A visit to Chesham today revealed that the Chess was flowing at Wey Lane. Not very much and the stream was badly clogged by willow herb but it was flowing. You certainly wouldn't believe the flow there was once powerful enough to turn a sawmill. A walk down Duck Alley revealed that the flow was continuing through the water gardens but I didn't have time or energy to continue down to the moor.
Locally there hasn't been much in the way of birds apart from the kites. The fields locally have been harvested, ploughed, reseeded and the first leaves of the winter crop are already showing. I saw a large flock of what seemed to be finches or sparrows. Even with binocularsI couldn't be sure but I think there was a mixture of species.
Driving between Latimer and Ley Hill yesterday there was a large bird of prey sitting on one of the posts carrying a power line. The back and wings seemed quite grey. I only had it in sight for a second and can't be sure of id although it seemed large for a sparrowhawk.
The garden has been disturbingly quiet this month when traditionally the feeders will be continously active. I am seeing a handful of blue and great tits on the feeders but no finches and only the occasional long tailed tit. Normally I woukld expect goldfinches and a few bullfinches on the feeders and chaffinches and redpolls on the ground at this time of year. It has been a strange winter, very mild apart from one cold snap so I hope that they are simply don't need to come into the gardens. On a better note I saw a pair of sparrows in the front hedge this morning so, hopefully, they might be spreading from their stronghold in privet hedges at the other end of the village. Away from home a family trip to Yorkshire netted three pairs of goosander on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal between Shipley and Saltaire. I think this is the first time that I have been close enough to get a good naked eye view. I have been neglecting this blog, probably because most web browsing is now done on t
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