Migrants arriving including first COMMON REDSTART in years

MONDAY 1 AUGUST

A light easterly breeze blowing with some cloud but very warm temperatures - feeling very 'muggy' indeed at 81 degrees F

With over 15 COMMON REDSTARTS recorded in the county this year, it was perhaps inevitable that the Amersham Recording Area would see its first for many years this autumn. As such, Richard Birch discovered one at Shardeloes on Saturday......

SHARDELOES LAKE (SOUTH BUCKS)

The female/immature COMMON REDSTART was still present this morning, calling loudly from the small plantation that lies just to the left of the lake 80 yards beyond the first gate. The bird was very elusive and eventually flew up the slope and disappeared into the wood below Shardeloes House.

Also mid-morning, a juvenile PIED FLYCATCHER arrived in this same tiny stand of lakeside trees and showed well for about 15 minutes before too moving further up the slope and into the wood beneath Shardeloes House. It was present up to 1020 hours at least.

Further migrants came in the form of a bright juvenile WILLOW WARBLER and a party of 8 SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS, the latter all feeding from the tall Oak trees by the gate. A party of 3 Common Swifts flew through, as well as 8 Barn Swallows.

Little Grebes have bred locally, with two juveniles now accompanying two adults on the lake, with the 4 Great Crested Grebes on site and the continuing female MANDARIN DUCK

Also Great Spotted and Green Woodpecker, juvenile Common Buzzard, Common Treecreeper and Bullfinch