Migration has been in full swing in North Bucks in the last couple of weeks.
Chiffchaffs are here in force, Blackcaps and Willow Warblers too.
Last Saturday on the way to work I received a text saying there was a Common Redstart at Central Milton Keynes. As I was nearby I popped along, to find not a Common but a superb male Black Redstart. But hey either bird is worth seeing.
Last Monday I took a wander around the Manor Farm gravel workings where I finally managed to find some Sand Martins - April 9th is by far the latest I have ever managed to see these birds which are usually one of the first to arrive. A Swallow, several Little ringed Plovers and a Wheatear were also new arrivals here.
Wednesday lunchtime I did my regular check at Ravenstone Sewage Works which had proved pretty migrant free on my previous five or six visits.
Two Wheatear on the Rabbit Bank and another on the track down to the works were a sign of things to come.
Here several Reed Buntings fed with a couple of Grey Wagtails. The Wagtails flew up on to an overhead wire where they joined by a third bird, this one a female Yellow Wagtail.
Another migrant on the walk back up was a fly through Cuckoo. This magical half hour though wasn't quite finished yet though, as another scan for more Wheatears revealed a male Ring Ouzel on the field at the top of the bank, - a brilliant bird for these parts.
Trips out of county on Thursday and Saturday proved worthwhile as I connected with a part summer-plumaged Slavonian Grebe at Stewartby Lake in Beds and a Great White Egret at Earls Barton in Northants.
Saturday morning a visit to Linford Reserve was marked as special because of a pair of Garganey asleep on the Bund.
Today a walk around Willen produced my first singing Sedge Warblers of the year although I failed to see any of them. Five Common Terns were on North Lake and the South Lake held several Swallows,Sand and House Martins.
Chiffchaffs are here in force, Blackcaps and Willow Warblers too.
Last Saturday on the way to work I received a text saying there was a Common Redstart at Central Milton Keynes. As I was nearby I popped along, to find not a Common but a superb male Black Redstart. But hey either bird is worth seeing.
Last Monday I took a wander around the Manor Farm gravel workings where I finally managed to find some Sand Martins - April 9th is by far the latest I have ever managed to see these birds which are usually one of the first to arrive. A Swallow, several Little ringed Plovers and a Wheatear were also new arrivals here.
Wednesday lunchtime I did my regular check at Ravenstone Sewage Works which had proved pretty migrant free on my previous five or six visits.
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| female Wheatear |
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| male Wheatear |
Here several Reed Buntings fed with a couple of Grey Wagtails. The Wagtails flew up on to an overhead wire where they joined by a third bird, this one a female Yellow Wagtail.
Another migrant on the walk back up was a fly through Cuckoo. This magical half hour though wasn't quite finished yet though, as another scan for more Wheatears revealed a male Ring Ouzel on the field at the top of the bank, - a brilliant bird for these parts.
Trips out of county on Thursday and Saturday proved worthwhile as I connected with a part summer-plumaged Slavonian Grebe at Stewartby Lake in Beds and a Great White Egret at Earls Barton in Northants.
Saturday morning a visit to Linford Reserve was marked as special because of a pair of Garganey asleep on the Bund.
Today a walk around Willen produced my first singing Sedge Warblers of the year although I failed to see any of them. Five Common Terns were on North Lake and the South Lake held several Swallows,Sand and House Martins.
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