Birds of the secluded valley

I include here some of the birds I have captured in the valley. In time there will be a much wider range, but for now I am mostly focused on larger birds.

I am a bit of a Philistine when it comes to LBJ's as the Springwatch presenter calls them.
(Little brown jobs)

The larger birds are so much easier to catch in my lens.

Buzzard on the tree top

The blue tit is such a pretty little bird. They love to hide inside the thorn bushes.















I continue to be astonished by the variation in the songs of the robin. Sometimes he follows me along the paths, flitting from perch to perch.

The mallard is everywhere along the river. Earlier in the year they would be in large groups, but now they are mostly in pairs.

Heron in flight

The Heron is one of my favourite birds. I have seen three of them taking off together from one of the fields in the valley. I seldom get close enough for a good shot however.










I am a big fan of the corvidae. But I am useless at telling a rook from a crow and a crow from a jackdaw. I can tell a raven; but we don't see any of them in the valley. So please tell me which Corvid this one is.

It is a special day when I see the Kingfisher. I am so glad they still live in this secluded valley of ours.

King fisher

Red Kite

I first became fascinated by this beautiful bird
nearly thirty years ago, when my daughter was young. We went to seek out one or two of the few birds that remained in the mountains of mid and west Wales. Then they were introduced to the Chilterns thirty miles away from here.

Today I saw one a few hundred yards from the house where we live in Witney. I saw five of them hunting together in the valley on one recent occasion. They have slowly spread their wings north and west.

Shakespeare called King Lear's daughter a "detested kite". They are scavengers like vultures.
How much of a nuisance did they have to make of themselves to be driven to the edge of extinction.

How long will it be before they are so numerous they will be detested once again?

Cock pheasant disturbed

Photographers tend to dislike pheasants. The cocks have stunning plumage.

They make a dreadful noise, however.

I suspect togs dislike them because even with a very very fast shutter speed you seldom freeze their wings in flight.

This one was caught a few moments after take off.