Greater Scaup 2 adult female & first year (southern end of Farmoor 1)
Common Goldeneye 5
Common Pochard 4
Little Grebe 14
Common Sandpiper 1
Little Egret 1
Great Black backed Gull 2 adult & first year
Coot - aberrant white plumaged individual still present Snow Geese 100 (including seven blue morph birds and five juveniles)-where do they breed?
Standlake Pit 60 Marsh Harrier: looked like 1cy. Cream crown. Seen with SNT. it dropped into reeds on southern shore. 3 pintail amongst decent numbers of wigeon, teal, goldeneye pochard. Peregrine and a single snipe. Great white egret on p27 per SNT. 14:29.
Port Meadow 140 Barnacle Goose: Usual large flock grazing beyond floods towards Wolvercote. Also a smaller group of about 20 amongst a mixed flock of canada and greylag geese. 15:15.
Salford
2 Raven: pair
130 Golden Plover: In formation flying quite high over Salford toward Chipping Norton.
Kestrel: juv fem
Grey Wagtail
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker One h/o.
Bulfinch
Hen Harrier Ringtail seen on a number of occasions by visitors this morning, mainly on Greenaways or over the reed bed (S.R) Still present flying over reeds at first screen. 13:18 (per John Kearns)
Peregrine (J.K)
Barnacle,Greylag & Barlag Geese courtesy of John Kearns.
Barnacle Goose (feral) with Greylag and Canada Geese in flooded field. 12:31 (J.K) Stonechat 2 (per John Workman)
Near Cote 3 Dunlin: In flooded field between Cote and Yelford associating with lapwings and gulls.Not quite as good as Lesser yellow legs my friend found with lapwings yesterday in an unprepossesing but flooded Yorkshire field yesterday! But hey ... Lots of gulls in flood fields around Cote, mostly Lesser black back, eg 700 in this field alone. Worryingly not many young. SP351037. 13:42.
Yesterday's Whooper Swans from Buscot Wick just out of county this morning across River Cole
2 adults, one mostly sleeping, with 16 Mutes at SU 21202 98973
Larger Mute grazing flock at Buscot Wick held no winter Swans
Port Meadow: Wolvercote Common 140 Barnacle Goose: Flock grazing just beyond the northern edge of the floods which now stretch well over half way to Wolvercote. 16:23.
Chipping Norton 600 Golden Plover: Large flock circling over fields to the W of Rollright Stones. SP285303. 13:00. Sparrowhawk: male. SP285303. 13:00. 12 Linnet: SP285303. 13:00.
YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER Heard calling several times in small copse opposite Crawley industrial estate. Couldn't stay long enough to locate, but call clearly heard calling several times. SP337117. 12:55.
A329 near Moulsford Brambling: A single, nicely plumaged female, amongst the myriad foraging Chaffinches and Goldfinches. First of the 'winter', and I believe, earlier than in past years. SU5985. 08:45.
Otmoor: RSPB reserve Hen Harrier: Ringtail . Six birds of prey seen with B.M.R.S.and A.A. From 08.30. to 12:00. 08:35. 2 Marsh Harrier 08:35. Peregrine 08:35. 2 Stonechat: m/f. 08:35.
Standlake Pit 60 30 Redwing: Langley Lane hide inaccessible, approach path under 30 cm of water and still riding. Brighthampton Cut adjoining fields and North Shore path all form a continuous lake, not sure about North Shote hide probably accessible from Shifford Lane. 11:58.
1m Goldeneye
1m + 4f Pintail
1 Little Egret
Wigeon numbers increasing.
Hides still surrounded by water. Path to W of N shore hide partially flooded. LL hide access OK.
Whooper Swan arrived with two Mutes that then chased it away behind the island.
1 S.E.O Greenaway's
1 Barn owl
Tawney Owl calling from Roman Road.
2 Marsh Harriers
poss 2 Sparrow Hawks
Hen Harrier around midday also seen mid afternoon in Morley's
2 Otters
Juvenile Hen Harrier Morley's courtesy of Andy Coates.
Short-eared Owl over bridleway
Hen Harrier ringtail again over Greenaways
Peregrine Juv over reedbed and landed in Greenaways
Sparrowhawk 2 around reedbed
Kingfisher
Water Rail
Stonechat 2
Ringtail. First report since 10th. October. Hunting along hedgerow, and attacking a Barn Owl.
3. Barn Owl.
2. Bittern.
2. Woodcock. 1 on Greenaways, 1 out from Morleys to Closes.
Per; P.+S.R. R.L. S.P. T.S.
Marsh Tit Pinkhill Reserve Farmoor courtesy of John Workman.
Chipping Norton Raven: On Cornwell Estate and environs. SP283268. 10:30. 2 Stonechat: ad male and fem. Perched on reeds and vegetation in the marsh. SP283268. 10:30. 33 Lapwing: SP283268. 10:30. 5 Grey Heron: SP283268. 10:30. 2 Reed Bunting: male. SP283268. 10:30. 66 Canada Goose: SP283268. 10:30.
White-tailed Eagle, Red Kite and Buzzard in Oxfordshire
This five week month in Oxfordshire remained resolutely uneventful for the first three of them as the prevailing Atlantic weather pattern served to shut out even those notables that might otherwise have stood a chance of reaching us. Things picked up on the weekend of 18th to 20th over which three scarcer finds were recorded, then some more headline items stood out before month's end.
On Friday 18th a pair of Bearded Tit, the first to visit RSPB Otmoor in almost four years were pictured near the Wetlands Watch crossroads. More sightings followed on the next day, though with Oxon birders' attention possibly lying elsewhere the event was confined to social media; perhaps a sign of evolving times.
Bearded Tits (m & f) courtesy of Peter Milligan click on any image to enlarge
2019 is said to have produced a very good breeding season for our birds of the month nationally and hence is an irruption and dispersal year. So hopefully more "Beardies" might occur in the county this coming winter.
Farmoor Black Redstart Ⓒ and courtesy of David Hastings
Next up a female or first winter Black Redstart was discovered within the water treatment works at Farmoor (20th). Those buildings have provided a number of past sightings of this species, most recently in 2013 and 2009. That bird was seen again on 24th then two more "Black Reds" frequented Chinnor Cement works from 28th, these being three of numerous late October records across southern England.
Chinnor Black Redstart, courtesy of David Stracey
On the evening of 20th at dusk a lone Cattle Egret was seen in flight over the Chimney / Duxford area of west Oxon, the year's first county record of what is becoming an irregular annual visitor. Not too far away a Great White Egret was logged at Rushy Common on 23rd then 30th, and other sightings came from Otmoor (27th), Blenheim Park (31st) and Buscot Park (31st).
Cattle Egret, courtesy of Jeremy Dexter
Departing migrant Ring Ouzel were logged just prior to this time at Lollingdon Hill (16th) and Woodcote (17th). Movement of the upland Thrush through Great Britain had begun in the second week, producing earlier Oxon sightings at Headington (7th) and Balscote (8th).
Ring Ouzel at Lollingdon Hill, courtesy of Paul Chandler
A particular item of interest this autumn has been continued appearances in our county by a juvenile White-tailed Eagle from the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation Isle of Wight release scheme. This individual has been present in Oxfordshire since its first appearance over Cholsey on 15th September.
White-tailed Eagle in Oxon
'The project aims to restore a population of White-tailed Eagles to the South Coast of England. This will involve the release of young White-tailed Eagles from Scotland at a confidential site on the Isle of Wight. The released birds will regard the area as home, and remain to breed in future years. White-tailed Eagles have been successfully reintroduced to both Scotland and Ireland and we will use the same long-established methods on the Isle of Wight. The first six birds were released in August 2019'
The Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation
Very sadly the remains of one of the male eagles has been found with tests now under way to discover the cause of death. A second bird called 'Culver' has disappeared at the same time its tracker stopped working.
White-tailed Eagle in Oxon
As this review period drew to its close a good national influx of Short-eared Owl brought two back to Otmoor where they were watched at dusk on 28th, and another was reported from the Thames meadows at Farmoor. There had been an earlier sighting at Burgess Field Nature Park in Oxford on 16th. And the month's final day served up one more special sighting when an Avocet visited Port Meadow.
The Best of the Rest
Local news nearer the start of October mostly concerned familiar returning species ahead of approaching winter. These began on the first weekend when Rock Pipit were logged passing through Farmoor Reservoir from 7th, with four there the following day. The Scandinavian breeders are a regular seasonal migrant at the site as they re-locate to mainly coastal British wintering grounds.
Rock Pipit Ⓒ and courtesy of Terry Sherlock
More good county records followed when early Merlin were viewed in west Oxon (2nd) then Otmoor soon afterwards, after a first for this autumn at Lollingdon Hill on the final day of September. As usual the diminutive raptors' arrival coincided with a continued influx of Meadow Pipit across the county. Further records came from Balscote Quarry and Otmoor regularly thereafter, and another was logged later on the Downs (27th). A ring-tailed Hen Harrier also passed through Otmoor on 10th but was not seen subsequently, though another record came from in form Balscote Quarry on 31st.
Redwing in The Chilterns, courtesy of C J Kearns
The earliest Redwing record of autumn came on October's opening day at Grimsbury Reservoir. More soon followed before numbers truly built-up mid-month, when Fieldfare also began to arrive or pass through in quantity. Incoming Redpoll were first reported at Headington (6th) and Brambling at Balsote Quarry (14th), while Stonechat records persisted from multiple sites throughout the month.
Stonechat (fem) on The Downs, courtesy of Peter Law
Whinchat sightings continued on 1st & 2nd when individuals were noted at Balscote Quarry in the north and the Downs in the south. The latest hirundine records submitted herein were House Martin in Cholsey on 10th and Swallow near Chipping Norton (14th).
Whinchat at Balscote Quarry, courtesy of Alan Peters
Warblers still offered interest as Cetti's were heard in some locations, being especially vocal as adult birds defended territory against their dispersing offspring. Chiffchaff lingered in various places through the month and Blackcap were encountered occasionally.
Common Chiffchaff, courtesy of John Workman
Miscellaneous other sightings of note through October were:
A Bittern at LWV Pit 60, Standlake (6th) and a Garganey there on 19 & 20th
A Red-breasted Merganser at Farmoor Reservoir briefly on 7th and a Marsh Harrier on 30th
Late Black Terns through Sonning Eye GPs (12th) and Farmoor (23rd)
A late Common Redstart on the Downs at Lowbury Hill on 22nd
A Caspian Gull at Didcot landfill on 23rd
Peregrine at five different locations
The Port Meadow floods return, courtesy of Adam Hartley
The wet weather through much of this review period has served to re-create birding friendly conditions across the county, flooding recently dry areas and raising water levels at Oxon wetland sites. Let's hope there might be a surprise or two to be found out there in November.
