Otmoor Birding

I went on a lunch-time run down at Otmoor today, partly to have the experience of actually venturing along the diagonal track across Greenaways whilst work is being done on the bridleway. It was rather quiet on the reserve with the main activity being at the first screen. Here there were plenty of mallards getting into fights with each other for some reason whilst the teal looked on or slept. The kingfisher came and landed on the branch briefly, looking dazzlingly splendid in the sunshine. The main wader activity was along and at the back of the right-hand channel as viewed from the screen with at least half a dozen snipe dotted around, two green sandpipers and a black-tailed godwit all seen. There were lots of grey herons hunting in the unusually shallow water in the reeds. Apart from several kestrels and a single red kite no other raptors were seen. Interestingly, along the path to the second screen there was briefly a reed warblerstill singing.

Adam

A flying heron © Darrell Wood