Monday 3rd November: Bewick's Swan
Today, overcast all day with a moderate north-easterly breeze still, but not too cold.
A post-lunch visit to the Meadow today proved rewarding with an adult BEWICK'S SWAN present on the floods mid-way along the west shore. The north-easterly wind is clearly in the right direction for the migrating bewick's which have been unseasonably late in coming this year. The bird was resting with its head tucked in for a fair amount of time but a bit of patience yielded some reasonable photos given the distance and the appalling light conditions (which required ISO 800). It's possible that this bird may be on its way to Slimbridge in Gloucester where they over-winter and I have sent them a shot to see if they can identify it as one of theirs.
Apart from this lovely bird it was pretty much the same birds as yesterday. There were at least 1000 GOLDEN PLOVER on the west shore with more arriving as I was leaving. The 5 DUNLIN were still around as was the REDSHANK in stint corner. The BLACK-TAILED GODWITS were also still present. In amongst the black-headed gulls were 11 graellsii lesser black-backed.
Elsewhere in Oxon: no sign of the juvenile rough-legged buzzard at Otmoor today despite extenive searching. A possible lesser scaup is present for the second day on the Henley Road pit at Sonning Eye.
The bewick's swan © Adam Hartley. Digiscoped at a distance in appalling light.
A post-lunch visit to the Meadow today proved rewarding with an adult BEWICK'S SWAN present on the floods mid-way along the west shore. The north-easterly wind is clearly in the right direction for the migrating bewick's which have been unseasonably late in coming this year. The bird was resting with its head tucked in for a fair amount of time but a bit of patience yielded some reasonable photos given the distance and the appalling light conditions (which required ISO 800). It's possible that this bird may be on its way to Slimbridge in Gloucester where they over-winter and I have sent them a shot to see if they can identify it as one of theirs.
Apart from this lovely bird it was pretty much the same birds as yesterday. There were at least 1000 GOLDEN PLOVER on the west shore with more arriving as I was leaving. The 5 DUNLIN were still around as was the REDSHANK in stint corner. The BLACK-TAILED GODWITS were also still present. In amongst the black-headed gulls were 11 graellsii lesser black-backed.
Elsewhere in Oxon: no sign of the juvenile rough-legged buzzard at Otmoor today despite extenive searching. A possible lesser scaup is present for the second day on the Henley Road pit at Sonning Eye.
The bewick's swan © Adam Hartley. Digiscoped at a distance in appalling light.