As regular readers will no doubt already know my patch at Port Meadow is bone dry and fairly birdless at present. What's more this state of affairs could last some time - it's going to take quite a bit of rain to replenish it given how dry the summer has been. Therefore, I've decided that I'm going to have to make a bit more of an effort to get out for my local birding. I freely admit that I am very spoilt having such a good patch on my doorstep and that I've gotten rather lazy about venturing forth elsewhere as a consequence. Therefore I was going to have to get of my backside and get out there again. Now the birds that I liked best on Port Meadow were the waders and the gulls so the obvious place to head to is Farmoor. It's got the best gulls in the county (though they are distant compared to the Meadow) and whilst Otmoor might have better waders one can often get cripplingly close views of them at Farmoor. For some reason waders which would normally run a mile if you get too close to them anywhere else will sit quite happily down on the shore line whilst you observe them from the causeway no more than a couple of metres away. Thus it is that for the last couple of weeks I've been heading out once a week to Farmoor to get my gull and wader action. Not that there's been anything particularly good but there have been a few Yellow-legged Gulls to enjoy and I did have some fantastically close views of a pair of juvenile Little Stints. You can really appreciate how gorgeous they are close up. Of course it is a bit of a concrete basin of dullness as far as scenery is concerned but then you can't have everything. Expect more Farmoor postings in the coming weeks until the Meadow floods are restored.
Hot Close-up Stint Action!...
Distant Gullage
Some video footage of the two Stints- it's great to be able to see all the detail of their plumage so well
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