Welcome to my World

So the brother in law (and school best friend) is over from France, regaling me with tales of his local patch birds. Bee Eater, Rock Sparrow, Black Woodpecker, Golden Oriole, blah, blah, blah, Yeah, whatever.
The smug bastard has got 37 more birds than me on his Year List.
So I said, "Look here chum, you've been over there too long. Bloody foreign birds. Let's get you back down to earth and get some proper English birding done".
So I took him to the Orchard Centre.
Where else?
Of course this basically qualifies as extreme birding for a soft lad from Carcasonne.
By the time he'd put his wellies on, made a flask of hot tea and wrapped up in three layers of thermals we'd missed half the morning.
To be fair, the thermals came in handy. It's like a bloody wind tunnel in that hide some days.

As always, it was a slow start.
A couple of Mute Swans, a Moorhen, some Jackdaws.........
Then the Redwings started to stream across the sky. 40, 50, 60.......they kept coming.
Oh, what's that French Boy? No Redwings down your way? Better tick that one off then!
A Raven flew over, followed by a couple of Jays. Then something startled the Teals who were feeding across the far side of the ponds. Around 40 flew up and then settled further along the reed bed.
No Teal on your list yet chum? Go on then, note that down!
The resident female Sparrowhawk made a flypast. Then a couple of Mistle Thrushes and a Green Woodpecker.
After just 25 minutes the female Kingfisher flew right in front of the hide and just hovered for maybe 5 or more seconds in what seemed like a specially orchestrated display just for my croissant loving chum.
How do you like them apples garçon?!
There's certainly a bit of migration going on. Small flocks of finches and buntings kept drifting over the hide. At least 7 Yellowhammers in one group.
One of the little fellas even alighted by the hide to have his photo taken.

Say cheese!

Of course you've got Yellowhammer on your list haven't you chum? BECAUSE I SHOWED YOU ONE THE LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE! Not much call for 'em in Southern France?
A walk along the reed bed yielded 7 Snipe (Ooh, there's another one for you, Froggy!) and 4 Reed Buntings (add that to your year list too!).
So we finished the morning with mixed blessings.
I was rather pleased at being able to offer up four new birds from my undervalued little corner of Gloucestershire. On the down side I had just helped to widen the gap in out year lists! Hmmm, a trip to Carcasonne beckons perhaps.......?