Thursday, 27 November 2014
GOLDEN PLOVERS are back......
Today there were 6 EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVERS in the large field adjacent to Weedonhill
Woods, this time last year this field held 30 Golden Plovers, peaking at 66 on
21st December (Don Stone)
Monday, 24 November 2014
Birding the Chess Valley....
MONDAY 24 NOVEMBER
BIRDING THE CHESS VALLEY
After yesterday's rain (which lasted all day
incidentally), the skies cleared overnight to leave a light frost. Blue skies
then dominated proceedings, giving rise to the most glorious of late autumn
days....
I decided to do a full inventory of the
CHESS VALLEY, moving from east to west...
Ideally situated for those traversing the delights the Chess Valley has to offer - the Bedford Arms
CHENIES VILLAGE & ENVIRONS harboured a
population of 30 House Sparrows (stable due to restoration of high beech
hedgerows), as well as 16 Western Jackdaws, 2 Collared Dove, Robin, Wren,
Dunnock, Song Thrush (singing male), Jay, Goldcrest and 3 Redwing.
MOUNTWOOD FARM added Green Woodpecker,
Goldfinch, Robin, Woodpigeon, 2 Carrion Crow and 2 Jackdaw, with the adjacent
MOUNT WOOD producing 2 Common Buzzard, 2 Jay, Common Blackbird and a flyover
Black-headed Gull.
At the CRESTYL WATERCRESS BEDS in SARRATT
BOTTOM, the first of 5 wintering Little Egrets was seen, with 9 Mallard and 4
Moorhen on the cress and Common Blackbird, Wren (2), Dunnock and Robin in the
hedgerow.
The aforementioned Black-headed Gull was a
site-first for VALLEY FARM, the horsefields also harbouring 17 Woodpigeon,
Common Blackbird, 2 Grey Heron, Red Kite, Moorhen, 12 Jackdaw, 3 Chaffinch, 4
Pied Wagtail, 3 Redwing, 2 Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin and Dunnock. The male
RING-NECKED PARAKEET was in its usual tree opposite the cressbeds (see images
below).
Another Little Egret was to be found at
FROGMORE MEADOWS, standing side-by-side by the Chess with a Grey Heron, whilst
Common Pheasant, Common Magpie, Dunnock, Wren (3), Common Blackbird (3), Song
Thrush and Bullfinch were also noted. MILL FARM MEADOWS adjacent yielded 3 more
Little Egrets as well as Grey Heron, Common Buzzard, Goldfinch and Wren, while
CHENIES BOTTOM hamlet added Red Kite, Common Kestrel, 3 Robin, 2 Wren,
Goldfinch, Great Tit, Goldcrest, 2 Blue Tit, Jay, 2 Long-tailed Tits and a
flyover RING-NECKED PARAKEET (Sarratt bird presumably).
Little of note at either CHURCH COVERT or
NEPTUNES FALLS - LATIMER GREAT WATER continuing this theme. A 6th Chess Little
Egret was at BOIS MILL whilst a shifty at CHESHAM SEWAGE WORKS revealed the
presence of 1 Little Grebe, 2 Gadwall, 2 Tufted Duck, 8 Moorhen and 76
Black-headed Gulls; a male Common Kestrel was nearby.
Pretty quiet on CHESHAM FISHING LAKES with 1
Mute Swan, 12 Tufted Duck, 6 Moorhen and 28 Coot counted and SISKIN and COMMON
KINGFISHER briefly flying through. A pair of COMMON KINGFISHERS was feeding on
the tiny brook opposite the Gym Centre with MILLFIELDS harbouring a Song Thrush
and 2 Moorhens; 4 Red Kites were circling overhead.
No less than 10 Moorhen were resident at
CHESHAM MOOR (WATERSIDE), while this year's sole surviving Mute Swan cygnet was
still keeping company with mum and dad.
Numerous Red Kites were patrolling the skies
and fields in the OSTLER'S WOOD AREA, where 3 Common Buzzard, 57 Stock Dove, 170
Woodpigeon, 3 Jay, 2 Bullfinch and Mistle Thrush were all seen.
Saturday, 22 November 2014
MANDARIN remains in Lowndes Park Lake
The drake MANDARIN DUCK was still present in
CHESHAM'S LOWNDES PARK today, feeding with Mallard in leaf litter before being
flushed by a dog not on a lead. Otherwise, wildfowl inventory much as usual with
80 Atlantic Canada Geese present, 8 Muscovy Ducks, 94 Mallard and 6 Moorhen.
Western Jackdaws were showing well and were particularly photogenic, while
Mistle Thrush, Dunnock, 5 Redwing, Great Tit, Common Magpie, 6 Chaffinch, 4 Song
Thrush and a Goldfinch were all encountered.
A check of the neighbouring ST MARY'S
CHURCHYARD revealed the presence of 13 species: 4 Robin (all singing), 4 Common
Blackbirds, 5 Song Thrush, 8 Woodpigeon, Coal Tit, 3 Goldcrest, Chaffinch,
Mistle Thrush, Common Starling, Western Jackdaw and a Moorhen up a tree! and 3
Fieldfare & 7 Redwing overhead
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