Witney Dipper !

If you are not having any luck in catching up with the dipper at the weir it might
be worth going down stream about 200 metres to cross over it at the stepping stones and metal cage and walking straight ahead towards the sluice gates.It was seen there on sunday feeding quite happily!

Crawley Weir 30th Sept 12:30pm to 4:30pm

No sighting of the Dipper again. I did get a closer view of a single Grey Wagtail and the local Kingfisher put in a couple of appearances allowing a distant partly obscured shot.

Kingfisher © Nigel Forrow

Grey Wagtail © Nigel Forrow

Farmoor 30th September 6-7p.m

2 Rock Pipit on Causeway,

1 Ad Med Gull (NJH)

1 Curlew (NJH)

1 Wheatear a.m (DJ)

Dipper Apology and A Theory

Sorry about my earlier erroneous posting of Martin Brandon's sighting of the dipper which was of course yesterday and not today.

If I might extrapolate three days of dipper data into a theory: it seems that when it's not around it's not seen all day (e.g. today and Tuesday). On the other hand when it is around (yesterday) it's around for several hours (9-12:30 at least). It may therefore be if someone sees it early in the morning then it's worth rushing down there in the hope that it stays around. As I say, it's a bit of an extrapolation but perhaps worth bearing in mind.

Adam

Port Meadow 30th September: Rock Pipit

Late afternoon:
1 rock pipit (this is a good bird for the Meadow, last was seen autumn '07)
3 yellow wagtail
3 ruff
11 dunlin
6 ringed plover
c. 100 golden plover

What Dipper

No sign of the Dipper from dawn until 4ish. I didn't give it that long but together with coverage of others.

Radley Gravel Pits 30th Sept

Little grebe 9
Wigeon
Teal
Shoveler
Gadwall
Pochard
Red kite 3
Buzzard 14
Hobby 1 (Juv)
Peregrine falcon 1
Lapwing 300+
Snipe 4
Greenshank 1
Green sandpiper 2
Skylark 9
Chiffchaff 5

Still lots of common darter around,also Migrant hawker,Small copper.

Blog Header Image

I thought that it would be nice periodically to change the header image in order to add a little variety to the blog. I'd originally been thinking of having shots of different birding sites (hence the Port Meadow cows) but Jason has come up with the very witty banner above. Feel free to send in photos, either serious or silly for consideration for the header and we'll change it every couple of weeks or so.

Adam

Farmoor 29th September

Common Tern 3
Turnstone 3

Port Meadow Wednesday 29th September

15 ringed-plover
9+ dunlin
2 ruff
1 egyptian goose
20+ snipe

Witney 29thSept

copyright Roger Wyatt.

Dipper 11.30 to at least 12.30. Showing at the weir per Steve Roby.

Farmoor 29th Sept a.m

1 Grey Plover,
1 Turnstone,
2 Greenshank,
6 Dunlin,
Rock Pipit,
All fly-over only.

(per the Wickster)

Radley Gravel Pits 28th Sept

Wigeon
Teal
Shoveler
Gadwall
1 Hobby (Juv)
1 Sparrowhawk
80+ Lapwing
2 Snipe
1 Greenshank
1 Green sandpiper
7 Sand martin
2 Skylark
14 Meadow pipit
2 Grey wagtail
7 Chiffchaff
3 Siskin

Dipper Dipping!!!

No sign of the Dipper today from 09:30 till 15:30.

Also concur with previous comment regarding parking. I got a warning note from the police. They suggest parking on side roads.

Cheers

Paul

Crawley Weir 28th Sept - Dipper not seen 11:45am to 4pm

Grey Wagtail at Crawley Weir © Nigel Forrow

No Dipper

3 Grey Wagtails

1 Kingfisher

1 polite Police notice (no parking ticket):

"Please refrain from parking on the pavement at this location. We have received complaints regarding obstructions caused by vehicles. Future obstruction may result in a fixed penalty ticket."

As per Adam's & Paul's messages, advise not parking close to the footpath to the weir by 55 Crawley Road.

Dipper Dipping & Careful Parking

Spent an hour down at Witney dipping the dipper; one photographer down there had been there over three hours without luck.

Please note, residents have been complaining about birders parking by the start of the footpath on Crawley Road and even called out the police this lunch-time. It is suggested that people park a short distance away where the road is wider and there are pavements on both sides of the road.

Port Meadow Tuesday 28th September: barwit still

1 bar-tailed godwit
3 ruff
8 dunlin
25+ snipe
1 or 2 yellow wagtails
c. 100 wigeon
c. 50 teal


Some video of the barwit (taken yesterday) (c) Adam Hartley

Crawley Weir 27th Sept - Dipper not seen 11am to 1pm

Just a flying lunchtime visit for 30 mins. One other hopeful chap was already at the weir and had been there for over an hour when I arrived. No sighting of the Dipper during that time around immediate area of the weir.

Farmoor 27th September

Bar-tailed Godwit 8 early morning.

27th September Port Meadow - Bar-tailed Godwit

At midday on Port Meadow today:
1 bar-tailed godwit
1 ruff
7 dunlin
30+ snipe
98 golden plover
c. 100 wigeon
30+ teal

The barwit on the floods (c) Adam Hartley

Grimsbury reservoir - 27/09/10

1 Wheatear downed in the rain and 1 Willow tit across the river from the woodland. Also 2 House martin, 2 Swallow, 5 Grey wagtail and at least 4 Chiffchaff.

3 Dunlin - Grimsbury reservoir

3 juvenile Dunlin this morning at Grimsbury reservoir. Still roosting when I found them after circa 5 minutes they stretched, preened and flew south at 08:18.
Also seen were 5 Barn Swallow, 5 + Chiffchaff and 24 Meadow pipit (only 4 obviously migrating).

Witney 26th Sept

Dipper still there this morning 9.03a.m copyright Nic Hallam.

(still 12.45 and showing well near the Sluice gates per Wayne Bull)

Witney 25th Sept

The Dipper was again seen briefly this morning near the weir c10a.m
(per Stuart Thomson)

Otmoor 25th Sept

Gannet (juv) was seen flying over the Moor
c11.45a.m heading N/W
7 Were seen in Bucks at 2.45p.m

Dipper at Crawley Weir

Dipper still present at 12.10 - 12.40pm at small weir and then again at sluice nearer houses at 4.15pm

12.10pm sighting Justin Taylor

4.15pm Jason Coppock and Tom Wickens

Witney 24th Sept

Copyright Nic Hallam.

Further to Adams post.
Dipper along the Windrush
at c9a.m also photographed
by Roger Wyatt.
Otter seen closer to
Witney centre (near Sainsbury's)
and photographed by Nic Hallam

yesterday.

Dipper Success!

Roger Wyatt has just texted that he's seen the dipper at the weir off the Crawley Road at Witney

Farmoor 23rd September Little Stint

Bird Guides reported a little stint and 3 black terns at Farmoor mid afternoon. I went down and managed to locate the stint along the causeway with 5 dunlin. There were also now 4 black terns in the middle of F2.

Also:
1 common sandpiper
2 yellow wagtails

The little stint this afternoon (c) Adam Hartley

No Sign of Dipper

No sign of the Dipper this morning between 7.15 and 8.45am. Area looks very good for it though!!

Kingfisher 1
Grey Wagtail 1

JT.

Dipper Seen Yesterday

Pete Styles reports that he met the chap (Derek) who's been seeing the dipper and that it was seen yesterday morning at 8:30 a.m. on the weir. Pete failed to see it during the three hours that he was there.

Witney Dipper Still About

It appears that the dipper that was seen in Witney a month or so ago has been seen (and photographed) again on a few occasions over the past month.

It has been seen on or just below a small concrete weir which leads into a side channel of the Windrush. This side channel soon afterwards turns into a slow meandering stream but around the weir is more suited for dipper.

The channel/weir is across a field which is used by dog walkers next to Crawley Road and can be accessed by a foot path next to 55? Crawley Road.

It has only been seen on a few occasions so would appear not to be there far more often than it is (no more than 5 or 6 times in total) but it's worth a shot. I would say that you should keep a discrete distance from the channel as from what I have heard it does flush relatively easily.

It must be sticking in the area and going to other location near by.

If anyone get to grip with it could they put the message out ASAP, it is clearly a bird needed by a lot of the local birders.

Longitude and latitude (can be used in google earth searches) of location it has been seen.

51.79396,-1.492684

google direction to 55 Crawley Road (from M40 out of oxford)

2.	Take the B4022 exit toward Witeny E		0.2 mi
13.	Slight left at B4022		1.3 mi
14.	At the roundabout, take the 1st exit ontoWoodgreen Hill/A4095		75 ft
15.	At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit ontoW End/B4022		0.3 mi
16.	At the roundabout, take the 1st exit ontoCrawley Rd Destination will be on the left		0.3 mi

55 Crawley Rd Witney, Oxfordshire OX28 1, UK

Cheers

Tom

Sonning Eye and Henley Rd. G.P's 22nd Sept

Little Egret 1
Greensand 1
Redshank 1
Com. Sand 1
Cetti's 2
Egyptian Goose 3
Tufted Duck 739
Gt.Cr.Grebe 90
Lapwing 136
Blk Swan 2
Hugh Netley

Farmoor 22nd September

Common Tern 22
Dunlin 6
Ruff 1
Curlew 1
Ringed Plover 1

Cholsey, 21st Sep 2010

Hobby catching Dragonflies.
15 Corn Bunting
2 Willow Warbler
5 Chiffchaff
1 Whitethroat
8 Reed Bunting
1+ Jay

Port Meadow 21st September

1 hobby,
25+ yellow wagtail
20+ meadow pipits
c. 45 golden plover

A grey heron fishing by the boats (c) Adam Hartley

Farmoor 20th Sept

2 Little Gull (both juv) F2 still.
(per R.B.A)

Farmoor Monday 20th September - Wood Warbler Reported

Bird Guides & RBA are reporting a wood warbler by the old picnic tables by the number 6 at Farmoor (Farmoor II I think). It has not been seen subsequently despite searching by several people.

Port Meadow Monday 20th September

juvenile ruff on the floods
c. 20 yellow wagtails
10+ meadow pipits

Richard Foster reports
1 dunlin
1 wheatear
1 or 2 golden plover
1 red kite in Burgess Field

Red kite (c) Pete Styles

University Parks 20th Sept

Poss Osprey being mobbed by Corvids,
Near river Cherwell heading S/W.
8.45a.m
(Per Wayne Bull)

Farmoor 19th Sept

1st W Med Gull FII roost,
+2 juv Little Gulls,
(per R.B.A)

Radley 19th Sept

12 Wigeon,
47 Shoveler,
169 Lapwing,

Farmoor Sept 19th

Swift - 1
House Martin - several hundred
Buzzard - 11
Dunlin - 4
Ringed Plover - 2
White Wagtail - 2
Yellow Wagtail - 15+
Meadow Pipit - 8+
YL Gull - c4
Goldeneye - 1 female

A juvenile ringed plover (c) Jonathan Crouch

Port Meadow Sunday 19th September

1 wheatear
c. 30 yellow wagtails
c. 35 golden plover
c. 40 linnet

Grimsbury Reservoir 18th September

1 willow tit (in wood at north end)
4 grey wagtails
4+ goldcrests
3+ chiffchaffs

Chiffchaff (c) Nigel Forrow

Otmoor September 18th 10am

2nd screen
Greenshank 1
Green Sandpiper 1 flying past
Kingfisher

1st screen
Sedge Warbler
Reed Warbler
Kingfisher

Hide
Wheatear 1
Whinchat 1

Big Otmoor
Green Sandpiper 2

Whinchat (c) Pete Styles

Cholsey, 17th Sep 2010

2 Whinchat

Grey Wagtail
6 Chiffchaff

5 Corn Bunting

8 Reed Bunting

6 Meadow Pipit (1st autumn records on local patch)

Peregrine

Local House Martin families have left today. (2 nests)

Sept 17th

Wryneck NW of Chilton at Harwell Science & Innovation Campas.
16:30 (per R.B.A)

Port Meadow Friday 17th September

1 wheatear
c. 20 yellow wagtails
35 golden plover
1 sand martin

Wheatear (c) Pete Styles

Farmoor 16th September 19.00

3 Dunlin
1 Ringed Plover
16 Yellow Wagtail

Yellow wagtail (c) Pete Styles

Radley 15th Sept

No sign of the Crake...

1 Black-Wit,
2 Greenshank,
1 Green Sand,
3 Snipe,
(per Ben C)

Sonning Eye/Henley Road GP, 14th Sep

Sonning Eye
ad+juv Common Tern

Henley Road
Common Sandpiper

Tuesday 14th Sept Port Meadow

8+ yellow wagtail
1 hobby over
1 little egret

also (per OOS MBG):
80 wigeon
40 teal
2 dunlin

Yellow wagtail on Port Meadow (c) Adam Hartley

Farmoor 13th Sept

25+ yellow wagtails including 1 probable blue-headed (flava) near water treatment works at 18:30
1 1st winter med. gull
1 ringed plover

(per Jason Coppock)

Otmoor 13th Sept

Rather windy so the birds were all hunkered down.
1 male redstart Long Meadow
1 hobby on the ground near the new hide

Spotted flycatcher (taken recently at Farmoor) (c) Pete Styles

Wantage 13 Sep

2 Tree Pipits over this morning

Stonesfield common

5 Blackcap
1 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Marsh Tit
1 Common Whitethroat
Also Raven at Ashford mill

Dix 12th Sept

7 Red-crested Pochard,
2+Yellow-legged Gull,
(3p.m per R.B.A)

Radley 12th Sept

Spotted Crake (11.15a.m) still on the small ash-pit although more elusive,
+Ruff briefly (Bob Burgess).

Grimsbury Res 12th Sept

Redstart briefly,
2-3 Willow Tit,
1 Whitethroat,
2 Lesser Whitethroat,
1 Tree Pipit,
16 Chiffchaff,
(Garath Blockley)

Long Meadow Directions

Long Meadow is shown on the Otmoor site map as location E
http://www.oos.org.uk/Sites/Otmoor/index.php

or alternatively on the Otmoor blog where it is now labelled
http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/OtmoorBirding/Background%2BInfo%2C%2BAccess%2Betc./
(added by Gnome)

Park at Otmoor car park
Walk back up Otmoor lane to the turning to the rifle range.
Just on the bend of the road you will see a gap in the bush in front of you.

The Redstarts can be anywhere in the meadow but are most easily found in the bushes in the middle of the meadow.

Radley 11 Sept

Spotted Crake still showing well @ 14:10

Otmoor 11 Sep

To add to Pete's posting

Greenshank on The Closes
2 Hobby (reports of 5)
Report also of Marsh Harrier

P.S. Where is Long Meadow?

Radley 11th Sept

Spotted Crake still 10.45a.m

Otmoor 11th Sept

Lesser Whitethroats Long Meadow

Redstart Long Meadow

Otmoor 11th Sept

Long Meadow
4 - 6 Redstarts
6+ Lesser Whitethroat
3 Whitethroat
2 Blackcap
1 Marsh Tit

On Reserve
3+ Yellow Wags fly over
1 Green Sand - fly over
1 Kingfisher
1 Hobby
1 Gropper
report of Redshank from 1st screen probably Spot Red.

Farmoor 10th Sept 19.00

1 Med Gull in the roost
3 Yellow Wagtail

1066 10th Sept

1066 aka Drayton-Sutton Courtenay fields

1 Gargany
30 Teal

Sonning Eye/Henley Road GP, 10th Sep

Sonning Eye GP
2 juv Black Tern
1 juv Arctic Tern
ad+2juv Common Tern

Henley Road GP
Yellow Wagtail over calling
3 juv Common Tern
1 Black Swan

Radley Gravel Pits 10th Sept

SPOTTED CRAKE,still showing though a bit more elusive as water level is now up to the edge of reeds!

7 Wigeon
12 Shoveler
20+ Gadwall
1 Buzzard
5 Grey partridge
2 Greenshank
4 Green sandpiper
1 Common sandpiper

Port Meadow 10th September

Among the c25 Yellow Wagtails present was 1 Blue-headed Wag which I guess is the bird Adam saw the other day.

Sonning Eye 9th Sept p.m

3 Black Tern still,
1 Arctic Tern,
(per Hugh Netley)

Recent news from Sonning Eye GP

8th September
4 Black Tern

7th September
11 Black Tern

6th September
6 Black Tern
2 Arctic Tern
juv Little Gull

Radley 9th Sept

Spotted Crake still 8.30a.m

Farmoor 9th Sept

Caspian Gull (juv) on causeway at 9.10a.m.
(per R.B.A).

1066 8th Sept

1 Garganey still,

40+Teal,

1 Wigeon,

Radley Gravel Pits 8th sept

Spotted crake:-still showing well on ash pit until 11.30 at least!

7 Little Grebe
1 Wigeon
2 Shoveler
20+ Gadwall
1 Water Rail (same area as crake).
1 Greenshank
3 Green sandpiper
1 Common sandpiper
4 Stock Dove
1 Kingfisher
1 Tree pipit (over calling)
1 White Wagtail
1 Cetti's Warbler

Port Meadow Wednesday 8th Sept

Probable heard-only flyover tree pipit in Burgess Field.
25+ yellow wagtails including one looking like ssp flava (blue-headed)
3 little egrets
1 dunlin
30 wigeon
50 teal

The dunlin on the floods (c) Adam Hartley

Radley 8th Sept

SPOTTED CRAKE still 10.20a.m

Otmoor 7th Sept: - Spotted Redshank

2 SPOTTED REDSHANK at the second screen this evening (MShur - OOS)

Farmoor 7th Sept - Black Terns

c. 14 BLACK TERNS on F2 at 18:00 (per Jason Coppock)
Also:
1st winter Med gull
2+ common gulls

1st winter yellow-legged gull (c) Jason Coppock

1066

1 Gargany
60+ Teal
1 Wigeon

Radley Tuesday 7th Sept - Spotted Crake Still

The SPOTTED CRAKE is still present on the Small Ash Pit early afternoon per Peter Barker. Also present:
4 green sandpipers
1 greenshank

Sonning Eye 6th Sept

3 Black Tern,
2 Arctic Tern,
1 Little Gull,
(Hugh Netley)

Radley Sept 6th 18.00

SPOTTED CRAKE still present

Green Sandpiper 4

Farmoor 6th Sept - Little Tern

By 19:00:
now 14 Black Terns
1 juv. LITTLE TERN
(per Dai John & then Jason Coppock)

RADLEY GRAVEL PITS 6TH SEP

SPOTTED CRAKE:-Still showing well on the N E side of small ash pit next to disused railway track till 12.15 at least!

2 Greenshank
4 Green sandpiper
1 Yellow wagtail (over)
1 Cetti's warbler

Farmoor 5th Sept evening

Caspian Gull juv,
2 1w Med Gull,
Black Tern juv
(as per R.B.A)

Radley Sept 5th

Spotted Crake showing well until 17:30 at least, also 3 Greenshank, 3 Green sand and a juv Yellow Wagtail

Farmoor Sept 5th

Redstart - male and female
Spotted Flycatcher - 1
Lesser Whitethroat
Yellow Wagtail - 6
Greenshank -1 (heard over)
Dunlin - 2
GBB Gull - 2
Yellow Legged Gull - 2

Radley 5th Sept

SPOTTED CRAKE still showing well on the small ash pit at 12.45p.m

2 Green Sandpiper,

6 Wigeon,

2 Mandarin,

Muswell Hill 5th Sept

Nightingale (J.Taylor).
Redstart (male),
2 Whitethroat,
2 Chiff-Chaff,
1 Willow Warbler,

Otmoor 5th Sept mid morning

1 Spotted Fly long Meadow,
1 Spotted Fly Car Park field a.m,
Little Owl in Carpark field a.m,
Whinchat R.S.P.B,
Wheatear R.S.P.B,

1 Gropper juv,
12 Yellow Wagtails in cattle field opposite new hide (per R.B.A) 15.21p.m.

Spotted Redshank 1st screen.

Otmoor Sunday 5th September

Spotted Redshank - (J Coppock) from 1st Screen.

Redstart (Male and Female) Long Meadow.

Yellow Wagtail 10+ Long Meadow.

Lesser Whitethroat 10+ Long Meadow.

Muswell Hill
4th September 2010

50+ Linnet
Meadow Pipit 1

Otmoor Sept 4th

Long Meadow
5 Redstart
6 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Willow Warbler
3 Blackcap
1 Whitethroat
1 Chiff Chaff
4 Buzzard
4 Red Kite
1 Yellowhammer

Farmoor 4th Sept

Shag FII (a.m at least)
Yellow-legged Gull,
Great Black-backed Gull,
Ruff juv,
Dunlin,
2 Ringed Plover,
c4 Yellow Wagtail,

Yellow-legged gull (c) Bob Burgess

Ruff (c) Bob Burgess

Otmoor 4th Sept

4 Redstart Long Meadow. Access via the stile near the entrance to the riffle range.
(per Pete Barker).

Radley Saturday 4th September - Spotted Crake Still

The SPOTTED CRAKE is still showing well on the exposed mud in NE corner of the Small Ash Pit at Radley. Access via Thrupp Lane

Also present:
6 snipe
3 green sandpiper
3 greenshank
1 raven
1 hobby

Radley 3rd Sept - Spotted Crake!

SPOTTED CRAKE at Radley GP. Found early afternoon by Leo Bateman the bird was showing very well on and off in the N/E corner of the small ash pit to at least 3.20p.m. Access via Thrupp Lane.

Also present:
3 Greenshank,
3 Green Sandpiper,
1 Yellow-legged gull
1+Raven,

The crake with a greenshank, lapwing and coot (c) Adam Hartley

Videograb Record shots of the very confiding spotted crake (c) Adam Hartley

Farmoor Res 3rd Sept

Spotted Redshank still,
4 Ringed Plover
2 Ruff
2 Poss Curlew Sandpiper flew through.

Port Meadow 3rd September

38 teal
4 shoveler
2 little egrets
c. 20 golden plover

Little Egret in flight on Port Meadow (c) Adam Hartley

Farmoor 3rd Sept

Shag FI
2 Ruff along causeway,
4 Ringed Plover,
3 Dunlin,

The Shag on Farmoor I today (c) Dai John

Farmoor Res 2nd September

Spotted Redshank (juv) still in S/W corner of FII this evening.
1 Ringed Plover,
2 Dunlin,
6 Yellow Wagtail,
2 Redstart still along track near zig-zag path.

The spotted redshank (c) Dai John

Welcome!

Welcome to the new fledgling Oxon Bird Log. The idea is to be a central focal point for Oxon birding sightings and news. This blog is a multi-contributor blog though at present blogging access is by invitation only.