Chiltern Birder

I took a trip down to Leigh on Sea yesterday. Timing was based on weather and personal committments and, as usual, I ended up being there at the wrong state of the tide. I parked at Two Tree Island and saw teal resting on the creek bank as well as the usual redshank and a few gulls. Walking down to the old town there were quite a few redshank around but I didn't see or hear any other waders, they were probably at the water's edge on the other side of the Leigh Sand. The first thing that struck me was the absence of turnstones around the cockle sheds. These have been a feature of this location for many years. Unlike my last couple of visits there were no egrets in Leigh Creek either. On the mud there were plenty of gulls, black headed, herring and both lesser and greater black backed. There were no brent geese visible on the mud and talking to locals I was told that they had all left. However, walking towards Chalkwell I saw two parties on the foreshore. Luch of course meant ...

A visit to Leigh on Sea at the weekend was pleasant. We arrived when the tide was at its lowest ebb and, naturally, there was very little around looking across Leigh Marsh from the car park on the road to Two Tree Island apart from gulls and crows. A solitary redshank was wading in what little water was left in the creek and we could hear a curlew in the distance although we never managed to see it. At Bell Warf things perked up with more redshank and a ringed plover. There is something about that location that the ringed plovers like as I have had more sightings there than anywhere else that I have visited. With over a quarter of century of visits to Leigh it certainly isn't the same individual. After a little sightseeing and our customary plates of roe on toast at The Strand Cafe for lunch the tide was visibly on the flood and more birds were appearing. The only brent geese were in the far distance, visible only with the glasses but there was a cluster of turnstone on a drift...

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.

The sultanas on the ground feeder are being eaten. On two occasions today I saw a hen blackbird hop up to it and take one or two. She would take the sultana and hop away with it and then return for the next one rather than eat at the feeder. When I put out some more fat treats a robin was down almost before I moved away pecking at the dried mealworms embedded in them. Next time I looked out they had all gone. I am guessing a magpie as there are plenty about but I haven't seen one take them. I might try suet pellets instead when these run out. After driving out to the farm where we always buy our Christmas bird we did some shopping in Thame. The water meadows on the edge of the towm were flooded with a large flock of black headed gulls in residence. Not much else to see apart from the usual crop of red kites throughout the journey.

A trip to Fishers Green didn't reveal any exciting rarities but did yield some suprises. There seemed to be gadwall everywhere, far more than the tufties or mallard, I don't think that I have ever seen such numbers before. I am not a compulsive list maker but while walking back to the car I did think that I should have been counting. They did prove to be much more timid than the more usual waterfowl. They would fly off if they became aware of me on the path even at quite long distances. Apart from that there were the usual suspects with coot, mute swans black headed gulls, great crested grebes, canada geese and cormorants as well as the mallards and a handful of tufted duck and only one pair of pochard. There had clearly been some late broods as there were juvenile coot and great crested grebe around. The latter were still in their striped plumage. An odd sight was Holyfield Weir which was lined from end to end by canada geese. A marked change from the usual row of assorted gul...