Recording Area Annual Totals

97 Species in 2013, 99 in 2012, 94 in 2011, 108 species were recorded in 2010;



Wednesday 17 August 2011

A new REDSTART

WEDNESDAY 17 AUGUST

Another warm day with bright conditions being replaced by light rain early evening; winds remained light and variable.......

A juvenile Common Redstart had been present at Shardeloes Lake for at least 10 days prior to last week but today I saw a different female in very much the same area, first photographed by Richard Billyard yesterday..........

SHARDELOES LAKE (BUCKS)
(with David T Cox)

A late afternoon visit yielded a new migrant COMMON REDSTART in the hedgerow bordering the lake - ranging up to 75 yards from the gate. The bird was a female and was showing well - flitting between the Oaks and the Willows and darting out on to the ground to feed when quiet. DTC had informed me of an image on the BBC website and this confirmed that Richard Billyard had photographed it yesterday.

Other migrants present included a single LESSER WHITETHROAT, 5 SEDGE WARBLERS (my first in the Recording Area this year), several Common Chiffchaffs and 2 juvenile SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS.

Meanwhile, the family party of Mute Swans had reappeared - all 8 birds, whilst of 8 Little Grebes noted, an adult was feeding two very recently fledged young. Coots numbered 76, with at least 8 babies still surviving. Two drake NORTHERN POCHARDS were fresh in.

Also noted were a female Gadwall, 3 Grey Herons, a juvenile Red Kite, 10 Blue Tits, 2 Goldcrests, a male Chaffinch, 11 Goldfinch, 3 Jays, 6 migrant Barn Swallows and an adult with juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull.

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