2nd February..... Fieldfare & Waxwings.

A single Fieldfare appeared on the lawn this morning, spent about 10 minutes motionless, then began chasing off all the Blackbirds, even tangled with a Squirrel. Flew up into the lower branches of the Oak for a while, before once again resuming the battle when another Fieldfare turned up. After nearly 30 minutes of this, the reason became clear, it was guarding the single Apple on the lawn  which I put out several days ago & remained untouched until now, as the Fieldfare began to devour it.

With Chesham's match called off due to the white stuff, I had a free Saturday afternoon, there was only one thing to do, try again for the Waxwings at Northchurch. I picked up Stewart on the way, stopping at Ashley Green to see if the Golden Plovers were in their winter haunt, but no still not here, not seen any locally this winter.
Parking up by the canal bridge, several birders already there, having seen the Waxwings ten minutes earlier departing from the Rosehips next to the bridge. We gave it ten minutes, before wandering round to the cemetery, to be greeted by four Waxwings busy preening above the foot path, not in the least bit troubled by folks walking underneath.

After eight minutes of smartening themselves up, they began their magical contact calls, a sign they would be on the move, which they did dropping down onto the few remaining berries just in front of us only about three metres away. To see these stunning birds at close quarters is what makes cold winter days worthwhile.

From here we made the short drive to Steps Hill, where Stewart picked out a female Brambling in amongst a flock of Chaffinches & Blue Tits scratching around in the leaf litter under the Beech trees at the car park.
On to Wingrave for a dusk watch.

Stewart spotted a distant Buzzard on top of a hedge briefly sharing it's prey with a Magpie, before flying off to an Oak, so it could feed without disturbance for thirty minutes. Four more Buzzards appeared at 5-pm.




A Little Egret flew through heading north in rapidly darkening skies at at 5-00pm, while a Kestrel was still hunting at at 5-05, Sparrow Hawk also when through at the same time. Don.

Images Copyright : Don Stone/Stewart Dennis.