Chiltern Birder

 During September and October the garden normally seems to be devoid of birds. For the last few days there has been a flock of tits on the feeder. At least 5 blues at a time plus two or three long tailed as well as the occasional great and coal. This only takes place later in the afternoon, usually at around 5.

 I was quite excited this morning when I disturbed two house sparrows on the fat feeder in the front garden. Luckily they did return later. I didn't get a chance to look out of the window but I also heard a great spotted woodpecker call in the front garden. In the back garden we had our first nuthatch sighting of the year which makes three garden firsts for 2022. The redpolls didn't linger this year and I haven't seen the coal tits for a while but we have had the usual regular selection including blackbird, robin, blue tit, great tit, long tailed tit, chaffinch, goldfinch and bullfinch. Out and about sightings have included red legged partridge alongside the A418 near Tiddington, skylark on the fields behind the house and a trip to the Forest of Dean with a far too brief glimpse of a dipper but consolation from a pair of kingfishers along the Cannop Brook.

 I had been wondering over the last couple of days if the redpolls would return after last year's visit. Luckily today I saw two on the feeders. As they did seem to prefer ground feeding last year maybe they will clean up some of the mess the goldfinches and bullfinches leave. The finches tend to bite sunflower seeds so that they eat the middle section while the two ends fall to the ground.  The only other sighting of note in the garden has been a collared dove. Not unusual in itself and they are common at the other end of the village but it is the first time that I have seen one in the garden for several years. I paid a brief visit to the Upper Ray Meadows between Aykesbury and Bicester on Wednesday. I picked the wrong shoes and ended up with the half melted frost soaking my socks. With the dampness on the uppers refreezing I decided to call it a day before noon but still managed to see a flock of redwing, four lapwing, a snipe and an unidentified wader that flew across too quickl