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



Thursday 15 August 2013

RUFF present for a third day at College

THURSDAY 15 AUGUST






 Much cooler than of late with a showery westerly airstream dominating the weather
 
Not a lot happening today, other than 5 Common Redstarts and 8 Spotted Flycatchers on the Quainton Hills (per Tim Watts), a Common Redstart at Hardmead (Rob Norris) and a couple of Greenshanks at Manor Farm.
 
I decided to return to COLLEGE LAKE BBOWT where the juvenile RUFF was present for its second day. Although favouring the dense clusters of Purple Loostrife to hide and feed in, it eventually flew from the spit and landed close to the Octagon Hide. I took my cue, made my way to the hide and fired off around 60 shots of the bird - generally feeding at between 100-120 yards distance (see images above). The Lapwings were not keen on it and chased it back to the spit after ten minutes.
 
Lapwings had actually increased heavily in number - 107 being tallied - whilst a single Common Sandpiper was the only other wader to be seen.
 

Just 5 Mute Swans remain; two broods of Tufted Duck (a 6 and a 7 - see pix), Red Kite overhead, 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (including 5 juveniles), 14 Common Terns and 3 juvenile YELLOW WAGTAILS