Standlake Pit 60: 30th September

Standlake Pit 60
Pintail: f/imm (prob latter but a bit distant). A recent arrival.

Mick Cunningham

Wether Down: 30th Sep.

2 Stonechat
Grasshopper Warbler
2 Raven
4 Meadow Pipit

Lower Radley: 30th September

Lower Radley
22 Red-legged Partridge
Kingfisher

Ian Elkins

Worton: 30th September

Worton
Shelduck: SP460110.
3 Pintail: Eclipse. SP460110.
40 Cormorant: SP460110.
110 Lapwing: SP460110.

Derek Evans

Otmoor Sunday 30th September Correction

Oops! The bird seen this morning has been re-identified as a transitional plumaged Male Marsh Harrier in its second calendar year. (picture to follow)
apologies.
Bark

Henley Road GPs: 30th September

Henley Road GPs
5 Mandarin Duck: 3m+2f. 12:20.

Marek Walford

Farmoor 30th September

09:00-12:00

Ringed Plover 5
Dunlin 2
Red-crested Pochard fem
Warblers incl Blackcap, Chiffchaff & Com Whitethroat 
Stonechat (Pinkhill)

No sign of BN Grebe

Old Caley's Diary

Otmoor 30th September

Juv Montagu's Harrier flew south over the reedbed mid morning

Per Peter Barker

Sent from my iPhone

Farmoor ringed gull (September 16th)

This juvenile Great Black Backed Gull was seen on F1 on Sept 16th (eating a coot...). It was ringed as a pullus on the Ferkingstad Islands off the west coast of southern Norway on July 14th, see  map. A distance of just under 1000km as the larid flys.

Farmoor Reservoir 29th September.

Black-necked Grebe

Farmoor 29th September

Black-necked Grebe on Farmoor 1 near boat moorings 9:25 am per Dai


Sent from my iPhone

Water Eaton: 27th September

Water Eaton
Yellow Wagtail: SP515121. 12:00.

Steve Goddard

Farmoor 27th September

juv Arctic Tern - still present on causeway around 13:10 until flushed by walkers

1 Ringed Plover

Arctic Tern (juv) (c) Stephen Burch

www.stephenburch.com

Buckland Warren: 27th September

30+ Siskins

Farmoor: 26th September

Juv Arctic Tern
4 Ringed Plover
1 Common Sandpiper

Buckland Warren: 26th September

Buckland Warren
2 Spotted Flycatcher: juv. 13:00.
3 Raven 13:00.

Jeremy Dexter

Standlake Pit 60: am 26th September

Great White Egret

Balscote: Balscote Quarry: 25th September

Balscote: Balscote Quarry
2 Stonechat: m. 14:30.
Peregrine: Mobbing a Buzzard. 14:30.

Mark Ribbons

Standlake Pit 60: 25th September

Standlake Pit 60
Great White Egret: Moved to here from pit 38 Hope it winters.
2 Water Rail: 1 heard near north hide. Another running around mud on South shore.

Mick Cunningham

Standlake: 25th September

Standlake
Great White Egret: On pit immediately west of pit 60. Viewable from southern end of Shifford Lane ie just beyond where path turns left to pit 60 north hide.

Mick Cunningham

Sarsgrove: 24th September

Sarsgrove
2 Stonechat: ad pair. On close cropped hedge on field margin - feeding constantly. 16:30.

Steve Akers

Sonning Eye GPs: 24th September

1 Grey Phalarope Juv,
1 adult & 1 juv, Arctic Tern,
4 Ringed-neck Parakeet.

Balscote: Balscote Quarry: 24th September

Balscote: Balscote Quarry
Stonechat: male. In front of screen. Work will be carried out this week to re-profile the quarry floor, creating islands and deeper areas to benefit breeding waders and roosting curlew. Project supported by Trust for Oxfordshire's Environment and BOS. 17:30.

Steve Holliday

Blenheim: Blenheim Lake: 24th September

Blenheim: Blenheim Lake
Pintail: ecl drk.
9 Wigeon
14 Little Grebe
Yellow-legged Gull: ad w/p.

Derek Evans

Farmoor 24th

2 Arctic Tern juvs
1 Yellow Wagtail
2 Ringed Plover
2 Dunlin
1 Common tern
1 Sparrowhawk

Per A.L & Dai


Sent from my iPhone

Sonning Eye GPs: 24th September

Sonning Eye GPs
2 Arctic Tern: ad+juv. Per Adam Bassett. 11:45.

Marek Walford

Sonning Eye GPs: 24th September

Sonning Eye GPs
Grey Phalarope: Per Adam Bassett. 11:15.

Marek Walford

Sonning Eye GPs: 23rd September

Sonning Eye GPs
Grey Phalarope 17:40.
Arctic Tern: imm. 17:40.

Marek Walford

Lark Hill 23rd September

Marsh Harrier (juv) through low to S
Whinchat
Stonechat (f)
3 Wheatear
5 Chiffchaff

Otmoor 23rd Sept

2 Whinchat at Noke
3 Snipe at first screen

Sent from my iPhone

Appleford New Workings 23rd September

Caspian Gull (1stw)

Green Sandpiper 

Common Sandpiper 2 

Snipe
Peregrine
Stock Dove 3 

Stonechat
Whinchat 2
Wheatear 3
Meadow Pipit 40+
Yellowhammer 5

(Badger, Jerry Quin)

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Oxford Cowley Marsh 23rd September

2 Ring-necked Parakeet 

2 Swallow 

(per Tommaso Pizzari) 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Farmoor: 23 September

Arctic Tern 1 juv
Ringed Plover 2

Sonning Eye GPs: 23rd September

Sonning Eye GPs
2 Sandwich Tern: Circling the lake for c5 minutes calling, but never came down, then flew off S. No sign of Grey Phal. 11:25.

Marek Walford

Stratfield Brake: 22nd September

Stratfield Brake
2 Wigeon 08:40.
24 Teal 08:40.
Little Egret 08:40.
Spotted Flycatcher: With tit flock along canal. 08:40.

Derek Evans

Farmoor 22nd September

Arctic Tern courtesy of John Workman.

Arctic Tern juv
Dunlin
Ringed Plover juv
100's house martins with just the odd Sand Martin and swallow amongst them
Wheatear

(per Andy Last, John Workman)

Dunlin & Ringed Plover courtesy of John Workman.

Dix Pit: 22 Sept

Black Tern 2

Arctic Tern juv (per Dave Doherty)
Red-crested Pochard
Snipe

Sonning Eye GPs: 22nd September

Sonning Eye GPs
Grey Phalarope: With. M.W. H.N. And R.S. 10:00.

Ralph Watts

Didcot 22nd September

Freeman Road
Ring-necked Parakeet: SU512905. 11:10.

Michael Violette

Sonning Eye 22nd September

GREY PHALAROPE 09:10 (per Mark Walford) 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Sonning Eye GPs: 22nd September

Sonning Eye GPs
Arctic Tern: imm. 09:35.

Marek Walford

Grimsbury Reservoir 22nd September

Arctic Tern c09:55 (JFT)

No sign of the Grey Phalarope by 08:30 (per John Friendship-Taylor et al).

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Grimsbury Reservoir 21st September

Juv / 1st-winter Grey Phalarope until dusk along W side
1 Hobby S
6 Golden Plover S
1 Little Egret
c4 Yellow-Legged Gulls

Bicester Wetland Reserve 21st September

1 of the 4 Green Sandpipers at the reserve this morning

Key Holder Reserve
Alan Peters

Grimsbury Reservoir 21st September

GREY PHALAROPE in S/E corner of the reservoir 17:48 (per John Friendship-Taylor)

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Farmoor 21st September

 Caspian Gull

Rock Pipit

Standlake Pit 60: 21st September

Standlake Pit 60
Spotted Flycatcher: With tit flock at N end of Langley lane No waders!

Mick Cunningham

Oxford 20th September

Peregrine low over High Street 17:30 

(per Tommaso Pizzari). 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Rushey Common lake, 20th September

Little Egret 1ad 2 juv
Hobby 2 feeding close to hide
Common Sandpiper
Dunlin 2 flew behind island near owl box
1 unknown wader disturbed by grass cutter not seen again.

Clackers & Mrs Clackers

Lark Hill 20th September

6 Whinchat
c10 Meadow Pipit
40+ Skylark

Farmoor. Evening. 19th. September.

Arctic Tern. (juv.)

Per. D.J.  T.S.

Bicester Wetland Reserve 19th September

1 Common Sandpiper
2 Green Sandpiper
1 Snipe
1 Water Rail
53 Teal
4 Gadwall
3 Chiffchaff

Key Holder Reserve
Alan Peters

19th September Oxford, Walton Manor

Ring-necked Parakeet flew south along Kingston Road at 7:37 a.m. this morning.

Maybe the same bird that was seen at Headington Hill yesterday?

Oxford 18th September

Ring-necked Parakeet flew over Headington Hill heading S/W c09:00

Raven 2

(per Dave Doherty)

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Farmoor Reservoir: Farmoor I: 16th September

Belated report from Sunday:

5 Common Sandpiper: north shore.
3 Wigeon: 1 ecl male, 2 fem. west shore.
2 Yellow-legged Gull: ad. by water tower.

Farmoor Reservoir: Pinkhill
Hobby

Alan Horsley

Chinnor: Cement Works: 17th September

Chinnor: Cement Works
Common Sandpiper: Lake 2b.
Hobby: 1 flew south over site.

David Stracey

Otmoor 17th September: evening

Short-eared Owl

Barn Owl

Tawny Owl

Whinchat 

Yellow Wagtail  40

Whitethroat 

Terry, Ron, Luke, Roby's

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Otmoor 15th September

Belated report of a Short-eared Owl on Saturday SP566129. 18:30.

Ben Clift

Port Meadow: 17th September

17th September

Port Meadow
35 Yellow Wagtail: Central meadow with cattle at 0835.
Whinchat: Lower Wolvercote allotments. 07:30.

Derek Evans

Lark Hill (reservoir area) 16th September

6 Whinchat
Wheatear
c20 Meadow Pipit
c50 Linnet

Milton Hill House: 16th September

Milton Hill House
Hobby 13:00.

Michael Violette

Appleford New Workings 16th September

Green Sandpiper 3

Common Sandpiper 3

Snipe 2
Little Egret 3
Yellow Wagtail

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Port Meadow Saturday 15th September

From yesterday:
Whinchat (looking like an adult female) on the Lower Wolvercote allotments (the ones on the Meadow)  Saturday, at 3:45pm, hanging around on the fence and taller plants on the allotments.
Also 20+ Yellow Wagtails feeding by the cattle by the same spot.

per Nick Boyd

LWV Pit 10: 16th September

LWV Pit 10
Hobby

Mick Cunningham

Thrupp 15th September

Pied Flycatcher reported yesterday just north of Kidlington at Thrupp in bushes by canal at 

11:30 (per RBA). 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

LWV Pit 10: 16th September

LWV Pit 10
Little Gull: 1w. Brief circuit, left to the W. 10:30.

Mark Merritt

Blenheim: Blenheim Lake: 16th September

Blenheim: Blenheim Lake
85 Teal
77 Shoveler
76 Gadwall
7 Wigeon
Mandarin Duck: fem.
13 Little Grebe
17 Great Crested Grebe
Kingfisher

Bob Pomfret

Otmoor 15th September

Spotted Flycatcher courtesy of Ewan Jones

Whinchat 6
Spotted Flycatcher 

Golden Plover   one flying over

Hobby

Cetti's Warbler 

Sedge Warbler

Reed Warbler

(per the Roby's & Ewan Jones)

Whinchat courtesy of Ewan Jones

Lark Hill 15th September pm

5 Whinchat
11 Meadow Pipit
c20 Corn Bunting
300+ Swallow

A.M: per SNT

Whinchat 1

Grey Plover 1, flying east, calling

Farmoor Reservoir 15th September

Juvenile Hobby courtesy of John Workman.

West Ginge to Scutchamer Knob: 15th Sep.

Woodcock
Spotted Flycatcher
4 Raven (2 pairs)
2 Wheatear
Whinchat

Farmoor: 14th September

Arctic Terns

Stratfield Brake: 14th September

Stratfield Brake
10 Gadwall
14 Teal
25 Pied Wagtail: On the playing fields.
Stonechat: male.
Cetti's Warbler
Raven

Derek Evans

Standlake Pit 60: am 14th September

Common Sandpiper
Peregrine

Farmoor Reservoir: 14th September

Farmoor Reservoir
Probable 3 Arctic Tern 15:30.

Jeremy Dexter

Lark Hill 14th September

Whinchat
4 Raven (family party)
4+ Meadow Pipit
50+ Swallows heading W

Lark Hill (res only): 13th & 14th September

14th: Meadow Pipts (4+)
13th: Wheatear 2

Farmoor Reservoir: 13th September

Farmoor Reservoir
Wheatear: f. In addition to Steve G's birds, the wheatear was on the causeway. Looked suspiciously like a Greenland.
Ringed Plover: juv. Flew in and landed on E Bank of F1.

Mick Cunningham

Standlake Pit 60: 13th September

Standlake Pit 60
Hobby

Mick Cunningham

Farmoor - 13th September am

5 Redshank - mobile flock on causeway & F2
3+ Common Sands
2 Yellow Wagtail - on E side F1 initially, then causeway. No sign later
1 Kingfisher

+plenty of dragonflies still on the meadows near the Thames

Kingfisher (c) Stephen Burch

www.stephenburch.com

Garden Bird

This bird sits in our Silver Birch in our garden in the middle of Bicester, how times have changed. In the late 1970's a friend and I used to drive to central Wales for a big day out hoping to see a rare Red Kite.
Alan Peters

Otmoor.A.M. 13th September.

6+ Yellow Wagtail
1 Whinchat ( per DD.)
15 Meadow Pipit
2+ Kingfisher
7 Snipe
2 Hobby
1 Raven (over)
1 Wigeon (per PW).

Standlake Pit 60: 12th September

Probable 4 Green Sandpiper: Almost certainly Green Sandpiper (white rump in flight). Watched for 30 minutes on the shore to the right of the Langley lane Hide. 15:00.

Probable Little Ringed Plover: Pretty sure this was a LP though yellow eye ring not clearly visible. 15:30.

Ian Chatt

Standlake Pit 60: 12th September

Standlake Pit 60
Probable 4 Green Sandpiper: Almost certainly Green Sandpiper (white rump in flight). Watched for 30 minutes on the shore to the right of the Langley lane Hide. 15:00.

Ian Chatt

OTMOOR 12th evening

C6:30-7:30

Whinchat
Water rail
Cetti's warbler

Oxford: Aston's Eyot: 12th September

Oxford: Aston's Eyot
Spotted Flycatcher: in bird party with tits, treecreeper; presumably on passge.

Anthony Cheke

Bicester Wetland Reserve 12th September

1 Common Sandpiper
2 Black-tailed Godwit landed briefly then flushed by farmer checking his cows grazing the reserve.
2 Little Egret
2 Heron
22 Teal
1 Little Grebe

Key Holder Reserve
Alan Peters

Farmoor: 11th September

1 Juvenile Arctic Tern flew through (15.30)
92 Snow Geese
7 Common Sandpiper
Herring Gull with hooked bill
2 Hobby

Lollingdon: 11th Sep

1 Pied Flycatcher
3+ Spotted Flycatcher
3 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Willow Warbler
2 Blackcap
10 + Chiffchaff
1 Hobby
C250 House Martin over

Lark Hill 11th September

Redstart (m)
3 Wheatear
6+ Corn Bunting

Standlake Pit 60: 10th September

Standlake Pit 60
Green Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper: Juv.
Ringed Plover: Heard several times but couldn't locate. Flying around.

Mick Cunningham

Otmoor 10th September evening

Yellow Wagtail  78  going to roost in the reeds
Barn Owl  1  using posts in The Closes around dusk

Roby's

Chinnor: Cement Works: 10th September

Chinnor: Cement Works
3 Common Sandpiper: On the Eastern side of Lake 2b.

David Stracey

Farmoor Reservoir 10th September

Courtesy of John Workman

Dunlin
Redshank
Wheatear

Courtesy of Dave Stanton.

Courtesy of John Workman

Bicester Wetland Reserve 10th September

1 Dunlin
4 Green Sandpiper
2 Snipe
2 Heron
22 Teal
3 Gadwall
3 Swallows
65 Starlings

Key Holder Reserve
Alan Peters

Otmoor, 9th September

Lower Farm, Noke 13-14:00

Whinchat 6

(distant) Whinchat (& Reed Bunting) record shot!

Yellow Wagtail 1
Blackcap (m) 1

Furzewick Down: 9th Sep

Merlin (F)
8 Meadow Pipit
8 Chiffchaff

Standlake Pit 60: 9th September

Standlake Pit 60
Green Sandpiper

Mick Cunningham

Farmoor Reservoir: 8th September

Courtesy of John Friendship-Taylor

Caspian Gull juv. At S end of F2. 09:00.
Osprey through (per Roger Wyatt)
Black Tern juv. F2
Red-crested Pochard: F2
2 Hobby: Hunting hirundines
Dunlin: F1. 09:00
Common Sandpiper
Yellow-legged Gull

John Friendship-Taylor

Farmoor, 8th September

14:00-15:30

juv Black Tern (F1)

Wigeon (F1)

Common Sandpiper 4

Churn, 8th September

10:00-13:00

Wheatear

Swallow 100+ moving through with similar numbers of House Martins

Common Whitethroat
Chiffchaff 3

Old Caley's Diary

Appleford New Workings 8th September

Caspian Gull nearing completion of its moult into 3rd winter.

Green Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper 2

August Review & News

Roseate Tern courtesy of Jeremy Dexter

The return migration month of August started with a flourish as two local megas landed in the county in quick succession. Things then settled into a rather more predictable pattern before some further notable birds passed through towards month's end.

Bird of the month has to be the gorgeous adult Roseate Tern that delighted a small crowd of observers at Farmoor Reservoir on the afternoon and evening of 9th. This was the ninth record for Oxfordshire. Though there have been other mostly brief sightings in the recent past, this latest bird was by far the easiest to connect with, allowing several county listers to add it to their life totals. 2018 has incidentally been a modern record breeding year for the species in Britain.

Three days earlier on 6th, a Pectoral Sandpiper was viewed late in the day and filmed distantly on active gravel workings near Appleford. This is a site with no public access and parking at the viewpoint is very limited, so any mobilisation of the county's finest would have been problematic. In any case there was no sign of the bird the following day. The most recent previous Oxon records of Pec Sand were three individuals in 2007.

Pectoral Sandpiper courtesy of Badger

After this excitement a lull in notable migrants ensued until on 22nd a Pied Flycatcher visited a garden in Chinnor. There were also earlier sightings of that locally scarce passerine at Lockinge near Wantage on 10th and 11th.

Pied Flycatcher courtesy of David Stracey

On 25th a Wryneck was found on private land in Abingdon. Due to site sensitivities the bird was also untwitchable, but with good numbers currently being recorded nationally this rather cryptic species will be one to look out for over the coming weeks.

Wryneck courtesy of BB

The month's most popular migrant with our photographers was possibly a juvenile Knot that arrived at Farmoor Reservoir on 25th and remained until month's end. Like many young birds born in the remote wastes of the Tundra and heading south, this plump and rather immaculate wader displayed a total indifference to human attention. It thus afforded more of the kind of close picture opportunities the site is known for at this time year.

Knot courtesy of Peter Law

The Best of the Rest
 

On Otmoor the first Short-eared Owls of approaching autumn, two birds were noted on 27th. Meanwhile the RSPB reserve's summer pair of Common Crane were seen stretching their wings, presumably prior to departure, a number of times towards the end of the month. We can only wish these much loved visitors better luck with raising young in 2019.

Common Cranes courtesy of Moth Clark

At Farmoor juvenile Mediterranean Gull were logged twice on 18th and 28th, then Black Tern passage resumed as the month closed (31st).

Mediterranean Gull courtesy of Jeremy Dexter

Black Tern courtesy of Jeremy Dexter

There was a steady wader passage throughout August. Prominent amongst the regular species - at wetland sites throughout the county and Farmoor Reservoir - were Common and Green Sandpiper and Greenshank; while Sanderling, Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwit were all well represented.

Greenshank courtesy of Nick Truby

Common Sandpiper courtesy of Jim Hutchins

Green Sandpiper courtesy of Mick Cunningham

Sanderling courtesy of Peter Law

Turnstone courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

Black-tailed Godwit courtesy of Tezzer

Our dedicated patch watchers across Oxfordshire also turned up a constant stream of small passerine records. Notable amongst these were Common Redstart, Whinchat and Northern Wheatear, as is usual in this period. As in July good numbers of Spotted Flycatcher including family parties were logged at various locations.

Redstart courtesy of Jim Hutchins

Whinchat courtesy of Badger

Wheatear courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

All this serves to demonstrate just what can be seen in the countryside in late summer if everything is checked thoroughly enough, though I for one prefer to let others do most of the hard work! As autumn passage continues through September and into October we will all be hoping for a few rare waders or passerines to further enliven the pages of this blog.

Meet Our New Regular Monthly Reviewer

Peter Law has now agreed to become the regular compiler of this monthly review for Oxon Birding. But contributions from other local birders remain very welcome since different styles and viewpoints can only enhance the quality of our county web-site. So if anyone else would like to have a go at any time, please contact either Adam or Jason.

Peter Law

Oxon Birding now even more mobile friendly.

We are trying out a more mobile friendly format for the blog when viewed on mobile devices.
The idea behind it is to make it easier to manage and quicker to search when out in the field.

There is still the option to view Oxonbirding in its original format from a mobile by selecting the
 'View web version'  at the bottom of the feed, as always we welcome your feedback.