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.}

28th October - 3rd November.

28th noticeably more Redwings around than before we went away, with up to a dozen feeding on our Holly berries, Sprawky bathing in the pond for 5 minutes at 11-00am.
29th Badger visited our front garden overnight, digging a small hole 5 feet from the front door.
30th Marsh Tit at Swan Bottom, has been here for at least 12 months.
31st 3 Stonechats at Pitstone Hill (Stewart).2 male Tawny Owls & a female calling near the garden at 5-15pm, along with another distant male.
1st 6 Ring-necked Parakeets over the village (Cathy).
2nd

3rd vizmiging over the local fields between 7-20 & 8-30am produced c229 Wood Pigeon heading south west, c109 Redwings (59 west), Starling c73 (64 west, 9 north), 18 Mistle Thrush (14 south west, then turned back east, 2 south west & 2 singles east), a single flock of 16 Linnet north, 6 Mallard south, Black-headed Gull west, Meadow Pipit north, Sky Lark south, Lesser Black-backed Gull west & 25 Fieldfare came down & settled in hedgerow. Marsh Tit in the garden.
The early morning sun,
Rises behind the trees;
Forming bold silhouettes,
With the Oak leaves.

3rd November..... Greenfinches.

Good to see three Greenfinches at the feeders this morning, but on a more serious note the BTO tell us that the rapid decline of the British Greenfinch first noted in the late summer of 2006 from Trichomonosis .... Avian Pox spread though dirty feeders. So must keep my feeders clean. Greenfinches are also attracted into the garden by the hips of Rosa Rugosa which grows high through the Hawthorn and the blackbirds are enjoying the berries.

   

Have just watched the Paul Weller concert on i-player, pretty good. A bit different to The Jam days.

Stewart.

The last performance ever at Aylesbury Civic Center, before the Walls came tumbling Down.
Paul Weller https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyg24OrOscE

Images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

31st October..... Pitstone Hill.

Making the most of the weather today we went to Pitstone Hill. Walking along the southern fence line again followed a hunting Kestrel and Red Kite, often flying lower than us.

Also plenty of Skylarks about and further along the fence line came across a pair of Stonechats. The female feeding on what looks like quite hairy caterpillars. Soon after turned around and walked back across the road towards Ivinghoe Beacon.

Lots of Sheep, breeding ewes and tups and most ewes marked with raddle and all enjoying the sunshine.

Found another Stonechat on our way back to the car park.

College Lake for lunch and a colourful walk around after with the trees

 Juniper berries

Wigeon.

                                                                              

All images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

Oxford - Cambridge Expressway.

www.bbowt.org.uk/wildlife/nature-matters/oxford-cambridge-expressway