Sunday 14 January 2024

Cuttlebrook- a few goodies

This weather does seem to be shaking things up a bit round here. Highlights over the last couple of days in a short walk from the rental include Woodcock, 2 Great Egrets, a seemingly displaced Little Grebe in a ditch and today what looks like 2 Knot in with the Lapwings flocks flying around the Thame Flood Plain- seemingly being disturbed this Sunday morning by guns. Ebird lists HERE and HERE. 50 Waxwings have also been reported in town just a short distance from here on the Pheonix trail- my plan for this coming week in the odd weather was to explore the Pheonix trail and some tracks that go out into the Thame Flood Plain so could be interesting if the cold spell keeps stirring things up. 



What looks like 2 Knot in with the Lapwings- can't see what else they can be. Comparison of what Dunlin look like from distance in with Lapwing (below from Otmoor Feb 2021) showing much smaller bird with strong contrasting white underwing. Not Ruff either as jizz, ground colour and comparative size to Lapwing not right either.  Not the obvious prime suspect of Golden Plover as the underwings are also contrastingly white on GP and more stockier jizz and the bills on these birds are clearly longer than a plover. They were very distant but the pics seem to pic up enough details. A few more pics in Ebird link HERE

One of two Great Egrets, both were heading to roost. Presumably one of the same birds from my first visit out here in mid-December HERE
Kingfisher in the SuDS of the estate 
Chiffchaff on the River Thame- three birds still in the same area
The flood waters have now gone down - The River Thame where Cuttlebrook enters 
Jacob and I got up early to see if we could see the Otter again but we were beaten to the spot by a Sunday Fisherman

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