Coal Tit

Coal Tits have been regular visitors for some years and a couple of years ago they bred in a rotten piece of wood on our garage.  In recent weeks the adults have been very regular visitors to our feeders and today they brought their family.  It was nice to see at least three youngsters.  Not sure where the nest was this year.

Coal Tit - An adult showing signs of feather wear!

Coal Tit - A juvenile in clean new plumage.  Lacking the black bib.

My Home Patch

My "Home Patch" is not my garden but the fields and woods that are within a short walk of my house.  The birding is not particularly great but I have been keeping an eye on several pairs of Lapwings that have been holding territory for some weeks.  Crops are now emerging and the birds seem to be sitting, so I can only keep my fingers crossed.  With so many Red Kites, Buzzards and Crows around, the four pairs of Lapwings will have their work cut out guarding the eggs and young.

Lapwing - One of eight that are holding territory in a large field.

Not a great photo but the best I could get that was reasonably in focus.  It all happened pretty quickly. 

Lapwing seeing off a Crow. The Lapwing won!

Mistle Thrush - They seem so have bred successfully again and feeding in the same field.

Kestrel - Just a few hundred yards away a Kestrel on it's favoured perch.  No doubt a young Lapwing chick would not be refused!

Ringed Reed Warbler

I decided to visit to Little Marlow to see if anything new had dropped in (rather hopeful!) but also to check on the breeding birds.  Reed Warblers were singing in the reed bed along the west bank and one popped up briefly, so I rattled off a few shots (see below).  The pair of Shelducks were still present but no signs of breeding.  A male Shoveler was a little unexpected so maybe a failed breeder from somewhere.  The Cetti's Warbler remains very vocal, so I assume all is well there, as it remained unseen again.  The five Little Egret nests had birds all sitting tight in a fairly cool wind.  However, on what was probably the first active nest, the adult bird was a bit fidgety and briefly stood up showing at least one very small youngster.  Excellent!!  This is the third year in a row that Little Egrets have hatched young at this site.

Reed Warbler - I need not get a good view of this bird in the field but on reviewing my photos at home I saw that it is wearing a BTO ring!  I am not aware that anyone has been ringing the Reed Warblers here in recent years, so it is rather intriguing!

A close up of the ring.  I can only make out part of the word "London" and the numbers "52". 

Little Marlow GP

A quiet afternoon visit, although hundreds of Hirundines flying low of the trees and water.  These were mainly Swifts.  Good to see the Little Egrets incubating still.  We can expect to see young Egrets any day now.  A few photo opportunities presented themselves as below:

Little Ringed Plover - Once again there were four adult birds present on the sand spit.  

Oystercatcher - Hopefully it's mate is on a nest somewhere nearby!
They have never yet bred at Little Marlow despite becoming much more frequent in Spring and Summer.

Wren - This bird popped up and scalded me as I walked along the southern path.  I suspect it had young nearby.
Not always easy to photograph, so I took the opportunity while it was being particularly brave!

Goose species -  A very tame white goose along the south bank.
They seem to be very successful breeding here and we can unfortunately
expect to see quite a few more over the next few years.

Stonechats at Stoke Common

A pair have been recorded here several times over recent weeks and it is clear they are trying to breed again this year.  The female was carrying food and reluctant to return to the nest, so I left the area to let her get on with feeding the young.
This species is a rare breeding species in Buckinghamshire, although much more common in the heathland further south in Berkshire, Surrey, Hampshire, etc.

Stonechat - Female carrying food.

Mandarins at Stoke Common

You don't normally expect to see Mandarins in heathland habitat so this was a bit of a surprise as I was walking around Stoke Common.  They were apparently feeding in the grass along one of the main tracks.  More typical Mandarin habitat is however close by at Burnham Beeches and Black Park.

Little Gull Again and Cetti's Warbler!!

Another, or perhaps the same Little Gull was again at Little Marlow GP, so I could not resist taking a few more photos given the opportunity.  With a sunny but chilly morning, the light conditions were much better.

Little Gull feeding on something on the surface of the water.

Little Gull with Swallow and House Martins

With a Sand Martin in the foreground.  Lots of Hirundines over the water today.

Common Tern - 1-2 Arctics were also present early on but not close.

Another species that was present (reported yesterday) was a Cetti's Warbler.  A male was wandering along the south bank singing from time to time.  As is usual with Cetti's, it only showed for a split second and gave no chance to get a photo.  Maybe another day, as I am hoping it will hang around.  One was reported here at the end of April but I suspect this is a new bird in as there have been no reports in the first 12 days of May.  This species is a real rarity at Little Marlow, despite them breeding elsewhere in the county.  In my 40 years of visiting the site I have only had one confirmed sighting!

Also present was a Greenshank, two Shelducks and two Little Ringed Plovers.  It was pleasing to see that there are four Little Egrets sitting on nests.  We should have good numbers here in a few weeks time!!

More Migrating Terns

Black Terns were again present at Little Marlow GP this morning.  A party of ten were seen to fly in by Adam Bassett. Then an Arctic Tern dropped in,plus Greenshank and Dunlin.  I could not get there early on but arrived about 11:00.  The migrating Terns were still present and mainly flying over the eastern side of the lake with a few Black Terns occasionally perching on dead wood just off the sand spit.

Very dull conditions with rain at times did not help photography!

Half of the flock of Black Terns resting on this dead branch. 

Black Tern

Black Tern picking something from the water surface. 

Arctic Tern

Common Tern - One of several in with the Arctics, just to confuse matters!
It certainly confused me!!

Hobby - This individual caused the migrating Terns to bunch
together and rise up from the water (see below)

Black and Arctic Terns rising up in defence against the Hobby.

Migration Day at Little Marlow

I was on my way to the dentist when I heard from Adam Bassett that four Black Terns were at Little Marlow GP!  Over the next couple of hours a series of updates said that the Black Terns had been joined by a Little Gull and two Arctic Terns!  This is great stuff for Little Marlow which had been very quiet during the recent fine weather (whereas today was very wet with SE winds).
I eventually got down there closer to lunchtime.  The birds were still present along with three Ringed Plovers and a couple of Common Sandpipers.  So migration in full swing!
Photography was not easy in the steady rain (under an umbrella).  The Ringed Plovers were very distant on the far side of the sand spit and even though I walked to the east bank of the lake, I could not get very close to the Terns.  The Little Gull did approach a little closer and I managed to get a few half decent photos.  Most of the Tern photos are best forgotten!

The Little Gull does a fly past for the Cormorants

Yes there are two Black Swans in the background!

Common Tern - Possibly a migrating bird as more were present than usual.

Little Marlow

A few more photo opportunities on what was a fairly quiet day for migration.

Reed Warbler - A slightly better attempt that the previous post

Common Whitethroat - A few around but mainly fairly well hidden.
As soon as he saw the camera he started moving away!!

Orange Tip Butterfly - A male found by Kevin Holt had striking a pattern on the underwing.

Colour Ringed LBB Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull - This colour ringed individual was ringed in Guernsey.
It was also seen at Little Marlow in April 2015.

Dunlin

A late posting as I only just came across these photos!  Taken at Little Marlow GP.

Dunlin in summer plumage.