadhams.com/ www.thepelhams.net/content/section/12/139/

South Easterly walk

South Easterly walk
black, normal, red extended walk

South Westerly route.

South Westerly route.
Black usual, red extended

North Easterly walk

North Easterly walk
black short, walk. Red, extended

North West Patch

North West Patch
black route regular. Red route the extended wander