February 29th Spadgers

Eynsham area today 17 Lapwings & circa 50 Tree Sparrows
Also 17 Common Snipe Eynsham Area.

Port Meadow: 29th February

Mediterranean Gull: ad.
6 Redshank
Dunlin
5 Shelduck
8 Pintail: approx count.

Adam Hartley

More at Port Meadow Birding

Radley GP: Thrupp Lake: 29th February

Radley GP: Thrupp Lake
Oystercatcher

Peter Law

Otmoor: 29th February

Otmoor
White-fronted Goose: Northern phase of reedbed.
Merlin: Male in front of hide.
Peregrine: Big Otmoor.

Joe Harris

Headington: 29th February

Headington
4 Mealy Redpoll: At least four birds in same tree that seven birds were seen and photographed earlier in the month. SP544076.

Nick Forster

Last Saturdays Bird Ringing Demo at Farmoor

Photo's & comments from the Pinkhill Bird Ringing demo 25th March.

''I attended the Farmoor Bird Ringing Event this morning and would like to thank the experts and the others in the team that attended and gave a very informative talk and demonstration''

(Roger Green)

''A great opportunity to see common birds

uncommonly close with explanations of

the 'mechanics' of bird flight''

''Was a good morning, very interesting to see the ringing and some good discussion too.
Thank you to Matt and the rest of the team''

(Gareth Blockley)

Thanks again to Matt Prior, The team from
the Edward Grey Institute and the OOS for
a very enjoyable and informative morning. 



Top photo (c) Roger Green
Snipe & Robin photos (c) Gareth Blockley

Port Meadow: 28th February

Port Meadow
2 Shelduck
2 Oystercatcher
4 Dunlin
2 Redshank
4 Ruff

Mary Gregory

Otmoor 28th February

White-fronted Goose (in Flood Field with Greylag flock)   Peter Law
Short-eared Owl 3
Peregrine

(per The Wickster)

Farmoor 27th February

Mandarin Duck (drake) briefly on F2 mid morning.

Terry Sherlock & Dai. 

The Insomniac Birder 

Foxholes BBOWT February 27

A wander round my local patch this afternoon

9 Woodcock
1 Common Crossbill
7 Marsh Tit
Great,Blue,Coal and Long tailed Tit
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
TreeCreeper
Nuthatch
3 Bullfinch
40 Greenfinch
10 Goldfinch
1 Siskin
2 Goldcrest
1 Common ChiffChaff
2 Common Buzzard

Stonesfield Common

Water Rail
Siskin
Reed Bunting 4

Several Tree Sparrows near Eynsham

Abingdon 26th February

Ring-necked Parakeet Drayton Road Allotments behind Abingdon Sewage Works

(per D.Godfrey goingbirding.)

Charney Bassett 26th February

Short-eared Owl 4 (In fields north of Goosey Wick Farm)

(per Martin Smith Oxonbirds)

Otmoor 26th February

Bittern (showing on and off from the 2nd screen all morning
but no sign in the afternoon by 15:30)
White-fronted Goose (on The Closes with the Greylags)
Short-eared Owl
Peregrine
Sparrowhawk                                                       
Curlew 10
Redshank 2
Ruff 2
Cetti's Warbler

(per Wayne Bull,  Pete Barker,  Paul Greenaway, Nigel Forrow.

All things Moorish Otmoor Birding

Otmoor 2nd screen, 26th February pm

Photos (c) Nigel Forrow

Henley Road GPs: 26th February

Henley Road GPs
2 Smew: redheads.
3 Goosander: drk+2 rh.

Marek Walford

Coleshill 26th February

Hen Harrier (ringtail)

(per Mro OOS)

Otmoor Redpolls 25th February

At least four Redpolls seen by the niger seed feeder. Photo (c) Nigel Forrow

Standlake Pit 60 26 February pm

1 Smew (redhead)
2 Goosander (both females)
350 Eurasian Wigeon
51 Tufted Duck
50+ Common Teal
20+ Common Pochard
20 Mallard
8 Northern Shoveler
5 Gadwall
2 Little Grebe
1 Little Egret

10 Lapwing
50+ Fieldfare

Waterski Pit
10 Goosander (3 males 7 females)
6 Red crested Pochard

Otmoor 26th Feb

Photo's (c) W P Bull

 Otmoor Birding 

Charney Bassett 25th February

Short-eared Owl (Goosey Wick Farm)

(per AEd OOS)

Farmoor Reservoir 25th February

Oystercatcher: probing in grass by new 'bus shelter on F2
Knot

Dave Godfrey

Shelduck 2
Dunlin 3
Common Sandpiper

more from the Res at The Insomniac Birder

Otmoor 25th February

Bittern over the reed beds this morning

photo & news courtesy of Terry Sherlock

Ruff 2+ (Big Otmoor)

Curlew

Redpoll (on feeders)                                    Otmoor Birding

Bird Ringing Demo Farmoor Res Saturday 25th February

Bird Ringing Demonstration at Farmoor Reservoir - 0800-1130 Saturday 25th February

Come and join us to get up close and personal with wild birds as we are joined by The Edward Grey Institute from Oxford University in a bird ringing demonstration at Farmoor Reservoir. This is a great opportunity to learn about the birds that thrive on our nature reserves. Bird ringing is a valuable method of studying our bird populations and we expect to be able to show you Blue Tits, Great Tits, Reed Buntings and maybe something more unusual such as Nuthatch or Yellowhammer.

The earlier you come, the more birds you will see.

Meet in the car park at Gate 3, Farmoor Reservoir, OX2 9NS. (The event will not take place if it rains).

Matt Prior
 

Farmoor 24th February

Knot still F2 (per RBA)

More from the Res at  The Insomniac Birder

Oxon/Berks West Ilsley 24th February

Hen Harrier (male) West Ilsley flew north over fields at 4:25

(per RBA)

Sonning Eye GPs: 24th February

Sonning Eye GPs
2 Bittern: In the reedbed at the northern end of the lake.
7 Pintail: 5m+2f.

Marek Walford

Iffley Meadows 24th Feb

1 Water Rail
5 Common Snipe
1 Jack Snipe
8 Meadow Pipit
9 Redwing

W P Bull.

Port Meadow: 23rd February

Port Meadow
5 Goosander: 1m, 4 r/h.
4 Ruff: 3m 1f.
2 Redshank
3 Dunlin
2 Shelduck
8 Pintail: approximate count.
Yellow-legged Gull: 2w.

No sign of the Merganser more at Port Meadow Birding

Adam Hartley

Otmoor.A.M. 23rd February.

1 W.F. Goose
750+ Starlings
C.350 Golden Plover
1 Peregrine (M)
1 Water Rail
1 S.E.Owl
2 L. Redpoll

Otmoor Birding

Farmoor 23rd February

Snow Bunting along causeway 08:30. (per Dai & Terry Sherlock)
Still present at 11:30 (per Marc Suller)
Still present mid afternoon  (per Peter Law)

Photo (c) Marc Suller

(c) Terry Sherlock

more at The Insomniac Birder

Upper Heyford: 22nd February

Upper Heyford
9 Grey Partridge: both sexes.

Jeff Pursey

Port Meadow: 22nd February

Port Meadow
Red-breasted Merganser: r/h.
8 Goosander
3 Ruff
Redshank
2 Dunlin
3 Shelduck
8 Pintail

Adam Hartley

Grotty Pic

Sorry forgot the grotty Egyptian Geese photo.

There are 16 Egyptian Geese in oilseed rape alongside the Cote backroad they are in among some 150 Mute Swans, also circa 200 winter thrushes 75/25% split in favour of Fieldfare alongside the Eynsham to Long Hanborough road.
Barry Hudson.

Standlake Pit 60 22nd February

One curlew present again on S shore together with 6 snipe, and 6 shoveler on the lake.

Hinksey Lake: 22nd February

Hinksey Lake
2 Goosander: male.

David Hastings

Port Meadow: 21st February

Port Meadow
Red-breasted Merganser: r/h.
19 Goosander
3 Ruff
3 Dunlin
2 Redshank

Adam Hartley

Otmoor Reed Bunting (c) David Hastings



Yellowhammer on Otmoor (c) David Hastings

Otmoor Birding



RSPB Otmoor 21/02/12

The first curlew on the moor this year was seen today by the Tuesday volunteer work party flying over the reedbed. The brent goose is also still present on Closes with the greylag flock.

Standlake Pit 60 February 21st

Pintail 1m
Goldeneye 2f
Goosander 10 (2m8f)
Curlew 1
Wigeon 355
Shoveler 7 (1f6m)
Buzzard 1
Little Egret 1
Smew 1 f

Port Meadow: 21st February

Port Meadow
18 Goosander: all left, some NW, some S at 07:00.
4 Shelduck

Peter Law

Port Meadow: 20th February

Red-breasted Merganser: r/h.
7 Goosander
2 Ruff
3 Redshank
3 Dunlin
8 Pintail
1 Yellow-legged gull: 2w
200 Golden Plover

Adam Hartley

More at Port Meadow Birding

Churn: 20th February

Churn
Merlin

Drayton 1066
Pintail: ♂.
4 Wigeon: 2 ♂, 2♀.

Paul Chandler

Port Meadow: 19th February

Port Meadow
2 Ruff
4 Redshank
3 Dunlin
6 Pintail

Adam Hartley

Grimsbury Reservoir: 19th February

Grimsbury Reservoir
Peregrine: Over - per Clive Payne.

Bagley Wood
4 Common Crossbill: Just a quick look and at least 4 - 2 seen well and 2 calling/seen briefly.

Radley GP: Thrupp Lake
Little Egret

Gareth Blockley

Ridgeway above Letcombe Bassett 19th February

Merlin (fem) In flight along fenceline just north of Ridgeway.
33 Corn Bunting

Leo Bateman

Badbury Hill: Sun 19th Feb

2+ Brambling, in Badbury Clump section at lunchtime
2 Siskin

Sparsholt: Sparsholt Down: 19th February

Hen Harrier (ringtail) Distant but viewed for a decent amount of time.
2 Raven
18 Corn Bunting

Mark Merritt

Sparsholt Down

Nuffield: Mongewell Woods: 19th February

Nuffield: Mongewell Woods
3 Brambling: At least 3 in mixed flock of finches.

Mark Merritt

Otmoor 19th February

Dark-bellied Brent Goose still on Otmoor today on Ashgrave and the Closes
photo (c) Roger Green

 No sign of the Bittern by mid day
          
Otmoor Birding

Otmoor: 18th February

Otmoor
Grey Partridge: ..on path alongside Greenaways.

Mark Merritt

Otmoor 18th February

Brent Goose (on the Closes late morning with the Greylags)
White-fronted Goose (on Greenaways early morning)
Bittern  seen briefly in flight early morning at the west end of Greenaways.
             then over the reedbeds mid morning.
             and reportedly showing from the 2nd screen in the afternoon.
Ruff 3 (on Big Otmoor)
Dunlin c13 ( Ashgrave per Paul Greenaway)

Otter 3 more info on the Chub Munchers to come on Otmoor Birding

Dark-bellied Brent Goose (c) Terry Sherlock

Rushy Common 18th Feb

Goosander 2 (m f)
Oystercatcher
Green Sandpiper

Farmoor 17th February

Short-eared Owl (Buckthorn Meadow)
Knot (F2 on grass verge)

More from the Res  The Insomniac Birder 

Appleford 17th February

1st w Caspian Gull spit pit this afternoon 15:40
More photos Here

Drayton 1066: 17th February

Drayton 1066
Green Sandpiper
Pintail: male.

Marc Suller

Port Meadow: 17th February

Port Meadow
5 Redshank
Dunlin
Ruff
8 Pintail

Sydney Penner

Ravenous Friday 17th.

A pair of Raven feeding on a Muntjac carcase near Bampton and two Little Egret at Clanfield.
Barry Hudson

Standlake: Pits 60&38, February 16th

(Pit 38)
Little Egret 1
Pit 60
Goosander 10 (6m 4 f)
Pochard 10
White fronted goose 1 with large flock of greylaggish

Not Quite tristus ?

The weather was (irisistably) warm and sunny and the Abingdon Sewage Works aroma confirmed it... and Chiffs were plenty but getting them to sit still, without the sun behind them meant... a count of 68 Pied Wagtails on the adjacent sports field; plus 2 Grey Wagtails and other Pieds on the filter beds. An earlier front lit Little Egret and around 160 Teal at 1066 was more illuminating. Goldcrests were noisy and very viewable in the nearby conifers, whilst G C Grebes were nest building and Kingfishers arguing on the lake opposite. Very different to the freezing dusk last Saturday when at 1755, a Barn Owl was the noisiest bird around. It was crossing the lane just where the warm effluent stream from the works does the same below. Suitable compensation for the roosting Bittern that I hoped might have returned this year!
Spit Pit, Appleford was also liquidfied and recent high numbers of loafing gulls had quit in the main. One exception was a 'goose stepping' first winter bird (left leg injury) that since last week still refuses to hold its right leg motionless long enough to photograph the largish coloured ring at high enough magnification, so as to ID its origin.
Farmoor luck towards dusk, when 2 different adult Mediterranean Gulls were present quite early on ...1620 and 1650, with Common Sandpiper in the SE of F2. A final peak into F1 revealed 2 male and 4 redhead Goosander over by the west wall at 1715, before a hasty retreat and exit before shut gate time that has now crept up to 1730 hrs. With breeding plumaged Med gulls, presumably already making way back to nesting sites to the east, it certainly looks as if Spring might be arriving at last. Apologies again for my typically bad photos of interesting birds at Farmoor, when everyone elses efforts are usually quite stunning.

Otmoor Brent 16th Feb

Dark-bellied Brent Goose Otmoor 16th Feb (c) Paul Greenaway

Not Quite Oxon (Streatley)

tristis type Chiffchaff at Streatley

If the tristis Chiffchaff at Abingdon is proving tricky to view through the fence there are two other, much more showy non collybita birds at Streatley Treatment Works (100m north of the church). Unfortunately this is about 150yds into Berkshire. Yesterday there were 5 Chiffchaffs present, 3 nominate (one tailess) and the two tristis. To me they tick all the boxes, particularly one of them, with the other towards the striking abietinus end of the range but still ok I think. The best thing, however, was at one point when they were together one or both (it was difficult to tell) had a period of repeated calling - perfect tristis! Their appearance metamorphosed greatly depending on the light. The pics above are of the same abietinus like bird. 

Otmoor 16th February

Photo's courtesy of Nigel Woodley

Brent Goose Otmoor on Greenaways with Canada Geese at c12:15 (per Peter Law)

from the 1st screen 10:45 (per Paul Greenaway)

(c) Nigel Woodley

Otmoor Birding

Henley Road GP's 15th Feb

5 Smew (1 drake) still on Henley Rd GP's today.

(per RBA)

Fighting Coots (c) The Paranoid Birder

Abingdon Sewage Works 14th February

Potential Siberian ChiffChaff still in the hedge by the works
6+ Common ChiffChaff
4 Goldcrest,
8 Long Tailed Tit,
2 Siskin
2 Grey Wagtail

14th Feb Sonning Eye and Henley Rd G.P's

Sonning Eye
Bittern 1 showing well in tree above reeds 3.15pm
Scaup 1 drk
Goosander Pair

Henley Rd
Smew 4 (1 drk)
Goosander 2rh

Hugh

Grimsbury Reservoir: 14th February

Grimsbury Reservoir
Merlin: Through over cattle fields soon after first light and away over town south. Species number 57 at the reservoir for the year.
Willow Tit: In the wood with tit flock.

Gareth Blockley



4 of 7 Redpolls in Old Headington today (c) Nick Forster



Farmoor 14th February

Knot (along the causeway) 10:00 (per Dai)

still present 12:00 F2 nr bus shelter (per Peter Law)

More from the Res at The Insomniac Birder

Monday 13th

8 Grey Partridge Shellingford Quarry
1 Little Owl Road to Grafton Lock
Barry Hudson

Dorchester 13th February

Allen Pit
1 Smew (redhead)
21 Goosander (7 male, 14 redhead)
930 Wigeon
60 Shoveler
18 Gadwall
2 Egyptian Geese
6 Common gull

Drayton Road Pit
192 Teal
9 Common Gull
52 Tufted Duck
24 Gadwall
3 Wigeon
12 Pochard

Appleford 13th February

Caspian Gull (1stw) again on the Spit Pit 12:15 (per Ian Smith)

Radley 13th February

Red-crested Pochard 4 (1m)
Dunlin 1 (found by Mrs Badger...)

Knollend Down: 12th February

Knollend Down
5 Grey Partridge

Mark Merritt

Siberian Chiffchaff?, Abingdon SF 12th Feb

The tristis/abietinus bird was still present the sewage works today. I didn't hear it call but the pics below give an impression of how it variously appeared in the field. Generally grey-brown lacking any green/yellow except for yellow underwing covs/axillaries and greenish fringes to the remiges, tail and greater coverts. Neat super, dark bill and legs, nice wingbar and a light brown wash to the ear coverts.

Farmoor Reservoir: 12th February

Farmoor Reservoir
6 Barnacle Goose: Flew over with one dark morph Snow Goose.
33 Snow Goose: Flew over. Four dark morph.

Sydney Penner

Knot at Farmoor (c) The Paranoid Birder

Merton Borrow Pit: 12th February

Merton Borrow Pit
5 Goosander: 3m 2f.

Barry Batchelor

Farmoor 11 February

2+ Red-crested Pochard on F1
Golden Plover (1) and Redshank (1) on Causeway.
1 SEO high over Shrike Meadow
3 Goosander (1 male) on the river and a few on F1

(c) Stephen Burch. Click here to enlarge.

http://www.stephenburch.com

Unhill Wood 12 February

Two Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers heard from about SU557818, but neither seen, let alone photographed! One calling close to the public footpath, the other calling and drumming briefly in the distance. Close to the spot from where they were reported earlier by Mark Merritt.

Bletchingdon male Blackcap (c) Elizabeth Hodgson

Abingdon female Blackcap (c) Mike Flemming
Mike Flemming's Natural History Photos

Grimsbury Reservoir: 12th February

Grimsbury Reservoir
Little Owl: Found this morning by Clive Payne. Perched in one of the old pollarded willow trees to the west of the reservoir. 53 for the year.

Gareth Blockley

Sonning Eye GP 12th February

2 Bittern at 9:00 a.m. (still present this afternoon see comments)
5 Smew ( 1 drk Henley Rd pits)
4 Goosander
1 Scaup (drk on the Water Skiing pit)

(per Peter Law & Marek Walford)

Bittern photo M.Walford
goingbirding
Marek's Blog



Nun photos (Badger)



Farmoor 12th February

Caspian Gull (ad)
Knot along causeway 08:30

 (per Dai)

The Insomniac Birder

Abingdon: Peep-o-Day Lane: 11th February

Abingdon: Peep-o-Day Lane
2 Jack Snipe

Dave Godfrey

Standlake Pit 60 11th February

Goosander 9 ( 6m 3 f)
Smew 1 f

Lake all but frozen over

Smew Influx February 11th

Both Pictures (c) The Paranoid Birder

3 Smew on a private fishing lake today taking the county total to at least 10 birds.

More photos of these diminutive Sawbills  here