Chiltern Birder

I commented last year on the fact that buzzards seemed to be moving in to the kestrels' niche alongside our motorways. While travelling up the M11 just before Christmas I was struck by the sight of a pair of buzzards between Harlow and Stansted. I know that the buzzard population is on the increase but I still find it suprising to see them so regularly in Hertfordshire and even across the Essex border. Further north on the A1 we did see a handful of kestrels. The other thing that struck me was that, on a journey from London to Yorkshire we didn't see any lapwings. Flocks of starlings and crows often crossed the road in front of us but never that distinctive impression of a chessboard torn up and tossed into the air. When I was commuting from Essex to Slough about 20 years ago they would be a regular sight in the fields. The press have been commenting on the demise of the turtle dove. Around 25 years ago I would regularly hear them, but seldom see them, around Abberton Reser...

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

A brisk cold but bright day after early snow. There has been little in the way of birds but walking along Bunn's Lane where it zig zags towards White End two roe deer suddenly ran across the field in front of me. The white rumps were clearly visible as they bounded across the stubble. By the time that I reached the next leg of the lane where they were headed there was naturally no sign of them. What was striking was the way that dog walkers have vanished with the cold weather. Walking for over an hour I didn't see another person on foot or horseback until I reentered Ley Hill. This is the first clear view that I have had of roe deer here although as I have remarked before I have probably dismissed brief glimpses while driving as muntjac.

We had the first snow of the winter this morning. Just a light dusting although judging by the traffic reports from Hertfordshire my part of the Chilterns got off lightly. It didn't encourage anything special to the garden however. The peanuts were going mouldy in the feeder and I  replaced them with a new feeder containing sunflower hearts about a week ago with no effect. All I have seen have been the regular blackbirds and robins on the starling feeder. I took a walk across the fields between Botley and Lye Green Road yesterday. That area is quite suprisingly flat considering the hilltop location. I could have imagined myself on coastal marshes rather than the Chilterns but the only excitement from a birding point of view was a brief glimpse of a sparrowhawk. Because of a broken strap the bins were in their case and the bird was long gone by the time I had them out.

I took a slightly different route this morning and explored Bunns Lane which leads down to the River Chess near Holloway Lane. This was a fascinating walk with the lane forming a ledge in the hillside at one point. I saw two or three goldcrests and was suprised that they were no more nervous of my presence than a blue or great tit would be. The ones that I have seen in the past have seen much shyer. What I initially assumed to be a fourth turned out to be a wren. I found a shrub on the path that I hadn't seen before with bright pink seed cases. With a little help from the web this was identified as a spindle tree. The hedgerows had obviously been properly laid at a point in the distant past leaving the trees grown into strange shapes. In this one a shoot trained horizontally has obviously grown over the decades. Apart from that there were the usual sightings of red kite and buzzard and a very noisy mixed flock of crows and jackdaws on some stubble. I have seen buzzard so ...

A trip to Fishers Green yesterday was uneventful. According to the species list the bitterns are back but seem to prefer the new reedbeds away from the bittern hide. I walked around Seventy Acres and Holyfield lakes and the one remarkable thing was the lack of pochard. I only saw one or two individuals which on previous experience is most unusual for this time of year. I actualy saw more wigeon and gadwall both of which I would normally regard as being less common than pochard. I did go looking for goosander which I have seen on Holyfield in previous years but without any luck.

Things seem to be moving at last on the bird feeding front. Nothing exceptional but we have had a blackbird on the starling feeder and a blue tit on the fat block in the front garden. In the srubs at the bottom of the garden we have had a wren. It all makes a nice addition to the ubiquitous robins. Still green a fortnight ago An injured knee means that I haven't been walking much for the past week but driving along the A413 on Saturday it was obvious that the autumn colours were at their peak. Since then leaves have been obviously falling and some trees are starting to look bare.