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, 7 February 2015

A quadruple of SMEW......

Warren Claydon scores again! That man is on fire at the moment!

Not content with finding the female Ring-necked Duck at Calvert BBOWT, Warren excelled again yesterday by finding 4 SMEWS - a pair on the Sailing Lake and two females on BBOWT. I drove straight over, photographing all four birds during the afternoon (see images below). There was no sign of the RND, although the Ferruginous Duck x Pochard hybrid was still present, along with 81 Coot. I picked up two different first-winter CASPIAN GULLS in the pre-roost,in amongst 917+ Lesser Black-backs, 338 Herring, 47 Great Black-backed and 3 Yellow-legged Gulls...















Thursday, 5 February 2015

Tuesday, 20 January 2015

RING-NECKED DUCK still just across the border.....

Highlights today (Tuesday 20 January) included this female BLACKCAP in my CHAFFINCH HOUSE garden in LITTLE CHALFONT - only the second winter record since 1987! Also 2 Bullfinches still visiting and the first 2 House Sparrows this year








Thanks to my good friend Don Stone, was able to add COMMON STONECHAT shortly later - a pair showing well in setaside adjacent to AMERSHAM ROAD in BEACONSFIELD (at SU 947 906); also a flock of 33 Meadow Pipits there






In RONALD ROAD, BEACONSFIELD opposite, a healthy population of at least 16 House Sparrows in gardens
 
Then, thanks to some very helpful advice from Adam Bassett, added 4 GREY PARTRIDGES - attracted to food at EMMETT'S FARM GAME CROP FIELDS in LITTLE MARLOW. A very attrictive area to birds with 4 Red-legged Partridges also noted, as well as 14 Stock Dove, 190 Fieldfare, 2 Song Thrush, 4 Greenfinch, 12 Chaffinch, 8 Red Kite and a further 20 House Sparrows around the FARM SHOP.



At SPADE OAK PIT nearby, 4 COMMON SHELDUCK on site, as well as a single injured Egyptian Goose, both Australian Black Swans, 6 Greylag Geese, 211 Teal, 126 Wigeon, 10 Shoveler, 72 Gadwall, 54 Pochard, an impressive 224 Tufted Duck, 46 Coot, 6 Great Crested Grebe, 38 Lapwing, 256 Black-headed Gull and 7 Redwing, whilst both Grey Heron and Sinensis Cormorant were both already nesting and displaying on the island.









Just south of MAIDENHEAD, BRAY LAKE held an incredible 452 Tufted Ducks, with 2 hybrid Tufted Duck/Pochards with them and the drake RING-NECKED DUCK pictured below. At least 90 Pochard, as well as 15 Gadwall, 10 Shoveler, 3 Great Crested Grebe and 8 Redwing