A joint Oxford and Vale of White Horse RSPB Local Group coach trip. The weather was warm and sunny with little wind. Around 60 species were seen, the star birds being melodious warbler (a new tick for me) and a wryneck (which I did not manage to see).
Melodious warbler.
Only a record shot. It is not a very good picture as most of the key identification features are hidden.
The little owl chillin' in the Observatory Quarry, disdainfully ignoring the crowd of birdwatchers.
Three dotterel showing well on Bury Down this afternoon (300m west of the car park, about 40m into the stony field). No sign of the juvenile seen by DFL yesterday afternoon. These were all adult birds (2 female, 1 male).
I watched them for about an hour until a local lapwing seemed to take exception to their presence and flew at one of them, causing all three to take flight. They circled around and then headed off in a northerly direction (this was 3.15pm).
These are digiscoped pictures. They are not brilliant photos as the light was awful - just record shots really.
