WEDNESDAY 14 JANUARY 2009

The Chess River Valley was bathed in dense fog all morning, with the Latimer Bridge area yielding just 1 LITTLE EGRET, a single adult Atlantic Great Cormorant, 1 COMMON TEAL and 7 NORTHERN POCHARDS. Once again, there was no sign of the Green Sandpiper.

RING-NECKED PARAKEET NOW IN CHESHAM

The male RING-NECKED PARAKEET, seen in the Chess Valley last week, flew over McMinn's Yard at the east end of Chesham this morning (Chris).

Inset photograph: KIT DAY

ANOTHER GREAT DAY IN THE CHESS RIVER VALLEY

THURSDAY 8 JANUARY 2009

With temperatures climbing to 4 degrees centigrade, a thaw was in place. In fact, compared to the past week, birding today was quite balmy! However, this did not affect the three inches of ice affecting most standing waters, and wildfowl were still largely restricted to small, ice-free patches. Towards dusk, and with clear skies, temperatures soon plummeted again.

CHESS RIVER VALLEY (SOUTH BUCKS) (0800-1100 hours)
(An exhaustive survey of the area, walking from Chenies Bridge to Chesham; 56 Species encountered)
(part-birded with Lesley and Stuart Wilson)

Little Grebes (2 on the river just east of Church Covert and 6 on lake below Neptune Falls)
Atlantic Great Cormorant (Sinensis form) (2 present, with an immature on Great Lake and a near-adult on Bois Mill Lake)
*LITTLE EGRETS (7 noted with 5 at the east end in the vicinity of river and marsh by Church Covert and singles east of Bois Mill and opposite Milk Hall Farm. Two birds stood in the field NW of Mill Farm for some time)
Grey Heron (2)
Mute Swans (22 including an adult at Chenies Bridge, 5 juveniles by Latimer Bridge, 20 on Great Lake and a first-winter on ice on Bois Mill Lake)
Atlantic Canada Goose (133 on Great Lake)
Mallard (6)
*NORTHERN SHOVELER (3 - drake and two females - on Bois Mill Lake - my first records at this site)
*COMMON TEAL (12 on river in protected Church Covert reserve area with an additional drake on Bois Mill Lake)
*NORTHERN POCHARD (55 on Great Lake with 2 more on river west of Latimer Bridge)
Tufted Duck (35, with 31 on Great Water and 4 on river west of Latimer Bridge)
Common Buzzard (2 feeding on the ground in grass field NW of Hill Farm)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk (1 by Latimer Hall)
Common Kestrel (male east of Chenies village)
Common Pheasant
**WATER RAIL (2 birds on river in Church Covert Reserve)
Moorhen (27)
Eurasian Coot (75, including 62 on Great Lake)
*LAPWING (the flock in the grassy fields NW of Mill Farm had increased to 54 birds)
*COMMON SNIPE (9 flushed, including 8 together from thawing marsh 100 yards east of Latimer Bridge)
Black-headed Gulls (70+)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (1 adult)
Woodpigeon (90)
Eurasian Collared Doves (17 in Chenies village)
*LITTLE OWL (1 of the resident breeding pairs was roosting in ivy SE of Latimer Hall)
**RING-NECKED PARAKEET (a single 'screeching' male perched briefly on top of a dead tree just east of Church Covert constituting my first record for the area)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (1 in Church Covert)
Meadow Pipit (1 by Latimer Hall and 22 by Hill Farm)
GREY WAGTAIL (1)
Wren (5)
Dunnock (9)
European Robin (6)
**COMMON STONECHATS (a pair in the rough field just NW of Mill Farm at TQ 013 988 and a single female in weeds along the north bank of Great Water at SU 994 988)
Song Thrush (5+ including 3 in hedgerow by Church Covert)
Redwings (43 on Hawthorns just north of Latimer Road)
Mistle Thrush (2)
FIELDFARE (1 with Mistle Thrush on grassy field below Latimer Hall)
Common Blackbird (5)
Goldcrest (3, with 2 by stream by Bois Mill Lake)
Great Tit (5)
Blue Tit (8)
Coal Tit (1 in Chenies Bottom village)
**MARSH TIT (1 showing well in Church Covert which later moved into Flaunden Grove)
Long-tailed Tits (5)
Nuthatch (2 by Latimer Hall and 1-2 by Latimer Park)
Magpie (6)
Jay (2 in Church Covert)
Jackdaw (20+)
Rook (several busily gathering nest material at Ivy House Farm and flying back to rookery in wood above)
Carrion Crow (5)
Common Starling (16 in Latimer village)
House Sparrow (3 in garden of 'The Farmhouse' opposite Blackwell Hall Lane)
Chaffinch (7 in Latimer village)
Goldfinch (3)
Greenfinch (6 in Latimer village)
YELLOWHAMMER (male near Hill Farm)

CHESS RIVER VALLEY BIRDING - CORMORANT KILLED

WEDNESDAY 7 JANUARY 2009

CHESS RIVER VALLEY, LITTLE CHALFONT

A day of two tales, with one of the best days the valley has ever seen (in terms of variety) but a very sad one, with the killing of one of our two wintering Atlantic Great Cormorants.

Firstly, Richard Tomlin witnessed the Cormorant (an immature of the Continental form Sinensis) being shot east of Latimer Bridge at cTQ 007 986. The bird fell to the ground (and incidentally it had been roosting alongside a single Little Egret at the top of a dead tree) and was still alive before being finished off with a single bullet. The corpse was then taken away by the assailant. This incident happened shortly after midday and was shot from the south side of the river south of Church Covert.

A license can be issued to fisheries provided they can provide proof that a number of Cormorants are taking an excessive number of fish. A number of birds can then be 'culled' through the winter months. There is a small fishery at Great Water, half a mile from this location. I do not know whether the person that shot this bird had a valid certificate and was therefore within his rights to shoot the bird, but I would be very surprised that a certificate was issued for this location which rarely attracts more than three wintering birds. What worries me much much more is the possibility of my Little Egrets being shot, of which there has only been three regular birds this winter, surprisingly less than normal! I welcome any comments on this subject and if visiting this location, please be vigilant and record details of person with firearms, vehicle license plate if known, etc

Anyway, back to the positive points of my email

Today's sightings in the valley included
(from 1030-1200 hours, Stuart & Lesley Wilson, Richard Tomlin and 1500-1630, LGRE)

Little Grebe (6 on lake below Neptune Falls, with another east of Latimer Bridge)
Grey Heron (1+)
*LITTLE EGRET (7 birds recorded today, 4 of which were feeding east of Latimer Bridge)
Mute Swans (3 by Latimer Bridge and 6 on Great Water)
Mallard (9)
*COMMON TEAL - 3 on the Chess just west of Church Covert (S&LW)
Tufted Duck (26 on Great Water)
*NORTHERN POCHARD (55 on Great Water - peak count this winter) (LGRE)

*LAPWING (31 in filed NW of Mill Farm in Chenies Bottom at TQ 013 989)
**EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVERS (18, morning only, with the Lapwings above - S&LW)
**GREEN SANDPIPER (the bird first seen by Dave Horton on New Years Day was still present today east of Latimer Bridge)
*COMMON SNIPE (8 in cressbed just east of Latimer Bridge)

Black-headed Gulls (106 flew from Chesham direction towards Chorleywood at dusk presumably to roost at Hilfield Park Reservoir)

*COMMON KINGFISHER (1 on Great Water)
Common Kestrels (2)
Grey Wagtail
Pied Wagtail
*MEADOW PIPITS (large flock of 40 on meadow east of Latimer Bridge)
Wren (8)
Mistle Thrush (2)
Song Thrush (3)
FIELDFARE (2)
REDWING (10+)
*SISKINS (40in Alder near Chenies Bottom Bridge)

DEEP FREEZE

SHARDELOES LAKE

Virtually all frozen but in the one remaining open patch at the west end were gathered 1 Little Grebe, the family group of 6 Mute Swans, a pair of Gadwall and 46 Coots. A pair of MANDARIN DUCKS was standing on the ice.

Heavy snow fell at first light leaving a covering of snow which lasted all day

4 JANUARY 2009

Kevin Holt and I checked PENN WOOD for roosting finches and between 1430 and 1630 hours, recorded 19 BRAMBLINGS (4 by the Penna, 11 in core roost-site by main ride and pond and 4 with one of two Greenfinch roost-sites) (KH recorded 22 birds here on 1/1), just 69 GREENFINCHES (57+22), and just 63 Chaffinches.

A single WOODCOCK was flushed (KH), Common Kestrel roosting by nestbox, Great Spotted and Green Woodpecker, 3 Wrens, 7 European Robins and 5 Goldcrests

A POOR START BUT RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGES HIGHLIGHT

1 JANUARY 2009 (NEW YEARS DAY)

Finally arrived home with Carmel at 0537 hours, after celebrating with a New Years Eve Party in Chesham. Although extremely cold, there was surprisingly no frost

CHAFFINCH HOUSE, LITTLE CHALFONT (0736 hours)

Dunnock, Common Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Common Starling and House Sparrow (15)

CHESS RIVER VALLEY

Carrion Crow (in Stoney Lane), Mute Swan (the 7 'cygnets' still together and surviving just east of Latimer Bridge with 2 adults on the west side), Wren, Blue Tit, Common Pheasant and Jackdaw

Canada Geese (60+ on Bois Mill Lake)

A single LITTLE EGRET was just east of Bois Mill

CHESHAM FISHING LAKES (SP 970 003) (thawed overnight)

GREAT CRESTED GREBE still present (only wintering bird)
Sinensis Cormorant (1 immature on the smaller pit)
Grey Heron
Mute Swan (1 first-winter)
Mallard
Pochard (11 still present - 9 drakes)
Coot (24)
Moorhen
Black-headed Gulls
RED KITE overhead
*COMMON KINGFISHER (1 showing well)
Feral Pigeons (15)
Pied Wagtail
European Robin
SONG THRUSH (2)
Goldcrest
Long-tailed, Blue & Great Tits
Magpie
Greenfinch
*SISKINS (2 birds still present in the tall Alders bordering the river)

HILL FARM (SU 972 008)

One shrub held 5 MIstle Thrushes and 3 Redwings whilst I could only locate 1 of the 10+ overwintering MEADOW PIPITS.

LATIMER ROAD, CHESHAM (SU 973 002)

On one small area of grass verge, 8 Common Blackbirds and 2 SONG THRUSHES were feeding

BLACKWELL HALL LANE (SU 981 997)

No Grey Wagtail but Rook and (unusually) 2 STOCK DOVES

CHENIES VILLAGE

The well-stocked gardens around the square, especially at 'The Lodge' (SU 016 984), yielded 3 JAYS (usually a hard bird to see on Jan 1) and several Coal Tits, whilst the Eurasian Collared Dove population numbered 15. House Sparrows (up to 15) were frequenting the hedgerow at SU 017 982), along with 2 Greenfinches and several Chaffinches whilst a gaudy pair of BULLFINCHES was by the pond and thicket at SU 016 979.

OLD AMERSHAM

Some 74 Jackdaws were present in the village, many in pairs and already guarding their favoured chimney stacks.

SHARDELOES LAKE (0900-0930)

Mostly frozen, apart from the west end - little of note, with RED KITE (3), Black-headed Gull (29 on the cricket pitch), an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, Rooks, just 48 Coots, a single pair of Gadwall, a single pair of Tufted Ducks, 3 Greenfinch and my only 3 Little Grebes of the day.

AMERSHAM BYPASS

Both Common Buzzard and Red Kite were noted.

WOODROW

In the large 'frozen' field opposite Cherry Lane (at SU 930 961), a covey of 5 RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGES was encountered - a scarce species in the Amersham Recording Area.

GRANGE FARM AND ENVIRONS, WIDMER END (SU 882 968)

There was no sign of the pair of wintering Common Stonechats.

However, at least 4 RED KITES were in the area, a Common Kestrel and in the bushes around the farm buildings a superb selection of finches, including 5 male BULLFINCHES, 25 LINNETS, 9 Goldfinch, 12 Greenfinch and 35 Chaffinch.

Green Woodpecker was sighted, along with 3 Wrens, 5 FIELDFARES, 6 SONG THRUSHES (feeding together) and 10+ Common Blackbirds.


BURTLEY WOOD

Yet another dead Badger - this time on the A355 just south of the M40 Junction 2 at SU 950 886)

HILLMOTT'S FARM WOOD

Complete blank on Little Owl; just Common Buzzard and another Jay !

BEACONSFIELD

RED KITE over A355. A single SONG THRUSH was feeding on the verge by the Mulberry Bush Public House at SP 956 941.

A further Common Kestrel was seen on the Great Missenden bypass.

UPPER WENDOVERDEAN FARM (SP 880 049)

In the slurry field immediately opposite Cobblershill Lane and Berryhill Farm & Nursery, another superb selection of birds: SPARROWHAWK (male perched on hedge), 47 LAPWING, 500+ Woodpigeons, 30 STOCK DOVE, 55 FIELDFARE, 25 YELLOWHAMMER, 211 Common Starlings, 100+ Chaffinches but no Skylarks.