Saturday and the sharp, cold temperatures continue still in Oxfordshire but accompanied today by a return of bright winter sun in a clear sky. The keening wind and grey of the last few days a result of Storm Goretti now but a memory. So Mark and myself went to Woodstock to look for the crossbills that have been present all winter in the grounds of Blenheim Palace that dominates the town in its capacity as a major tourist attraction.
We were successful in that I heard a crossbill calling and we found it, way up at the very tip of a conifer in the plantation they have favoured all winter, presumably a female as its plumage was a combination of green with a lemon yellow rump. Being sociable birds we hoped it would be joined by others of its kind but it flew in splendid isolation far across the parkland and that was that. After wandering the circumference of the small plantation we could find no others nor indeed the hoped for Siskins. A subsequent visit to the Grand Bridge produced a couple of Great White Egrets patrolling the main lake and nearby a roving tit flock included a Treecreeper and Nuthatch.
As we usually do, we had parked some way from Blenheim and had walked in via public footpaths to save having to pay for parking which is expensive in both Blenheim and Woodstock, that is if you can find anywhere to park in the latter.
Blenheim is a very popular place to relax with a stroll or wander around and for the most part the grounds are free of charge with ready access from a number of gates which means that it becomes even more popular with the public on weekends.
This persuaded us to retreat back to the car but then where to go? There were two options, either return to where we lived in rural northwest Oxfordshire to go in search of Bramblings and Redpolls that Mark had seen a couple of days ago or in complete contrast venture into the City of Oxford to try to see a Black Redstart that for the second year running, if it is the same individual, has taken up residence on the honey coloured ancient walls of Christchurch College.
We opted for Christchurch but not without reservations as at the best of times Christchurch College is hugely popular with tourists and is forever busy with human footfall just looking or taking selfies with the venerable building as a background. In order to get into the city we took advantage of the free park and ride bus service into Oxford and forty five minutes later we were walking towards the entrance gates to Christchurch.College
Birding in busy cities is not really to my taste, the whole idea of birding for me being to commune with nature in gentle surroundings but the Black Redstart was an adult male in its very attractive overall shades of grey and black plumage offset by a magnificent burnt orange tail and therefore worth the angst of standing amongst crowds of my fellow human beings. If it had been a dowdy, grey brown, featureless example which they are more often than not then probably it would be a different story. see here
Also we had unfortunate recent history with this bird in that we had ventured into Oxford to see it three days ago when the weather had turned to freezing grey mist and looming cloud and after standing for an hour and a half looking at the building and becoming uncomfortably cold came away with nothing more to show for it than a Robin. It was particularly galling as the redstart had been seen daily up until then and was seen very well the next day. Sometimes you have to take it on the metaphorical chin.
However we knew from our local Oxon Birding Log the redstart had already been seen today so hopefully we would be in with a better chance, especially as the weather was much improved. Birders are eternal optimists, like a challenge and our innate competitive spirit was not to be denied. Covering our options as an additional incentive we promised ourselves a nice coffee and piece of cake whether we were successful or otherwise.
My heart sank as we entered the gate leading to the Broad Walk, a wide all weather path which passes in front of Christchurch College and on which two large tour groups were gathered in front of the ancient building being told all sorts of facts about the building's history and purpose, Harry Potter (yawn) and other such tourist stuff. We took up position on the path and the groups soon moved off to view and be told about other nearby Oxford places of interest.
Of the redstart, naturally there was no sign but we knew unless we were incredibly lucky this was to be, as always, a waiting game. Twenty minutes passed with us standing looking at the face of the venerable building and enduring passing tourists of many nationalities looking at us quizzically. Two ventured to ask us what we were doing
Are you studying the architecture?
No, we are looking for a bird
Oh, where is it?
Good question
I left it to Mark to explain further about the Black Redstart.
Stood in the open on the Broad Walk with no cover whatsoever is not ideal especially when doing something that others are curious about and I began to feel very self conscious and even more so when Mark deserted me to go and get a hot chocolate from a nearby coffee stall. Alone and exposed on the endlessly busy gravel walk I had to make the best of it.
Ten minutes passed slowly and then came the briefest flicker of movement half way up the front of the building. This signified the arrival of our quest. It dropped down to a lower balcony, dipped, curtseyed and bobbed just like a Robin but its overall dark plumage, black on breast and face and grey otherwise with a quivering dark orange tail, told me otherwise .This was no Robin but our bird.
Tiny against the huge building it clung to the rough wall amongst the skeletal branches of an ancient vine that was spread over the honey coloured stone, a wall that must have seemed to the bird like a rock face. It was seeking any berries that were still left on the vine but was unsuccessful and with a flash of bright colour from its spread tail, it flew to perch on another stone balcony further along the building.
But where was Mark? I could not go to find him for fear of losing sight of the redstart so commenced photographing as it proceeded in a series of hops or short flights up, down and along various of the stone balustrades and balconies searching for insects and spiders.
Mark rejoined me and told me he had noticed me pointing a camera at the building and put two and two together, raised his bins and seen the redstart from the coffee stall. I relaxed now, knowing he had seen it and anyway there would be no cause for concern as the redstart was still very much present on the building.
Between us we followed its erratic progress back and fore on the face of the building before it dropped down once more onto a tangle of vine stalks and plucked a berry, holding it briefly in its bill before swallowing it whole
Eventually it swooped high up onto the slate roof. I thought it was about to depart but then it just as suddenly dropped down again and perched for a number of minutes, motionless on a balcony, looking content in the sun and secure on its elevated perch free from disturbance.
Here it remained for some time before, with a bob and flick of its wings it flew down, right to the base of the building to briefly search the grass for prey.
But even for this confiding individual the number of people present on this busy Saturday was too much to endure at ground level and it rapidly ascended back to a favoured balcony to pause a while and survey the scene below.
With a final flourish and high speed re-examination of the face of the building it was gone in a long flight to the rear of the building and out of sight.
Time for that coffee and cake.
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