BIRDING AMERSHAM: Local Birding 4 March

Tuesday 4 March 2014

Local Birding 4 March

TUESDAY 4 MARCH

Another dry day with some long spells of sunshine; light winds but temperatures no more than 7 degrees C

At BOIS MILL POND, 6 Atlantic Canada Geese were present and a roosting Little Egret, while nearby at CHESHAM FISHING LAKES, the pair of Great Crested Grebes were still present but no sign of Sunday's lone male (Chris Pontin). There was a high count of 25 Tufted Duck, with Coot up to 10, 2 Moorhen, Red Kite (overhead), Common Blackbird, 6 Wren, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, 2 Dunnock, 3 Robin, Goldcrest (pair), 2 Great Tit, 8 Jackdaw, 5 Chaffinch, Song Thrush and 5 migrant Redwing.

Great Crested Grebes very noisy and active

Coot showing well

Goldcrest

Over at CHESHAM WATERSIDE, the resident pair of Mute Swan were present, as well as 20 Mallard, 2 Moorhen, 6 Woodpigeon, Robin and Greenfinch; 5 House Sparrows were chirping from the central scrub. Nearby, in CHESHAM KING STREET, a further 6 House Sparrows were noted.

BURY LAKE (CHESHAM) was still very flooded, with the neighbouring field still very much a pool. As such, still an excellent selection of waterbirds present, with a cob Mute Swan, 16 Canada Geese, 2 Moorhen and 4 Coot on the lake and 6 Lapwing (3 territorial pairs) in the cereal field opposite. Two cock Pheasants, 160 Woodpigeon, Common Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Red Kite, Wren, Song Thrush, Great Tit and 2 Blue Tits were also noted.

The 'new' flood opposite Bury Lake and the 'Lapwing Field' beyond

A pair of Coot has taken up residence

Atlantic Canada Geese

A lone Mute Swan

A cock Common Pheasant

......and Moorhens

Just slightly northwest, the PEDNOR MEAD FARM FIELDS were still in flood, attracting 144 Black-headed Gulls, 14 Common Magpies, 37 Rook and 88 Jackdaws, the latter including a couple of piebald individuals. Just a little further on and the PEDNOR STABLES/WYCH ELM FARM AREA held a further 4 Red Kites, 2 Common Magpie and a singing Robin. At the far end of the road, towards PEDNOR BOTTOM, 84 Woodpigeon, another 8 Common Magpie, 4 Common Blackbirds and another Robin.

Black-headed Gulls galore as Pednor continues in flood

Red Kite on its kill

Then on to DRYDELL LANE where the first 400 yards around LITTLE PEDNOR FARM yielded 5 female Pheasant, 2 Common Magpie, Robin and 6 Chaffinches and the PEDNOR CHASE section, another Pheasant, 2 Common Blackbird, 2 Robin, 2 Carrion Crow, 2 Blue Tit and a Greenfinch. The CHERRY TREE FARM PADDOCKS added 2 Red Kite, 16 Rook, 90 Woodpigeon and Chaffinch.

Moving on to the Chesham/Missenden road, the farmland around LOWER HUNDRIDGE FARM supported 2 Red Kite, 2 Carrion Crow and 63 Woodpigeon, with HYDE END Sheep field adding 40 Common Gull, 84 Black-headed Gull and another 40 Woodpigeon.

WARREN WATER, behind Missenden Abbey, held 4 Coot, 8 Mallard, 2 Carrion Crow, Great Tit and Robin, while BANK'S POND opposite Chiltern Hospital was in full flood and contained 2 Mute Swan,8 Canada Geese, 8 Moorhen and 4 Coot - the first time it was full in over a decade. A short distance away at DEEP MILL LANE POND, 2 Little Grebe, 4 Coot (including an occupied nest) and 6 Tufted Duck, as well as 2 Moorhen, 6 Woodpigeon and Blue Tit.

The LITTLE MISSENDEN MISBOURNE held a Little Egret (the first for me at this location), 2 Gadwall and 10 Coot, with 8 House Sparrows in the garden opposite. The parish also added several Chaffinch, 8 Moorhen, Goldfinch and Robin.

Coot on its nest at Deep Mill Lane

Distant Little Egret at Little Misbourne - my first-ever here

A field-full of Common Magpie

..and not just one, but a pair of Piebald Western Jackdaws at Pednor

At SHARDELOES LAKE, an excellent number of waterbirds present with all 3 Mute Swans, 6 Canada Geese, 10 Little Grebe, a single Sinensis Cormorant, Grey Heron, 8 Mallard, 24 Gadwall, 2 SHOVELER (a drake and female at opposite ends of the lake), drake POCHARD, 18 Tufted Duck and 44 Coot, as well as 6 Common Gulls and a juvenile Herring Gull in with the Black-headed Gulls roosting on the water. Other species noted included 2 Green Woodpecker, 2 Grey Wagtail, 30 Jackdaw, Song Thrush, Wren and Jay.

Male and female Shovelers - oddly not together

A few Common Gulls in with the bathing flock

Green Woodpecker on the slope

A Red Kite having a rest

Over in SCHOOL LANE, in fields south of OSTLER'S WOOD, 8 Red Kites, 26 Rook, 10 Stock Dove and a singing Skylark, with 6 Redwing and 22 Jackdaw in OLD AMERSHAM HIGH STREET.

Red Kites watching as the farmer ploughs his field

In LODGE LANE, LITTLE CHALFONT, 2 Common Pheasant, a singing Mistle Thrush, Blue Tit and Robin in the CROSSLANES WOOD vicinity, with an additional 2 Woodpigeon, 8 Redwing, Fieldfare, 4 Chaffinch, 26 Jackdaw, 2 Common Magpie, 5 Common Starling and a Skylark in the HIGHBURY FARM AREA; also a stag ROE DEER and a Red Fox.