ANOTHER GREAT DAY IN THE CHESS RIVER VALLEY

THURSDAY 8 JANUARY 2009

With temperatures climbing to 4 degrees centigrade, a thaw was in place. In fact, compared to the past week, birding today was quite balmy! However, this did not affect the three inches of ice affecting most standing waters, and wildfowl were still largely restricted to small, ice-free patches. Towards dusk, and with clear skies, temperatures soon plummeted again.

CHESS RIVER VALLEY (SOUTH BUCKS) (0800-1100 hours)
(An exhaustive survey of the area, walking from Chenies Bridge to Chesham; 56 Species encountered)
(part-birded with Lesley and Stuart Wilson)

Little Grebes (2 on the river just east of Church Covert and 6 on lake below Neptune Falls)
Atlantic Great Cormorant (Sinensis form) (2 present, with an immature on Great Lake and a near-adult on Bois Mill Lake)
*LITTLE EGRETS (7 noted with 5 at the east end in the vicinity of river and marsh by Church Covert and singles east of Bois Mill and opposite Milk Hall Farm. Two birds stood in the field NW of Mill Farm for some time)
Grey Heron (2)
Mute Swans (22 including an adult at Chenies Bridge, 5 juveniles by Latimer Bridge, 20 on Great Lake and a first-winter on ice on Bois Mill Lake)
Atlantic Canada Goose (133 on Great Lake)
Mallard (6)
*NORTHERN SHOVELER (3 - drake and two females - on Bois Mill Lake - my first records at this site)
*COMMON TEAL (12 on river in protected Church Covert reserve area with an additional drake on Bois Mill Lake)
*NORTHERN POCHARD (55 on Great Lake with 2 more on river west of Latimer Bridge)
Tufted Duck (35, with 31 on Great Water and 4 on river west of Latimer Bridge)
Common Buzzard (2 feeding on the ground in grass field NW of Hill Farm)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk (1 by Latimer Hall)
Common Kestrel (male east of Chenies village)
Common Pheasant
**WATER RAIL (2 birds on river in Church Covert Reserve)
Moorhen (27)
Eurasian Coot (75, including 62 on Great Lake)
*LAPWING (the flock in the grassy fields NW of Mill Farm had increased to 54 birds)
*COMMON SNIPE (9 flushed, including 8 together from thawing marsh 100 yards east of Latimer Bridge)
Black-headed Gulls (70+)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (1 adult)
Woodpigeon (90)
Eurasian Collared Doves (17 in Chenies village)
*LITTLE OWL (1 of the resident breeding pairs was roosting in ivy SE of Latimer Hall)
**RING-NECKED PARAKEET (a single 'screeching' male perched briefly on top of a dead tree just east of Church Covert constituting my first record for the area)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (1 in Church Covert)
Meadow Pipit (1 by Latimer Hall and 22 by Hill Farm)
GREY WAGTAIL (1)
Wren (5)
Dunnock (9)
European Robin (6)
**COMMON STONECHATS (a pair in the rough field just NW of Mill Farm at TQ 013 988 and a single female in weeds along the north bank of Great Water at SU 994 988)
Song Thrush (5+ including 3 in hedgerow by Church Covert)
Redwings (43 on Hawthorns just north of Latimer Road)
Mistle Thrush (2)
FIELDFARE (1 with Mistle Thrush on grassy field below Latimer Hall)
Common Blackbird (5)
Goldcrest (3, with 2 by stream by Bois Mill Lake)
Great Tit (5)
Blue Tit (8)
Coal Tit (1 in Chenies Bottom village)
**MARSH TIT (1 showing well in Church Covert which later moved into Flaunden Grove)
Long-tailed Tits (5)
Nuthatch (2 by Latimer Hall and 1-2 by Latimer Park)
Magpie (6)
Jay (2 in Church Covert)
Jackdaw (20+)
Rook (several busily gathering nest material at Ivy House Farm and flying back to rookery in wood above)
Carrion Crow (5)
Common Starling (16 in Latimer village)
House Sparrow (3 in garden of 'The Farmhouse' opposite Blackwell Hall Lane)
Chaffinch (7 in Latimer village)
Goldfinch (3)
Greenfinch (6 in Latimer village)
YELLOWHAMMER (male near Hill Farm)