Chiltern Birder

I don't normally pay much attention to the various black corvids around here so it came as a bit of a shock yesterday to hear what was distinctly the croaking of a raven from the air above my garden. Not being a determined twitcher I wasn't aware that they had been spreading into this area but I heard it again this morning. Clearly I will have to pay more attention to the various large blackl birds in future.

I went to the Chelsea Flower Show on Tuesday and was puzzled by the strange calls in the trees. It was only when something green flashed across my sight line that I realised that they were ring necked parakeets. From the racket that they make I am sure that a lot of people with them in their gardens must think that their necks should be wrung! I seldom miss the flower show and this is the first time that I have been aware of parakeets in the Royal Hospital grounds.

Red kites don't normally warrant a mention in my part of the Chilterns any more but today I travelled over to Thame by bus. Going through Studley Green near High Wycombe on the A40 there were a huge number circling in a small area. I kept trying to count and found that there were at least seven in my line of sight at any moment with at least as many again circling just out of my vision. I have never seen so many in one place and can only imagine that somebody in the village is putting food out for them. Feeding carnivores always brings the risk that once habituated they will take things that they shouldn't including pets. In Thame there was yet another sign of summer as swifts were making a lot of noise. I saw some decent sized parties chasing each other above the shops.

Heard my first cuckoo of the year today. I was walking along the edge of Cowcroft Wood and could hear the bird calling, probably from the thickets on the other side of the brickworks. In the woods the display of bluebells was magnificent and other woodland plants were making nice displays elsewhere. Earlier this month I had half a sighting of a badger. Driving late at night towards Missenden I just glimpsed the animals hind quarters as it scuttled into the hedge.

This morning had some very interesting moments. I went down to Rickmansworth to take a walk around Stockers Lake. Making my way up from the car park I saw that the black swan was still in residence, this time on Bury Lake with a group of mute swans. The songsters were in fine voice and  I was lucky to see a garden warbler singing. On the water were the usual selection but I only saw chicks with the coots. The common terns are returning and in a wooded area a wren managed to beat the warblers on volume. When the flags come into flower the display around the lake edge will be magnificent. Driving home I stopped at Codmore Wood to take a look at the bluebells which are now fully out. Walking in the wood I saw a group of three roe does. They were wary but I stood still and they did not run, giving me the best view of the species that I have ever had. The large mobile ears were very striking giving, for a moment, the imression of a very elegant donkey. They kept a wary eye on me, th...

I have commented previously on how buzzards are becoming more common. It hasn't been numbers recently but just unexpected sightings. Last week I was on the Cotswolds and saw two, one between Enstone and Chipping Norton over the A44 and one east of Northleach over the A40. Kites didn't dissapoint me either as I saw one low over the field behind the wonderfully named Ramping Cat House just outside Burford. The big suprise was this week when I saw another buzzard over the M11 at Debden which is only the third that I have definitely seen in Essex. At home the goldfinches seem to have established themselves as residents and chaffinches have just started visiting again while starlings are also reappearing although only in ones and twos at the moment. On the other hand the long tailed tits seem to have moved on although I did see a small party along White Hill when walking in to Chesham this morning. The nature notes in The Times today referred to wood pigeons as being "almos...

Around here it's the transition from winter to spring that tends to bring some of the more interesting visitors back to the garden. This morning I stopped preparing breakfast to watch a male great spotted woodpecker on the fat feeder in the front garden. I could almost imagine that it was drumming with the way that the beak was driving into the fat block with as much flying off to fall to the ground as was being taken. Those pieces will probably be found by the dunnocks soon enough. The green woodpeckers have been calling regularly for the last few weeks but I have yet to see one this year.