SLATY-BACKED GULL reappears at Rainham Marsh RSPB and Landfill whilst Oxfordshire ORIENTAL TURTLE DOVE remains ever elusive

Andy Tweed relocated the near-adult SLATY-BACKED GULL at Rainham Landfill Site this afternoon (at 1320 hours) but almost immediately one of the local Peregrines moved in and scattered the large number of gulls present. Pete Merchant then found it again at around 1410 before it then moved over to Wennington Marsh and sat with the vast number of gulls gathering there to rest and preen. It finally moved over to the Target Pools on the RSPB reserve, where it remained on view until 1640 hours, at which time it flew east. With a total period of stay of 200 minutes, it was no surprise that just over 70 birders connected...

Meanwhile in Oxfordshire, the first-winter ORIENTAL TURTLE DOVE remained for its fifth day in The Leys, Chipping Norton, initially visiting the favoured garden of number 41 for a period of ten minutes to 0830 and then an array of different gardens up until mid-afternoon. It remained incredibly mobile and elusive throughout, tending to roost for long periods in Ash trees and thick hedgerows

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