Stephen Burch's Birding Website Oxfordshire bird pics Winter 2009/10

Oxon Bird Pics Winter 2009/10
	Jack Snipe 13 March 2010 A record shot of this elusive species, flying at great speed high above me. Not easy to get on the ground!
	Nuthatch, Blenheim Palace 20 February 2010 Good to have some sunny conditions today. This bird struck a great pose for a few seconds, but was too distant for the best results. A rare hand-held shot. No sign of any Hawfinch here, which was the main aim of my visit.
	Buzzard, Steventon 6 February 2010 By the roadside, just north of the village. Shame about the dull conditions. Click on pic to enlarge.
	Great Grey Shrike, Chiselhampton 6 February 2010 More obliging than I was expecting..
	Grey Heron, University Parks, Oxford 6 February 2010 An amazingly tame adult, on the duck pond by the river Cherwell! Click on pic to enlarge.
	Goosander, River Cherwell, Oxford 6 February 2010 Thanks to Pete Styles for the heads up on this one, following yesterday's Oxonbirds posting. Not the best light for photography.
	Goosander, River Cherwell, Oxford 6 February 2010 See above.
	Tundra Bean Goose, Aston 24 January 2010 A now rare digiscope shot, taken with my Swarovski AT 80HD and Nikon CP 4500. This was one of seven very wary birds, taken at long range, with the 'scope turned right up to nearly 60x. Despite it being mid winter, there was an annoying heat shimmer distorting and blurring the view!
	Tundra Bean Geese, Aston 24 January 2010 All seven together. Taken with the 50D & 400 f4 DO DSLR gear. Note the lack of reach compared with the digiscope pic above, taken from exactly the same spot!
	Tundra Bean Geese, Aston 24 January 2010 A distant flight pic of all seven birds.
	Smew, Dorchester Gravel Pits. 16 January 2010 Having trudged quite a long way along the Thames on a fruitless search for these splendid birds, I found them afterwards on Dorchester Gravel Pits, now partially thawed. There were 3 males but I couldn't get them all in one shot. A heavily cropped distant record shot taken in awful light!
	Fieldfare, Home. 10 January 2010 Great to have this splendid bird so close allowing photography from the comfort of the dining room! Click on pic to enlarge
	Little Grebe, Shellingford Pit 9 January 2010 The entire pit was frozen apart from this tiny hole, which contained two Little Grebe! They were diving actively and I saw one catch something, but this was clearly a precarious situation for them. No other duck around - hopefully they have found somewhere less ice bound.
	Goosander, Tadpole Bridge 9 January 2010 I have been after a presentable Goosander photo for some time. This was some reward for a walk along the river in bitterly cold conditions. Click on pic to enlarge
	Male Hen Harrier, Otmoor 2 January 2010 A distant record shot of this superb adult male that twice enlivened the long wait for Bitterns.
	Gadwall, Otmoor 2 January 2010 During the long wait for the Bitterns to perform, this humble Gadwall swam briefly just about into range.
	Bittern, Otmoor 2 January 2010 There were at least two birds present, but they were generally too distant for my lens and only showing briefly, especially as the afternoon progressed. This bird was the exception - flying towards the second blind, as the sun was getting even lower in the sky.
	Bittern, Otmoor 2 January 2010 The nearest a bird approached to the blind - on the shady side of the reeds.
	Fieldfare, East Challow 28 December 2009 Click on pic to enlarge
	Redwing, East Challow 28 December 2009 Feeding eagerly on berries in the cold weather. Click on pic to enlarge
	Otrmoor Panorama. 19 December 2009 Something a bit different! Made by stitching together four different shots in PSE 6. Essential to click on pic to enlarge!
	Marsh Tit, Lower Whitley Wood, Farmoor Reservoir 19 December 2009 The bright background was caused by a shaft of sun illuminating the ground behind, while the bird was in shade. Click on pic to enlarge
	Marsh Tit, Lower Whitley Wood, Farmoor Reservoir 19 December 2009 Sun on the bird in this shot. Click on pic to enlarge
	Stonechat, Otmoor 12 December 2009 At last a close up shot, but not from the sunny side yet!
	Great Tit, Lower Whitley Wood, Farmoor Reservoir 12 December 2009 Poor light today, but plenty of tits! Click pic to enlarge
	Blue Tit, Lower Whitley Wood, Farmoor Reservoir 12 December 2009 Click pic to enlarge
	Coal Tit, Lower Whitley Wood, Farmoor Reservoir 12 December 2009 These birds are so fast it is very difficult to get any photos of them.
	Teal, Shellingford Pit 12 December 2009 To complement the Wigeon shot below taken last week. Click pic to enlarge
	Wigeon, Shellingford Pit 6 December 2009 Wigeon are relatively unusual visitors to this site. Today there were as many as 12 - probably a recent record!
© All pictures copyright Stephen Burch

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