Still birding

OK so I've slipped up and not posted anything for months!

Some great birding in between however.

Trip to Minsmere as guest of the RSPB was very special. 105 species by lunch-time! We started very early and were hearing Nightingales all around us at 4am. What a wonderfully rich sing they have. We were also lucky enough to see them later in the day. Highlights were 10 booming bitterns, Stone Curlew, Redstart, Woodlark, Dartford Warbler, good views of singing Gropper, Little Terns plus lots of other delights. I was pleased to pick up Whimbrel after dipping for the last 15 years or so!

And so to today and a cracking walk around the patch. I picked up 60 species but the undoubted star bird was drake Garganey. I called BB and by the end of it we concluded that there were three drakes in all. This coincides with a bird beign found at Radley today as well. As BB and I had both been around the patch yesterday and not seen Garganey it seems there was a big influx overnight into Oxfordshire. It will be interesting to see if they hang around.