Herring, Lesser Black-backed & Black-headed Gulls were again on the field behind the Baptist Church, where a Little Owl was seen being mobbed by Blackbirds & Chaffinches in the car park on Friday. A HOBBY was again over on Thursday & Friday, when a Cormorant also passed through. On the same day as it rained 28 Pied Wagtails were on the cricket pitch along with 35 Swallows which seemed to be passing through every time I looked up from my work.In the rough field behind the cricket pitch about 50 Goldfinches were present on Wednesday & 15 Meadow Pipits sat on the wooden fence during the rain on Friday (Don Stone)
Sunday, 30 September 2012
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
WOODLARKS and CHATS just ouut of area
WEDNESDAY 26 SEPTEMBER
A band of heavy rain passed through from the southwest early to mid morning before clearing away. It was replaced by very still conditions - and quite mild. Having aborted a trip down west for Ortolan/Buff-breasted Sandpiper, I was soon then hit by all manner of messages from the Northeast - with rare warbler after rare warbler found as the skies cleared. In fact by 1400 hours, no less than 3 different Pallas's Grasshopper Warblers had been found - I was well depressed....
Anyhow, I made the best of a bad situation and decided to flog around the local areas in search of that rare and although not in the same league as your Arctic/Greenish, did turn up a few surprises.....but it was hard work
SPRINGFIELD FARM QUARRY, BEACONSFIELD (SOUTH BUCKS)
(mainly private)
I decided to start at Springfield Farm where GS had 'gripped' me off the previous evening with his phone call. After liaising with him again this morning, I soon located the COMMON STONECHATS - in fact 3 of them - an adult male, an adult female and a first-year. There was also at least 1 WHINCHAT still present, as well as a single adult COMMON WHITETHROAT. The chats were concentrated well down the cinder track - much further down than usual - and were the first that I had seen in the Recording Area for a couple of years. But better was yet to come......
As I got to the point where the cinder track veered sharply to the left, I became aware of a very large flock of Meadow Pipits (100+) in the patch that had been cleared by the archaeologists' earlier in the summer. As I wandered out into the sparsely vegetated ground to check through them, I heard a liquidy alarm note and there just a few yards in front of me were 2 WOODLARKS - an adult and a first-year. I enjoyed excellent views of them for a few minutes before they flushed and flew calling across to the well vegetated pit top at the end of the track. I immediately called Rob Hill as I knew this was a species he wanted to see in the county, and then RBA, Graham Smith and Dave Cleal. As I was on the phone, both birds seemed to drop back down on the cleared area and I left them (Adam Bassett phoned me later to say that he was getting great views of one of them).
I did a thorough search of surrounding areas but only came across 8 Linnets, more Meadow Pipits, 2 COMMON RAVENS and lots of Red Kites. A group of 6 adult male Greenfinches were nearby bathing.
TYTTENHANGER GP (HERTS)
I then joined up with Steve Blake at Tyttenhanger where we enjoyed excellent views of a male COMMON STONECHAT and a WHINCHAT on the fenceline on the east side of the main birding pit; also a Bar-headed Goose amongst 59 Atlantic Canada Geese and two Common Chiffchaffs.
IVINGHOE HILLS (BUCKS)
For around half an hour, it poured with rain and I sat in the car talking with the various observers that seemed to be stumbling into PG Tips on the North East Coast. With clearing skies and slack winds, I decided to take my chance on the hills and do a full circuit. Approaching the trig point, a large raptor appeared overhead and rather than the expected Red Kite, it was a juvenile OSPREY purposefully on its way SSW. It was flapping strongly rather than gliding and was following the contour of the hills and had a typically well streaked breast band, distinctive pale tips to the terminal tail band and gleaming white unmarked underwing coverts. This was at 1425 hours and by three minutes later it was gone - perhaps heading towards the Gade Valley.
As I continued up towards the Beacon trig point, I flushed a strange looking bird from the edge of the chalk track. It had a longish tail and was very dark. I thought pipit at first but when I tracked it down in the grass, I was surprised to see that it was a locustella - and quite a greyish one at that. I looked at it for ages and next to point blank range but could not make it any more than just a GRASSHOPPER WARBLER - perhaps a young one or an individual from further east.
A wave of 22 House Martins and 7 Barn Swallows passed away to the SSW (following the same line as the Osprey), whilst 50 or so Goldfinches were still resident along the top escarpment.
Dropping down into the weedy field at the base of Gallows Hill, the fenceline held 3 WHINCHATS and 2 Northern Wheatears, whilst the only other migrant I noted in the area was a single Common Chiffchaff by the car park. An awful amount of flogging around with few birds to show for it.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)
And so on to the reservoirs and Startop's was pretty birdless - fishermen were wading out into the water. WILSTONE on the other hand still harboured our celebrity GREAT WHITE EGRET - fishing in the shallows but in the boatyard corner and rather distant (see Alan Reynold's superb montage of images above).
All 6 Little Egrets were still present too, 16 Great Crested Grebes, 42 Mute Swans, 4 Greylag Geese, 12 Gadwall, the 3 PINTAIL, 113 Shoveler, 114 Wigeon, 313 Teal, 138 Tufted Duck, 106 Pochard and a whopping 802 Coot - RINGED PLOVER still present, 39 :Lapwing, active Kingfishers and a single remaining HOBBY - oh, and a bright and chirpy Lucy Flower !
And that was it......
A band of heavy rain passed through from the southwest early to mid morning before clearing away. It was replaced by very still conditions - and quite mild. Having aborted a trip down west for Ortolan/Buff-breasted Sandpiper, I was soon then hit by all manner of messages from the Northeast - with rare warbler after rare warbler found as the skies cleared. In fact by 1400 hours, no less than 3 different Pallas's Grasshopper Warblers had been found - I was well depressed....
Anyhow, I made the best of a bad situation and decided to flog around the local areas in search of that rare and although not in the same league as your Arctic/Greenish, did turn up a few surprises.....but it was hard work
SPRINGFIELD FARM QUARRY, BEACONSFIELD (SOUTH BUCKS)
(mainly private)
I decided to start at Springfield Farm where GS had 'gripped' me off the previous evening with his phone call. After liaising with him again this morning, I soon located the COMMON STONECHATS - in fact 3 of them - an adult male, an adult female and a first-year. There was also at least 1 WHINCHAT still present, as well as a single adult COMMON WHITETHROAT. The chats were concentrated well down the cinder track - much further down than usual - and were the first that I had seen in the Recording Area for a couple of years. But better was yet to come......
As I got to the point where the cinder track veered sharply to the left, I became aware of a very large flock of Meadow Pipits (100+) in the patch that had been cleared by the archaeologists' earlier in the summer. As I wandered out into the sparsely vegetated ground to check through them, I heard a liquidy alarm note and there just a few yards in front of me were 2 WOODLARKS - an adult and a first-year. I enjoyed excellent views of them for a few minutes before they flushed and flew calling across to the well vegetated pit top at the end of the track. I immediately called Rob Hill as I knew this was a species he wanted to see in the county, and then RBA, Graham Smith and Dave Cleal. As I was on the phone, both birds seemed to drop back down on the cleared area and I left them (Adam Bassett phoned me later to say that he was getting great views of one of them).
I did a thorough search of surrounding areas but only came across 8 Linnets, more Meadow Pipits, 2 COMMON RAVENS and lots of Red Kites. A group of 6 adult male Greenfinches were nearby bathing.
TYTTENHANGER GP (HERTS)
I then joined up with Steve Blake at Tyttenhanger where we enjoyed excellent views of a male COMMON STONECHAT and a WHINCHAT on the fenceline on the east side of the main birding pit; also a Bar-headed Goose amongst 59 Atlantic Canada Geese and two Common Chiffchaffs.
IVINGHOE HILLS (BUCKS)
For around half an hour, it poured with rain and I sat in the car talking with the various observers that seemed to be stumbling into PG Tips on the North East Coast. With clearing skies and slack winds, I decided to take my chance on the hills and do a full circuit. Approaching the trig point, a large raptor appeared overhead and rather than the expected Red Kite, it was a juvenile OSPREY purposefully on its way SSW. It was flapping strongly rather than gliding and was following the contour of the hills and had a typically well streaked breast band, distinctive pale tips to the terminal tail band and gleaming white unmarked underwing coverts. This was at 1425 hours and by three minutes later it was gone - perhaps heading towards the Gade Valley.
As I continued up towards the Beacon trig point, I flushed a strange looking bird from the edge of the chalk track. It had a longish tail and was very dark. I thought pipit at first but when I tracked it down in the grass, I was surprised to see that it was a locustella - and quite a greyish one at that. I looked at it for ages and next to point blank range but could not make it any more than just a GRASSHOPPER WARBLER - perhaps a young one or an individual from further east.
A wave of 22 House Martins and 7 Barn Swallows passed away to the SSW (following the same line as the Osprey), whilst 50 or so Goldfinches were still resident along the top escarpment.
Dropping down into the weedy field at the base of Gallows Hill, the fenceline held 3 WHINCHATS and 2 Northern Wheatears, whilst the only other migrant I noted in the area was a single Common Chiffchaff by the car park. An awful amount of flogging around with few birds to show for it.
WILSTONE RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS)
And so on to the reservoirs and Startop's was pretty birdless - fishermen were wading out into the water. WILSTONE on the other hand still harboured our celebrity GREAT WHITE EGRET - fishing in the shallows but in the boatyard corner and rather distant (see Alan Reynold's superb montage of images above).
All 6 Little Egrets were still present too, 16 Great Crested Grebes, 42 Mute Swans, 4 Greylag Geese, 12 Gadwall, the 3 PINTAIL, 113 Shoveler, 114 Wigeon, 313 Teal, 138 Tufted Duck, 106 Pochard and a whopping 802 Coot - RINGED PLOVER still present, 39 :Lapwing, active Kingfishers and a single remaining HOBBY - oh, and a bright and chirpy Lucy Flower !
And that was it......
Friday, 21 September 2012
CHENIES PARISH this past week
Meadow Pipits were again in evidence this week, mainly singles which seem to have taken up residence in the area as they didn't pass straight through, the exception being a flock of 9 heading south on Monday when 2 Mistle Thrushes were also seen. A Little Owl was heard calling on Thursday & Friday near the Baptist Church. Friday lunch was brightened up by the appearance of a HOBBY which caused mayhem amougst the Swallows on its first visit, it later returned and just cruised through. Red Admirals seen daily, some flying south (Don Stone).
Thursday, 20 September 2012
Finally scored a HOBBY
At last I found a local HOBBY today after Dave Cleal had seen one and Don Stone had seen two. This bird was chasing hirundines over the McMinn's yard in Chesham - at least 55 Swallows amongst them; also 1 Common Chiffchaff
At SHARDELOES LAKE yesterday, not much change.....
All of the 4 juvenile Great Crested Grebes still surviving and 2 'new' begging juvenile Little Grebes to join the two that fledged a month or so ago; in fact 10 Little Grebes were logged, the highest number in a while
No less than 97 Coot included still quite a few 'begging juveniles' whilst just 1 Gadwall was encountered and 3 COMMON TEAL (2 of which have been present since 4th September); 4 Mute Swans completed the wildfowl inventory
Feeding in the sheltered sunlit wooded area immediately behind the cricket field were a single migrant WILLOW WARBLER, 2 Goldcrests and a Common Chiffchaff
At SHARDELOES LAKE yesterday, not much change.....
All of the 4 juvenile Great Crested Grebes still surviving and 2 'new' begging juvenile Little Grebes to join the two that fledged a month or so ago; in fact 10 Little Grebes were logged, the highest number in a while
No less than 97 Coot included still quite a few 'begging juveniles' whilst just 1 Gadwall was encountered and 3 COMMON TEAL (2 of which have been present since 4th September); 4 Mute Swans completed the wildfowl inventory
Feeding in the sheltered sunlit wooded area immediately behind the cricket field were a single migrant WILLOW WARBLER, 2 Goldcrests and a Common Chiffchaff
Monday, 17 September 2012
The CHESS VALLEY today
MONDAY 17 SEPTEMBER
A bright and sunny day with a light to moderate NE wind
Following up a report of a juvenile Citrine Wagtail at HADDENHAM (BUCKS), the bird in question in fields by the Garden Centre was a YELLOW WAGTAIL - one of two first-winters present.
Went back home and did a full inventory and walk of the LOWER CHESS VALLEY (BUCKS) - checking from Chenies Bottom to Chenies village.
In the warm sunshine, there was a lot of butterfly activity, with good numbers of Red Admiral and Comma feeding on the hedgerow just north of Mill Farm and several Speckled Woods along the footpath.
Three MEADOW PIPITS flew west, with Nuthatch and Goldcrest encountered in Chenies Bottom. Two Common Kestrels were noted, with 5 Pied Wagtails in the horse fields at Valley Farm and a Great Spotted Woodpecker by the cressbeds.
The ploughed fields at Mountwood Farm held 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 5 Argenteus Herring Gulls.but no Wheatears or chats; at least 6 Barn Swallows were also flying around
Just as I was about to head back to my car, I was texted about a BLUE-WINGED TEAL at Daventry Reservoir in Northamptonshire and with it being so quite of late locally, I thought I would head up there and attempt to see it. Before departing, I checked with two locals on the authenticity of the sighting.
Anyhow, it was 57 miles to the pay & display car park at DAVENTRY COUNTRY PARK (NORTHAMPTONSHIRE) and by the time I had arrived, the bird had been lost - seemingly flown and disappeared into emerging shoreline vegetation......
About 25 of us searched high and low for the bird from the dam but drew a blank before John Judge relocated it in its original location viewing from the tea room at the base of the dam. And then that dreaded jinx the site has cut in. Joining JJ in the bay, we obtained 'crippling' views of the bird at just 40 yards range and immediately I was struck by the size of the bill. It was extremely spatulated in shape on the outer flanges and was a deadringer for a Shoveler bill - even being orange at the under base. It was all wrong for the normal black bill of Blue-winged Teal. Furthermore, the legs were very orange rather than the yellow of adult Blue-winged Teal - sadly this bird has to be a HYBRID. A good looking one though, with a perfect Blue-winged Teal pattern, as well as breast, flank and undertail covert markings of that species, and the pale loral spot. We live and learn.
A Green Sandpiper and 2 Common Sandpipers were seen, 27 Shoveler, 23 Common Teal and 7 House Martins.
A bright and sunny day with a light to moderate NE wind
Following up a report of a juvenile Citrine Wagtail at HADDENHAM (BUCKS), the bird in question in fields by the Garden Centre was a YELLOW WAGTAIL - one of two first-winters present.
Went back home and did a full inventory and walk of the LOWER CHESS VALLEY (BUCKS) - checking from Chenies Bottom to Chenies village.
In the warm sunshine, there was a lot of butterfly activity, with good numbers of Red Admiral and Comma feeding on the hedgerow just north of Mill Farm and several Speckled Woods along the footpath.
Three MEADOW PIPITS flew west, with Nuthatch and Goldcrest encountered in Chenies Bottom. Two Common Kestrels were noted, with 5 Pied Wagtails in the horse fields at Valley Farm and a Great Spotted Woodpecker by the cressbeds.
The ploughed fields at Mountwood Farm held 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 5 Argenteus Herring Gulls.but no Wheatears or chats; at least 6 Barn Swallows were also flying around
Just as I was about to head back to my car, I was texted about a BLUE-WINGED TEAL at Daventry Reservoir in Northamptonshire and with it being so quite of late locally, I thought I would head up there and attempt to see it. Before departing, I checked with two locals on the authenticity of the sighting.
Anyhow, it was 57 miles to the pay & display car park at DAVENTRY COUNTRY PARK (NORTHAMPTONSHIRE) and by the time I had arrived, the bird had been lost - seemingly flown and disappeared into emerging shoreline vegetation......
About 25 of us searched high and low for the bird from the dam but drew a blank before John Judge relocated it in its original location viewing from the tea room at the base of the dam. And then that dreaded jinx the site has cut in. Joining JJ in the bay, we obtained 'crippling' views of the bird at just 40 yards range and immediately I was struck by the size of the bill. It was extremely spatulated in shape on the outer flanges and was a deadringer for a Shoveler bill - even being orange at the under base. It was all wrong for the normal black bill of Blue-winged Teal. Furthermore, the legs were very orange rather than the yellow of adult Blue-winged Teal - sadly this bird has to be a HYBRID. A good looking one though, with a perfect Blue-winged Teal pattern, as well as breast, flank and undertail covert markings of that species, and the pale loral spot. We live and learn.
A Green Sandpiper and 2 Common Sandpipers were seen, 27 Shoveler, 23 Common Teal and 7 House Martins.
Friday, 14 September 2012
MEADOW PIPIT passage at Chenies this week
Sightings from Don Stone from Chenies village
13th Sept: 6 Meadow Pipits heading south during morning.
14th Sept: 18 Meadow Pipits heading south between 9 & 10am, 7 of which formed a small flock.
13th Sept: 6 Meadow Pipits heading south during morning.
14th Sept: 18 Meadow Pipits heading south between 9 & 10am, 7 of which formed a small flock.
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