Foxcote Roost Spectacular

Another terrific show for 4 observers. 5,000 Common Starlings attracted the attention of a single Sparrowhawk and a male PEREGRINE. The latter was actually chased by c 500 Starlings at one point. Eventually about half roosted next to the hide and half in the reeds around the bay next to the wood.

The drake RING-NECKED DUCK was obliging for a change and a drake GOOSANDER looked pretty in the sunshine. Many fewer gulls than last week, but still 1 adult YELLOW-LEGGED (Andy Harding)

First-winter CASPIAN GULL in roost this evening

This first-winter CASPIAN GULL roosted again this evening on Calvert BBOWT Lake - the same bird first seen in October (Tim Watts, Mike Wallen, LGRE, Warren Claydon, et al)

All photographs by kind courtesy of BBOWT warden Tim Watts

Large gathering of night-feeding WOODCOCK

26/11 : 12 WOODCOCK : Hambleden. 12 birds feeding near a wood on a field grassed by sheep. 22h30!. Frederic Desmette

Gulls galore and increase in Tufted Ducks

BBOWT lake; Good numbers of large gulls in pre-roost, 11 adult YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS was most I got at one time.

78 Tufted Duck is an increase (Tim Watts)

CASPIAN GULLS

The first-winter CASPIAN GULL LGRE first found a few weeks back was present again this evening on the main BBOWT Lake, as well as a stunning adult, along with at least 15 adult YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS (per Warren Claydon and Tim Watts)

STARLING roost spectacular

Another wonderful night with around 4,000 Common Starlings roosting all at once in front of the hide at Foxcote Reservoir. One or two Sparrowhawk attacks on the way in followed by two birds perching in the willows around the hide for the next 20 minutes waiting for the straggelers (probably another 500 starlings over the next 20 minutes) to arrive and making frequent attacks either alone or 2 together (Richard Goodlad)

GREAT NORTHERN DIVER stays overnight but departs early morning Sunday

The juvenile GREAT NORTHERN DIVER (photographed above by Tim Watts) was still present on the BBOWT lake at dawn today (Sunday 15 November), but at 0740 hours it did one and a half circuits of the lake and flew off strongly to the North-West.

Nearby, 10 TREE SPARROWS were still viewable from the Grendon Underwood layby (per Mike Wallen)