April Review

Highlights

Despite the weathers best efforts the onward march of our spring migrants continued unabated, with nearly all of our regularly occurring migrants having either passed through the county or arrived back on summer territories. The early theme continued across April with several species arriving quite a bit earlier than their median arrival date and potentially regretting that choice with the cold and wet spring we are currently experiencing. Typically April is expected to throw up the odd rarity with many species on the move, Wood Warbler, Glossy Ibis and Spotted Crake have all been recorded in recent years whilst even the odd mega can and does rock up – see the adult Bonaparte’s Gull on Blenheim in 2019. That being said, every now and then we get thrown the odd curve ball and something totally under the radar turns up to kick everyone into action.

Otmoor Cranes courtesy of Malcolm Bowey

That was the case on the 10^th when reports of a Hooded Crow at Blenheim came through.You’d be forgiven for wondering whether this might turn out to be at best an aberrant Carrion Crow or possibly a Hybrid of some sort. Several minutes later though, photo confirmation nailed the identity and we had our first county mega of the year! Quite unbelievably the bird was found by not only an out of county birder but the previous chair of BOURC. This was the first solid record in close to half a century with the last bird coming in 1982 at West Hendred, nearly a decade before some of us were born never mind birding so this was proper mega territory. Hooded Crow tend to stick around for a little while so there was hope this would be an easy bird to connect with, but this was not to be the case. Even those who were able to react immediately to the news were left disappointed when the bird could not be found despite extensive searching over the next couple of days. Surprisingly there was a spate of records between 1965 and 1982 with 10 records in this 17 year period, with even a pair of birds recorded at Farmoor in 1975. We can only hope that the next record doesn’t take another four decades to turn up in the county or that it will be at the very least more confiding than this latest one. 

The Hooded Crow at Blenheim courtesy of Andrew Harrop

With 23 species added in April the county year list now stands at a respectable 183 for the year and May should add a few more species before the classic summer lull.

Migrant arrival dates

Species	Median (since 2000)	Earliest	2024
Sandwich Tern	10-Apr	18-Mar	06-Apr
Yellow Wagtail	01-Apr	05-Mar	03-Apr
Common Tern	04-Apr	04-Feb	02-Apr
Arctic Tern	16-Apr	30-Mar	09-Apr
Whitethroat	10-Apr	29-Jan	07-Apr
Reed Warbler	13-Apr	31-Mar	02-Apr
Cuckoo	10-Apr	30-Mar	08-Apr
Grasshopper Warbler	11-Apr	04-Apr	06-Apr
Garden Warbler	15-Apr	24-Mar	14-Apr
Lesser Whitethroat	15-Apr	05-Apr	09-Apr
Whimbrel	17-Apr	29-Mar	06-Apr
Hobby	15-Apr	05-Apr	14-Apr
Sanderling	20-Apr	25-Jan	19-Apr
Greenshank	06-Apr	28-Jan	14-Apr
Turnstone	30-Apr	29-Jan	02-Apr
Swift	15-Apr	30-Mar	10-Apr
Tree Pipit	20-Apr	30-Mar	18-Apr
Whinchat	19-Apr	02-Jan	13-Apr
Spotted Flycatcher	02-May	05-Apr	23-Apr

 

Waders

The pair of Avocet continued at Otmoor in the early part of April after arriving in the latter part of March. They both stuck around until the 2^nd with at least one bird still present on the 5^th. The first Sanderling of the spring turned up right cue with a pair of birds at Farmoor on the 19^th, whilst not quite in full summer finery they are always stunning little birds whilst in moult. 

Farmoor Sanderling courtesy of Steve Liptrot

 

A single Turnstone here on the 2^nd was a little earlier than is typical for the species although another bird here on 22^nd was more classic in terms of timing whilst another was present on the 29^th.  

 

Farmoor Turnstone courtesy of Kyle Smith

 

Wood Sandpiper, not always an annual spring migrant, made it into the review period at the last minute with a single bird in the Upper Cherwell in the north of the county on the 29^th.

Wood Sandpiper courtesy of John Friendship-Taylor

One of the species I look forward to the most in spring are Whimbrel and the first was noted on the 6^th with a single bird calling in the night over Standlake. Farmoor hosted the most records with four records between the 10^th and 23^rd, with a high count of three birds on the latter date. Pit 60 also hosted a couple records with three also here on the 23^rd and quite possibly the same birds seen later at Farmoor. Three other sites also hosted bird this month – Port Meadow (20^th), Otmoor (21^st) and Chimney Meadows (27^th). 

Pit 60 Whimbrel courtesy of Mick Cunningham

The county saw its first Greenshank in the middle of the month with single at Churn on the 14^th. Birds then followed at Port Meadow with two here on the 20^th rising to four birds by the 22^nd with two birds remaining on the 26^th. Otmoor also had two birds on the 21^st, whilst Balscote Quarry had pair on the 22^nd. 

Balscote Quarry Greenshank courtesy of Edwin Barson

The large flock of Black-tailed Godwit that was present in March had receded by the start of April, with between 7 and 11 birds here up until the 6^th. This rose again on the 7^th where 39 birds were observed on Otmoor with 33 still here almost a week later. Presumably the same flock was commuting again between Otmoor and Port Meadow where up to 25 bids were seen between the 3^rd and 14^th. By the 21^st this flock had reduced to a single bird on Otmoor. Presumably a different flock chose Rushy Common and its surrounds as pre-breeding staging grounds where up to 20 birds were observed between the 6^th and 23^rd, occasionally losing and gaining birds over the course of that time. The same flock were probably also observed at Pit 60 on the 7^th where 27 flew through the site.

Ringed Plover were spread fairly thinly on the ground at four sites, with three of those been regular stop off points for this species. Otmoor had a single bird on the 1^st and 5^th, whist Farmoor had a bird on the 10^th and 27^th. Port Meadow hosted the most birds with two here on the 14^th with a single there the previous day. Peep-o-Day Lane also hosted a lone bird on the 27^th. Dunlin had obviously reached their peak passage the previous month, with the wintering flock finally dispersed and presumably on breeding grounds somewhere much further north. Port Meadow hosted the most birds with up to four recorded between the 14^th and 26^th. Pairs were also seen at Otmoor on the 1^st and at Farmoor between the 15^th and 27^th.  

Farmoor Dunlin courtesy of Nick Truby

Little Ringed Plover were well represented across the county this month with at least seven sites hosted birds back on breeding territories. The most birds came from Peep-o-Day Lane and Chinnor where seven were present on the 13^th and 27^th respectively. 

Grimsbury Reservoir Little Ringed Plover courtesy of Edwin Barson

Common Sandpiper migration was also got well under way with at least seven sites hosting birds during April. The first returning bird came from Grimsbury Reservoir and Moreton Golf Course both on the 7^th, whilst new bird joined the wintering bird at Farmoor on the same date. Farmoor was the site that saw the most individuals seven on the 16^th , although Pit 60 had five between the 14^th and 27^th. Green Sandpiper were only at three sites this month, with long staying birds at Bicester Wetlands and new birds in at Appleford on the 18^th and Fyfield Wick on the 23^rd, whilst a late Jack Snipe record came from South Leigh on the 6^th.

Wildfowl etc

A typically quiet period for this group, the main highlights bookended the month with the group of four White-fronted Geese still present between the 2^nd and 4^th. Garganey have been a bit thin on the ground this spring, with very few records compared to 2023 where several sites had pairs and one site even had up to six birds for much of the spring. A lone female was on Pit 60 on the 16^th which was then seemingly joined by a male on the 25^th just down the road in Widford. The pair remined here until at least the 30^th. A single drake was also present on Otmoor on the 23^rd, which raised hopes of a successful breeding year here again with a female potentially tucked away elsewhere on site. 

Widford Garganey courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

Shelduck were fairly widespread this month with at least six sites hosting birds. Typically the most birds came from Port Meadow with up to six birds here between the 5^th and 26^th. Four birds were at Sandpit on the 1^st, whilst Farmoor, Days Lock and Rushy Common all hosted between 1-3 birds in the latter part of the month. Goosander lingered on at Pit 60 where two birds were present on the 21^st, even more surprising was a late Goldeneye also here on the 21^st where it remained until the following day. Mandarin were on three sites this month with pairs at Days Lock, Chipping Norton and Sonning Eye GP’s on the 1^st, 8^th and 11^th respectively.

Herons, egrets etc

In what is now becoming an annual occurrence since the reintroduction project down at Knepp Estate in Sussex, a White Stork was picked up over Oxon airspace on the 21^st with one circling Iffley in Oxford. A few days later it was seen over Otmoor on the 24^th and initially appeared un-ringed only for the requisite bling observed the following day when the bird was seen on the deck. Whatever your thoughts on the reintroduction project the species looks set to be a permanent fixture of the countries avifauna and a regular occurrence in the county. 

Otmoor White Stork courtesy of Peter Milligan

Another now permanent fixture, at least of the southern counties, Cattle Egret continued much in the same way they did the previous month. The wintering flock now having dispersed from their preferred pasture field by Wytham with six sites hosting birds including the breeding colony at Blenheim. The largest flock still around came from Farmoor on the 16^th where 10 birds were seen over in flight, although eight were also seen at Pit 60 on the 14^th. Great White Egret also continued where they left of the previous month with at least nine sites recording birds. The highest count and seemingly a county record came from Pit 60 on the 6^th where at least eight birds were recorded and potentially up to 11 were across the site and wider landscape. Eight were here on two other occasions and surely the first breeding record for the county can’t be too far behind. Port Meadow also had a decent number of birds where five were present on the 22^nd. 

Great White Egret Blenheim, courtesy of Michael Enticott

 

Gulls and Terns

One of the most anticipated parts of the spring season, the overland migration of the countries seabirds, got under way on the 6^th with the first Sandwich Tern at Farmoor. A 2^nd bird followed at Grimsbury Reservoir on the 15^th, although both records were typically brief appearances. Kittiwake soon followed when two birds were present at Grimsbury Reservoir on the 9^th, both adults. Farmoor followed quickly after with a single bird on the 10^th, also an adult. On the last day of the month a single Little Tern, another not always annual species within the county’s border, was picked up at Otmoor on the 30^th not the typical location for this diminutive seabird. 

Courtesy of Connor Pimm

Another one of our diminutive species put in a brief appearance with four Little Gull over Farmoor on the 27^th coinciding with a small passage of other windswept seabirds pushed in by some inclement weather. 

Farmoor Little Gull courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

The annual spectacle of Arctic Tern flocks over a local waterbody is also an event eagerly anticipated by local patch birders. Farmoor, typically, had the first birds where two were here on the 9^th, although Grimsbury also had two birds the same day and were possibly the same pair. Sonning Eye GPs also had two birds the following day on the 10^th. The peak though came in the middle of the month when 20 birds flew through Farmoor on the 15^th, followed swiftly by 19 birds on the 22^nd which lingered until the next day. Sonning Eye GPs also got more action with four birds on the 26^th increasing to six on the 27^th, whilst West Oxon Sailing Club also got in on the action during the peak passage with two birds on the 15^th. Common Tern made a welcome return to the county on the 2^nd , a few days earlier than the median arrival date, with a single bird at Farmoor. This was followed by birds at Radley on the 7^th and Port Meadow on the 12^th. Birds then became more widespread from there with several sites recording their first birds in the middle part of the month. 

 

Farmoor Arctic Tern courtesy of Trudi Rowland

Grimsbury Reservoir Arctic Tern courtesy of Kyle Smith

Passerines

Waxwing continued to hang on in the county well into the month of April, somewhat unsurprisingly given the weather. You can’t really blame them for not thinking spring had quite started and I can well imagine conditions in the north of Scandinavia weren’t exactly beckoning. A single bird was reported at Wantage on the 5^th in the Waitrose carpark. But the main tranche of records came from Blenheim where between 18-21 birds were present between the 18^th and 26^th. What is more surprising, given the date, was these weren’t the latest record for the county.

Bladon Waxwing courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

 

Late Waxwing records

Date	Year	Location
5th May	1966	Hinksey Hill Farm
26th April	2024	Blenheim
18th April	2005	Milton
5th April	2011	Wolvercote
4th April	2013	Oxford

 

Ring Ouzel had a very good spring in the county. Most of the records typically came from the Oxon Downs with four sites across the Ridgeway hosting multiple birds. A pair continued from Aston Upthorpe through most of the early part of the month whilst Gramps Hill and Devils Punchbowl had up to five birds by the 11^th. Ardley ERF managed to get in on the action, a nice bonus of the local birder putting in the effort there, on the 7^th. Offering those in the north of the county an easier connection compared to those birds much further south along the downs. The last bird hung on at Scary Hill until at least the 13^th. 

 

Ardley Ring Ouzel courtesy of Nick Truby

The one and only Rock Pipit of the spring came on the 22^nd with the classic location of Farmoor playing host to this brief flyover record. A cracking male Black Redstart was in another private garden  in Great Haseley this month and remained for the single day on the 7^th.

Black Redstart courtesy of John Hewes

Whinchat were a little thin on the ground with maybe more yet to come in the early part of May, although passage appeared to start early across the country as a whole. The first Oxon record was around a week earlier than typical with bird on the Oxon Downs on the 13^th. Birds followed at Otmoor, Days Lock, Shennington Airfield and Grimsbury Reservoir most coming from the middle part of the month. Wheatear, however, continued to pile through the county en masse with a whopping 18 sites recording birds throughout April. By far and away the most birds were recorded from the Oxon Downs with 12 birds at Aston Upthorpe on the 15^th, although many of the 18 sites recorded multiple birds across April. 

Whinchat and Wheater at Otmoor, courtesy of Cath Rose

Redstart were only on six sites this month, with only one site recording more than one bird. Grimsbury Reservoir recorded two birds on the 7^th with one present here until at least the 15^th. Cholsey, Cassington GPs, Woolstone Down, Henton and Chimney Meadows all recorded single birds between 10^th and 23^rd. The first Spotted Flycatcher of the spring turned up quite a bit earlier than expected when Farmoor hosted a bird on the 23^rd, with a median arrival date of the 2^nd May.

Almost all our breeding migrant species have now returned to their summer breeding grounds in the county, with the continued theme of early returnees apparent across several of those species. The first Swift was reported on the 10^th at Grimsbury Reservoir, nearly a week earlier than usual with the next birds not been reported until nearly two weeks later on the 22^nd at the same site. The year’s first Cuckoo were bang on time with time with a bird at Wytham on the 8^th, whilst the first Whitethroat came on the 7^th at Farmoor also pretty much bang on time for the species typical arrival date. 

Otmoor Cuckoo courtesy of Malcolm Bowey

Lesser Whitethroat however was nearly a week earlier than usual with a singing bird at Ewelme on the 9^th. Likewise the seasons first Grasshopper Warbler was also about a week earlier than is typical with a reeling bird at Farmoor on the 6^th.

Farmoor Grasshopper Warbler, courtesy of Paul Tomlinson

The first Garden Warbler was bang on time with a bird at Port Meadow on the 14^th. But our first Reed Warbler was nearly two weeks earlier with a bird at Otmoor on the 2^nd, followed by other early birds on the 7^th at Farmoor and Rushy Common. The first Yellow Wagtail bucked the trend though by been a few days later than the median arrival for the one of our brightest summer birds, with a the first at Grimsbury Reservoir on the 3^rd. The highest count came from Churn on the 14^th with a nice flock of 20 birds here. White Wagtail were recorded from five sites this month with most sites recording single birds – Grimsbury Reservoir, Sparsholt Firs, Farmoor and Widford, although Port Meadow hosted four birds on the 19^th. 

Farmoor White Wagtail courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

 

Raptors

Spring passage of Osprey was fairly decent in April with eight records across six sites. The first of the month came from Otmoor on the 5^th, followed by another bird over Port Meadow on the 6^th which also hosted another flyover bird on the 13^th. The most confiding record came from Farmoor on the 12^th with a bird seen perched on one of the bollards along the reservoirs rim, making for a quite surreal picture. One was here again on the 16^th and the 27^th which was seen later that day over Freeland. Days Lock also had a fly over bird in the 15^th, although this bird was at least seen to catch a fish before disappearing over Little Wittenham Woods. Grimsbury also hosted a brief flyover record on the 16^th presumably the same bird seen earlier that day over Farmoor. 

Farmoor Osprey courtesy of Steve Sansom

Short-eared Owl continued to linger on at Otmoor this month, although only been recorded in the latter part of the month it may relate to a new bird moving through the county. The single bird was recorded sporadically from the 21^st until the end of the month. 

Otmoor Short-eared Owl courtesy of Richard Stevens

A single Merlin also was a surprise this month where a female or immature bird was present on the Oxon Downs on the 13^th. The first returning Hobby of the spring came from Otmoor on the 16^th with two birds here and were also bang on time. Birds continued here until a peak of 12 birds were seen on the 27^th. Pit 60 and Spring Hill Farm were the only other sites that recorded a bird with a single here on the 20^th and 29^th respectively.

Hobby Otmoor courtesy of Daren Curtis

Patchwork challenge

Patch	Birder	Points	Species	Highlights
Aston eyot	Ben Sheldon	67	66	Common Sandpiper (100th species for patch)
Ardley ERF	Gareth Casburn	75	71	Ring Ouzel
Dix pit	Simon Bradfield	76	70
Grimsbury reservoir	Gareth Blockley	107	100	Arctic Tern, Sandwich Tern and Grey Partridge
Lye valley	Tom Bedford	67	64	Redstart
River Thames	Geoff Wyatt	150	127	Short-eared Owl & Osprey
Sutton Courtenay	Conor MacKenzie	113	103	Wheatear
Radley GP’s	Ian Elkins	109	99	Cattle Egret, Marsh Harrier and Black-necked Grebe
Freeland	Glen Pascoe	64	63	Osprey and Little Gull
South Hinksey	Alex Figueiredo	57	55	Grasshopper Warbler
Cholsey	Alan Dawson	104	98	Greenshank

Hobby courtesy of Bryan Manston

 

VOLUNTEERS WANTED!

West Oxfordshire Farmland Bird Project is looking for ornithologists, ecologists, conservationists and anyone keen on nature! 

The West Oxfordshire Farmland Bird Project (WOFBP) was set up in 2016 with the aim of monitoring farmland birds and using this data to help engage with and guide farmer lead conservation. The monitoring involves bird ringing, nest monitoring, and observational counts that all feed into the British Trust for Ornithology’s (BTO) national dataset as well as local and regional databases, such as the Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre. Both our team and these organisations use this data to better understand the populations of farmland birds and to feed into scientific research and practical conservation projects. The information is also fed back to the landowners, farmers, and land managers to advise how they can create habitat for birds and other wildlife alongside sustainable food production. 

At the core of the farmland bird monitoring are the surveys we conduct of our four target species: Skylarks, Reed Buntings, Yellowhammers, and Corn Buntings. While we also survey other species such as Grey Partridges, Tree Sparrows, Linnets, and other farmland specialists, these core species act as farmland indicator species. We use these species to assess the quality of the farmed environment and target conservation efforts. In the case of Corn Buntings, we have begun expanding our surveys across southwest Oxfordshire with the hope of understanding their abundance, distribution, and population dynamics. 

For the Corn Bunting research we run an extensive colour ringing project with observational counts to map their distribution across a wide area of farmland. As part of this project, we colour mark roughly 150 birds per year across the Thames Valley and Lambourn Downs and attempt to resight these birds throughout subsequent years. The resulting dataset is helping to better understand their population behaviour, such as post-juvenile dispersal, adult site fidelity, adult survival, breeding productivity and breeding ecology. This data is helping to inform us about the habitats that farmers can created to conserve the species and where these should be targeted in the landscape. In conjunction with these surveys, we undertake observational counts of Corn Buntings across the project area to map the summer and winter populations and where there are declines or increases. 

A Corn Bunting in the hand

 

The Corn Bunting surveys and conservation work is divided into three core aspects of work: supplementary feeding, observational counts, and bird ringing. It is these three roles that we are currently looking for keen volunteers to join our team. 

Our supplementary feeding programme during winter stretches across 14 farms in southwest Oxfordshire with most of these now hosting Corn Buntings. Throughout the winter we visit these supplementary feeding stations at least once a month between November and April to undertake observational counts as well as conducting three bird ringing surveys. We also undertake standardised counts during June and July, mapping the locations of singing males across our study farms. 

Due to the expansion for these surveys, we are keen to attract new volunteers looking to actively contribute to the conservation of a species that has declined by over 90% since the 1960s. The data collected will play a direct role in conserving this species in Oxfordshire by guiding practical, on the ground conservation efforts lead by farmers. Volunteers will also get training that will widen their knowledge of farmland birds and conservation of the species as well as gaining controlled access to private farmland sites hosting bird populations comparable to those found on many nature reserves. 

The roles we are hoping to recruit volunteers to assist with are listed below:
- Weekly supplementary feeding between December-April (can be single or multiple sites)
- Observational counts (summer and/or winter)
- Bird ringing surveys (becoming a licensed bird ringer requires more time and regular training which can be discussed further with our team) 

Depending on the activities undertaken by the volunteer they would ideally be able to reach sites by car (public transport is possible for only a few sites). Volunteers undertaking observational counts will require a pair of binoculars and/or telescope and have basic to advanced identification skills of farmland birds by sight and song (training can be provided). Volunteers do not need to commit to any number of surveys but can cover as many sites and visits as they wish. 

Anyone interested in contributing to the conservation of Corn Buntings, farmland birds and the wider farmland environment please do get in touch with us via email at westoxfarmlandbirds@gmail.com. Please do not hesitate to get in contact with any questions regarding our work and how you can get involved. 

New record set for Oxfordshire big day.

Congratulations to Tom Bedford, Ben Sheldon and Thomas Miller who smashed the record for the amount of species seen within Oxfordshire in a single day. What's even more impressive, is that they achieved it all by bike and on foot!

Despite punctures, the cold and at times wet weather, by the end of Saturday the 27th the team had amassed an incredible 118 species, well done chaps.

Full write up and species list on Out of the Blue Sky

The big day team with support from Tom Wickens. Courtesy of Ben Sheldon