Thursday 23rd April

Another couple of year ticks today thanks to Steve Goddard who found a GRASSHOPPER WARBLER in a field by the canal and also three EGYPTIAN GEESE on what's left of the floods (it's depressing how quickly they're receding now). I'm very pleased that we've managed to get the Warbler on the year list after missing out on it last year. I remember how only a few years ago we'd have at least four singing males in Burgess Field each summer so it's sad how they've suddenly declined. The Geese are a good find as well as normally we've had to rely on the leucistic "ghost Goose" to get this on the list. Also present were two LITTLE RINGED PLOVER and two RINGED PLOVER early afternoon (reported by Steve Lockley), and just one OYSTERCATCHER and a single COMMON TERN. There were at least six Buzzards and two Kites all soaring in a thermal over Wytham Wood late afternoon. Burgess Field is full of Whitethroats now all staking out their territories. Mary MacDougall also reported quite a few Garden Warblers there as well.

My attempts at photographing the Egyptian Geese were lamentable so instead here are some proper photographs of yesterday's Whimbrel, taken by camera god Roger Wyatt