More Surveying - HOBBY nesting, GARDEN WARBLERS and COMMON CUCKOO found, more COMMON WHITEHROATS and two new drake BLUEBILLS

FRIDAY 12 JUNE

Fairly cloudy but a warm day, with light winds and some long sunny periods. I took advantage of a quiet day to do some more local surveying work. Highlights included nesting HOBBIES, 2 'new' bluebills, several COMMON WHITETHROATS and my first Amersham area COMMON CUCKOO and GARDEN WARBLERS of the year.

TQ 01 98 (CHENIES VILLAGE/CHENIES BOTTOM)

CHENIES VILLAGE (censused all village area north of A404)

Woodpigeon (2 pairs)
European Collared Dove (2 pairs)
Common Swift (1 overhead)
Pied Wagtail (1 juvenile)
Eurasian Skylark (singing male south of the A404)
Dunnock (1 singing male)
Wren (2 singing males)
European Robin (7 territories, with 3 pairs feeding young)
Common Blackbird (8 pairs)
Song Thrush (male in song)
Blackcap (3 singing males, with 2 by the Van Hage Garden Centre Overflow car park)
Blue Tit (3 family groups)
Coal Tit (singing male near church)
Great Tit (1 juvenile)
Magpie (pair)
Western Jackdaw (2 pairs nesting in the chimneys of the 'Old Village Shop')
Common Starlings (5 fledged juveniles)
House Sparrows (population of 16 birds, nesting under eaves of house '48')
Chaffinch (6 pairs)
Common Greenfinch (2 singing males, with one in trees by Chenies & Latimer Cricket Club ground and another in trees behind the Bedford Aems)

CIRCUIT STARTING FROM HOLLOWAY LANE AT TQ 017 984 EASTING AT THE WEIR AND WATERCRESS FARM AND RETURNING WEST VIA THE CHESS VALLEY WALK TO MILL FARM AND CHENIES BOTTOM - SURVEY AREA INCLUDES FROGMORE MEADOW NR AND MILL FARM WATER MEADOWS

Common Pheasant (1 male)
Common Buzzard (nesting pair in Mount Wood)
Common Kestrel (adult male)
*HOBBY (pair)
Woodpigeon (3 pairs)
Green Woodpecker (in Mount Wood and by boardwalk)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (juvenile by boardwalk and nest found by road)
Wren (7 singing males)
European Robin (8 territories, with 3 pairs feeding young)
Common Blackbird
*COMMON WHITETHROAT (singing male at Frogmore Valley NR at TQ 021 986, with another near weir at TQ 025 989, a pair feeding young by the ford and two further singing males at Mill Farm Water Meadows at TQ 020 987)
Blackcap (singing males in hedgerow by Holloway Lane and on Frogmore NR; female feeding young at two locations)
**GARDEN WARBLERS (2 - singing males in Black Poplar at Frogmore Valley NR and in hedgerow at TQ 021 990. These two birds represented my first in the District this spring)
Common Chiffchaff (1 singing male at Frogmore Valley NR)
Great Tit (3 family parties)
Blue Tit (4 family parties)
Long-tailed Tits (8)
Carrion Crow (nesting pair)
Western Jackdaws (12 feeding on lawn of Chenies Place including several juveniles)
Goldfinch (1)
Chaffinch (3)

Speckled Woods (40+)
Marsh Marigolds (Frogmore NR)

MILL FARM BARNS AND RIVER AT CHENIES BOTTOM (TQ 012 988)

Coot (pair)
Moorhen (1 juvenile)
Tufted Duck (1 drake)
Common Blackbird (2 pairs)
Great Tit (family party)
Goldfinch (pair)

LATIMER BRIDGE (TQ 004 985)

Another singing male COMMON WHITETHROAT on wires just NE of Stoney Lane/Latimer Road crossroads.

GREAT WATER, LATIMER PARK (TQ 000 986)

Little Grebe (2)
Mute Swans (22)
Canada Geese (7 adults; 9 well grown young)
Mallard (3 family groups accompanied by 9, 8 and 5 young respectively)
Tufted Duck (16)
Coot (pair with 2 young by weir)
Common Buzzard (1)
Green Woodpecker (1)
Eurasian Skylark (1 singing male)
HOUSE MARTINS (27; nesting colony at Latimer Park)
Mistle Thrush (4)
Blackcap (singing male)
Chaffinch (singing male)

SHARDELOES LAKE (late evening visit 2100)

GREAT CRESTED GREBE (1 adult)
Canada Geese (37 adults; 14 well grown young)
Mallard (44 young)
Gadwall (2 drakes in eclipse)
Tufted Duck (20)
NORTHERN POCHARD (7 birds out in middle including 5 adult drakes and 2 females)

Green Woodpecker
*COMMON CUCKOO (male calling; my first in the Amersham District this year)

Record for Mic Wells: another dead Badger on the A404 just west of Chorleywood at TQ 026 975