Not Quite tristus ?

The weather was (irisistably) warm and sunny and the Abingdon Sewage Works aroma confirmed it... and Chiffs were plenty but getting them to sit still, without the sun behind them meant... a count of 68 Pied Wagtails on the adjacent sports field; plus 2 Grey Wagtails and other Pieds on the filter beds. An earlier front lit Little Egret and around 160 Teal at 1066 was more illuminating. Goldcrests were noisy and very viewable in the nearby conifers, whilst G C Grebes were nest building and Kingfishers arguing on the lake opposite. Very different to the freezing dusk last Saturday when at 1755, a Barn Owl was the noisiest bird around. It was crossing the lane just where the warm effluent stream from the works does the same below. Suitable compensation for the roosting Bittern that I hoped might have returned this year!
Spit Pit, Appleford was also liquidfied and recent high numbers of loafing gulls had quit in the main. One exception was a 'goose stepping' first winter bird (left leg injury) that since last week still refuses to hold its right leg motionless long enough to photograph the largish coloured ring at high enough magnification, so as to ID its origin.
Farmoor luck towards dusk, when 2 different adult Mediterranean Gulls were present quite early on ...1620 and 1650, with Common Sandpiper in the SE of F2. A final peak into F1 revealed 2 male and 4 redhead Goosander over by the west wall at 1715, before a hasty retreat and exit before shut gate time that has now crept up to 1730 hrs. With breeding plumaged Med gulls, presumably already making way back to nesting sites to the east, it certainly looks as if Spring might be arriving at last. Apologies again for my typically bad photos of interesting birds at Farmoor, when everyone elses efforts are usually quite stunning.