Farmoor - 30th April

Big hirundine day at Farmoor. Masses of birds. No attempt at a count

40 Arctic Terns at 16.45. most left quite quickly, just a few remaining by early evening.

20 Common Terns.

2 Whimbrel.

Lark Hill 30th April

Ring Ouzel (m)
Whinchat (f)
3 Wheatear (1m, 2f)
4 Yellow Wagtail
2 Barn Owl

Otmoor 30th April

20 Black Tailed Godwit
4 Little Ringed Plover
2 Dunlin
2 Oystercatcher

: 30th April

Shenington Airfield
Whinchat: A male on old runway and fields alongside. Also 3 wheatear in same area. SP363431. 18:00.

Steve Holliday

Lye Valley Nature Reserve 30th April

Possible small Crake sp at the upper pool this morning (per Phil Barnett).

Port Meadow: 30th April

Port Meadow
5 Ringed Plover
2 Dunlin
Oystercatcher
Common Tern
3 Gadwall
5 Shelduck

The Goose flock was too far away and all hunkered down in the wind for me to see if the Pink-foot was still there.

Adam Hartley

Bicester Wetland Reserve 30 April

1 Swift, first for the site this year
1 Cetti's Warbler
Also  Garden Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler

Key Holder Reserve
Alan Peters

Balscote: Balscote Quarry: 30th April

Balscote: Balscote Quarry
2 Shelduck: A pair left north at 07.20 (found by Julie Parry). A hobby flew through SW.

Steve Holliday

Grimsbury Reservoir: 29th April

Redstart, female found along western side at midday

c.150 mixed hirundines
several Swifts
Hobby through
Peregrine over
Common Sand - at the Borrow Pit pool
White Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail at reservoir and 3 at the Borrow Pit pool

the mixed Willow/Marsh Tit pair involved in courtship behaviour

Farmoor Hirundines

Swift courtesy of Nick Truby.

Swallow

House Martin

Port Meadow 29th April

Pink-footed Goose (unringed) 18:56 with mixed goose flock north of floods. Found by Martin Gebauer

Video courtesy of Gnome 

2 Little Ringed Plover

4 Ringed Plover

3 Dunlin

2 Common Sandpiper

1 Yellow Wagtail

1 Common Tern

Modest flock of Hirundines hawking low over the water

(per Gnome)

Pit 60 29th April

Spotted Flycatcher courtesy of Mick Cunningham

Spotted Flycatcher
Hobby

(per Mick Cunningham)

Farmoor 29th evening

4-6pm

2 Arctic Terns (one group of c8) appeared to go through briefly too.
Wheatear on western side of F1
c10 Yellow Wagtail along causeway including the Channel Wagtail
2 White Wagtail

Otmoor 29th April

Now two summer-plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit with around 20 Black-tails on Big Otmoor.

per Ian Elkins

Farmoor 29th April

Arctic Tern 4
Whimbrel 1
Dunlin 3
Common Sandpiper 9
Ringed Plover 2

 Egyptian Geese

: 28th April

RSPB Otmoor
40 Black-tailed Godwit: Big Otmoor. Occasional flights gave good views. SP557132. 17:30.

Suzanne Parrott

Farmoor Res 28th April

1500-1700hrs

Arctic Tern 7  flew off approx 1615hrs
Common Tern 17

Swallow 3500
Sand Martin 2000
House Martin 500+
Common Swift 100+

Yellow Wagtail 8
Channel Wagtail 1m

Farmoor Reservoir 28th April

Courtesy of Nick Truby

2 GREAT SKUA  on F1 then sat on F2 until 14:12 then flew off high west
Arctic Tern still present 14:12

Distant record shot of Great Skua

(per Pete Allan, Aulliki, Roger Wyatt, Nick Truby et al)

Grasshopper Warbler (shrike meadow)

9 Common Sandpiper 

5 Yellow Wagtail (f1)

(Jim Hutchins, Justin Taylor)

I told you we should have stayed in Africa! 

Arctic Tern: F2.

2 Dunlin: on the causeway.

Little Ringed Plover: on western shore of F1. 

Swallow: One individual with a white rump-patch. Head pattern was that of a Swallow.

(Ian Elkins)

Record shot video courtesy of Gnome

Pit 60 Standlake 28th April

Courtesy of Mick Cunningham

Black-tailed Godwit
Little-ringed Plover 2
Common Sandpiper 2
Reed Warbler

(per Mick Cunningham)

Yarnton Mead: 28th April

Yarnton Mead
2 Shelduck: pair.
Little Egret
Common Tern: Flew west.
156 Swallow: North/north-west at 0610.

Derek Evans

Baulking Pit:28th April

Hobby 1, poss 2
Yellow Wagtail 3
Common Sandpiper 7
Barn Owl
Raven
100+ Hirundines

Lark Hill 28th April

Ring Ouzel (m) still, same area
Peregrine
Barn Owl
4 Wheatear
Sedge Warbler singing in copse
10+ singing male Corn Bunting
Pairs of Reed Bunting and Yellow Wagtail

Farmoor 27th April

Little Ringed Plover

2 Ringed Plover

2 Little Ringed Plover

3 Oystercatcher

5 Dunlin

12 Common Sandpiper

1 Whimbrel

1 Channel Wagtail

4 White Wagtail

35 Swift

Ringed Plover

Whimbrel

Baulking: 27th April

Baulking
4 Common Sandpiper: SU322908.
2 Yellow Wagtail: SU322908.
Swift: SU322908.
65 Swallow: SU322908.
5 House Martin: SU322908.
35 Sand Martin: SU322908.

Mark Merritt

Henley Road GPs: 27th April

Henley Road GPs
2 Common Sandpiper 17:30.

Marek Walford

Sonning Eye GPs: 27th April

Sonning Eye GPs
5 Arctic Tern 17:00.

Marek Walford

Sonning Eye GPs: 27th April

Sonning Eye GPs
3 Arctic Tern 11:30.

Henley Road GPs
Red-crested Pochard: m. 11:30.
4 Common Sandpiper 11:30.

Hugh Netley

Port Meadow: 27th April

Port Meadow
5 Oystercatcher
3 Shelduck
2 Common Tern
5 Ringed Plover
1 Dunlin
Also large flock of 30+ mixed Hirundines hawking low over the water

Adam Hartley

27th April, Trap Grounds, Oxford

Spotted Flycatcher in the Trap Grounds today, found by Nicola Devine

Courtesy of Nicola Devine

Bicester Wetlands add

Garden Warbler 1 possibly 2
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Whitethroat 3

Bicester Wetland Reserve 27 April

1 Little Ringed Plover
1 Common Sandpiper
3 Oystercatchers (flyover)
50 plus House Martins
10 plus Swallows

Key Holder Reserve
Alan Peters and Colin Oram

Stonesfield: Stonesfield Common: 26th April

Courtesy of Paul Wren

Redstart: male.

(per Paul Wren)

Farmoor: Evening 26th April

7 Dunlin
1 Arctic Tern
9 Common Tern
1 Channel Wagtail
2 White Wagtail

Common Tern

Dunlin

Arctic Tern (?)

Farmoor Res 26th April

1030-1430hrs

Dunlin 4
Common Sandpiper 5

Greater Black backed Gull 1 second year
Common Tern 4

Common Cuckoo 2 poss 3
Common Swift 50+
Swallow 20+
Sand Martin 500
House Martin 1
Yellow Wagtail 1

Blackcap 13
Garden Warbler 3
Common Whitethroat 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Sedge Warbler 3
Reed Warbler 5
Cetti's Warbler 2
Common Chiffchaff 6
Willow Warbler 3

Garsington: 26th April

Garsington
Yellow Wagtail 14:20.

Colin Oram

Lark Hill 26th April

Ring Ouzel (m) - feeding next to track that runs parallel to southern end of main track
Tree Pipit (over)
12 Wheatear (inc. Greenland (m) at reservoir)
2 Yellow Wagtail
Sand Martin north

Otmoor.A.M. 26th April.

2 Little-ringed Plover
1 Whimbrel (still)
1 Oystercatcher
1 Hobby.

Port Meadow: 26th April

Port Meadow
Whimbrel: Briefly at midday before flying off.
Ringed Plover
Black-tailed Godwit
7 Oystercatcher
5 Shelduck
2 Common Tern
+Swifts overhead early afternoon

Adam Hartley & Mary MacDougall

Blenheim: Blenheim Lake: 25th April

Blenheim: Blenheim Lake
Common Sandpiper
3 Common Tern
Swift
20 Sand Martin

Derek Evans

Grimsbury Reservoir: 25th April

Shag - one flew through from the South just after a heavy storm at around 3pm (per Ian Rowe)

4 Common Sandpipers
4 Swifts
Lots of hirundines, including 15+ House Martin

JFT, IR and GB

Bicester Wetlands

Hobby 1 over reserve 6.20pm
Sand Martin 3

Otmoor. 25th. April.

Sedge Warbler.

Peregrine.

Whimbrel.     Per. K.S.P.

Hobby.

Marsh Harriers.

Cuckoo.

Per.   P.G.  T.S.

Cuckoo.

Farmoor: 25th April

09:30-11:00:

4 Dunlin, causeway

7 Common Sandpiper, F1

Little Egret over F2

Egyptian Goose over F2

3 Common Tern

150+ Swift

Grasshopper Warbler

Lesser Whitethroat

Cetti's Warbler

Cuckoo 

Manx Wagtail still present :-) 

Otmoor Sedge Warbler

Courtesy of John Workman.

Farmoor: Evening 24th April

2 Sanderling
2 Ringed Plover
1 Dunlin
4 Common Sandpiper
1 Channel Wagtail
100+ Swift

Sonning Eye GPs: 24th April

Sonning Eye GPs
Hobby 16:35.
Mandarin Duck: drk. 16:35.

Marek Walford

: 24th April

Shenington Airfield
5 Wheatear: Three males, 2 females on newly cut grass by old airstrip. SP364431. 12:15.

Steve Holliday

Port Meadow: 24th April

Port Meadow
Black-tailed Godwit
2 Oystercatcher
4 Shelduck

Port Meadow: Burgess Field Nature Park
Lesser Whitethroat
6 Whitethroat
6 Blackcap
Willow Warbler

Adam Hartley

Otmoor Cuckoo

Courtesy of Richard Tyler

Port Meadow: 23rd April

Port Meadow
Black-tailed Godwit
8 Shelduck
3 Gadwall
2 Oystercatcher
3 House Martin

Adam Hartley

Farmoor Res 23rd April

Channel Wagtail M.f.flavissima x M.f.flava 

1330-1630hrs

Common Swift 22
House Martin 30+
Sand Martin 13
Swallow 6

All hirundines and swifts were after 1600hrs

Yellow Wagtail 1
Channel Wagtail 1
Grasshopper Warbler 1
Sedge Warbler 3
Reed Warbler 1
Cetti's Warbler 1
Blackcap 7
Lesser Whitethroat 3
Willow Warbler 2
Common Chiffchaff 2

Common Sandpiper 4
Common Tern 7
Great Black backed Gull 2 ads
Herring Gull 1 ad
Red crested Pochard 1f

Otmoor rspb 23rd April

Bittern
Little Egret 2
Marsh Harrier
Peregrine
Dunlin
Little-ringed Plover
Swift 4
House Martin 3

(per Paul Greenaway)

Radcot Lock: 23rd April

Radcot Lock
2 Common Sandpiper
Cuckoo

Colin Vickers

Otmoor April 22nd (10:30-1:30)

In addition to various sightings below
Hobby -3
Black Tailed Godwit -1
Raven -1

Sent from my iPhone

Farmoor April 22nd (7-10:30 & 4:30-7:30)

Common Tern -4
Grasshopper Warbler -1
Cuckoo -2
GBBGull -1 first summer
Redshank -2
Common Sand -2
Swift -20+ (6pm onwards)
Yellow Wagtail - 7
Channel Wagtail -1
White Wagtail -1
Lesser Whitethroat -1
Garden Warbler -1
Ringed Plover -5 (north at 18:45)
Dunlin -1 (north at 18:45)

Sent from my iPhone

Rushey Common area, 22nd April

pm
Cettis Warbler singing frequently and moving along ditch on south side of Tar Lake, first known report at this site
Rushey Common lake- Egyptian Geese 4
Oystercatchers  2
Common Terns  6

Clackers & Mrs Clackers

Balscote: Balscote Quarry: 22nd April

Balscote: Balscote Quarry
Whimbrel: One flew over reserve calling at 18.10 leaving NE. Also 2 curlew dropped in to bathe and preen 17.50.

Steve Holliday

Otmoor: 22nd April

Otmoor
Peregrine

Michael Violette

Otmoor 22nd PM

2 Bittern seen in flight
2 Cuckoo
Whimbrel on Big Otmoor
2 Grasshopper Warbler
Common Whitethroat
Lesser Whitethroat

Distant Whimbrel

Standlake Pit 60: 22nd April

Standlake Pit 60
Little Ringed Plover: FOY.

Mick Cunningham

Bladon Heath: 22nd April

Bladon Heath
2 Mandarin Duck: pair. Flushed from woodland pools.
Tawny Owl: Calling at 0750.

Frogwelldown Lane, Yarnton
2 Grey Partridge: pair. SP470122.

Begbroke: Begbroke Wood
Cuckoo: Heard only.

Derek Evans

Standlake Pit 60: 22nd April

Standlake Pit 60
Green Sandpiper: First for many weeks.

Mick Cunningham

Sonning Eye GPs: 22nd April

Sonning Eye GPs
Mandarin Duck: Heard calling. 16:55.

Marek Walford

Farmoor Reservoir: 22nd April

22nd April

Farmoor Reservoir
Yellow Wagtail
Cuckoo 08:30.
3 Grasshopper Warbler: 3 calling birds around shrike meadow. 08:30.

Mike Youngman

Otmoor: 22nd April

22nd April

Otmoor
Whimbrel 12:00.
2 Cuckoo
2 Oystercatcher
Grasshopper Warbler: Heard on path between hide and first screen.
Peregrine

Graeme Porter

Fyfield Wick: 22nd April

Fyfield Wick
Hobby: 1 circling with Red Kite. 12:50.

Jed Cleeter

Charlton Field 22nd April

Charlton Field
Yellow Wagtail: male. SU413862.
2 Wheatear: male
Sparrowhawk
Corn Bunting

Mark Bradfield

Chimney: Chimney Meadows: 20th April

Chimney: Chimney Meadows
Cuckoo: male. 18:20.

Tim Hodgetts

Farmooor: Evening 21st April

1 Grey Plover - Circling F2
2 Grasshopper Warblers - Distant but showing very well within the laid out cut branches in Shrike                                                    Meadow (thank you Dai)
1 Channel Wagtail
14 Yellow Wagtail
1 Hobby - over car park
1 Cuckoo - LW Farm

: 21st April

Frogwelldown Lane, Yarnton
Redstart: At 0900. SP470122.

Derek Evans

Radley GP: 21st April

Radley GP
Little Egret
Red-crested Pochard: drk.
Cuckoo: heard.

Ian Elkins

Standlake Pit 60: 21st April

Standlake Pit 60
Cuckoo: m. This evening. FOY here though might be same bird had near my house all week, see comment under cormorant.
2 Cormorant: For last couple of weeks at least 1 taken to perching for long periods very high in tree on south shore. Didn't think much of it. This evening cuckoo landed in tree. Through scope I could see huge cormorant nest on branch above singing cuckoo. With sitting cormorant in situ. Note to self to be more observant.
Redshank
Common Sandpiper
Reed Warbler: m. Singing. FOY here for me.

Mick Cunningham

Farmoor Res 21st April

1000-1130hrs

Cuckoo 1
Grasshopper Warbler 2
Sedge Warbler 3+
Willow Warbler 1
Blackcap 2
White Wagtail 1

Little Egret 1
Common Tern 3

Sonning Eye GPs: 21st April

Sonning Eye GPs
5 Oystercatcher: In flooded field next to spring lane with swans and geese. 16:45.
Mandarin Duck: Over, calling. 16:04.
Garganey 2 (male,fem) On the triangle. 16:35. 

Marek Walford

Sutton Courtenay: Sutton Courtenay Old Pits: 21st April

Sutton Courtenay: Sutton Courtenay Old Pits
2 Oystercatcher: SU515940. 14:00.

Sutton Courtenay - Drayton Road
Great White Egret: On flooded area to north of road, opposite large gateway to area of new building. Bird viewable from road. SU489943. 14:40.

Gerry Quinn

Farmoor: 21st April am

1 LRP south west side of FII briefly

2h Grasshopper Warblers (1 Buckthorn Meadow, 1 Shrike Meadow)

1 Lesser Whitethroat (between Lower Whitley Farm and Buckthorn Meadow)

Sedge & Reed Warblers

Chiffchaff

No Cuckoos, no Willow Warblers

The Tall Birder

Otmoor - 21st April

0545-1130 hrs

2 Common Shelduck
1 Bittern (Booming)
2 Oystercatcher
1 Whimbrel (East side of Big Otmoor)
1 Curlew (heard only)
1 Woodcock (flushed from edge of field opposite to MoD Land)
3 Snipe (Drumming)
2 Cuckoo
1 Barn Owl (Quartering East side of Greenways)
2 Grasshopper Warbler

Whimbrel - George Best

George Best

Ottmoor. 21st April.

Pied Flycatcher m. from bridleway south of the reserve, on route to Julys Meadow.
Per.  Mark Chivers.  John Reynolds.

Whimbrel.

Per. Paul Brennan.

South Leigh: 20th April

South Leigh
Redstart: m.

Rushy Common
Cuckoo: m.

Mark Merritt

Fyfield Wick: 20th April

Fyfield Wick
Fieldfare: Single bird flew in and was calling from tree top. 20:18.

Jed Cleeter

20th April Otmoor

16-19:00 Old Caley's Diary

Wheatear (2, m&f) (Cattle pens)

Hobby (big Otmoor)

Grasshopper warbler (reeling Carpark field)
Garden Warbler
Lesser Whitethroat (5)
Common Whitethroat
Sedge Warbler (6)
Willow Warbler (2)
Cetti's Warbler (3h)
Snipe (drumming)

Bittern (booming in reedbed)
Cuckoo (2)

Grimsbury Reservoir: 20th April

Wood Warbler from this morning, singing intermittently & showing well at times, but very mobile! Amazingly in exactly the same place as the one I found 2 years ago and just one day earlier!

Churn: 20th April

Churn
Yellow Wagtail: SU508832.
5 Wheatear: SU508825.
4 Grey Partridge: SU510839.

Michael Violette

Farmoor, 20th April

Black Terns 2 favouring east end of f2
Cuckoo 2  1 behind Lower Whitley farm 1 behind Shrike Meadow
Lesser Whitethroat
Cettis Warbler  Pinkhill
Willow Warbler  Pinkhill

Clackers & Mrs Clackers

Chimney: Chimney Meadows: 20th April

Chimney: Chimney Meadows
Whitethroat 09:30.

Mark Bradfield

Dix Pit: 20th April

Dix Pit
2 Reed Warbler: Both singing. First of year.

Mick Cunningham

Otmoor: 20th April

Otmoor
Hobby: Greenaways.
2 Raven: Flying towards Beckley.
3 Cuckoo
2 Oystercatcher: A pair widely ranging over the moor.
4 Pintail: Big Otmoor.
4 Reed Warbler

John Edwards

Hinksey Heights Golf Club. 20th. April.

Iberian Chiffchaff still present and singing late morning.

Farmoor. 20th.April.

Black Terns still present F2. at 3.15pm.   Per Mr. and Mrs. Clackers.
Cuckoo.
Yellow Wagtail.
Wheatear.

Wheatear.

Lollingdon

1 Cuckoo
2 Whinchat
2 Willow Warbler
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Garden Warbler
5 Raven (family group)
1 Yellow Wagtail
2 Swallow

NO Common Whitethroat yet!

Farmoor 20th April

2 Blacks Terns Farmoor F2

per Pete Allen

Blenheim 20th April

Common Sandpiper,
Redpoll,
Raven displaying
3 Little Egrets on the island.

Per Dave Doherty

Standlake Pit 60: 20th April

Standlake Pit 60
2 Lesser Whitethroat: m. Both at sorry end Langley Lane. Foy Sedge been in a week but influx today c6 alongside sylvias.

Mick Cunningham

Standlake Pit 60: 20th April

Standlake Pit 60
2 Garden Warbler: male. Two watched singing. My first of year.

Mick Cunningham

20th April, Grimsbury Reservoir, Banbury

Wood Warbler at Grimsbury Reservoir singing in the wood on southern edge by the cattle field.

per John Friendship Taylor

Fyfield Wick: 20th April

Fyfield Wick
Swift: High NW. 07:20.
Willow Warbler: 1st singing Male Heard here. 07:20.

Jed Cleeter

Barford St. Michael: Barford Airfield: 19th April

Barford St. Michael: Barford Airfield
Redstart: male. Seen in low scrub inside Airfeild fence, also 2 wheatears. SP4433.

Adrian Bletchly

Balscote: Balscote Quarry: 19th April

Balscote: Balscote Quarry
Short-eared Owl: Hunting over reserve and adjoining fields. Probably present yesterday evening too. 19:10.

Steve Holliday

Fyfield Wick: 19th April

Fyfield Wick
Swift: Circled for a couple of minutes getting lower. Then made 2 dives and inspected my eaves for a nesting site, before disappearing. Feel Privileged and hope it returns. 18:52.
4 Blackcap: 2 singing males appear to be paired up with females. 18:52.
Chiffchaff: Singing Male. 18:52.

Jed Cleeter

Farmoor: 19th April