Chiltern Birder

There are times when parts of Cowcroft Wood feel more like the Buckinghamshire Bayou although a rather chilly one today.. When I stopped to look at this fallen tree I disturbed a large bird of prey. It was difficult to get a clear id through the branches but I think a buzzard rather than a kite. There wasn't much visible in the way of birds otherwise apart from some corvids on the fields but I did disturb a roe deer. I have seen them in fields by Bunn's Lane and several times in Codmore Wood but this was actually the first time that I had seen one in Cowcroft. What was striking was how quietly she ran. I don't know if landfull has started at Meadham's Farm but  landscaping of the surrounds has been done:   I still think that the old clay pits, cut into the side of the hill, would have been a better site for new housing than on green fields behind Hilltop. 

You don't really think about "pregnancy" in egg laying animals but for the last few days it has been striking that there are some very plump hen birds around. I first noticed a greenfinch but there has been a particularly gravid looking chaffinch that has been sitting underneath the feeders eating bits that fall rather than trying to perch. The greenfinch was the first that I have seen for quite a while but apart from the regulars the only other bird of note has been the great spotted woodpecker who has perched in the garden on a couple of occasions but hasn't come to the feeders. Badgers have been visiting fairly regularly. On one night I put out a choice of raisins and fat pellets and found that the badger only took the fruit while a field mouse came out to take the fat. I have seen badgers take tallow based fat products and the pellets were suet based so I tried two fat balls, one of suet and one of tallow. Naturally the badgers stayed away that night! I have...