There and back again. A Reed Warblers tale.

It has been pretty quiet on the moor bird wise of late. With many keeping their heads down feeding young. So imagine my surprise when I stepped out of the car at 6:45 am in the Otmoor car park, to find the place alive with birds. A mixed flock of Goldfinches, Chaffinches, linnets, two Bullfinches, two Yellowhammers, Great tits, Blue tits, Long tailed tits, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Whitethroats, a Greenfinch wheezing away somewhere back in the trees, oh and a Robin. Were all in the tall willows and surrounding bushes. I could also hear a Grasshopper Warbler and a Turtle Dove calling from behind me in the car park field. Leaving the car park I soon found the Turtle dove perched on a wire.

At the top of the car park field a second Grasshopper Warbler reeled away, close to the feeders. Standing by the RSPB hut admiring a pair of Red Legged Partridge on Greenaways. Four Snipe, or to put it more poetically, a wisp of snipe hurtled past me and disappeared over Saunders field.

Further along the track I discovered a juvenile Cuckoo being fed by two very frazzled looking Reed Warblers. I watched as the Warblers returned with food every thirty seconds or so. (Set of pictures at end of page) I am learning all the time about my new camera,. I watched as three Little Egrets flew in and took up residence in a tree.

But how I got this effect of the three Little Egrets in the tree and the tree is in silhouette I have no idea.

Swifts were on the move with a flock of 30+ hawking for insects over the Ashgrave pools. The first Hobby of the day was also seen flying over the hide. (Four seen altogether).

A Raven was perched on its usual post on Big Otmoor. Three Common terns were flying between the first and second screens. Grey Herons seemed to be everywhere on the reserve. Unless it was just one that was following me around.

Little and Great crested Grebes were out from the first screen and Buzzard also seen circling above.
Fifty three species seen today. Not bad not bad at all. For complete day list see bottom of page.

Mute swan, Canada goose, Greylag goose, Mallard, Gadwall, Tufted duck, Great crested grebe, Little grebe, Moorhen, Coot, Cormorant, Common tern, Grey heron, Little egret, Lapwing, Snipe, Lesser black backed gull, Black headed gull, Pheasant, Red legged partridge, Buzzard, Red kite, Hobby, Kestrel, Raven, Crow, Rook, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Stock dove, Turtle dove, Cuckoo, Blackbird, Reed bunting, Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Linnet, Great tit, Blue tit, Long tailed tit, Whitethroat, Willow warbler, Chiffchaff, Reed warbler, Sedge warbler, Grasshopper warbler (HBNS), Garden Warbler, Swift, Swallow, House martin.