YEARLISTING IN 2016

Compared to most recent years, when for example I recorded 165 species in the county in 2011, 187 in 2012 and 173 in 2013, this has been a particularly poor one with just 157 species recorded by mid December - one of my worst years on record

YEARLISTING IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

It's all over - 2012 has come to an end. I managed a total of 187 out of the 198 species recorded all told in Buckinghamshire - 94% of the total - probably my highest-ever annual tally.

The current record is 191 species achieved in 2006 and held jointly by both Rob Hill and Simon Nichols



Sunday 9 January 2011

Raptor Delight at the River Ray Meadows

Aylesbury; fantastic views of the WAXWINGS coming and going outside Shanks, most I counted was 57.

Gallows Bridge Farm: 1st visit late morning; 4 EURASIAN WHITE-FRONTED GEESE still present but in fairly long observation period only c 200 Lapwing seen and not much else. Suspected still lots of birds at far end but a no show from Peregrines meant they stayed put.

Calvert Sailing Lake; BLACK-NECKED GREBE still present and Neil, an angler, keeps reporting seeing BITTERNS on the sailing lake.

Gallows Bridge Farm: 2nd visit 3:30- 4:50 with Warren Claydon, this was much, much better. Two PEREGRINES on show most of visit, on size presumed male and female, hunting, resting on pylons, on ground and in tree. At one stage both on ground quite close together. These birds terrorised the bottom end putting up what we estimate c 1,000 Lapwing, c600 mixed Wigeon/Teal flock, c1,000 Starling, 2-300 Fieldfare. Warren spotted a fem/imm MERLIN; it flashed across main meadow then preened for a long while on cut hedge. The duck flocks only went up twice and after the 2 Peregines on ground took flight,we suspect they were hunting as a pair and this was enough to put the ducks up. No Owls seen but looks a good bet (Tim Watts Birding)