TUESDAY 29 JANUARY
A windy start to the day but dry and very mild (12 degrees C); later deterioated somewhat, with near gale force SW winds and driving rain
I did a little bit of local birding first thing before driving to East Sussex and dipping a Bonaparte's Gull for the third time in four days.....
Most pleasing was finding the two Eton Wick EURASIAN WHITE-FRONTED GEESE feeding out on DORNEY COMMON (SOUTH BUCKS), 50 yards west of the flooded area - a single adult and first-winter. They were consorting with 52 Atlantic Canada Geese.
In the neighbouring ROUNDMOOR DITCH at ETON WICK (BERKS/BUCKS BORDER), a hive of activity within 90 yards of the bridge, with no less than 12 Collybita COMMON CHIFFCHAFFS feeding, as well as the well-marked and striking single tristis SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF that is wintering at the site and the similarly-plumaged and rather grey/green/white abietinus or abietinus-intergrade SCANDINAVIAN CHIFFCHAFF (this bird calls fairly frequently, uttering a contact call not dissimilar to Collybita). In addition, two female BLACKCAPS taking advantage of the fallen apples just 30 yards downstream of the bridge.
Following a report of a Whooper Swan at Dorney, trekked right round the back of the lake but found nothing and after a lot of effort, eventually located a flock of 31 Mute Swans in cereal crop near BARGE FARM at SU 908 801. No Whooper but an adult Mute Swan marked with a white ring 'K2B'; also a single juvenile 'Polish' Swan. Several Skylarks in full song too in the cereal.
Back at Dave Cleal's house in BURNHAM (SOUTH BUCKS), a nice female BLACKCAP and a Long-tailed Tit visiting his garden.
Fortunately for Dave, he left his Pompey tickets behind and had to return home. I carried on to EAST SUSSEX, where in a rain-lashed PRINCES PARK, EASTBOURNE, I spent six hours dipping an adult Bonaparte's Gull. Just 2 Turnstones and a Sparrowhawk enlightened this period, with the park also yielding 13 House Sparrows, Moorhen, Coot and Common Starling. Just 4 Black-headed Gulls visited the lake in all of this time, loosely associating with the 50 or so resident Argenteus Herring Gulls.
This is an account of the personal observations of Lee G R Evans (LGRE) in his home county of Buckinghamshire. It also hosts all sightings of interest within the county but only those considered authentic by the author. I am extremely grateful for any images of local birds as well as of any information relating to birds within the boundaries - contact me anytime on 07881 906629 or email LGREUK400@aol.com.