Otmoor - evening 31st March

Avocet courtesy of Isaac West.

Glossy Ibis - still present on the Closes

Avocet - still present

Spotted Redshank (winter plumage) - still present

Yellow Wagtail - male over

2 White-fronted Geese

3 Black-tailed Godwit

3 Dunlin

4 Bittern

Sedge Warbler

2 Swallow

5 Blackcap

Willow Warbler

Raven

Moreton nr Thame: Moreton Golf Course: 31st March

YellowWagtail courtesy of Luke Marriner.

Black-tailed Godwit: Stunning summer plumage bird still present on the island. 17:52.

 
2 Yellow Wagtail: One flew through calling and second bird dropped in and landed in a tree. 17:52.
4 Oystercatcher 17:52.
Swallow: High over lakes. 18:45.

Luke Marriner

Black-tailed Godwit courtesy of Luke Marriner.

Appleford: Appleford GP: 31st March

Appleford: Appleford GP
2 Little Ringed Plover 18:30.
4 Oystercatcher 18:30.
2 Pintail 18:30.
Goosander: fem. 18:30.

Michael Violette

Balscote: Balscote Quarry: 31st March

Balscote: Balscote Quarry
Little Ringed Plover 03:25.
Brambling: Male in partial colour. 03:25.
Yellow Wagtail 03:25.

Mary Clifton

Otmoor rspb 31st March

GLOSSY IBIS again on the Closes 11:28 (per Evelyn Hargraves et al)

Avocet still present from the 2nd screen 08:54.

Spotted Redshank on Big Otmoor 09:18 (Johnny Eclipse)

Great white Egret briefly on Big Otmoor then flew east 07:50 (M.M).
Sedge Warbler 2

Willow Warbler

Reed Warbler: Singing very briefly along the bridleway towards Noke just past the wetlands watch. Very early indeed so only claimed if verified not to be an aberant Sedge. Worth listening for. I am sure it was one but seems far too early and no other reports I can find in the country so far. 18:17.

(per John Edwards)

Avocet courtesy of John Workman.

Otmoor: RSPB reserve: 31st March

Otmoor: RSPB reserve
Glossy Ibis 09:00.

Evelyn Hargraves

Farmoor Reservoir 31st March

Black-necked Grebe courtesy of Sue Carruthers

Black-necked Grebe w/plum F2 14:40 (per Sue Carruthers)

Scaup (f) on F1 c11:56 

White-fronted Goose 

Willow Warbler

Blackcap 3

(per Mark Pidgeon, Ewan Urquhart)

Chipping Norton: 31st March

Chipping Norton
2 Blackcap: Two male Blackcap singing from the small wood at the back of The Leys (arrived yesterday). 11:30.

Steve Akers

Cowley: 31st March

Cowley
Osprey: Just flew North and not particularly high. 12:17.

Jed Cleeter

Shippon

Swallow on telephone wire by Dalton Barracks

Bicester Wetland Reserve 31st March

 1 Willow Warbler

1-2 Blackcap

3 Green Sandpiper

61 Snipe feeding out in the open, low water levels

10 Gadwall

Alan Peters

Key Holder Reserve

Standlake: 31st March

Standlake
Willow Warbler: At S end Langley lane. Feeding and occasionally singing. 10:11.

Mick Cunningham

Otmoor - 30th March

Courtesy of Peter Alfrey

GLOSSY IBIS - still present on the Closes

5 White-fronted Geese

Black-tailed Godwit - Big Otmoor

Peregrine

Marsh Harrier 4 (per Andrew Mann)

Wheatear - Noke

2 Willow Warbler

Blackcap (per Andrew Mann)

Swallow

Sand Martin

2 Bittern

Courtesy of Peter Alfrey

Courtesy of Peter Milligan

Farmoor village: 30th March

Farmoor village
Willow Warbler: as you come from meadow close to pink hill. 20:55.

Paul Butler

Moreton nr Thame: Moreton Golf Course: 30th March

Courtesy of Luke Marriner

Black-tailed Godwit: Stunning summer plumage bird feeding on the edge of the island on the main lake. 20:28.
4 Oystercatcher 20:28.

Luke Marriner

Courtesy of Luke Marriner

Appleford GPs 30th March evening

Goosander 3 (1m)

Pintail 4 (2m)

Little-ringed Plover 4

Redshank 2

Snipe 10

Oystercatcher 4

White Horse Hill: Uffington Castle: 30th March

White Horse Hill: Uffington Castle
Redstart: fem. 08:45.

Colin Vickers

Wootton nr Woodstock: Wootton/Glympton: 30th March

Wootton nr Woodstock: Wootton/Glympton
Cattle Egret: Cattle Egret among small flock of geese in the Glyme valley below Jubilee Meadow. SP4411. 16:09.

Malcolm Barnicoat

Lollingdon Hill 30th March

Courtesy of Alan Dawson

Redstart late morning (per Alan Dawson,Paul Chandler).

Devil's Punchbowl: 30th March

Devil's Punchbowl
Ring Ouzel: fem. unapproachable ! 12:00.

Anthony Cheke

River Thames: nr Sandford-on-Thames: 30th March

River Thames: nr Sandford-on-Thames
Willow Warbler: In song. 15:40.

D Moden

Witney: 30th March

Witney
26 Snipe: SD2sqm walk with AS from minster Lovell beyond Crawley and return. these in one field. 15:13.
Swallow 15:13.

Mick Cunningham

Chinnor: Cement Works: 30th March

Chinnor: Cement Works
Little Ringed Plover: 1 in front of the west screen Lake 2b. 11:00.

David Stracey

Balscote: Balscote Quarry: 30th March

Balscote: Balscote Quarry
Little Ringed Plover 10:30.

Graeme Porter

Radley GPs 30th March

Ring-necked Duck 2 m/f still present this morning Follow track past Thrupp Lake to T-junction, take the left hand gravel track for c100yds to view small pit on right (per RBA).

Port Meadow: 30th March

Little gull subadult found by Manoj Nair and still present at 11:00 am. Aged as an advanced 2w/possible 3w due to the presence of dark marks on the tips of the primary coverts, dark web to outer edge of P10, subterminal marks on P8 and P9 and rather grey underwing coverts.

Common tern fishing along river

Black-tailed godwit

3 Little ringed plovers

Otmoor Monday 29th March 4.30 pm

Both pics (c) Sam Hill

A local birder Sam Hill saw and photographed this Peregrine flying over. The remarkable thing is the prey item. A bat. Where does a Peregrine catch a bat at 4.30 in the afternoon?

Bark

Various 30th March

Large arrival of Willow Warbler and Blackcap in many areas of the county.

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Recently arrived Sand Martin Farmoor Reservoir courtesy of Steve Liptrot Photography.

Stanton St. John: 30th March

Stanton St. John
3 Swallow: Three back at regular nest site this morning. 08:33.

David Brown

Otmoor: RSPB reserve: 29th March

Glossy Ibis off to roost courtesy of Christopher Knight.

GLOSSY IBIS 16:10 (per John Kearns)

Farmoor Reservoir: 29th March

Farmoor Reservoir
White-fronted Goose 16:00.
12 Barnacle Goose 16:00.

Peter Alfrey

Moreton nr Thame: Moreton Golf Course: 29th March

Moreton nr Thame: Moreton Golf Course
2 Wheatear: male and fem. Stunners. 21:41.
5 Oystercatcher: Possibly six. 21:41.
Stonechat: male. On the top scrubland. 21:41.
2 Grey Partridge: On the top scrubland. 21:41.
2 Lapwing 21:41.

Luke Marriner

Oxford 29th March

South Park

1st hobby of the season hawking over the trees, 7pm

Tom and Luca Pizzari

Neal's Shaw 29th March

Neal's Shaw
4 Brambling: 3m 1f. SU6882. 18:48.

John Taylor

Balscote Quarry B.O.S Reserve 29th March

Brambling 8
Swallow

(M.P)

Graven Hill Bicester 29th March

 

Black-tailed Godwit at Graven Hill courtesy of Patricia Clissold.

Banbury 29th March

Ring-necked Parakeet c17:04 Wood Green Leisure Centre (M.P)

Port Meadow: 29th March

Osprey flew over high north at 8:00 am
Common tern fishing along river

13 Black-tailed godwit
2 Little ringed plover
Ringed plover
2 Redshank
8+ Sand martin

Thomas Miller

This afternoon:
4 Little Ringed Plover
2 Redshank still
1 Ringed Plover sitll
4 Shelduck

Gnome & Thomas Miller

Radley GP: 29th March

2 Ring-necked Duck: m/f 12:55 Follow track past Thrupp Lake to T-junction, take the left hand gravel track for c100yds to view small pit on right

Ralph Watts

Otmoor - 29th March

Very distant Spotted Redshank by Badger.

Glossy Ibis along the northern edge of The Closes 12:45

Spotted Redshank win/plum (Isaac West) again on Big Otmoor 13:50 tho distant & elusive.

3 White-fronted Geese - flew NE

4 Dunlin

41+ Redshank - mostly Big Otmoor

4 Black-tailed Godwit

Snipe

Wheatear - male

8+ Curlew

Golden Plover c50

Bittern 2 both booming.

2 Marsh Harrier 

Peregrine 

27+ singing male Chiffchaff across the reserve

c75 Sand Martin - over reedbed during brief rain shower

Swallow 2

2 Red-legged Partridge

2 Crane

8 Cetti's Warbler 

1 Sedge Warbler (R.W)

(per Badger, Isaac West)

Courtesy of Badger

Stanton St. John: 29th March

Stanton St. John
2 Swallow: First two back at regular nest site. 15:09.

David Brown

A329 nr Cholsey: 29th March

29th March

A329 nr Cholsey
2 Wheatear: 1 male; 1 fem. in the ploughed field viewed from Silly Bridge. SU586854. 09:51.

28th March

Cholsey: Lollingdon Hill
10 Wheatear: 3 males, 7 fem. Mobile on the south track from Lollingdon to the farm. 12:51.

Michael Pocock

: 29th March

Thame
Raven: On St Mary's church. SP702063. 09:48.

Luke Marriner

Chinnor Old Cement Works 29th March

No sign of any Black Redstarts this morning or yesterday 

(per Mark Pidgeon, Ewan Urquhart, Jez March).

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Port Meadow 29th March

Osprey flew north over the meadow c08:00 (per Thomas Miller)

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Farmoor Reservoir 29th March

Common Tern 08:02

Swallow 2

(per Johnny Eclipse)

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Blenheim Park 29th March

Little Gull still present 09:04 (per Dave Doherty)

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: 28th March

Wolvercote Mill Stream
2 Egyptian Goose: Upstream from Dukes Cut Lock. SU517130. 14:00.

Nick Suckling

Port Meadow: 28th March

Morning:

6 Black-tailed godwit

5 Little ringed plover

2 Sand martin

Evening:

7 Little ringed plover

Ringed plover

2 Redshank

20+ Sand martin

Swallow

Standlake: 28th March

Standlake
720 Sand Martin: Influx into village pits this evening, combined total 720. 19:54.
3 Great White Egret: P38 this pm. 19:54.

Mick Cunningham

: 28th March

Chinnor
2 Wheatear: 2 males in ploughed field north-east of Lane Farm. SP755018. 17:00.

David Stracey

Radley GPs 28th March

Ring-necked Duck 2 (m/f) still present this afternoon.Follow track past Thrupp Lake to T-junction, take the left hand gravel track for c100yds to view small pit on right (per RBA).

Port Meadow: 28th March

Port Meadow
7 Little Ringed Plover 15:45.
Ringed Plover 15:45.

Nicholas Boyd

Otmoor rspb 28th March

GLOSSY IBIS again on The Closes 13:45

White-fronted Goose 5 on Noke Sides.

(per RBA)

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Blenheim - 28th March

Little Gull courtesy of Isaac West.

Little Gull (adult) - still present near bridge

6 Mandarin - on W bank of Great Lake

c50 Sand Martin

c10 Swallow

2 Egyptian Geese

5 Pochard - including Otmoor leucistic individual

Adult Little Gull

Leucistic Pochard

Sonning Eye GPs: 28th March

Sonning Eye GPs
3 Oystercatcher: Rowing course bund. 15:22.

Marek Walford

 

Wheatear courtesy of Paul Wren.

Standlake: 28th March

Standlake
Peregrine: Flew over high street. 14:40.
Caspian Gull: 1w probably male. Large individual v LBB so this and relatively heavy bill suggests Male. Though greater covs rather mealy especially inners hinting at poss herring influence But everything else in structure, moult and plumage good for Caspian. And TM and IL agree so that'll do me . 14:40.

Mick Cunningham

Appleford GPs

Little ringed plover - very well hidden on the back pools

Sand Martin - 3+

Redshank - also on back pools

Shelduck - 2 (per Jerry) 

Oystercatcher - 4 plus two on private lake in Sutton Courtenay

Pintail - 4+

Pied Wagtail - 40+ on back pools. 

Port Meadow 28th March

Black-tailed Godwit 6

Redshank 2

Little-ringed Plover 5

Dunlin 2

(per Thomas Miller, Manoj Nair)

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Balscote Quarry Reserve 28th March

Black-tailed Godwit over

Little-ringed Plover 2

Merlin

Brambling 10+

Reported

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Baulking: 28th March

Baulking
Sedge Warbler

Mark Merritt

Farmoor Reservoir 28th March

Sandwich Tern on F2 by the raft at the western end of the causeway 10:22-10:59 when it flew off.

Swallow

Sand Martin c30

(per Ewan Urquhart, Mark Pidgeon)

Sandwich Tern courtesy of Mark Pidgeon.

: 28th March

Churchill garden
3 Siskin: 2 x male; 1 x fem. First time seen in the garden. On seed feeder. SP280239. 10:49.

Nicholas Barber

Lower Heyford 27th March

Courtesy of Kyle Smith Photography.

Osprey along the Mid-Cherwell Valley heading N/W c15:33.

(per Kyle Smith).

Otmoor: 27th March

Otmoor
Glossy Ibis: Still present on the Closes. 18:00.
8 Black-tailed Godwit: Big Otmoor. 18:00.
5 White-fronted Goose: Noke Sides. 18:00.
Raven 18:00.
5 Oystercatcher 18:00.

Isaac West

Wheatears

One of around 20 Wheatear seen in Cholsey today.

 Per Alan Dawson, Michael Pocock & Paul Chandler

Farmoor Reservoir: Lower Whitley Farm: 27th March

Farmoor Reservoir: Lower Whitley Farm
Merlin: Aerial Pursuit of small bird 18.45. 19:39.

Paul Butler

Woolstone Down: 27th March

Woolstone Down
2 Wheatear: pair.
32 Corn Bunting

Mark Merritt

Cholsey Downs 27th March

Churn: Ridgeway: 27th March

Churn: Ridgeway
2 Grey Partridge 19:09.

Michael Violette

Chinnor Cement Works 27th March

Courtesy of Nick Truby

Black Redstart 2 (m&f) 16:20 (per Luke Marriner) Seen in same location as earlier sighting of male bird. SP753000. 

(Jez March, Nick Truby)

Courtesy of Luke Marriner

Chipping Norton: 27th March

Chipping Norton
2 Chiffchaff: Hunting insects in hedge beside small lake near Cornwell - first records at this site this year. SP283268. 15:00.

Steve Akers

Moreton nr Thame: Moreton Golf Course: 27th March

Moreton nr Thame: Moreton Golf Course
5 Oystercatcher 18:26.
3 Wheatear: 2m and 1f. 18:26.
2 Lapwing 18:26.

Luke Marriner

Chinnor: Cement Works: 27th March

Chinnor: Cement Works
2 Swallow: Over the fishing lake. 18:26.

Luke Marriner

Otmoor: various: 26th March

Otmoor: various
Glossy Ibis: Still on the closes. 17:00.
White-fronted Goose: Noke side towards far screen; single bird, vaguely associating with Greylags. 17:00.

Anthony Cheke

Barford Airfield 27th March

Wheatear 3 (2m) still present 16:00 (per Nick Truby).

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Otmoor rspb 27th March

GLOSSY IBIS still on the Closes along the northern edge 16:27  (per Colm Caomhanaigh).

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Male Brambling recently Balscote Quarry Reserve courtesy of Kyle Smith Birdwatch Britannia

Lower Shiplake: 27th March

Lower Shiplake
Chiffchaff: Near nursing home. 15:30.

Ralph Watts

Lark Hill 27th March

3 Wheatear (2m + f)

3 Stonechat (m + 2f)

4 Reed Bunting (m)

 

Corn Bunting on the Oxon Downs by Badger.

Sonning Eye GPs: 27th March

Sonning Eye GPs
Oystercatcher 15:22.
Great White Egret 15:22.

Marek Walford

Radley GP: 27th March

Radley GP
2 Ring-necked Duck: Pair on pit at approximately SU524973.
6 Egyptian Goose: Three pairs on Thrupp Lake this morning.

Ian Elkins

Otmoor 27th

06:30-10:30

Wheatear 2 (m & f)

Glossy ibis on closes

10 Swallow through west.

Ringed Plover

Dunlin

4 Oystercatcher

Curlew 4

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Port Meadow: 27th March

Morning:

6 Black-tailed godwits (4m 2f islandica)

2 Oystercatcher

Dunlin

2 Sand martin

Evening:

2 Little ringed plover

Appleford GPs 27th March

Little-ringed Plover on last pit near the river

Oystercatcher 2+

Shelduck 3

Pintail c6

Lapwing c10

Sand Martin 1+

Chiffchaff 

(Badger, Mark Merritt et al).

Cutteslowe: North Oxford Golf Course: 27th March

Cutteslowe: North Oxford Golf Course
Chiffchaff: Aberrant singer heard every day this week on Lakeside, Linkside Avenue, along railway (near Peartree services) and southwest corner of golf course https://www.xeno-canto.org/forum/topic/42420. SP496109. 08:00.

Nicholas Boyd  

Chinnor: Cement Works: 27th March

Chinnor: Cement Works
Black Redstart: male. In same spot as previous recent sightings. SU754999. 08:28.

Jez March

Headington - 26th March

Tawny Owl chick in Headington this evening (1st heard on 22nd by me + Tom) - an incredibly early breeding record. In Tawny Owls, incubation period ranges from 27-32.5 days and fledging period from 32-40.5 days (both at their extremities). 'Branching out', as this chick has done, occurs shortly before fledging at around 25-30 days. Assuming the minimum for both incubation period and 'branching out', this places the egg laying date at some point at the end of January. Average first egg-laying date in Tawny Owls is the 23rd March so this is exceptionally early. Of course, the first egg could have been laid even earlier.

Tawny Owl chick in near darkness

Moreton nr Thame: Moreton Golf Course: 26th March

Moreton nr Thame: Moreton Golf Course
Wheatear: Stunning male. Our first for the year! 17:30.
5 Oystercatcher 17:30.

Luke Marriner

Standlake: 26th March

Standlake
2 Swallow: Minimum. Came through with sand Martins displaced by driving rain. 20:21.
61 Sand Martin: Came through re orientating south having been displaced by driving rain. Accompanied by 2 swallows, latter being first of the year. 20:21.

Mick Cunningham

Farmoor 26th March

                                                                           Redshank
 

Appleford: Appleford GP: 26th March

Appleford: Appleford GP
3 Little Ringed Plover: Also approx 15 Sand Martin's & possible Common Sandpiper. SU521923. 18:46.

Kevin Polley

Widford: 26th March

Widford
Wheatear: m. Flushed from field where, ironically was checking floods for water birds. 13:33.

Mick Cunningham

 

Goldcrest collecting nesting material courtesy of Jessica Crumpton.

Port Meadow 26th March

Black-tailed Godwit 5 11:58 (per M.M).
Redshank 2

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Farmoor Reservoir 26th March

929 Sand Martin SW over Farmoor 2 between 10:00-11:06 when movement ceased.

(per Ewan Urquhart)

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Blenhiem Park 26th March

Little Gull still present at 12:00 (per Jimmy Stardust).
Sand Martin 4

(per Dave Doherty)

Chinnor Cement Works 26th March

Courtesy of Luke Marriner

Black Redstart: fem. Different bird to the male yesterday, seen by the old Kiln. 08:22.

(per Luke Marriner)

Neal's Shaw 26th March

Neal's Shaw
Brambling: f. SU6882. 09:15.

John Taylor

Grimsbury Reservoir 26th March

Sand Martin 9 (per Kyle Smith)

Blackcap singing near river (per John Friendship-Taylor)

Chinnor Cement Works 25th March

Courtesy of David Stracey

Black Redstart: Male still around houses behind fishing lake. 09:00.

Raven: 1 calling flying South west. 09:00.

David Stracey

Otmoor

Wheatear by cattle pens