Oxon Birders Christmas Curry Night and the 2016 Mauve Hawk Awards for Birding Excellence.

So it was once again that most festive of occasions...
The shindig of debauchery...
The annual gathering of county bird spotters...

The 2016 Oxon Birders Christmas Curry!!!

What a motley looking bunch we are.

This event has grown steadily over the years with just under thirty of the county's finest
turning up in Abingdon this year in order to discuss all things birdie and to make merry.
Thank you to everyone who turned up and made it such a fantastic evening- but especially to Hugh Netley for making the effort to travel up from the south of the county and Gareth and John for the hour long round journey from Banburyshire.

For the first time ever (and possibly the last) we thought it was high time that the achievements of some should be recognised...

So it was with great pleasure that 'The Mauve Hawk Awards for Birding Excellence'
were handed out after the meal...



The first award for 'BIRDING MISSIONARIES' was given to Gareth Blockley and John Friendship-Taylor in recognition of their continued work engaging with, and educating people about bird spotting, often within violent and deprived urban areas namely Grimsbury Res.

Team G.B

The second of the night was the 'EDMUND HILLARY' award for time spent in a high chair and was given to Mr Terry Sherlock a.k.a the 'Bittern Umpire' and the newest member of the Otmoor Mile High Club.

Elementerry.

The third accolade of the evening went to Mr Barry Batchelor for his near super human effort in securing a county tick at the first screen on Otmoor... 'THE USAIN BOLT' award.

The fastest birder in the county, Mr Barry Batchelor.

Our next prize was for 'SEEING THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF SPECIES IN THE COUNTY OVER THE YEAR WHILST DEFINITELY NOT DOING A YEAR LIST' and it went to Clackers.

Mr Clackers

Our final award was the Patch Workers award for 'FLOGGING A DEAD HORSE' and despite his
recent determination to prove otherwise (by finding some great birds) this year the award went to Mr Mark Merritt and was presented by last years winner, the superlative Mr Tom Bedford.

Unfortunately Mark couldn't make the awards so (after some technical difficulties) we played a pre recorded acceptance speech...

Ladies and Gentleman I give you the prodigious, The stupendous and our watcher on the Downs...

Mr Mark Merritt.

The celebrations for this years 'Mauveys' continued well in to the night... 

Mr Bedford bone cracker and top bloke.

Mr Chivers machine-gunner and cider expert.

Mr Lowe our own northern powerhouse of Oxon Birding.

Oh FFS...