YEARLISTING IN 2013

2012 resulted in me recording 186 species in the County, possibly my highest annual tally ever; anyway, herewith my Species List of 2013 -:

157) TEMMINCK'S STINT (2), Spade Oak Pit, 18 May; 156) SANDERLING, Manor Farm, 11 May; Monk Parakeet, Hartwell House, Aylesbury, 8 May; 155) LITTLE STINT, Manor Farm, 7 May; 154) WOOD SANDPIPER, Manor Farm, 7 May; 153) GRASSHOPPER WARBLER, Weston Turville Reservoir, 2 May; 152) GARGANEY (pair), Linford NR, 1 May; 151) Yellow Wagtail, Marsworth, 16 April; 150) Lesser Whitethroat, College Lake, 30 April; 149) Common Cuckoo, College Lake, 30 April; 148) Garden Warbler, Spade Oak Pit, 30 April; 147) Hobby, Marlow Low Grounds, 30 April; 146) WOOD WARBLER, Marlow Low Grounds, 30 April; 145) WHINCHAT, Pump Lane, Marlow, 30 April; Blue-headed Wagtail, Marsworth Horsefields, 29 April; 144) Sedge Warbler, Marsworth Reservoir, 25 April; 143) Western Reed Warbler, Marsworth Reservoir, 25 April; 142) Common Swift, Marsworth, 25 April; 141) BLACK TERN, Startop's End, 25 April; 140) Common Whitethroat, Startop's End, 16 April; 139) ARCTIC TERN (4+), Startop's End, 16 April; 138) Ringed Plover, Manor Farm, 16 April; 137) Common Sandpiper, Manor Farm, 16 April; 136) COMMON GREENSHANK, Manor Farm, 16 April; 135) Willow Warbler, Chesham Fishing Lakes, 15 April; 134) House Martin, Marsworth Grand Union Canal, 12 April; 133) Common Tern, Startop's End, 12 April; 132) OSPREY flew east over Marsworth, 12 April; 131) Dunlin (9 birds), Dorney Lakes, 26 March; 130) Barn Swallow, Marsworth, 11 April; 129) RING OUZEL, Wing, 7 April; 128) STONE CURLEW, Gallows Bridge BBOWT, 3 April; 127) ICELANDIC BLACK-TAILED GODWIT (17), STOCKLAKE MEADOWS, 3 April; 126) WHITE WAGTAIL (6 birds noted in total), Spade Oak/Dorney Reach, 02 April; 125) Sand Martin, Weston Turville Reservoir, 31 March; 124) BLACK REDSTART, Jubilee River, 27 March; 123) EURASIAN CURLEW, Gallows Bridge, 27 March; 122) WATER PIPIT, Startop's End Reservoir, 27 March; 121) SCANDINAVIAN ROCK PIPIT (2 birds), Dorney Rowing Lakes, 26 March; 120) Little Ringed Plover, Dorney Rowing Lakes, 26 March; 119) Northern Wheatear, Marlow/Dorney, 26 March; BALTIC GULL, Hedgerley Landfill, 9 March: 118) Common Redshank, College Lake, 6 March; 117) COMMON STONECHAT, 2 males, Stoke Common, 3 March; 116) ICELAND GULL, Hedgerley Landfill, 18 February; 115) Oystercatcher, Gayhurst Pit, 3 March; 114) MEDITERRANEAN GULL, Spade Oak Pit, 21 February; 113) JACK SNIPE (two different birds), Broughton & Spade Oak Pit, 19 February; 112) BITTERN, Marsworth Reservoir (Bucks Reedbed), 18 February; 111) WHOOPER SWAN, College Lake, 18 February; 110) WILLOW TIT, Linford NR, 3 February; 109) SLAVONIAN GREBE, Tongwell Lake, 3 February; 108) Tawny Owl, Quianton, 31 January; 107) European Golden Plover, Gallows Bridge, 31 January; 106) EURASIAN WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (ad & fw), Dorney Common, 29 January; 105) NORTHERN PINTAIL, Spade Oak, 3 drakes, 23 January; 104) COMMON CROSSBILL (13), Black Park Country Park, 17 January; 103) Blackcap, Crabbe Crescent Chesham, 16 January; 102) SMEW, College Lake BBOWT, 11 January; 101) Common Kingfisher, Chess Valley, 9 January; 100) CASPIAN GULL (1w), Spade Oak Pit, Little Marlow, 8 January; 99) FIRECREST (4 individuals), Hogback Wood Beaconsfield, 8 January; 98) Siskin, Chesham Fishing Lakes, 8 January; 97) Green Woodpecker, Chess Valley, 8 January; 96) LITTLE OWL, Chess Valley, 8 January; 95) Common Treecreeper, Hogback Wood, Beaconsfield, 7 January; 94) Mistle Thrush, Penn, 5 January; 93) GREY PARTRIDGE, Little Linford Wood, 6 January; 92) Barnacle Goose, Emberton Lakes, 6 January; 91) Lesser Redpoll, Stoke Goldington, 6 January; 90) TREE SPARROW (29 birds), Stoke Goldington, 6 January; 89) DARK-BELLIED BRENT GOOSE, Newport Pagnell GP, 6 January; 88) Marsh Tit, Gayhurst Quarry Wood, 6 January; 87) Yellowhammer, Lodge Hill Farm, 05 January; 86) CORN BUNTING (38 birds), Lodge Hill Farm, 05 January; 85) Red-legged Partridge, Lodge Hill, 05 January; 84) GREATER SCAUP, Marlow Roach Pit, 05 January; 83) Bullfinch, Westhorpe Sailing Lake, 05 January; 82) Common Shelduck, Spade Oak Pit, 05 January; 81) Green Sandpiper, Spade Oak Pit, 05 January; Bar-headed Goose, Spade Oak, 05 January; 80) Greylag Goose, Spade Oak Pit, 05 January; 79) SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF, Eton Wick, 05 January; 78) Eurasian Skylark, Eton Wick, 05 January; 77) Coal Tit, Burnham Beeches NNR, 05 January; 76) Mandarin Duck, Burnham Beeches NNR, 05 January; 75) Great Black-backed Gull, Hedgerley Tip, 05 January; 74) Song Thrush, Hillmotts Wood, 05 January; 73) BRAMBLING (27 birds), Penn Street Farm, 05 January; 72) COMMON RAVEN, Chess Valley, 04 January; 71) BARN OWL, Chess Valley, 3 January; 70) YELLOW-LEGGED GULL, Foxcote Reservoir, 2 January; 69) GLAUCOUS GULL, Foxcote Reservoir, 2 January; 68) Teal, Foxcote Reservoir, 2 January; 67) Linnet, Gallows Bridge BBOWT, 2 January; 66) Common Goldeneye, Wotton Underwood, 2 January; 65) GOOSANDER, Wotton Underwood Lake, 2 January; 64) Redwing, Westcott, 2 January; 63) Peregrine, Aylesbury, 2 January; 62) BOHEMIAN WAXWING (6 birds), Hazlemere, 02 January; 61) Red-crested Pochard, College Lake, 2 January; 60) Common Snipe, College Lake, 02 January; 59) Common Gull, College Lake, 02 January; 58) Wigeon, College Lake BBOWT, 02 January; 57) Herring Gull, Chess Valley, 02 January; 56) Common Pheasant, Castleman's Farm, 01 January; 55) Egyptian Goose, Castleman's Farm, 01 January; 54) Meadow Pipit, Eton Wick, 01 January; 53) Jay, Eton Wick, 01 January; 52) Water Rail, Eton Wick, 01 January; 51) Lapwing, Eton Wick, 01 January; 50) Collared Dove, Eton Wick, 01 January; 49) Common Blackbird, Eton Wick, 01 January; 48) Cetti's Warbler, Eton Wick, 01 January; 47) Fieldfare, Eton Wick, 01 January; 46) Greenfinch, Eton Wick, 01 January; 45) Common Chiffchaff, Eton Wick, 01 January; 44) Grey Wagtail, Eton Wick, 01 January; 43) Pied Wagtail, Eton Wick, 01 January; 42) Cormorant, Jubilee River, 01 January; 41) Great Crested Grebe, Eton Wick, 01 January; 40) Lesser Black-backed Gull, Eton Wick, 01 January; 39) Reed Bunting, Eton Wick, 01 January; 38) Ring-necked Parakeet, Jubilee River, 01 January; 37) Sparrowhawk, Jubilee River, 01 January; 36) Grey Heron, Shardeloes Lake, 01 January; 35) Northern Shoveler, Shardeloes Lake, 01 January; 34) Carrion Crow, Shardeloes Lake, 01 January; 33) Great Spotted Woodpecker, Latimer, 01 January; 32) GREAT WHITE EGRET, Latimer Great Water, 01 January; 31) Nuthatch, Latimer House, 01 January; 30) Gadwall, Chesham SW, 01 January; 29) Rook, Chesham, 01 January; 28) Little Grebe, Pow Wow Lake, 01 January; 27) Great Tit, Chesham, 01 January; 26) Moorhen, Chesham Fishing Lakes, 01 January; 25) Mallard, Chesham Fishing Lakes, 01 January; 24) Northern Pochard, Chesham Fishing Lakes, 01 January; 23) Tufted Duck, Chesham Fishing Lakes, 01 January; 22) Atlantic Canada Goose, Chesham Fishing lakes, 01 January; 21) Dunnock, Chesham, 01 January; 20) Chaffinch, Chesham, 01 January; 19) Robin, Chesham, 01 January; 18) Wren, Chesham, 01 January; 17) Black-headed Gull, Chesham, 01 January; 16) Coot, Chesham Bois Mill, 01 January; 15) Mute Swan, Chesham, 01 January; 14) Stock Dove, Chess Valley, 01 January; 13) Common Kestrel, Mill Farm, 01 January; 12) Red Kite, Chess Valley, 01 January; 11) Common Buzzard, Chess Valley, 01 January; 10) Common Magpie, Mill Farm, 01 January; 9) Woodpigeon, Mill farm, 01 January; 8) Jackdaw, Mill Farm, 01 January; 7) Long-tailed Tit, Chenies Place, 01 January; 6) Blue Tit, Chenies, 1 January; 5) Goldcrest, Chenies, 1 January; 4) Little Egret, Chess Valley, 01 January; 3) Starling, Chaffinch House, 01 January; 2) House Sparrow, Chaffinch House, 01 January; 01) Goldfinch, Chaffinch House, 01 January


YEARLISTING IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

It's all over - 2012 has come to an end. I managed a total of 187 out of the 198 species recorded all told in Buckinghamshire - 94% of the total - probably my highest-ever annual tally.

The current record is 191 species achieved in 2006 and held jointly by both Rob Hill and Simon Nichols



My Buckinghamshire Year List in 2012

1) GREAT NORTHERN DIVER (Caldecott Lake); 2) Great Crested Grebe; 3) Little Grebe; 4) Cormorant; 5) BITTERN (Weston Turville Res); 6) Little Egret; 7) Grey Heron; 8) Mute Swan; 9) Greylag Goose; 10) Atlantic Canada Goose; 11) Egyptian Goose; 12) Mandarin Duck; 13) Mallard; 14) Gadwall; 15) NORTHERN PINTAIL (Foxcote Res); 16) Shoveler; 17) Eurasian Wigeon; 18) Common Teal; 19) Northern Pochard; 20) RED-CRESTED POCHARD (pair at College Lake); 21) Tufted Duck; 22) Common Goldeneye; 23) SMEW (drake at Caldecotte Lake South); 24) GOOSANDER; 25) Red Kite; 26) Common Buzzard; 27) Sparrowhawk; 28) Common Kestrel; 29) PEREGRINE (Aylesbury pair); 30) Red-legged Partridge; 31) Common Pheasant; 32) Water Rail; 33) Moorhen; 34) Coot; 35) European Golden Plover; 36) Lapwing; 37) Common Snipe; 38) Black-headed Gull; 39) Common Gull; 40) Herring Gull; 41) YELLOW-LEGGED GULL; 42) CASPIAN GULL (3 adults at Hedgerley Landfill); 43) Lesser Black-backed Gull; 44) Great Black-backed Gull; 45) GLAUCOUS GULL (juvenile at Hedgerley); 46) ICELAND GULL (2nd-winter at Hedgerley and 2nd-winter & juv at Calvert BBOWT); 47) LITTLE AUK (at College Lake BBOWT, my first-ever in the county); 48) Stock Dove; 49) Woodpigeon; 50) Collared Dove; 51) SHORT-EARED OWL (Gallows Bridge); 52) Ring-necked Parakeet; 53) Common Kingfisher; 54) Green Woodpecker; 55) Great Spotted Woodpecker; 56) Skylark; 57) Meadow Pipit; 58) Pied Wagtail; 59) Grey Wagtail; 60) Wren; 61) Dunnock; 62) Robin; 63) Song Thrush; 64) Redwing; 65) Mistle Thrush; 66) Fieldfare; 67) Common Blackbird; 68) CETTI'S WARBLER; 69) Goldcrest; 70) Great Tit; 71) Coal Tit; 72) Blue Tit; 73) Marsh Tit; 74) WILLOW TIT (Linford); 75) Long-tailed Tit; 76) Nuthatch; 77) Common Treecreeper; 78) Common Magpie; 79) Jay; 80) Jackdaw; 81) Rook; 82) Carrion Crow; 83) COMMON RAVEN; 84) Common Starling; 85) House Sparrow; 86) Chaffinch; 87) BRAMBLING; 88) Linnet; 89) LESSER REDPOLL; 90) Goldfinch; 91) Greenfinch; 92) Siskin; 93) Bullfinch; 94) COMMON CROSSBILL; 95) Reed Bunting; 96) Yellowhammer; 97) Common Shelduck, College Lake BBOWT, 4 February; 98) DARK-BELLIED BRENT GOOSE, College Farm, 4 February; 99) SNOW BUNTING, Startop's End, 4 February; 100) Tawny Owl, Shardeloes, 6 February; 101) GREEN SANDPIPER, Chenies Bottom, 6 February; 102) GREY PARTRIDGE (6), Kimble Wick, 9 February; 103) Common Chiffchaff (6), Eton Wick, 9 February; 104) SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF (2), Eton Wick, 11 February; 105) JACK SNIPE, Eton Wick, 11 February; 106) Little Owl, Burnham Library, 11 February; 107) RED KNOT, Drayton Beauchamp, 12 February; 108) WATER PIPIT, Startop's, 15 February; 109) TREE SPARROW, Stoke Goldington, 15 February; 110) MERLIN, Weston Underwood, 15 February; 111) FIRECREST (3), Hogback Wood, Beaconsfield, 18 February; 112) LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER, Church Wood RSPB, 19 February; 113) CORN BUNTING (29 birds), Saunderton, 19 February; 114) MEDITERRANEAN GULL, Hedgerley Landfill, 20 February; 115) BEARDED TIT, Jubilee River, Dorney Wetlands, 24 February; 116) Blackcap, Chesham Fishing Lake, 27 February; 117) Oystercatcher, College Lake, 27 February; 118) Common Redshank, College Lake, 27 February; 119) EURASIAN CURLEW, Gallows Bridge, 27 February; 120) WHOOPER SWAN (adult), Briarfields, 3 March; 121) Barnacle Geese (23), Olney Water Meadows, 3 March; 122) HEN HARRIER, Gallows Bridge, 13 March; 123) WOODCOCK, Short Heath Wood, 13 March; 124) RED-THROATED DIVER, College Lake BBOWT, 14 March; 125) Ringed Plover, College Lake, 14 March; 126) SANDWICH TERN, Spade Oak Pit, Little Marlow, 16 March; 127) SCANDINAVIAN ROCK PIPIT, Spade Oak Pit, 16 March; 128) Northern Wheatear, Ivinghoe/Pitstone (12), 17 March; 129) Sand Martin, Springfield Quarry, 20 March; 130) Little Ringed Plover, College Lake BBOWT, 02 April; 131) Barn Swallow, Spade Oak GP, 02 April; 132) RING OUZEL, Ivinghoe Beacon, 03 April; 133) KITTIWAKE, flying high NNE over Southend Hill, 08 April; 134) Willow Warbler, College Lake BBOWT, 08 April; 135) Yellow Wagtail, Manor Farm, 09 April; 136) WHITE WAGTAIL (2), Manor Farm, 09 April; 137) Common Tern, Willen Lake, 09 April; 138) House Martin, Willen Lake/Chesham Fishing Lakes, 09 April; 139) GARGANEY (pair), Linford NR, 13 April; 140) COMMON REDSTART, Ivinghoe Hills, 13 April; 141) GRASSHOPPER WARBLER, Marsworth, 13 April; 142) Sedge Warbler, Marsworth, 13 April; 143) House Martin, Marsworth, 13 April; 144) BLACK REDSTART, Fulbrook Farm, Quainton, 16 April; 145) ARCTIC TERN, Spade Oak Pit, 17 April; 146) Common Sandpiper, College Lake, 24 April; 147) WHIMBREL, College Lake, 25 April; 148) LITTLE GULL (21), College Lake, 25 April; 149) Western Reed Warbler, College Lake, 24 April; 149) Common Swift, College Lake, 25 April; 150) BLACK TERN, Spade Oak Pit, 25 April; 151) GREY PLOVER, Dorney Rowing Lakes. 29 April; 152) (EUROPEAN) BLACK-TAILED GODWIT, Dorney Rowing Lakes, 29 April; 153) Garden Warbler, Ivinghoe Hills, 30 April; 154) Common Whitethroat, Ivinghoe Beacon, 30 April; 155) WOOD WARBLER, Aylesbury Park Golf Course, 30 April; 156) Lesser Whitethroat, Aylesbury Park Golf Course, 30 April; 157) COMMON NIGHTINGALE, Bledlow, 01 May; 158) BAR-TAILED GODWIT, Sherington Bridge Floods, 03 May; 159) Dunlin, Manor Farm, 02 May; 160) WHINCHAT (4), Broughton Trout Pool Meadows, 05 May; 161) Hobby, College Lake, 8 May; 162) Common Cuckoo, Leyhill, 8 May; 163) RED-FOOTED FALCON, Jubillee River, Marsh Lane Weir, 22 May; 164) GREATER SCAUP, Calvert BBOWT, 28 May; 165) Common Greenshank, Spade Oak, 28 May; 166) Spotted Flycatcher, Little Missenden Churchyard, 30 May ; 167) BLACK-NECKED GREBE, Calvert Sailing Lake, 07 June; 168) COMMON QUAIL, Down Farm Cereal Fields, 15 June; 169) SABINE'S GULL, Startop's End Reservoir, 02 July; 170) Barn Owl, Rockwell End, 06 July; 171) EUROPEAN TURTLE DOVE, Pitstone Green, 16 July; 172) RUFF, Manor Farm, 23 July; 173) LITTLE STINT, College Lake, 12 August; 174) LITTLE TERN (unprecedented flock of 19), Spade Oak GP, 15 August; 175) TURNSTONE, Spade Oak GP, 19 August; 176) TREE PIPIT (2), Ivinghoe Beacon, 22 August; 177) WOOD SANDPIPER, Gallows Bridge BBOWT, 28 August; 178) COMMON STONECHAT, Hardmead, 18 September; 179) PECTORAL SANDPIPER, Dorney Common, 18 September; 180) GREAT WHITE EGRET, over Drayton Beauchamp, 23 September; 181) WOODLARKS (2), Springfield Farm Quarry, 26 September; 182) OSPREY, Ivinghoe Beacon, 26 September; 183) HAWFINCH, Penn Wood, 01 November; 184) RUDDY DUCK, 'Chess Valley', 7-9 November; 185) BOHEMIAN WAXWING, Aylesbury, 19 November; 186) LONG-TAILED DUCK (two juveniles), Foxcote Reservoir, 7 December;

A poor year in 2011

In 2011, a total of 452 species was recorded in Britain and Ireland of which I recorded just 69% (312); Bedfordshire recorded 204 species (of which I saw 94% at 191), Hertfordshire 192 (of which I saw 88.5% at 170) and Buckinghamshire 192 (of which I recorded just 86% at 165)



TOTAL NUMBER OF SPECIES RECORDED IN THE COUNTY IN 2010

The Year ended with 188 species recorded - I managed just 167 of them

Wednesday, 22 May 2013

MARSH HARRIER at Springfield

21 May: Following Frederick's post I decided to check out the Lapwings at Springfield Landfill site. Still 4 pairs with something to protect given their reaction to me and to any predator that dares to approach. This amazingly included a Marsh Harrier!!! Not wanting to aggravate the Lapwings any more than necessary I decided to return by skirting the site around the bund. As I approached the edge of Dipple Wood a raptor came from behind the wood and crossed into the Springfield site. Initially I just assumed it was a Red Kite but as I mentally was putting it into the Kite box, it didn't fit! It was fully 70 yds beyond me before I was convinced this was no Kite. Lighter in the air with wings shaped into a V and lilting side to side as it flew with deep wing beats on a steady northerly trajectory. What confused me most was there didn't appear to be any creamy colouring on the head or inner wings, it just appeared generally chocolaty brown but the jizz was unmistaka ble, especially the ay it jinked to avoid the attention shown by the Lapwings.


I've often thought about the possibility of encountering a Harrier at Springfield but I assumed it would be a Hen Harrier in winter, this was out of the 'far side'.

Last seen heading virtually due north so would have gone up the west side of Beaconsfield

Family party of 5 Ravens as well.   Dave Cleal
Posted by at

Monday, 20 May 2013

More SANDERLINGS and TUNDRA RINGED PLOVERS

MONDAY 20 MAY


With a northerly wind blowing, temperatures pegged back a little today. The rain kept away, as did the sun.

With nothing happening other than in Northumberland and further north in Scotland, all my efforts concentrated solely on local birding. When Adam Bassett found 2 SANDERLING at Spade Oak, that's where I finally ended up..........

I spent most of the morning searching for Spotted Flycatcher but after checking three regular sites, it certainly seemed that they are yet to arrive....LITTLE MISSENDON producing just 3 Gadwall and a singing Song Thrush in the church area of the Misbourne, DROPMORE nothing of interest and ST MARY'S CHURCH, WENDOVER, similar.

Rather belatedly, my first Brown Rat of the year was an animal that ran across the A40 at the very west end of BEACONSFIELD at SU 923 898

Arriving at SPADE OAK GRAVEL PIT (LITTLE MARLOW) at the same time as Graham Smith, we both joined Adam moments later, with his 2 SANDERLINGS (one in pretty good nick and the other a step up from winter plumage) still showing well on the end of the spit. In fact, they seemed quite settled, and were still present 90 minutes later when I left at 1500 hours. In the meantime, a succession of observers came and went, including Mike & Rose, John Edwards and Dick Seekins. Although distant, I managed to get some identifiable images (see my Buckinghamshire Birding website).









Otherwise, 2 migrant TUNDRA RINGED PLOVER, a LITTLE RINGED PLOVER, 6 Common Shelducks, Common Kingfisher, 40+ Common Swifts and a nice HOBBY, as well as 2 Roe Deer feeding on Willow trees (see pix).






Along CHERRY LANE by FARTHINGS STABLES in WOODROW, 4 LAPWING were commuting between here and cereal fields the opposite side of Amersham Road.
Posted by at

Saturday, 18 May 2013

You just cannot afford to go to sleep these days













The TUNDRA RINGED PLOVER in the lower two shots

SATURDAY 18 MAY


You just cannot afford to get any sleep with this game. After losing two night's sleep in succession, today due to a certain DUSKY THRUSH in Margate Cemetery, I returned home at 0900 hours to get some sleep. No sooner had I got under the sheets than Jason Ward texted with news of a Wood Sandpiper at Amwell Nature Reservoir, a species I still had not seen in Hertfordshire this year..

I jumped up, got dressed and drove over there, but after just half an hour, the Wood Sandpiper had departed and I dipped - solace being achieved in a singing male GARDEN WARBLER and a single male LITTLE RINGED PLOVER (other species on tap being 3 Common Redshanks, 40+ Black-headed Gulls on rafts, 8+ Common Terns, 100+ Common Swifts, Sedge Warbler and calling COMMON CUCKOO and CETTI'S WARBLER)

Feeling terribly knackered by this time, I again returned home to get some sleep. This time I recharged the phone downstairs which was a grave mistake. By 4pm, a succession of local birders had been frantically trying to contact me after Alan Stephens had discovered two TEMMINCK'S STINTS at Spade Oak Gravel Pits. My own fault of course.

Anyway, waking at 1830 hours, I checked the mobile and learnt of my mistakes. Graham Smith kindly filled me in. I was at SPADE OAK within 17 minutes and to my horror, the gathered crowd had just lost the two birds. Nightmare! I continued on to the east side of the pit and by a miracle, relocated both birds after they had been disturbed by a Red Fox. They then flew back towards the spit and continued to show reasonably well until at least 1930 hours, enabling me to get a series of record shots of the two birds. Both were in full breeding plumage and were accompanying a single TUNDRA RINGED PLOVER. Also noted were 6 Common Shelducks, 27 Egyptian Geese, 73 Argenteus Herring Gulls and 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

On the way home, driving through BEACONSFIELD (on the A355), I was saddened to see a dead Badger by the entrance to ROSECOPSE BARN.
Posted by at

Wednesday, 15 May 2013

MARSH HARRIER this evening

15/5 16:30 : Marsh Harrier : Little Marlow GP.


Cream crown bird flew low north over the lake and then watched circling north of the pit before flying on NW (towards my house!) with Graham Smith.

Adam Bassett
Posted by at

Monday, 13 May 2013

SANDERLING at Manor Farm - 11 May

SATURDAY 11 MAY


Another cold night with a lot of overnight rain and followed by a day of WNW winds and temperatures no higher than 9 degrees C - well under par for the second week of May. I concentrated in the local area as nationally, rarities were few and far between.....

Following an early morning call from Ian Williams, met him and Mike Campbell along the DRY CANAL 200 yards east of DRAYTON BEAUCHAMP (BUCKS) at 0800 hours, where a cracking male WHINCHAT was showing well in the early morning sunshine along the hedgerow running perpendicular to the canal, frustratingly 100 yards into Buckinghamshire. Both Ian and I obtained a series of images of this gorgeous migrant (see both my Tring and Bucks blogs). Also noted in the short stretch of canal hedgerow were Mistle Thrush (singing from trees in the churchyard), 2 Yellowhammer, 4 Linnets and 2 Common Whitethroats.


Simon Nichols then texted with a SANDERLING in North Bucks and, just 23 minutes later, I was with Martin Yapp watching it ! Once again, it was MANOR FARM WORKINGS that had attracted this scarce passage migrant, far and away the best site for waders in the county at the moment. The SANDERLING was in transitional plumage and favouring the eastern set of islands but was too far away to get anything more than a poor record shot.


The wader flock at Manor Farm - 9 Dunlin and 4 Tundra Ringed Plover


The Sanderling....


......and the Greenshank

Also present were a nice breeding-plumaged COMMON GREENSHANK, 9 DUNLINS, 12 Ringed Plover including a party of 4 Arctic-bound TUNDRAE, 6 Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing and Common Redshank. The middle island held 32 Common Terns (seemingly nesting) whilst overhead, 85 Common Swifts, 8 House Martins and 120 Sand Martins were noted.

A male Song Thrush was singing loudly from the hedgerow by the car park.

At STEWARTBY LAKE (BEDS) late morning, no sign of Andy Grimsey's two Turtle Doves but a singing male GARDEN WARBLER and at least 8 WILLOW WARBLERS in the Scrapyard Corner area. In AMPTHILL, no sight nor sound of the Nightingale.

Relocating to TYTTENHANGER GP (HERTS), I finally added Ringed Plover to my Herts Year List - a single feeding on the sand (see pic on my Herts blog). Little else seen though, apart from 2 Little Ringed Plovers. Dipped Tree Sparrows for the umpteenth time this year.

SYMONDSHYDE GP nearby proved more worthwhile, with a drake MANDARIN DUCK and 2 HOBBIES on the usual pit (plus a pair of Mute Swans) and singing GARDEN WARBLER and Common Chiffchaff in the surrounding scrub
Posted by at

Friday, 10 May 2013

Flush of waders at College Lake








FRIDAY 10 MAY


Another day of strong WSW winds, although not as strong as yesterday. It remained dry throughout with some bright interludes - temperatures hovering around 14 degrees C.

Spent a few hours at COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT RESERVE this afternoon where waders were the order of the day. In addition to the breeding pair of OYSTERCATCHERS (see pic), 5 pairs of Lapwing and 8 Common Redshanks, were 3 LITTLE RINGED PLOVERS, a single RINGED PLOVER (my first in the area this year and I still haven't seen one in Herts), a COMMON SANDPIPER and two summer-plumaged DUNLINS.

Joan and I did the wildfowl counts with all 16 Mute Swans in situ (including orange-ringed adult '4AFA'), at least 1 Greylag Goose pair still sitting, 2 drake Mallard, 2 drake Gadwall, a pair of SHOVELER and 17 Tufted Duck; also 6 active Coot nests still. A pair of Common Terns was prospecting on the westernmost island, whilst a LITTLE EGRET dropped in and fished in front of Octagon Hide for 5 minutes before flying off.

Migrantwise, little to be found, other than 35 Common Swifts, 5 House Martins and singles of both singing Sedge Warbler and Willow Warbler

Whilst there, Paul Reed rang to say that his partner Nancy had seen the SHORT-EARED OWL again hunting by the vergeside to the north of IVINGHOE BEACON. Joan and I, Mike Campbell and Graham Smith rushed up there but there was no further sign. In fact, I spent from 1500 through 1830 hours there and yielded nothing more than 4 Common Kestrels, 3 Common Whitethroats and a trickle of Common Swifts moving west.

The display of BLUEBELLS in DOCKEY WOOD (ASHRIDGE FOREST) at SP 965 157 is resplendent and well worth a look (see my images below) whilst Rook activity was in full swing at the 15-strong colony in FLAUNDEN'S HOGPITS BOTTOM PLANTATION at TL 018 013
Posted by at

MARSH HARRIER for second day and SHORT-EARED OWL again

A creamcrown MARSH HARRIER caught and killed a duckling at Calvert Sailing Lake last night (per Warren Claydon) and was still present this morning until early afternoon.

Meanwhile, at Ivinghoe Beacon, the SHORT-EARED OWL appeared again hunting the roadside verge of the main road early afternoon (Nancy Reed)
Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)