Rufous Turtle Dove

Picture the scene, I got up at 4.30 a.m. have been in the car for 2 hours with Paul Boy and Martin (Blow Monkey), plus it's pissing down. There is a queue of 200 birders which are in front of us to try and see the Rufus Turtle Dove in Chipping Norton, Oxford. It's not your normal Saturday morning but that's what us birders do! Paul and I and a few of the other birders in the queue got a brief flyover view of the dove going into one of the gardens to feed, so we were pleased that the dove was still there. Twenty minutes went by when we gained better views of the dove when it was seen in a large tree preening in a large tree between 2 houses and very smart to. Later we had a quick run to the corner of the road where we had good scope views of the dove sitting in a large ash tree at the back of the field where we viewed from behind the gate, unlike some twats!!!!


The Good,the bad and the ugly