The weather looked good so Helen and I decided to catch up on some birding. We parked up at Wilstone reservoir car park and headed off toward the church to the north east. On the way we saw a couple of year firsts, Pied Wagtail and yellow wagtail (did I mention we had some birding catching up to do).
The sun was out but it was bitterly cold around the reservoir where there was nothing to stop the wind but once you were sheltered a bit it was pleasant. When we got to Tringford reservoir we headed to the hide/shelter, and on the way heard a very vocal bird but had trouble seeing it. We (well more I) had a few theories about what it was, after five minutes we got a quick look, it was a Blackcap but because it was so close it sounded like something bigger.
We then headed off toward Marsworth reservoir, and lo and behold what did we spy? A Sandwich Tern, I had noticed that one had been reported at Wilstone earlier, so when I noticed the bird in the distance I did have an inclination that it could be, but first had to satisfy myself that it was not just another Black-headed gull. Decide it was worth reporting to RBA not something that I have done very ofthen as it is usually me responding to the alerts not sending them out. Anyway we headed off to Bluebells Cafe for a bite to eat. I ordered a cheese and onion toasty (and thought a piece of cake might be in order later) and Helen order beans on toast and some chips. Turns out the cake would not be needed as there were enough chips for three.
We then headed off back toward Marsworth reservoir and it was obvious that the Tern report had got though there were quite a few Birders about, one of them said that there was a Sandwich Tern about, I was happy to reply that I had called it in. The bloke said thanks for calling it in and that the Bucks birders would be happy because the edge of the reservoir was in Bucks, and usually the Terns congregate over Wilstone. We headed off back towards Wilstone, and passed LGRE the local Birding celebrity, he nodded as he passed not sure if he recognises me but whenever I have come across him he has always seemed friendly enough.
We took the longer route back and I got some pictures of colts foot which we found a big patch of near the end of the canal. We headed up over the hill and got a view of Wilstone neither of us had seen before, it was about the bridge over the empty Wendover arm. We popped into the hide at Wilstone and got great views of a Wren just outside the hut windows, but there was not much else about as the water levels were really high even the island were not showing.
We then fished off the walk we were both a bit tired over 6 miles done.
Later reported by LGRE on his Herts blog http://hertfordshirebirding.blogspot.com/2010/04/saturday-3-sandwich-tern-spends-day-at.html