Oxford (25-27 November 2011)

Friday 25 November:  Started a non-birding weekend visiting our daughter in Oxford with a morning walk around Basildon Park, NW of Reading, seeing 2 Red Kites, 75 Redwing, Nuthatch and 4 Jays with another 6 kites between there and Oxford.

Saturday 26 November.  We spent the morning at Waddeston Manor where an aviary was a surprise.  It was particularly nice to renew my aquaintance with Javan Banded Pitta, Orange-hearded Ground Thrush, Luzon Bleedingheart, White-necklaced Partridge and Blue-crowned Laughingthrush.  It did make me wish I'd had a good view of Pheasant Pigeon and seen Sulawesi Ground Dove, Omei-Shan Liochicla and Red-tailed Laughingthrush at all!  2 Red Kites, 2 Redwing, Nuthatch and 40 Siskins were seen in the grounds.

Nessa and Megan at Waddeston Manor

Cape Robinchat in Waddeston Manor aviary

Snowy-crowned Robinchat in Waddeston Manor aviary

Sulawesi Ground Dove in Waddeston Manor aviary

Blue-crowned Laughingthrush at Wuyuan, seeing several pairs of this endangered species in Waddeston Manor aviary was a very pleasant surprise 

Sunday 27 November.  A morning visit to Bicester Retail Village was as bad as it sounds although an afternoon visit would have been ten times worse.  Coming back down the M40 we saw 52 Red Kites which more than salvaged the day.