Gulled

Since I'd hired a car for a five-day Christmas in Bristol which was abruptly cut short, I took advantage of it today to go to the RSPB reserve at Otmoor. It's only six miles from Oxford but it's a horrible cycle ride along roads where cars go too fast and I've dared do it by bike only once.

It's known for starling murmurations but when I arrived about 45 minutes before sunset there was a notice asking people not to visit for murmurations this year and to come back next year. Well, I was there, and I doubted the starlings had been told the news so I trudged off to see, very glad of my wellies. There aren't many spots along the path where the view over the fields, waterlogged at the moment (extra), isn't interrupted by foliage so I guess in normal times people crowd together. Today there was only me, a family of four and two couples spread out over 200 meters so we were very well distanced, but it turned out the starlings had been told. 

Got a few gulls though.