May Review

Female Red-footed Falcon, courtesy of Badger

The partial easing in mid-month of national emergency measures to counter Covid 19 coincided with the appearance of some outstanding birds in Oxfordshire. Before half a day had passed on 14th the Oxon birding airwaves began to crackle with news that a first summer female Red-footed Falcon had been located by a worker at an HS2 construction site just inside the border with Bucks at Piddington.

The first confirmed county record since the male on Otmoor in July 2007, this was a long-standing "blocker" for some very seasoned local birders including 260-plus listers.

Video courtesy of Badger

Over the ensuing day and a half through variously ingenious means some of Oxon's finest managed to connect with what is our undoubted bird of the month, despite the logistical complexities of the location and without breaching remaining lock-down restrictions. Next on 18th a Hoopoe was reported in north Oxon from an upmarket cul-de-sac in Twyford at the northern end of Adderbury, and a second "blocker" for some of the same birders was removed in just five days.

Video courtesy of  Badger

Hoopoe, courtesy of Ewan Urquhart
click on any image to enlarge

For many years this very colourful southern European character has been reported somewhere in Oxon but always it seemed by non-birders to the county recorder and after having moved on. Now the frustration of county birders who had ticked the Falcon and others besides was lifted as this item remained on-site through 19th as well. Thanks are due in equal measure to Bucks county recorder Mike Wallen for getting news out very quickly, and the good residents of Rawlins Close who welcomed us all with such good grace.

Curlew Sandpiper, courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

Farmoor Reservoir re-opened from 14th as soon as visitor restrictions were lifted, producing more fine records as Oxon birders were able to witness the tail end of the wader passage season. The stand-out sighting there was a summer plumage Curlew Sandpiper along the causeway briefly on that same morning. Then another was logged even more fleetingly on 17th. There were still opportunities to catch up with an array of more frequent species, and an opportunity arose belatedly to observe two Black Tern on the month's final day.

Dunlin, courtesy of Jim Hutchins

Turnstone, courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

Ringed Plover, courtesy of Andy Last

A new location on the county birding map this spring has been Appleford Gravel Pits to the north of Didcot. This developing wildlife site attracted a strong wader passage through May, the stand-out record being three Wood Sandpiper on 12th. Other waders moving through here were Little Ringed Plover with a best count of six on 21st, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Whimbrel and Sanderling; a mix that was reflected at other wetlands across Oxfordshire. In addition Black-tailed Godwit and Greenshank visited Otmoor, Port Meadow and elsewhere.

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Video courtesy of  Badger

The review period's most photographed waders that passed through several locations over the latter stages of May were Sanderling in their very attractive summer plumage. The best count was five at Farmoor Reservoir on 21st. Many of our snappers contributed excellent images to this log but it is only possible to include a few herein, and this is them.

Five Sanderling and a Dunlin, courtesy of Jim Hutchins

Sanderling, courtesy of Peter Law ↑ and Nick Truby ↓

Otherwise and especially in the first half of May the pattern of sightings remained similar to April, with large numbers of regular seasonal and variously less notable birds being recorded on this website. Two that are worthy of mention, having not featured in this column so far in 2020 are the ever charming summer raptor Hobby, and the last small passerine to arrive in any season Spotted Flycatcher. Both were recorded at sites around the county, with the largest concentration of Hobby as usual occurring at RSPB Otmoor. A Cattle Egret was found near Sutton Courtenay on 3rd.

Otmoor Hobby, courtesy of Jeremy Dexter

Spotted Flycatcher, courtesy of Nick Truby

Cuckoo, courtesy of Moth Clark

This month's more notable Oxon flyovers were

• Osprey over Otmoor (15th) and Standlake (17th), with one seen fishing at Farmoor Reservoir from the boundary fence on 9th

Farmoor Osprey, courtesy of Kevin Polley

• 2 presumably release scheme White Stork over Cholsey on 20th
• Another Cattle Egret over the M40 motorway close to J9 near Bicester on 21st
• A Common Crane over Walton Manor in north Oxford on 24th

Sedge Warbler, courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

Reed Warbler, courtesy of Jim Hutchins

Amongst regular passage Warblers some individuals were seen to offer exceptional picture opportunities, most notably a Sedge Warbler by the Thames at Farmoor that gained quite a reputation for itself. All 10 seasonal Warblers continued to be logged regularly around Oxfordshire as in April. Some other passerines of note were Cuckoo that were reported widely, with Common Redstart, Northern Wheatear and Whinchat also noted in different places.

Wheatear, courtesy of Conor MacKenzie

Whinchat, courtesy of Brian Wyatt

Unless the unlikely scenario should arise of good numbers of notable sightings in June there will be no review next month, then a combined June / July feature on 1st August. By that time we will all be hoping some normality may have returned to daily life after this most unusual spring.

Peter Law

Our latest Oxon Birding banner is a superb photo of a Cuckoo taken at Radley by Mark Chivers. Thanks as always to Peter Barker for compiling the banners each month and to Peter Law for compiling the monthly reviews, especially through these recent difficult times - Eds.


Recording Bird sightings.


Going Birding and the Oxon Birding Blog
Thanks to everyone who is now using Going Birding to post their sightings to the blog. However, please do not override the default settings in Going Birding about what records get forwarded to the blog. There is an automatic filter which determines which records are blog-worthy so please do not tick the "Post to Oxon Birding Blog" tick box if it is un-ticked once you've put in the species name. Doing so fills up the blog with non newsworthy records. Thanks very much for your co-operation with this.

The Oxon Birding Blog Team.

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These records are being picked up by and shared on national bird information services so please 

consider utilising the option to 'hide' sensitive species when logging your sightings.

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Sensitive species in ebird