Chiltern Birder

I was in the Botanic Gardents in Oxford today and noticed a large brown mustelid among the cold frames. It seemed quite unconcerned about my presence nearby looking over the fence and because of this my first thought was that somebody had brought a pet ferret to work. However, I asked one of the gardeners and she confirmed there were no tame ferrets in the gardens that American Mink to come out of the Cherwell from time to time. Driving home the weather seemed to have forced kites to fly very low and there were quite a few between Thame and Longwick at or below tree height including one that I nearly ran over when he tried to snatch some road kill from almost under my wheels.

I was thinking at the weekend that I hadn't seen a coal tit in the garden for a long time so yesterday one decided to remind me that they were still around with a brief visit to the feeders. Today I had decided that I was getting a bit flabby and, with the winter weather, had been taking shorter walks. What was striking was the buzzard that seemed to be following me around. I saw it over Cowcroft wood as I crossed the fields from Bottom Lane to Tylers Hill. I saw it again over White End Park as I followed the path beside the claypits and a third time as I made my way back it flew from over Cowcroft Wood across the fields towards Waterside. A pair of kites were busy over the Botley end of Tylers Hill Road and I did wonder if they were nesting in one of the tall trees flanking the gardens and paddocks around there. At the back of Meadhams Farm a muntjac stopped and looked at me and then quietly walked away without any fuss or sign of panic. It makes a change to get a chance to

Perhaps I should spend more time just looking out of the window. This morning I had two goldfinces taking sunflower seeds. When I fetched the camera one flew off and the other resolutely stayed on the other side of the feeder. These are the first that I have seen for a month. This afternoon I walked past the window just in time to see a nuthatch fly off. This was the first that I have seen in the garden since last May. Apart from that it has all been pretty routine. The long tailed tits are still around, the pigeons are still fattening themselves from the ground feeder and the starlings are regular visitors.

Driving down the Chess valley on Monday the sight of yet another little egret started me thinking that they were becoming more  ubiquitous that herons. That seemed to be the key to several unusual sightings. On Monday I saw a juvenile heron standing in the middle of the tarmac path between Bury and Stockers Lakes. Then on Tuesday I went to Thame by public transport. Walking down White Hill in Chesham one flew low overhead and landed on top of a tree in one of the gardens between White Hill and Esksdale Avenue. The branch was barely strong enough leading to the huge bird gently bouncing up and down. Later on the bus from Aylesbury to Thame there was another standing in the middle of a ploughed field near Dinton. This morning walking along Botley Road a redwing landed on the path in front of me as if it was posing for a picture in a field guide. I was able to have by best ever look at the the colour and markings before it finally flew into Codmore Field. On Monday the cold snap f

Driving home just after midnight last night I had just passed through Latimer when a badger suddenlty emerged from the hedgerow and turned its head to face me. Luckily I was anticipating wildlife at that time of night and slowed down promptly otherwise it might have been yet another ex badger on the tarmac. What was a surprise was to get the full face in the headlights, it is unusual to get a good look at the mask as they are usually crossing at right angles or running away. At the edge of the little orchard in Codmore Wood Road there was a muntjac eating windfalls. As the lights startled it we could see pieces of apple falling from its mouth. In the garden the birds seem to be thinking about nesting with a pair of robins not only not fighting but collecting dead leaves and taking them into the honeysuckle on the side fence.