This morning we went for a walk in Higginson Park in Marlow. The park consists of a formal park which is adjacent to the Town bridge and runs alongside the River Thames and beyond that a wildlife area which is fenced off and can only be viewed from the paths that surround it and cross it.
Early on into our walk we hear the call of a distant Common Cuckoo but we are not lucky enough to see it. This is an excellent site and would repay a longer visit but we are booked on a boat trip down the River to Temple Lock. We find a Mandarin duck close to the mooring in Marlow and there are a good number of Great Crested Grebes on the river.
In the Afternoon we visit Aston Rowant NNR which is on the chalk downs, not far from the original release point for the re-introduced Red Kites. Hope to find some butterflies but am disappointed not to see any. Begin to wonder if this is going to be a bad year for butterflies?
Bird list
Common Pheasant [sp] (Phasianus colchicus)
Canada Goose [sp] (Branta canadensis)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata)
Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos)
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
Great Crested Grebe [sp] (Podiceps cristatus)
Great Cormorant [sp] (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Red Kite [sp] (Milvus milvus)
Common Buzzard [sp] (Buteo buteo)
Eurasian Coot [sp] (Fulica atra)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus)
Common Pigeon [sp] (Columba livia)
Stock Dove [sp] (Columba oenas)
Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus)
Rose-ringed Parakeet [sp] (Psittacula krameri)
Common Cuckoo [sp] (Cuculus canorus)
Eurasian Magpie [sp] (Pica pica)
Western Jackdaw [sp] (Coloeus monedula)
Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
Great Tit [sp] (Parus major)
Eurasian Blue Tit [sp] (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Barn Swallow [sp] (Hirundo rustica)
Common Chiffchaff [sp] (Phylloscopus collybita)
Eurasian Blackcap [sp] (Sylvia atricapilla)
Eurasian Wren [sp] (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Eurasian Treecreeper [sp] (Certhia familiaris)
Common Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris)
Common Blackbird [sp] (Turdus merula)
Mistle Thrush [sp] (Turdus viscivorus)
European Robin [sp] (Erithacus rubecula)
Dunnock [sp] (Prunella modularis)
Meadow Pipit [sp] (Anthus pratensis)
Pete's Favourite Things 