The Story So Far Listing 2009

A total of 179 species has been recorded in Buckinghamshire by 29th May 2009
LGRE has seen 154 species (those marked in blue)

1) Great Crested Grebe
2) Little Grebe
3) BLACK-NECKED GREBE
4) Atlantic Great Cormorant
5) EURASIAN BITTERN
6) LITTLE EGRET
7) Grey Heron
8) WHITE STORK
9) EURASIAN SPOONBILL
10) Mute Swan
11) WHOOPER SWAN
12) EURASIAN WHITE-FRONT*
13) PINK-FOOTED GOOSE*
14) Greylag Goose
15) Atlantic Canada Goose
16) Barnacle Goose
17) DARK-BELLIED BRENT*
18) Common Shelduck
19) Ruddy Shelduck*
20) Egyptian Goose
21) Mandarin Duck
22) Mallard
23) Gadwall
24) PINTAIL
25) Shoveler
26) Eurasian Wigeon
27) Common Teal
28) Northern Pochard
29) Red-crested Pochard
30) GREATER SCAUP
31) Tufted Duck
32) RING-NECKED DUCK
33) Common Goldeneye
34) SMEW
35) Goosander
36) RUDDY DUCK
37) OSPREY
38) Red Kite
39) MARSH HARRIER
40) HEN HARRIER
41) Common Buzzard
42) Eurasian Sparrowhawk
43) NORTHERN GOSHAWK
44) Common Kestrel
45) Hobby
46) Peregrine
47) MERLIN
48) Red-legged Partridge
49) Grey Partridge
50) Common Pheasant
51) Water Rail
52) Moorhen
53) Coot
54) Oystercatcher
55) Little Ringed Plover
56) Ringed Plover
57) GREY PLOVER
58) European Golden Plover
59) Lapwing
60) RED KNOT
61) SANDERLING
62) TURNSTONE
63) DUNLIN
64) GREEN SANDPIPER
65) Common Sandpiper
66) Common Redshank
67) Common Greenshank
68) BLACK-TAILED GODWIT
69) BAR-TAILED GODWIT
70) EURASIAN CURLEW
71) WHIMBREL
72) Woodcock
73) Common Snipe
74) JACK SNIPE
75) RUFF
76) Black-headed Gull
77) Common Gull
78) MEDITERRANEAN GULL
79) Herring Gull
80) Yellow-legged Gull
81) CASPIAN GULL
82) Lesser Black-backed Gull
83) Great Black-backed Gull
84) LITTLE GULL
85) KITTIWAKE
86) ICELAND GULL*
87) (GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL** - record still under review)
88) LITTLE TERN
89) SANDWICH TERN
90) Common Tern
91) ARCTIC TERN
92) BLACK TERN
93) Stock Dove
94) Woodpigeon
95) Collared Dove
96) RUROPEAN TURTLE DOVE
97) Common Cuckoo
98) Tawny Owl
99) SHORT-EARED OWL
100) Barn Owl
101) Little Owl
102) Common Swift
103) Common Kingfisher
104) Ring-necked Parakeet
105) Green Woodpecker
106) Great Spotted Woodpecker
107) LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER
108) Skylark
109) WOODLARK
110) Sand Martin
111) Barn Swallow
112) House Martin
113) WATER PIPIT
114) Meadow Pipit
115) TREE PIPIT
116) Pied Wagtail
117) WHITE WAGTAIL
118) Yellow Wagtail
119) Grey Wagtail
120) Wren
121) BOHEMIAN WAXWING
122) Dunnock
123) Robin
124) COMMON NIGHTINGALE
125) COMMON REDSTART
126) BLACK REDSTART
127) Northern Wheatear
128) COMMON STONECHAT
129) WHINCHAT
130) Song Thrush
131) Redwing
132) Mistle Thrush
133) Fieldfare
134) Common Blackbird
135) RING OUZEL
136) Garden Warbler
137) Blackcap
138) Lesser Whitethroat
139) Common Whitethroat
140) Sedge Warbler
141) Grasshopper Warbler
142) Cetti’s Warbler
143) Western Reed Warbler
144) Willow Warbler
145) Common Chiffchaff
146) Goldcrest
147) FIRECREST
148) Spotted Flycatcher
149) Great Tit
150) Blue Tit
151) Coal Tit
152) Marsh Tit
153) WILLOW TIT
154) Long-tailed Tit
155) Nuthatch
156) Common Treecreeper
157) NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE
158) Magpie
159) Jay
160) Jackdaw
161) Rook
162) Carrion Crow
163) COMMON RAVEN
164) Common Starling
165) House Sparrow
166) TREE SPARROW
167) Chaffinch
168) BRAMBLING
169) Linnet
170) Lesser Redpoll
171) MEALY REDPOLL
172) Goldfinch
173) Greenfinch
174) Siskin
175) Bullfinch
176) HAWFINCH (14/1)
177) Reed Bunting
178) Yellowhammer
179) Corn Bunting

Tyringham Bridge HOBBIES

Still 4 HOBBIES around Tyringham Bridge at 17.40 tonight.Mainly hunting in the 'wind shadow' to the trees separating the meadows from the Newport-Northampton road.

One Tern, but unfortunately not a Whiskered! (Peter Allen)

PAINTED LADIES and SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS

With the wife I visited Hughenden Manor today and saw 4 painted Ladies in the walled garden. 2 of them appeared very faded and worn whereas the other 2 were pristine. We then visited my friends place at Rockwell End where we were treated to a constant flow of Painted Ladies across his garden well over a hundred in just over an hour. (There were comments about the invasion on Springwatch this evening, the bit after the main show).

Also sat watching a Spotted Flycatcher (which breed on his property); he also has a Barn owl visiting his outbuildings and though he has only seen one at a time it has been visiting a nest box on the adjacent property.He also has breeding swallows, though not as many pairs as last year (possibly due to the spot chosen by the Barn Owl to roost during the day).

Sitting on his patio with a nice beer it was possible to watch the comings and goings of a dozen species all breeding on or adjacent to his property with Red Kites overhead and Yellowhammer just down the lane. Encouraging to see Blue Tits able to provide a constant flow of food with visits to the nest box timed regularily under a minute. (Dave Cleal)

A COLLEGE LAKE TREAT - WILD POLECATS

Since Saturday, a family of four 'juvenile' EUROPEAN POLECATS Putorius putorius (there were initially five youngsters but one was found dead) have been showing incredibly well in front of the 'Windon in the Woods' hide adjacent to the Information Centre at COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT Reserve, just east of Tring.

After Nancy and Paul's note and phone conversations with both Dave Bilcock and Steve Rodwell, I visited in the 22 degrees heat of this afternoon (along with Steve's partner Vicky), and from 1500-1600 hours, all four playful furry animals were on show almost constantly, regularly visiting the pond to drink, despite a background of 70's progressive rock bellowing out of the speakers from a nearby drinking house! The views were remarkable and by far the best I have ever had. I would be most grateful if somebody could kindly email me some images for the blog. This is perhaps the best opportunity you will ever have to study these primarily nocturnal animals at such close range. The hide can just about sustain four people, but be extremely quiet or they just won't show.

A SPOTTED FLYCATCHER was also visiting the pond (Dave Bilcock), with a female Great Spotted Woodpecker at the feeders.

Whilst at the hide, I learnt of a ringtail harrier species flying high over Ivinghoe Hills NR (Steps Hill) (per Jonathon Nasir) but despite racing out there, I failed to intercept it.

PITSTONE HILL yielded two 'jangling' male CORN BUNTINGS, 3 separate singing male YELLOWHAMMERS and 6 individual pairs of LINNET.

Eight Goldfinches (including a family party of 5 birds) was noted along Chesham Vale, with 3 COMMON SWIFTS and a RED KITE over Chesham itself.

Common Starlings have successfully bred in Little Chalfont, with at least two juveniles fledged (since 23rd May).

WOODLARK population stumbled upon

Unbeknown to me, up to 4 singing male WOODLARKS have been present at a site in the south of the county for the past four years. I visited this morning and was delighted to see two singing males, one of which performed by sitting on telegraph wires for 45 minutes solid. The habitat is superb and it is hoped the population will bolster in numbers.

The area was saturated in RED KITES - I counted at least 45 birds, with 25 in or around Stokenchurch. The site also held an impressive number of breeding YELLOWHAMMERS, as well Barn Swallow and House Martin.

COWLEAZE WOOD produced 3 SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS

Lee G R Evans

North Bucks HOBBIES

From Martin Norwood:

Up to 19 Hobbies have been seen at Tyringham Bridge in recent days.

It seems that late afternoon is the best time.

Recent Highlights 6-20 May 2009

7 May: a SANDERLING was at Manor Farm New Workings (Chris Gleadell), whilst a WHINCHAT was at Lodge Hill, Saunderton (Warren Claydon)

8 May: the long-staying WHIMBREL remained at Dorney Rowing Lakes, with two EUROPEAN TURTLE DOVES south at midday

9 May: the above WHIMBREL remained, with migrant WHINCHATS at Pitstone Hill and at Widmer End and at Dorney Rowing Lakes (2).

10 May: a RUFF arrived at Little Marlow Spade Oak Pit, the same bird being seen at Dorney, along with the remaining WHIMBREL and a single DUNLIN. A further WHIMBREL flew north over Rowsham (Mike Wallen) and a male WHINCHAT was in the paddocks at College Lake.

11 May: incredibly, the WHIMBREL remained at Dorney Rowing Lakes, where 3 RUFF arrived on the Seasonal Pool. Two further WHIMBREL flew east over Linford NR early afternoon, with the 3 RUFF relocating to Spade Oak Pit in the evening. Two COMMON GREENSHANK touched down in Pitstone Quarry, with 2 more at Little Marlow, along with a single DUNLIN and a COMMON SANDPIPER.

12 May: perhaps the longest-staying county WHIMBREL ever remained at Dorney, where two of the three RUFF returned (a single remaining on the spit at Marlow) and a COMMON GREENSHANK visited. Three BLACK TERN were at Willen Lake South Basin in the afternoon, where a BAR-TAILED GODWIT flew through.

13 May: 3 COMMON GREENSHANK, the WHIMBREL and a GREY PLOVER were on the Seasonal Pool at Dorney early morning, with the 3 remaining RUFF, 3 DUNLIN and a LITTLE TERN at Spade Oak at midday. A further BLACK TERN arrived at Willen Lake with yet another LITTLE TERN, the latter being joined by a second bird at 1510. This increased to four by late eveing, whilst 13 BLACK TERNS arrived at Little Marlow and 11 more on Calvert Sailing Lakes. Three more BLACK TERN were at Foxcote Reservoir and two LITTLE TERN dropped in on Calvert. A male RING OUZEL was on the grass by the Premier Lodge at Willen Lake in the evening.

14 May: A SHORT-EARED OWL was at Linford NR early morning but the big news was the arrival of two adult EURASIAN SPOONBILLS on the spit at Willen Lake North early afternoon. A BLACK TERN was on Calvert Sailing Lake, with two COMMON GREENSHANKS, the WHIMBREL, DUNLIN and a WHINCHAT at Dorney on 15th.

15 May: the two adult EURASIAN SPOONBILLS were seen again at Willen Lake early morning before relocating to Linford NR bund, whilst another seen prviously at Port Meadow in Oxford flew NE over College Lake on 16th. Manor Farm held a single BLACK TERN and an exceptional flock of 27 TUNDRA RINGED PLOVERS. At the same time, TURNSTONES on the ski tow walkway at Willen Lake South Basin increased to 3 during the day. An ARCTIC TERN was also noted at Willen.

17 May: two TURNSTONES were at Willen lake North Basin, with a SHORT-EARED OWL flushed at Wing

BLACK-NECKED GREBE DELIGHT

SUNDAY 3 MAY 2009

The wind veered Northwesterly overnight bringing cool winds and much cooler temperatures. The wind remained quite fresh throughout the day with fairly overcast skies and occasional sunny periods.

WILLEN LAKE SOUTH & NORTH BASINS (1130-1300 hours)

Most surprisingly, took an early text from Simon informing me of 3 BLACK-NECKED GREBES that wonder-man Rob Hill had discovered on Willen South. Wasting no time, drove straight up to Milton Keynes and within a short time of arriving, spied them from a distance hugging the East Bank.

After parking on the verge close to the hide, crossed the bridge from North to South Basin and followed the circuituous walk anticlockwise for 300 yards to just beyond the Silver Birch line to where all three birds were showing down to just 35 yards! All were in fabulous full breeding plumage, with the bright golden ear-coverts leading back from the bright red eye and orbital ring, deep black crest, forehead, nape, neck, breast and mantle and deep rufous-orange sides, flanks and lower underparts. The grey bills were slightly upturned.

Unfortunately, the birds were being constantly disturbed by all of the water activities going on, including water ski-ing and boating, and on two occasions, they were forced to fly short distances (revealing a thin white wing-bar). They stuck to the edge though and were still present to at least 1700 hours.

I did a full survey of both Basins, with the following results -:

Great Crested Grebe (18 adults)
Sinensis Cormorant (at least 6 pairs nesting)
Grey Heron (8+ pairs nesting on island)
LITTLE EGRET (2 adults)
Mallard (36)
Gadwall (8)
Tufted Duck (14)
Coot (56)
Common Redshank (2)
Common Terns (55+)

COMMON SWIFT (53)
House Martin (14)
Sand Martin (6)
Barn Swallow (13)
Common Blackbird (6+ pairs breeding)
Song Thrush (1 pair feeding young)
CETTI'S WARBLER (singing bird to right of hide)
Sedge Warbler (8 singing males)
Western Reed Warbler (16 singing males)
GARDEN WARBLER (2 singing males by hide)
Willow Warbler (3 singing males)
Blackcaps (several pairs nesting)

LECKHAMPSTEAD WOODS

Very blustery and cold with little sign of singing birds. Consequently no Nightingales, Groppers or capped tits. Tow pairs of BULLFINCH were noted, and a singing male GARDEN WARBLER.

(At least 1 singing male COMMON NIGHTINGALE is on territory here - SN - and at least 6 reeling GRASSHOPPER WARBLERS - further details to follow)

BUCKINGHAM

Two dead BADGERS on the A422 NE of Buckingham - at SP720 350 and SP 740 363 (for Mic Wells to record - can somebody kindly forward me his email address)

BLACK-NECKED GREBES at Willen

Three full-breeding-plumaged BLACK-NECKED GREBES are present at Willen Lake North Basin, visible from the bandstand.

In addition to the gorgeous grebes, also 1 Hobby, 36 Common Tern, c110 Swift, 40+ House Martin, and 2 1st-summer Lesser B-b Gulls (Rob Hill)

MARLOW WHEATEAR

1 Wheatear this afternoon on the polo pitch at Pump Lane also a few yellowhammers and skylarks (Alan Stevens)

WHIMBRELS

Three WHIMBRELS were present at Dorney Rowing Lakes on 1 May with a single bird still remaining on 2nd (per Kevin Duncan)