Counting

Today was the day for the my first timed tetrad visit for the BTO Atlas, which basically involves counting each and every bird within the tetrad over the course of an hour. The day begins with some Dove love:

And then the counting begins. Singing Corn Bunting will be the only nationally significant species of note in the area, due to their dramatic decline in recent years, so it was pleasing to record 3 singing males this morning:

Otherwise it was business as usual: a displaying male Grey Wagtail at Cuddesdon mill was the first of the year, and the wagtail hatrick was completed by a flyover Yellow Wagtail. 100+ Swallows around the trees near the mill was a local record count, but with grey skies and light rain raptors were poorly represented - only one Red Kite and a couple of Buzzards. The best moment of the morning was a wet and surprisingly unobservent Hare which ran down a track towards me, before stopping to wash...

.. and then moved even closer: