BEACON HILL AND SURROUNDS
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
With the weather forecast predicting a fine, warm and sunny day I decided to make an early start and left home at 6.30am. for the short drive to Ivinghoe Beacon.
On arrival at the already busy car park I started off by heading across the road into an area mostly containing Hawthorn bushes. The birds were being very vocal with mainly Linnets and Willow Warblers vying to see who could sing the loudest with the accompaniment of a distant Song Thrush.
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| Linnet |
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| Linnet |
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| Willow Warbler |
Walking further on along the track towards Incombe Hole there was a disturbance in the bushes up ahead and five or six small birds flew across the track in front of me and quickly dispersed into the denser bushes on the other side, bar one, who seemed intent on ignoring mum or dad’s frantic calls and instead decided to see what this strange being with one big eye was going to do (take it’s photo of course!)
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| Willow Warbler junior |
Emerging out onto the heath land above Incombe Hole the first encounter was a Dunnock who kindly stopped by long enough for a couple of portrait shots.
Walking further round the escarpment that overlooks the Vale of Aylesbury and on towards The Beacon I saw a Buzzard, being half heartedly worried by a couple of Carrion Crows, settle on top of a small bush not far in front of me. The Crows however soon managed to ‘dislodge’ it and it made its lazy flight off and out of sight.
There were also quite a few Linnets busily flitting from bush to bush in this area. This female stopped to pose for a few seconds.
Other birds seen but not photographed included Yellowhammer, Whitethroat, Meadow Pippit, Blackcap, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Rook and Jackdaw.
I did manage quite a few shots of a Red Kite that made a close flypast but craftily it managed to stay out of focus!!
And on the walk back along the track up to the car park I came across a group of juvenile Long-tailed Tits noisily flitting from tree to tree.
To follow later, Part two - Butterflies.
