Quainton Hills today - first COMMON REDSTART

Spent a mammoth 10 hours on Quainton Hills today. First 4 hours around tops only produced 1 Barn Swallow!! Had suspicions that a ridiculously distant bird was a female Ring Ouzel on slopes near Botolph Claydon but too far to tell. Dropped down to sheltered area at bottom of South slopes and crept through gate on last hedgeline, at same time spinning head left then right. This is Redstart trick! and worked: just got glimpse of grey back and bright orange tail going into bushes. Very wary bird but eventually got good views and some images of a stunning male COMMON REDSTART. Returned later and still in same hedgeline area, but still wary!!

Seeing this bird if still there, involves a 5 minute levelish walk from car. Park on verge by Quainton church, take tarmac track up to hills, and where path splits, take left stoney track by the log pile. Bird was in hedge and on posts either side, but mostly left of the metal gate. Sometimes far down on posts to left (Tim Watts)