Recent Sightings 2022

Please submit your sightings to sightings@mknhs.org.uk.
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Click here for previous year’s sightings : 2021 2020 2019 2018  2017

If you haven’t already done so, we encourage you to submit your sightings to become a record. Guidance on how to do this, and who to submit it to, can be found in the Recording section. (https://mknhs.org.uk/recording/)

MKNHS does not generally check the reliability of a sighting but for particularly rare or uncommon species, we may ask for additional information. We reserve the right to make the final decision on what sightings are posted.

January

17th Otter: on the banks of the Ouzel where it runs parallel to Caldecotte Lake South. ‘I’ve never seen one before despite being a regular walker around both Willen and Caldecotte lakes’. (Simon James Roberts)
17th Bittern: Showing very well in reeds to right of first owl box, as viewed from Warbler Hide. Took off around 08.25 and flew west. Linford Lakes NR (Martin Kincaid/BuBC)
17th Woodcock: A first for my visits to Salden Wood, briefly seen as it flew up from the woodland floor. Thanks to landowner Bob Simpson for granting me access to the site.  Salden Wood, Newton Longville (Harry Appleyard/BuBC)
16th Lesser Redpoll (3), Goldcrest (5), Goosander (5m,2f), Gadwall (18), Tufted Ducks (20), Pochard (6), Siskin (4): all seen on the MKNHS Sunday morning walk led by Colin Docketty, together with Cormorant, Great Crested Grebe, Wigeon and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Tongwell Lake (reported by Harry Appleyard). Full report can be found here.

Lesser Redpoll and Goldcrest (Photos©Harry Appleyard)
16th Common Buzzard: Great Linford Manor Park (Rebecca Hiorns)
Video link: Buzzard GLMP 16.01.22 RH
14th Blackcap: on feeder at dusk. Newport Pagnell (BuBC)
14th Pochard (m,f), Goldeneye (2m,1f ): Seen mixing with tufted ducks at south end of south lake, larger numbers of each nearer the pub, and in the middle of the lake. Willen Lake South (Peter Barnes/Martin Ferns)

Male Goldeneye with Tufted Duck (Photo©Peter Barnes)
14th Grey Wagtail (2): along the western edge of Willen Lake North (Peter Barnes/Martin Ferns)
Grey Wagtail (Photo©Peter Barnes)
13th Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming and Green Woodpecker yaffling in mature wooded parkland, Lower Weald Calverton (Joe Clinch)
13th Sweet Violet: in flower (probably a garden variety) under south-facing wall, Lower Weald, Calverton (Joe Clinch)
13th Meadow Pipit: small flock of c.6; also pair of Stonechats; amongst shrub- and tree-planted area immediately west of new Fairfields estate (Joe Clinch)
12th Goosander (7m, 2f): on the Ouse by Olney Mill. Video link below (Julie Lane)
12th Fieldfare (1): at the top of a tree along the Buckingham arm of the canal, Cosgrove (Peter Barnes, Martin Ferns)

Fieldfare (Photo©Peter Barnes)
12th Little Owl (2), Goosander (2m), Shoveler (m), Gadwall (2), Lapwing (53, based on photo count),  Peregrine (on the mast). Floodplain Forest NR (Peter Barnes, Martin Ferns)

Little Owls (Photo©Peter Barnes)
9th Black Redstart (ad male): Seen briefly near the Health Centre, much enjoyed by other birders during the day. Whitehouse, MK (BuBC)
9th Great Northern Diver (1st winter): At one point it took off and completed about 10 laps of the lake, gaining some height and looked like it might go. Maybe just exercising, as it came back down again. The flightviews were simply breathtaking. Caldecotte Lake (BuBC)
9th Cattle Egret: Floodplain Forest NR (BuBC)
9th Pintail (7m, 3f): Showing well close to open hide. Linford Lakes NR (MArtin Kincaid/BuBC)
8th Redpoll: 2 on the seed feeder in my garden. Olney (Julie Lane)
7th Caspian Gull: 3rd winter bird on lake in front of pavilion. Quite distinctive from the many hundreds of other large gulls present this afternoon. Newton Leys (BuBC)
5th Marsh Harrier: Floodplain Forest NR (BuBC)
5th Goldeneye: NE Corner with Tufted Ducks. Willen Lake South (BuBC)
4th Gulls: around 4pm I was sitting looking out the window and observed skeins and skeins of gulls in the sky, going west to east. This went on for about 30 minutes, at an estimated 100 per min, making a total of c. 3,000 birds. Old Farm Park (Julia Atkins)
4th Goldeneye (m): Drake associating with 20+ Tufted Ducks. Linford Lakes NR (Martin Kincaid/BuBC)
4th Marsh Harrier (f): Over bund, mobbed by carrion crows. Linford Lakes NR (Martin Kincaid/BuBC)
4th Great Northern Diver: catching crayfish, north end of south Caldecotte Lake (BuBC)
3rd Goosander (3m, 2f): Tongwell (Peter Barnes)
3rd Goosander (2m,1f), Little Grebe: Balancing Lakes, Wolverton Mill (Joe Clinch)
2nd Bittern: Reported to Peter Barnes by a reliable observer. Viewed in flight (twice) from the far hide. Linford Lakes NR
2nd Mistle Thrush: Seen on same tree most days feeding on berries. Newport Pagnell (BuBC)
2nd Goosander (pair): Tongwell Lake; plus 4 Song Thrush, singing along Tongwell Lane (BuBC)
1st Gorse and Primrose among 12 native or naturalised flowering plants observed during the Botanical Society of Briatin and Ireland (BSBI) new year plant hunt. Simpson Parish (Rebecca Hiorns)
1st Great Northern Diver: At the far south end of the southern lake, avoiding the rowers. Close to the western bank. Excellent views. Caldecotte Lake (Peter Barnes)
Great Northern Diver (Photo © Peter Barnes)
1st Sparrowhawk (f): on a fence, near Farm Hide; with 100+ Lapwing on the spit opposite the hide, between wheeling in and out again. Floodplain Forest NR (Martin Ferns)