Chiltern Birder

During the past week the changes in colour of the trees have started noticing. This is particularly apparent when driving on the A41 from Berkhampsted to Tring as I did to visit College Lake. I don't know if this is a factor of pollution from the road or of soil and aspect, the terroir as they would say in a vineyard. College Lake itself was unexciting except for one bird of prey that steadfastly remained perched in a position that didn't give a clear view. From the size a peregrine and a hobby were both possibilities being suggested in the hide. There were still a handful of swallows around. I went to a gig in Harrow on Monday night which meant driving back through Latimer around midnight. This is always a good route for seeing wildlife at night although the best view was a fox in Pinner. In Latimer village I had the briefest glimpse of a badger's hindquarters as it vanished into the hedgerow. Sadly I had a much better view of a deceased one in Blackewell Hall Lane. This

For the last three weekends the activity by swallows and martins has been very obvious. Last weekend at Fishers Green in the Lea Valley they were skimming over the Flood Relief Channel no doubt building up reserves for the long migration. This week I took a trip to the Forest of Dean and decided to check out a stream at Parkend which was recommended for seeing dippers. Naturally I didn't see one and ended up taking a trip on the steam train to Lydney and back before going over to the Nags Head reserve. There wasn't much to see here either but the wild boars had been active with almost every area of open grass grubbed up. The photos show damage outside the visitor cente and the view from the Lower Hide.