More swans than usual gather near the Wilsham Road railing, where people throw bread to the birds. I counted ten today. Someone I spoke to had counted fifteen another day. In past years, a breeding pair drove others away, but they are absent this year. Without them, juvenile swans gather.

I watched two moorhens with five chicks cross the river.

They passed in front of three swans. One swan tried to peck at a chick.

A moorhen flew at the swan and the swan thrashed away in surprise. The other moorhen led the chicks into cover.

Without the breeding swan pair, the balance has changed this year.

Recent tree planting at Abbey Meadow in Abingdon has introduced a mix of native and non-native species aimed at enhancing biodiversity to provide habitat and food sources for wildlife.

Most notably, around 32 new Sequoia (Redwood) trees — possibly Sequoia sempervirens (Coast Redwoods) — were planted. These have been arranged in a large circle, with each tree spaced about twelve yards apart, forming what some local residents have begun calling ‘Tree Henge.’ I received an email from Nick about its sudden appearance; he noted that it seemed to have arrived without much public explanation.

There was, however, a press release from Vale of White Horse District Council (VWHDC), but it covered a broad range of biodiversity projects. With so much going on, it was easy to miss the specific mention of Tree Henge – a case of not seeing the Henge for the wood.

A wooden sign featuring a bird has also been put in nearby to explain why the area is being allowed to go wild. Similar signs have appeared in other rewilded spaces maintained by VWHDC.

My first sighting of a duckling this year was just a single one, accompanied by two parent ducks. It’s unclear what happened to the rest of the brood. When I returned two days later, there were two parent ducks in the same location — but the duckling had disappeared.

Nearby, a pair of moorhens had built a nest not far from the cycle track. It did not look the safest location.

Returning two days later, I spotted the two moorhens again — this time with five or six chicks, tucked away among the relative safety of the reeds. They weren’t easy to see, blending into their surroundings.

P.S. I am busy on a project for a few days so probably won’t get to do the blog for a few days. But if anybody sends me a report with pictures then I could use that.

A heron with its wings spread, leaves its perch below Abingdon Bridge, having noticed me with my camera. The bird with its wings ruffled flies away over the ripples on the River Thames,

Its makeshift perch had been a jumble of logs and debris, accumulated by the bridge arches where Abingdon Bridge meets Nags Head Island.

Here is a more symmetrical shot a moment later. The wingspan is the largest of any Abingdon bird. Herons are common but still look exotic.