TELEGRAPH HILL
Searching for spring migrants on the Chiltern Hills
On the Bedfordshire/ Hertfordshire border, Telegraph Hill is situated at the north-eastern extremity of the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and commands spectacular views north, towards the Lower Greensand Ridge, and the clay vale of Bedford beyond. The steep scarp slope is clothed in a mixture of scrub and sheep-grazed downland, complete with an old quarry, while several areas across the site are managed by the Wildlife Trust for plants and associated insects. The walk takes in arable farmland, copses and plantations affording a good cross section of migrant and resident birds. The dry river valley is a noted stopping-off point for Ring Ouzels which favour the slopes around the old quarry, but, when disturbed, can just as easily be encountered on the farmland hedgerows to the south. Wheatears appear in variable numbers on open ground each spring, along with a trickle of Black Redstarts and Redstarts, Whinchat and the occasional Firecrest. Sadly, though, many spring migrants, such as Cuckoo, Turtle Dove, Tree Pipit, Grasshopper Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher, are now rarely noted or absent, although, on the plus side, Red Kite, Raven and Buzzard are regularly seen. The woodlands along the way should be ablaze with bluebells and the downland full of cowslips, while Muntjac Deer and Badger are present in good numbers. Vantage points along the hill top on a fine spring morning may yield a passing hirundine or, perhaps, a Yellow Wagtail, with a good chance of Hobby, as the month progresses. This pleasant walk may well throw up one or two surprises, as it is underwatched. For example, many years ago I found a pair of Stone-curlews on passage, while Long-eared Owls formerly nested in the thick Hawthorn scrub.