Bicester Wetlands 30th June

Green Sandpiper 6 (per Alan Peters)

Standlake Pit 60: 30th June

Standlake Pit 60
Green Sandpiper 10:00.

Jim Hutchins

Green Sandpiper courtesy of Jim Hutchins

Otmoor: 30th June

2 Green sandpipers on Ashgrave lagoon early afternoon.
Also 50+ Lapwing and 1 Shelduck.
Grasshopper warbler reeling in Julys meadow.


A juvenile Cuckoo being fed by its host parent Reed Warbler.
Video courtesy of Paul Thomas.

Childrey: 29th June

Childrey
Corn Bunting: male. 10:45.

Amanda Brown

Otmoor.A.M. 29th June.

2 Turtle Dove
3+ Curlew
2+ Hobby
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Marsh Harrier.
Grasshopper Warbler Oddington end (Badger)

Cuckoo courtesy of Nick Truby

Drayton (nr Abingdon): 28th June

Drayton (nr Abingdon)
Little Egret 09:30.

Gregor Ritchie

Otmoor 28th June

Marsh Harrier
Hobby
Turtle Dove 2
Spotted Flycatcher 2

Warburg Nature Reserve

Wren juv

Siskin

Fyfield: A420: 26th June

Fyfield: A420
Probable Red-footed Falcon: male. Spectacular aerobatics hawking insects at extremely high level between Tubney Wood & Fyfield. Showing light grey colouring when sun on it and wings not sharp ended like Hobby. All characteristics pointed to Male Red Foot but height was extreme and only had 10x42 bins with me. 11:40.

2 OTHER SPECIES: Black-Tailed Skimmer Dragonfly. M&F.

Jed Cleeter

Kingston Bagpuize: 28th June

Kingston Bagpuize
2 Spotted Flycatcher: Pair.

Jed Cleeter

Little Rollright 27th June

Raven: SP293301.
Spotted Flycatcher

Nick Suckling

Port Meadow: 27th June

Port Meadow
2 Oystercatcher: Flying around calling early evening.

Adam Hartley

Sedge Warbler Otmoor courtesy of Moth Clark

Standlake Pit 60: 27th June

Standlake Pit 60
2 Oystercatcher 15:00.

Jim Hutchins

Upper Cherwell Valley: 27th June

Siskin - apparently it looks like it will be an influx year

Otmoor 27th June

Bittern seen in flight from the first screen this morning (per Jim Hutchins)
Again from the second screen at 11:35 (per Nick Truby)

Marsh Harrier 2 from the Wetlands Watch Hide this morning
Turtle Dove 2+
Cuckoo c3
Grasshopper Warbler
Spotted Flycatcher

(per Bark) Otmoor Birding

Reed Warbler courtesy of Jim Hutchins

Grimsbury Reservoir: 26th June

Common Tern (also yesterday)
Little Ringed Plover

(per JFT)

Kingfisher courtesy of Mark Chivers

Farnborough: 26th June

Farnborough
2 Spotted Flycatcher: in Mollington Wood, part of the Farnborough Park but in Oxon county.

Gareth Blockley

: 26th June

Cholsey Marsh
Cuckoo: Male calling from the Cholsey Marsh area, hrd from the house. SU5985. 05:10.

Mike Amphlett

Otmoor: 25th June

4 Stock dove- Greenaways
Ringed plover- Big Otmoor
2 Marsh harriers- 1 over North Reedbed, 1 over Greenaways
12 Little egrets across site

Also 2 Grasshopper warblers singing on the Pill yesterday

Young Kestrels at Farmoor

Courtesy of Jim Hutchins

South Leigh: 24th June

South Leigh
Cuckoo 09:00.

Richard Catling

Otmoor.24th June.

Whimbrel & Lapwing courtesy of Helaine Cadman

2 Marsh Harrier.
2 Turtle Dove (purring)
3 or 4 Snipe (flying)
4 Raven (over)
1 Hobby.

 (per P R. & P G)

2 Common Crane flew over the first screen towards Brill 16:47
1 Whimbrel on Greenaways 17:23

(per Helaine Cadman)

Common Cranes courtesy of Helaine Cadman

Letcombe Bassett: 23rd June

Letcombe Bassett
Peregrine
Hobby

Jed Cleeter

Nell Bridge: 23rd June

Nell Bridge
Curlew: In field next to canal with two grey heron b. 19:00.

John Gough

Redshank Pit 60 courtesy of Jim Hutchins

South Leigh: 22nd June

South Leigh
Cuckoo 09:00.

Richard Catling

North Stoke

Green Woodpecker juv

Otmoor.A.M. 21st June.

Courtesy of John Reynolds

2 Common Crane on Big Otmoor (per RBA)

                                             1 Marsh Harrier

                                             1 Hobby

                                             2 Turtle Dove

                                             Flock of C. 40 Lapwing, with juvs.

The summer jewels within Oxfordshires crown

Otmoor Turtle Dove courtesy of Martin Cox

Bicester Wetland Reserve: 20th June

Bicester Wetland Reserve
Green Sandpiper 16:00.

John Gough

Balscote: Balscote Quarry: 20th June

Balscote: Balscote Quarry
Whimbrel: Stood on rocks in pool, flew into field directly behind the site. 14:15.
2 Little Ringed Plover 14:15.

Graeme Porter

Whitethroat & Corn Bunting Oxon Downs courtesy of Mark Merrett

Rushey Common Lake 19th June

Buzzards at least 8 soaring
Red Kites 3
Sparrowhawk
Cuckoo still calling and showing well
Little Egrets 5
Oystercatchers 4 adults 2 juvs
Ringed Plover

Clackers

Crossbills are on the move through the U.K

with small groups moving through Oxfordshire.

These birds were part of a flock of eighteen. 

Pictures courtesy of Roger Wyatt

Stoke Lyne 19th June

Osprey c08:15 heading north over Stoke Lyne (per Nick Truby).

Sandford-on-Thames: 18th June

Sandford-on-Thames
2 Cuckoo

D Moden

Otmoor 17th June

Turtle Dove courtesy of John Reynolds

Marsh Harrier 2
Hobby 2
Turtle Dove 2

(per JR)

Clifton: 16th June

Clifton
Cuckoo: Heard calling briefly. 19:00.

Adrian Bletchly

Red-legged Partridge courtesy of John Reynolds

South Leigh: 16th June

South Leigh
Cuckoo 13:15.

Richard Catling

Whitethroat courtesy of Steve Lockey

Kingston Bagpuize: 15th June

Kingston Bagpuize
Spotted Flycatcher 19:30.
Grey Partridge 19:30.

Jed Cleeter

Otmoor.A.M. 15th June.

1 Quail (calling)
6 + Curlew
3+ Snipe
6+ Hobby
2 Marsh Harrier
1 Raven (over)
1 Oystercatcher.

2 Cuckoo 07:00.
Turtle Dove 07:00 (per Jim Hutchins)

Male Blackcap Otmoor courtesy of Mike Kosniowski

Wantage: 15th June

Wantage
Raven 06:45.

Mark Merritt

Otmoor.A.M. 14th June.

1 Sparrowhawk (M)
2 Turtle Dove
4 or 5 Snipe (Drumming)
1 Marsh Harrier
4 Common Tern +2 chicks
1 Black-tailed Godwit
1 Curlew.

   per PB. JR. PG.

Garden Warbler & Reed Warbler
pictures courtesy of Mike Kosniowski

Standlake Pit 60: 14th June

Oystercatcher courtesy of Jim Hutchins

2 Oystercatcher
Redshank

Jim Hutchins

Kingston Bagpuize: 14th June

Kingston Bagpuize
Hobby: Hunting Hirundines over east end of village. 10:25.

Jed Cleeter

Chinnor: Chinnor Hill: 13th June

Chinnor: Chinnor Hill
2 Raven: 1 Calling loudly, heading south down edge of escarpment. 16:30.

Fraser White

Blenheim: Queen Pool: 13th June

Blenheim: Queen Pool
2 Shelduck
2 Bar-headed Goose 08:00.

Bob Pomfret

Radley Lakes: 12th June- evening

Oystercatcher-2 plus 1 chick
Gadwall-1 plus 1 chick (down from the four present on Sunday)
Common tern-7 plus at least two broods
Tufted duck- plus one young brood of six
Black-headed gull- 10 (approx 4 pairs nesting) plus one chick
Cuckoo- 1
Cetti's warbler- 2
Hobby- 1

Crog Hill: 12th June

                               One of c.5 Corn Buntings, also;
                               2 Grey Partridge
                               2 Curlew
                               Yellow Wag.

Fyfield Wick: West Hanney crossroads: 12th June

Fyfield Wick: West Hanney crossroads
Corn Bunting: male.

Jed Cleeter

Otmoor: 11th June

11th June

Otmoor
2 Turtle Dove: 1 purring along the lane to the car park, 2 in the car park field. 19:45.
Cuckoo: heard. 19:45.
2 Redshank 19:45.
Hobby 20:15.
3 Snipe: drumming. 20:15.

Lia Verhoeff

South Leigh: 11th June

South Leigh
Cuckoo 08:00.

Richard Catling

Radley GP's

Common Tern

At Radley GP's

Courtesy of Mark Chivers

The Early Birder

Stanton St.John 10th June

Lesser-spotted Woodpecker Stanton St.John (per CEB)

Lollingdon Hill, 10th June.

Raven flew south.
Quail heard calling a couple of times.

Otmoor.A.M. 10th June.

2 Turtle Dove
3 Snipe
2 Marsh Harrier
1 Grey Wagtail
4 Common Tern + 2 Chicks
Lots of House Martins.

Kingston Bagpuize: 10th June

Kingston Bagpuize
OTHER SPECIES: Hummingbird Hawk Moth in Garden.

Jed Cleeter

Rushey Common area, 9th June

many Swifts and Sand Martins all morning-several 100 of each
later joined by a few Swallows and c150 House Martins
Oystercatchers 4 + 1 juv
Cuckoo
Red Kites 8
Ringed Plover
Little Egret 3


Clackers

South Leigh: 9th June

South Leigh
Cuckoo 06:00.

Richard Catling

Otmoor.A.M. 8th June.

2 Juvenile Carrion Crow.

2 Marsh Harrier
2 Turtle Dove (per Jim Hutchins)
5+ Curlew
5+ Little Egret
3 Hobby

Common Terns courtesy of Jim Hutchins

Pixey Mead: 7th June

Pixey Mead
Curlew 11:00.
2 Egyptian Goose 11:00.

James Evry

Spotted Flycatcher Wantage courtesy of Mark Merritt

Otmoor 7th June

Marsh Harrier 2
Hobby 3+
Ringed Plover (Big Otmoor)
Curlew 2
Common Tern
Cuckoo c3
Turtle Dove 2+
Garden Warbler 3+
Lesser Whitethroat 3

Barnacle Goose (feral) (Big Otmoor)
Ross's Goose (feral)
Bar-headed Goose 2 (feral)

(Otmoor massive)

Full weekend round up this week on Otmoor Birding

Sandford-on-Thames: 6th June

Sandford-on-Thames
2 Cuckoo 05:00.

D Moden

Mute Swan cygnet courtesy of Jim Hutchins

Blewbury 6th June

Quail 1+ (h)
Hobby
Curlew 2

(per Andy Last)

Iffley: Iffley Meadows: 6th June

Iffley: Iffley Meadows
2 Cuckoo 11:00.

James Evry

Otmoor 6th June

Marsh Harrier 2
Hobby 2
Shelduck 2
Black-tailed Godwit
Barnacle Goose (feral)
Bar-headed Geese 2 (feral)
Turtle Dove 2+
Spotted Flycatcher

(per Bark)

Farmoor Reservoir: Causeway: 5th June

Farmoor Reservoir: Causeway
Ringed Plover 11:00.

John Gough

Old Shifford June 4th

Corn Bunting 2 singing males
Yellow Wagtail

Clackers

Otmoor 4th June evening

Turtle Dove
Cuckoo 2
Garden Warbler
Lesser Whitethroat
Spotted Flycatcher reported

(per Andy Last)

Both pictures courtesy of Mark Chivers
Marks Flicker Photostream

White Horse Hill: 4th June

White Horse Hill
Ruddy Shelduck: 2 flew North West. 17:20.

Jed Cleeter

Farmoor Reservoir: 4th June

                                   Ringed Plover today at Farmoor courtesy of Jim Hutchins

                                   Little Egret 2

                                   Kingfisher

Cholsey 4th June

Corn Bunting: Male singing from power lines in field just S of Papist Way. SU592858. 16:50.

Mike Amphlett

: 4th June

Cholsey
2 Grey Partridge: My whippet flushed a pair from edge of cereal field adjacent A329. So nice to see them. SU592858. 17:00.

Mike Amphlett

Otmoor.A.M. 3rd June.

4 Raven (over)
2 Turtle Dove (purring)
4 Common Tern
2 Marsh Harrier (both female)
1 Oystercatcher
1 Hobby.

Gosling on Otmoor courtesy of Nick Truby

Rushey Common area 3rd June

Ringed Plover
Redshank 2
Hobbies 2
Oystercatchers 4
Egyptian Goose + 5 juv
Kingfisher

Clackers

Kingston Bagpuize: 2nd June

Kingston Bagpuize
2 Grey Partridge: Millennium Park.

Jed Cleeter

Farmoor 2nd June

1 Arctic Tern (per James Evry)

3 Sanderling
1 Turnstone
1 Ringed Plover
1 Oystercatcher
5 Red-crested Pochard

Red-crested Pochard picture courtesy of Dai
Turnstone picture courtesy of James Evry

Kingston Bagpuize: Church: 2nd June

Kingston Bagpuize: Church
Hobby: Stooped on Hirundines. 15:20.

Jed Cleeter

Appleford pits 2nd June

1 Little ringed plover
Brian Wyatt

Reed Warbler Otmoor courtesy of John Reynolds

Checkendon 1st June

Firecrest 1 in Deciduous woods near Checkendon
Brian Wyatt

Farmoor 1st June

Swift

Swift

House Martin

Otmoor.A.M. 1st June.

4+ Curlew
2 R.L.Partridge
2 Raven (over)
10+ Little Egret
6 Ringed Plover
Lots of Swift.
Turtle Dove 2 (per RBA)

River Thames: Rushey Lock to Old Mans Bridge: 1st June

River Thames: Rushey Lock to Old Mans Bridge
3 Curlew 06:45.

Colin Vickers

May Highlights

Black-throated Diver Farmoor Reservoir courtesy of Derek Lees

Highlights

So May has come and gone and we are now into the fag-end of spring. But did it live up to its reputation as the best month of the first half of the year if not the whole year? Well, granted there were some good birds but somehow, to us at least, it felt like it never quite delivered with many of the headline birds sadly being untwitchable.

There's no doubt about the headline bird this month: a cracking Red-necked Phalarope was discovered at the Banbury Ornithological Societies Bicester Wetlands reserve on the 24th by reserve warden Alan Peters. Initially found at 2:30 pm, it obliged by staying put all day allowing the great and the good of Oxon county birding to come to pay homage. It was a much-needed county tick for almost everyone in the lower half of the county listing table and even a few of the upper echelons still needed it. This very much made up for the untwitchable one that turned up at Balscote Quarry in June last year but like that bird sadly there was no sign of it next morning. This is a real county Mega with the last record being a two day bird in September 1995. We are sure that we speak for all those who caught up with this splendid little bird in thanking the reserve warden Alan Peters for allowing access to the reserve and hides throughout Sunday.

Male Red-necked Phalarope courtesy of Wayne Bull

Red-necked Phalarope courtesy of Paul Wren

A stunning summer plumaged Black-throated Diver dropped in to Farmoor reservoir on the morning of the 14th and offered some superb photographic opportunities often at point-blank range. Sadly, as it hung around it soon became apparent that it had picked up an injury and wasn't well. A valiant attempt by Tiggywinkles wildlife hospital to take it into care on the 19th unfortunately failed and the Diver was later found dead on the 23rd, a very sad end for such a magical and beguiling bird.

courtesy of Derek Lees

One of the best records of the month, namely a Black Kite on the 4th May near Begbroke is relegated to third position in the highlights as sadly it was an untwitchable single-observer record. Black Kite is real county Mega but fortunately good photos were obtained of the bird so there is no doubt about this record. If only it had stuck around!

Black Kite courtesy of Simon Dowell

Also in the untwitchable category was a heard-only Bee-eater over the Pinkhill reserve adjacent to Farmoor reservoir on the 9th and yet another untwitchable record was an unseasonal Arctic Skua which called in to Farmoor briefly on the 19th. It hung around for just a few minutes before heading off again and appeared to follow the Thames. 

Three Cranes from the Slimbridge Release Scheme (see below for details) flew over the Bicester Wetlands Reserve on the 9th before heading east over Otmoor and then Gallows Bridge, Bucks and a few days later on into Hampshire. The two Cranes from April were still to be seen albeit sporadically on Otmoor over the first half of May

Terns & Gulls

A Little Tern was an excellent discovery at Grimsbury reservoir on the 12th albeit a brief one. Seven Arctic Terns stopped off at Farmoor en route to their breeding sites on the 5th. Further birds noted at the Oxford reservoir on the 7th and the 27th, a further four on the 28th and a single bird was seen briefly at Grimsbury Res on the 12th.

Black Terns were again low in numbers for a second consecutive spring with three at Farmoor on the 2nd and a single bird on the 11th

Always a pleasure to see, several Little Gulls were at Farmoor at the start of the month with six birds

over Kingston Bagpuize on the 19th

Raptors

A late Osprey was seen flying up the Thames at Shillingford on the 25th. Two Marsh Harriers remained on Otmoor until the months end with up to ten Hobby also at the RSPB reserve. Singles were also seen at Bladon Heath, Wantage,Kingston Bagpuize,Grimsbury reservoir and Abingdon.

Hobby over Otmoor

Waterfowl

A late Bittern was reported at Otmoor on the 8th and a splendid male Garganey graced the Otmoor marshes from the 2nd-4th.

Waders

There was a smattering of Bar-tailed Godwit records this month with birds seen at Farmoor reservoir on the 1st and the 9th with up to five of the more common Black-tailed Godwits arriving at Otmoor on the 2nd accompanied by two Ruff. Three Black-wits were also to be seen at Balscote Quarry on the 9th.

Ringed Plover courtesy of Steve Burch

A pair of Oystercatchers at Grimsbury reservoir on the 6th was a welcome discovery. Six Turnstones constituted the highest Oxon count for the month but a single bird on Big Otmoor on the 7th was a notable record of this species away from Farmoor and at this site. Sanderling kept arriving throughout May with up to five birds at Farmoor on the 3rd and eleven on the 30th.

Sanderling courtesy of Jon Mercer

There were nine Dunlin at Farmoor on the 9th with numbers reaching twenty nine on the 9th. The five Ringed Plover on Otmoor on the 21st had increased to seven by the 30th and were the highest count for May. Whimbrel migrated through Oxfordshire on the 3rd,4th and 19th at Farmoor and at Rushy Common on the 16th. For a second consecutive year it has been a poor spring for Wood Sandpipers with no known records in the county. 

Whimbrel at Farmoor courtesy of Alan Horsley

Passerines

The first of up to four Turtle Doves arrived safely back at on the RSPB Otmoor reserve from the 5th and rightly drew admirers from far and wide. Unfortunately one of the birds seemed to have a small pellet hole in one of its wings and although it does not seem to hinder it, it brings home the perils these beautiful little doves face each year in getting to us. Two Turtle Doves were seen at Souldern near Bicester on the 18th with a single bird making a very welcome addition to a Duxford garden list on the 29th.

Turtle Doves on Otmoor courtesy of Jim Hutchins

Cuckoos were (by recent standards) well represented in the county with birds returning to Stanton St.John, Henley Road gravel pits and Otmoor on the 1st, singles also arrived at Cholsey Marsh on the

2nd.

Cuckoo on Otmoor courtesy of Moth Clark

A Nightingale was heard singing in the early hours from the M.O.D land at Arncott from the 7th-11th with another songster somewhat more unexpectedly along Salt Lane in Banbury on the 10th-11th.

A Blue-headed Wagtail  flava stopped off at Farmoor reservoir briefly around the 3rd.

At least two Grasshopper Warblers set up territories in Hanwell Fields to the north of the county from the 3rd with up to three birds reeling from their more traditional sites at Otmoor. Singles were also seen or heard near Sandford-on-Thames.

Whinchats were at Balscote Quarry and Grove Airfield on the 7th and at Chimney Meadows on the 17th with a late individual also noted at Otmoor on the 20th.

Following on from last months Ring Ouzel bonanza a male was at the B.O.S Tadmarton reserve on the 16th.

A Quail was heard on  the Downs near Blewbury on the 30th and near Aston Upthorpe on the 31st, will this be a good Quail year?


                                                                                                                                         

OXClub

Some call him 'Long Shanks of the Downs'... some 'Watcher of the Outlands' but 
to most of us he's Mark Merritt and in May he smashed 200 for Oxon so congrats mate.

                                                                                                                                         

Slimbridge Release Scheme Cranes

Cranes over Bicester Wetlands Reserve courtesy of Nick Truby

The three Bicester Cranes were from the Slimbridge Release Scheme. From left to right we have: Skye, Oakie & Cotton. If you’re interested you can use the Great Crane Project’s website to identify the cranes. You can also read the latest Wildlife Weekly from WWT Slimbridge featuring cranes.

   

Sam Samuel Stafford
Media Production Assistant
Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) Slimbridge, Glos GL2 7BT, UK
T 01453 891 123
E sam.stafford@wwt.org.uk 
W wwt.org.uk


                                                                                                                                                 

Coming in from the Cold

by Adam "Gnome" Hartley

Whilst some people have been birders all their lives, some come to it later in life. Others still start off birding and then drift off into other pursuits - the "wilderness years", until something brings them back to it. I fall very much into the latter category and this is the tale of how I came back into the fold. In hindsight, it was a combination of a number of factors which on their own wouldn't have brought me back but taken together were enough to bring me in from the cold.

I remember as a boy getting interested in birds. Someone had bought me four RSPB posters of the commoner birds in various habitats for a present and I used the garden one to get to know the commonest birds. I discovered that I enjoyed this identification process and got a bit more interested. Gradually I progressed to the Observer Book of Birds (which was fairly useless in hindsight) and then to the Birds of Britain and Europe (I forget who published that). I joined the Young Ornithologist's Club (the RSPB youth wing) and went on a few local trips and I was hooked. Then as I grew into a teenager I got into other interests. I'd like to say that it was drink and girls though it was actually more like fishing, bridge, Dungeons & Dragons and computer programming. It's only here amongst birders that I feel that I can comfortably confess to such interests - after fellow birders are hardly likely to accuse me of being too nerdy! I went off to University and whilst I kept up the fishing sporadically the birding had long since fallen by the wayside.

Time passed, I met my VLW and we settled down here in Oxford, first in Marston and then we bought a house in Walton Manor, near Port Meadow as it happens. In the summer of 2007 we went on a family holiday up to Sutherland (north west Scotland) - one of the last true wildernesses in Europe apparently, it was wonderfully remote. Without particularly trying we came across some interesting bird life up there with breeding Black-throated Divers calling on Loch Stack, a view of a Merlin hunting along the road as we drove by, Ring Ouzels on Ben Stack and a flock of twenty Ptarmigan that we stumbled across on top of Arckle, a rather harsh, almost lunar-landscaped mountain in the region. Seeing these birds piqued my interest and brought back childhood memories of seeing pictures of these birds in my bird books and wondering if I would ever actually see them. Without realising it at the time, this gave me a nudge in the direction of birding.

On top of Arckle - photo taken from the internet

A few week later, during one of my periodic attempts to get fit I was going for a run on the Meadow which I remember was unusually flooded all year. I remember running along the path by the flood water and seeing at least a dozen long-legged white heron-like birds there on the floods. I stopped and stared! Surely those were Egrets - something that was incredibly rare back when I was last birding. I happened to pass a birder there who confirmed that they were indeed Little Egrets which he told me were now rather common. I got chatting with the birder and he explained to me about Bird Guides. That was a real eye-opener. Back as a boy there'd been none of that (there wasn't even the internet back then) so to learn that one could look up what birds were about sounded amazing. I went home and signed up for a free one week trial. It was just as amazing as I'd thought: there were all these bird reports on tap. Suddenly seeing different birds actually seemed possible! I went into town the next day and bought myself the Collins bird book.

Port Meadow Little Egret

I got quite obsessive about checking the Bird Guides site so when a few days later a couple of Pectoral Sandpipers were reported on the Meadow I went straight down there to take a look. I dug up my old Boots 8x30 bins and went down to the Meadow where I met the original finder of the birds who soon put me on to them. 

The Pectoral Sandpipers (c) Steve Walton (the original finder)

It was a particularly good autumn on the Meadow with a Grey Phalarope turning up and the Pec Sands staying a good while. What with the floods being around the whole time there were plenty of waders to look at and to try and get my head around. I remember stringing quite a few ID's back then ("what's new" I hear you say!) but keenly reporting them all on Bird Guides nonetheless. I joined the OOS and went along to some of the talks. I got myself some better bins and my first scope which was some useless Opticron budget scope which lasted all of a few months before I decided to get a Swaro.  Gradually I got to know people in the county, and a very friendly and welcoming bunch they were too. My birding started to improve and I got into blogging when I set up the Port Meadow Birding blog as an outlet for my new-found enthusiasm for this hobby. Things progressed and I now find that I can't imagine life without birding.

Looking back, if I hadn't been living next to Port Meadow, and the floods hadn't been there all summer and the birding particularly good that summer then I don't think that it would have happened. Somehow though, all these things came into alignment to bring me in from the cold and back to birding.

Calling all 'Birdsworths'

Have you a birding tale to tell? A story of birding daring do, an EPIC twitch or simply a story of an encounter with one of our feathered friends. If so we would love to hear from you...