Afternoon Birding in the CHESS VALLEY

TUESDAY 10 NOVEMBER

A very damp day with poor light conditions and cool temperatures (9 degrees C). No wind to speak of and intermittent light drizzle.

CHESS RIVER VALLEY, BETWEEN GREAT WATER AND CHORLEYWOOD

The juvenile OSPREY remains present, being seen on and off all morning and eventually flying off east early afternoon. It did NOT roost this evening and was not seen after 1330 hours.

LITTLE EGRETS (an adult feeding in the stream south of Limeshill Wood and then later at the Cress Beds with two further birds feeding at dusk west of Chenies Bridge. Interestingly, the latter two flew off east to roost at 1647 hours in almost total darkness)

Grey Heron (3 at the Cress Beds)
Mute Swan (2 adults just north of Sarratt Mill House)
Red Kite (3)
Common Buzzard (1)
Common Kestrel (a male at the cress beds and another at the Three Valleys Pumping Station just SW of North Lane)
Moorhen (33 between Sarratt Mill House and the stone bridge)
Black-headed Gull (large numbers flighting south towards Broadwater GP)
HERRING GULL (25+ with the above)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (35+ with the above)
Woodpigeon (28 in one gathering)
TAWNY OWL (one hooting from the SE corner of Baldwin's Wood towards dusk)
RING-NECKED PARAKEET (2 by Sarratt Mill House)
Green Woodpecker (3)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (3)
Meadow Pipit (1 in flight near Sarratt Mill House)
Grey Wagtail (3)
Wren (5 territories)
European Robin (2 by Bridge Cottage and at least 6 more in valley)
Song Thrush (2)
REDWING (26 roosting in evergreen trees south of Sarrattmill Bridge at TQ 037 976)
Mistle Thrush (3 including a male in full song)
FIELDFARE (4 near Sarratt Mill House)
Common Blackbird (7 noted including 3 by Mill Farm Barns)
Long-tailed Tits (22 in total in 3 feeding flocks)
COMMON TREECREEPER (1 in trees just north of Sarratt Mill House - a scarce species in the valley)
Common Magpie (6)
Jay (3)
Chaffinch (18 at roost in evergreen trees south of Sarrattmill Bridge)
SISKIN (1 by the cress beds)
LESSER REDPOLL (1 by the stone bridge)
BULLFINCH (1 in Sarratt Bottom)