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 January 2015

Not a bad start to the year!

A reasonable start to the year...
Although I failed to connect with the GREAT WHITE EGRET in the Linford/Gayhurst area, North Bucks rewarded me with 8 GOOSANDER (3 adult drakes) at Stowe Park, several Common Goldeneyes at a number of different sites and both TREE SPARROW (6 birds) and a MARSH TIT at Dags Lane feeders in Stoke Newington village.






After a number of abortive visits, I finally connected with the Berryfields Medical Centre, North Aylesbury BLACK REDSTART today, the bird (a first-winter male) showing well in neighbouring gardens. This bird has been around since the turn of the year...








At Watermead Lake, Aylesbury, 88 Greylag and 104 Atlantic Canada Geese present, 2 Mute Swans, 43 Mallard, 3 Tufted Duck and 24 Coot, but it was Calvert Sailing Lake that excelled, Adam Bassett and I obtaining some pretty good views of a first-winter female RING-NECKED DUCK that Warren Claydon had excellently found some four days previous. The bird was extremely skittish and flighty and associating with a single Northern Pochard and a hybrid aythya, most likely a Ferruginous Duck x Pochard. The bird moved from one side of the lake to the other before finally disappearing into the reeds. Very difficult to photograph, as rarely closer than 250 yards.























A Water Rail was notable there, as well as 2 Bullfinch, 2 Shoveler and a raft of 90 Mallard.
The sheepfields at Grendon Underwood ere literally littered with Black-headed Gulls and Common Starlings, at least 3,000 of the latter. Several Red Kites too, whilst a COMMON RAVEN was taking an interest in a dead Badger on Calvert Road.




At Wotton Underwood Lake, just 4 GOOSANDER were counted (2 drakes), with a Snow/Ross's Snow Goose with 246 Atlantic Canada Geese on the grass, 53 Mute Swan, 216 Wigeon, 44 Gadwall, 38 Tufted Duck, 18 Pochard and 126 Coot all logged; a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was calling from an area not far from where the pair bred successfully last year.






Fieldfares were abundant throughout the Waddesdon area, while a visit to Broughton Trout Pools yielded Chinese Water Deer and Bank Vole, 3 Tufted Duck, 106 Canada Geese, a single JACK SNIPE, Song Thrush, 2 Bullfinch and 8 House Sparrows.

Towards dusk, the GREAT GREY SHRIKE was affording excellent views half a mile NNE of Slapton Lock, on wires and in hedgerows 400 yards east of the Grand Union Canal at bridge 118; at least 66 Collared Doves roosted at the farm.


















Monday, 5 January 2015

GREAT GREY SHRIKE nailed at last

MONDAY 5 JANUARY
A light frost followed by a few fog patches, then a pleasant winter's day, with temperatures of around 6 degrees C and mostly blue skies
First thing, all 5 BULLFINCHES were feasting on white sunflower hearts in the CHAFFINCH HOUSE garden
After staking out a few other 'target birds' and improving on previous photographs, I then concentrated my efforts in relocating Mike Campbell's GREAT GREY SHRIKE at GROVE. Parking by the church and lock, I ventured south along the west side of the Grand Union Canal to the farmland 400 yards south of where the pylons cross the area - the area where MC had seen the shrike on two occasions. But nothing - no sign of it - just 150 Fieldfare, 15 Redwing, 33 Linnet and a Sparrowhawk. I wandered further south towards Slapton, checking both sides of the canal, but still no joy - a needle in a haystack. Then bingo - a joyous Peter was walking back along the towpath - he had espied the shrike just 10 minutes previous just NW of Slapton - result! After 10 more minutes walking, I arrived at canal bridge 118 and there, across the field to the east of the canal, was the GREAT GREY - sat in good view on the telegraph wires. It remained on view for a few minutes before darting down into the hedgerow, presumably to roost - at approximately SP 927 212 - well into BUCKINGHAMSHIRE by about half a mile. Having been present for over a month, this bird is particularly wide-ranging, the map below giving some guidance as to where it has been seen during that time.






A PEREGRINE was roosting on a pylon as I walked back north to the car.




Tuesday, 23 December 2014

Not too far over the border......

Chris Heard discovered a drake RING-NECKED DUCK at Bray Gravel Pits, Maidenhead, yesterday afternoon, the bird still being present with 236 Tufted Ducks and 41 Northern Pochards today. It represents the 13th Ring-necked Duck for the county since the first in 1958