8th December..... Colour in the Garden.

This cock Pheasant has been visiting the garden for the last couple of days feeding on the scattered seed.

One of half a dozen Goldfinches visiting the feeder.

















Four Robins singing within earshot of the garden before daybreak today.
Don.

5th December..... Collared Dove.

Looking out in the rain this morning saw this lone collared dove under the feeders. Stayed for maybe an hour moving from tree to the ground to pick up spilt seed. Interesting read on this species expansion from its native home range in warm temperate and subtropical Asia and now in just over 100 years and unaided is found from Southeast Asia right across Western Europe. Introduced to North America in the 1980s.

Good to see a Goldcrest in the garden on Monday hawking for insects hummingbird style from the shrubs.
Stewart.
Images : Copyright Stewart Dennis.

Due to work commitments & lack of daylight I've not seen much locally recently, but yesterday I managed to spend half an hour at home, being entertained by half a dozen Goldfinches & Nuthatch on the feeder. As I left a flock of c40 Fieldfares flew over. Also a small flock of Common Gulls feeding in a meadow. c20 Lapwings in their favourite field at Hyde End.
Small colony of House Sparrows at Seer Green.
Don.

1st December..... Bullfinches.

                           

Bullfinches were evident in the garden for the first time this Winter, with 2 pairs feeding on shrivelled up Blackberries along the top of the Laurel hedge. I leave the hedges uncut 'till the Winters end, purposely to provide sustenance for these stunning Finches, if only others would do the same!!














Don.

26th November..... Yet more Winter Thrushes.

At work at Lee Common this morning at 9.20am a large movement of Redwings all heading NW. Maybe 500. Too many to count, for around 5 minutes kept coming over in waves  of 100 plus at a time. Have never seen so many. Also Fieldfares chattering in nearby treetops. At home after lunch a raptor stooped at speed from high, wings folded tight back, then over the garden across the fields and gone. All over in 3 seconds and not sure what it was. Thinking a male Sparrowhawk that was soaring on a ‘prospecting’ flight and saw something in the garden, and on it’s way down saw me and decided to carry on.

Stewart.

 

25th November..... Winter Thrushes.

This weekend has seen a big influx of Winter Thrushes into the area: for most of Saturday morning a flock of 12 Redwings fed on Holly Berries in the garden, often taking flight when disturbed, but always returning back to the berries, another flock of c40 passed over several times. When I went out on Sunday morning a flock of c80 Redwings passed over, settling in a neighbouring garden, I quickly returned to the house to grab the camera (took less than a minute), but by then only 11 remained, but they soon re-appeared as they flew from nearby Conifers.

Redwings.

                           

Later in the morning on the way to Amersham  c30 Fieldfares were at Hyde Heath & 18 more flew over the high street as we shopped, the largest count being a mixed flock of c200  Redwings/Fieldfares above Ballinger Cricket pitch as the sky seemed to be full of Thrushes. 

                             Fieldfare.                                                                                                     Don.

23rd November..... Field Vole.

Had an entertaining few minutes early this morning at the expense of a field vole. It climbed to the top of a 45 degree branch, harvest mouse style which finished 6 inches short of the bird table . It spent a while summing up the distance balanced on the very top of the branch. It decided to go for it, went back on it’s haunches and launched itself..... missed by about an inch and fell 5 foot into the under growth and out of sight. A pity, no camera at hand.

Stewart.

Yesterday a Little Egret was back in their winter quarters on The Chess at Chesham Moor, further down stream at Latimer two Cormorants sat in their usual trees.

Don.

A long way from Bucks.

Stewart's sister sent the following newspaper cuttings from The West Australian daily paper.

18th November..... Strawberry Hill.

Walked to the end of Strawberry Hill this morning. Good to see good numbers of Yellowhammers towards the end but not so good to see a burnt out vehicle, now filling a gap in  the hedgerow. Was told of the large numbers of Red Kites following tractors working the fields. One count was 54. Closer to home found this late Shaggy Inkcap also called Lawyer’s Wig slowly decomposing from the bottom upwards and turning to ‘ink’. Its growing in a very vulnerable position so might not be able to completely turn to ‘ink’ and deposit it’s spores.

Stewart.

 Images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

18th November..... Curlew.

After visiting a friend in Aylesbury this morning, I took the scenic route home, returning via the Aylesbury Vale villages instead of the main road. It took me an hour & three quaters rather than half an hour, but was well worth it when I came across a Curlew. I'd pulled over to check out a flock of c30 Black-headed Gulls, walked across the road just catching a glimpse of a wader alighting out in the middle of a low growing Brassica crop, where it began to feed. My second Curlew in the county this year. Also 2 Sky Larks in same field & Buzzard on telegraph pole.
Further on near Kimble Wick I spotted a flock of Golden Plovers in flight in the distance.
Back at home I put out bird seed for the first time this Winter, as colder weather is forecast.
Don.

17th November..... Garden News.

Great Spotted Woodpeckers seem to have found the sunflower hearts this week, often on the feeder.

Blue tits have started using the nest box close to the back door, presumably roosting in it, it’s been cleaned out and has fresh hay inside.

Nice to see more Blue Tits and Robins in the winter flowering Viburnum Bodnantense.

Found this imprint on the window of a bird. Pigeon size so can only guess that one of our regular Wood Pigeons hit the window but no bird or feathers found so hopefully all ended well. Stewart.

All images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

In our garden Redwings were present throughout the day, at dusk a Song Thrush sang from the upper branches of a Plum tree, as a Tawny Owl greeted the darkness with a couple of 'hoots' from a neighbouring garden.

Don.