Autumn Trees
RSPB Hemel Hempstead Local Group
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Trip Reports and Photos
Lemsford Springs & Panshanger Park 24 October 2018
Green Sandpiper – Geoff Mogg
Both these photos were taken at the charming and quiet Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust reserve – Lemsford Springs.
Within a few yards of the entrance some of the group were immediately rewarded by glimpsing a Water Rail before it hid away in vegetation on the bank.
Highlights from the hides were lengthy and good views of Green Sandpipers, an obliging Yellow Wagtail and an occasional flash of Kingfisher. Feeding Moorhens were much in evidence, with adults chasing off this year's young birds.
Panshanger Park is a 1,000-acre site administered by the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust situated between Welwyn Garden City and Hertford.
On arrival packed lunches were enjoyed in the sunshine before an enjoyable stroll beside the lake.
A highlight was seeing at least 10 Little Grebes quite close together while a buzzard flew overhead.
Grey Wagtail – Geoff Mogg
This was a very enjoyable and rewarding weekend
car-share.
As well as the birds shown here other highlights included whooper swans at WWT Welney.
At RSPB Titchwell snipe, curlew, egrets and
black tailed godwit were all in evidence.
While at Cley pink footed and brent geese were in very large numbers and when spooked by a marsh harrier they created a spectacle when taking off all at once.
Large numbers of teal and wigeon were also present, but a special highlight was a distant view of a red-throated diver on the sea.
Hunstanton, Welney, Titchwell & Cley 19 October 2018
Curlew – Derek Griffin
Common Snipe – Derek Griffin
Sanderling – Derek Griffin
RSPB Otmoor, 10th June 2017
Turtle Dove - Ian Parker
Turtle Dove - Ian Parker
Reed Bunting- Ian Parker
Chaffinch Feeding - Ian Parker
Sedge Warbler - Derek Griffin
Male Pheasant - Ian Parker
RSPB Pulborough Brooks, 22nd April 2017
Nightingale - David Brown
Nightingale - Ian Parker
Chiffchaff - David Brown
Former Group member Stuart Harrison, who now volunteers at Pulborough Brooks, was on hand to show us the highlights of this extensive reserve.
And, what a day – the unexpected superb weather, the wonderful nightingales singing their little hearts out and long tailed tits repeatedly bringing caterpillars to their nest.
Some 50 species were noted
see full trip report here
Long Tailed Tit - Ian Parker
Song Thrush - Ian Parker
Somerset Levels Weekend, 10-12th March 2017
Starling Flock - Derek Griffin
Glossy Ibis - Mike Nott
We witnessed a series of wonderful spectacles over the 3 day trip. Thousands of starlings foraged the surrounding fields waiting for the signal to join the murmuration. Up to a dozen booming bitterns echoed around Ham Wall and Shapwick Moor and we had our best ever close views of glossy ibis just 50yds away. Not to be outdone a pair of great crested grebes performed their synchronized dance and consummated their relationship - " blink and you would have missed it!"
See full trip report here
Water Rail - Ian Parker
Great White Egret - Derek Griffin
Mink - Ian Parker
Glossy Ibis - Ian Parker
Great Crested Grebes - Mike Nott
Reed Bunting - Ian Parker
male Marsh Harrier - Mike Nott
Gadespring Hemel Hempstead, Sunday 26th February 2017
Little Egret - Ian Parker
Little Egret - Ian Parker
The Boxmoor Trust is undertaking extensive work on this old watercress beds reserve including undergrowth clearance together with new fencing and gates. Three members had a very productive early morning's birding
See full trip report here
Common Frogs - Ian Parker
Little Egrets - Ian Parker
Abberton Reservoir and Fingrinhoe Wick, Saturday 11th February 2017
Abberton Reservoir and Fingrinhoe Wick, Saturday 11th February 2017
Despite the intense cold and absence of the sun, we experienced an excellent days birding and collectively saw a total of 67 different species. Amongst the bird highlights were goosanders, smew, goldeneye and egyptian geese. The new Margaret Hide, some 30 minutes stroll from the Visitor Centre at Fingrinhoe Wick, adds a wonderful experience to this impressive reserve. See full trip report here
Despite the intense cold and absence of the sun, we experienced an excellent days birding and collectively saw a total of 67 different species. Amongst the bird highlights were goosanders, smew, goldeneye and egyptian geese. The new Margaret Hide, some 30 minutes stroll from the Visitor Centre at Fingrinhoe Wick, adds a wonderful experience to this impressive reserve. See full trip report here
Egyptian Geese - Jill Griffin
Grey Plover - Ian Parker
Lemsford Springs, Amwell & Rye Meads, Saturday 14th January 2017
This was a shared car trip to the three site and sixty species were logged. The highlights seen at Lemsford included close up views of several resident green sandpipers feeding in the old watercress beds.
See full trip report here
Water Rail - Mike Nott
Green Sandpiper - Ian Parker
Green Sandpiper - Ian Parker
Wren - Mike Nott
Green Sandpiper - Mike Nott
Kingfisher(s) - Ian Parker
Snipe - Mike Nott
Grey Wagtail - Mike Nott