Saturday
22 January 2005
Amwell Quarry Nature Reserve,
Lee Valley Country Park, Hertfordshire
Blue sky, later clouding over, cold northerly wind.
Train from London Liverpool Street to Hertford East, alighting at St. Margarets (c40 minutes). Short walk of around a mile along the River Lee to the gravel pit nature reserve
TOW PATH FROM ST. MARGARETS
TO AMWELL GPS
Male Reed Bunting almost back
in full breeding plumage. Great Spotted Woodpecker (f). Song
Thrush and Great Tit singing. Also Mute Swan, Coot, Mallard,
Moorhen, Wren, Robin, Blue Tit, Dunnock, Redwing, Blackbird,
Magpie, and Black-headed Gull.
AMWELL WATCHPOINT
Four Smew (2 males & 2
redheads) present but elusive at times, keeping close to emergent
and overhanging vegetation on the far bank and around the islands.
Great Crested Grebes displaying. Goldeneye (6). Lapwings (225)
feeding on the muddy shoreline and islands in front of the watchpoint
at the north end. Water Rail calling. Grey Herons nest builiding
in trees on the islands. Grey Wagtail flew overhead. Large numbers
of duck present, mainly Gadwall, Shoveler, Pochard and Tufted
Duck. Small numbers of Mallard, Teal, and Wigeon. Meadow Pipit
(2) overhead. Also Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Mute Swan,
Cormorant, Canada Goose, Coot and Moorhen.
AMWELL PUBLIC HIDE
Water Rails (2) showing well
in the pool in between the reedbed and the hide. Great Tit,
Blue Tit and Dunnock at the feeding station.
TRAIL TO THE ASH VALLEY
Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird,
Wood Pigeon, Redwing, Dunnock, Robin and Wren noted.
AMWELL WATCHPOINT
Large gull roost forming in
the last hour and a half before dusk with birds arriving from
the northeast. Yellow-legged Gull (1), Herring Gull (including
Scandinavian race argentatus), Lesser Black-backed Gull,
Great Black-backed Gull, Common Gull and Black-headed Gull.
Little Egrets (6) roosted deep in the island at the south end
after arriving in two groups of three between 1640 and 1652h. A
buck Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi) creeping through the
reedbed to the water's edge.
