Birdwatching Sites around Tring, Hertfordshire

Map of the Area

Wilstone Reservoir (near Tring Hertfordshire)

Just North of Tring lies Wilstone Reservoir, there is a free car park and large bird hide.
All though the year many birds make use of the sanctury, but ducks and waders increase toward the autumn and winter months.
Rarities turn up all year making this a popular spot for birdwatchers and "twitchers"

"Startops End" Nature Reserve

Up the Ivinghoe road, at the Tringford roundabout, are more fishing ponds and reservoirs around the canal (just South of Marsworth).
Admission free, but there is a charge for parking.
There are small woods, reedbeds and a bird hide. Corn Buntings roost in the reedbeds and in winter Bitterns visit.

College Lake

Nearby lies College Lake on the Bulbourne Rd, turn Left 100m after Village.
Admission is by permit, Ł2 for a day pass, open 10.00 -16.00 daily.

The big lake is in an old chalk pit and has shingle banks for Terns and Waders, in summer Hirundines hunt over the water.
Hares can be seen, butterfies and Dragonflies abound.
The southern end is more wooded with shallow ponds and bird hides. Grebes, Lapwing & Little Ringed Plovers can be found here.

Sightings 2006

June 24th Sunny.

Wilstone Reservoir
c60 Lapwing, 1 Barnacle Goose, 10+ Common Tern, c100 Swift, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Cuckoo (heard),
4 Pochard, 4 Teal (Reported;- 1 Hobby, 1 Red Kite, Yellow Wagtail, also Red Viened Darter DF)

Tringford Resr.
1 Cetti's Warbler (Heard), 1 Pochard, 3+ Reed Warbler, 4+3juv Greylag Geese.

Sightings 2004

May 22nd Sunny.

Wilstone Reservoir -sadly the Hide has been vandalised
4 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Mandarin, 1 Common Sandpiper, c200 Swift, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Cuckoo (heard), 1 Hobby?

College Lake
3 Whooper Swan (Feral), 4+ Lapwing, 1m Yellowhammer, 1m Lesser Whitethroat, 3+ Whitethroat, 3+ Willow Warbler
c20 Common Tern, 1 Redshank, 20+ House Martin, 1 Sand Martin.

Sightings 2003

October 27th Sunny Intervals.

Wilstone Reservoir
1juv. GREY PHALAROPE, 1 Shelduck, 3 Ruddy Duck, 6 Pintail, 5 Little Grebe, 1 Barnacle Goose.
Reported;- 1f Scaup, 1 Rock Pipit.

October 4th Showers and Sunny Intervals, W. Wind

Wilstone Reservoir
1juv. Little Gull (1st S.), 2 Ruff (M & Reeve), 4 Greenshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Shelduck, 1 Snipe, c6 Swallow, 1+ House Martin,
1 Kingfisher, 3+ Meadow Pipit, 1 Swallow, 100+ Teal, 2 Pintail, 4 Little Grebe, 10+ Goldcrest.
Reported;- 1 Dunlin (ssp. Alpina).

Startops End Reservoir
20+ Lapwing, 10+ Greylag Geese (feral), 1 Pochard, c15 Gadwall, 2 Linnet, 3 Meadow Pipit.

September 27th Cloudy to Warm Sunny

Wilstone Reservoir
2 Ruff (M & Reeve), 1 Dunlin (ssp. Alpina), 1 Ringed Plover, 3 Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Shelduck,
30+ House Martin, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Swallow, 100+ Teal, 4 Pintail, 5 Little Grebe.
also Mallard, Tufted, Gadwall, Canada Geese, Pied & Grey Wagtail, Coot, Swan, Great Crested Grebe. Heron, Goldcrest.

Startops End Reservoir
40+ Greylag Geese (rather feral), 1 Pochard, 2 Swallow, 4 House Martin, 4 Linnet, 3 Grey Wagtail.

August 25th Cloudy

Startops End Reservoir
1 Turnstone, 2 Sand Martin, 2 Pochard, 1 Lapwing.
Wilstone Reservoir
c10 Greenshank, 10+ Common Tern, 2-3 Hobby, c30 Greylag Goose, 3 Whooper Swan (feral), c50 Shoveler, 30+ Teal.
also Swallow, Mallard, Tufted, Gadwall, Canada Geese, Pied & Grey Wagtail, Coot, Swan, Great Crested & Little Grebe, Heron,

August 7th Fine sunny very hot. (water levels low)

Startops End Reservoir
1 LEAST SANDPIPER, 10+ Common Tern, Tufted Duck (f with 6 ducklings)
REPORTED;-1 Black Tern, (up to 3 at Wilstone recently).

May 4th Fine sunny. (water levels high)

Wilstone Reservoir
1 Black Tern , 2+ Common Tern, 1 Hobby, 1 Whimbrel (landed briefly), 1 Greylag Goose,
1 Red Kite, 2 Buzzard (Over Wendover ridge), 1 Stock Dove.
also Swallow, Mallard, Tufted, Gadwall, Canada Geese, Pied Wagtail, Coot, Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Heron,

Startops End Reservoir
1 Black Tern (from Wilstone), 6+ Common Tern, 1 Reed Bunting, several Reed Warblers (heard)

January 12th Fine sunny. (water levels low)

Wilstone Reservoir
2m Goosander , Mallard, Tufted, Gadwall, Canada Geese, 2(+) Pintail , 3 Greylag Goose,
1 Grey Wagtail , Pied Wagtail, Coot, Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Heron,
c100 Black Headed Gull, 2 Common Gull.

Startops End Reedbed
2 Bittern (3 to 4 reported), 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Snipe (over), 3 Water Rail (heard),3 Stock Dove (over),
1 Kestrel, c100 Black Headed Gull, 1 Common Gull.

2002

September 1st Fine sunny. (water levels low)

Wilstone Reservoir
Greenshank (3), Mallard, Tufted, Gadwall, Canada Geese, Barnacle Goose(1), Greylag Goose (5),
Whooper Swan (2 Esc?), Pied Wagtail (30+), Coot, Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Heron, House Martin (20+), Sand Martin (2+), Swallow (2+)

College Lake
Black Tailed Godwit (1), Little Ringed Plover (1 juv), Common Sandpiper (1), Snipe (2),
Ruddy Duck (4M), Sparrowhawk (1F), Chiff Chaff (5+), Linnet (6+)
Lapwing (10+), Little Grebe (4+),

May 5th Fine sunny. (water levels high)

Wilstone Reservoir
Mallard, Tufted, Gadwall, Canada Geese, Barnacle Goose(1), Greylag Goose (2),
Pied Wagtail, Coot, Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Heron, Swift (50+), House Martin (30+), Sand Martin (2+)
Sparrowhawk (1), RECENT sightings;- Hoopoe, Grasshopper Warbler, Hobby (4)

College Lake
Little Ringed Plover (5), Redshank (4), Yellow Wagtail (1F), Yellowhammer (M&F), Linnet (10+)
Ruddy Duck (1M), Kingfisher (1), Willow Warbler (2+), Common Tern (30+)
Lapwing (10+), Little Grebe (4+), RECENT Reports; Greenshank

Wilstone in 2001

November 11th NB Car park is closed, use FP East of lake. (water level very low)

LESSER SCAUP (1st year Female).

Mallard, Wigeon, Tufted, Gadwall, Shoveler, Teal, Shelduck (1)
Canada Geese, Barnacle Goose(1), Greylag Goose (1),
Lapwing(100+), Golden Plover (80+), Redshank (1)
Yellow Legged Gull (1), Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gulls.
Pied and Grey Wagtails, Coot, Swan, Black Swan (1), Stonechat (3), Meadow Pipit (12).
Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe (4), Heron, Cormorant.

Recent birds include Black Necked Grebe, Scaup (1M).

August 5th (water level high)

NOTE: At nearby Wendover Woods today were:-
Spotted Flycatcher (2+) and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (1 Heard).

Mallard-large numbers, Canada Geese, Lapwing(20+)
Common Terns(c20), Black Headed Gull (3), Bar-Headed Geese(2)
Barnacle Goose(1), Green Sandpiper (Reported recently), Pied and Grey Wagtails, Coot, Swan
Great Crested Grebe, Tufted Duck.