No Cake but Grey Phalarope @ Farmoor Res

Date: 06/12/2015

Location: Farmoor Reservoir - 5 miles from Oxford 

Weather:  Grey very windy @ Farmoor but dry ! 

Other Species: Grey Phalarope, Great Northern Diver, Red Kite, Goldeneye, Kestrel, Buzzard.

Observation:

Had the weekend off, I'm 49 !

So a day trip was in order, weather not promising anywhere but, 

2 Grey Phalarope's @ Farmoor Reservoir near Oxford had been on twitter all week so decided at 7am Sunday morning to head up there, a lovely drive with no traffic! 1 hour and half later was stood on a very windy path of the almost 4 mile round Reservoir. Headed round to right and soon in sight were the Grey Phalaropes :)

Super little bird and really close down to 2m they just kept patrolling a 10 meter stretch in front of where I sat.

The wind was bracing ! The waves very choppy, suppose just like home .

After many many shots, most out of focus 

An extremely quick bird and the waves 

and wind.... Excuses excuses  !!

Headed on round lake with Goldeneye, Tufted Duck, Great Crested and Little Grebes and Coot being the majority. Although this gulp of Cormorants were enjoying the wind.

Groups of Greylag Geese c.50/60 in fields along the Thames

 and these two on the side of reservoir. A leucistic Greylag.

About a mile from the car park 

Spotted the Great Northern Diver, first winter very distant.

Last one of the Grey Phalorope.:) TICK !

Also on the 3rd December went to Slimbridge nice time lots of Plover, Lapwing and Curlew saw a Bittern no photo but cool,

Also saw the wild Great Scaup female, bad light again :(

Did patch walk on 5th very quiet and not much to report Mistle Thrush, Fieldfare and Redwing best with Buzzard plus kestrel in normal places did see this lenticular clouds over Seven Acre .

Thanks For Looking !