Friday, 11 March 2011
First SAND MARTIN of 2011
Chris Gleadell recorded the first SAND MARTIN of the year in Bucks yesterday evening at Manor Farm, Old Wolverton
Thursday, 10 March 2011
DUNLIN at Linford - 4 March
This lunchtime there was a single Dunlin amongst the Gulls and Lapwings seen from the Near Hide at Linford (Geraldine Carpenter)
Saturday, 26 February 2011
The Hillesden SHRIKE
See Tim Watts' superb images here - http://buckinghamshirebirding.blogspot.com/2011/02/hillesden-northern-grey-shrike-todays.html
Once the rain finally pushed away and the NW winds brought clearer conditions with some bright sunny spells, the adult NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE seen yesterday by Richard Broughton and I SW of Hillesden (Buckinghamshire) reappeared mid afternoon. It was again in the same area of farmland, favouring the cut hedgerows and old isolated Oak stumps east of Manor Farm, easily accessed from the muddy footpath leading 500 yards SW of Hillesden church
Park in the new car park adjacent to the church in Church End and take the track across the middle of the crop field down to the wooden bridge over the brook. Cross the next field and then view from just beyond the stile in the next field. The bird is typically wide-ranging but just check the hedgerows and trees, particularly to your left
Lee Evans
Once the rain finally pushed away and the NW winds brought clearer conditions with some bright sunny spells, the adult NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE seen yesterday by Richard Broughton and I SW of Hillesden (Buckinghamshire) reappeared mid afternoon. It was again in the same area of farmland, favouring the cut hedgerows and old isolated Oak stumps east of Manor Farm, easily accessed from the muddy footpath leading 500 yards SW of Hillesden church
Park in the new car park adjacent to the church in Church End and take the track across the middle of the crop field down to the wooden bridge over the brook. Cross the next field and then view from just beyond the stile in the next field. The bird is typically wide-ranging but just check the hedgerows and trees, particularly to your left
Lee Evans
NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE still present
Upper Ray Meadows: Eurasian Curlew and both Peregrines seen
Calvert Sailing Lake: long-staying BLACK-NECKED GREBE still present
Hillesden: NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE performing well intermittently, still in cut hedgerows and dead Oak trees just east of Manor Farm
Ted Reed, Tim Watts, et al
Calvert Sailing Lake: long-staying BLACK-NECKED GREBE still present
Hillesden: NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE performing well intermittently, still in cut hedgerows and dead Oak trees just east of Manor Farm
Ted Reed, Tim Watts, et al
Friday, 25 February 2011
Marlow GULLS
The 2nd-winter ICELAND GULL and an adult MEDITERRANEAN GULL were again at Spade Oak Pit, Little Marlow, this afternoon
NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE - a real bonus bird


FRIDAY 25 FEBRUARY
After the warmest day of the year so far on Thursday, today followed in a very similar vein, although light drizzle moved in from mid afternoon. The winds were still very light and from a SW direction, the temperatures holding steady at 14 degrees C.
I had put aside today to search for Common Raven in Hertfordshire and was very pleased with my results. Whilst watching them though, I received a call to say that Richard Broughton had discovered a Northern Grey Shrike in North Buckinghamshire, so that was my afternoon sorted.........
AYLESBURY ROOKERIES (BUCKS)
Three active Rook nests in the tall tree in the garden of 68 Wendover Road, Wendover, with 3 more in the grounds of Aylesbury Thames Valley Police Station just 85 yards away.
HILLESDEN (BUCKS)
Thanks to Richard Broughton and his call to BirdGuides, I was able to enjoy views of my first NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE in Buckinghamshire for a few years this afternoon. I relocated the bird at 1540 hours, where it was showing exceptionally well on the short hedgerow leading east from Manor Farm and bordering a track that led back to Church Hill Farm at SP 678 284. It was an adult bird and was hunting from the hedgerow, every now and again dropping down on the ground to feed.
ACCESS INSTRUCTIONS
Park in the new car park by Hillesden Church End at SP 686 287 and then follow the Cross Bucks Way footpath SW across the first field. The track is incredibly muddy so wellingtons are essential. After 300 yards, the track crosses a small wooden bridge over the brook and then continues through another field. At the start of the next field, there is a stile, and it was from here that I was able to savour some superb views of the bird, looking left towards the low hedgerow.
At neighbouring Hillesden Pools, I noted 3 different OYSTERCATCHERS (one a distinct pair), 6 Lapwing, 5 Northern Pochard, 1 Tufted Duck, 2 Mute Swans, 4 Greylag Geese and 2 Common Teal; a Siskin flew over calling and in Church End hamlet, had two different singing male Goldcrests - one in the Old School Garden and another in the fir by the postbox. A Robin was in full song in The Old Vicarage garden.
UPPER RAY MEADOWS, GALLOWS BRIDGE FARM (BUCKS)
Very, very poor this evening in the dank conditions - just 53 Eurasian Wigeon (no drake American with them yet) and 44 Common Teal.
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