Birding Cotswolds
When: April 2017 Weather: Cool 10C
Leica Q and Nikon P900
After a few days in London, we headed out to the Cotswolds, swinging by the beautiful gardens of Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons for lunch, staying at Lower Slaughter and ending up in Burleigh.
Le Manoir aux quat saisons, a fine dining restaurant by Raymond Blanc, in the Oxfordshire countryside
the gardens of the restaurant are stunning….the food….less so…
Red kite
red kite with prey
magpie
Blue tit
blackbird with breakfast
Robin
The charming row of cottages at Bibury..
spectacular goldfinch
Grey wagtail at Bibury
Dunnock or hedge sparrow
Chiff-chaff
Linnet
tranquil Lower SLaughter
Broadway Tower
Extensive fields of rapeseed
A Yellowhammer at Broadway
wren
Our visit coincided with the profuse blooming of blue bell meadows…
bluebells upclose
Beautiful british flowering plant…similar to cherry blossoms
We ended our stay in the Cotswolds at the charming Burleigh Court Hotel
Soft warm light at daybreak, Burleigh
Taking a walk around the country lanes in Burleigh, the dandelions glowed in the morning light
And then in a little grassy meadow, this colourful head popped up…
from a long away, the absolutely beautifully coloured common or ring necked pheasant!
An introduced bird, it was the star bird of the day
The male and female common pheasant
female pheasant
Slaughters Country Inn
The Cotswolds is a charming area west of London, just a couple of hours away…filled with charming images of stone cottages, streams, meadows and incredible refuge from London when you want some peace and quiet. Oh and the birding’s not bad too….
Highly recommended.
Surprisingly, I haven’t yet been to the Cotswolds, but I really like this mix of buildings and birds!