Not really that unusual considering that Corn Buntings nested at Cutteslowe this year - (at least 3 young fledged which is only 2.5 miles from the city centre) and they can also be found just east of Marston. Occurrence is very dependent on land use and which crops the farmer chooses to plant. Just to note that in the same locations Yellow Wagtails are a surprisingly common breeder, but there have been no Tree Sparrows for many years. Sadly the building development towards Parkway Station will have a detrimental effect on the bird life in the area.
Hi anonymous - this is definitely a noteworthy record. I have made over 510 visits to the Warneford Meadow and Lye Valley area over the last four years, without recording a single Corn Bunting. Furthermore, the last known record of Corn Bunting within the Oxford City area (inside the ring road) was in 1980, some 43 years ago! I completely agree that this species is recorded close to the city, (Tom Evans gets them on the slopes between Elsfield and Barton too), but records of Corn Bunting from within the Oxford city area itself appear to be extremely rare.
Not really that unusual considering that Corn Buntings nested at Cutteslowe this year - (at least 3 young fledged which is only 2.5 miles from the city centre) and they can also be found just east of Marston. Occurrence is very dependent on land use and which crops the farmer chooses to plant. Just to note that in the same locations Yellow Wagtails are a surprisingly common breeder, but there have been no Tree Sparrows for many years. Sadly the building development towards Parkway Station will have a detrimental effect on the bird life in the area.
ReplyDeleteHi anonymous - this is definitely a noteworthy record. I have made over 510 visits to the Warneford Meadow and Lye Valley area over the last four years, without recording a single Corn Bunting. Furthermore, the last known record of Corn Bunting within the Oxford City area (inside the ring road) was in 1980, some 43 years ago! I completely agree that this species is recorded close to the city, (Tom Evans gets them on the slopes between Elsfield and Barton too), but records of Corn Bunting from within the Oxford city area itself appear to be extremely rare.
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