Chiltern Birder

With some fine late September weather the leaves are just starting to change colour and I am seeing some impressive cobwebs in the garden. As is usual at this time of year I am not putting out any food as experience shows that from late August through to November it will just rot in the feeders. Of course with the bad weather at harvest time feeding patterns may change a little this year, I saw very grey looking barley being combined well into this month. On the drive to the station this morning the clear weather had me looking out at the bird life. Waiting for another vehicle on the single track section between Ley Hill and Latimer a large bird of prey suddenly came across at hedgerow height. It didn't seem right for a kite but as I was waiting in a gateway I had a look as it cleared the hedge abd turned to follow the high ground above Latimer Bottom. With no fork to the tail and wingtips splayed like fingers it was definitely a buzzard. By no means unknown around here but far le...

The arable fields between Ley Hill and Latimer have been harvested over the last couple of days. This morning I saw a group of yellowhammers in the middle of the road by a field gate. From the look of things they were eating spilled grain. Instead of flying into the hedgerow they flew away from me along the road at windscreen height. I haven't seen much else recently apart from a distant glimpse of a partridge and the occasional red kite.

I took one of my occasional visits to South Wales last weekend. There was nothing outstanding about the drive with the usual scattering of kites to the east of Oxford and buzzards to the west. On Saturday a visit to the Gwent Levels was not as exciting in birding terms as my visit in May 2006 but we were lucky to see a water vole cross the road in front of us and also saw a weasel in the reserve. Among the birds there were curlews and oystercatchers at a distance on the mud and a single egret flew across our path. The new visitor centre is impressive with a nice selection of cakes in the little cafe. Later in the day we moved up into the hills near Blaenavon looking for Peregrines but thought we were going to be out of luck until one flew across just as we were turning to leave. As well as the usual buzzards the almost pig like croak of a raven caught our attention and among the small birds there were a host of meadow pipits and a solitary wheatear. On Sunday a walk around Whitecastle ...

I saw a blackbird on the starling feeder today who flew away with a large beak full of fat. As juvenile blackbirds are around, feeding themselves, this one must be raising another brood. The young starlings are still turning up in small parties but I am not seeing groups in double figures any more. We also had a party of juvenile blue tits on the fat feeder in the front garden. Fat bars are now lasting several days and I will not be buying any more this season.

I parked in the Water Meadow car park in Chesham today, so I took the scenic route into town via Town Bridge. The Chess is in a healthy state with a good flow of water. Moorhens have raised a brood and I saw the parent and one chick by the bridge. In the garden the starlings have mostly moved on and the main visitors seem to be goldfinches and wood pigeons.

I spent some time in Devon for the first time in 6 years last weekend. I was very struck by the number of buzzards that we saw along the A303 / A30. I saw the first just as we crossed from Wiltshire into Somerset and after that they were a regular feature. We stayed in Whimple and, between games, the cricket pitch attracted swallows, skimming dangerously close to the ground and a number of pied wagtails including a juvenile. At one point I saw a wagtail take to the air and drive off one of the swallows.

In previous years I commented on how I never seem to see red kites in June. I was reminded of that when I saw one over Latimer this evening, which is by no means the first this month. In the garden the starlings are turning up in smaller numbers and a great tit has reappeared. There are blackbird families in both the front and back gardens and I have seen the juveniles being fed several times. Both greater spotted and green woodpeckers are in evidence, the former taking a lot of fat from the feeders and the latter digging holes in the front lawn. Other regulars are goldfinches, chaffinches, house sparrows, blue tits, robins including a juvenile, dunnock and a resident pair of wood pigeons. Absent these days are other varieties of tit, greenfinches and collared doves.