Chiltern Birder

As I was in Chesham this morning I wondered what the state of the Chess was after several dry weeks. Was the flow we have been seeing all run off or had there been some recovery of the water table? It seems that we are seeing groundwater from the springs higher up the valley. The flow was stronger than ever, at Water Lane it was right up to the path. Not only that but the mallards had raised a brood but there was also a grey wagtail active among the weeds. I had always regarded the return of a grey wagtail as a sign that there as life in the river again. Passing through Chesham Bois I thought there was something odd about the display of bluebells on the common. Stopping, I realised that they were in rather unnatural clumps and on closer inspection found that somebody had been "improving" the environment by planting the Spanish variety out in the wild! At home the robins have raised a brood, while I was weeding the garden this afternoon a juvenile suddenly appeared and perched

Heard my first of the year this evening while standing in the back garden. Nothing else to write but I just wanted to make a note of the date.

Yes its bluebell time again. The woods around here are full of them. It is also the time for suicidal baby rabbits. One sat in front of the car this evening, obviously trying to escape detection by staying perfectly still. I backed up for a couple of feet and it finally decided to move. On the bird front I haven't seen a lot, mainly because I haven't had much time to spend looking. I discovered why there are no sparrows in my garden, they are all at the other end of the village where the older houses have real hedges rather than fences and conifers. My lilacs and crab apple at the back and rowan at the front are not sufficient compensation. Travelling around during April I have seen a few birds of prey. On Good Friday there was a buzzard above the M25 at junction 23 and later in the month there was a red kite at Great Missenden and another near Thame . A trip on the south side of the M25 last weekend gave a puzzling glimpse. There was a large bird of prey near Clacket Lane Se

With the roads quiet for the school holidays yesterday I was lucky to see a red legged partridge near Ley Hill. Just for a change he decided to run into the adjacent field rather than the usual partridge trick of running directly away from the car along the road. With spring here no doubt I will be seeing the usual crop of baby rabbits and squirrels among the road kill. The main garden visitor seems to be the dunnocks which love the ground blend except for the dried fruit. That has to wait for the blackbirds which don't seem as common as last year. The suet treats that I have been trying only seem to get taken by blackbirds and a handful is lasting several days. The nyjer seed is hardly being taken at all now, the goldfinches seem to have moved on. The tits are not coming in great numbers but I am still seeing long tailed as well as blue and great. Starlings are very occasional visitors at the moment, no doubt when the young ones are fledged they will swamp the fat feeder as they h