26th November..... Yet more Winter Thrushes.

At work at Lee Common this morning at 9.20am a large movement of Redwings all heading NW. Maybe 500. Too many to count, for around 5 minutes kept coming over in waves  of 100 plus at a time. Have never seen so many. Also Fieldfares chattering in nearby treetops. At home after lunch a raptor stooped at speed from high, wings folded tight back, then over the garden across the fields and gone. All over in 3 seconds and not sure what it was. Thinking a male Sparrowhawk that was soaring on a ‘prospecting’ flight and saw something in the garden, and on it’s way down saw me and decided to carry on.

Stewart.

 

25th November..... Winter Thrushes.

This weekend has seen a big influx of Winter Thrushes into the area: for most of Saturday morning a flock of 12 Redwings fed on Holly Berries in the garden, often taking flight when disturbed, but always returning back to the berries, another flock of c40 passed over several times. When I went out on Sunday morning a flock of c80 Redwings passed over, settling in a neighbouring garden, I quickly returned to the house to grab the camera (took less than a minute), but by then only 11 remained, but they soon re-appeared as they flew from nearby Conifers.

Redwings.

                           

Later in the morning on the way to Amersham  c30 Fieldfares were at Hyde Heath & 18 more flew over the high street as we shopped, the largest count being a mixed flock of c200  Redwings/Fieldfares above Ballinger Cricket pitch as the sky seemed to be full of Thrushes. 

                             Fieldfare.                                                                                                     Don.

23rd November..... Field Vole.

Had an entertaining few minutes early this morning at the expense of a field vole. It climbed to the top of a 45 degree branch, harvest mouse style which finished 6 inches short of the bird table . It spent a while summing up the distance balanced on the very top of the branch. It decided to go for it, went back on it’s haunches and launched itself..... missed by about an inch and fell 5 foot into the under growth and out of sight. A pity, no camera at hand.

Stewart.

Yesterday a Little Egret was back in their winter quarters on The Chess at Chesham Moor, further down stream at Latimer two Cormorants sat in their usual trees.

Don.

A long way from Bucks.

Stewart's sister sent the following newspaper cuttings from The West Australian daily paper.

18th November..... Strawberry Hill.

Walked to the end of Strawberry Hill this morning. Good to see good numbers of Yellowhammers towards the end but not so good to see a burnt out vehicle, now filling a gap in  the hedgerow. Was told of the large numbers of Red Kites following tractors working the fields. One count was 54. Closer to home found this late Shaggy Inkcap also called Lawyer’s Wig slowly decomposing from the bottom upwards and turning to ‘ink’. Its growing in a very vulnerable position so might not be able to completely turn to ‘ink’ and deposit it’s spores.

Stewart.

 Images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

18th November..... Curlew.

After visiting a friend in Aylesbury this morning, I took the scenic route home, returning via the Aylesbury Vale villages instead of the main road. It took me an hour & three quaters rather than half an hour, but was well worth it when I came across a Curlew. I'd pulled over to check out a flock of c30 Black-headed Gulls, walked across the road just catching a glimpse of a wader alighting out in the middle of a low growing Brassica crop, where it began to feed. My second Curlew in the county this year. Also 2 Sky Larks in same field & Buzzard on telegraph pole.
Further on near Kimble Wick I spotted a flock of Golden Plovers in flight in the distance.
Back at home I put out bird seed for the first time this Winter, as colder weather is forecast.
Don.

17th November..... Garden News.

Great Spotted Woodpeckers seem to have found the sunflower hearts this week, often on the feeder.

Blue tits have started using the nest box close to the back door, presumably roosting in it, it’s been cleaned out and has fresh hay inside.

Nice to see more Blue Tits and Robins in the winter flowering Viburnum Bodnantense.

Found this imprint on the window of a bird. Pigeon size so can only guess that one of our regular Wood Pigeons hit the window but no bird or feathers found so hopefully all ended well. Stewart.

All images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

In our garden Redwings were present throughout the day, at dusk a Song Thrush sang from the upper branches of a Plum tree, as a Tawny Owl greeted the darkness with a couple of 'hoots' from a neighbouring garden.

Don.

11th November..... Crossbills.

This afternoon Stewart & myself visited the Hale End of Wendover Woods to check out the Common Crossbill flock located yesterday by Mike & Ted Wallen. After a short 10 minute walk up the track, we came across a couple of birders who had been watching a Male feeding at the top of a Spruce tree for at least half an hour.

A small flock of 6 birds flew further up the track as we watched, so we decided to try our luck with them. It didn't take long to find a very agitated bird, calling, from the upper most branch of another Spruce, it didn't hang around & was soon off. The reason drifted into view as a Sparrow Hawk went over.

Images Copyright : Don Stone/Stewart Dennis.

11th November..... Garden Help.

A Jay busy doing a bit of gardening this morning.

Images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

4th - 10th November.

4th Muntjac early evening. 2 male Tawnies calling at dusk.
5th c100 Starlings flew through heading west at 8-50am. Red Admiral in the village (Stewart). Dead Barn Owl on the road near Kingsey, just a few yards from the spot where I found one in the Spring.
6th plenty of Redwings feeding on the Holly Berries. Female Bullfinch drinking from bird bath.
7th Dead Tawny Owl on Ballinger Road (Carol).
8th
9th Badger visits front lawn again.
10th Sprawky spent 10 minutes bathing in the pond.

Chesham Remembers.

Images Copyright : Tom Stone.

Courtesy : Matt Kirby.

Lest we Forget.....

Images Copyright : Martin Phillips.

Courtesy : ABS Collection.

4th November..... Fungi.

A short walk this morning and found a few Fly Agaric fungi at different stages of growth in our local woods. Very poisonous to us but I see something had taken a few mouthfuls.

This blue grey fungi was found on the roadside and after a lot of surfing later think it’s Clitocybe Odora also known as the Aniseed Toadstool. I’ll have to go and have a sniff tomorrow and see.

Warmed up on Sunday afternoon and some late Bumblebees were enjoying the Michaelmas Daisy.

 A Lacewing also found the MichaelmasDaisy to it's liking.

A friendly Field Vole searched for food among the flower pots close to the house.

 While a fine looking juvenile Blackbird stopped by the pond.

^{All images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.}