19th January..... Chesh, Finches & HS2.

Yesterday was an excellent day for supporters of Chesham United like myself, following their 1-0 win down in Cornwall at league leaders Truro City, a result that means we now top the league for the second time this season.

Today began well with a count of 12 Greenfinches sat in the tree watching the feeders in the early morning sun, a few years back we would regularly have numbers into the high 30s, 'til an uncaring neighbour hacked all the trees down in their garden hoping for a quick profit, in the process destroying the roost site. Also 14 Goldfinches.

With the River Chess flowing well once more we decided to spend the morning in the upper Misbourne Valley to see  what the situation was here. On entering Little Missenden this prime example of Fly Tipping greeted us, being the 2nd road I've come across being partially block in the last five days, this contained a little bit of everything, even a dustpan & a pair of garden shears, once you'd find this sort of thing in gate ways & laybys, not any more the selfish ********  just tip on the move, bit like a 'drive thru'.

Bird wise a Grey Wagtail on the church roof, Kingfisher flashed down the river, which is now in full flow once more after all the recent rains.

Moved up to Deep Mill Pond, full to the brim, with only 5 Tufted Duck, male Gadwall whose grey tones were looking splendid in the sun, plus another Grey Wag.

With all the water at these sites, thought we'd check out the Abbey Park whose lakes & river have been dry for years. Unfortunately that's the way they still are with only a small amount of  water in Bank's Pond, where a 'charm' of 9 Goldfinches fed on the Thistle heads.

Stopped in at the Link Road Camp for a chat with Alan, all looking neat & tidy.

 

Finished off the morning up at the HS2 site, where Stewart was keen to check the age of the largest Oak tree, which we estimated to be in the region of 175 years old, will it be in the right spot to avoid the great HS2 Chain Saw Massacre?? Only time will tell. Been a bit of activity since our last visit, containers have been moved & seem to have dug a hole with a platform above it. The Finch/Bunting flock (how's that Cathy??) here is building nicely since our last visit, numbering 100+ made up of Yellowhammers, Linnets & Chaffinches. With the weather getting colder numbers may even equal last winter when they peaked at around 250.

Back to the mighty Chesh I notice on my Twitter feed as I write this that they took a pasting this evening, 4-1 away at the rapidly improving Yate Town.
Don.
Images Copyright : Don Stone/Stewart Dennis.