Another pair of early GARGANEY and some truly big counts (STOCK DOVES & JACKDAWS)

FRIDAY 28 FEBRUARY

 

The last day of the month proved to be dry and fairly cool at just 3.5 degrees C

 

I started off at HEDGERLEY LANDFILL where about 280 large white-headed gulls were present, including 173 Herring, 77 Lesser Black-backed, just 9 Great Black-backed, a near-adult YELLOW-LEGGED and 3 CASPIAN, an adult and two first-winters, one of which was bearing a yellow ring inscribed 'PNEL'; also 460 Black-headed and a single adult Common. Plenty of Red Kites (37+), over 70 Common Starlings, 8 Pied Wagtails, 130 Carrion Crow, 90 Rook, 170 Jackdaw, 3 Song Thrush and a Dunnock were also noted, as well as Ring-necked Parakeet.

Lots and lots of gulls to sift through - and fairly close too

4th-year Yellow-legged Gull in line with the pole (standing behind Lesser Black-back)

3 of the 9 Great Black-backed Gulls present

Plenty of Red Kites too

On the opposite side of Beaconsfield, the CASTLEMAN'S FARM CHICKEN FIELDS held 106 Egyptian Geese, a single Greylag Goose, more Red Kites and 8 Stock Dove, while in the vicinity of the farm buildings were 2 Moorhen, 2 Collared Dove, 30 House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Dunnock and Blue Tit.

 

About half a mile east, the HICKNAHAM FARM MAIZE STRIPS yielded the largest single flock of STOCK DOVES I have ever seen - at least 530 birds - as well as 60 Jackdaw, Common Buzzard, 35 Woodpigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush, 18 Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Robin and 5 Common Pheasants.

The largest flock of Stock Dove I have ever seen

At BURNHAM BEECHES NNR, the Upper Pond held 11 MANDARIN DUCKS (8 drakes), 8 Mallard and 2 Moorhens, with the woodland producing two calling TAWNY OWLS (early afternoon), 2 Coal Tit, Blue Tit, 5 Robin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Wren, Chaffinch and 2 Redwing.

SPADE OAK PIT AT LITTLE MARLOW was still very muddy and flooded but looking from the east end I counted 6 PINTAIL (4 drakes) and a Little Egret. Scanning the distant flock of wildfowl, I picked up a pair of GARGANEY, so I quickly drove round to Church Lane to photograph them. They were showing quite well from the bench and within 10 minutes, local birder Adam Bassett joined me. There were also 7 COMMON SHELDUCK present, as well as 2 Egyptian Geese, 5 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Mute Swan, 158 Wigeon, 70 Teal, 44 Gadwall, 75 Shoveler, 35 Pochard, 42 Tufted Duck and 2+ Common Snipe. Meanwhile, the island held 27 active nests of Sinensis Cormorant and 15+ of Grey Heron, with Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker and Grey Wagtail also being tallied. Another dead Badger was on the Marlow Bypass.

Little Egret on the flood at the east end

7 Common Shelducks new in

and this pair of Garganey - my second in Bucks in one week (both preceding the earliest previous of 9th March)

In SCHOOL LANE, OLD AMERSHAM, a male Song Thrush was in full song, while SHARDELOES LAKE held a single Great Crested Grebe - the first back for the year. The Jackdaw roost at WHEATLEY WOOD held a staggering 1,770 birds by 6.00pm

Jackdaws gathering in the pre-roost trees

before flying en masse......

....to the roost plantation

An excursion into NORTH BUCKS....

THURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY

 

For an edition with images click http://birdingamersham.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/thursday-27-february.html

 

A lot of rain during the morning which eventually cleared and gave way to a pleasant afternoon....

 

The female BULLFINCH was again on the birdtable feeding on white sunflower hearts, whilst the highlight at LATIMER PLACE was a local pair of COMMON RAVEN flying back and forth with nesting material, seemingly coming down to the west of the house. The gardens also held Common Magpie, Common Starling, Common Blackbird, Great Tit, Wren, 2 Robins and a singing Mistle Thrush, with 3 Carrion Crows on the field.

 

LATIMER GREAT WATER held 4 Mute Swans, 8 Mallard, 27 Tufted Duck, 6 Moorhen, 12 Coot and a Grey Heron, with Stock Dove, 12 Jackdaw and Common Blackbird nearby, whilst the Chess from NEPTUNES FALLS TO LATIMER BRIDGE added a Little Grebe, 5 Mute Swans (two separate pairs and a single), 14 Atlantic Canada Geese, 4 Mallard, 6 Tufted Duck, 4 Coot and 4 Moorhen, as well as Nuthatch, 18 Jackdaw, 2 Wren, 3 Blue Tit, Robin, 2 Great Tit, Carrion Crow and a pair of Long-tailed Tits.

 

Walking east from LATIMER BRIDGE quickly yielded a single Little Egret by the river, 5 soaring Common Buzzards, 8 Jackdaw, 5 Mallard and a Wren, whilst at CHURCH COVERT (still completely under water and flooding over), a singing Goldcrest in the ivy, Common Blackbird, a Little Grebe, Blue Tit, Grey Heron and another Wren. The 6 COMMON TEAL were still by the river and the LITTLE OWL was just about visible in the pollarded Willow tree.

 

At CHENIES BOTTOM, the usual pair of Mute Swan was present as well as a recently-arrived pair of Coot at the bridge - also Little Egret and 2 Moorhens in MILL FARM MEADOWS. A pair of Red Kite and Carrion Crow were investigating the Larches of WALLACE'S WOOD PLANTATION with 37 Jackdaws close by.

 

I did a thorough search of BALDWIN'S WOOD but little of note other than Jay, 3 Robin, Wren, 2 Coal Tit (singing males), Woodpigeon, 2 Long-tailed Tit (pair), Blue Tit, 5 Common Buzzard, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 5 Great Tit, Common Blackbird, 8 Redwing (in a cacophony of song), 6 Goldcrest (party of 5 and a singing male), Chaffinch and Common Treecreeper.

 

In FLAUNDEN BOTTOM, a large corvid flock in the fields consisted of 9 Carrion Crow, 66 Rook and 79 Jackdaw, whilst LATIMER VILLAGE held 4 Robin, 2 Common Magpie, Pied Wagtail, Blue Tit, Common Blackbird, 3 Jackdaw, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and 10 Fan-tailed Doves in Holly Tree Cottage grounds. At neighbouring PARKFIELD LATIMER, up to 33 Rook nests were now occupied.

 

Leaving the Chess Valley for pastures new up north of the county, I started off at LINFORD NATURE RESERVE. Although I could not locate the Smew in a short search from Near Hide, I did count 13 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Little Egret, 58 Wigeon, 18 Teal, 7 Shoveler, 2 Lapwing, 27 Coot, Moorhen and 8 Black-headed Gulls, while in the scrub, 2 Common Magpie, Green Woodpecker, 3 Song Thrush, 5 Fieldfare, 5 Robin, 2 Dunnock, Wren and Common Treecreeper were noted. At the Woodland Hide, both single Marsh and WILLOW TITS were visiting the suet, as well as up to 8 Great Tits and 6 Blue Tits. A WATER RAIL was squealing nearby from an area of water.

 

At LATHBURY VILLAGE, a nice selection of passerines, with 4 Collared Dove, 4 Common Starling, 18 House Sparrows (healthy population), Common Buzzard, 2 Mistle Thrush, 12 Redwing, 6 Fieldfare, Coal Tit and Song Thrush recorded, as well as several Rooks gathering acorns previously buried last autumn.

 

Just up the road from there, roadside fields just south of STOKE GOLDINGTON VILLAGE produced 96 Woodpigeon and 150 Fieldfare, whilst in DAG LANE, 15 TREE SPARROWS were in the usual garden, along with Collared Dove, 25 Blue Tits, male House Sparrow, Long-tailed Tit (on the feeders), 4 Great Tit, Chaffinch, Common Blackbird, Dunnock and Robin.

 

An area of paddocks harbouring horses, sheep and other livestock at CROW TREE LODGE/EAKLEY MANOR COTTAGE (SP 8251) yielded Common Blackbird, Dunnock, Robin,Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch and 4 Greenfinch.

 

TYRINGHAM BRIDGE had 27 Greylag Geese, 29 Canada Geese, 7 Mute Swan, 6 Mallard, 6 Moorhen, 3 Cormorant, 2 Common Blackbird and 2 Robin.

 

Moving back south, I stopped off at STEWARTBY LAKE (BEDS), where the long-staying juvenile GREAT NORTHERN DIVER was still present, along with 33 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Tufted Duck and a gull roost containing 2,936 Black-headed, 221 Common, 2 summer-plumaged adult MEDITERRANEAN, 2 Argenteus Herring and just 24 Lesser Black-backed. Most disconcerting though was the sight of a wind generator on the horizon - located on a nature reserve!

 

Along the A404, a mile east of LITTLE CHALFONT, a dead Badger at TQ 020 978