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



Wednesday 9 February 2011

GLAUC roosts again at Calvert

WEDNESDAY 9 FEBRUARY

CHAFFINCH HOUSE, LITTLE CHALFONT (BUCKS)

Two LESSER REDPOLLS joined the 10 or so Goldfinches feeding on the Nyger feeders this morning - the first in the garden this year. One was a nice male.

CALVERT SAILING LAKE (NORTH BUCKS)

I joined Warren Claydon and Steve Rodwell at Calvert to have a thorough check of the roosting gulls. Arriving at 1600 hours, we watched until 1745 hours when it got dark, the 13,000 or so roosting gulls at that time still being joined by line after line of birds flighting in from the landfill.

Highlight (certainly for me) was the juvenile GLAUCOUS GULL roosting for its third consecutive night, arriving at 1722 hours this evening. The regular first-winter CASPIAN GULL also roosted (seen by Steve only) as did one of the adults (WC) and as did a single adult winter MEDITERRANEAN GULL (LGRE). Other than that, 7 YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS were identified in the BBOWT pre-roost (6 adults and a first-winter) whilst estimated totals of other species included 5,000+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls (including numerous intermedius now) and 6,000 Black-headed Gulls with 115+ Common Gulls, 235 Herring Gulls (far fewer Argentatus now) and 151 Great Black-backed Gulls.

One adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was dyed dark green on the throat and upper breast whilst a Scandinavian Herring Gull with almost all white primaries was again present.

The BLACK-NECKED GREBE was still present, with a redhead GOOSANDER on the BBOWT Lake, 6 Great Crested Grebes, 7 Gadwall, 1 Pochard, a drake Wigeon and 25 Lapwings all noted.