31st May: Common Tern & Barnacle Goose
The weather this morning was rather warm with sunny intervals though clouding over later.
The Meadow was still extensively flooded. Down by the boat moorings there were some rather large carp which appeared to be attempting to spawn in the Meadow flood water.
There was a BARNACLE GOOSE close to the Burgess Field NR gate, perhaps the same one that has been frequenting Otmoor of late. It is most likely an escapee, and speculation has it that it may have come from Richard Branson's collection.
Elsewhere there was a COMMON TERN still hunting over the floods which was briefly joined by another couple of birds which then flew off. There were a couple of grey herons and a single shoveler still as well as the large number of black-headed gulls and mute swans still. There was no sign of any passage waders of any sort.
On the river a pair of great crested grebes were busy catching small fish that were sheltering from the fast flow close to the bank in order to feed their two smart youngsters.
Common Tern © Pete Styles
The Meadow was still extensively flooded. Down by the boat moorings there were some rather large carp which appeared to be attempting to spawn in the Meadow flood water.
There was a BARNACLE GOOSE close to the Burgess Field NR gate, perhaps the same one that has been frequenting Otmoor of late. It is most likely an escapee, and speculation has it that it may have come from Richard Branson's collection.
Elsewhere there was a COMMON TERN still hunting over the floods which was briefly joined by another couple of birds which then flew off. There were a couple of grey herons and a single shoveler still as well as the large number of black-headed gulls and mute swans still. There was no sign of any passage waders of any sort.
On the river a pair of great crested grebes were busy catching small fish that were sheltering from the fast flow close to the bank in order to feed their two smart youngsters.
Common Tern © Pete Styles