One's bittern's quite shy

Yay! After just over two hours of sitting in an ever colder hide at Calvert. R and I finally saw the Bittern as it flew from one reed bed to another. Light wasn't great but good enough to see it pretty clearly.

Heard Water Rail watched a Kingfisher catch a fish. Also picked up Yellow Legged Gull. All in all a wothwhile trip out

An enjoyable trip to the library

Able to cycle to the library this weekend now that the floods have receded along the Sustrans route to Abingdon. About 40 Shoveler on the floods and 120 Lapwing but the highlight was a Peregrine that put the wind up the Moorhens before conveniently settling in one of the electricity pylons.

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Bumped into BB further along by the sewage works, where Chiffchaff were singing, and he directed me to the alders for Siskin. Locked onto one after a few minutes and soon after 16 flew out of the trees. They all virtually disappeared once back in the trees but still able to pick up 4 or 5.

Pondering a trip over to Calvert to try and see Bittern this afternoon.

Quiet but glaucous

No real birding this weekend. Floods everywhere. However, I did manage a quick dash to Appleford to see the Glaucous Gull. Only my second ever and a first for me in Oxon. Gulls don't really grab me but I was pleased to be able to pick it out amongst a few hundred others. No I don't feel Lariphilia coming on!

Now we're getting somewhere!

Dropped in on the Sutton Courtenay Lesser Scaup with M and R. Nicely marked bird and excellent light gave good views. Alas it didn't oblige with the wing bar diagnostic but pointy head and purple sheen to it were good for me.

We then spent a few hours on the local patch. A few Chiffchaff down by the sewage works. Lots of wildfowl but quite nervous and flighty. Good to see 3 Bullfinch, 2 Green Sandpiper a few Grey Wags, about 70+ snipe. 1 Jack Snipe, and Stonechat.

Water levels pretty high. Much more rain and we could be in for some serious flooding.

Slow start to the year

No "proper" trips as yet. Brief visit on 6 Jan with BB on the local patch gave up 4 Jack Snipe which was a lifer.

Picked up Iceland Gull at Port Meadow a few days later with an emergency lunch-time trip. Thanks to the finder for picking it out with his scope for me.