Another Banbury Wood Warbler

For a second year in succession, a Wood Warbler was discovered in Spiceball Park Banbury. Again, found by Colin Wilkinson, early on the morning of Wednesday 26/04, this one hung around a damn sight longer than both last year's bird and my Grimsbury Reservoir one too. Residing around the same small copse as last year this is surely (?) the same bird as last year, however stranger things have happened!

I was chuffed to see the bird, at lunchtime, showing fantastically well and luckily, singing regularly! I forgot my camera however did manage a decent recording with my phone!: http://www.xeno-canto.org/366524

I had another go for it the next morning (Thursday 27/04) and was pleasantly surprised to find it still there and this time, I had brought my camera! Never an easy bird to photograph, especially with a bridge camera, however I did muster a couple of half decent shots. What a fantastic little gem of a phyllosc these birds are!

That evening, I was in no rush to get home an so after having a quick look at Grimsbury (notching my first Swift of the year), I drove the shortish distance over to Boddington Reservoir for a look, with gloomy skies offering the promise of terns & hirundines.

There were plenty of all three hirundine species, perhaps as many as 300, however no red rumpers, despite endless scanning! The highlight of the evening, was watching 5 Yellow Wagtail around the dam. With a little bit of field craft and patience, I was able to get some lovely views in the fading light.  

Other notable birds seen, included 3-4 Common Sandpiper and singing Garden Warbler & Lesser Whitethroat.No terns made an appearance unfortunately, despite a couple of 100+ Arctic flocks in north Northants. It seemed numbers were heading through a little further east.