I've been meaning to revisit a bird hide on a BBOWT reserve in East Oxfordshire for some time; the pond in front of the hide is a magnet for birds in the woodland, especially during hot and dry spells and I was keen to see what wildlife would visit, especially since hawfinches have been reported recently.
The reserve carpark and visitor centre is accessed along a mile or so of narrow, potholed roads and I was afraid the small hide would be full, especially when I saw the number of cars parked in the carpark. However, when I tentatively opened the door, I was pleasantly surprised to see just three people, who kindly moved up to make room for me. I read later that there are work parties on Tuesdays and Wednesdays which would probably explain the number of vehicles.
Straightaway I could see a male bullfinch having a bath, and was also shown a spotted flycatcher perched on a branch. Both new ticks for the year! As I settled down for the next couple of hours, we were in for a treat.
Dragonflies were continually patrolling the area above the water, I identified an emperor dragonfly, but was unsure on any others as they did not stop. They sometimes hovered for a few seconds in front of the hide windows, but as soon as I pointed my camera, they would zoom away! A couple of bank voles appeared periodically from under a log, and would dart about amongst the undergrowth, giving away their presence by a quivering blade of grass here and there and occasionally nibbling something out in the open.
A good range of birds came down to the pond during my morning visit, some visiting several times, including chiffchaff, robin, male and female bullfinches, chaffinches, treecreeper, nuthatch, juvenile green woodpecker, marsh tit, blackcap, blackbird, blue tit, great tit, pheasants, dunnock, and the star of them all, a hawfinch which surprised us as it flew in and landed on a piece of branch, then proceeded to drink and bathe in full view of us. Wow!
Oh and I nearly forgot, a grass snake swam across the pool too and a muntjac passed by the back of the pond,
Although I stayed in the bird hide, the reserve has many paths and grassy areas through woodland which provide excellent habitats for flora and fauna, including butterflies and orchids and would be well worth a future visit
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