AUGUST 2008 BIRDING HIGHLIGHTS

ALL sightings attributed to LGRE unless otherwise indicated

TUESDAY 5TH AUGUST
(frequent heavy rain showers, particularly towards evening; SW4)

RUDDY DUCKS** - family group of 9 birds - ALL 7 young slowly growing

Little Chalfont: juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker (present since 4th) on nut feeders for 20 minutes

Latimer Place and Long Lake (Chess River Valley)

Great Crested Grebe: 1 adult
Little Grebe: 2 adults
Mute Swan: 16 adults
Canada Geese: 27
Tufted Duck: 17 plus a female with 9 large young
Coot - 34 including 8 young
Moorhen - 22
Common Kestrel - 1 female
Green Woodpecker
Wren: 1 singing male
Goldfinch
Jackdaws - 3

Sizeable frenzied feeding flock comprising 17 Long-tailed Tits, 6 Common Chiffchaffs, 4 Goldcrests and a single 'yellow' juvenile WILLOW WARBLER (my first in the Chess Valley since April).

Chesham Fishing Lakes

Great Crested Grebe (1 adult; presumably other adult sat on nest), 18 Mallard, 17 Coot, Blackcap (4), Common Chiffchaff and Long-tailed Tits (8+).

Shardeloes Lake (2000-2030)

Impressive number of HOUSE MARTINS (91) and COMMON SWIFTS (27) over lake due to heavy rain; also SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS have increased to 7 birds in lakeside bushes.

Great Crested Grebes - all 7 still present (3 adults, 3 first-winters & 1 juvenile)
Little Grebe: 2 adults
Mute Swan: family party of 6 birds
Coots: 47
Barn Swallow: 4 juveniles feeding with the House Martins
Mistle Thrush - 7
REED BUNTING: fledged juvenile from this year's nest

4 AUGUST 2008

6 Dunnocks and Great Spotted Woodpecker in garden

3 AUGUST 2008

33 House Sparrows in my Little Chalfont garden (including 9 adult males) - the largest number of birds recorded this summer

2 AUGUST 2008
SHARDELOES LAKE

Great Crested Grebe: 3 adults present, with one female with the tiny juvenile and the pair loosely associating with the three others, now moulted into first-winter plumage
Little Grebe - 5 adults (still no juveniles noted)
Grey Heron - 2
Mute Swan - adult pair with 4 cygnets
Mallard - 31 present
Gadwall - 1 female present
Tufted Duck - 2 adult females
Coot - 47
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Barn Swallow - 1 juvenile over
Mistle Thrush - 5
Common Chiffchaff
SPOTTED FLYCATCHER - 3 still present
Goldcrest
Goldfinch - 4 adults

The family group of RUDDY DUCKS (adult pair and 6 surviving young) remain at a private site in the recording area