Wintering FIRECRESTS and both BARNACLE and WHITE-FRONTED GEESE still present in South Bucks - LGRE Diary Notes

FRIDAY 21 JANUARY

After a sharp frost, another cold day with clear blue skies and sunshine. Beautiful birding conditions.

CHAFFINCH HOUSE, LITTLE CHALFONT (BUCKS)

Five 'fat' Woodpigeons now resident in the garden, 1 SONG THRUSH still (since early December), 3 Goldfinch, 4 Coal Tits and 2 Robins (incidentally sharing the same birdtable together - a rare sight)

HOGBACK WOOD, BEACONSFIELD (BUCKS) (SU 928 913)

Hogback Wood lies on the extreme western fringe of Beaconsfield and is a relatively small area of mixed deciduous and conifer woodland. What is has got is an enormous amount of Holly and it is this habitat which I feel is attracting the increasing number of FIRECRESTS - a species which is now resident in the Chiltern woodlands. This same habitat proves extremely productive for Firecrests in the New Forest in Hampshire.

Thanks to local birder Wally Smith, I eventually (after over two hours of searching) tracked down 3 wintering FIRECRESTS and a single Goldcrest. They were favouring an area of dense Holly scrub about 85 yards in from the gardens, accessed by walking down the main ride at the end of Woodside Road for 100 yards (parallel with the railway line) and then turning right by the crater and climbing up the slope for a further 35-50 yards where it meets the Holly. In fact, it is almost like a 'tunnel of Holly' here and extends for about 60 yards and this was by far the favoured area. Although they were largely silent today, they could be located by their distinctive calls.

I also recorded 8 Redwings, 10 Common Blackbirds, Nuthatch, 5 Coal Tits, 15 Blue Tits, 11 Great Tits, 4 Wrens, 2 Common Magpies, 2 Jays, 2 Robins, 8 Long-tailed Tits and Great Spotted Woodpecker in the wood.

DORNEY ROWING LAKES (SOUTH BUCKS)

The small lake to the east of the lakes yielded 2 Little Grebes, 2 Mute Swans, a single Northern Pochard and 46 Tufted Duck whilst the Seasonal Pool a pair of COMMON SHELDUCK (my first of the year in Bucks). The fields to the west continued to harbour the large flock of grazing geese including the 15 BARNACLE GEESE of unknown origin. All 15 birds were seen to be unringed and are certainly not of local origin.

JUBILEE RIVER, MARSH LANE WEIR AND TAPLOW LAKE (SOUTH BUCKS)

The 250 or so Greylag Geese were still present and in amongst them were still 5 remaining EURASIAN WHITE-FRONTED GEESE - a family party including 3 juveniles.

The 20 Mute Swans were still present in the adjacent crop field and the Amerden Scrapes area held 5 Great Crested Grebe and 8 Pochards.

Neighbouring Taplow Lake held 7 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Pochard, 17 Tufted Duck and 4 Coot.

QUEEN MOTHER RESERVOIR (BERKSHIRE)
(permit access only)

There was no sign of yesterday's GREAT NORTHERN DIVER but the long-staying immature VELVET SCOTER was still present but distant (favouring the west shore)

TROY MILL GRAVEL PITS (HERTFORDSHIRE)

A total of 5 collybita CHIFFCHAFFS were showing well in the afternoon sunshine in the overhanging vegetation bordering the River Colne at the extreme south end of Troy Mill GP (immediately behind the Broadwater Pit Sailing Club) but there was no sign of last year's overwintering Siberian Chiffchaff nor of any Scandinavian Chiffchaffs.

The area held a very impressive count of Coot - 512 in all - but surprisingly few Gadwall - and just 9 Great Crested Grebe, 18 Mute Swan and 96 Tufted Duck.

TILEHOUSE PIT NORTH (SOUTH BUCKS)

This used to be a brilliant site for wintering Smew but few people ever look here now. I did today bit it was very quiet - just Great Crested Grebe, 2 Mute Swans, 12 Tufted Duck and 58 Coot present.

LYNSTERS FARM FIELD (HERTS)

Two EGYPTIAN GEESE-types were with the 52 Atlantic Canada Geese grazing and 16 Gadwall on the pool. Ten Common Magpies were also in attendance.