Golden Days.

Yesterday Friday 15th fancied a trip to the ridgeway in the whitehorse hill area, its always a good spot for overwintering Stonechats, and encountered two females and a male the females photographed pretty good but the male was feeling less like posing so I had to accept not getting the handsome little brute. Circa ten Corn Bunting in the hedgerow running up to and behind the white horse and a Weasel scurried across carrying the remains of a half eaten Rabbit, there were many Skylark about giving me views of twenty plus and a brief display by circa eighty of what I'm sure were a flock of Golden Plover as they disappeared into a fold in the downs south of the ridgeway.
Met an interesting chap by the name of Colin Duncan on the ridgeway who played professional football for Oxford United in the seventies or as we Swindon Town supporters say 'the enemy' it was good to get an insight into a profession that so many of us aspire to but lack the level of talent to achieve that standard. Also of note was a flock of two hundred Pee-Wits in a field just off  the  Baulking Turn alongside the road to Baulking.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
The Oxon Feather.

Golden Plover - sorry only photo I managed

Corn Bunting

Stonechat

Corn Bunting

Remains of Weasel eaten Rabbit

Take it as red.

Monday I wandered the rides of the Warren near Buckland looking for the previously reported Crossbills , firstly from the sandy lane entrance close to Hatford and later from the entrance running east from the hideaway where one enters by crossing part of the carswell golf course and it was at  this entrance that I saw four Redpolls adding to my somewhat meagre list of two Mistle Thrush, a pair of Ravens, couple of dozen Fieldfares, three Buzzards and three Red Kites. Pretty certain I had a brief view of a Polecat as it dashed across across one of the rides and also a Hare was seen as it meandered around part of the woodland quite unaware apparently of what was going on around it. The Crossbills remained unseen but this is very possible with such a large tract of woodland to cover.
The Oxon Feather.

Redpoll

 Muntjac

Hare 

Redpoll

Any ideas on this shrub?

Redpoll

Drying Out.

Unsuccessfully searched the Bampton to Kelmscot area trying to find the now absent Whoopers that Badger had invested time and trouble trying to locate but had just missed them, leaving me feeling disappointed that I had sent him on a wild Swan chase. A local Black Bourton resident told me about the hundreds of Redpolls he'd seen recently feeding on Alder at his former Vineyard although he told me they had gone as quickly as they had arrived, even so called in just in case there were a few stragglers hanging about but no, another blank. drove down to the end of Marsh Lane but all I noted were flocks of Goldfinch and Fieldfare and a Cormorant drying out in the chilly Winter conditions, still it was good to see the Thames had risen and there was a good flow of water.
The Oxon Feather.