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.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment