29th Dec 2015

I was out early today, not quite first light but before sunrise. The dawn chorus is really building now, with Song Thrushes putting in the most effort but as the sun came out more and more birds were singing. If I had been asked yesterday how many Song Thrush were around I would probably have said around six, but this morning proved that wrong with at least double that singing.

To start with there was not a lot around at the reservoir, with the only birds of note being seen on my way back to the car park. Two redhead Goosanders had arrived and a Chiffchaff was calling along the river. In the wood there was a few small flocks of tits and the usual entourage here and there but it was generally quiet.

Under the railway bridge there were two fresh Otter spraints, which were definitely not there last night, so there is an Otter or two quite active in the area again. In the Upper Cherwell Valley there was a Yellowhammer and a Skylark that were slightly different from the norm. The Skylark actually giving a brief burst of song too. A single Lapwing flew over and there were several large gulls moving around.

Courtesy and copyright of Dave Fuller