Wallcreepers

With the arrival of our second child on Saturday, avoiding the birds of Cuddesdon has got considerably easier. But being house bound is no barrier to the acute observer. At times I liken my current state with that of the prisoners of war in Europe in the 1940s, who despite the terrible conditions, still managed to produce an incredibly detailed record of the breeding habits of the local Redstarts. January in Cuddesdon may not be the best time to look out for this species (or indeed any time), but the wallcreeping habits of these House Sparrows caught my eye. They began at ground level and worked their way up a vertical wall until they reached the guttering. All in the hope of insects I assume. This wall also featured in the blog here. Yes, this is the size of my world at the moment. Normal business will be resumed... well, never, according to most accounts.

Fortunately, but rather shockingly, other observers are out doing my work for me. I checked out the excellent Oxon Bird Log (OBL to the initiated) and nearly fell off my chair to see a report of birds from the Cuddesdon area. Full details here of the 16 Golden Plover to the north of the village, the first of the year. Modesty forbids me from mentioning the holder of the local record count for this species. But if you click here you'll find that it was me. Any reports of local birds will be gratefully received... unless it is a new species for the area, in which case I'll moan for months.