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



Saturday, 10 August 2013

REDSTARTS at Quainton Hills

Tim Watts had at least 5 COMMON REDSTARTS today on the Quainton Hills, mostly adult males

Thursday, 8 August 2013

Passerine passage is on

There were 3 different COMMON REDSTARTS on Quainton Hills today, as well as remaining singles at Ravensthorpe Sewage Farm and Steps Hill.

Waders too were making headlines, with 2 COMMON GREENSHANKS and 2 Dunlin at Manor Farm

Wednesday, 7 August 2013

REDSTART still present in North Bucks

The male Redstart first seen last Thursday at Ravenstone STW
was Still present this lunchtime.

From the roadside gate, walk down to the next gate and look back towards
the roadside hedge, about 50 yards right of the black bale bags.

Robert

Tuesday, 6 August 2013

GARGANEY at Manor farm GP this evening

At Manor Farm this evening, 1 eclipse male Garganey, 7 Common Sand, 6 Green Sand, 3 Dunlin, 1 Greenshank and 1 R Plover.

Also Little Owl, 1ad 2juv Oycs and at least 5 broods of Tuftie.

This site really does look excellent at the moment, and regular watching this autumn will surely produce a few good birds.

Rob Hill

First COMMON REDSTART of the autumn at Inkombe Hole

After twitching Alan Gardiner's Tyttenhanger DUNLIN (which was still present on the spit incidentally when I left at 2pm), I returned to TRING RESERVOIRS to complete my counts of the smaller three reservoirs.
 
TRINGFORD RESERVOIR is at the lowest I have seen it for some years and very reminiscent of when I have recorded Spotted Crake there; it is looking exceptional for passage waders. Dave Hutchinson and I had a summer-plumaged ICELANDIC BLACK-TAILED GODWIT feeding on the flattened area of mud at the far corner from around 1600 hours, the bird flying off at 1738 when spooked by three Red Fox cubs playing on the bank. A total of 4 GREEN SANDPIPERS was feeding on the wettest mud in the far corner and resident species included 7 Grey Heron, the family party of 8 Mute Swans, a single Shoveler, three broods of Tufted Duck totalling 28 young (including 2 very pale individuals with one party of 6 ducklings) and 38 Coot. The 7 Little Egrets were also present.
 
On neighbouring STARTOP'S END RESERVOIR, the celebrity first-summer female COMMON SCOTER was present for its third day, showing extremely well not far from the car park, as well as the juvenile LITTLE RINGED PLOVER (also present for its third day). A pair of Great Crested Grebes has built a new nest on one of the algae bunds.
 

The first sign of migration on the Hills involved a COMMON REDSTART and LESSER WHITETHROAT in Inkombe Hole, the former proving very elusive and lingering in the bushes by the orange-rolling slope; 3 Bullfinches also.

Monday, 5 August 2013

PEC' PIPER just over the border again

Kevin Duncan picked up a small brown wader which he believed to be a 'Pec' at Eton Wick Flood on Sunday morning - Russell Ness confirming his suspicions some 25 minutes later. In exactly the same location as last autumn's birding, one could forgive speculation that it is the same bird returning. It remained all day and was still present on Monday, the scrape also yielding an adult summer Dunlin and two flocks of Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits last week. The site is literally just yards from Buckinghamshire, bordering the east end of Dorney Common. Graham Smith and I staked it out last night but there was no realistic chance of either of us getting it on the 2013 Bucks Year List - the Dorney Common flood being completely dried out and just grass. A juvenile Mediterranean Gull has also visited the scrape in recent days. These were the best images I obtained of the Pec in fading light and at 200 yards range - seems to be an adult.........








The local Mute Swan pair on the river...


........and sunset

Borderline Butterflying

On Friday 2nd August, I visited Aston Rowant Nature Reserve, literally yards over the border in Oxfordshire. In the 84 degree heat, I counted 236 SILVER-SPOTTED SKIPPERS (the speciality here), 6 BROWN ARGUS, a Large Skipper, 15 Essex Skippers, 105 Small Skippers, a whopping 775 CHALKHILL BLUES, a staggering 206 Large White, 81 Brimstone, 95 Common Blue, 8 Comma, 600+ Gatekeeper, 100+ Meadow Brown and 400+ Ringlet butterflies...........

A selection of my best shots of the day follow -: