Lonesome Swan

A recent trip to Shellingford Quarry gave a reminder of just how brutal nature can be with the sparse remains of a Mute Swan, probably taken by a Fox or less likely a Badger leaving the Swans mate forlornly swimming rather aimlessly around the now quite large expanse of water. Local birder Robert had discovered the body of a Tawny Owl close by although the death of this bird is almost certainly due to the desperate shortage of small rodents that have been drowned in the persistent and heavy rain we have experienced.
On a brighter note four delightful Yellow Wagtail, one Common Snipe, one Gadwall and a large field of Cowslips.
camboy

It's Warming Up.

Nice Peacock Butterfly today along with several Bumble Bees and a couple of Chiffchaffs these visitors are my first spring sightings and I've not even clocked Swallows or Martins yet, still I had views of six Grey Partridge in a release pen - no! I've no idea why they were in their but at least a little later I had the pleasure of watching a completely wild pair on territory and good views of Kestrel, many Reed Bunting, two Green Woodpecker, one Grey Heron, six Fieldfare, a flock of some fifty Black Headed Gulls and a rather nice spring flower in the form of Coltsfoot.
camboy.

Peacock

English Partridge

Kestrel

any ideas ?

Cowslips

Coltsfoot

Photographed a few Birds today - Well it beat watching a funeral.

Couldn't get too far from the car today as duty may have called me away at any time so snapped a few birds from the relative comfort of the front seat. The Greenfinch is suddenly everywhere or at least it is on my patch and several Red Legs have been noted pairing up.
This horrid Winter has been notable for the lack of Yellowhammer so this pair I photographed were a most welcome sight.
camboy

Greenfinch opting for the Sunflower seed

Red Leg with nesting site on its mind

Yellowhammer looking rather ungainly in mid hop

Just been unable to get out lately

Hope to get blogging this next week as I should have a bit more time to visit the Warren, Horsecroft and Bampton surrounds will also be looking out for the return of the Buscot Turtle  Dove. Seeing plenty of Greenfinch in the garden at Stanford.
camboy.

 Photo of the Turtle Dove at Buscot.

New Computer - so you are now going to have to put up with my ramblings again.

Its been some time since I've updated the blog so I will  just run through a few of the birds that have caught my eye. Recently travelled to Wales to visit my brother and his lovely wife Lucille who is unwell at the present time also visited my sister Valerie and her husband Keith , they own a caravan park high in the hills above Lampeter that has a great variety of birdlife with loads of fairly confiding Jays and Nuthatch my niece Karen lives with Val and kindly sends me riddles to solve and then a little later sends me the answers thanks for the most recent correspondence Karen although unfortunately it cost me £1.19p in underpaid postage. Dined at the Indian Restaurant The Shapla in Lampeter  and I rate this the best Indian in the uk - delicious.
I guess Common Snipe have been one of the birds I've seen surprisingly often and in a variety of locations, still seeing Fieldfare and Redwing at a few sites and recently Greenfinch are putting in a welcome appearance thankfully without that awful disfiguring disease, Reed Bunting and Goldfinch are everywhere and in good numbers. A trip to pit 60 gave views of a large flock of Wigeon and just about all the open water sites I have visited have had good numbers of Tufted, Pochard, Mallard and Wigeon. The woodland and open countryside I travel have given me a flyover Sandpiper, Redpoll, Green Woodpecker, wren (goodness knows how they have survived this terrible weather) Red Kite, Buzzard and lots of Kestrels have been noted. A local Keeper texted me to tell me about a Common Buzzard  he watched carrying a Barn Owl in its talons , he didn't know if the Buzzard had killed it or was merely doing what they do quite well ie clearing up carrion , I suggested that since the majority of the Vole population has been drowned by the almost incessant rain the Barn Owl was probably dead like so many of its kin due to starvation you only have to look out at any time of day to see starving Barn Owls hunting.
Camboy.

The Last Week or So.

Baulking Pit

My computer has been down for the last week or so and this is a brief memory of some of the birds I remember seeing during that time when the weather ranged from bitterly cold to yeah! you've guessed it , Rainy.
At Baulking Pit Tufted, Pochard and Wigeon numbering about fifty for each species. At Shellingford Quarry more Tufted and Pochard , also four Common Snipe.
The feeders in the garden at Stanford played host to a pair of Siskin and along the local roads eight Kestrel were noted
A visit to Chimney gave views in the fields to the south of the Great Brook of some one hundred and fifty Lapwing and sixty Golden Plover by the BBOWT barn four Greenfinch were seen.
Meadow Farm had good numbers of Chaffinch circa one hundred and twenty, forty Linnet , four Bullfinch and only four Tree Sparrow this bird has had a most difficult year.

Siskin

Goldfinch feeding on Lavendar seed

Iced herbage Baulking Pit

Along the Cote backroad the early spring sunshine brought out around a dozen Yellowhammer a welcome sight as this bird has been almost absent from its usual winter haunts.

It's Round-up Time Purdners.

Been flitting about all over recently and these are a few of the birds I recall on my local travels.
Longcot a Little Owl atop an electric or perhaps it was a telephone pole. Kestrels, Kites, Buzzards and a couple of Sparrowhawks at different locations.
The plastic Whooper are now showing closer to the Buscot Lake Bridge. A pair of Siskins were good birds for my Stanford garden this morning and several Mistle Thrush are putting in an appearance.
Large flocks of Wood Pigeon are feeding on Oil Seed Rape plants all over the county.
At Baulking Fullers Earth Pit many duck including around sixty Tufted, fifty Pochard and a similar number of Wigeon.

Graceful,plastic and noisy Whoopers

One of a pair of Stock Doves Stanford.

A pair of Siskin Stanford.

Baulking Fullers Earth Pit.

camboy