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Oxon Bird Pics: Spring/Summer 2025
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Shelduck, West Oxon
29 April 2025
These two birds suddenly appeared and then towards me at one
point.
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Shelduck, West Oxon
29 April 2025
Looking very smart in full breeding plumage and the morning light
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Whimbrel, Venn Mill
21 April 2025
Another good wader was reported today from Venn Mill. By the time
I got there with my photo gear, it almost immediately flew into
the large field to the south of the track (all the pools are to
the north). This allowed an unobstructed view of the area, and I
was able to use the car as a hide.
However it never came
very close and it then gradually moved further away before flying northwards
to presumably continue its migration.
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Whinchat, Lark Hill, Wantage
15 April 2025
Reports from others indicated that the Wheatears and Whinchat that
I had first found on the 13th (see below) were sticking around.
So I went back today for a more serious attempt at getting
photos, "armed" with my bigger lens.
This time I got a few
shots of the Whinchat before it vanished. It was however on the
less photogenic chain link fence rather than the concrete posts.
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Wheatear, Lark Hill, Wantage
15 April 2025
Today this cracking male Wheatear was showing better than on the
13th.
Here it is on one of the concrete fence posts, which
has nicely weathered with lichen so it could almost be a rock.
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Wheatear, Lark Hill, Wantage
15 April 2025
A more sideways view of the bird on the grassy bank.
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Wheatear, Lark Hill, Wantage
15 April 2025
Another view of this bird on the grassy bank.
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Whinchat, Lark Hill, Wantage
13 April 2025
During passage seasons, I tend to drop in briefly on this local
site to see if there is anything around. Usually there isn't but
this time the first birds I saw were 2 Wheatears. So I popped home
and came back with my camera.
There was then less sign of
the Wheatears but a small bird on the fence post turned out to be
something much better - a fine male Whinchat which I've never
previously got a good photo of.
I've usually found
Whinchat difficult to approach and this one was similar, so this
is a distant shot only.
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Bar-tailed Godwit, Venn Mill
12 April 2025
My first visit to this promising looking site. When I arrived,
this bird was very distant and asleep. But it eventually woke up
and started feeding, whereupon it came considerably closer.
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Marsh Harrier, West Oxon
9 April 2025
One of my closest ever shots of this normally distant raptor.
Moreover it isn't against the sky, which avoided the inevitable
silhouette in this short overcast spell. Although the ISO was
25,600, DxOPure Raw 4 has worked its usual wonders!
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Lapwing, West Oxon
9 April 2025
There were several Lapwing still present today, with several
display flights taking place, They have bred here in the past, but
it seems unlikely they will do so this year.
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Shoveler, West Oxon
9 April 2025
Taken early on when the birds were showing well close by and the
sunlight had just reached the water.
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© All
pictures copyright Stephen Burch |
