Just thought I'd add a few birds I've seen in the Cotswolds and surrounding area recently. I took a trip to look for bramblings in the Cotswolds but only found some red legged partridges feeding in a field near to the road, whilst a short walk at Whelford pools nature reserve produced three male goosanders and some red crested pochards which I've added to my list for this year.
male goosanders
red legged partridge
I paid a visit to Coate Water Country park earlier this week and found more goosanders and ticked off the resident black swan. There were various small birds around the feeding area which someone had liberally sprinkled with bird food and I got into conversation with a gentleman, a newcomer to birding and told him about the U3A group which he seemed interested in. I was able to point him out a nuthatch which he'd never seen before. 
This morning I planned a trip to Otmoor, hoping to get some frosty photographs but as it turned out, it was a bit milder than lately so the frost was only on the ground in the shadier places. It was, however, still a cold morning, and the frozen ground was a welcome relief from the usual squelchy mud along the bridle way. The frozen water meant that there was little in the way of water birds but the main activity was the large numbers of finches - reed buntings, yellow hammers and linnets - which were taking advantage of the seed thrown down for them viewable from the Wetland Watch hide.
view at Coate water
long tailed tit
black swan
At Whelford Pools I found my first bullfinch of the year, a female seen from the carpark, and then found yet more goosanders. Apart from that it was very quiet.
female goosander
male goosander
making a getaway!
robin reminding me of the Starling murmurations
pair of reed buntings
reed bunting (m)
yellow hammer
reed bunting (f)
linnet flock
view from hide - the brown dots are the birds feeding on the seed
reed bunting (m)
linnet
pheasants beneath feeders at Otmoor
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