What a cheek that birds really got some neck.

Met up with IS at Farmoor to finally clock the Red Necked Grebe as due to chatting to assorted fishermen last time I managed to miss it and had to settle for an Arctic Skua (that was so tongue in cheek it looks like i've got a mouth full of gobstoppers) Anyway meeting Ian seemed a way of making sure I would get the tick. Dai had told Ian that he'd seen it early on and we started off round the concrete basin full of optimism taking great care to avoid the mess the very many feral geese are leaving on the pathway these days.
We saw three Redshank, one Common Sandpiper, one Gadwall and one Meadow Pipit, but yes! you've guessed it no skulking,hiding, diving, piss taking Red Necked Grebe. The curse of the disappearing rare bird syndrome had reared its ugly head yet again when The Oxon Feather put in an appearance . But do I care ? Not one little bit its just so good to be out and about in the fresh air, although that's being kind to Farmoor as it is a most challenging of places because it always appears bleak, soulless and colder than anywhere else in the county. 
The Oxon Feather.