Getting started

Today I decided to give Tring another go. I left for Tring around 7:15 and arrived sometime after 8. When I looked over Marsworth Reservoir the first bird I saw was a Kingfisher.

Sun rise Marsworth Reservoir

I had decided before hand to stop off at Wilstone Reservoir first. When I got to Wilstone I immediately searched for the long staying Water Pipit. I looked along the edge seeing if I could find it but Pied Wagtails were the only birds to be seen until a Pied Wagtail flew up with a second bird, I instantely saw that the bird had a shorter tail and the plumage was brown. I followed it with my binoculars until it landed and then I walked towards it so I could ID the bird. I recognised the bird as a WATER PIPIT and carried on looking at it for a while.

Water Pipit Wilstone Digiscoped

I then took a walk around the reservoir but only saw the common winter wildfowl such as Wigeon, Pochard, Tufted Duck and Teal. My next stop was Tringford Reservoir to see a Smew. I searched for a long time for this bird but it would not show so I headed over to Startop's End Reservoir where again I saw he usual wildfowl. I then decided to give Tringford a second go. This time I met up with Lee Evans and he showed me where the SMEW was which was somewhere I hadn't been.

Smew Digiscoped

We then walked around the whole reservoir and we saw such highlights as Green Woodpecker, Siskin, and even a WAXWING. It was nice to get that on my year list on day 2 of the new year. I then headed over to College Lake where I saw wildfowl, Snipe and a Lesser Redpoll amongst the Goldfinches.

Snipe Digiscoped

Lesser Redpoll Digiscope

I ended with a day list of 38 species.