Otmoor rspb 30th April

Little Tern 19:30 at the 2nd screen 

(per a report to Terry Sherlock).

Courtesy of Terry Sherlock.

Rushy Common: 30th April

Rushy Common
Cuckoo: SP382073. 02:30.
Hobby: male. Flying over gravel works (hunting?). SP382073. 02:30.

John Pimm

Widford 30th April

Garganey

Chipping Norton: 30th April

Chipping Norton
Yellow Wagtail: m. Feeding on margins at far end of wetland at Swailsford Bridge, Cornwell. SP283263. 19:00.

Steve Akers

Otmoor: RSPB reserve: 30th April

Courtesy of Richard Stevens.

Cuckoo 13:00.
12 Hobby 13:00.

Short-eared Owl (per Richard Stevens)  
Crane 13:00.
Redshank 13:00.
Little Egret 13:00.
4 Grey Heron 13:00.
Marsh Harrier: Cream crown. 13:00.
7 Sedge Warbler 13:00.

Steve Akers

Crane courtesy of Richard Stevens 

Widford 30th April

Garganey 2 m/f east of Burford still midafternoon on floods by river Windrush 

(per RBA).

Henley Road GPs: 30th April

Henley Road GPs
Cuckoo 13:16.

Marek Walford

Radley GP: 30th April

Radley GP
Common Sandpiper 07:00.
Lesser Whitethroat: Singing consistently in the same area for three days now. 07:00.
3 Sedge Warbler: At least three singing individuals this morning. 07:00.
Cuckoo 07:00.

Ian Elkins

Chinnor: Cement Works: 30th April

Chinnor: Cement Works
4 Little Ringed Plover: SU750996. 08:15.
Common Sandpiper: SU750996. 08:15.
Raven: SU750996. 08:15.

Jez March

Otmoor rspb 29th April

Wheatear courtesy of Cathy Rose.

Whinchat & Wheatear Courtesan of Cathy Rose.

Whinchat 2

Wheatear 5

Grasshopper Warbler 

Hobby 3

Cuckoo 3

Crane 3 reported

(et al).

Chipping Norton: 29th April

Chipping Norton
4 Sand Martin: Over the wetlands at Swailsford Bridge, Cornwell. SP283263. 20:00.
House Martin: SP283263. 20:00.
31 Swallow: SP283263. 20:00.
39 Mallard: One female with seven duckling. SP283263. 20:00.
Pied Wagtail: SP283263. 20:00.

Steve Akers

Widford: 29th April

Widford
2 Garganey: m n f. Late post. Seen this pm. Dogs chasing everything. Ony 3 yellow wags. 16:41.

Mick Cunningham

Farmoor Reservoir 29th April

0800-1000hrs

Curlew 1

Turnstone 1

Common Sandpiper 9

Common Tern 2

Common Swift 100+ steady passage passing east over the reservoir

Swallow 10+

Sand Martin 10+

Yellow Wagtail 1

Spring hill farm: 29th April

Spring hill farm
Hobby: fem. Flying over field between farm and road. It seemed to be a large bird so thought it was a female. It went off to NE. SP370085. 10:26.

John Pimm

Bicester Wetland Reserve 29th April

 1 Common Sandpiper
2 Little Ringed Plover
5 Sedge Warbler

Key Holder Reserve
A Peters

Didcot Lydalls Road: 28th April

Didcot Lydalls Road
Swift: FOY here. 8,10 & 8 days earlier than last 3 years. . SU523903. 20:15.

William Lester

Farmoor; 28th April

09:30-12:00 

The Spring Quartet

Swift, Swallow, Sand Martin & House Martin all in good numbers.

Not forgetting Yellow Wagtails & Dunlin

A great day to be at the reservoir!

Old Caley's Diary

Dorchester: Sailing Club Pit (Dorchester Lagoon): 28th April

Dorchester: Sailing Club Pit (Dorchester Lagoon)
250 Swallow: At least 250 feeding over the lake in mixed flock with martins. SU569954. 10:00.
150 Sand Martin: At least 150 feeding over the lake in mixed flock with swallows. SU569954. 10:00.
20 House Martin: A handful of house martins among the masses of sand martins and swallows, feeding over the lake. SU569954. 10:00.
Negative news Kittiwake: SU569954. 10:00.
3 Swift: Flew over up high, not calling. SU569954. 10:00.
Negative news 2 Common Tern: Seen at a distance briefly, initially perched on a buoy, then flying. Pretty certain they were common as looked too small for sandwich and nothing that made me think arctic. SU569954. 10:00.

Heather Wright

Chipping Norton: 28th April

Chipping Norton
Swift: FOY. SP283263. 13:45.
60 Swallow: 60+ over the wetland at Swailsford Bridge. SP283263. 13:45.
20 House Martin: 20+ feeding over fast flowing brook waters. SP283263. 13:45.
Sand Martin: SP283263. 13:45.
2 Yellow Wagtail: SP283263. 13:45.
3 Pied Wagtail: SP283263. 13:45.
Little Egret: SP283263. 13:45.
Grey Heron: SP283263. 13:45.
4 Reed Bunting: m. SP283263. 13:45.

Steve Akers

Farmoor Reservoir 27/28th April

Common Swift 100+

Swallow 100+

Sand Martin 50+

House Martin 50+

These numbers may well be an underestimate if birds were just passing through and continuously being replaced by others. The Swifts had mostly gone by 1030 and the hirundines by 1300 when the rain ceased and the wind dropped

Yellow Wagtail 13+

Little Ringed Plover 1

Common Sandpiper 3

Dunlin 2

Common Tern 1

Curbridge: 28th April

Curbridge
Yellow Wagtail: No green sand though. 16:29.

Mick Cunningham

Standlake Pit 60: 28th April

Standlake Pit 60
2 Pintail: m n f. Remain. 16:23.

Widford
15 Yellow Wagtail: Count excludes 2 seen at opposite end of flood in case duplication. SNT advises he had 12 yesterday. 16:23.
Reed Warbler: In full song. My first here. See sedge. 16:23.
Sedge Warbler: Singing and seen. From opposite end of flood to Reed Warbler. 16:23.

Mick Cunningham

Grimsbury Reservoir: 28th April

1 Arctic Tern, briefly 06:40

1 Whinchat, still (Clive Payne)

1 Yellow Wagtail (Adrian Tysoe)

Whinchat from yesterday

Chipping Norton: 27th April

Chipping Norton
Yellow Wagtail: m. On the wetland at Swailsford Bridge nr Cornwell. SP283263. 13:30.
Grey Wagtail: m. SP283263. 13:30.
4 Pied Wagtail: SP283263. 13:30.
60 Swallow: Feeding over the fast flowing brook and the wetland - much activity. SP283263. 13:30.
20 House Martin: With the Swallow - small group resting and preening perched on tree which lies across the brook. SP283263. 13:30.
Willow Warbler: SP283263. 13:30.

Steve Akers

Rushy Common: 28th April

Rushy Common
4 Shelduck: SP380075. 10:15.

JB Woodford

Rushy Common: 27th April

Rushy Common
Marsh Harrier: Hunting over reed beds opposite the hide. SP380075. 15:00.

JB Woodford

Port Meadow: 27th April

Port Meadow
2 Dunlin
2 Great White Egret
2 Shelduck
22 Yellow Wagtail
Swift
8 Oystercatcher

Oxford: Oxford Canal
Grasshopper Warbler: Reeling in scrub just west of boat moorings on the canals opposite St Edward's playing fields.

Adam Hartley, Claire Robinson

Farmoor Reservoir 27th April

On and off  0830-1530

Little Gull 4 adults - All had moved on by approx 1430

Arctic Tern 1

Common Tern 3

Common Sandpiper 2

Dunlin 1

Yellow Wagtail 4

Swallow 150+

Sand Martin 200+

House Martin 10+

Common Swift 30+

Little Egret 1

Red crested Pochard 2

Farmoor Reservoir; 27th April

08:30-12:00

Swift 50+

Sand Martin 250+

Swallow 200+

House Martin 20+

Yellow Wagtail 6

Dunlin 1

Common Sandpiper 2

Kingfisher 2 (Pinkhill)

Little Gull 2

Arctic Tern 6

Common Tern 3

Old Caley's Diary

Grimsbury Reservoir: 27th April

Grimsbury Reservoir
Whinchat: found by Kirsty Brannan.
2 Little Ringed Plover
2 Yellow Wagtail

Gareth Blockley

Widford: 27th April

Widford
Yellow Wagtail: No sign of garganey. 14:37.

Mick Cunningham

Farmoor: 27th April

Little Gull 4 ad/s
Arctic Tern 3
Common Tern 4
Ringed Plover 1
Common Sand 4
Swift 20+
Gropper 2
Lesser Whitethroat 2

Standlake Pit 60: 27th April

Standlake Pit 60
Cattle Egret: In east field. 10:25.

Mick Cunningham

Standlake Pit 60: 27th April

Standlake Pit 60
5 C.Sandpiper 10:16.
Pintail: m n f. These have replaced the long staying females. This M n F seem to be paired. They have reappeared after an absence of. The female is warner, darker brown than greyer females, so distinctive. 10:16.
6 Great White Egret: 4 in east field 2 on site. 10:16.

Mick Cunningham

Sonning Eye GPs: 27th April

Sonning Eye GPs
4 Arctic Tern: Passed through. 07:00.

Hugh Netley

Moulsford, Greenlands Farm: 26th April

Moulsford, Greenlands Farm
Raven: Heard, then seen. Flapping a lot, but circling and soaring, gaining great height, then several closed-wing dives, gradually moving W. SU5883. 11:20.

Mike Amphlett

Chipping Norton: 26th April

Chipping Norton
Wheatear: m. On newly harrowed field next to the fast flowing waters to E of Swailsford Bridge nr Cornwell. First record in this location. SP283263. 13:30.
3 Yellow Wagtail: 2m, 1f. Feeding on margins and small islands in the fast flowing waters of the diverted Brook. Much Wagtail activity here now. Ideal habitat for them. SP283263. 13:30.
2 Grey Wagtail: m, f. M and F seen at separate intervals and leaving with beaks full of insects. SP283263. 13:30.
3 Pied Wagtail: SP283263. 13:30.
White Wagtail: SP283263. 13:30.
Green Sandpiper: Single bird feeding in margins of new wetland close to Swailsford Bridge. SP283263. 13:30.
11 Mallard: ducklings. Two ducks with with 6 and 5 new ducklings each. SP283263. 13:30.
3 Grey Heron: On the marsh. SP283263. 13:30.
4 Reed Bunting: On the marsh. SP283263. 13:30.
Lesser Whitethroat: First of Year here. SP283263. 13:30.

Steve Akers

Bladon 26th April

Waxwing 18 still present just westbof Bladon by river Glyme viewed from path just east of Lince Bridge 18:50 (per RBA).

Port Meadow: 26th April

Port Meadow
2 Greenshank
Caspian Gull, flew through briefly
Dunlin
2 Oystercatcher
4 Yellow Wagtail
White Wagtail
2 Common Tern
6 Shelduck
Great White Egret (now in breeding plumage)

Adam Hartley, Thomas Miller, Joe Dixon

Shennington Airfield: 26th April

Shennington Airfield
Whinchat: SP365434. 18:46.
4 Wheatear: SP365434. 18:46.
2 Grey Partridge: SP361435. 18:46.

Mark Ribbons

Standlake Pit 60 26th April

Great white Egret 5 reported

Hobby 2

Pintail 2

Tar Lakes

Black-tailed Godwit 

Oystercatcher 

Widford 26th April

0730-0930

Garganey 2 (pair) - couldn't be found on return visit at 1400

Yellow Wagtail 2

Little Egret 2

Sand Martin 70+

House Martin 50+

Swallow 50+

Farmoor Reservoir 25th April

Yellow Wagtail 1

Kingfisher 2

House Martin 50+

Sand Martin 40+

Swallow 40+

Swift 5+

Bladon 25th April

18 Waxwing - feeding on mistletoe berries in a large tree beside The Community Walk in Blenheim Park

Widford: 25th April

Widford
2 Garganey: m n f. F looks like recent p60 bird on head pattern. 17:48.

Mick Cunningham

Otmoor Thursday 25 April

Courtesy of Peter Miligan.

White Stork ringed

Short Eared Owl
Peregrine

Hobby

Cuckoo 2

Red Crested Pochard 2

Little Egret

Oystercatcher 5

Grasshopper Warbler 

Lesser Whitethroat 4

House Martin 6

S.E.O courtesy of Steve Liptrot.

 

Chipping Norton: 25th April

Chipping Norton
40 Swallow: In two large groups of Hirundine feeding over the new wetlands at Swailsford Bridge nr Cornwell. SP283263. 10:30.
20 House Martin: SP283263. 10:30.
Sand Martin: At least one. SP283263. 10:30.
3 Chiffchaff: SP283263. 10:30.
Grey Heron: SP283263. 10:30.

Steve Akers

Chipping Norton: 24th April

Chipping Norton
2 Yellow Wagtail: Feeding on the new wetland at Swailsford Bridge nr Cornwell. SP283263. 18:00.

Steve Akers

Rushy Common: 24th April

Rushy Common
2 Black-tailed Godwit: SP328073. 02:30.
Oystercatcher: SP328073. 02:30.

John Pimm

Otmoor: 24th April

Otmoor
White Stork: Circled reed bed and then drifted west. 17:48.
Grasshopper Warbler 19:20.
2 Grey Wagtail 17:15.
20 Swift 17:15.

Nick Suckling

Sonning Eye GPs: 24th April

Sonning Eye GPs
2 Raven 15:30.
Garden Warbler: Near sailing club. 15:30.
Mandarin Duck: On flooded field. 15:30.

Ralph Watts

Standlake Pit 60: 24th April

Standlake Pit 60
2 Pintail: f. 15:30.
2 Goosander: 2 rh. 15:30.
Lesser Whitethroat: m. 15:30.
3 Garden Warbler 15:30.
4 Great White Egret: all yellow bills.2cy? 15:30.
Marsh Harrier: cc. 15:30.
2 Goosander 15:30.

Mick Cunningham

Rushy Common: 23rd April

Rushy Common
Marsh Harrier: fem. Hunting for a 1-2 minutes over reedbed under electric wires then dropped down. It is possible there was a male bird also, a little later on fence post (difficult to see). SP382073. 14:30.
2 Black-tailed Godwit: Flew in noisily. SP382073. 14:30.
2 Shelduck: Flying about. SP382073. 14:30.

John Pimm

Chimney/Tadpole Bridge - 23rd April

Redstart

Cuckoo 

Lesser Whitethroat- 4

Garden Warbler 

Willow Warbler 

Fyfield Wick: 23rd April

Fyfield Wick
Green Sandpiper: Over calling. 22:30.

Jed Cleeter

Otmoor rspb 23rd April

Cuckoo courtesy of Peter Miligan.

 

Farmoor Reservoir 23rd April

Arctic Tern 18 over F1 17:26 

Whimbrel 3

Dunlin 2

(per Ewan Urquhart)

Spotted Flycatcher in tall trees near Pink Hill 

(per Bryan Manston). 

Arctic Tern 2 through early

Common Tern 5

Yellow-legged Gull 

Great white Egret 

Garden Warbler 

Lesser Whitethroat 

Cetti's Warbler 4+

(per Johnny Eclipse,Peter Phillips).

Swift courtesy of Bryan Manston.

Widford: 23rd April

Widford
3 Swift: With a mixed flock of c200 hirundines. 13:41.

Mick Cunningham

Standlake Pit 60: 23rd April

Standlake Pit 60
3 Whimbrel until 12 then flew off

Mick Cunningham

Courtesy of Mick Cunningham.

Otmoor: RSPB reserve: 23rd April

Otmoor: RSPB reserve
Hobby: Greenways. 11:17.

Paul Woodham

Fyfield Wick: 23rd April

Fyfield Wick
Great White Egret: Flew West. 121st tick for patch ?. 10:08.

Jed Cleeter

Port Meadow 22nd April

Greenshank 4

Great white Egret 5

White Wagtail 

(per Thomas Miller).

Standlake Pit 60: 22nd April

Standlake Pit 60
2 Pintail: f. Hanging on. 22:53.
Goldeneye: f. 22:53.

Mick Cunningham

Farmoor Reservoir: Farmoor II: 22nd April

Arctic Tern 19 4 present this morning 15 on F1 19:07

Marsh Harrier flew north along Thames

Turnstone 

Common Sandpiper 

Grasshopper Warbler 

Wheatear

(per Johnny Eclipse)

Common Tern 12:01.
Rock Pipit 12:01.
Dunlin 12:01.
(per Dave Murphy)

Above & below courtesy of J.E.

Bladon 22nd April

Waxwing 17 still present this morning SE of Woodstock and just west of Bladon by river Glyme viewed from path just east of Lince Bridge 

(per Glen Pascoe et al)

Warborough: Warborough Church: 22nd April

Warborough: Warborough Church
Swift 17:36.

Keith McDonald

Grimsbury Reservoir: 22nd April

Grimsbury Reservoir
2 Swift
3 Yellow Wagtail
White Wagtail
Peregrine: over.

Gareth Blockley

Balscote: Balscote Quarry: 22nd April

Balscote: Balscote Quarry
2 Greenshank: Feeding in wetland. Found earlier by E. Barson. 10:14.

Steve Holliday

Courtesy of Edwin Barson.

Tar Lakes, Rushy Common: 22nd April

Tar Lakes, Rushy Common
4 Black-tailed Godwit 10:48.

Mick Cunningham

Standlake Pit 60, 21st April

Goosander: 2 redheads 

Goldeneye: 1f

Pintail: 1m, 2f

Great White Egret: 2

David Hastings

Goosander © David Hastings

Widford: 21st April

Widford
White Wagtail 17:35.
20 House Martin: At least 20 in a flock of c70+ hirundines. Mostly sand Martins, swallows next most numerous. 17:35.
Yellow Wagtail: Yesterday's still present. 17:35.

Mick Cunningham

Farmoor Reservoir 21st April

Cetti's Warbler

Garden Warbler 1 singing male

Cetti's Warbler 3 singing males

Yellow Wagtail 2

Common Swift 77 - moving North in small groups 0830-1200hrs

Swallow/Sand Martin - constant passage all morning moving North in small numbers

Little Ringed Plover 1

Dunlin 1

Cuckoo 1

Kingfisher 1

Mallard 

Female + 21 ducklings

Female + 14 ducklings

Stanton Harcourt area 21st April

Black-tailed Godwit 10 still at Rushy Common 

Oystercatcher 4

LRP 2

Shelduck 3

Yellow Wagtail 4

Woodstock 21st April

Waxwing 3 still present 11:36 SE of Woodstock and just west of Bladon by river Glyme viewed from path just east of Lince Bridge 

(per Glen Pascoe)

Wendlebury: 21st April

Wendlebury
2 Wheatear: 1 male. On separate manure heaps off Landford lane. 10:05.

Laurie Bryant

Iffley 21st April

White Stork reported over the Thames at Iffley thermaling and heading north c11:18 (D.W).

Otmoor rspb 21st April

Greenshank 2 on Big Otmoor

Black-tailed Godwit 

Whimbrel 2 over

Curlew

Crane

Great white Egret 

Little Egret 

Marsh Harrier 3 (1m)

Short-eared Owl Ashgrave (per RBA)

Swift 3

House Martin c10

Sand Martin c20

Grasshopper Warbler 2 calling in Morleys

Lesser Whitethroat 

(per Bark et al)

Grasshopper Warbler courtesy of Paul Tomlinson.

Day's Lock/Bishop's Court Farm, Dorchester on Thames

Swift, c20 over John Allen Pit and Sailing Club Lagoon. 10 a.m. 

Cattle Egret,

Shelduck,

Oystercatcher 2,

Aston Upthorpe: 20th April

Aston Upthorpe
2 Wheatear 13:00.

Nick Suckling

Port Meadow: 20th April

Port Meadow
Whimbrel: over (heard only).
2 Greenshank
2 Great White Egret
2 Yellow Wagtail
6 Shelduck
2 Egyptian Goose
2 Oystercatcher

Port Meadow: Burgess Field Nature Park
Garden Warbler

Adam Hartley, Hugh Petter, Colm O'Caomhánaigh, Joe Woodman

Standlake Pit 60: 20th April

Standlake Pit 60
2 Garden Warbler: 1 between north hide and LL. other just south of Shifford lane foot bridge FOY. 19:19.
Marsh Harrier: cc. Very bleached cream crown chest and forearm. 19:19.
Pochard: m. 19:19.
Cattle Egret: 6. East of SSSI fields. 19:19.
4 Willow Warbler 19:19.

Mick Cunningham

Rushy Common 20th April

Black tailed Godwit 14

Lapwing 2

Otmoor: 20th April

Otmoor
Peregrine: High over Greenaways. 15:09.
Cuckoo: Calling from the MOD land first thing. 15:09.
7 Reed Warbler 15:09.

John Edwards

Rushy Common: 20th April

Rushy Common
10 Black-tailed Godwit: SP382073. 12:09.

John Pimm

Chinnor: Cement Works: 20th April

Chinnor: Cement Works
5 Little Ringed Plover: SU751996. 07:00.
2 Oystercatcher: SU751996. 07:00.

Jez March

Standlake Pit 60: 20th April

Standlake Pit 60
2 Redshank 10:11.
5 Pintail: 1m 4f. 10:11.
9 Sedge Warbler 10:11.
5 Reed Warbler 10:11.
Cuckoo: m. Foy. 10:11.
Hobby: Foy. 10:11.

Mick Cunningham

Sedge Warbler Otmoor rspb
Courtesy of Mark Chuvers.

 

Garford: 20th April

Garford
Corn Bunting: male. Singing from wires on A338 adjacent to Field Barn Farm. 1st time noted here. SU434958. 09:30.

Jed Cleeter

Fyfield Wick: 20th April

Fyfield Wick
Garden Warbler: male. Singing adjacent to my garden. 07:35.

Jed Cleeter

Farmoor Reservoir 19th April

Sanderling 2 along the causeway 13:47

Dunlin

(per Paul Butler)

Sanderling courtesy of Steve Liptrot.

Dunlin with Sanderling courtesy of Steve Liptrot.

Port Meadow: 19th April

Port Meadow
Dunlin
4 White Wagtail
12 Yellow Wagtail
6 Shelduck
3 Oystercatcher
2 Great White Egret

Adam Hartley, Steve Lavington

Standlake Pit 60: 19th April

Standlake Pit 60
2 Pintail: fem. 17:52.
8 Great White Egret: 6 in field to east of LL hide 2 north shore. 17:52.

Mick Cunningham

Rushy Common 19th April

Seventeen Black-tailed Godwit still present on the island this morning. 

Viewable from the car park.

David Hastings

Black-tailed Godwit © David Hastings

Woodstock 19th April

No sign of any Waxwings by 09:14 

(per Dave Doherty). 

Bicester Wetlands Reserve 19th April

Grasshopper Warbler singing from the back of the main pool 08:41 (JFT).

Key holder reserve.

Rushy Common: 19th April

Rushy Common
Black-tailed Godwit: Seen from car park on island. SP382073. 03:30.

John Pimm

Otmoor Lesser Whitethroat

 

Singing Lesser Whitethroat (c) Bark

Cholsey 18th April

Tree Pipit heard flying north over Cholsey Station 

(per Richard Broughton).

Cholsey Wildlife

Port Meadow: 18th April

Port Meadow
2 Grasshopper Warbler: In Burgess Field this morning.
2 Snow Goose
 

Thomas Miller

Appleford GP: 18th April

Green Sandpiper 1
Yellow Wagtail 1

Woodstock 18th April

Waxwing 21 still present 17:50 SE of Woodstock and just west of Bladon by river Glyme viewed from path just east of Lince Bridge 

(per RBA, Glen Pascoe, Gareth Casburn).

Otmoor rspb 18th April

Grasshopper Warbler in Morleys

Sedge Warbler

Cetti's Warbler 

Swallow

Cuckoo

Bittern 2

(et al)

Farmoor Reservoir 18th April 2024

White Wagtail 3

Oystercatcher 2

Common Shelduck 3

Grasshopper Warbler 1

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Sand Martin 50+

Cuckoo 1 poss 2

Peregrine 1

Blenheim 18th April

Egyptian goose - 2 pairs, and a lone male possibly with a mate on a nest somewhere. 1 pair has three young having started with 6.

Goosander - 1

Oystercatcher - 2

Sand martin - c50

Lesser black-backed gull - 4 (2 pairs)

Willow warbler - 1

Sedge warbler - 1