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



Tuesday, 2 March 2010

Remarkably confiding DARK-BELLIED BRENT GOOSE and a border BITTERN













Bittern images taken earlier this year by Craig Shaw


TUESDAY 2 MARCH

Another glorious, spring-like day, with clear blue skies, endless sunshine and temperature highs of 10.5 degrees C. More migrants were trickling into the country, including two Little Ringed Plovers and a pair of Garganey, and Northern Goshawks were in full display at many locations, including in my village.

AMERDEN SCRAPES, TAPLOW (SOUTH BUCKS)

Thanks to Kevin Duncan and Simon Nichols, I was able to quickly get over to Taplow and catch up with the DARK-BELLIED BRENT GOOSE that KD had discovered early afternoon. Adam Bassett was just departing as I began walking west from the Marsh Lane car park (situated at SU 915 806) and had connected. The bird - an apparent adult- was feeding with 29 Greylag Geese (including a leucistic individual) and 16 Atlantic Canada Geese at very close range in the grass field just west of the public footpath and Amerden Lane at TL 907 806 - and was still present when I left it at 1635 hours.

A further 4 Greylag Geese were seen on the Jubilee River in flight, whilst Amerden Scrapes proper and neighbouring fields yielded 9 Mute Swans (an adult on the river and a family party of 8 birds in the fields), 1 Great Crested Grebe, 10 Tufted Duck, 4 Northern Pochard, 6 Coot, several noisy Ring-necked Parakeets and a male Reed Bunting in full song.

JUBILEE RIVER NR, DORNEY WETLANDS (BERKS/BUCKS BORDER)

Within a mile of the Taplow site, and to the east, and literally just 25 yards outside of Buckinghamshire, the south bank of the Jubilee River harboured an exceptionally confiding EURASIAN BITTERN. Parking just north of the pub on the Dorney and Eton Wick road, a walk of just 150 yards to the east brings you to an area of scant reedbed bordering the south bank, where the Bittern has been present since at least 1 January. From 1745 to at least 1807 hours, the bird was showing unbelievably well, filling my entire 'scope view and clumsily crashing its way through the reed-edge. In fact, the best way of locating this rare, is by listening for it rustling through the reeds, it is just so noisy and clumsy. It clambered up the reeds, thrust its long beak pointing towards the sky and occasionally grabbed reed stems and snapped them in half. It was a very ungainly sight and on several occasions as it climbed up, the reeds gave way and it fell back down again.

A singing CETTI'S WARBLER was also on territory in the same belt, along with 5 WATER RAILS and 3 Reed Buntings (including two more singing males). Northern Pochards numbered 18.

DARK-BELLIED BRENT GOOSE at Taplow

Kevin Duncan has located a DARK-BELLIED BRENT GOOSE west of Marsh Lane carpark jubilee river Taplow. Was still present at 14.15 now feeding alone in field adjacent to Amerden lane. Still viewable from jubilee river path.

Also the 2 WAXWINGS still present in Giffard Park at 13.15 per Peter Allen

Manor Farm GOOSANDERS

As predicted whole of bottom valley pretty much in full flood but out on the expanse a group of five GOOSANDER including two drakes were the highlight. A single Green Sandpiper still hanging in there on small island on the east bank of the new formed lake (Chris Gleadell).

Drake RING-NECKED DUCK still at Foxcote Reservoir

The adult drake RING-NECKED DUCK was present Monday evening with a group of Pochard in front of the reeds to the left of the bay in the NW corner of Foxcote Reservoir. Also 13 Common Goldeneye and a Grey Wagtail (per Rob Norris). Four GOOSANDER have also been roosting at the site..

Ringtail HEN HARRIER on North Bucks/Northants border - 1 March

Richard Billyard observed a ringtail HEN HARRIER near Castlethorpe (SP 8044) hunting over the fields late afternoon on Monday 1 March.

WAXWINGS

Thje adult and first-winter BOHEMIAN WAXWING were still present in Giffard Park today, after showing well throughout Sunday and briefly on Monday (many observers)

First CURLEW returns

28 February: Drove over to the Grendon Underwood area this afternoon where the whole areais very flooded. Some large flocks of Lapwings and European Golden Plover were constantly going up in the area with at least 1500 of the former and 800 of the latter in total scattered around the area. Also a EURASIAN CURLEW was back in one of the fields.

With Mick A'Court at Gallows Bridge Farm we had a partial albino Lapwing in with the flocks on the deck. It's got a completely white head and crest but the rest of the plumage appears normal. Cracking looking bird though (Rob Andrews).