Flooded Meadows at Old Amersham

Saturday, July 20, 2019

18th July..... Common Crane over Shardeloes.

This evening Stewart & Myself spent 40 minutes, scanning from the ridge over looking the upper Misbourne Valley at Wendover Dean as further down the valley..... 
I made what was meant to be a very quick visit to Shardeloes lake this evening to check for Spotted Flycatchers but it turned into a very exciting visit.
I bumped into Kevin up by the west end of the main lake who was also looking for the Spot Flys and we eventually got some calling birds and a brief view of a juvenile in the bushes but they were staying deep inside the bushes.
I carried on up to the marsh where a female Teal was on the edge of the large pool, along with 4 Mandarins and a couple of Gadwall.
I needed to get off so started heading back but stopped again to chat to Kevin who was hoping to get a better view of the Spot Flys.
We were just about to leave when I noticed a large bird flying in from the east as it disappeared behind one of the lakeside trees. I was hoping it was an Osprey but as it reappeared from behind the trees I couldn’t believe I was watching an adult Common Crane!!
It flew over the lake in front of us about double the tree height and just kept heading through west, following the river. As it drifted away it gently changed direction slightly to the north and south but remained on a westerly course following the Misbourne valley until we lost it behind trees over Little Missenden.
I quickly phoned and emailed the news out but nobody further up the valley could get onto it unfortunately. We couldn’t see any obvious rings on the legs but only had bins.

Hopefully it will reappear somewhere in the county.

Good birding
Rob

No comments:

Post a Comment