Chiltern Birder

The fat feeders have attracted several robins. In the back garden we have distinguished three individuals, not so sure about the front although we have had a blue tit on that feeder. Nothing has been observed going to the peanut feeder at the back. A walk today by Bottom Lane and Trapps Lane to Waterside revealed little in the way of birds although at one point there is a fantastic view across the Chess valley with most of the housing hidden in the folk of the hill. The river itself is flowing well below the junction with Moor Road, I am not sure where all the channels go across the moor but there seemed to be a heavy flow coming from a culvert and nothing coming through the old mill leat across the road. This may come from a spring or borehole as the flow upstream from this point is negligable. There was sufficient water for a group of mallards to swim but above the moor the flow became very slight and sluggish. It was nice to see a wren when walking up Duck Alley but there was no f

I actually had some birds coming to the feeders today. Brief visits by blue tits, great tit and coal tit plus a blackbird taking some chopped apple on the lawn. Nothing to write home about but its a start. No starlings or finches so far but there was a dunnock a couple of days ago.

An interesting day today with several instances of birds being mobbed. First I saw a spat between a crow and a black headed gull having a spat. It seemed a pretty even match with both being agressive. Later on I was watching three kites circling low over a field. I was hoping for a good look at one on the ground but no luck, however as I was watching I heard a buzzard mew behind me. It came over and the kites flew towards it causing it to veer away. I was struck by the size difference never having seen the two species in such a close juxtaposition before. The kites returned to the field only to be taken on by a single crow. Walking on I soon heard the buzzard again behind a hedge and when I reached a gap I saw the three kites mobbing it until it flew away. Turning round I saw another four on the other side of the valley. That is the most that I have seen at one time on this size of Chesham. Other than that there wasn't much of note, the redwings and long tailed tits both seem t

For the first time in months I have actually seen some birds in the back garden. First a great tit and then a flock of blue tits landed on the feeder brackets and seemed to take insects sheltering in the joints with the pole. It seemed like a good idea to pick up some peanuts while I was shopping and put a feeder out again. Has anything come to the feeder? Of course not. A neighbour seems to have had a far more interesting visit, as I was returning with the shopping I saw a heron land in the back gardens opposite. Quite a suprise on a naturally waterless hilltop. The pond owner's fish are probably a far more expensive food than my bag of peanuts.

Entering Cowcroft Wood last week there was a flock of birds high in the tree tops which made the wood sound quite spring like. The contrast this morning was quite striking with hardly anything audible. For a little while there has been a flock of birds active on the recently ploughed field in the corner between Cowcroft and Ladywood. They are very nervy and I can't get close enough for a positive id with the lightweight bins that I carry when walking. Carting the scope up there is too much like pack drill but after two sessions I am quite happy that they are redwing. The sound of a large flock of canada geese was quite unusual so far from water. They were grazing on stubble over near Great White End Park Farm. At the edge of Ladywood I could hear a flock of long tailed tits but they stayed hidden by the leaves. I had a better view before the weekend when they were working along the hedgerow. When I got down to Bottom Lane I did hear a skylark on the field.

The autumn colours are changing rapidly now, there are far more gold and copper colours visible. A trip to Thame today by bus was suprising in that the only kites seen were over Thame itself. The watermeadows outside the town were partially flooded which is more than I have seen for a while and gulls were present in greater numbers than is normal around here. On Saturday, driving back from Haddenham late at night I saw a small deer beside the road at Cadsden. I had a better view than is usual at night and realised from its elegant look that it was a roe as opposed to the rather pig like appearance of a muntjac. I now wonder how many times in the past I have dismissed brief glimpses of roe deer as muntjac. In the garden I haven't seen any activity on the fat bar but there are a few beak marks so something is taking it when I am not looking.

Out for a walk today the first hints of autumn are visible with a few trees showing hints of gold among the green. It has been a poor year for both top fruit and berries with no quinces setting on my trees and no crabb apples in the lane while blackberries have been fewer and smaller than usual. I have put out a fat block, much earlier than usual but it has only been there a couple of days, not long enough to see any reaction yet. While walking a buzzard announced itself with a loud mew before appearing over the ridge right in front of us. We were given the opportunity to compare calls a few minutes later when an equally vocal kite came into view. The jackdaws were noisy and seemed to be flying high very much after the manner of martins or switfts. There were also smaller birds, too small to make out even with binoculars but with flight patterns similar to martins.