RUDDY HELL - BLUEBILL DEFIES THE WINTER CULL AND MAKES IT BACK UNSCATHED

WEDNESDAY 18 MARCH

Arrived back in the UK to some glorious spring weather - with temperatures hitting 15 degrees C and with high pressure dominating giving clear blue skies and 'wall-to-wall' sunshine. Despite being knackered, just had to get out in such wonderful conditions - and hopefully find a few migrants. The undoubted highlight of my day was the return of one of my drake 'bluebills' - he had survived yet another winter cull (just one more to survive my boy!)

CHESHAM FISHING LAKES

The local GREAT CRESTED GREBE population had risen to 5 in my absence, with 3 birds on the fishing lakes - a pair on the smaller lake at SP 969 003 and the remaining male on the larger at SP 972 002

Also present were -:

Mute Swan (1 first-summer)
Mallard (8)
Tufted Duck (10)
Coot (28 with 2 on the smaller lake)
Moorhen (11)
Wren (3 singing males)
BLACKCAP (singing male)
COMMON CHIFFCHAFF (singing male - first of year in area)
Great Tit (2 singing males)
COAL TIT (singing male - scarce at this location)
Goldfinch (1)
Magpie (1)

SHARDELOES LAKE (BUCKS) (1600 hours)

GREAT CRESTED GREBE (male showing well and calling)
Little Grebes (3 pairs; much whinnying taking place)
Grey Heron (1)
Mute Swans (all 5 birds still present, including 3 of last year's young)
Canada Geese (33)
GADWALL (56+ present many in pairs - could be a bumper breeding season)
COMMON TEAL (pair present)
Tufted Duck (10)
Coot (52)
Common Pheasant (2 males)
Common Buzzard (1)
EUROPEAN HERRING GULL (1 migrant first-year washing and bathing on the lake)
Stock Dove (pair present in dead trees on island)
Green Woodpecker (1)
Great Tit (2 singing males)
Blue Tit (1 singing male)
Long-tailed Tit (2 pairs)
Common Treecreeper (male in full song)
Chaffinch (pair)
Goldfinch (1)
Rooks (at least 38 nests now being utilised in rookery)

WATERCRESS COTTAGE LOOP TRAIL, CHESS VALLEY (BUCKS) (SP 975 000)

CBC Census: Robins (5 singing males), Wren (1), Dunnock (pair), Song Thrush (1 singing male), Chaffinch (2 males), Long-tailed Tit (pair) and on pool, 7 Tufted Duck and a pair of GADWALL.

Against all the odds, an adult drake RUDDY DUCK has defied the winter guns at Staines Reservoirs and returned to a local Little Chalfont site hopefully to breed again for another year (he and his partner yielded 9 babies to flying stage last autumn). This was the icing on the cake for a very enjoyable spring day's birding for me - I just love these adorable ducks.