The Indian Summer weather tempted me out yesterday for a trip down to Stockers Lake. The high point of the walk wasn't the birds but walking along the section of path between the lake and the canal a grass snake suddenly crossed in front of me. It was so close that I almost trod on it and far too fast for me to get my phone out for a picture of course. On the lake itself there was nothing outstanding, plenty of coot and a good few tufties. I saw two parties of pochard, totallying 5 individuals plus a handful of cormorants and clusters of black headed gulls on suitable perches and partiesof mute swans and canada geese. Bury Lake had a lot of boating activity but was home to a family of great crested grebes, probably a late brood as the juveniles were still in their striped plumage.
Once upon a time you could find me birding on the Thames marshes almost every weekend through the winter. For various reasons I am now seldom able to travel to good birding sites. I am lucky, however, to live in the beautiful Chiltern Hills and this blog is to document the birds that I see on my own patch.