Great White Egret 

This Great White Egret was a nice surprise at Shardeloes Lake as it sat perched in the bushes. Also on the lake were several Little Grebe.

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

Peregrine

Saw my first Peregrine at Latimer on a dull grey morning in terrible light. Here's a couple of poor photos of it.

 

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

Raven

A lone Raven alerted me to it's presence as it called from the top of a large tree on the lake side at Shardeloes, the reason for it's persistent calling was revealed as it homed in on the remains of a sheep carccus concealed under a distant tree.

Images : Copyright © Don Stone

Jay

Last Autumn we had a massive crop of Acorns on all the local Oak trees, this year from what I've seen there are none, so I was thinking about this as I witnessed this Jay in the garden gathering Horse Chestnuts or as we like to say Conkers.

Image : Copyright © Don Stone. 

 Mini Thrush Invasion

9th October and we have a Mini Thrush Invasion in the garden, 6 Redwings, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush and a Blackbird all together in the same tree. No wonder the weather turned cold the following day with the arrival of the first Redwings.

Redwing

  

Song Thrush

Mistle Thrush

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

Oxfordshire Golf Club

After watching the Pectoral Sandpiper we spent another hour or so wandering the paths around the course, plenty to see with two lakes and plenty of rough grass.

Pectoral Sandpiper

Buzzard

 

Never seen so many Little Grebes together, counted 24

Lapwings flew over then doubled back again

Ravens

At least 20 Meadow Pipits

1 of 3 Stonechats

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

Pectoral Sandpiper

Another Sunday and we find ourselves back at the Oxfordshire Golf Club, the excuse this time is that a juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper is here for a 3rd day. On arrival it was maybe about 30m away, but not for long as it flew towards us, settling on small muddy strip directly below our view point, c5m distance.

 

  

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

Garden Birds

A few photos from the last week in the garden.

Chiffchaff coming down to the pond to bath.

 This juvenile Goldfinch is feeding on Knapweed seeds.

Dunnock on the roof.

Song Thrush.

Female Blackcap.

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

Hobby 

I had an amazing time watching a family of Hobbies, with the juveniles flying to and fro between two groups of trees as the parents hawked dragonflies over the reeds and open water, witnessed several mid-air food passes, as the youngsters called to be fed, all at super speed it was a job to keep the camera trained on them as they twisted and turned.

Images : Copyright Don Stone.