Another great performance

THURSDAY 12 NOVEMBER

A much milder day and a glorious morning, with bright sunshine and clear skies. By early afternoon, it had deterioted somewhat and a front moved in from the south bringing light rain and cloud.

CHESS RIVER VALLEY (BUCKS/HERTS BORDER)
(0800-1600 hours)

Once again, the juvenile OSPREY was the main attraction with no less than 25 successful visitors today. It caught a Brown Trout at the Pumping Station at around 0825 hours and returned there for a second at around 1100 hours. It then went missing for a while but reappeared from Scrubbs Wood at 1225 before flying west along the Chess to its favourite perch. By 1230 hours, it was back once again in the dead tree opposite Sarratt Bottom and just east of Crestyl Water Cressbed Farm and sat there for the next 80 minutes. It was mobbed by two Common Magpies for a while, as well as by the odd Carrion Crow. Despite creeping close to its perch, I still failed to get the critical details of the blue ring. At 1350 hours it took flight and continued slowly east down the river disappearing eventually into Chorleywood. It did not appear again. Amongst its 25 admirers today were Mike Campbell, Mick Frosdick, Brendan Glynne, Roger Horton, Joan, Ken & Sophie Thompson, Steve Carter, Paul Lewis, Steve Blake and Paul Keene.

Our other star and some would say better looking bird - the gaudy male BLACK REDSTART - was also showing well and still favouring the barn and house roofs at Valley Farm, opposite the entrance to the cress bed.

DO NOT PARK AT THE BOTTOM OF MOOR LANE NOR BE RUDE TO RESIDENTS

I was twice accosted by residents today who were extremely disappointed by the behaviour and attitude of a few individuals who were very rude when asked what they were doing. I know most of these residents personally and would like to keep them all on side and would very much appreciate if people be courteous when approached. They are all, including the fishing bailiff and members of the syndicate, very interested in the Osprey and other wildlife in the valley and do appreciate being involved and equally like a good view of this majestic visitor. So, if approached, kindly let them have a view through the 'scope for a few seconds.

DIRECTIONS: Hertfordshire County Council very kindly responded to my plea today and removed the masonry and ceiling which had been fly-tipped last week so there is now ample space for 14 cars to park at the bottom of North Lane, accessed north of the A404 at Chorleywood, 1.2 miles west of Junction 18 of the M25. Take the public footpath NW for 1.2 miles to just beyond Sarratt Bottom village from where the Osprey is clearly visible when present (generally between 1100-1400 hours)

Systematic List

LITTLE EGRET (1 at the Cress Bed Farm)
Red Kite (at least 3 individuals around today)
Common Buzzard (1)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk (3 different individuals noted)
Common Kestrel (1 male)
Black-headed Gull (flightline late afternoon to Broadwater involving at least 250 birds)
Woodpigeon (600+ still present today with many feeding on the heavily laden berry bushes)
Stock Dove (5)
LITTLE OWLS (three calling by Valley Farm)
COMMON KINGFISHER (1)
RING-NECKED PARAKEET (18 flew south to roost at 1435)
Green Woodpecker (2 feeding together on grass slope SE of North Lane)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (2)
Eurasian Skylark (1 over)
Meadow Pipits (8 in area)
Pied Wagtail (2 at Valley Farm)
Grey Wagtail (3)
Song Thrush (1)
Redwing (43 at roost)
FIELDFARE (7)
Common Blackbird (12 in valley, including 5 in the grounds of Sarrattmill House)
BLACKCAP (female in ivy at TQ 032 984 adjacent to footbridge)
COMMON CHIFFCHAFF (vocal individual in hedgerow just south of Sarratt Bottom village)
Coal Tit (1 in Sarratt Bottom)
Jackdaw (82 in Sarratt Bottom)
Rook (31 feeding with the above)
LESSER REDPOLL (1)
SISKIN (1)
BULLFINCH (5 in Sarratt Bottom)