Bird list for Grove Mill, Watford, Hertfordshire
This is a list of the species I've seen by the Grand Union canal/River Colne on the Grove Estate north of Grove Mill, Watford, Hertfordshire, England, and nearby.
- Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)
- a single lonely resident when I started watching the area; joined by a second bird on 15 March 2003, and 2 pairs present in early April - nest building; extremely secretive during summer months but 3 adults, with 2 juvs, all squabbling, on 25 August 2003 confirmed breeding success! Subsequently 6 birds remained during the autumn with all still present on the last day of the year; 4 birds still present end of March 2004
- Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)
- a single on pond N of road to Grove Mansion on 25 April 2004 was the first record, subsequently moving to the main pool
- Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
- often seen overhead, perched high in tall canal-side trees or fishing in canal or on large pool at dawn - up to 15
- Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
- resident in small numbers; fishes from canal bank and on large pool
- Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
- resident; numbers high in spring 2002 with gathering of non-breeders (c.20); pair which successfully reared two young in 2002 are
colour-ringed (male: "Albert" VSS-white - ringer from Oxford; female: "Victoria" 7GA-blue - ringer from Hemel) but I've not obtained any information about their origin; nesting again north of road bridge 2003 - female still incubating 6 eggs 23 April; on 5 May young had hatched but only one surviving; observed remarkable behaviour with pair driven from the fen area by a new (unringed) pair, the male of which vigorously attacked the cynet and original female, driving the latter under the water; by 6 June, only female still present - mate was never seen again - and intruding pair still defending territory, driving her off! Female not seen subsequently until 9 April 2004, when nest-building with a new mate, and on eggs by 25 April, but nest later abandoned, presumed predated
- Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
- several birds normally present, breeds; post-breeding gathering reached over 80 birds early October 2003 with a single hybrid individual of some sort
- Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
- common resident, with c. 50 birds in late summer, including juveniles; breeds
- Mandarin (Aix galericulata)
- single male low over fields (probably from large pool) mid-March 2003
- Teal (Anas crecca)
- uncommon visitor
- Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
- uncommon visitor, max 4 males, 2 females early spring 2003
- Gadwall (Anas strepera)
- uncommon visitor, with a pair resident early spring 2004
- Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
- uncommon visitor; pair still present April-June 2003 may have attempted to breed but absent by August; 7 birds (4 drakes) present 25 April 2004 possibly breeding again
- Red Kite (Milvus milvus)
- single over Leavesden airfield August 2003 would have been visible from the site
- Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
- single hunting low over fields to W of the fen at dawn on 13 June 2004; also seen on a number of occasions over adjacent Leavesden airfield
- Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)
- occasional
- Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
- a pair often seen hunting over fields and up to 4 birds seen together over wood
- Hobby (Falco subbuteo)
- a single in June 2002 nearly collided with me pursuing Goldfinches before moving off following Swifts
- Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
- a single female by canal on 31 January 2004; can be heard calling in adjacent woodland
- Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
- resident, up to 20 individuals; breeds
- Coot (Fulica atra)
- common resident, up to 20 individuals; breeds
- Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
- single in spring 2002
- Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
- occasional singles/pairs and 25 over on 16 October 2003 which did not settle
- Curlew (Numenius arquata)
- a single over adjacent Leavesden airfield on 25 October 2003
- Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
- single in autumn 2002 and single adult on 31 August 2003
- Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)
- single on 4 October 2002; at least two birds in 2003 with a single juv on 25 August, another individual on 31 August and a single still there on 13 September
- Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)
- occasionally seen on large pool in winter
- Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)
- occasional singles or pairs along canal
- Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus)
- up to 200 regular on the large pool
- Common Gull (Larus canus)
- up to 30 regular with Black-headed Gulls on the large pool
- Lesser Blackback (Larus fuscus)
- occasionally overhead
- Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
- occasionally overhead
- Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
- small flocks commonly observed over nearby woods
- Stock Dove (Columba oenas)
- small flocks commonly observed over nearby woods
- Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) - heard calling in the neighbourhood at dawn and dusk; breeds nearby - single juv present June 2003
- Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
- may have bred in area 2003 - 3 birds present at large pool in summer; regularly seen fishing at the large pool; pair seen on road embankment near bee hives in spring 2004
- Common Swift (Apus apus)
- common summer visitor
- Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)
- occasionally heard calling in nearby woodland; sometimes feeding on canal path
- Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
- regularly heard calling and drumming in nearby woodland
- Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor)
- a calling male in the large lime N ponds to N of road to Grove Estate house, flying off W to woods N of house, 27 March 2004; the same morning but 1.5hrs earlier another calling male in top of a lime in the avenue leading S from Grove Mill, about 800m SSW of the first location and probably a different bird
- Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
- common summer visitor and passage migrant
- House Martin (Delichon urbica)
- common summer visitor and passage migrant; breeds in housing estate to east; at least 40 birds present post-breeding summer 2003
- Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)
- uncommon passage migrant
- Skylark (Alauda arvensis)
- scarce resident, breeding on estate land to SW and on airfield to NE
- Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis)
- scarce resident and passage migrant; max 14 birds feeding in long grass, January 2004
- Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
- uncommon resident
- Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
- common resident, at least two pairs bred 2002; feeds on canal bank and around large pool; bred successfully again in 2004
- Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
- common resident, breeds
- Hedge Sparrow (Prunella modularis)
- resident in small numbers
- Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
- common resident, breeds
- Blackbird (Turdus merula)
- common resident, breeds
- Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)
- occasional winter visitor
- Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)
- common resident, breeds
- Redwing (Turdus iliacus)
- regular autumn and winter visitor
- Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)
- resident in small numbers
- Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
- held territory on canal bank at tiny fen just north of A41-M25 link road bridge 2002; back there on 5 May 2003 but subsequently moved to large pool; two territorial birds at large pool in June 2004
- Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)
- summer visitor, several pairs breed
- Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)
- summer visitor, 2+ territorial pairs in 2002 but breeding area scrub now eliminated by estate; singing male still present at Grove Estate bridge with at least three birds on the A41-M25 link road embankment in May-June 2004
- Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca)
- single in spring in the hawthorn hedge
- Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
- uncommon summer visitor, from mid-March; numbers boosted by migrants latter in summer, reaching well into double figures
- Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)
- uncommon passage migrant; 2 singing birds on 25 April 2004, one in willows on island and other N of A41-M25 link road bridge opposite fen
- Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)
- uncommon visitor, seen in tall trees at The Wharfs and by the Grove Mill itself, but seems not to be a regular resident breeder
- Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus)
- regular visitor/resident
- Coal Tit (Parus ater)
- occasional in winter with other tits
- Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus)
- resident
- Great Tit (Parus major)
- resident, breeds, e.g. in drainhole under road bridge
- Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)
- uncommon visitor; single with tit flock at "The Wharfs", late August 2003
- Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
- occasional visitor; 2 pairs in territorial dispute at Grove Mill itself 5 May 2003
- Magpie (Pica pica)
- common resident
- Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)
- commonly observed overhead throughout the year
- Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
- commonly observed overhead throughout the year
- Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
- resident in small numbers; regular individuals present daily throughout the year
- Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
- fairly scarce resident, but at least one pair nests in a tree hole on the estate and small groups often roam the area; occasionally roosts in hedge by large pool
- Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
- common resident, breeds
- Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)
- resident, breeds
- Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
- resident, often seen around the large pool, breeds; peak number 25 with Siskins 17 October 2003
- Siskin (Carduelis spinus)
- common winter visitor, frequenting riverbank alders; absent in summer
- Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis flammea)
- uncommon visitor
- Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
- scarce resident, one pair often seen in canal-side hawthorn hedge
- Linnet (Carduelis cannabina)
- regular visitor in small numbers, most frequently on the embankment N of large pool
- Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)
- occasional visitor in small numbers; territorial pair at large pool 2003 with 2+ juvs seen in August; still in regular song from island in 2004
Return to local patch page
Return to birds page