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



Friday 19 September 2014

Belated News: WRYNECK in North Bucks

Heard today from a lady I work for in Wedgewood Avenue, Blakelands near Newport Pagnell that she had a WRYNECK in her garden last Wednesday 10th September.It hung around most of the day feeding underneath her shrubs and sometimes perching on the fence. Must have been super views as it was only feet away from her bedroom window (Robert Norris)

Monday 15 September 2014

Another near miss....

Just 50 yards across from the Bucks border sat this juvenile CURLEW SANDPIPER this evening (Sunday 14 September).........






Chris Heard and I enjoyed excellent views of the CURLEW SANDPIPER as it fed voraciously on the flood right up until dusk - the first record in Berkshire this year. It had been a red letter day for Chris as he had discovered a Wryneck at QMR early in the morning. The Pintail was still present on Eton Wick also...



In terms of Buckinghamshire though, still pretty quiet: plenty of WHINCHATS still around (including up to 8 long-staying birds at Springfield Farm) and COMMON REDSTARTS (6+ at Quainton, 1+ on Ivinghoe and 3 still at Springfield) and a few waders including RUFF at Manor Farm


Sunday 7 September 2014

OSPREY

An Osprey drifting east over the M1 at Little Linford this afternoon was a nice surprise. Presume it was passing straight through, but in the past autumn birds have put in prolonged stays on the Linford complex, so worth keeping an eye out perhaps.

Other bits - 1 Whinchat and 5 Wheatear at Ravenstone STW, and during a quick, bins-only look at Manor Farm, 3 Ruff, 4 Spotted Flycatchers by the old locks, 14 Yellow Wags, and 12 Mipits were my first of the autumn.

Rob Hill

Wednesday 3 September 2014

A tale of 2 RUFF....

This couple of juvenile RUFF have been commuting back and forth between Eton Wick Flood and Dorney Common Scrape since Saturday and have been affording observers some very good views (see my images below). The pool also held 2 Ringed Plover today, a single Common Snipe (pictured) (with 4 more on the Eton Wick pool), a Green Sandpiper and over 120 Lapwing; also 17 Egyptian Geese and 7 Yellow Wagtails (in with the cattle on the common).......