Recording Area Annual Totals

97 Species in 2013, 99 in 2012, 94 in 2011, 108 species were recorded in 2010;



Tuesday, 9 February 2010

GREAT CRESTED GREBE appears on Shardeloes Lake - first of the year


TUESDAY 9 FEBRUARY

The wind veered from NE to northerly during the day and in doing so raised the temperature a bit, to 6 degrees C. It remained dry throughout and during the afternoon, the cloud melted away, leaving a clear blue sky. By nightfall, a frost was in prospect

CHESS RIVER VALLEY (SOUTH BUCKS)

Still 4 LITTLE EGRETS present, all just west of Chenies Bottom, with 3 Common Buzzards in display over Lane Wood (SU 990 987)

COLESHILL (SOUTH BUCKS)

Yet another dead Badger, lying in the middle of the A404 just west of New Road at SU 944 962

A Common Kestrel was sat on the wire by Whielden Gate.

PENN WOOD (SOUTH BUCKS)

Checked out Penn Wood, particularly the Penna Monument ride, but with scant results - no Lesser Redpoll located and just 2 Goldcrests, 1 Wren, 8 Long-tailed Tits and 3 Muntjac Deer encountered. The Chaffinch roost at the west end numbered 48.

Most activity centred around the Holly roost at SU 916 957, where 147 GREENFINCHES were joined by 32 BRAMBLINGS, a few males now in nice attire.

SHARDELOES LAKE (SOUTH BUCKS)
(Dusk visit)

A noticeable arrival of water birds, with the first GREAT CRESTED GREBE of the year, 2 Little Grebes, 70 Coots, all 5 Mute Swans again (including three of last year's brood), 52 Atlantic Canada Geese, 8 Mallard, 20 Gadwall, 24 Tufted Duck and 16 Northern Pochard.

I also located a REED BUNTING roost at the far west end of the lake, numbering 5 birds.

Monday, 8 February 2010

Recent sightings from PENN WOOD

BRAMBLING
14 - Fri 5th, 15:30-17:00
c20 - Sat 6th, 14:30-17:00
15 - Sun 7th, 15:00-17:00

Note: two other birders reported c24 on Fri 5th at SE Corner holly roost, while I was checking elsewhere. So total for the day = c28.

GREENFINCH
c110 - Fri 5th, 15:30-17:00
c120 - Sat 6th, 14:30-17:00
c120 - Sun 7th, 15:00-17:00

Note: the other birders reported c150 on Fri 5th. So total for the day = c190

LESSER REDPOLL
None found - Fri 5th, 15:30-17:00
c20 - Sat 6th, 14:30-17:00
37+ - Sun 7th, 15:00-17:00
Note: Both sightings were along the main southern pathway at holly and birch stand, approx 100 yards east of the south end of the fenced paddock area.

Also COMMON RAVEN on 7th flying high, heading south, calling and quick right flip then left flip, then carried on (per Kevin Holt)

Wednesday, 3 February 2010

GREEN SANDPIPER still present

The GREEN SANDPIPER and 3 LITTLE EGRETS still present today at Crestyl Watercress Beds, Sarratt Bottom (per Jeff Bailey)

Tuesday, 2 February 2010

A map of the RECORDING AREA


This is the Recording Area covered by this website, traversing both Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire

A wet day but nevertheless very rewarding - a comprehensive study of SHARDELOES ESTATE




TUESDAY 2 FEBRUARY

Overnight, a warm front moved in from the west, pushing the cold weather back towards the continent. The cold, crisp, clear weather was replaced by a band of rain, which continued all morning. I made the most of the wet weather by writing and as a consequence, was able to see what was visiting the garden feeders.

CHAFFINCH HOUSE, LITTLE CHALFONT (BUCKS)

Despite the rain, a nice selection of garden visitors, including a FIELDFARE, a male Greenfinch, 2 Goldfinches and an adult male and first-winter male PIED WAGTAIL on the lawn.

At least 35 House Sparrows were in residence, along with 4 Common Blackbirds, 6 Eurasian Collared Doves, a Woodpigeon, 3 Blue Tits and 6 Chaffinches.

SHARDELOES ESTATE (BUCKS)

The rain started to peter out early afternoon so I went over to Shardeloes Estate to do a full inventory of the birdlife present, checking out the main lake and walking to Model Farm, Mop End and fully covering Wheatley Wood. A total of 2,187 individuals of 42 different species were encountered, the highlights being a pair of Mandarin Ducks, my first Bucks Red-legged Partridge of the year and some excellent Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting counts.

The main lake was still partly frozen

Little Grebe and Mute Swan (no sign of either species)

Grey Heron (1)
*MANDARIN DUCK (pair at the west end of main lake)
Mallard (13)
GADWALL (32)
NORTHERN POCHARD (7 present - 5 adult drakes and two females)
Tufted Duck (12)
RED KITES (4 including 2 perched by one of the pheasant pens)
Common Buzzard (1)
Common Kestrel (1 adult male)
Red-legged Partridge (1)
Common Pheasant (330)
Moorhen (14)
Coot (major increase to 73 birds - see graph)
Black-headed Gull (214)
COMMON GULL (high count of 46 birds roosting on the ice)
HERRING GULL (adult and 3rd-winter Argenteus feeding an a dead fish on the ice - scarce on the lake)

Stock Dove (male calling and displaying)
Woodpigeon (112 near lake and a further 766 by Summerville Wood)
Wren (just 2, both by the lake)
Dunnock (2 in the Model Farm maize/game strips)
European Robin (1 in the Lodge garden)
SONG THRUSH (3 feeding in leaf litter below the line of Beech trees at the start of the footpath to Mop End)
REDWING (just 1 noted)
FIELDFARE (flock of 15 near Model Farm)
Common Blackbird (3)
GOLDCREST (excellent views of a vocal individual in bushes by the main lake)
Great Tit (5, including males in song)
COAL TIT (3)
Blue Tit (4)
Long-tailed Tit (10)
COMMON TREECREEPER (2 in scrub by main lake)
Common Magpie (14)
Jay (4)
Jackdaw (340, with the large roost in Wheatley Wood)
Rook (12)
Carrion Crow (16)
Chaffinch (30 in the Model Farm game strips)
LINNET (24 in one flock in Model Farm game strips)
Goldfinch (5)
Greenfinch (1)
REED BUNTING (2 birds at the far west end of the main lake and a further 13 in the Model Farm game strips)
*YELLOWHAMMER (an impressive 42 birds in the Model Farm game strips)

PIED WAGTAILS at Chaffinch House

Still raining and now 2 PIED WAGTAILS feeding on the lawn - an adult male and a first-winter male - a record; also beautiful male GREENFINCH on sunflower seed feeder

Garden FIELDFARE


Much garden activity today highlighted by the presence of a single FIELDFARE.
HOUSE SPARROWS numbered 37, with 5 Common Blackbirds, 1 Woodpigeon, 6 Eurasian Collared Doves, 6 Dunnocks, 3 Blue Tits and 2 GOLDFINCHES.