Farmoor Reservoir :: 22 April 2017

Another opportunity for a morning walk with her indoors. Chose to head down to Farmoor Reservoir this time to see if I could see the Bonaparte's gull that had been there for much of the week - would it be normal Saturday morning with the target bird scarpering the night before?

Got there in sunshine but a slight breeze - this would prove to be beneficial in keeping the flies at bay. Spotted the terns fishing at a little distance, a single swift overhead [#109] and rather a cute family of mallard. As advertised the Bonaparte's gull [#110] was found at the south end of F2. In the water predominantly it managed at one point to catch and eat a small fish with little or no effort - perhaps why it hasn't moved on. The fisherman also reported high success with the rainbow trout.

We popped down to the Pinkhill Reserve and spotted a few sedge warbler on the way, as well as both red kite and buzzed being mobbed by crows. Good views of reed bunting and a single little egret from the hide, as well as more sedge warbler.

We'd heard many chiffchaff as we walked but not seen any. We were afforded a view of one as we made our way back to the reservoir. Across the causeway there was a distinct increase in the number of flies, due to the very still conditions and the re-emergence of the sun - got quite warm too.

Sightings today (31) included: black-headed gull, blackbird, blue tit, Bonaparte's gull, buzzard, carrion crow, chaffinch, chiffchaff, common sandpiper, common tern, coot, cormorant, dunnock, gadwall, goldfinch, great great tit, grey heron, greylag goose, house martin, little egret, long-tailed tit, magpie, mallard, red kite, reed bunting, rook, sedge warbler, swift, woodpigeon and wren.