March and April often epitomise the dynamism of Spring. March sees our winter visitors take their prolonged leave, and the first hardy summer pioneers arrive. After a small hiatus - an intake of Nature’s breath - mid-April sees chaos unleashed. All our favourite summer migrants return in a heady rush, and our local woods, hedges, and wetlands are once again full of song and vibrant activity.
Despite so many of our bird species (and other wildlife) suffering from prolonged and seemingly terminal declines in population, Spring still never fails to excite. And whilst March and April 2025 won’t go down as vintage months, there was plenty to see wherever you were in Bucks.
Top of the list were two classic Mediterranean overshoots. An Alpine Swift over Foxcote on April 7th would be the fifth record for the county if accepted. It’s rare for any Alpine Swift to be twitchable, and true to form this individual didn’t hang around.
A male Red-footed Falcon at Olney on April 30th was the other star bird. However, news only emerged in the days afterwards, and despite searching the bird wasn’t refound. There has been a major nationwide influx of these delightful falcons this Spring, with dozens of birds recorded. It’s typical of our birding luck – or lack of it – that our sole record so far involved an untwitchable bird.
The Richard’s Pipit at Bury Field - the year’s other outstanding rarity so far – finally departed on March 26th. I’d lay decent odds that we see it again next winter.
March sees the UK’s wintering wildfowl departing for north and east Europe, and as such we can usually expect a few rare drop-ins as birds pass through. A Whooper Swan paid the briefest of visits to FFNR on March 21st. A Brent Goose popped up in the Calvert gull roost on March 22nd. The wintering White-fronted Goose flock near Aylesbury has proved as elusive as it has popular, and up to 11 birds were seen at Eythrope between March 18th-21st, after which there were no further reports.
Pintail have been very scarce in Bucks this winter, and continuing that trend, March saw a measly three reports, with 2 at Calvert on 1st, 3 at Gallows Bridge the same day, and 1 at Willen on 17th. Goldeneye were reported from just two sites in March – Foxcote (max count of 5) and Willen (max count of 19). The only records from April were from Foxcote, with a pair on 16th being the final record of the winter.
2024 was not a good year for Garganey in Bucks, and 2025 is so far following suit. The only record was of a pair at Willen on April 10th. Maybe we’ll get a few more in the autumn. Finally for wildfowl, the female Ruddy Duck from February was seen again at the same undisclosed site on March 1st, but not afterwards. I wonder how long we’ll have to wait for the next Bucks record of this species?
An immature White-tailed Eagle spent a short while putting The Fear into all the gulls and waders at Little Marlow GP on March 4th, and another bird was at Radnage on 12th. Whilst the Marlow bird was definitely from the reintroduction programme (and the Radnage bird probably was), that certainly doesn’t distract from the sheer “wow factor” of seeing these magnificent birds.
Marsh Harrier is one raptor we’re seeing a lot more of in recent years, and 2025 has so far maintained that trend. Both a male and female were seen at Gallows Bridge on several dates in March, and also on April 1st. A female seemed to hang around Foxcote for a while, being seen on several dates between April 11th-17th. Additional passage birds were seen at Bishopstone on March 27th and Buckingham on March 30th.
The Cattle Egret remained at Dorney Common throughout March and April, being joined by a second bird on March 31st. Four birds were at Shabbington on March 8th, and up to two were at Little Marlow between April 27th-30th, usually being seen entering or leaving their roost. Great White Egrets were reported from 11 sites, with 6 at Linford in March being the highest count.
March and April brought 18 species of wader to Bucks airspace, which on the face of it is a pretty decent total. But there’s no hiding the fact that numbers are lower than 10 years ago, let alone the heydays of the late 1980s-1990s. North Bucks has virtually no suitable habitat now. FFNR is far too vegetated and disturbed, Willen no longer has any mud, and hopes for Logistica Flood dried up as quickly as the winter pools there.
To counter that gloom though, the new floods at Amersham offer some hope. And as usual with newly created wetlands, they soon proved attractive to an excellent range of species, as you will soon read. Birds always find good habitat.
The rarest wader of the period was the Spotted Redshank at Eythrope on March 30th, an excellent patch bird and the first in the county for four years. Indeed, there have only been four records of this elegant bird in Bucks since 2017. A Wood Sandpiper was a good find at Amersham on April 26th. A Ruff was at Amersham on April 10th, with another at Gallows Bridge on April 4th. Ringed Plover is far rarer in Bucks now than it used to be, and just the single record this Spring – one at Rowsham on April 15th – bears this out.
It’s been a decent Spring for godwits. A pair of Bar-tailed Godwits at Amersham on 23rd-24th understandably proved popular. A flock of 10 at College Lake on 23rd was the largest flock in the county since the bumper year of 2011. A single Bar-wit at Little Marlow GP on April 24th completed the set. Black-tailed Godwits are usually commoner in Bucks than Bar-wits, but not this Spring. Two at College Lake on March 18th were the first of 2025, soon followed by 3 at Willen on 28th. In April, singles were at Little Marlow GP on 10th, and Dorney Common on 18th.
It’s also been an above-average Spring for Whimbrel, lovely waders which usually put in the briefest of stays as they migrate north. But this year has been different, with more than one long-staying bird. The tally for April was 11 birds at seven sites, with 3 over Marlow Low Grounds on 11th being the biggest count. The five Greenshank that dropped into Logistica Flood on April 19th were thought to have been the same birds seen in Northants a few hours earlier. Additional Greenshanks were one at Little Marlow GP on 23rd and 3 at College Lake on 26th.
The first Little Ringed Plover of 2025 turned up at Logistica Flood on March 9th and was joined by another bird there the next day. As March progressed, birds arrived at Amersham (max 6), Dorney Lake (1), Little Marlow GP (2), Marlow Low Grounds (1), and Eythrope (1). April saw the usual steady trickle of records from most of the usual places, but early evidence of breeding was only seen at three sites.
Rounding up our breeding waders, the picture was mixed. Despite being seemingly ubiquitous at many of our wetland sites, there was no evidence in April of Oystercatchers attempting to breed. Although Lapwings are in serious trouble, it’s possible our breeding population is slightly underestimated, breeding as they do on suitable farmland away from the public eye. So whilst indications of breeding at six sites seems rather paltry, a better picture may emerge as the summer progresses. Two Redshank at Amersham on March 23rd were probably migrants, but indications of territorial behaviour were seen at both Gallows Bridge and College Lake.
There were still a few Jack Snipe around in March, with counts coming from Gallows Bridge (6), Stoke Common (4), Aylesbury STW (2), and Bledlow (1). And after a below-par winter a count of 107 Snipe at Gallows Bridge in March was very welcome. Dunlin is another wader which isn’t as common in Bucks as it used to be, and a total of just 14 birds at seven sites during March and April is evidence of that. Six of those birds were at Gallows Bridge on 21st. The rest were 1s and 2s at Little Marlow GP, FFNR, Logistica Flood, and Eythrope. April 30th brought a superb influx of Common Sandpipers, with 16 at Foxcote, 12 at Calvert, and 10 at Little Marlow GP.
There were 3 Black-necked Grebes at Calvert on March 15th, and an additional bird at Haversham on 16th, which showed well enough to result some gorgeous photos.
The first Common Tern of 2025 turned up at Dorney Common on April 4th, and by the end of the month birds had been reported from 10 sites, with 13 at Little Marlow GP being the biggest count. Early indications of breeding came from the county strongholds of Marlow and College Lake.
Late April saw the usual passage of terns and gulls. We couldn’t muster the numbers seen in surrounding counties, but a flock of 58 Arctic Terns at Marsworth on 21st was mightily impressive. There were smaller numbers elsewhere. Little Marlow GP held 6 on 19th, 2 on 21st, and 1 on 22nd. There were 3 at Calvert and 4 at Foxcote on 21st, with another at Foxcote on 22nd. Finally, one at Fulmer on 21st was another great patch bird. There were 2 Black Terns at Calvert on April 21st, and 9 at Marsworth on 30th. A Little Tern at Little Marlow GP on 23rd is the only one of the Spring so far. And we haven’t had any Sandwich Terns, which is a surprise.
It’s been a decent year so far for Little Gulls. Immature birds at Little Marlow GP on March 14th and 24th sandwiched 3 adults at Foxcote on 20th. April brought some bigger flocks, with Calvert hosting 3ad on 1st, 16ads on 4th, and 8 on 25th. There were also 13 at Foxcote on 5th.
A 2CY Mediterranean Gull visited Little Marlow GP on three dates in early March, and an adult roosted at Calvert between March 5th-18th. There was an impressive run of Caspian Gull records from the Calvert roost in March, with up to two birds present on multiple dates until 28th. There was also one at Little Marlow GP on 1st & 9th, and 2 at Newton Leys on 3rd. March saw an even more impressive haul of Yellow-legged Gulls in the Calvert roost, with up to 6 birds present on multiple dates until 28th.
A Rock Pipit at Logistica Flood on March 12th was followed by one, then two, at Amersham from 20th-23rd. Not a bad Spring haul by Bucks standards. In contrast, just one record of Tree Pipit, at Amersham on April 22nd, is an extremely poor return.
Rock Pipit John Edwards
It’s been a good Spring for Black Redstart. The two birds in February were followed by a female at Little Marlow GP on March 23rd. April brought further individuals at Aylesbury STW (1f on 2nd), Pitstone Quarry (1f on 9th), and Steps Hill (1f on 13th). The first Ring Ouzel of the Spring was an occasionally showy female at Ivinghoe Beacon from April 7th-9th. Up to two were present until 16th, but there were no more after that. Up to two birds were seen at Quainton Hill on three dates between April 9th-21st. A slightly late bird was at Coombe Hill on 30th.
There were a minimum of 8 Whinchats seen at seven sites. These superb little chats don’t seem as tied to the Chiltern ridges as Redstarts or Wheatears for example, and reports from the north Bucks sites of Hyde Lane, Ravenstone, and Buckingham bear this out. Stonechats were only reported from seven sites in March. By the end of April, there were regular reports from two traditional breeding sites, but no evidence (yet) of successful breeding.
Grasshopper Warblers put in a strong showing, by recent standards anyway. Singing birds were at Prestwood, Whitehouse MK, Arncott MOD, Olney, Amersham, High Wycombe, and Leckhampstead Wood. Some of these birds were undoubtedly migrants passing through, but a handful of those sites traditionally hold birds that at least stay the summer (and hopefully breed).
There were still a few decent finch flocks seen in March, with 400 Linnet at Swan Bottom, and 700 Chaffinch at the same site. A Hawfinch was at Stoke Goldington on March 12th.
