Hatfield Broad Oak 31 August

Pincey Brook quite full - no exposed mud for waders.

Greylag Goose 72
Canada Goose c30
Shoveler 1

Teal, Mallard, Moorhen, Grey Heron 2

BH Gull c100
LBBG 2 juvs
Common Gull 3

Kingfisher 1
Jay 2
Buzzard 3

Hatfield Forest Sunday 28 August 2016

Bright & Sunny 8.30am - 10.30am

Jackdaws  (not counted)
Blue Tits              a large gathering of tits
Gt Tits                 in hawthorn/elder bush
Long-tailed Tits  after insects and berries
Nuthatch 1               also in
Blackcap f/m 1        same bush
Robin 1
Willow/Chiffs  (quite a number)
Mallards
Swallow c6
Grey Herron 1
Goldfinch 20+
Bullfinch 1m
Marsh Tit 2
Whitethroat

Bishops Stortford garden (off Thorley Hill)

Saturday 27 August 2016
Coal Tit 1
Blue Tit 3
Dunnock 1
Starlings 6
Chaffinch 1
Magpie 2
House Sparrow 5
Long-tailed Tit ( 16 passing through at 7pm )

Spot Fly at Pishiobury Park

Spotted Flycatcher in the long hedgerow in the dip in the park. Also a few Willow Chiffs keeping it company.

Trims Green 19th

brief stop on way to Stortford. Overcast.

Swift 1
Swallow 6
LBBG c30, Herring Gull c20, Common Gull c10, BHG c50

Sawbridgeworth patch walk 15th August

very quiet today. A Nuthatch in Nursery Wood in the NE corner of Pishiobury Park, and 4 Chiff Chaffs along the river (brown, not a particularly prominent eye-stripe, so I'm guessing ChiffChaff).

Hatfield Forest Sunday 14/8/2016 8.30am to 10.30am

Warm & dry quite a few sightings for time of year.

Blackbirds
Jackdaw (to many to count)
Robin ( at least 5 including juveniles )
Mallards
Canada Geese
Mute Swan 1
Kingfisher 1
Spotted Flycatcher ( 2 adult + pos 2 young )
Chiffchaff
Bullfinch 2m 2fm
Goldfinch 4 ( on thistles )
Magpie 2
Greenfinch 1
Whitethroat 2
Gt Tits
Wren 1
Green Woodpecker 1

Nice to see Flycatchers & Greenfinch.

Rather restricted at the moment, as the arthritic knee is giving me gyp. However, spent some time in the ANBR today, but it was very quiet. Apart from a bit of a jackdaw-fest, with some 25-30 flying over, I only noted a couple of wrens, some house sparrows, chaffinches, magpie and the inevitable wood pigeons. Insect-wise I saw gatekeeper, meadow brown, speckled wood and large white.

Another Red Kite

Red Kite just to the north of Sawbridgeworth on Wednesday afternoon (courtesy of my wife!). 

South Sawbridgeworth patch count Mon 8th

inspired by Graeme Smith's Redstart at Stortford Park yesterday I did my patch today. Hard work in the afternoon, with birds keeping to the middle of bushes.

Patch is the bounded by the allotments on Southbrook at the north, Pishiobury Park at the west, Feakes Lock to the south and the railway line to the north. Occasionally I wander outside these bounds and today I went east up across the railway line and up toward Sheering.

Moorhen 3
Pheasant 1m
Lesser Black-Backed Gull c10
Black Headed Gull 1
Sparrowhawk 2 including 1 recently fledged juvenile
Buzzard 2
Green Woodpecker 2
Magpie 9
Crow c30 in one flock, + others
Jackdaw NC
Jay 1h
Collared Dove 3
Wood Pigeon NC
Stock Dove 2,
Blue tit 1
Great tit 1
long-tailed tit flock h
Wren 1
Willow-chiff 2(h)
Whitethroat 11
Goldfinch c60
Chaffinch 1h
Linnet 2
Bullfinch 2
Yellowhammer 2
Swallow 1
House Martin c20
Robin 2

Red Admiral 2, Comma 2, Whites NC, Gatekeeper 20+, Ringlet 2, Speckled Wood 2, Banded Demoiselle, Brown Hawker.

h = heard only. NC = present but not counted.

Red Kite becoming more common over Elsenham now. It's not often a week goes past without there being one or more in the sky. A pair of Common Buzzard is also regular in and around the Aubrey Buxton Nature Reserve, suggesting nesting in the area, but no signs of breeding. A lovely family group of Green Woodpecker (2 adults and 3 juveniles) was another recent highlight in the ABNR.

Sawbridgeworth Gull Flock

a large flock of gulls was present in freshly ploughed fields just north of Sawbridgeworth opposite the cemetery on 31st July.

Mediterranean Gull - 1 immature
Yellow Legged Gull - at least 2 adults seen
Black-headed Gull - hundreds
Lesser Black Backed Gull - several tens.
Herring Gull - tens
Common gull c10