66

Honey Buzzard

Pernis apivorus

Rare but increasing vagrant.  May have bred in 19th century.
1837 Burnham Beeches - Reported by John Gould to have bred.
1842 Chesham/Missenden - 1 captured.
1882 Shabbington Woods - 2 killed on about 23rd Sep.
1969 Newport Pagnall - 1 on 2nd Aug.
1986 Rushbeds Wood - 1 on 12th June.
1988 Philipshill Wood - 1 on 29th May.
1990 Cheddington - 1 on 16th Sep.
1991 Windsor Hill NR - 1 on 14th Jul.
1993 Back Wood, Brickhills - 1 on 29th Aug.
1993 Beaconsfield - 1 flying east on 2nd Oct.
1994 Linford - 1 circled on 15th May.
1995 1 bird seen regularly from late Apr to mid June.  Another bird present on at least one occasion and breeding is a possibility.
1995 Back Wood - 2 over on 27th Aug.
1995 Wingrave - 1 over SE on 15th Oct.
1998 Windsor Hill, Princes Risborough - A bird seen and videoed on 10th June was probably of this species.
1999 Oakley - 1 soaring high on 11th Oct
2000 A few records from a site in S of the county which was probably occupied.
2000 Rowsham - 1 pale phase bird over east on 7th May
2000 Wolverton - 1 dark bird on 15th Aug.  A possible on 29th Sep.
2000 Pitstone Hill - Groups of 2,3 and 2 birds at 17:15 were followed by 4 at 18:35.  7 on  23rd Sep.  3 on 24th Sep were seen to drop into Ashridge.  7 on 25th may have included 3 from the previous day.  5 on 27th Sep.  2 1st Oct.
2000 Caldecotte - 1 juv on 23rd Sep.
2000 Little Marlow GP - 1-2 over on 25th and another on 26th Sep.
2000 Whaddon - 1 dark bird on 25th Sep.
2000 Denham Green - 1 juv on 27th Sep.
2000 Little Kingshill - 1 over SE on 28th Sep.
2000 Stony Stratford - 1 on 28th Sep.
2000 Grove (Beds) - 1 flying into Bucks near Cheddington on 28th Sep.
2000 Thorney CP - 1 on 30th Sep.
2000 Dorney - 1 pale morph juv on 1st Oct.
2000 WestHyde (Herts) - 1 flew into Bucks on 1st Oct.
2000 Marlow - 1 on 1st Oct.
2000 Nr Bledlow Ridge - 3 over on 2nd Oct
2001 A pair present at a possible breeding site.
2001 Aylesbury - 1 24th May.
2001Stowe - 1 on 16th Sep
2004 Chalfont St Giles - 1 over S on 5th June.
2005 Possible breeding at 2 sites in S half of county. 
2005 Black Park - 1 on 2nd May
2005 Marlow - 1 over 30th May
2005 Whadden - 1 over 8th Sep

67

Black Kite

Milvus migrans

A very rare vagrant.  2 records.
2003 Little Marlow GP - 1 over north on 8th May.
2003 Pitstone Green - 1 on 10th May had been seen to fly over Wilstone Res (Herts).
2003 Ivinghoe Beacon - 1 on 10th May was the same individual as above.

68

Red Kite

Milvus milvus

Formerly a very vagrant.  Since the introduction scheme which started in 1989 the species has become very common in some areas but remains generally local and is still scarce in some parts of the county. Winter roosts have been known to reach an estimated 200 birds.

69

White-tailed Eagle

Haliaeetus albicilla

Very rare vagrant. 4 records.
1846 Chequers Court – 1 trapped
1857 Hambleden – 1 shot
1894/5 Fawley – 1
1983/4 Brill, Chiltern, Longwick and Oakley – A 3rd/4th year bird was present in the area from 22nd Nov 1983 until 18th Feb 1984

70

Marsh Harrier

Circus aeruginosus

Scarce migrant.    See Chart

71

Hen Harrier

Circus cyaneus

Scarce migrant.

72

Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargus

Very rare vagrant. 4 accepted + 4 probable records.
1929 Black Park – 1 in late April/early May was trapped by the gamekeeper.
1968 Frieth – An adult female on 24th June
1977 Marsworth – A female on 26th May
1993 Drayton Parslow/Newton Longville - A "Ringtail" on9th & 10th was probably of this species.
1998 Drayton Parslow - Recorded in the Bucks Annual Report as Harrier Sp, this bird "Ringtail" bird was considered by the observer to be of this species.
1999 Broughton - A probable male over high on 2nd Sep.
2005 South Bucks - A male on 7th May
2005 Haversham - A "ringtail" on 3rd May thought to be this species

73

Goshawk

Accipiter gentilis

May be resident in very small numbers.

74

Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus

Fairly common resident.

75

Common Buzzard

Buteo buteo

Resident and regular migrant.  Until the 1990s this species was scarce in the county with most records from the Chiltern escarpment.  During the 1990s this species has expanded dramatically from the west and is now a regular sighting at many places, most of which are south of the line of the Chiltern escarpment.  It remains uncommon in many places including much of the north of the county.

76

Rough Legged Buzzard

Buteo lagopus

Very rare vagrant. 7 records.
1839 Bledlow Woods – A pair shot in November
1880 High Wycombe – 1 trapped on 6th Dec
1890/1 Halton – 3 trapped in late autumn, 2 of which are now in the Tring Museum.
1912 Aston Clinton – 1
1966 Chiltern Escarpment – 1 from mid December until 28th Jan 1967
1971 Dorney Common – 1 on 17th April.
1995 Middle Claydon - 1 over on 1st Jan.

77

Osprey

Pandion haliaetus

Scarce but increasing migrant.    See Chart

78

Kestrel

Falco tinnunculus

Common resident.

79

Red-footed Falcon

Falco vespertinus

Very rare vagrant. 1 record.
1983 Woughton, Milton Keynes – 1 male on 27th July

80

Merlin

Falco columbarius

Scarce winter visitor and migrant.   See Chart

81

Hobby

Falco subbuteo

Uncommon breeding summer visitor.

82

Peregrine

Falco peregrinus

Uncommon visitor recorded in most months of the year but with a clear peak in the winter months.   Since the early 1990s there has been a significant increase in records. See Chart

83

Red-legged Partridge

Alectoris rufa

Fairly common introduced resident.

84

Grey Partridge

Perdix perdix

Uncommon and decreasing resident.

85

Quail

Coturnix coturnix

Scarce summer visitor; occasionally breeds.

86

Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

Common introduced resident.

87

Golden Pheasant

Chrysolophus pictus

Introduced or escaped in very small numbers in the Burnham/Dropmore area.

88

Lady Amherst's Pheasant

Chrysolophus amherstiae

Very local introduced resident in the Brickhills area but becoming scarer.
2005 Brickhills - Seen or heard on 4 dates

89

Water Rail

Rallus aquaticus

Rare resident and local winter visitor.

90

Spotted Crake

Porzana porzana

Very rare vagrant. 3 records.
1897 Olney – 1 (Not now regarded as a "safe" record)
1925 Westhorpe, Little Marlow – 1 on 7th Feb  (Not now regarded as a "safe" record)
1980 Old Slade NR – 1 on 19th Aug (Now in Berks).
1995 Willen - 1 19th-23rd Aug, with another from 5th Sep.  See Photo
2000 Dorney Common - A juv showed well for over a week in a stream on the Bucks/Berks border from 9th-19th Oct.  See Photo
2003 Little Marlow GP - 1 29th-30th Mar.

91

Corncrake

Crex crex

Very rare migrant. Formerly a breeding summer visitor.

92

Moorhen

Gallinula chloropus

Common resident and winter visitor.

Coot

Fulica atra

Common resident and winter visitor.

94

Common Crane

Grus grus

Very rare vagrant. 8 records.
1987 Dorney Common – An adult or 1st winter was seen on 11th Jan is presumed to be the same bird seen over Withybridge, Slough two hours earlier.
1993 Fenny Stratford - 1 over south on 10th Dec.
1995 Little Horwood - A sub-adult from 25th-26th May.  This was another well travelled individual.
1999 Weston Turville - 2, incl 1 adult flew over late on 28th Apr.  They were later located at Broughton where they were seen the following morning.  See Photo
2000 Nr Padbury - 1 on 14th Aug.
2003 Hedgerley - 9 over high left to the SE.
2004 Stoke Common - 1 circled on 11th Apr.
2005 Ford - An adult circled on 29th April
2005 Milton Keynes - A Crane species flying over on 26th April was not specifically indentified as a Common Crane

95

Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegus

Passage migrant in small numbers and recent breeder.    See Chart

96

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

Very rare vagrant. 1 record.
1988 Willen Lake – A pair of 1st summer birds present 7th-18th June.

97

Avocet

Recurvirostra avosetta

Rare but increasing vagrant. 16 records.
1975 Linford – 6 on 18th May.
1976 Willen Lake – 1 on 21st Nov.
1979 Willen Lake – 1 on 17th June.
1983 Willen Lake – 24 on 27th March.
1984 Marlow – 1 on 13th March.
1984 Willen Lake – 1 on 24th March.
1992 Willen - 1 with roosting gulls on 3rd Feb.
1992 Caldecotte - 2 over on 23rd Apr were later found at Willen.
1992 Linford - 2 on 8th Jun.
1995 Willen - 1 on 11th Aug.
1996 Little Marlow GP - 5 on 19th May only stayed for 35 mins.
1996 Linford/Willen - 3 birds at Linford on 23rd Mar moved to Willen.
1998 Calvert - 1 on 25th Apr.
2002 Little Marlow GP - 1 for 2 hours on 24th Mar.
2004 Willen Lake - 1 on 16th Apr.
2006 Calvert - 10th Apr. See Photo

98

Stone Curlew

Burhinus oedicnemus

Very rare vagrant.  Prior to 1947 this species was a regular breeding summer visitor and regarded as numerous in some areas. 
1950-1967 Birds seen or heard at Saunderton, Fawley, High Wycombe and Northend.
1950 Fingest - Bred
1956 Wormsley - Bred
1959 Fingest - Bred
1964 Fingest - Bred
1984 Chilterns - A bird in suitable breeding habitat in late June/early July.
1985 Caldecotte - 1 on 23rd May
1996 Fawley Bottom - 2 seen to land in a field on 31st Mar.
1999 Drayton Parslow - 1 on 21st Apr was very elusive.
2004 College Lake - 1 1st-2nd May had been colour ringed as a chick in Berkshire the previous year.  Photo
2005 Chalfont St Peter - 1 on 19th Apr
2006 Rowsham - 1 on 14th Apr.  See Photo

99

Little Ringed Plover

Charadrius dubius

Scarce breeding summer visitor and migrant.

100

Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticula

Scarce breeding summer visitor and migrant.

101

Kentish Plover

Charadrius alexandrinus

Very rare vagrant. 1 record.
1981 Willen Lake – 1 on 13th Apr

102

Dotterel

Eudromias morinellus

Very rare vagrant. 7 records.
Some undated 19th century records plus:-
1857 Burnham – A few shot in the spring.
1862 Ivinghoe – Adult male killed on 14th Aug.
1967 Near High Wycombe – 4 on 3rd May.
1985 Newton Longville – A juvenile on 23rd Sep.
1993 Drayton Parslow - A juvenile on 6th Sep.
1995 Mursley - A flock of c25 circling on 15th May.
1996 Drayton Parslow - 1 in a turf field on 10th-11th May.

103

American Golden Plover

Pluvialis dominica

Very rare vagrant. 1 record.
1991 Broughton, Milton Keynes – A juvenile from 12-17th Nov, also 21st Nov, and 25 Nov.

104

Golden Plover

Pluvialis apricaria

Locally common but decreasing winter visitor.

105

Grey Plover

Pluvialis squatarola

Scarce migrant and very rare winter visitor.   See Chart

106

Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

Common resident and winter visitor.

107

Knot

Calidris canutus

Scarce migrant.   See Chart

108

Sanderling

Calidris alba

Scarce migrant.   See Chart

109

Least Sandpiper

Calidris minutilla

Very rare vagrant. 1 record.
2003 Startopsend Res - 1 present in Herts from 5th-12th Aug flew into Bucks on 5th and 6th.

110

Little Stint

Calidris minuta

Scarce migrant.    See Chart

111

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckii

Rare migrant.  22 records.  To view distribution See Chart
1980 Willen Lake - 1 12th & 13th May and 18th & 19th May.
1981 Willen Lake - 1 on  19th May
1982 Willen Lake - 1 13th-18th May and another from 1st-3rd June.
1984 Willen Lake - 1 on  24th May
1987 Willen Lake - 1 from 24th-27th May.
1989 Willen Lake - 1 13th-15th May and another from 25th-27th.
1993 Willen Lake - 2 from 8th-10th May.
1993 Linford - 1 27th May.
1993 Linford - 1 16th-18th Sep.
1994 Linford - 1 on 10th May, with a different bird there later in the day which stayed until 11th.
1994 Marlow - 1 on 17th May.
1995 Linford - 1 8th & 9th May.
1996 Willen - 1 19th & 20th May. See Photo
1997 Linford -  1 31st May.
2001 Little Marlow - 1 juv on 6th and 7th Sep.
2004 Willen Lake - 1 18th May.
2006 Hillesden - 1 11th May.
2006 Foxcote Reservoir - A juvenile 31st Aug - 6th Sep. See Photo

112

Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola

Uncommon resident and winter visitor.

113

Snipe

Gallinago gallinago

Rare resident and uncommon winter visitor.

114

Jack Snipe

Lymnocryptes minimus

Uncommon winter visitor.

115

Great Snipe

Gallinago media

Very rare vagrant. 1 records.
1962 Alderbourne and Rush Green watercress beds, Iver - 1 from 23rd Dec until 17th Feb 1963.

116

Black-tailed Godwit

Limosa limosa

Scarce migrant.   See Chart

117

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponica

Scarce migrant.   See Chart

118

Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

Scarce migrant.   See Chart

119

Curlew

Numenius arquata

Scarce breeding summer visitor and uncommon migrant.

120

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropus

Scarce migrant.   See Chart

121

Redshank

Tringa totanus

Scarce breeding summer visitor and winter visitor.

122

Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

Local migrant.

123

Lesser Yellowlegs

Tringa flavipes

Very rare vagrant. 1 record.
1977 Denham - 1 from 15th Oct until 5th Nov.

124

Ruff

Philomachus pugnax

Locally common migrant and rare winter visitor.     See Chart

125

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos

Very rare vagrant. 4 records.
1988 Dorney Common - 1 intermittently between 28th Sep and 9th Oct.  It spent much of it's stay at nearby Slough STW (Berks).
1989 Linford - 1 on 1st Sep.
1995 Willen - 1 for about 30 minutes on 13th Sep.
1998 Little Marlow GP - A juvenile from 18th until 23rd Oct. See Photo

126

Purple Sandpiper

Calidris maritima

Very rare vagrant. 3 records.
1976 Hambleden - 1 on 26th Oct.
1977 Willen - 1 from 11th-22nd Nov with 2 on 14th Nov.
1997 Thorney CP - A 1st winter bird on 19th Oct.  See Photo

127

Dunlin

Calidris alpina

Locally common migrant and rare winter visitor.

128

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea

Scarce migrant.   See Chart

129

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus

Local winter visitor and migrant.

130

Wood Sandpiper

Tringa glareola

Scarce migrant.  See Chart

131

Common Sandpiper

Tringa hypoleucos

Regular migrant. Has bred.

132

Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

Scarce migrant.   See Chart

133

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatus

Very rare vagrant. 6 records.
1978 Willen - Female from 8th-9th July.
1989 Willen - Female on 1st and 3rd June.
1992 Willen - Juvenile on 19th Sep.
1995 Willen - A female on 8th June.
2002 College Lake - Female on 23rd May See Photo
2005 Calvert - A juvenile on 26-27th Oct  See Photo

134

Grey Phalarope

Phalaropus fulicarius

Very rare vagrant. 8 records.
1866 Halton - 1 on 19th Sep.
1928 Dancers End - 1 found dead on 27th Oct.
1935 Weston Turville Reservoir - 1 on 16th Sep.
1952 High Wycombe - 1 found dead on 30th Oct.
1985 Willen - Juvenile on 8th Sep.
1987 Weston Turville Reservoir - 1 on 16th Oct.
1987 Willen - 1 on 16th Oct, then 18th & 19th Oct.
1998 Linford - 1 on 7th Jan.

135

Wilson's Phalarope

Phalaropus tricolor

Very rare vagrant. 1 record.
2006 Hillesden Pools - 1 27th-28th May. See Photo