Wednesday 4 April 2012

More ROOK surveying and more RING OUZELS.......



Male Ring Ouzel in Inkombe Hole today (Dave Hutchinson)


WEDNESDAY 04 APRIL

Well first thing there was another light frost and I had to scrape ice from the windscreen for the third day running. This was followed by another fine day (very unexpected considering the forecast) before another cold front reached the Chilterns just after 1800 hours, with cold winds increasing from the ENE

Checked out west Bucks this morning, mainly searching for ROOKERIES. Found two more sites - WESTFIELD FARM at MEDMENHAM along the Marlow Road at SU 797 847 (43 active nests) and then along London Road in STOKENCHURCH at SU 768 959 (54 active nests). Bizarrely, Richard Billyard also checked this latter site today.....

At NORTHLEIGH GARDEN CENTRE in OXFORDSHIRE, a singing male MARSH TIT was showing very well

IVINGHOE HILLS (BUCKS)

At around 1800 hours, the wind freshened up from the ENE and a huge sleet shower moved across the Chiltern escarpment. New in today were 3 RING OUZELS in Inkombe Hole - a splendid adult male, a first-winter male and a female - all showing well on the upper slopes at the top end (car park end) and easily viewable from the new gate on the bridleway. A single male NORTHERN WHEATEAR was also with them, with yesterday's 3 still on the Beacon SE slope. I also had 2 Continental Song Thrushes on Steps Hill.

TRING RESERVOIRS (HERTS)

I was expecting big things with this evening's weather but nothing exciting. WILSTONE had the ever-present DARK-BELLIED BRENT, 4 Little Egrets, 5 Mute Swans, a drake Wigeon, a female Pochard, 18 Gadwall, 27 Shoveler, a COMMON TERN, 18 Black-headed Gulls, 5 Common Gulls, just 1 OYSTERCATCHER, an increase to 115 SAND MARTINS, 9 HOUSE MARTINS and 14 BARN SWALLOWS.

Very quiet at the other reservoirs - just 1 LRP of note on STARTOP'S

Great to hear my good friend Clive Byers chatting to Simon Mayo on Drivetime Radio 2 about woodpeckers and how they do not sustain brain injury when drumming/tapping

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