End of Year Walk

Walked with my daughter and Ted our dog to Stockers along the main road,it was damp,dismal  and foggy as we reached Inn's GP, we noted a good number of Wigeon on the ice as we moved over the Colne bridge,and a few fisherman were braving the elements as well one had caught a 4lb Chub.On adjacent Stockers two goosander were present as was a splendid pair of goldeneye,moving down the river another female goosander obliged as did a brief view of a kingfisher.

Arrived at Bury GP where a number of birders were crossing the causeway in search of avian delights,we stopped for tea at the cafe in the park then returned canal side of Stockers noting a single nuthatch and four red crested pochards,as dusk descended we walked home via drayton ford and the Uxbridge road.

Christmas birding

On Xmas eve walked from the Cross along the main road noting 11 pheasant opp Woodoaks by the roundabout,also a lone fieldfare.Arrived at the bridge over the colne at Inns and Stockers,flushed a little egret and two red kites spiralling over the canal,followed the colne noting kingfisher,at the bridge 17 roosting ring necked parakeets,crossed the causeway and walked along Bury gp where A.Moon and photographed the two drake smew.

Boxing morning walked the dog to Woodoaks where Chris Sharp located little owl in the orchard,also 12 yellowhammer in the farm buidings.Merry xmas and happy new year.

Chess Valley

Lewis and Carter sounds like the bill in fact were off on a ornithological thrill,made our way to Scots bridge Mill after finding a couple of Waxwings in Ricky.
On route it was minus 14 degrees and the river was almost frozen over,I have lived here for 60 years and never seen it frozen.
It was quiet except for dog walkers,it caused some disturbance as we viewed 6 snipe 4 water rail,12 teal,buzzard,little egret and sparrowhawk,back to the Cross where four waxwing showed at Hornhill road

Waxwings and a wealth of birds at Maple Cross

I decided to check out yesterdays report of waxwings and they were right on cue in the Poplars behind the shops,they were mobile to and from fruiting trees in nearby Chalfont road. I rang Lewis and he soon arrived from Stockers,grilling these birds we were entertained by a pair of blackcaps and Red kite and Buzzard spooked them on occasions,not to forget thrushes mistle,song and redwing,after  a while we returned to Stockers to photograph two drake smew,of note three kingfishers and coal tit,before returning to the glorious waxwings

Common Fox Vulpes vulpes

Heavy Snow at Maple Lodge

Paul Lewis and I walked to the reserve,it was snowing and it got worse as we viewed the feeding station from the club house,yesterday's mobile siskin flock swirled in the snow flakes around the Alders but never came to the feeding station,photography proved difficult in bad ,a single redwing called in flight,it was mostly passerines feeding,livened up with a ring necked parakeet,and up to four pheasants including one male,they took off when a fox came at speed down Crump's passage[path through the bushes].
Our highlight of two hours in the snow.

Briliant birds bad weather

On the 15th I only got brief views of the mobile waxwings in Mill End,so on the 16th today Paul Lewis and I got a phone call from Woodoaks farm of a possible Goshawk in th farm cottages gardens. Photographed by young Max,it proved to be a female Sparrowhawk,a shame but not the end of the world.

Red headed Smew

Aldenham country park and Stockers and Bury gravel pits

Lewis and Carter on patrol again this time checking out the smew,we could only find two red heads ,no blondes,no sign of a white nun ,crossing the causeway a good number of wigeon obliged,made the woodland picked up nuthatch,tree creeper and marsh tit,then off the beaten track.Some guys rotweiller spooked a muncjac ,then we got close ot Mandarins and eventually the red heads,on leaving mistle thrush called and posed,left for Croxley saw red kite on route down to ricky ,where at Stockers and Bury goldeneye and red crested pochard obliged.tea in the cafe,then it was home time.

birding in kenya

40 degrees is a bit hot but its better than minus 4 when I touched down at Heathrow,just outside the hotel gates of Pinewood Village on Galu beach South of Mombasa I was sweating at 7am photographing a pair of brown breasted barbets,after 30 minutes  I went for breakfast ,at breakfast the golden palm weaver colony are busy building their nests in the hotel pond.Nervously they are aware of Sykes and Colubus monkeys who raid there nests.900hrs its too hot for birding.

birding in Kenya

birding on the border with Lewis

Crossed the border today,being on the triangle of three counties has it's blessings but a I usually stick to Herts it made a change,Broadwater is more overgrown than it used to be but you get a good variety of birds,todays special one was Velvet Scoter, it showed well through scopes all diagnostic features even down to yellow base to the bill.Dipped on Slavonian grebes there was two yesterday according to Lewis,but overall a pleasant morning of note pair of bullfinches,goldeneyes,gulls,geese,grey wag on the river and small party of siskins,saw Lee Evans briefly and a few other birders,sorry no photos.

egyptian geese

cold day at maple lodge

Small party of teal from Rotunda,nothing doing ring necks investigating nest site in Alder woods,pair of great spot courting .At long hedge 4 Egyptian pairing up,finally small party of siskins in alders and silver birch.

wren

wednesday 10th of November

Walked to Stockers,red kite overhead on route a bit nippy,a few wigeon on Inns GP.
Seven goldeneye on Stockers. Quiet returned to Maple lodge more raptors ie kite sparrowhawk and a peregrine around 1600 hrs briefly.

Sunday morning visit Maple Lodge

On arrival walked to Rotunda where Common Buzzard was in tree with crows and magpies.
When leaving 3 Red Kite 1 Common Buzzard and 3 Ring necks were in the sky together.

Maple Lodge Nature Reserve

Morning at Maple Lodge quiet due to working party,Ring necks flying over,Joe Crump arrived and put pole out on the marsh,I missed a Kingfisher earlier on the other post.Went back to the Club house for a cup of tea .  A lot of common birds obliged at the feeders,see photos below.

                                                     male Great Spotted Woodpecker

                                                            Dunnock

                                                         camo creeper

Maple Lodge Nature Reserve

On arrival of note ring necks calling,from Rotunda up to 14 common teal plus brief view of water rail,unusual chiff chaff calling,while doing up my boot lace sparrowhawk flushes teal and green woodpecker.

                                          Green Woodpecker from Rotunda