BARN OWL still in Chesham

Saw the Chesham Barn Owl twice last week. Here's a very short clip of it on Friday http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zbe6yB7C6E taken as it perched in a tree above the stream which runs parallel to the Missenden Road. Just before this I watched it hunt the roadside verge at about 4-10pm, it then decided to start swooping around above the middle of the road before coming to rest on the top of the hedge and as I pulled up on the grass verge opposite, with only the road between us, I'm sure I had the best view of a Barn Owl I'm ever likely to get!! (Don Stone)

GREAT WHITE visits Chesham

Most likely because of freezing conditions, the GREAT WHITE EGRET moved into Chesham today, feeding at literally yards range in the Chess as it runs past the Recycling Centre in Latimer Road; a pair of Gadwall were also present on Pow Wow Lake (per Chris Pontin).

On its previous visit, the GREAT WHITE EGRET departed the Amersham District on 21 January, presumably for pastures breeding in NW France

Another local BARN OWL

Don Stone located a second BARN OWL in the Amersham Recording Area this evening, just west of Chesham hunting over the Pednor stream. This is in the area where Barn Owls have nested in recent years.

Overwintering BLACKCAP in Chesham garden

WEDNESDAY 16 JANUARY


Seriously cold overnight, with temperatures in the Chilterns plunging to as low as minus 8 degrees C. Many of the smaller waterbodies froze over during the night and any lying snow survived the day. For a while, the area was covered in freezing mist, the sort of localised fogging that resulted in a twin-engined helicopter colliding with a 700' crane in Central London at 0800 hours...

A quick browse of the Bucks Bird Club bird news highlights an increasing number of overwintering BLACKCAPS in our region, presumably Blackcaps of German origin. And with this species in mind, I was overjoyed to be invited into a Chesham bungalow this morning to see one such individual

At Richard Ness' well-stocked garden in Crabbe Crescent, CHESHAM, I enjoyed excellent views of the male BLACKCAP as it repeatedly visited the feeding station to take food. A cracking adult male Pied Wagtail and Winter Wren were also enticed to within inches of the window by the attraction of mealworms, whilst a Jay stole 11 peanuts in one stash and other visitors in the hour that I was there included 10 Chaffinches, 4 Common Blackbirds, Collared Dove, 21 Starlings and 4 Goldfinches.

Down at BEACONSFIELD SERVICES early afternoon, no sign of the Waxwings (although Graham did see them later) - just 2 Fieldfares in the trees.

And then a return visit to the ROUNDWOOD DITCH, ETON WICK (on the Bucks/Berks border), where the SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF was showing well today, frequenting the ivy and riverine vegetation at the back of the houses. The same stretch also held 7 additional COMMON CHIFFCHAFFS, including one with characters of the SCANDINAVIAN form abietinus.

Some beautifully performing CETTI'S WARBLERS as usual, as well as an awful lot of activity around the warm water in the ditch, including 4 Robins, 2 Meadow Pipits, 17 Pied Wagtails, 13 Reed Buntings and 4 Grey Wagtails.

In the Berkshire section, the flood to the east of the ditch yielded 16 Common Snipe, 4 DUNLIN and a single RUFF, along with 7 Shoveler and 32 Gadwall.

SPADE OAK PIT at LITTLE MARLOW (SOUTH BUCKS) had seen its water level drop dramatically since my last visit with the spit appearing once more. Feeding there out in the open were 16 COMMON SNIPE. However, this number paled into insignificance when I reached the Thames Floodmeadows, with a further 49 probing the fringes - a whopping 65 in total - my highest number in the county in a very long time. The male COMMON SHELDUCK had also relocated to the meadows.

Unlike previous January visits, COMMON KINGFISHER proved easy, with one flying by almost the minute I looked over the pit. A Collybita COMMON CHIFFCHAFF was also moving in and out of the pitside vegetation, with 30 Redwing and a single Song Thrush in the 'wood' and a Grey Wagtail in flight. The numbers of Northern Shoveler had increased to 27, whilst Gadwall were holding up at 103.

Huge gull-feeding frenzy at Beaconsfield where WAXWING flock still present; GREAT WHITE EGRET performing well too

TUESDAY 15 JANUARY


Yesterday's snow was still lying this morning, although more of it melted during the day as temperatures rose to just above freezing. It was a bright, clear day but extremely cold and by 1800 hours, temperatures in Little Chalfont had already fallen to minus 5 degrees C. Norfolk had been hardest hit by this latest slice of Arctic weather, with up to 6 inches of snow laying....

At CHENIES BOTTOM BRIDGE (BUCKS), the GREAT WHITE EGRET was performing extremely well, fishing in the Chess just 50 yards downstream.

I then met up with Graham Smith and spent a very cold 45 minutes studying and counting the GULLS at HEDGERLEY LANDFILL, BEACONSFIELD (SOUTH BUCKS). There were impressive numbers present, ducking and diving the various council vehicles attempting to flatten out the disposed refuse - a bare minimum of 5,300 birds...

Most impressive were the GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL numbers - a diminishing species - 102 being my highest count, the vast majority full adults. Next off, Herring Gulls were in abundance, with at least 2,200 present, including no less than 178 Northern Argentatus on one sweep. Lesser Black-backed Gulls were noticeable by their absence - perhaps just 38 in all - with just 1 adult Common Gull (this species just does not like working tips) and the rest (2,900 or more) being Black-headed Gulls. There was one Caspian/Yellow-legged Gull present (an adult-type, seen only in flight) and an odd-looking Herring Gull hybrid that was very pale and had pale biscuit-brown/creamy upperwings which was strikingly white-winged gull-like as it flew around.

Otherwise, 42 Red Kites, 213 Common Starlings, 32 Pied Wagtails, a Meadow Pipit and 2 Song Thrushes.

As is normally the case just lately, as soon as the Council guy saw us 'scoping across, he unleashed his hybrid Saker on the flock and almost immediately, every gull in the vicinity headed off. It was time to move on.

At nearby BEACONSFIELD SERVICES, 29 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were back in the adjacent trees, flying back and forth to drink on the roof of the Shell Service Station.

To the east of HILLMOTT'S END WOOD and south of HEDGERLEY LANE, the fields were full of Red-legged Partridges - 68 at least - presumably part of a local release by gamekeepers.

After a short meeting, I then spent the rest of the afternoon at MARSWORTH RESERVOIR, TRING (HERTS), in the great company of Richard Woodhead and Richard Ness. I had been spurned on to visit by Rob Andrews, after his fabulous CORN BUNTING counts of last night. I was also very surprised to see all of the reed cutting that had been performed since my last visit, one of two EURASIAN BITTERNS this evening immediately utilising the cut-channel closest to the causeway to feed briefly. WATER RAILS numbered at least 4, whilst the BARN OWL performed as usual but at the later time of 1643 hours; a Green Woodpecker was noted too.

However, it was the CORN BUNTINGS I had come to see, and following on from RDA's magnificent 204, that same tree on the far side of the reservoir eventually harboured an astonishing 229 birds this evening - presumably the result of this change in weather. This is by far my highest count in a long time.

GREAT WHITE still

The GREAT WHITE EGRET was still showing well today in Mill Farm Water Meadows, with the BARN OWL on the opposite side of Chenies Bottom bridge (per David Bradnum)

Playing with FIRECRESTS with WAXWINGS still nearby at Beaconsfield Services

THURSDAY 10 JANUARY


A sharp decline in temperature today, the afternoon high never increasing to above 3 degrees C - Winter has returned. It was another dry day though, with no wind.

I had planned to do more duck counting today but an early call from close friend Chris Holt, had me returning to Beaconsfield where he wanted to see FIRECREST...

HOGBACK WOOD, BEACONSFIELD (BUCKS) (SU 928 912)

Chris was keen to see FIRECREST so I took him (and another Somerset birder who tagged along) to the most productive area - the extensive cluster of Holly bushes that eventually terminate in a 'tunnel' at the west end. We did cheat though and play the tape and in no time at all, all 4 beautiful, charming tiny sprites surrounded us, piping mournfully back to the MP3 player as it ran. As a consequence, the views were very good and at very close range - and for ten minutes or more, the tiny flock was engaged in aggressive behaviour, one of the males frequently raising its red crown. Years ago, Firecrest was believed to be a summer visitor to our part of the UK but such recent sightings have proved that most likely the majority of our breeders are resident rather than migrant birds. The population goes from strength to strength too - and analysing results from Warren, Steve Rodwell and I combined, it looks as though Buckinghamshire has as many as 74 singing males - and that's before I have surveyed a lot more suitable tetrads.

Other than the Firecrests, much the same species as on my other visits this week - Common Treecreeper, 8 Goldcrests, Coal Tit, Jay, 'singing' Stock Doves and displaying Red Kites.

BEACONSFIELD SERVICES (SOUTH BUCKS)

Only 7 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS remained - all lazing around in the trees. Hardly surprising, as the remaining berries all looked shrivelled up and unattractive.

At HICKNAHAM FARM, LITTLEWORTH COMMON (SOUTH BUCKS) (SU 942 876), the largest flock of Mallard you will ever see outside of Russia - a bare minimum 1,106 birds, and although free-flying, presumably unnaturally farmed and released.

LAKE END ROAD (JUBILEE RIVER) was equally devoid of Waxwings - just WATER RAIL and Mistle Thrush of interest.

Then, just as I was about to show Chris the Siberian Chiffchaff, I got word that the BUFF-BELLIED PIPITS had been relocated and I had to rush off and jog some 400 yards back to the car.

QUEEN MOTHER RESERVOIR (BERKSHIRE)

Despite getting there within ten minutes, I was staggered to see so many Berkshire birders already on site - Graham Jepson, Roger Stansfield and Peter Hutchins amongst them. It took about 11 minutes to run the three-quarter mile distance to the SW bank from the Yacht club car park but thankfully the quarry was still on view. Not just one but 2 BUFF-BELLIED PIPITS showing on the reservoir bank at virtually point-blank range. It was easy to pick out the original bird (initially found and identified by Mike McKee on 12 December 2012) but it was the second that really took my eye. Everything about it was different - it was far more buff on the underparts and had Scandinavian Rock Pipit-like dark-straw/orange-brown leg colour. It also had a much more obvious and flaring eye-stripe (back and behind the eye) and a very brightly (orange-pink) extensively coloured bill. The two birds were like chalk-and-cheese. Knowing that MM had found and photographed both birds, I 'phoned him immediately to talk features, and after consulting the literature, particularly Pipits & Wagtails, it just had to be 'individual variation'. I had been somewhat overly concerned that we were overlooking a japonicus, Siberian Buff-bellied Pipit and a further species in its own right (and a species I see most years in Israel). Separating the two is very difficult, particularly as features overlap, but the fact that these birds were equally as pale olive-grey on the upperparts and the underparts were basally white rather than buff, I had to agree that they must be rubescens (AMERICAN BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT).

Reviewing the photographs later in the comfort of my study, rubescens was the most likely identification of the second bird, despite the fact that it clearly had pale, rather than jet-black, legs. Mike had also managed to get both birds on call (and I hoped to do more with these later). In a nutshell, rubescens can be identified by its rather diffuse, buffish-white greater and median covert bars, paler, olive-grey upperparts, reasonably extensive white on the innermost outer tail feather (see Tim Daccus' photograph in Birding World 25: 491), basally buffish-white underparts and less striking and shorter streaking on underparts.

Scandinavian Rock (littoralis) and Water Pipit could be safely ruled out on a number of characters - contrastingly dark tertials, a complete pale eye-ring, unmarked pale lores, a fairly prominent moustachial stripe, a slenderer, more extensively-coloured and more Meadow Pipit in structure bill shape, extensive gleaming white outer-tail feathers, distinct rear-supercilium, concolorous rump colour, uniformly-coloured upperparts and generally more Meadow Pipit-like appearance.

American Buff-bellied Pipit is increasingly being identified in the UK and Ireland, these two now forwarding the audit to no less than 56 birds. However, just one has previously been identified at an inland reservoir - that at Farmoor Reservoirs (Oxfordshire) from 8-10 October 2007 (photograph in British Birds 100: 555, plate 281).. The species breeds in West Greenland, North and NW Canada and in Alaska and winters in western and southern USA, Mexico and in Central South America.

Both birds were still showing very well on the reservoir bank when I departed mid-afternoon, whilst other species noted included the long-staying juvenile LONG-TAILED DUCK (consorting with Tufted Ducks on the North Shore), a SLAVONIAN GREBE (along the west shore), a female Common Goldeneye, Grey Wagtail and 4 Meadow Pipits.

At STAINES RESERVOIRS (SURREY), I was really pleased to see a single drake RED PLANET, along with a drake GREATER SCAUP and a single BLACK-NECKED GREBE. The South Basin held 2 Mute Swans, 2 Egyptian Geese, 12 Gadwall, 26 Common Goldeneye and a GREEN SANDPIPER whilst the North supported 3 Little Grebes, a Common Shelduck, 36 Wigeon, 12 Shoveler and a further 18 Common Goldeneye; in total, 327 Tufted Ducks were counted.

THORNEY COUNTRY PARK (SOUTH BUCKS) at SU 050 790 held 6 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Cormorants, 5 Mute Swans (including a first-year), 7 Mallard, 10 Gadwall, 53 Tufted Duck, 3 Northern Pochard and 51 Coot, with Ring-necked Parakeet, SISKIN and 22 Chaffinches noted in the woodland scrub north of the river.

Neighbouring OLD SLADE GP (SOUTH BUCKS) (at SU 040 770) added 17 Gadwall, 48 Tufted Duck, 10 Northern Pochard, a single drake Wigeon and 8 Coot and a pair of Common Buzzard overhead.

The lake at BLACK PARK COUNTRY PARK (SOUTH BUCKS) (TQ 006 831) harboured 2 Atlantic Canada Geese, 52 Mallard, 25 MANDARIN DUCKS (16 drakes), 5 Tufted Duck, 6 Pochard, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 30 Coot and 6 Moorhen, with both Common Treecreeper and Green Woodpecker in the wood.

The LEA QUARRY PIT along Denham Court Drive (in Denham at TQ 048 862) housed 2 Mallard, a drake Gadwall, 28 Tufted Duck and 16 Coot, whilst the DENHAM GOLF COURSE LAKE just to the North (at TQ 048 865) still held 2 Gadwall, 7 Tufted Duck and 4 Coot. At DENHAM PLACE POND (TQ 039 871), just 9 Mallard, 1 Coot and 6 Moorhen remaining.

A very productive day