February Highlights

Headline Birds

February is not known for it's hot birding action and sure enough this one was very quiet. At least in January one had year ticks to chase after but come February most of these have been ticked off and there is little to do apart from twiddling one's thumbs until March and the arrival of the first spring migrants. Sadly this month lived up to this stereotype and we're very much scratching around for anything to report at all.

One thing that February is traditionally a good month for is white-wingers and the obvious highlights for this month are two Iceland Gulls (a second & third winter) which turned up in the Appleford/Sutton Courtenay triangle on the 12th. Sadly they only seemed to stay one day and weren't seen elsewhere in the county.

Iceland Gull 3w Sutton Courtenay Courtesy of Roger Wyatt

Iceland Gull 2w Sutton Courtenay Courtesy of Roger Wyatt

Apart from that we have the female Long-tailed Duck from Dorchester which hung on at Pit 60 at Standlake just long enough to make it into the first day of February. Sadly, that it's on the headline front.

Raptors

Two Marsh Harriers were seen on Otmoor over the month with the female staying until the month's end. Barn Owls were seen at Lyford and at Stonesfield on the 2nd and at Frilford on the 3rd and also at Otmoor. At least one Merlin was seen sporadically over the month at RSPB Otmoor with a more unusual sighting at Farmoor Reservoir on the 8th Tiddington on the 11th with a male seen at Segsbury Down on the 28th.  A Peregrine was seen at Kingston Bagpuize on the 3rd and at Kingston Lisle on the 9th along with the regular Standlake bird and the pair at Otmoor.

Peregrine Falcon Standlake Courtesy of Jeremy Dexter

Marsh Harrier Otmoor Courtesy of Paul Greenaway

Wildfowl

The female Red-breasted Merganser continued its residency at the Henley Rd/Sonning Eye gravel pit complex along with two Smew - this number rising to four on the 15th. Goosander reached an impressive 6 birds at Grimsbury Reservoir on the 19th and a count of 22 was reported at Port Meadow on the 14th. Two Shelduck were at Port Meadow 26th with the number rising to 3 the next day. The two adult Whooper Swans remained at Lower Radley throughout Feb as did the three White-fronted Geese on Otmoor along with the feral Ross's Goose.

Teal Oxford University Parks Courtesy of Lia Verhoeff

A Bittern was booming on Otmoor on the 15th. Another individual was also seen at Radley Gravel Pits on the 26th

Waders

Two Dunlin were on Port Meadow on the 21st. The first Curlew arrived back on Otmoor on the 17th. Away from traditional sites, four Jack Snipe were at the Bicester Wetlands Reserve on the 7th and one was seen at Farmoor on the 28th. Up to five Redshank remained at Port Meadow throughout the month. Two Black-tailed Godwits arrived on Otmoor on the 11th. The first Oystercatcher arrived back in God's Own County at Farmoor on the 12th

Water Rail Bicester Wetlands Reserve Courtesy of Alan Peters 

Passerines

The Siberian Chiffchaff remained at Grimsbury Reservoir to at least the 8th with the number of Sibes seen at Abingdon Sewage Treatment Works rising to at least five amongst twenty of their more common counterparts. Wintering Stonechats were seen at East Hendred on the 7th with up to four birds on Otmoor.

Siberian Chiffchaff Abingdon Courtesy of Roger Wyatt 

At least three Bearded Tits remained at Otmoor. Tree Sparrows were seen at several sites including a single bird at Rushey Lock on the 7th with fifteen at the B.O.S Balscote Quarry Reserve on the 7th and at least 10 at Chimney Meadows on the 8th. 

Tree Sparrow Balscote Quarry Courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

The winter roost of Corn Buntings reached an impressive one hundred and fifty birds (a count of national significance) on the 4th. Six Brambling were seen over Stonesfield Common on the 2nd with two birds at Middlehill Down on the 14th with a single bird at Garsington on the 5th

Stonechat Chimney Meadow Courtesy of Mark Merritt

Looking Ahead

Once again it's time to dust off the crystal ball and to see what we might expect in the coming month. Looking back at records for Oxon on RBA over the last 15 years it actually hasn't been too bad. The first thing that stands out are the white-winged gulls with lots of records for Glaucous and Iceland - could this actually be the best month for white-wingers in the county? Of course there is also the spring Med Gull passage in March - it's always nice to find some of these in amongst the roost. 

It has also been a good month in the past for Waxwings though given what a poor year we're having for this species this year I wouldn't bet on it. There is the usual smattering of records of the commoner rare stuff: Great Grey Shrike, Common Crane (three different years), Great White Egret and of course White Stork (two years). On the duck front there have been American Wigeon and Fudge Duck records this month. There was also the Rough-legged Buzzard on the downs in March a few years ago and of course we mustn't forget the Rufous Turtle Dove which stayed around until March. Finally there is also one "possible" Alpine Swift record to whet the appetite.

So a few dangling carrots of historic rares and the first returning spring migrants. It's time to get out there and work your patch!

Whose Storks are These?
by Keith Clack

For any birder who keeps a life or county list, there is always a problem of a bird's pedigree, particularly for wildfowl, with possible cage birds or those liable to be kept in private collections sometimes casting the shadow of doubt over the authenticity. One such problem bird is the White Stork, much beloved of ornamental gardens and zoos but, at the same time, perfectly wild in very large numbers just across the English Channel. Up until this point, I had seen several in various parts of the country including one that Jon Prowse and I twitched from a very slow moving car on the hard shoulder of the M40 near Weston on the Green which we felt fulfilled our county tick. However there is always a lingering doubt surrounding White Storks and in a discussion with a prominent Oxon birder, whilst failing to see one in a different part of the county, was told "Oh well, they're all escapees anyway". I still can't see that this is a valid argument when there are so many on the continent and with their huge wing span and ability to soar, they can easily make it across 20 odd miles of sea. This was particularly brought home to me when four of us were watching a Black Stork (whose validity is never questioned) in Essex, which soared around and above us from 3000 feet down to 30 feet and back up, without ever flapping its wings. Nevertheless, my county and life tick was something of a concern for several years, until April 28^th, 2012.

Our usual team of three had spent our annual three day visit to Weymouth and Portland enjoying great birding as migration hotted up and our summer visitors were returning in increasing numbers while we were there. Andy Shirley was our driver and had dropped off Jon en route to my house where Andy popped in for a reviving cuppa. While we chatted, my pager announced a White Stork in Oxfordshire, near the Thames at Newbridge. Initially, neither of us were particularly interested and Andy left for home. Shirley then asked if I wanted to go and try to find it so I said we'd see who else was about and if it was still there, park up and have a look. After all, if you see enough, one of them has to be wild!

Crossing the bridge between the two pubs, I was dismayed to find that no one else seemed to be there and there was not a birder to be seen so thought about going straight home. However, the Maybush was (inevitably) undergoing refurbishment yet again and the car park was deserted so we pulled in and walked to the gate overlooking the river meadows. Almost immediately I saw 'the' stork flying across the field in front of me and pointed it out to Shirley, who then said "what about these then?" Incredibly, she was pointing to five more storks flying to join up with the first and my next thought was "nobody loses six White Storks" - these are definitely 'real'. Up until now I hadn't realised that there had been six found and was only expecting a single bird, but a hurried phone call to Lew confirmed that he was aware of the number flying around Oxfordshire. As we returned to the car, we met up with Steve Roby and his wife and watched the birds fly down river again and then back up, all doubts of White Stork authenticity put to rest.

Two of the Storks, taken the next day (c) Gnome