Great Bustard: Today I was carrying out some work near Swindon and after I was done I thought I would use what little time I had left of the afternoon to go and see the great bustard that has taken up residence in a stubble field outside of Oxford. Although it may not be considered acceptable to the purists this would still be my fisrt ever great bustard.
These magnificent birds sadly became extinct in the UK back in 1832 and thankfully reintroduced on to Salisbury Plain in 2004 by the Great Bustard Group.
This particular individual has been identified as a male from Wiltshire, identified by a pink ring on its leg. This bird had known to have left the main group for its first winter and will likely return to Salisbury Plain next year.
By the time I arrived I in the village of Wantage the soft winter sun was setting fast and before I knew it I was shooting in the dark. Despite the awful light conditions the bird showed well and I was blown away by it. They are seriously great birds and a real joy to watch.
