OTMOOR BIRDING

A lovely afternoon for a trip out so drove over to Otmoor RSPB straight from work. I walked along the main path to the wetland hide and then on to the first screen.  At the hide I focussed on the finches which gather there next to a path where they are now regularly fed. There were various flocks of reed buntings, gold finches, with some linnets and chaffinches. Then I  made my way to the first screen, which overlooked an area of water, where the sun was shining on the variety of water birds there. Above the moor I saw red kites, a kestrel and a sparrow hawk, the latter dropped its catch of a starling on the path  a little way in  front of me, but sadly I had been looking behind  where the sun was shining on the reeds and it was pointed out by a visitor who was coming towards me and had seen it! 

Birds seen today included:
mute swans, canada geese, snipe, teal, mallard, shoveler, moorhen, gadwall, cormorant, fieldfare, redwing, blackbird, robin, blue tit, chaffinch, dunnock, reed bunting, linnet, goldfinch, kestrel, sparrowhawk, red kite, lapwing. 

goldfinch

linnet

shoveler teal and snipe

reed bunting