28th March.....Big Garden Sit Viz Mig Session.

This morning between the hours of 8 & 9am Stewart & myself took part in the Big Garden Sit Viz  along with others in Bucks & the surrounding Counties, noting down the birds seen in, over & from our gardens, a survey which will take place every Saturday throughout April.

Here are my sightings: 
Wood Pigeon 4

Blue Tit on feeders

Great Tit pair on feeders

Blackbird resident pair, male was gathering food yesterday, but not this morning.

Bullfinch resident pair under feeders.

Dunnock resident pair under feeders

Robin resident pair.

Chaffinch female on feeder.

Nuthatch on feeder.

Red Kite 2 over.

Jackdaw over.

Carrion Crow over.

Magpie in neighbouring garden.

Wren

Long tailed Tit 2 on feeder, only just crept in as time up bell rang.

Stewart's:

Moorhen   3
Jackdaw     14
Carrion crow  1
Pheasant       4f 1m
Wood pigeon 2
Stock dove     1
Magpie          1
Kite                1
Starling           2
Blackbird         1f 1m
Nuthatch         1
Dunnock          3
Robin                3
Wren                1
Chaffinch          5
Goldfinch          2
Great tit             2
Blue tit              5
Coal tit              1
Long-tailed tit     2

23rd - 27th March..... View from the Window, Lockdown Birding.

With the current lockdown in place in response to this epic pandemic that's bring the world to it's knees, only beening allowed out for one form of exercise a day, wildlife watching is restricted to the garden & the short walk, which is frustrating now that a White-tailed Sea Eagle has turned up in the area, still there's plenty of internet activity with various web cams & others such as Chris Packham's daily quiz to occupy the mind, as does the garden where I'm busy removing the netting from the base of the hedge which prevented our old dog from escaping & is now just a hazzard to wildlife.
Inbetween times quite a bit has turned up in the garden when I've watched from the window.

The resident pair of Bullfinches are still daily feeding below the feeders.

Where the Blackbirds are ever present, a male has been seen gathering food, so must have a nest nearby, this female appears to be keeping a watchful eye on the sky...

... just as well, as this week this Sparrow Hawk has visited the garden on several occasions, so far to no avail, did make one clumsy attempt at a Great Tit in a bush.

Mallards are coming close to the house early in the mornings.

As did these two ladies late one afternoon.

Jackdaws are busy squabbling over nest sites on nearby chimneys.

















The weather has been nice & sunny, which has brought out the Butterflies, with Brimstone seen daily, along with fleeting climpses of Small Tortiseshell & Peacock butterflies.
Nuthatches have sung daily from the Oaks, but still no Warblers, maybe they'll turn up this week.

Came across this Coltsfoot on one of my walks & found the first Bluebell just poking through, so all's not bad in the world.
Don.

 

March 24th & 25th..... Signs of Spring.

24th: Had a blackcap visit the garden briefly first thing in the morning, later another summer visitor, a chiffchaff was heard when on a walk, again from home and while looking for it a muntjac appeared out of some dense brambles, stood for awhile, then disappeared back in.

Passed some goats enjoying the sunshine on our way back home and more ewes and their newly born lambs being turned out.

25th: Wednesday morning a pair of bullfinches were in the amelanchier eating the flower buds, oh well, I hoped they enjoyed them.

Lots of butterflies on our walk this morning, tortoiseshells feeding on the blackthorn flowers and basking warming themselves up in the sun, peacocks and plenty of  yellow brimstone butterflies on the wing.

Passed an arable field being worked with kites following the machinery looking for something to pick up and eat.

Later a bit of work in the garden watched by a robin along with this good looking frog in the undergrowth.

Stewart.

Images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

Lost In The Supermarket

I'm all lost in the supermarket,
I can no longer shop happily;
I came in here for that special offer,
Guaranteed personality.              Lost In The Supermarket by The Clash.



The Clash happily shopping back in the day, only buying what they need.

Queuing for Sainsburys in Chesham on the food shop.

A friend of mine remarked at football as this crisis began in China "have you got your face masks, as you'll need them to walk down Chesham High Street," little did he know that this would quickly become a reality, when queuing for the Veg Stall on Market Day.

The streets are now deserted,
The gangs have trudged off home;
The lights went out in the bedsits,
Old England was all alone.           Something About England by The Clash.

The scene in Amersham Car Park on Market Day, usually nowhere to park, today deserted, as was the Bank...... just me all alone.

The ice age is coming, the sun is zooming in,
Engines stop running and the wheat is growing thin;
Nuclear error, but I have no fear,
London is drowning - I live by the river.                          London Calling by The Clash.

Some how these songs seem to carry as much meaning now, if not more in this current crisis, than when they were written over forty years ago.

Stay Safe,

Stay Well,

Stay Free.

23rd March..... Staying Close to Home.

Starling continuing to come close to feed on the fat balls. They  have been carrying nesting material into the box and the male bird often sings his song of whistles, squeaks and more unusual sounds , sometimes imitating other birds.

We often think there's a lapwing in the garden but it's the starling on top of the telegraph pole or tree.

Heard a raven passing over the garden early afternoon.

While looking up noticed four specks in the sky and with binoculars saw another raven in a thermal with two buzzards and a kite.

Later in the afternoon walked across the fields passing cowslips.

Wood anemones, primroses ,dog-violets and more.

Came across a field of newly turned out ewes and lambs enjoying the sun on their backs.

Stewart.

Images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

Social Distancing

Not quite sure HS2 have quite got to grips with that one yet, no wonder they have no respect for the environment, when they show little respect for each other in these troubled times. Today at Great Missenden.

If you go down to the Woods Today.

.... all is peaceful & calm at the Roald Dahl Camp.
But that is all about to change as the Deer, Badgers, Bats & Barn Owls will be evicted, as will the farming family in a fortnight from now, they've put their hearts & souls into this land for years. The lovely view across the valley will soon to be Shattered by a Dirty Great Viaduct.

Here's the day to day reality at the sharpe end, these protectors have pure passion & guts & are not afraid to stand up & be counted for what is right & true against those who are happy to destroy our World & everything of Natural Beauty that we should all cherish.

                             

                                                                                                                                                                                      This is all that remains of the once beautiful little copse at Amersham Hospital, where folks would wonder along the middle foot path & where a Nightingale sang only a few Summers back, well that ain't gonna 'appen anymore

... & people can't understand why we're in the state we're in, well the answer is quite simple: look after the planet & it will look after you!!

19th March..... Roostin' Wagtails.

Changed our shopping habit & went this evening to Sainsburys in Chesham to avoid the crowds, avoided the food aswell with all the shelves being empty, but at least the tree in the centre of the car park was full, with 78 Pied Wagtails sat on the bare branches under the street lamp. Would have missed them if it hadn't been for their calls, thought I was hearing things.

The only items which seemed to be fully stocked were Sprouts, Ice Cubes, Easter Eggs & Weed Killer, what is a super market doing selling Weed Killer in these environmentally conscious days?? & to have them displayed next to food items??

Eagle Owls update.

HS2 have now released a second pair of Fibreglass Eagle Owls at the Haul Road at Great Missenden in their never ending battle with nature.

A Song for Mothers Day.

Here is a poignant tune from the powerful pen of Billy Bragg, written on Friday, recorded yesterday, brings tears to the eyes in these crazy days, hopefully when it's over Governments & decision makers will take heed of the warning shots nature has fired across their bow's in the preceeding twelve months & the world will be a better place.
Where ever you are in the World in these troubled times reading this Blog that Stewart & myself cobble together :
Stay Well,
Stay Safe,
Stay Free.

Can't Be There Today by Billy Bragg.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-iS89MyCXA&list=RDw-iS89MyCXA

18th March..... Starlings.

Good to see the starlings continuing their nesting activities in the garden and coming close to the house to feed and clearly showing the difference between the male and female birds.  The male now has a blue/grey base to the beak and the female an off white base as opposed to their dark winter beaks. Also will be interesting over the next few weeks to see  most of the spots disappear on the male bird as the summer/breeding plumage appears.

Images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

NHS not HS2

In the present crisis this slogan carries more meaning now than ever before.
Please sign the petition & share.
Thank you.
Stay Well, Stay Safe.

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/cancel-hs2-and-divert-money-to-public-services-and-society-s-struggling-financially

17th March..... Lapwings back on Territory.

Late in the afternoon just after the sun had sunk from the sky I managed to find this male Lapwing back at it's breeding site. Check out that crest. Thanks to Linda & Trevor for the info.
Stewart.

Image Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

HS2 : Criminal Offence.

Interesting to see how they get out of this one : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlBSTpEOkoM

14th March..... Dipper.

This continental Black-bellied Dipper helped lift the gloom that's gripping the country, as it feed in the waters of the River Wye at The Rye in High Wycombe. It's favoured spots being below the water fall & in the fast moving waters at Bassetsbury Mill, where the owners welcomed us into their garden for a better view.
Waiting for the Dipper to appear.

The Falls.

Further down river a Water Rail fed in the margins near Funges Meadow Nature Reserve, https://revivethewye.org.uk/funges-meadow-nature-reserve/  with a very confiding Little Egret nearby.














Short video clip taken at Bassetsbury Mill.

Street Art at Funges Meadow.

Don.
Images Copyright : Don Stone/Stewart Dennis.