Chiltern Birder

The annual invasion by juvenile starlings started about 4 days ago and well over a kilo of fat has been consumed already.They are fun to watch but they are expensive visitors and the 3p that my blogs and photo site have earned since lockdown started won't go far. Naturally when they swamp the feeders the other birds move away except for the great spotted woodpecker that was on the feeder this morning who could definitely hold his own agains a mob of starlings. I took advantage of a trip to Chesham to pick up a prescription  to walk along the river bank from Pednormead End to Lords Mill. Despite the current drown water levels still look excellent, due no doubt to ground water from last winter's heavy rain. What is striking though is a lack of any obvious fauna in the water. When I first moved here it was normal to be able to watch fish in the Chess at Water Lane. When that happens again I will know that the river is in proper health.

I was walking on Ley Hill Common today and had just stopped to admire the bluebells when I saw a deer walk onto the path ahead of me.   The photo doesn't really show the scale, it wasn't fully grown and for a second I had thought it a large muntjac. It stayed still without any interest in me for a long enough to allow me to get out the phone and take the picture. Still unaware of my presence in then walked into the woods across the path and I approached much closer but without the opportunity of a photo. Finally it realised that I was there and bounded away with some wonderfully balletic leaps. With the Covid-19 lockdown I have been taking some longer walks. On a byway between Latimer and Flaunden I was lucky enough to see a yellowhammer on the hedgerow. While I have often seen these birds perched on the hedges while driving down the local lanes this was the first occasion when there hasn't been a sheet of glass in the way. The number of birds singing on that walk...