What d'ya reckon?

Yesterday I intended to walk far and bird interestingly in the event I called in on a birding mate and got chatting as a consequence I found myself with no time to go walking . No problem as my mate is a hive of activity and has an encyclopedic knowledge of the natural world so as they say in all the best or worst television programmes "swings and roundabouts"
Had earlier called in at another mates place, he was out so I then motored on to top up one of our Tree Sparrow sites that I am feeding this week as our usual volunteer Albert is presently away quite possibly living the high life on holiday somewhere
oxon feather. 

   Quite far away but just got the camera on it before it flew-probably a Blue Tit what d'ya reckon               

                                          My mates garden fowl

                                           Garden Rose Tortrix

Unexpected.

Drove out to the east of Millets Garden Centre parked up and walked the bridle track/footpath south of Manor Farm. The path goes through some of the garden centres crops and I noticed thousands of Pumpkins etc partly harvested presumably readied for the Halloween trade. After a few hundred yards I climbed a stile and got into conversation with a Hawker carrying a Harris Hawk, apparently he is from the Falconry centre originally at Fallowfields but they have now moved their operation to Millets.
Shortly after leaving them the river Ock became my travelling companion and I kept company with it almost to Garford before heading east to the disused quarry between the old Noahs Ark pub that has long been converted into private accommodation  and the Marcham junction.
Apart from the usual Corvids and Wood Pigeon I noted 2 Green Woodpecker, 1 Wren, 5 Mallard, 3 Goldfinch, 12 Linnet, 4 Buzzard, 2 Pheasant, 4 Blue Tit, 2 Great Tit, 3 Moorhen, 1 Jay and numerous Robins tuning up their vocal chords.
camboy.

                                          The unexpected Harris Hawk

                                         Harris Hawk

                  The low water level in the River Ock showing the lack of rain.

                                          Moorhen

 This Buzzard must have been over four hundred yards away -hence the poor quality photo

                                          Another long distance Buzzard pic

                                          Wonderful Land

                       I think this may be Grey Pine Carpet - but then again......

Super Supercilium.

Oh Man! Oh Man! Oh Man! Two smashing Yellow - Browed Warblers through the county recently and the score to camboy is nil due mainly to circumstances, in that the first great find by The Gnome on his patch at Port Meadow came at a time when other family activities dictated my presence was more important elsewhere. The second at Abingdon Science Park meant that by the time I had checked out the other likely herbage adjacent to the park I had run out of time not least because of the rather interesting habitat in the area that I am afraid I became somewhat engrossed in, nevertheless apart from a dazzling Kingfisher and more common fare I missed it. The feeling of out-of-town-birders spotting our "goodies" (two Lincolnshire birders working in Abingdon on a temporary basis reported it) rankles a little especially as not too far away a few year ago a White - Rumped Sandpiper was also found by a birder from a neighbouring county.
camboy

                                         2 Yellow-Browed Warblers but camboy scores a Duck

                                               Female Speckled Bush-Cricket

                                               Marbled Beauty

Swan Lake.

Tied up and unable to get to see the recent "goodies" that have shown up on Otmoor, Port Meadow and Farmoor , did manage to get along to Shellingford Quarry Thursday and noted 8 Common Snipe, several Tufted Duck, quite a few Dabchicks, likewise Teal, 1 Cormorant and 1 Little Egret. Smaller birds were represented by Gold and Chaffinch.
There have been a pair of Swans that bred on the quarry this time producing just 2 Cygnets sadly all that is left of this graceful family are the scattered feathers of the dead leaving 1 living and presumably lonely adult this rather sad demise of the Swans is most probably due to the Foxes that live close by.
camboy.

                                           Lonely Swan

                                          Scattered feathery remains of the Swan family

                                          Some of the interesting geology at the quarry.

                                            Tufted Duck

                                          Yeah! It's another Moff.

Westcot and beyond South Farm.

Off to a good start this morning and parked in Westcot Lane before hoofing it into great countryside where apart from occasional horse riders I have the great outdoors to myself, yippee! not a bleeding pooch in sight not even on the horizon , small wonder the wildlife has an easier life here.
A few Goldfinch, couple of Wrens, usual Blackbirds, Corvids, Woodpigeon, Robins, two Buzzard, two Red Kite, two Kestrel and a pleasant surprise in the form of two late Whitethroats.
Butterflies were out in number with Speckled Wood everywhere, also two Red Admiral, A dainty and delightful Small Copper and a lot of Comma's including nine of these colourful individuals in close proximity feeding on Blackberries all on one bush.
At South Farm a huge sprayer was spraying pre-emergent herbicide on the recently sown wheat fields and I chatted to the Farmer who told me this specialist machine costs over £200,000 and has no other uses, this is so different from when my Dad farmed South Farm I think from 1949 until 1970 and is where I grew up or was it dragged up, well i'll leave you to decide on that one.
I guess I walked eight to ten miles today so you will probably realise I was pretty well knackered by the time I made it back to the motor and headed back to Stanford. Apart from the Whitethroats all quite common fare but believe me I really enjoyed my day on a most pleasant day in old England.
camboy.

       Looking from Westcot Lane to a part of Sparsholt known as Watery Lane

                                         Comma on Blackberry

                                        High in the sky a Red Kite

                                              Speckled Wood

                                        the delightful Small Copper

                                          Red Admiral

                                           A bit of old England

    Another shot of yesterdays micro the Twenty-Plume Moth with wings closed

Grove to Hanney

Parked up at the edge of Grove and walked the green track to Hanney, not sure how far that is but probably a round trip of five miles or so. From a birding point of view it was disappointing bearing in mind this is very good small bird habitat being a rough and ready thick double hedge with plenty of natural food and cover. I suspect there is so much food about at the moment that what birds there are in the vicinity are widespread and well hidden by the foliage.
A few Chaffinch were seen and a bullfinch heard, other birds noted were Wren, Blackbird, assorted Corvids, and Robins that are now singing, albeit in some cases with rather scratchy out of tune offerings that will with a little time soon become that mellow and oh so sad sounding song we are all  familiar with.
Only Moth interest today was a micro Twenty-Plume Moth that gave me an opportunity to photograph it when it settled on the shower curtain.
camboy

                                          Micro Twenty - Plume Moth

Derrick the Crane.

In my Moth Trap (outside loo with light left on overnight) Derrick the Crane has decided to hoist himself onto this Feathered Gothic Moth looking like it could s moth er it, Derrick is one of hundreds of thousands of Crane Flies currently emerging just about everywhere.
With the warm afternoons we are experiencing, the Butterflies are making the best of it with many Speckled Wood and mixed Whites in abundance.
A walk along the Ridgeway starting at Sparsholt Firs and passing along the top of Crowhole bottom and Childrey Warren and giving me a feeling of exhileration as I felt I was on top of the world. I guess I saw about a dozen of both Common Buzzard and Red Kite plus two Kestrel.
camboy

                                             Derrick being over friendly

                                            Rabbit catcher

                                          On top of the world

                                           Distant Kestrel

                                          Looks like a Silver Y Moth to me

                         Nettle Tap  Micro Moths on Goats Beard or Jack go to bed at Noon