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



Friday, 14 November 2014

SLAVONIAN GREBE in North Bucks for second day....


After a number of false starts in the north of the county recently, I was reluctant to travel to Milton Keynes when news came in (from an unknown source - but fortunately different) of a SLAVONIAN GREBE at Willen Lake's South Basin yesterday afternoon. Luckily Hardmead birder Robert Norris kindly agreed to check it out this lunchtime (Friday 14th November) and after an exhaustive search, eventually came across it diving in front of the bandstand, in the bay between there and the Premier Inn. Robert contacted me immediately and after a hectic journey, involving having to remove two stranded vehicles from the outer lanes of the M25 following today's chaos caused by collapsing tarmac, arrived on site early afternoon.
 
The bird was still showing very well, fishing an area of water between the bandstand and the Premier Inn, often surfacing close to the bank. It remained on the surface for between 10 and 15 seconds each time and every now and again surfaced with a tiny fish. With such a pale greyish bill, extensive white loral patch and heavily washed auburn neck-sides, it was assumed to be a bird of the year, although small grebes are notoriously difficult to age later in the autumn. I spent about an hour with the bird, taking around a hundred shots - my best 30 being published below.






























 
Otherwise, a full count of the SOUTH BASIN resulted in 185 Mute Swans, 37 Greylag Geese, 18 Canada Geese, 28 Mallard, 8 Gadwall, 36 Wigeon, 14 Tufted Duck, 2 drake Common Goldeneye, 357 Coot and 34 Great Crested Grebe, while 40 Lapwing, Great Black-backed Gull, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull, juvenile Herring Gull, 104 Black-headed Gull, Green Woodpecker, 8 Magpie, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Dunnock and Common Starling were also noted.
 

Across the road on the NORTH BASIN, wildfowl included 7 Mute Swans, an Australian Black Swan, 279 Coot (636 in total), 150 Wigeon, 81 Gadwall, 45 Common Teal, 25 Tufted Duck, 5 Pochard, 6 Little Grebe, 9 Great Crested Grebe and 16 Sinensis Cormorant, whilst other species encountered included Dunnock, Song Thrush, 2 Grey Heron, 35 Lapwing and 3 Cetti's Warblers (including one in song in front of the hide).


Sunday, 26 October 2014

DARTFORD still

The DARTFORD WARBLER was still present on Ivinghoe Hills Nature Reserve today, showing intermittently in the gorse, while a SHORT-EARED OWL was flushed from the side of Steps Hill. A single first-winter RING OUZEL remains in thick scrub close to the S-bend, along the fenceline SE of the Beacon trig point


Friday, 19 September 2014

Belated News: WRYNECK in North Bucks

Heard today from a lady I work for in Wedgewood Avenue, Blakelands near Newport Pagnell that she had a WRYNECK in her garden last Wednesday 10th September.It hung around most of the day feeding underneath her shrubs and sometimes perching on the fence. Must have been super views as it was only feet away from her bedroom window (Robert Norris)

Monday, 15 September 2014

Another near miss....

Just 50 yards across from the Bucks border sat this juvenile CURLEW SANDPIPER this evening (Sunday 14 September).........






Chris Heard and I enjoyed excellent views of the CURLEW SANDPIPER as it fed voraciously on the flood right up until dusk - the first record in Berkshire this year. It had been a red letter day for Chris as he had discovered a Wryneck at QMR early in the morning. The Pintail was still present on Eton Wick also...



In terms of Buckinghamshire though, still pretty quiet: plenty of WHINCHATS still around (including up to 8 long-staying birds at Springfield Farm) and COMMON REDSTARTS (6+ at Quainton, 1+ on Ivinghoe and 3 still at Springfield) and a few waders including RUFF at Manor Farm


Sunday, 7 September 2014

OSPREY

An Osprey drifting east over the M1 at Little Linford this afternoon was a nice surprise. Presume it was passing straight through, but in the past autumn birds have put in prolonged stays on the Linford complex, so worth keeping an eye out perhaps.

Other bits - 1 Whinchat and 5 Wheatear at Ravenstone STW, and during a quick, bins-only look at Manor Farm, 3 Ruff, 4 Spotted Flycatchers by the old locks, 14 Yellow Wags, and 12 Mipits were my first of the autumn.

Rob Hill

Wednesday, 3 September 2014

A tale of 2 RUFF....

This couple of juvenile RUFF have been commuting back and forth between Eton Wick Flood and Dorney Common Scrape since Saturday and have been affording observers some very good views (see my images below). The pool also held 2 Ringed Plover today, a single Common Snipe (pictured) (with 4 more on the Eton Wick pool), a Green Sandpiper and over 120 Lapwing; also 17 Egyptian Geese and 7 Yellow Wagtails (in with the cattle on the common).......