Farmoor Reservoir :: 04 February 2012

Woke up to find a cold and crisp morning. On opening the curtains the fieldfare and redwings could be seen stripping the berry bushes and trees along the street - a flock of at least 30. They seemed to have their vantage points to rest between feeds and retreated there as cars and passers-by disturbed them. It was a shame I had to get up and out ... I could have watched them for hours.

After a swift breakfast it was off to drop the youngest daughter at Music School and onto Witney for a visit to a particular store - from the car there were many buzzard sightings (7) and one greater spotted woodpecker. The jobs out of the way and being only 10mins from Farmoor Reservoir - well I couldn't resist, especially as I'd heard there was a great northern diver visiting. I only had 45mins to spare and so it was a brisk walk around the eastern half (Farmoor I) of the reservoir.

Unfortunately the great northern diver (now two I'm told) eluded me. However I did spot a pair of red-crested pochard, mallard, pied wagtail, chaffinch, blue tit, goldfinch, tufted duck, magpie, buzzard, coot, pochard, carrion crow, mistle thrush, fieldfare, black-headed gull, goldeneye, great crested grebe, redshank and more cormorants than you could throw a stick at. But no diver - damn - maybe next time.