24th Jan 2014: Raven

I had a good romp around the patch this morning. It was no where near as cold as it was yesterday and yet at times the wind was quite bitter. However, it was a pleasant morning in brilliant sunshine.

There was very little to speak of on the reservoir itself today. There was four Great Crested Grebes back and I found myself wondering about their movements. There has been seven around for much of this year, then yesterday there was just one (when the reservoir was frozen over) and today four. Are they the same birds that had gone and come back, somehow knowing the reservoir was ice free again, or are they new birds that are moving from frozen pools elsewhere?

I spent a bit of time in the wood and although the Siberian Chiffchaff was present it was very elusive today. After I had been watching it feeding by the railway embankment it flew into the centre of the wood and I didn't see it again. There are at least two, if not three, Common Chiffchaffs still in the wood too. As I was watching a Raven flew over uttering it's deep guttural cronks - another new one for this year.

I was attempting to get some shots of the birds in the wood as they busily fed. I'm still getting used to a new camera and though I am fairly happy with these photos, I would like better.

In the Upper Cherwell Valley there were at least ten Stock Doves and a few birds coming and going (two Buzzards, a Kestrel, Cormorants and gulls) but otherwise it was relatively quiet. I didn't note any piptis or thrushes that have been around recently. There is now two Coots on the new pool and I wondered if they would stay and breed again this year.