I was working at AEA Harwell at the time and had just gone out of the north gate at around 14:00 to visit a customer in a nearby building when my mobile rang.
It was Tom Stevenson who told me there was a flock of 18 Bee-eaters at Fulbrook, a small village just north of Burford.
All thoughts of fixing computer problems went straight out of the window!
I rushed back to the office and fortunately my team were well used to me dashing off at short notice. I told them what was on and passed the problem to a colleague and said see you tomorrow.
As I run back in the north gate I mentioned what I was about to the police on the gate and as I left Harwell they just waved me through and wished me luck.
Roughly an hour’s drive was done in good time; I parked up and quickly found some birders who were watching the Bee-eaters that had settled in the village on the telephone wires that criss-crossed the street. What a sight 18 European Bee-eaters in Oxfordshire. I didn’t actually notice many Oxfordshire birders present but the birds stayed until dark and quite a few locals got there OK.
This was a fantastic county tick and not 1 but 18! I had seen them in Britain before as I found 2 on Portland back in the 80’s, also seen some on Scilly but what a sight they made perched on wires in this quaint little Oxfordshire village.
Thanks to JWB who was first to get the info on the birds and then pass it to the “then” Teletree ensuring the news got around to as many Oxfordshire birders as possible and quickly.
This is probably still the largest flock of Bee-eaters to ever arrive in Britain and for those who got to see them........................well done!
European Bee-eater courtesy Badger (taken in Lesvos not Oxon)
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