YEARLISTING IN 2016

Compared to most recent years, when for example I recorded 165 species in the county in 2011, 187 in 2012 and 173 in 2013, this has been a particularly poor one with just 157 species recorded by mid December - one of my worst years on record

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



Wednesday 28 January 2009

A COMPLETE WASHOUT - IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

WEDNESDAY 28 JANUARY 2009

Well, it rained all day long, but fortunately it was fairly light drizzle for much of the time

BERKHAMSTED COMMON

I arranged to meet Francis Buckle and Roy Nye early afternoon and together we searched for the redpoll flock seen earlier in the week. This was my second attempt to locate this scarce bird in the area and once again drew a complete blank. Apart from a few Coal Tits, 10+ Blue Tits and several Great Tits around a large garden, it was birdless. A WOODCOCK was flushed from the woodland understorey (FB, RN)

If anybody knows of any reliable redpolls, I will be more than grateful to hear of them.

LITTLE MARLOW GP

Well it had to happen didn't it? After roosting for two consecutive nights on the trot, the 3 Eurasian Curlews failed to materialize this afternoon and after searching from 1530 until 1730 I gave up disillusioned. I am certainly not in favour at the moment after missing a Lesser Yellowlegs by a few minutes yesterday (with it reappearing again just after I left, after five hours searching) and dipping on five separate occasions on the Cambridgeshire Rough-legged Buzzard.

Anyway, Little Marlow spit was full of birds..... The list...

Great Crested Grebe (19)
Grey Heron (2)
Sinensis Cormorant (42 roosting)
Mute Swans (5)
Greylag Geese (57 came in after dark to roost)
Canada Geese (28)
COMMON SHELDUCK (1 still present)
Eurasian Wigeon (117)
Common Teal (32)
Gadwall (25)
Shoveler (12)
Tufted Duck (85)
Pochard (56+)
Lapwing (781, many departing at dusk to visit neighbouring farmland to feed)

It was an excellent gull roost with at least 4,062 birds present, including 2,952 Black-headed, 538 Common (still arriving in small flocks up until dark), 225 Herring (mostly Scandinavian argentatus), 316 Lesser Black-backed, 28 Great Black-backed and 3 adult YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS.