THE HEATH END AND BELLINGDON AREAS - More tetrad work

FRIDAY 1 JULY

A very pleasant day with clearing skies and warm sunshine. No wind to speak of and dry. I spent the day doing more local tetrad work.....

HAWRIDGE COMMON (BUCKS) (continued)

I returned to the SP 94 06 tetrad to fill in a few gaps, concentrating on the area to the west of the common. A few new species and some tremendous meadows for butterflies; also an extensive young Christmas tree plantation. With three new species, total now 29....

Common Pheasant (male calling from fields behind Hawridge Place)
Green Woodpecker (in fields near Hawridge Place)
Pied Wagtail (pair at Hawridge Place)
Wren (singing male by new plantation)
Robin (family party at Hawridge Place)
Common Blackbird (pair feeding young at Hawridge Place)
Common Chiffchaff (male singing from treeline bordering new plantation)
Coal Tit (one in pines by Hawridge Place access road)
Great Tit (1 by Hawridge Place)
Common Magpie (adult and two juveniles near Hawridge Place and another family group in young plantation)
Chaffinch (nesting at Hawridge Place)
Yellowhammer (male singing from stunted pines in young plantation)

Several large meadows full of wild flowers where butterflies were particularly abundant including 300+ Meadow Browns, 75 Ringlets, numerous Small Heaths and 25 Marbled Whites.

SP 94 05 BELLINGDON AREA (BUCKS)

Predominantly farmland with gardens either side of Chesham Road, Bellingdon Farm, Hilltop Farm but little else in the way of habitation. Like the neighbouring square, rich in grassland meadows. 21 species recorded.....

Woodpigeon (nesting in 'Cockwood' garden and commonly encountered elsewhere in square)
Green Woodpecker (1 in the large meadow)
European Barn Swallow (pair nesting at Bloomfield Farm)
Eurasian Skylark (singing male in meadow north of Chesham Road)
Wren (pair at 'The Cottage' garden, male at Bloomfield Farm and a nesting pair in the narrow strip of trees bordering the meadow)
Robin (pair feeding young in gardens along Ramscote Lane)
Common Blackbird (pair nesting at Bellingdon Farm, another at Betony Cottage on Chesham Road, 3 more singing males in neighbouring gardens and another nesting pair at Harvest View in Ramscote Lane)
Blackcap (single pair near meadow)
Common Chiffchaff (pair feeding young near meadow)
Common Whitethroat (singing male in overgrown scrub along Chesham Road adjacent to 'Amberley')
Blue Tit (at The Cottage)
Great Tit (at feeders at Bellingdon Farm)
Carrion Crow (4 in the meadows)
Jackdaw (88 birds including juveniles feeding in Animal Farm fields SE of Hawridge Lane)
Common Magpie (6 in livestock fields at Animal Farm)
Chaffinch (present in gardens along Chesham Road)
Goldfinch (in gardens along Chesham Road)
Greenfinch (singing male in firs behind 'The Hollies' on Chesham Road, with another in gardens along Ramscote Lane)
Linnet (3 flew over the large meadow)
BULLFINCH (pair along Chesham Road
House Sparrow (8 birds, both adults and juveniles, in area of overgrown habitat along Chesham Road; the colony had nested in the thick hedgerow at 'Amberley')

SP 95 06 HEATH END (BUCKS)
Yet another very rural tetrad dominated by farmland and rich grassy meadows - total of 17 species

Woodpigeon (breeding and roosting in both Chesham Lodge Wood and plantation by Mill Farm)
Green Woodpecker (1 in Chesham Lodge Wood)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (in garden of The Old Farmhouse)
Carrion Crow (adults and single juvenile in meadow)
European Barn Swallow (pair nesting at Glebe Farm)
Robin (pair nesting at The Old Farmhouse)
Common Blackbird (pair present at 'The Glebe House' and at 'Glebe Farm' and in Haddens Plantation)
Song Thrush (singing male in wood behind Chesham Lodge)
Blackcap (male at Glebe Farm and a singing male at Hadden's Plantation)
Common Whitethroat (pair in field and scrub opposite The Old Farmhouse, with another feeding fledged young by main road)
Blue Tit (family party at Glebe Farm, with several on the feeders at The New Farmhouse)
Great Tit (visiting the feeders at The New Farmhouse)
House Sparrow (pair nesting at The Old Farmhouse)
Chaffinch (singing male in Chesham Lodge Wood with breeding proved in Hill Farm Wood)
Greenfinch (in 'Old Forge' garden and nearby by main road)
Linnet (3 in hedgerow in large meadow and another by Hadden's Plantation)
YELLOWHAMMER (singing male around The Glebe House, another in cereal crops by main Wigginton road)

One rich meadow held over 120 Marbled White butterflies

SP 95 05 HADDEN'S PLANTATION (BUCKS)
More open countryside and arable farmland but with two tracts of woodland; 16 species

EURASIAN SPARROWHAWK (active nesting pair in Hadden's Plantation with relatively small young in nest)
TAWNY OWL (pair with four fledged young in Hadden's Plantation)
Carrion Crow (pair feeding young on lawn at Short Heath House)
Wren (pair by Nut Hazel Cross Farm and another singing male by Chesham Road)
Robin (pair feeding young in Hadden's Plantation, another pair by Bucks Water Board and a further pair in Hirst Wood)
Common Blackbird (fledged young and adults on lawn of Bucks Water Board)
Song Thrush (singing male opposite Hadden's Plantation)
Common Chiffchaff (singing male along the Chesham Road)
Goldcrest (male in scrub opposite Hadden's Plantation)
Blue Tit (in gardens opposite Hirst Wood)
Great Tit (1 by Bucks Water Board)
Coal Tit (in Hirst Wood)
House Sparrow (colony of nesting birds - 3 pairs - at 'Wayflower House')
Linnet (1 in hedgerow near St Mary's Church in Hawridge)
BULLFINCH (pair in scrub along the Chesham Road)
Yellowhammer (singing male by Bucks Water Board building and another on barn opposite Wayflower; a further singing male opposite St Mary's Church)