August Review

 Highlights

What a difference a month makes! It’s safe to say that patch and local birding is back in full swing with lots of waders making their way through the county's waterbodies, floods, and muddy pools. Passerines also are trickling through with the autumns first Wheatear starting to move through Oxfordshire’s borders too. August has seen four species added to the county year list which now stands at 181 with a further 17 subspecies, non-BOU species and ferals also observed within the county in 2024. One extremely depressing notable absence from the year list in 2024 is the lack of any Turtle Dove records, a species that has been hanging on by thread in the county for several years now and one which we may have lost altogether as a breeding species.

The highlight of the month, unfortunately, was a bird not seen by the wider birding community this month. A female Montagu’s Harrier was present for a period at the beginning of the month in the south of the county. Given the breeding status of the species in the UK, with no confirmed breeding in the last two years, and given it was in suitable breeding habitat at the right time of year it was considered necessary to withhold the record from the wider public. This coupled with it being on private land meant there was only one sensible option. The 2nd calendar year female was interestingly colour ringed with a German ring and was ringed in 2023, presumably at the nest, although details have not been forthcoming from the scheme as of yet. Montagu’s Harrier has a special place in Oxon birding lore with the species having bred successfully between 1999 and 2013, before, been lost as breeding species altogether from across the country over the following decade. A brilliant write up of the fortunes and breeding behaviour of Montagu’s Harrier in Oxfordshire can be found in the 2018 Birds of Oxfordshire Annual report. With the last two years producing records of the species during the breeding season, one can only hope that we have not seen the last of Montagu’s Harrier as a breeding species in the county just yet.

Montagu's Harrier

Montagu's Harrier

Montagu's Harrier

The Montagu's Harrier

Waders

The highlight of the month came in the form of one of our most sought after autumn waders – a Little Stint. A single bird was present on Farmoor causeway on the morning of the 19th. Unfortunately, with news slow to get out and the bird leaving by the afternoon this bird wasn’t enjoyed by many birders who frequent the site at this time of year. 

The Farmoor Little Stint courtesy of Dave Murphy

One species that was enjoyed by the many this month was Wood Sandpiper. With four sites recording birds and with a decent spread across the county, plenty enjoyed this enigmatic little Tringa. Ardley ERF was the first site to host the species this month with one present on the 10th. This was swiftly followed by 2 at Days Lock on the 12th and single bird at Pit 60 on the 15th, the latter having already hosted a bird last month. Peep-o-Day Lane, however, proved the most attractive site with it hosting a bird from the 17th until at least the 26th – ample opportunity to be enjoyed by plenty of folk.

 

Wood Sandpiper Days Lock courtesy of Geoff Wyatt

Pit 60 Wood Sandpiper courtesy of Mick Cunningham

 

The month produced three records of Turnstone, all from Farmoor, on the 1st, 14th and 19th although it wasn’t clear if these were all different birds or the same bird hanging around the concrete bowl for several weeks. Sanderling, however, were much easier to track the turnover of birds moving through with birds typically in all ranges of moult and plumage. Seven records were produced, typically all from Farmoor, with a max count of 10 birds on the 25th. Henley Road GPs provided the only record of Whimbrel in August on 24th, with surely plenty more to follow in September. Greenshank were recorded from five sites. Farmoor produced the most records with four records and a max count of 2 on 18th. Chipping Norton (10th), Bicester (14th), Pit 60 (17th) and North Cross Valley (26th) were the other sites to produce records. Black-tailed Godwit was present at only one site with a single moulting bird at Peep-o-Day Lane on the 23rd until the 26th, likewise Ruff was reported from a single site with Chipping Norton hosting a bird on the 14th. Ringed Plover records came from two sites – Ardley ERF on the 9th and the 24th whilst Farmoor hosted birds from 14th through to 25th.

 

Farmoor Turnstone courtesy of Bryan Manston

Dunlin were, typically, recorded frequently from Farmoor throughout the month. A maximum count of 5 came on the 25th with birds reported across eight days in the August. Ardley ERF & Peep-o-Day Lane were the only other sites which produced records this month with singles here on the 9th and 27th respectively. Six sites hosted Green Sandpiper this month with a high count of 15 coming from Peep-o-Day Lane on the 25th, whilst six sites also hosted Common Sandpiper with Farmoor & Peep-o-Day Lane the only sites hosting more than one bird.

 

Wildfowl & Game etc

An expected quiet period for this group with the most notable bird been a lone Ruddy Shelduck present at Peep-o-Day Lane 5th until at least the 14th, associating with the local Egyptian Goose flock in that time. Garganey records were few and far between with the long staying moulting male still present at Pit 60 this month, albeit sporadically between the 3rd and 18th. An interesting record of 3 flying into roost at Chipping Norton on the 18th. Mandarin were the only other notable species this month with three sites recording single birds – Chipping Norton (2nd), Waterstock (4th) and Sonning Eye GPs (15th).

 

Herons, egrets etc

The end of the month produced the first proper twitchable rarity of the Autumn. and would have been the highlight of the month, had it not been for a certain Monty’s elsewhere in the county. A Shag present on Farmoor on the 30th after the fog had cleared was the first to grace the county since 2021. August and early September are the classic time to log this species in the county with most of the last 20 years of records coming in this period. Whilst most birds away from Farmoor tend to be short stayers, birds at Farmoor have a tendency to hang around for a few days if not weeks, presumably the presence of Cormorant, plenty of food and classically brutal weather makes them feel more at home! This bird was still present by 31st and looks to set to have an extended stay within the county.

Farmoor Shag, courtesy of Steve Liptrot

Speaking of extended stays, the Glossy Ibis at Otmoor continued its summer holiday on the site. Mostly reported coming into roost with the various Egrets and other Wildfowl during evening vigils the bird was still present at the end of the month. 

The Otmoor Glossy Ibis courtesy of Steve Lavington

Glossy Ibis 
Courtesy of Trish's Nature Pix.

Cattle Egret numbers were a huge highlight this month with the post breeding flock taking to Otmoor this year instead of the fields of Farmoor village around Wytham Wood. Counts of feeding flocks remained around 30-40 birds for most of the month, which in of itself would have been unheard only a few years ago. A massive count, however, of 62 coming into roost on the 24th was something else! Clearly a good breeding year has been had by the species, although not all will be birds from our local breeders, and presumably one of the highest counts of birds outside of Somerset? Another five sites reported birds, all in the west of the county except for Port Meadow on the 29th. Birds were reportedly still on nests on the 11th at Blenheim with Farmoor, Wytham and Woodstock all hosted birds sporadically.

Otmoor Cattle Egret courtesy of Steve Lavington

A grand total of 9 sites hosted Great White Egret this month. Most records came from Otmoor, a site that is increasingly sounding like a wetland in the Med. A county record of 10 birds were present on 24th, although 2 -5 birds were more commonly recorded. 

ADC Otmoor rspb courtesy of Malcolm Bowey

A colour ringed bird (ADC) has been present on Otmoor for some time and was ringed down in Somerset the previous year, it has spent time in Northants, Herts and Bucks as well as Slimbridge early this year see below. 

-Summer Leys LNR, Northants 8th September 2023
-Wilstone Reservoir Tring, Herts 17th September 2023
-Willen Lake North, Milton Keynes, Bucks 9th March 2024
-Tack Lake, Slimbridge 24th May 2024

ADC is a female and was ringed on the nest on 8th June 2023 on the rspb Ham Wall Reserve

ADC as a chick.

Another colour ringed individual (AFT) was also present on Cassington GPs on the 4th. This bird was ringed as a chick on the 29th of April 2024, a female and also from the rspb Ham Wall reserve in Somerset. This was its first sighting since leaving the county and was in the company of four other individuals on site. 

ATF Cassington GPs courtesy of Terry Godfrey

ATF as a chick on the Ham Wall rspb Reserve

For more information regarding these beautiful birds and their status see Alison Morgan Birds of the Somerset Levels and Moors

Pit 60 also hosted five GWE sporadically throughout August with Radley GPs the only other site to host more than one bird this month.

Passerines

In what would of have been a very popular bird had it been present during waking hours, a flyover Nightjar on the evening of the 18th at Eynsham was the first record of this species for a number of years. Although the nocturnal and cryptic nature of the species probably belies its true status during migration, Nightjar is still a major county rarity. The illustrate the point, there are many of us that have Common Nighthawk in Oxfordshire but have yet to see Nightjar! The wait continues!

Kingfisher courtesy of Jason Hornblow

Whinchat started moving through the county in greater number this month with 9 sites reporting birds. Wytham had the highest count of 5 on the 18th, although several sites hosted multiple birds. Chipping Norton had up to 2 birds between 4th and 24th, whilst Waterstock and Otmoor hosted 2 and 3 birds on the 4th and 16th respectively. Lollingdon Hill had a single bird present at the very end of the month. Unbelievably the first Wheatear of the autumn came from Oxford on the 18th, with a bird feeding on the roof of the Churchill Hospital of all places! This was followed by records at a further five sites with most of these been confined to the Oxon Downs, with the largest count of 3 coming from Lollingdon Hill on the 31st.

Whinchat courtesy of Dave Murphy

  

Redstart were the most common and widespread of the migrant passerines this month with at least 11 sites reporting birds. As with the previous two species the majority of the records came from sites on the Oxon Downs, with Aston Upthorpe recorded the most with 4 individuals on the 23rd. Farmoor was the only site that reported multiple birds outside of the Downs with two present here on and off between the 4th and 26th. The regular roost vigil at Otmoor for the various Egrets & Herons counts also produced a cracking record of at least 276(!) Yellow Wagtail coming into roost on the 27th, one can only imagine the sound!

 

Stonesfield Common Redstart courtesy of Paul Wren

 

Gulls and Terns

The end of the month produced by far the largest variety of species and records with the earlier part of August been deathly quiet. A single juvenile Little Gull was a nice way to the end of the month with a bird at Farmoor on the 31st. Black Tern were present at both ends of the month with a juvenile on Farmoor on the 1st, 5 at Cassington GPs on the 12th and another juvenile at Sonning Eye GPs on the 31st.

The Farmoor juvenile Little Gull courtesy of Steve Willis

Farmoor was consistently the site to be for the rarer and Gulls and Terns, as it often is, with 3 Sandwich Tern present on the 25th along with a lone Arctic Tern. All had departed by the following day, although a single Sandwich Tern was as present on Farmoor on the 30th.

 

Sandwich Terns and Arctic Tern at Farmoor courtesy of Steve Sansom

Caspian Gull continued to hang on in the county, with the inevitable influx due to come over the next few weeks and months. Single birds were present at Farmoor and Appleford in the 28th.

A juvenile Caspian Gull courtesy of Ian Lewington

A Baltic Gull was brief visitor to Didcot Landfill on the 23rd and unfortunately didn’t reappear in what is becoming, or already was, a regular visitor to the county. A single Mediterranean Gull at Pit 60 was the only record of the species in August on the 25th.

A probable Baltic Gull at Didcot landfill briefly courtesy of Ian Lewington

 

Raptors

Osprey records came from three sites this month with Otmoor this first to get in on the action on the 3rd. An unconfirmed report came from Abingdon the following day, in what could have been the previous days bird following the Thames south. Farmoor also got in on the action with bird present on the 27th. Honey Buzzard are typically and frustratingly either brief, unconfirmed or probables, and this month proved no different with a probable over Dix Pit on the 10th.

The very popular pale Marsh Harrier young continued to please admirers from near and afar at Otmoor until at least the 17th. Given the plumage it was always going to be fairly straightforward in tracking these unique birds. One of them was seen north of Otmoor at Lillbourne Meadows in Northants the following day before seemingly bombing it right through to Willow Tree Fen in Lincolnshire later on the 18th. It has seemingly remained in the area of the nature reserve ever since. 

The 2nd bird moved a little less far with it delighting the many birders and photographers at Slimbridge from the 18th onwards. After this it appears to have headed a little further south to Catcott on the Somerset Levels by the 26th August. Let’s hope the birds continue to survive through the autumn into the winter and delight many more observers yet!

 

Above and below taken at Slimbridge and are courtesy of Blair Jones

Courtesy of Blair Jones

Patchwork challenge

Patch	Birder	Points	Species	Highlight
Aston eyot	Ben Sheldon	75	73	Snow Goose, Hobby
Ardley ERF	Gareth Casburn	102	93	Wood Sandpiper
Dix pit	Simon Bradfield	76	68
Grimsbury reservoir	Gareth Blockley
Lye valley	Tom Bedford	75	72	Wheatear and Pochard
River Thames	Geoff Wyatt
Sutton Courtenay	Conor MacKenzie	136	118	Bullfinch, Wood Sandpiper, Ruddy Shelduck
Radley GP’s	Ian Elkins	113	102
Freeland	Glen Pascoe	82	70	Hobby, Bullfinch, Sparrowhawk
South Hinksey	Alex Figueiredo
Cholsey	Alan Dawson	110	104	Whinchat & Redstart

 

The Photo Of The Month

This great photo by Steve Lavington of multiple Otmoor Egrets coming into roost was unanimously voted PotM by the blog committee.

 

Otmoor Egrets courtesy of Steve Lavington