Port Meadow, Oxon (16/10/10)

The bird I wanted to see was still present so I drove the 60 miles to Oxford and then to Port Meadow. The weather had improved greatly and there was beautiful sunshine and it was pleasantly warm.

There was a large area of floods and the Lesser Yellowlegs (166) was found pretty quickly feeding amongst the small flock of Golden Plover. Basically similar in proportions to the nearby Redshank but smaller with yellow legs and a more dainty gait. Noticed a fine two toned bill spangling on the upperparts.

Also here was a very distant Little Stint (167), a Ruff and numbes of ducks.

Decided not to bother with going to see the Dipper at Witney but just returned home to do some shopping.

Moor Green Lakes (13/10/10)

As there were a couple of diggers on the new diggings I wasn't expecting to see the Avocet but amazingly it was still there feeding belly up in an area of water with a Dunlin.

The Avocet was a Berkshire tick.

Wishmore Bottom (10/10/10)

A gorgeous afternoon and news broke of a Great Grey Shrike (165) at Wishmore Bottom. Got in the car and walked out to the central area of open heath where flushed the bird from some small trees into another tree.

Set up my 'scope but couldn't find it and then noticed it had flown into a large dead tree on the western side.

Reasonable views were obtained with another birder and once he departed I got a bit closer and took a photograph.

Also at this site was a Kestrel and one Stonechat.