Chiltern Birder

I commented last year on the fact that buzzards seemed to be moving in to the kestrels' niche alongside our motorways. While travelling up the M11 just before Christmas I was struck by the sight of a pair of buzzards between Harlow and Stansted. I know that the buzzard population is on the increase but I still find it suprising to see them so regularly in Hertfordshire and even across the Essex border. Further north on the A1 we did see a handful of kestrels. The other thing that struck me was that, on a journey from London to Yorkshire we didn't see any lapwings. Flocks of starlings and crows often crossed the road in front of us but never that distinctive impression of a chessboard torn up and tossed into the air. When I was commuting from Essex to Slough about 20 years ago they would be a regular sight in the fields. The press have been commenting on the demise of the turtle dove. Around 25 years ago I would regularly hear them, but seldom see them, around Abberton Reser

A flock of long tailed tits provided a little variety in the garden today. They settled on the starling feeder for a little while but, naturally, flew away when I moved to see if anything was on the sunflower hearts. The River Chess is flowing well at the moment with the old mill leat coming down from Pednormead End carrying enough water to actually turn a water wheel. More is probably due to surface water after the recent heavy rain rather than any rising of the water table. In the mean time a pair of mallards and a moorhen had returned to he pool above the Town Bridge

A brisk cold but bright day after early snow. There has been little in the way of birds but walking along Bunn's Lane where it zig zags towards White End two roe deer suddenly ran across the field in front of me. The white rumps were clearly visible as they bounded across the stubble. By the time that I reached the next leg of the lane where they were headed there was naturally no sign of them. What was striking was the way that dog walkers have vanished with the cold weather. Walking for over an hour I didn't see another person on foot or horseback until I reentered Ley Hill. This is the first clear view that I have had of roe deer here although as I have remarked before I have probably dismissed brief glimpses while driving as muntjac.

We had the first snow of the winter this morning. Just a light dusting although judging by the traffic reports from Hertfordshire my part of the Chilterns got off lightly. It didn't encourage anything special to the garden however. The peanuts were going mouldy in the feeder and I  replaced them with a new feeder containing sunflower hearts about a week ago with no effect. All I have seen have been the regular blackbirds and robins on the starling feeder. I took a walk across the fields between Botley and Lye Green Road yesterday. That area is quite suprisingly flat considering the hilltop location. I could have imagined myself on coastal marshes rather than the Chilterns but the only excitement from a birding point of view was a brief glimpse of a sparrowhawk. Because of a broken strap the bins were in their case and the bird was long gone by the time I had them out.