Chiltern Birder

There must be a pair of chaffinches nesting nearby as a cock bird has become a regular visitor to the feeders taking both fat and sunflower seeds. The goldfinches are still showing up occasionaly for the sunflower seeds as well. I think a pair of blackbirds are nesting in my neighbour's leylandii hedge, judging by their behaviour probably in the bit overhanging my garden that I was hoping to trim now that the weather has improved! Just for once the robins aren't fighting. There were two in the garden a day or two ago, one on the feeder and one on the rockery. The one on the feeder flew down to the rockery and presented his (?) mate with a tit-bit from the fat bars. I saw him do this again a little later. In the garden the celandine is now out and the daffodils are just starting to bloom, always a little late in the rather exposed position on the 500 foot contour.

The feeders seem busier now that the weather has cleared. Chaffinches are more common and seem to take small quantities of fat. The goldfinches are still coming but restrict themselves to the sunflower hearts. Taking a walk in the Lea Valley Park yesterday I went south from Fishers Green rather than north. At Hooks Marsh there was a large white bird, at first I thought it was a swan but it didn't seem quite right. Moving slightly to a better angle and using the bins it was revealed as a very large egret. From the size alone I assume a great white.

Making a trip from Ley Hill to Rickmansworth this morning I was passing Codmore Wood when a buzzard suddenly flew out of the hedgerow right in front of the car and flapped at headlight level into the wood opposite. If I had been driving fractionally faster I would have hit it. While at Rickmansworth I had a short stroll around Bury Lake which produced nothing of special interest although I did see a hen reed bunting. I did see a red kite which is the first time that I have seen one over Rickmansworth. In the garden we had a visit from a pair of goldfinches who spent a lot of time eating sunflower seeds from the feeder. Apart from that pair and a solitary hen chaffinch we have only had the usual visitors.