Finally time on a late Sunday afternoon for a quick check of the gulls feeding in the recently ploughed North Field. Nothing notable in with the Black-headed and Lesser Blacks, despite the prescence of an Azorean Yellow-legged Gull just 6 miles away in Didcot, but 2 Common Gulls over constituted only the second record this year:
Common Gull
Back home a small passerine zips over, calling "chet-chet, chet-chet", the first Lesser Redpoll for the area. Today, another check of the fields finds 163 Black-headed Gulls in North field, whilst Top Field is stuffed with Pipits and larks: 100+ Meadow Pipits and 100+ Skylarks. Almost Extramadura... A calling Corn Bunting is a surprise though, the first since (the breeders?) left in mid-July. Jays, Fieldfares and Redwings are all signs of autumn approaching, and I disturbed a covey of 7 Red-legged Partridges at the top of Old Barn Field:
Red-legged Partridges, 6 of the covey of 7 in south field
Finally, one inquisitive Red Kite next to the set-aside allowed a close approach - by Red Kite standards. Usually birds on the ground rise if approached by less than a field. This bird also circled low over my head before moving on.. too dark for photographs though:
Always been a fan of the Red Kite. Whilst I admire your birding enthusiasm, actually counting over 150 gulls could be seen as excessive devotion to the cause ?!
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