Had the pleasure of playing football at the National Sports Centre at Bisham Abbey just off the M40.

Not easy to concentrate when there are Kites overhead continually and at least 40 Egyptian Geese grazing on the river bank.

That's my excuse for not doing well in the tournament!

Non-birding trip to London yesterday. 26 species in all -highlights were peregrine over the Thames at Nine Elms, 17 red kite on M40 between Banbury and M25 and a pair of parakeets in Royal Chelsea Hospital Gardens(also 60 carrion crows feeding together there-what was that saying about if it's a single bird it's a crow and if there's a group it's a rook?). The parakeets were a real bonus as I only went to kill time because the bus was early.

-- Edited by Scouser at 16:33, 2008-01-06

12 Red Kites on journey down south on monday, 6 buzzards 14 redwing, geese gulls and ducks birding in the fast lane or what.
bugger all on journey back to dark

First time i travelled down there I had no idea there were any in the area, and it was great to see them spontaneously without realising beforehand there were any around!

Have been on a work related trip the last few week and had to travel on the M40 would Advise every birder to go slow beween juuntion 6 through to 2 at least 9 RED KITES seen on monday, been traveling down there for the last few weeks never failed yet to get at least 1/2 red kites.