No food for the Elephants

The Elephant Grass has been harvested in the field leading to the disused fullers earth pit near Baulking, I guess in the last couple of weeks, and already the new growth is about a foot high.
Saw around 20 Linnets in this field and what looked like a Yellow-Legged Gull put in a brief appearance on the lake. Whitethroat and Willow Warbler were singing in the surrounding woodland and Tufted Duck were plentiful, a Green Woodpecker laughed for quite some time and a Red Kite gave a majestic fly past. A few insects were flying but no Dragonflies.
camboy.

Shellingford Quarry Damselflies

Although the sun shone brightly a strong wind prevented most insects flying.
camboy.

Aerial Display.

Shackled to the car today due to caring duties so drove out to catch up with the Buscot chirrrr bird and after a short walk around the parking area  noting Kestrel and Swallows it began turtling away on the house adjacent to the kids play area. Only took a few photos as the lady of the house came into the garden saw me and went back inside, I guess the house owners must get a bit fed up with birders staring up at their roof even if they have the honour of hosting such a beautiful and sadly quite uncommon bird. Anyway I didn't think it fair for me to encroach on the privacy of folk wanting to enjoy what has been a wonderfully sunny day so I called time and motored back to Stanford in the Vale feeling good but still trying to figure out why this Dove keeps returning to this site, if as seems to be the case it never finds a mate.
camboy

A Greener Life.

Quite common but still a nice bird to have in the garden licking up the Ants.
camboy

Stroll in the warm Sunshine.

A chance to get away from my Carer Duties  gave me an opportunity to wander round a large part of the Bampton streams and fields. I was soon rewarded with Linnet and a pair of English Partridge followed by hedgerow Yellowhammers and a couple of Orange Tip Butterflies, several Peacock and a really lovely marked day flying Moth that just wouldn't stay still long enough to get a photo.
As the heat of the day built up it felt kinda strange with the wet ground evaporating its moisture so that it seemed like a rising wave of humidity surrounded me.
Warblers were represented by voice as they stayed hidden by the lush hedges that run along the sides of the streams and I heard Blackcap,Garden Warbler and Whitethroat.
A lone Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk were two of the three Raptors I recorded the third being A hovering Kestrel. Quite a few Mallard were on the streams in these watery meadows and both Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush were in evidence.
These early Summer meadows with the later than usual Mayflower now in full and fragrant bloom were a great joy to be a part of, and I returned home a very tired but happy person.
camboy.

The Buzz Word.

Yep! Its started, the removal of Buzzard nests to assist a West Country proliferator of non-native game birds in swamping our countryside with  unhealthy numbers (the rat problem) of Pheasant and Partridge, scientific research proves just how devastating these forty million hand reared birds are to small farmland birds with huge declines corresponding to the rise of game bird numbers and the artificial feeding resulting in the huge increase due to the easy pickings for Corvid and Wood Pigeon.
Rode the two wheeled steed along the Stanford/Charney bridle track and saw a pair of the farmers friend (they do a great job in helping to keep the rabbit population down) Buzzard and alongside the road leading to Goosey several pair of Yellowhammer.
camboy

   

Hammered.

Following the unpleasant cold of the 24th, the 25th was a complete contrast with warm sunlight tickled by a gentle breeze, this gave me a chance to get the bike out and ride out to a mates Stanford farm and walk the lush grassland that will soon be made into hay or silage, plenty of insects although not much in the way of butterflies. Linnet was seen and on the ground sown with Maize three pair of Lapwing lapped and peewitted, an appointment at Bampton meant leaving before i'd had a chance to fully explore most of the farm and i'll be returning soon.
Back on the bike again later and a very nice ride along the Cold Harbour track before retracing my steps and heading for Shellingford Quarry where I met up with Robert and we looked over the site together, Garden Warbler sang close to the entrance and after finding a couple of pairs of Tufted Duck ,Swans, Canada's, Coots and a lot of Sand Martin, I said "goodbye" and thought to myself as I headed home how sparse it had been for Yellowhammer this year , thankfully as I headed for Hatford a roadside hedgerow pair gave me an opportunity of a photo.
camboy.