MEADOW PIPITS IN ABUNDANCE

A total of 27 MEADOW PIPITS was on wires, with another 12 lower down the grassy slope, at Hill Farm (SP 972 008) in Chessmount today (Chris)

WARMEST DAY OF THE YEAR SO FAR

A lot of bird song today, from the likes of Great Tit, Robin, Song Thrush and Coal Tit (Mike Lawrence Photography)

FRIDAY 27 FEBRUARY

The warmest day of the early spring/late winter so far, with temperatures peaking at 15 degrees C. Dry and partly sunny, with a fresh westerly wind.

RIGNALL WOOD AND ROAD, NW of GREAT MISSENDEN (BUCKS)

Following a call from Mike Collard, I headed over to join Rose, Dave Parmenter and he in a search for 2 'Stone Curlews' reported by a farmer as he ploughed his field at SP 881 017, just south of Rignall Wood. There was no sign of the birds but 2 Mistle Thrushes, 8 Common Buzzards and 12 RED KITES were located, the raptors all to the north of Rignall Road, particularly in the Great Hampden area.

GREAT MISSENDEN AREA

ROOKERIES: a total of 3 occupied nests in tall trees by Missenden Abbey (SP 897 009) and 9 more near Missenden Hospital west of the A413 at SU 904 998.

Bank's Pond (at SP 903 000) yielded a pair of Mute Swans, 4 Coot and 14 Moorhen, whilst a GREY WAGTAIL was displaying from roofs on the opposite side of the road.

HYDE HEATH (BUCKS)

I then surveyed the Bank Lane and Keepers Lane loop, with good numbers of Jackdaws (60+), 2 sparring cock Common Pheasants just NE of the railway cutting at SU 924 994 and in the large grass field at SP 925 995, 6 Magpies, a pair of Carrion Crows and a flock of 270 Woodpigeons.

The large garden there held a singing male Song Thrush, 3 Fieldfare, 7 Redwing and a singing Common Chaffinch.

Just on the outskirts of Hyde Heath village (at SU 928 996), the garden of 'The Old Forge' produced another singing male Song Thrush and single singing Great and Blue Tits, whilst in Bray's Lane in Hyde Heath proper, HOUSE SPARROWS were significant in their presence, with at least 15 birds in gardens thereabouts.

Bray's Wood held two separate singing male European Robins and two more Great Tits, whilst in trees by the railway cutting on Keeper's Lane (at SU 933 992), a singing COAL TIT was noteworthy, male Common Blackbird and a further singing male Song Thrush.

SHARDELOES LAKE (SU 943 980)

GADWALLS were again the order of the day with a new record of 83 birds counted, all swimming in pairs and squabbling groups of drakes on the main lake.

The three first-winter Mute Swans were still present (along with the adult pair), with 31 Canada Geese, just 1 of the adult GREAT CRESTED GREBES, 4 Little Grebes, 37 Tufted Duck, just 2 Pochard and 82 Coots.

Stock Doves were in display, with a singing male COMMON TREECREEPER (in small trees bordering the lake), Nuthatch, a pair of Goldfinch and a pair of Long-tailed Tits.

Of 52 ROOKS present, the rookery now consisted of 16 active nests.

OLD AMERSHAM

A total of 46 Western Jackdaws was counted on chimneys along the High Street.

Now 2 Great Crested Grebes in Chesham

CHESHAM FISHING LAKES

2 GREAT CRESTED GREBES (one each lake), 9 Pochard, 9 Tufted Duck, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Goldcrest, 6 SISKINS in alders of upper lake or drinking from path puddle, 1 Green Woodpecker (Roger Bibby)

GADWALLS AND GREAT CRESTED GREBES

Great Crested Grebes (Mike Lawrence)

MONDAY 23 FEBRUARY

The mild weather continued despite a cool NW wind. There was much spring bird activity in the air, with display, aggression, singing and nest-building all being witnessed.

SHARDELOES LAKE (BUCKINGHAMSHIRE)

Spurned on by Rob Andrews visit of yesterday, I was very pleased to see the large numbers of duck I first witnessed two weeks back still remaining on the main part of the lake.

Most impressive was my largest-ever local count of GADWALL - 76 birds - and equal to that achieved by RDA on 22nd. I was also very pleased to see the returning pair of GREAT CRESTED GREBES, which nested successfully in July 2008, rearing three young.

GREAT CRESTED GREBE (adult pair, both in full breeding plumage)
Little Grebe (5+, whinnying heard)
Mute Swans (5 - the 2 adults and 3 first-winters; the cob was busy chasing one of the immatures all around the lake)
Canada Geese (14)
Mallard (8)
GADWALL (a record 76 present, mostly in pairs but some gathering of drakes in display)
Tufted Duck (46)
Northern Pochard (5)
Coot (103)
Black-headed Gulls (77)
RED KITES (4 swooping down over the Sheep field)
Carrion Crow (pair feeding on dung piles)

CHESHAM FISHING LAKES

GREAT CRESTED GREBE (1 still present)
Grey Heron (1)
Mute Swans (2 adults on pit, with 4 birds including 2 first-winters on the adjacent river)
Tufted Duck (7)
Pochard (11)
Coot (29)
Goldcrest (3)
Long-tailed Tit (pair)

WATERCRESS COTTAGE LOOP TRAIL

Grey Heron (1)
Tufted Duck (5 on the lake)
Common Kestrel (female prospecting a nesting tree)
COMMON KINGFISHER (1 patrolling a stream and showing very well)
Robin (3), Great Tit, Wren and Chaffinch all in song.

Record Count of Gadwall

I was amazed by the number of wildfowl on SHARDELOES LAKE today. Actually had towork for my WEBs counts for a change!

The most impressive was 74 Gadwall, mostly in pairs, with lots of calling and displaying going on. This is by far the highest number I've seen here and it looks likely a few pairs will stay to breed.

Other counts were 36 Tufted Ducks, 98 Coot, 6 Pochard (4m), 7 Little Grebes and a pair of MANDARIN. Also the GREAT CRESTED GREBE has been joined by another bird and they were swimming in tandem for much of the time, although no displaying noted. Just two first winter Mute Swans were with the adults today. One of the adults was trying to chase one of the juveniles away though so they may both be pushed off soon.

Also around were 4 Red Kites and a Buzzard.

ROB ANDREWS

SPRING HAS ARRIVED

CHESS RIVER VALLEY

Just 2 LITTLE EGRETS were noted in the valley today, both east of Latimer Bridge.

There was much increased nesting behaviour, with over 50 Rooks attending the Rookery and many male Song Thrushes in full song. A cackle of 18 Magpies was in McMinn's Yard.

ICELAND GULL PROVES TO BE A BAD DIP

THURSDAY 19 FEBRUARY

Another mild day, with some brief bright periods and very light winds. Predominantly cloudy.

ANDREW HILL LANE, HEDGERLEY

Chasing up on a flock of finches seen near Mount Pleasant Farm yesterday morning, I completely drew a blank - not a small bird was seen. Raptors were in evidence, with many RED KITES sitting around (including some with yellow wing-tags) and 5 COMMON BUZZARDS in the air.

I was just about to visit Church Wood RSPB when I took a call from Mike Collard. Dave Ferguson had just discovered a white-winged gull in Hedgerley Landfill (at 1145 hours).

HEDGERLEY TIP

I raced round to the A40 and wasted nearly ten minutes trying to find David's parked-up Fiat. Eventually pin-pointing his position, it then transpired that he had walked to the site from home. I charged down the muddy footpath leading along the west side of the landfill site and soon found Dave - every single gull (all 400 of them) had just flown off SW perhaps heading for Little Marlow. They had all been washing and bathing on the newly created drainage basin about 200 yards south of the London Road and Dave had managed to get some good video footage of the bird and some good photographs. I looked at them on his small screen and said to him that the bird was not a Glaucous Gull but was very interesting (I couldn't see the detail I needed to clinch the identification).

Dave later sent me his images: the bird was a first-year ICELAND GULL, most likely the individual seen recently in the London area.

Some 30 RED KITES were in attendance at the landfill but not a single gull was in sight.

PENN WOOD

Penn Wood (176 hectares, 436 acres) is one of the largest ancient woodlands in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is a wood which is known to have existed since 1600 and has many different varieties of native broad-leaved trees, shrubs and plants. Following its acquisition by the Woodland Trust in April 1999, the wood now consists of a mosaic of ancient semi-natural woodland with plantations of mixed broadleaf and conifer, and heath grassland and scrub. One veteran Oak tree, the remains of an ancient collapsed Beech tree and a scattering of trees over 200 years old can be found across the site.

Although early in the season, I carried out a transect survey of the wood today, particularly with the mild weather in mind. It was very poor with birdlife particularly spartan - 1 singing Coal Tit, 1 singing male Chaffinch, 5 European Robins, 2 Dunnocks and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers was all that was noted.

MOP END FARM (SU 924 972)

93 Rooks feeding on the plough, with 2 RED KITES overhead, a single male Common Kestrel by the farm and single singing Eurasian Skylark and Great Tit.

ICELAND GULL AT HEDGERLEY TIP

This first-summer ICELAND GULL was photographed by David Ferguson on the 'new' drainage lagoon at Hedgerley Tip this morning, 200 yards south of the main A40. The bird flew off SW shortly after being discovered, along with the 400 or so large white-headed gulls it was with.

RED KITE IN GARDEN AGAIN

A single RED KITE visited my garden (at Chaffinch House) again yesterday lunchtime, swooping down at suet balls I have placed on a flat table. It plunged down on at least five occasions and eventually flew off with one ball in its talons. It then proceeded to bring the ball to its beak in the similar fashion to how a Hobby feeds on dragonflies and repeated this several times, pecking at the suet in the green mesh. It was then chased by a Jackdaw and flew off and away into the wooded escarpment.

FEBRUARY SURVEY

A 'new' LITTLE OWL was discovered in Coleshill

THURSDAY 12 FEBRUARY

Another frost overnight followed by a cold, grey day which later in the afternoon spawned another light covering of snow. I took advantage of a relatively quiet day to comprehensively survey many of my local sites.

STONY LANE PADDOCKS, LITTLE CHALFONT (BUCKS) (TQ 004 982)

A total of 37 winter thrushes was feeding on the uncovered grass, including 32 FIELDFARES, 4 REDWINGS and 1 Song Thrush. A charm of 11 Goldfinches were also in the field.

CHESS RIVER VALLEY (BUCKS) (45 species)

Little Grebe (2 just west of Latimer Bridge and another on Great Water)
ATLANTIC GREAT CORMORANTS (2 juveniles feeding just west of Latimer Bridge)
*LITTLE EGRETS (4 present, including 2 together SE of Church Covert NR at TQ 010 987 and another two in the tributary by the Chess Valley Walk in Chesham Broadwater at SU 975 000.
Grey Heron (2)
Mute Swans (19; adult and first-winter at Church Covert, 10 including a first-winter on Great Water, 2 first-winters on Bois Mill Pond, 2 adults on the Fishing Lakes and 3 first-winters on the river adjacent).
Atlantic Canada Goose (2 in field NW of Mill Farm in Chenies with 60 at the west end of Great Water)
Mallard (15)
*COMMON TEAL (female on river in Church Covert NR)
Northern Pochard (2 females just west of Latimer Bridge, with 2 drakes on Chesham Fishing Lakes)
Tufted Duck (just 10 on Great Water and 4 on Chesham Fishing Lakes)
RED KITE (1 hunting over fields at Hill Farm)
Common Kestrel (3 - male just SE of Church Covert NR and displaying pair in tall trees just west of Latimer Bridge)
Moorhen (37 on Great Water and environs)
Eurasian Coot (44 on Great Water and 19 on Chesham Fishing Lakes)
Black-headed Gull (125 in grassy fields NW of Hill Farm)

STOCK DOVE ('cooing' male in tall Beech west of Latimer Conference Centre)
Woodpigeons (126 in total in several feeding flocks)
*COMMON KINGFISHERS (2 in the vicinity of Chesham Fishing Lakes affording good, perched views, with a further awesome individual sat perched adjacent to the road by the narrow stream at SU 976 999.
Green Woodpecker (1 by Latimer Conference Centre)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (1 in Coney Wood)
Meadow Pipit (1 in grassy field just east of Latimer village)
Pied Wagtail (1 outside Chaffinch House)
Wren (4)
Dunnock (3)
European Robin (5 territories, several males in full song)
Song Thrush (1 by Church Covert)
Mistle Thrush (3 in field NW of Mill Farm and 4 in fields by Latimer Conference Centre)
FIELDFARE (3 on grass slope below Latimer CC)
Common Blackbird (2 in Latimer village)
Great Tit (12)
Coal Tit (1 in Church Covert)
Blue Tit (21)
Long-tailed Tit (2 flocks totalling 12 birds)
Nuthatch (2 birds by Latimer CC)
Magpie (6)
Jay (2 by Latimer CC)
Jackdaw (large numbers including 30 on chimneys east of Hill Farm Road)
Rook (25 in Ivy House Farm area)
Carrion Crow (6)
Common Starling (singing male by Latimer CC)
House Sparrow (5 in 'The Farmhouse' garden)
Chaffinch (5)
Goldfinch (3 by Latimer CC)
Greenfinch (2 in Latimer village)
**SISKIN (4 in Alders by Chesham Fishing Lakes)

SHARDELOES LAKE (SU 943 980)
Completely ice-free with the largest numbers of birds present this year, including some impressive numbers of dabbling and diving duck.

Little Grebe (3)
Grey Heron (1)
Mute Swan (5 including 3 first-winters; 1 first-winter is missing and perhaps succumbed in the harsh weather conditions of late)
Canada Geese (40)
Mallard (5)
*GADWALL (tremendous count of 62 birds, perhaps my highest count ever at the site)
*COMMON TEAL (1 drake - scarce species here)
Tufted Duck (51 present, the highest total in many years)
Northern Pochard (6 present, including 4 adult drakes)
Moorhen (22) and Coot (113)
Black-headed Gulls (176 roosting)
Common Gulls (4 adults roosting)

RED KITES (2)
Red-legged Partridge (covey of 7 birds near Lower Park House)
Stock Dove (1)
Jay, Rooks (55, attending Rookery)
Long-tailed Tits (5)

COLESHILL AREA (BUCKS)

Explored several footpaths north of the village locating a 'new' LITTLE OWL for the district (in trees at SU 955 961), a SISKIN and a single Eurasian Skylark. A Wren was also noted.

SHARDELOES FARM HORSE PADDOCKS (SU 948 967)

A flock of at least 230 FIELDFARE and 15 REDWING was in the paddocks immediately east of the Amersham Crematorium, along with 8 Magpies.

AMERSHAM

A RED KITE was lingering for some time early afternoon.

MORE HEAVY SNOW

A band of heavy snow passed over this area of the Chilterns this morning, producing another covering of perhaps 10 cms of snow and causing absolute mayhem and gridlock on the roads. Chesham was cut-off until mid-morning and the Amersham-Beaconsfield and Amersham-Hazlemere roads were impassable for many hours.

Belated news concerns a flock of 9 WAXWINGS on White Lion Road (Amersham) in the third week of January, present in a garden for a very brief period of time (per David Bilcock)

NEW BELT OF SNOW HITS REGION OVERNIGHT

Hard weather has forced a rare visitor into our HYDE HEATH garden today: a FIELDFARE - photographed above

It's eating whole Rosehips and annoying the thrushes (Trevor Lawson)

SEARCHING FOR THAT ELUSIVE LOCAL LESSER-SPOT

WEDNESDAY 4 FEBRUARY 2009

The thaw continued after a light overnight frost with temperatures reaching 5 degrees in the afternoon sunshine. Clear skies eventually gave way to more cloudier conditions but the SE wind remained rather light.

CHURCH WOOD RSPB RESERVE, HEDGERLEY (BUCKS)

With Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and 25 Lesser Redpoll present at the site in late December, I decided to start my day at this reserve. From 1130 through 1300 hours, I birded the wood, traversing the various snow-covered and mud-bathed footpaths.

The two target birds mentioned above were not found and in general, the woodland was quiet. Species noted included Great Spotted Woodpecker (1), Common Treecreeper (1), Redwing (30; feeding on the snowmelt and cleared areas), Coal Tit (1), Great Tit (6), Blue Tit (9), Chaffinch (4), Wren, Common Blackbird, Robin (3), Common Buzzard (4) and Red Kite (3).

HEDGERLEY TIP (BUCKS)

At least 13 RED KITES present, searching for food over the landfill. In Hedgerley Lane, a Roe Deer had been killed by a car and was being feasted upon by 8 Magpies at the vergeside.

Stuart and Lesley Wilson have had 5 of these beautiful finches visiting their garden in recent weeks (Mike Lawrence)

TUESDAY 3 FEBRUARY 2009

After a light frost, the daylight sunshine started to melt some of the heaviest snow to fall in the region for 18 years. In fact, temperatures soon reached 5 degrees and the thaw was set in motion. I had decided to do my February local bird survey but this was soon put on hold when Simon rang to say that Rob N had located several White-fronted Geese in North Bucks..........

CHESFIELD CLOSE, LITTLE CHALFONT

Up to 5 BRAMBLING have been visiting gardens on this road since the New Year but after 30 minutes of searching, I failed to locate any. A single FIELDFARE was feeding in one garden, with 5 Greenfinches, 11 Chaffinches,several House Sparrows, 4 Great Tits and 10 Blue Tits.

CHESHAM FISHING LAKES AND BOIS MILL LAKE

Largely frozen with open water holding 10 Northern Pochard, 3 drake Tufted Duck and 23 Coots, with 21 Black-headed Gulls and a single adult Common Gull standing on the ice.

Adjacent to Hill Farm Road, 17 Jackdaws were present on the chimney stacks. Nearby, 35 Rook nests were located in the wood above Ivy House Farm.

Bois Mill Lake held 5 Mute Swans (adult pair and three young)

LATIMER HALL AND GREAT WATER

The trees surrounding the hall held 23 REDWING, 3 Goldcrests and a Nuthatch, whilst Great Water (largely frozen) was surprisingly devoid of ducks and produced just 11 Mute Swans (2 first-winters) and 31 Coot. Roosting gulls on ice included 89 Black-headed and unusually for this location 7 COMMON GULLS (including 1 first-winter).

HEAVIEST SNOWFALL SINCE 1991

Amersham experienced its heaviest snowfall in 18 years today, with up to 12 inches falling throughout the day. With a biting easterly wind, temperatures struggled to no more than 1 degree.

Rather surprisingly, nothing unusual visited the garden, with just 25 House Sparrows and 6 Dunnocks feeding.