Otmoor

Had a quick look at Otmoor this morning: Ebird List

 Ringtail Hen Harrier still around 

 Third calender year Marsh Harrier 

 Female Yellow Wagtail- one of four with 2 Wheatear on Sheep Field 

 A Barn Swallow taking a rest in this cold north wind

 The local pair of Cranes moving distantly over North Flood 

 The resident Ross's Goose 

The resident pair of Snow Geese. According to my Madge and Burns there's two races of Snow Goose- Lesser and Greater with Blue Phase (this pair) being common in Lesser but extremely rare in Greater. Presumably the darker more contrasting bird on the right is a male and the more washed out bird on the left is a female? There is rather strangely a rather large population of Snow Geese in Oxfordshire : SEE HERE. Update 281220- looks like these are actually hybrids Canada Goose x Snow Goose- sexes are identical in Snow Geese and the plumage of blue phase is somewhat different to these birds SEE HERE . Updated 040121- these could even be Ross's hybrids? SEE HERE, although they seem to fit Snow x Canada better according to Reeber.