11th Jul 2015

A fairly early morning visit for me today. There was a lot of passerine activity along the entrance road with a mixed flock of Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits, Blackcaps and Goldcrests. A Sedge Warbler was singing along the river and reminded me I'm yet to see any juveniles so will keep a closer look out for them. At the reservoir there was the two, now regular, Common Terns, a drake Tufted Duck and two juvenile Black-headed Gulls of interest.

In the Upper Cherwell Valley at the Borrow Pit pool there was a Common Sandpiper, two female Tufted Ducks, a couple of Mute Swans and the Coots. I managed to see a Four-spotted Chaser that had actually landed rather than the usual flight views and several Gatekeepers amongst the other more regular species.

Walking back along the river I only saw one White-legged Damselfly. The hedges here full of Whitethroat families now and I had a great view of a Bullfinch family. Just before I got to the wood a flock of five Siskins flew over south.

A Kingfisher was making the most of the river's low water level and was perching in full view but somehow I failed to get any pictures. Whilst watching it a Fox came along the river bank carrying a Rabbit, it saw me and slipped off into the wood. I assume it must have cubs to feed somewhere nearby.