First CHIFFCHAFF of 2010

MONDAY 8 MARCH

Another glorious morning following an overnight frost. Eventually cloud arrived from the east, although temperatures remained stable at 6 degrees C.

WATERCRESS COTTAGE LOOP, LOWER CHESHAM (BUCKS)

Little Grebe (adult in full breeding finery)
LITTLE EGRETS (2 birds feeding in shallow pool opposite Watercress Cottage)
Grey Heron (1 with the egrets)
Tufted Duck (5 on Pow Wow Lake)
GADWALL (pair still on Pow Wow Lake)
Song Thrush (1)
Wren (1)
Blue Tit (male in song)
Robin (2 singing males)
Long-tailed Tits (pair)
Chaffinch (2 singing males)
RING-NECKED PARAKEET (one present in tall Poplars for five minutes) (per Chris Pontin)

CHESHAM FISHING LAKES (BUCKS)

GREAT CRESTED GREBE (male still present on smaller lake)
Mute Swan (adult pair) (pair also returned to Waterside)
Atlantic Canada Goose (pair)
Mallard (12)
Tufted Duck (5)
Coot (8)
Red Kites (2 overhead)
Jackdaws (35 in noisy group, with 5 pairs utilising chimneys on neighbouring houses)
Dunnock (1)
COMMON CHIFFCHAFF (singing male present for its second day - per Chris Pontin - the first in the Recording Area this year)
Goldcrest (1)
Coal Tit (singing male)
Chaffinch (2 singing males)
Greenfinch (singing male)

IVY HOUSE FARM, CHESS VALLEY (BUCKS)

Some 23 ROOK nests are now being utilised and prepared for the coming season, whilst a pair of Long-tailed Tits and 6 House Sparrows were in the hedgerow bordering the farmhouse.

CHESS RIVER VALLEY (BUCKS)

On Bois Mill Pond, the pair of Mute Swans, 15 Atlantic Canada Geese and a drake Tufted Duck were present, with another Mute Swan just east of Bois Mill, a pair by Latimer Bridge and another by Church Covert Reserve.

SHARDELOES LAKE (SOUTH BUCKS)

GREAT CRESTED GREBE (pair present and in courtship display)
CONTINENTAL CORMORANT (immature fishing)
Mute Swans (adult pair and three of last year's offspring still present)
Atlantic Canada Geese (14)
Mallard (14)
GADWALL (34 present)
Tufted Duck (36 present - highest count this winter)
NORTHERN POCHARD (4 drakes present)
Coot (66)
Moorhen (14)
Red Kite (2)
Common Buzzard (1)
Stock Dove (5)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (1)
Song Thrush (singing male on island)
Great Tit (8 together in one noisy group)
Long-tailed Tit (2)
Western Jackdaw (330 in roost; the location of the roost has moved from the Larches in Wheatley Wood to the southern fringe of High Wood)