MONDAY 24 MARCH
Feeling like winter again with temperatures
struggling to reach 7 degrees C and a biting NW wind
blowing........
In the CHESS VALLEY at BOIS MILL POND, the
immature Sinensis Cormorant was still present, perched on top of the
island, while at CHESHAM FISHING LAKES, a lot of migrant activity with the
return of at least 18 Black-headed Gulls and at least 3 COMMON CHIFFCHAFFS
singing (two on the South Lake and 1 on the North). Nuthatch and Coal Tit were
in song, with Long-tailed Tits (pair), Robin (4), Wren (4), Goldcrest,
Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Dunnock, Song Thrush, Common Starling and GREY
WAGTAIL all noted. The GREAT CRESTED GREBE pair were still on territory, with 8
Coot and 21 Tufted Duck also present. Across the road, LATIMER ROAD NUMBERS 1-49
held Common Starling (pair), Jackdaw (18), Common Blackbird, Chaffinch and House
Sparrow (male chirping from guttering).
Another pair of GREAT CRESTED GREBE were at
SHARDELOES LAKE, where also to be found were 10+ Little Grebe (several
whinnying), the 3 Mute Swans (the male busily chasing last year's offspring
around and the female incubating), 44 Atlantic Canada Geese, a pair of MANDARIN
DUCKS, 12 Gadwall, 13 Tufted Duck and 54+ Coot. A noticeable passage of gulls
with 7 Argenteus Herring present, 2 adult Lesser Black-backed and a
single Black-headed, while a WATER RAIL was squealing from last year's nesting
area. The 2 Grey Heron were still lingering, as were 34 Fieldfare and 26
Redwing, while new in were 3 singing COMMON CHIFFCHAFFS. Other species noted
included Wren (4), Common Blackbird, Mistle Thrush (2 singing males), Robin (2),
Great Tit (2), Stock Dove (4), Red Kite (5), Grey Wagtail, Green Woodpecker,
Nuthatch, Common Buzzard and Common Magpie (6).
Leaving the local patch, I then headed north
to BEDFORDSHIRE - the Rookery on the A1 roundabout at BIGGLESWADE NORTH now
containing 24 active nests. Nearby, at GYPSY LANE WEST PIT (BROOM GP), the
undoubted highlight was a migrant first-winter drake RUDDY DUCK - one of only 71
now left in the UK. It was showing very well at the north end of the pit, diving
continuously at first before resting with one of the 2 Great Crested Grebes
present.
This pit also held 4 Greylag Geese, 12
Tufted Duck, 4 Gadwall and 10 Coot, with the scrape to the north yielding Ringed
Plover, 4 Stock Dove and 45 Woodpigeon. Across the road on GYPSY LANE EAST,
waders were well represented with 3 Ringed Plovers, a LITTLE RINGED PLOVER (my
first of the year), a pair of Common Redshank, a pair of Oystercatchers (one of
them ringed) and a winter-plumaged migrant DUNLIN, while 12 COMMON SHELDUCK was
a large gathering for inland.
In addition, a single Little Grebe, 26
Greylag Geese, 26 Gadwall, 18 Shoveler, 2 Red-legged Partridge, 8 Coot, 84
Black-headed Gull, 20 Common Gull, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Mistle Thrush,
Wren and Goldfinch.
I then returned to SOUTH BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
with an evening visit to SPADE OAK PIT (LITTLE MARLOW) hoping for a sighting of
Mediterranean Gull. Despite a large roost, I could not locate the adult of
recent days, but there were at least 430 Common Gulls (predominantly adult), 15
Herring and at least 5 Lesser Black-backed. All 3 GARGANEY (2 drakes) were
showing well, feeding along the closest vegetative edge of the spit (see pix
below), along with a Little Grebe (scarce here), 4 Common Shelduck, 4 Egyptian
Geese, 115 Common Teal, 44 Shoveler, 3 Wigeon and 34 Gadwall. A COMMON
CHIFFCHAFF was in song, as was a Mistle Thrush, while Green & Great Spotted
Woodpecker, Ring-necked Parakeet (2), Red Kite (5), Stock Dove, 5 Pied Wagtail
and 2 Song Thrush were all noted. A Red Fox was out on the spit.
The 3 Garganeys, present for some time now
Huge passage of predominantly adult Common Gulls
Egyptian Geese
As I walked back to my car, I picked up a
raptor flying purposefully east at 1755 hours - pretty high in the sky. It
turned out to be an immature male MARSH HARRIER - the first I have ever seen at
Little Marlow.
Very poor record shot of the Marsh Harrier
