Not Again

History repeated itself yesterday, whilst on the way home, when Lol texted me about a Ringed Plover on the Banbury. It probably has to do with the time that Lol gets out on the patch that coincides with me heading home from a hard day at the office, anyhoo, shortly thereafter, I dropped in to the Banbury en route to meeting a friend for drinks. History repeated itself again when there was no sign of it, just like last years Ringed Plover on the Lockwood. (note to Lol: nail the next one down! Note to me: get there quicker or find your own!)

All was not lost as it was a very pleasant evening to be spending a half hour scanning the Banbury after being cooped up all day and, amongst the 30+ Terns zipping about at least one was an Arctic.

Today I felt like trying my luck with the Golf Course Mandarin again, typically the feeling was less than mutual. On my way I walked around the Lammas Fields and was pleasantly surprised to hear a singing Lesser Whitethroat and moments later, even better, a singing Garden Warbler. 370m from my house...I wonder....if the wind went round to the South-west would they be audible? Garden Warbler would be a new bird for the house list but I suspect this one will not be the bird that gets it on the list. If I wake up at dawn, which seems to be happening more often lately, I may well pop my head out of the window, you never know.


There was nothing exceptional on the Waterworks later in the afternoon but this Little Grebe was quite confiding.

PW