Banbury :: 19 May 2020

When I finished work last night, and sat down for dinner, I noticed that there were many updates on the Banbury Birders WhatsApp Group. It appeared that a hoopoe had been found in Twyford, the next village along from where I live. I could see it had been around, though flighty, for much of the afternoon and evening but it went AWOL for long periods of time - sometimes relocating from Rawlins Close to Walton Avenue. I also then had a message from @old_caley.

I rose this morning and as I was heading for the shower I heard a WhatsApp message arrive and when I looked, it was @mikepnature to say the hoopoe had been seen but was still very mobile - he'd just missed it on a rooftop by 5 minutes. I finished up, made 'her indoors' a cup of tea and shot over to Twyford. I walked in through Twyford Road, Twyford Avenue and Margaret Road. As I passed the end of Rawlins Close I could see @mikepnature with his bins raised. I hurried round and there it was, sitting on someone's front lawn. To my left was Mark Ribbons and soon Sandra Bletchly approached and joined us - socially distancing of course.

I also picked up my first house martins of the year.

An amazing bird to have locally and, after it had departed, I still made it home before 8.00am.