Saturday and Sunday 30th and 31st June

Juvenile Beardy (c) Bark

Again (c) Bark

Parrotbill family (c) Bark

Reed climbing (c) Bark

Flyover Oystercatcher (c) Bark

Turtle (c) Bark

Painted Lady (c) Bark

Much better weather this weekend and some good sightings.
We found the juvenile Bearded Tits again on Saturday on the edge of the southern reedbed. Despite the breeze they were happy to ping away and show themselves at the top of the reed stems. They gave excellent photo opportunities and by chance one of my pics taken of the bird in profile whilst it was calling, clearly shows the parrot like bill....hence the family name. Other birders on Sunday saw one of the bearded tits from the first screen. They were very certain that it was an adult female, so it could well be that there are more in the reedbed. The Marsh Harrier continued to be seen over the reeds and along the double hedge at the back of Greenaways. Hobbies put on spectacular dragonfly hunting display in front of the hide, swooping down to snatch them from the closest pools very much to the enjoyment of the watchers. The bridle way Turtle Doves were also very popular with visitors and remarkably comfortable near people. I can only endorse a comment made by an Oxonblogger  last week that: “.....if they are as tame as this on migration they will never make it back to their wintering grounds” The juvenile Herons on Ashgrave have finally left the nest. They appeared to be well grown and healthy. The Common Terns on the raft in front of where the second screen used to be have one chick which they are feeding regularly and defending from any aerial threats. A Kingfisher was working its way along the River Ray as I did a survey on the Oddington side of the moor and a pair of Ravens were feeding out on the flood field, but too far away for me to see what they were feeding on. An Oystercatcher flew over on Saturday and appeared to land out on Big Otmoor. Snipe were still drumming on Saturday, there certainly seem to have been more drummers than I can remember in previous seasons. It appears to be a good “quail year” with birds being heard calling from Greenaways, the Closes and the Carpark field. It may of course be one very mobile individual!
Grass Snakes were again very much in evidence along the track through the carpark field. More Dragonfly species are now on the wing and on Sunday I found my first Painted Lady of the summer.