Mid Bucks Wildlife: August 2018

Thursday, August 30, 2018

Bucks County Show.

A few images from the show.....

All images Copyright : Don Stone.

29th August..... Latimer.

Had a few hours to spare at midday, so paid a quick visit to Great Water, Neptune Falls & Latimer village.

A chiffchaff called from the hedgerow in front of the house, where this sign warned me not to look to closely.

Down on the lake below the falls, an adult Little Grebe had two well grown youngsters begging & calling to be fed.

A female Tufted Duck with one of her four ducklings.

All images Copyright : Don Stone.

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Knopper galls.

There are several of these Knopper galls on our Oaks this summer, which are caused by the Gall wasp inoculating acorn buds with their eggs.
Thanks to Carol & Stewart for I'd help.

How the acorns should look.

Don.

Monday, August 27, 2018

Michael's Charity Cycle Ride

..... in aid of the Prince's Trust https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-display/showROFundraiserPage?userUrl=michaelwidera&pageUrl=1

That was the week that was..... 19th - 25th August.

19th Robins have started to get vocal again, calling from the bushes in the garden.
20th heard the first chorus of subdued mellow song from one of the Robins; they'll soon be back to their cocky selves.
22nd Badgers paid a visit to the dried up pond again last night.
23rd Badgers returned again last night. Surprised to find a Sand Martin hawking insects around an Oak tree in Pednor, in amongst a mixed flock of approx 30 House Martins/Swallows. Kestrel hunting from fence posts in the fields this evening.

Kestrel. Copyright : Don Stone.

24th Badgers visited once more; dead Tawny Owl on the Chesham to Latimer road. Nothing at the migrant hot spot at Chenies.
Little Egret on the river Misbourne east of Little Missenden. Dead Badger at Deep Mill. Those HS2 types are setting up base camp down at Great Missenden; life will never be the same again.
25th big drop in temperature first thing this morning, could see my breath, only 8 degrees centigrade. Comma butterfly in garden. Plans announced to double plastic bag tax to 10p, should just ban them altogether. Have you noticed how some items can have at least 4 different wrappings, you get a mini fruit pie in a foil cup in a plastic tray in a cellophane wrapper in a cardboard box??

Chesham United make the worst start to a season I can remember played 4 lost 4 scored 1 conceded 11. The only way is up.

Don.

25th August..... Comma.

Saturday and a much cooler morning; found a male and female Blackcap feeding on Elderberries in a boundary hedge. Later this late juvenile Robin appeared in the garden, possibly from a third brood ?? also while checking the plum situation found a Comma Butterfly feeding, clearly showing the comma mark on the lower underwing.

Stewart.

24th August..... Friendly Common Blue.

24th August..... Chiffchaff again.

In the garden a Chiffchaff is back in the Fennel and our regular Bullfinch pair have found the Honeysuckle Berries by the back door and Goldfinches now on the Knapweed seed heads. One very smart Robin is singing its winter song; while others are still moulting.

Stewart.

Sunday, August 26, 2018

24th August..... Over the County line.

A couple of hours at Wilstone Reservoir on Thursday. Walking to the hide came across good numbers of dragonflies, too active for me to ID, a few Ruddy Darters and many small Common Blue Damselflies; the females being the dull green form. A good selection of commoner waterfowl including Canada and Greylag geese including a hybrid of the two. Lapwings, Coots and Moorhens with plenty of Black Headed Gulls. A few Little Egrets and Herons kept flying through. Found two Spotted Flycatchers fly catching and three views of a Hobby hunting . Followed one through the binoculars eating a dragonfly. (the Hobby that is; not me).

Canada x Greylag hybrid.

Stewart.

24th August..... Shardeloes Lake.

Haven’t visited the lake since the end of June & with it being exactly twelve months since I saw a Marsh Harrier here; thought I’d spend a few hours by the lake; which proved rewarding.

Started off with a very confiding juvenile Pied Wagtail down by the cricket pitch.

On reaching the lake a pair of Great Crested Grebes were keeping an eye on two well grown youngsters over near the main island.

Further east at the water’s edge a Little Grebe was being kept fully occupied feeding two tiny chicks. The usual Coots & Canada Geese were spread out across the lake, with a Heron on the distant bank. Three Goldfinches flew from a bush as a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew out over the water, a Buzzard drifted over; as I worked my way along House Martins were hawking insects over the park land/water, I scanned them; picking out two Sand Martins mixing with them.

Arriving at the west end a Heron flew from a branch on the Sallows as a Spotted Flycatcher swooped out from it’s perch & straight back again. That’s another pesky insect gone!! A spotty juvenile Flycatcher sat next to another adult begging to be fed, without any luck. A lone juvenile Great Crested Grebe swam about nearby; in the marsh area I found what was possibly it’s parent successfully fishing in the pool, returning several times.

The marsh also held seven Gadwall, Little Egret, Heron & a female Manderin Duck.

Walking back I came across another or possibly the same Little Egret out on the edge of the main island with a Heron in close attendance.

Back at the cricket pitch a Kestrel sat on the perimeter fence.

All images Copyright : Don Stone.

Saturday, August 25, 2018

22nd August..... Creature of the Night.

Nearly trod on this Newt as it crawled across the path outside our door at 10-30pm.

Simon.

21st August..... Harvestin' (on the night shift)

Two days after I took the previous images, Stewart went & joined the night shift.

All images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

Friday, August 24, 2018

21st August..... Chats & Flycatchers.

Had enough of the HS2 nonsense at Great Missenden Memorial Hall this afternoon, so we cheered ourselves up with a walk from Little Missenden to Shardeloes Lake & back. The highlight being three Whinchats not far along the track from the village, flycatching from bare branches. On reaching the west end of the lake we found at least three Spotted Flycatchers.

Whinchats.

Spotted Flycatchers.