MONDAY 7 JULY
My first port of call, in another day of
tetrad surveying, was SPADE OAK GRAVEL PIT (LITTLE MARLOW), where Adam Bassett
had again relocated an adult breeding-plumaged EURASIAN SPOONBILL there. The
bird was typically sleeping on the spit but did awake on the odd occasion,
before flying off east just before midday.
Not a bad list of species for early July,
highlights being the Little Egrets (two nests have fledged a total of 4 young on
the island), both Australian Black Swans still, 4 Mute Swans, 17 Greylag Geese,
family party of 9 Egyptian Geese, 41 Tufted Duck, 2 Northern Pochard (adult
drake and a juvenile), 55 Coot, 12 Great Crested Grebe, 23 Common Tern
(including quite a few fledged juveniles), 55 Herring Gull, 2 YELLOW-LEGGED
GULLS (an adult and first-summer), 115 Black-headed Gull, 275 Lapwing, 1 Little
Ringed Plover, 1 Common Swift, Stock Dove, Grey Wagtail, Western Reed Warbler
and a male Bullfinch.
The 3 juvenile Little Egret from one nest
The rest of the day was taken up surveying
NW of MARLOW, with Coal Tit, Common Buzzard and Red Kites in PULLINGSHILL WOOD
(SU 8286), a pair of House Sparrows at 'The Hatchet' in BOCKMER END (SU 8186),
77 Rook and 2 Stock Dove at BOCKMER HOUSE (SU 8086) and HOMEFIELD WOOD yielding
numerous FIRECRESTS, at least 12 SILVER-WASHED FRITILLARIES, breeding Coal and
Marsh Tits, 25+ Wren, Nuthatch and several family parties of Common Chiffchaff
and Blackcap.
More House Sparrows were to be found in
LOWER WOODEND (SU 8187), along with Stock Dove and a singing male Yellowhammer,
a Sparrowhawk in HOLME WOOD and up to 8 Skylarks by CHISBRIDGE FARM (SU 8088).
MARLOW COMMON (NORTH) harboured a typical selection of woodland
species.
A total of 43 active SAND MARTIN burrows was
located in SPRINGFIELD FARM QUARRY, whilst searching for Dave Cleal's male
Common Redstart on DORNEY COMMON after the rain, yielded 3 LITTLE RINGED PLOVERS
on the flood.