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.

No birds were involved but I was in Chesham this morning and decided to take a stroll round by the Town Bridge. Considering the drought I was expecting the usual dry bed. Instead the stream was running strongly and, unlike most local gardens, there was a strong plant growth as well. It wasn't just the spring at Watermeadow, there was a good flow coming down the old mill leat from Pednormead. I haven't seen anything in the press about Affinity Water cutting back on extraction and could find nothing on Google but with such a flow in these conditions it has to be the case.

The species count in the garden for the winter is slowly increasing. We have had a couple of brief visits by a nuthatch and one by a blackcap. There are at least 3 bullfinches visting regularly as we have seen a pair of males and a mixed pair at different times. I spent a couple of days in Bristol over the holiday. This wasn't a birding trip but I was lucky to see a grey wagtail on an ashfelt roof at the MShed in the harbour area. I have only ever seen greys by running water before so this came as a surprise. Sadly we have not had any more visits from the pied wagtail in the garden recently. There is not much chance of wagtails by running water in Chesham at the moment as the Chess is dry at the Town Bridge again. House sparrows are a great rarity in my garden but the area's entire population seems to have colonised one garden hedge in Ley Hill. Walking past the other day the birds were very loud but in the thick hedge there was not one to be seen.

Driving down the Chess Valley earlier today my attention was drawn to a pair of swans on the river and just beyond them on the bank was an egret. I couldn't take my eyes off the road to be sure of the species of course. I don't get along this section of the valley often enough to be sure if this is a vagrant or a resident in the area. The last one that I saw in the valley was seven years ago . Later, returning home via Latimer and Ley hill there was a deat muntjac by the road which would have provided good feeding for the kites if the lane wasn't so well trafficed. At home there has been no new variety although the regular flock of seven or eight long tailed tits always make enjoyable viewing on the feeder. With the recent wet weather there is now an excellent flow in the Chess above the Town Bridge and the mallards seem to have taken up long term residence. After the long dry spell, with a weir cutting off the upper reaches there are no fish visible any more.

A flock of long tailed tits provided a little variety in the garden today. They settled on the starling feeder for a little while but, naturally, flew away when I moved to see if anything was on the sunflower hearts. The River Chess is flowing well at the moment with the old mill leat coming down from Pednormead End carrying enough water to actually turn a water wheel. More is probably due to surface water after the recent heavy rain rather than any rising of the water table. In the mean time a pair of mallards and a moorhen had returned to he pool above the Town Bridge

The fat feeders have attracted several robins. In the back garden we have distinguished three individuals, not so sure about the front although we have had a blue tit on that feeder. Nothing has been observed going to the peanut feeder at the back. A walk today by Bottom Lane and Trapps Lane to Waterside revealed little in the way of birds although at one point there is a fantastic view across the Chess valley with most of the housing hidden in the folk of the hill. The river itself is flowing well below the junction with Moor Road, I am not sure where all the channels go across the moor but there seemed to be a heavy flow coming from a culvert and nothing coming through the old mill leat across the road. This may come from a spring or borehole as the flow upstream from this point is negligable. There was sufficient water for a group of mallards to swim but above the moor the flow became very slight and sluggish. It was nice to see a wren when walking up Duck Alley but there was no f...

A visit to Chesham today revealed that the Chess was flowing at Wey Lane. Not very much and the stream was badly clogged by willow herb but it was flowing. You certainly wouldn't believe the flow there was once powerful enough to turn a sawmill. A walk down Duck Alley revealed that the flow was continuing through the water gardens but I didn't have time or energy to continue down to the moor. Locally there hasn't been much in the way of birds apart from the kites. The fields locally have been harvested, ploughed, reseeded and the first leaves of the winter crop are already showing. I saw a large flock of what seemed to be finches or sparrows. Even with binocularsI couldn't be sure but I think there was a mixture of species. Driving between Latimer and Ley Hill yesterday there was a large bird of prey sitting on one of the posts carrying a power line. The back and wings seemed quite grey. I only had it in sight for a second and can't be sure of id although it seeme...

As we have had a fair bit of rain recently I had a look at the river while I was in Chesham today. Water was rising from the spring by the Water Meadow car park but nothing coming down from Pednor. With a small but distinct flow under the Town Bridge I walked downstream. At Meades Water Garden (a landscaped former mill pond) the water soaked away with nothing flowing out. Its going to be a long time before we see fish at Water Lane.