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



Monday 28 November 2016

Finally connected with a DARK-BELLIED BRENT GOOSE this year - thanks Adam!

MONDAY 28 NOVEMBER
 
A beautiful, calm, crisp early winter's day, with clear blue skies throughout and a peak temperature of just 4 degrees Centigrade. Following a mid-morning text from Adam Bassett, I finally connected with a DARK-BELLIED BRENT GOOSE this year in the county. The bird was at SPADE OAK PIT, LITTLE MARLOW and was actually Adam's second of the year, following one earlier in September. This one was highly nervous, swimming at the east end of the pit and surrounded by Black-headed Gulls. In fact, shortly after I arrived, it decided to have a fly around but did alight back in the same place.
 
Also on site were the Black Swan pair, a Bar-headed Goose, 4 Egyptian Geese, 90 Teal, 40 Wigeon, 63 Tufted Duck, 43 Great Crested Grebe, 6 Little Egret, 40 Redwing and 15 Fieldfare
 













Wednesday 9 November 2016

Yet another VELVET SCOTER and a late autumn KNOT!

Well what a week this has been locally.......
 
On Sunday, I had never seen a VELVET SCOTER in BUCKINGHAMSHIRE in my 50-year birding career in the region but by Wednesday, I had seen three!! The two juveniles that Paul Moon had discovered at Willen Lake South Basin on Monday (and still present today) and a juvenile drake that Dave Cleal discovered at Dorney Rowing Lakes on Tuesday and I watched until dusk that day. My best shots of the latter are published below.



























 

Add to this another Paul Moon discovery today (Wednesday 9th November). This very confiding juvenile (GREY) KNOT on the mud in front of the Viaduct Hide at the Floodplain Forest Local Nature Reserve at Manor Farm, Old Wolverton. We get on average just 1 Knot a year in Bucks and this was it!!