Otmoor: 31st May

Otmoor
Savi's Warbler: Heard only, from 21:30 onwards. 21:45.
Glossy Ibis: Flew from 2nd screen towards 1st screen. 21:45.

Matthew Lloyd

Farmoor Reservoir 31st May

 

Sanderling 3 along the causeway today

Both photos courtesy of Steve Liptrot 

Kennington: 31st May

Kennington
Ring-necked Parakeet: At least 1 calling on and off adjacent to cricket ground in Playfield Road. 15:00.

Jed Cleeter

Otmoor: 31st May

SAVI'S WARBLER Still c18:00 occasionally h/o 

(John Prowse,Nick Marriner)

Showing well on and off just south of second screen

04:30-08:20 

Honey Buzzard unconfirmed report. Flew over N/E at 12:40 (per Birdguides).

Glossy Ibis 

Great white Egret 2+  

(per Ian Elkins et al)

Otmoor: RSPB reserve: 31st May

3 Lesser Whitethroat: At least 3 seen and heard through out the reserve. Opposite greenways, down the track to screen 1 and screen 2. 17:18.

2 Bittern: 2 over screen 1, ( could be the same one at different time ) 1 in Greenways near to the ponds. 09:16.

W Holden

Didcot: 31st May

Didcot
3 Yellow Wagtail: at least 3 near to bridleway, and in the field of peas with the corner pylon in it. SU537886. 15:11.

W Holden

Lower Shiplake: 31st May

Lower Shiplake
2 Swallow: Seen going into old stable near polo field.very active birds. SU770800. 11:50.
4 Egyptian Goose: m/f. Plus 2 well grown goslings. SU770800. 11:50.
2 House Martin: Very active near river. SU777797. 11:50.

Ralph Watts

Kirtlington: Kirtlington Park: 31st May

31st May

Kirtlington: Kirtlington Park
Hobby: Perched in oak tree. 09:10.

Northbrook
Cetti's Warbler: Male singing between canal and river. 10:00.

David Watkinson

Otmoor RSPB 30th May

                                                                      

 

                                                                            Savi's Warbler

Otmoor rspb 30th May

Savi's Warbler courtesy of Ian Lewington 

 

Otmoor: 30th May

Otmoor
Savi's Warbler: Heard and seen. Near 2nd screen. 
Glossy Ibis: From 2nd screen & came into roost at 1st screen at 20:57
Great White Egret: From 2nd screen.
Bittern: Flyover from near 2nd screen
2 Marsh Harrier

David Cleal, Steve Sansom

Savi's Warbler Otmoor

Otmoor 30th May

Savi's warbler - with any luck it will give some better views than this!

Otmoor rspb 30th May

Rubbish bit of video featuring Thomas Millers audio recording.

SAVI'S WARBLER still c14:20 singing and showing occasionally in reedbed near 2nd screen.

Initially heard singing intermittently and distantly at 08:15 found by Mark Geering.

Glossy Ibis stiill at the 2nd screen.

Cuckoo 2

Bicester Wetland Reserve 30th May

 Gadwall female with 13 new ducklings
1 Kingfisher

A Peters C Oram
Key Holder Reserve

Blewbury 29th May

Quail 1+ singing S/W of Blewbury at Churn Farm in evening (per RBA)

Fyfield Wick: 28th May

Fyfield Wick
Hobby 15:20.

Jed Cleeter

Otmoor rspb 28th May

Glossy Ibis again at the 2nd screen 14:45 

(per Luke O'Byrne)

Osprey over the 1st screen heading east 10:06 

(per Paul Willis)

Bittern 25/5 courtesy of James Ferguson 

Farmoor Reservoir 28th May

Sanderling 4

Dunlin 2

Little Egret 1

Cuckoo 4

Towersey: 28th May

Towersey
Great Skua: Probable (definitely a skua sp.) flew fast NE over private land E of Windmill Lane. Briefly harassed a Red Kite then carried on. SP733058. 11:32.

Phil Chapman

Farmoor Reservoir 27th May

Little Ringed Plover 1

Common Tern 1

Yellow legged Gull 1 2cy

Common Swift 80+

House Martin 10+

Sand Martin 10+

Swallow 2

Sanderling 3 15:39 along causeway 

(per Conor MacKenzie)

Farmoor 26 May 2025

 Sanderling doing its best to find some waves at Farmoor

RSPB Otmoor, Monday 26th May

09-12:00

Cattle Egret (Ashgrave)

Marsh Harrier 4

Bittern

Kingfisher

Hobby

Swift 100+

Curlew 2

Cuckoo 2

Lesser Whitethroat 2

Old Caley's Diary

Woodstock 26th May

Cattle egret - 3 in field north of Stratford Bridge this morning.

Farmoor Reservoir 23rd May

Belated news of a Little Stint on Friday (DJ)

Waterstock: River Thame: 25th May

Waterstock: River Thame
Peregrine 08:00.
4 Reed Warbler 08:00.
3 Goosander: All adult female. 08:00.
35 Lapwing 08:00.
2 Raven 08:00.
Yellow Wagtail 08:00.
Grey Wagtail 08:00.
Tawny Owl 08:00.
7 Blackcap 08:00.
Cuckoo 08:00.
11 Whitethroat 08:00.
10 Reed Bunting 08:00.
Garden Warbler 08:00.
4 Chiffchaff 08:00.
9 Linnet 08:00.
9 Sedge Warbler 08:00.
Lesser Whitethroat 08:00.
3 House Martin 08:00.
8 Swallow 08:00.

Nick Marriner

House Martin
Farmoor Reservoir 
Courtesy of Steve Liptrot 

 

Chipping Norton: 25th May

Chipping Norton
25 Swift: Up to 25 Swift feeding over Cornwell Marsh at dusk - this is an important feeding site for Swift for the whole not just those birds nesting in Chipping Norton. Plus remarkable encounter with a young Roebuck which was prancing and playing in the tall marsh grass. Wonderful. SP283268. 20:10.
Little Egret: SP283268. 20:10.
Grey Heron: SP283268. 20:10.
3 Reed Bunting: SP283268. 20:10.
41 Mallard: SP283268. 20:10.
Kestrel: SP283268. 20:10.

Steve Akers

Ardley Quarry 25th May

Ringed Plover 3

Little-ringed Plover 2

(per JT)

Blenheim: Queen Elizabeth Island: 25th May

Blenheim: Queen Elizabeth Island
2 Oystercatcher: With at least two young.
5 Cattle Egret: Possibly 1 or 2 nests.
10 Little Egret: Four broods I think.

Blenheim: Blenheim Lake
Shoveler: male.
3 Common Tern
2 Reed Warbler

Bob Pomfret

Farmoor Reservoir 25th May

Black Tern briefly over F2 but no sign 11:45-12:00

Sanderling 3 along causeway 

Dunlin 2

10:41 (per Ewan Urquhart, Thomas Miller et al)

Otmoor 25th May

Glossy Ibis - at first screen early morning before flying to Flood Field.

Cattle egret - 11 out of the roost at the first screen.

New Marston: New Marston Meadows: 24th May

New Marston: New Marston Meadows
Cattle Egret: 1. First for site (long overdue!). Feeding with cattle for a few mins then lost to view. 12:00.

Tom Evans

Didcot: 24th May

Didcot
Yellow Wagtail: In field next to bridleway. SU535888. 16:15.

W Holden

Otmoor rspb 24th May

Glossy Ibis again at the 2nd screen 13:56 (per RBA)

Courtesy of Malcolm Bowey 

Farmoor 24 May

 

Sanderling: 3 along the causeway ~1200, together with 1 Dunlin. Earlier, a different 2 Dunlin and 1 Little Ringed Plover.

Fyfield Wick: 23rd May

Fyfield Wick
Cuckoo: male. Singing again towards Garford. 06:00.

Jed Cleeter

Otmoor: 23rd May

Otmoor
2 Great White Egret: Flood field at mid day. 11:29.
5 Cuckoo: 4 male, 1 fem. 11:29.
2 Hobby 11:29.
Raven: Mobbed by 2 Carrion Crows in a tall tree in Oddington village. Crows nest nearby probably. 11:29.
Glossy Ibis: Second screen mid morning. 11:29.

John Edwards

Otmoor rspb 23rd May

Glossy Ibis from screen two 11:27 (per Sue Carruthers et al)

Waterstock 10th May

Jack Snipe 07:30.
Reed Warbler 07:30.
Cuckoo 07:30.
2 Yellow Wagtail 07:30.
Hobby 07:30.
Kingfisher 07:30.
Grey Wagtail 07:30.
2 Raven 07:30.
41 Lapwing 07:30.
9 Reed Bunting 07:30.
7 Whitethroat 07:30.
10 Blackcap 07:30.
3 Goosander: 1 pr, 1 f. 07:30.
8 Chiffchaff 07:30.
7 Linnet 07:30.
11 Sedge Warbler 07:30.
11 Swallow 07:30.
3 House Martin 07:30.
4 Mistle Thrush 07:30.

  

Lyford: 22nd May

Lyford
Spotted Flycatcher: On road from Lyford towards Denchworth this morning. 08:00.

Jed Cleeter

RSPB Otmoor 22 May 2025

Bittern 6
Great White Egret 3
Barn Owl 1

Glossy Ibis 1 (came in to roost at the 1st screen at 

20:38)

Common Tern 10

Hobby 5

Cuckoo 6

Glossy Ibis at 2nd screen

Barn Owl on Ashgrave

Abingdon: Abingdon Lock: 22nd May

Abingdon: Abingdon Lock
Cuckoo: One heard calling near lock and along S bank of Thames on lunchtime walk: a patch first! SU505971. 12:55.

Phil Chapman

Otmoor rspb 22nd May

Glossy Ibis at the 2nd screen still present 12:30 (R.C, Ben Sheldon)

Tar Lakes, Rushy Common: 21st May

Tar Lakes, Rushy Common
4 Hobby: Hawking Insects. 15:30.
6 Shelduck 15:30.
2 Oystercatcher 15:30.

Jed Cleeter

Standlake 21st May

No sign of the female Red-footed Falcon by 13:00 from the Thames path west of Newbridge.

Hobby 2

 (per Gnome et al).

Otmoor rspb 21st May

Glossy Ibis on Flood field 08:49 (per RBA)

Take bridleway east of Oddington, cross river and go through kissing gate to view third field on the right.

Standlake 20 May

Red-footed Falcon still present 13:30 - 15:00 at least but very high and difficult to reliably distinguish from Hobbies without close inspection of photos later. 

Distant Red-footed Falcon © Stephen Burch

Standlake 20th May

Red-footed Falcon - 2nd year bird again in the same area as yesterday but mostly high in the sky with up to 6 hobbies. Only on a couple of occasions did it come lower and didn't perch up anywhere in the few hours I was there.

Common sandpiper - 1

Cattle egret - 4

 

Standlake 20th May

RED-FOOTED FALCON f 12:26 viewable from the Thames path west of Newbridge and over Pit 60

Hobby (per James Hammond et al).

Pit 60 is a key holder reserve.

https://goo.gl/maps/meokLX5xz6g89xvJ6

Otmoor rspb 20th May

Glossy Ibis at the first screen until 05:43 (per Dan & Trisha Miller).

A329 near Moulsford: 20th May

A329 near Moulsford
Cuckoo: Male calling, sounded as if coming from Moulsford side of the Four-Arches Bridge... prob in SU5984. SU5985. 21:10.

Mike Amphlett

Standlake 19th May

Red footed Falcon female

Newbridge/Standlake 19th May

16:30-18:30

Red-footed Falcon

Old Caley's Diary

Standlake 19th May

Courtesy of Thomas Miller 

RED-FOOTED FALCON female still 18:40 along Thames Path south of Pit 60 then appeared to

drift N/W high and no further sign by 20:14 (per Simon Myers et al).

Hobby 5+

Peregrine 

Marsh Harrier 

Cuckoo

Cattle Egret 2

Egyptian Goose 6

Curlew

https://maps.app.goo.gl/4MFsQxt7rZeHEKUD8?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy

Hobby courtesy of Thomas Miller

Otmoor rspb 19th May

Glossy Ibis again at the first screen 19:05 ( per RBA)

Bicester: 19th May

Bicester
Grasshopper Warbler: male. Male been present for some time and singing. 08:17.

Steven Portugal

Courtesy of Steve John

Otmoor: RSPB reserve: 18th May

Otmoor: RSPB reserve
Glossy Ibis: Into heron roost from first screen 8:20pm. 20:29.
7 Cattle Egret: In heron roost. 20:29.
3 Cuckoo 20:29.
4 Bittern: 2 separate females performing feeding flights (told apart by different coloured legs) + 1 male in flight and 1 on greenaways. 20:29.
2 Great White Egret: In heron roost. 20:29.

Kosmo Dossett

Tadpole Bridge: 18th May

Tadpole Bridge
3 Cattle Egret

Mark Merritt

Chipping Norton: 17th May

Chipping Norton
Mandarin Duck: drk. On Cornwell Wetland. 21:00.
Barn Owl: Hunting over Cornwell Marsh. 21:00.

Steve Akers

Otmoor rspb 17th May

Glossy Ibis from the first screen this morning at dawn (per Anna Marlow).

Cattle Egret 7 from bridleway east of Oddington 

Great white Egret 4 on Flood field.

Whimbrel h

Hobby 2

(per Simon Myers)

Bittern: Heard only. 13:10.
11 Hobby: 11 Birds on our walk round some very close views. 11:30.
Bullfinch: m. 11:30.
3 Reed Warbler: Seen or heard on our walk round. 11:30.
3 Cuckoo: Heard only. 11:30.

(per Ralph Watts)

Bittern courtesy of Malcolm Bowey 

Otmoor rspb 16th May

No sign of the Glossy Ibis

9 Great Egrets 

Cattle and Little in the roost. 

2 Bitterns, 

9 Hobbies all from the first screen.

(per Steve Roby)

Ardley Quarry 16th May

Sanderling and 2 Ringed Plovers from this morning. Plovers likely to be of the "tundra" variety.

Chimney Meadows BBOWT 14th May

Belated news of a RED-FOOTED FALCON f on Sunday S/E of Chimney over fields south of the Thames footpath. Present for 3 days.

(per RBA)

No sign today (et al)

The Ridgeway: 16th May

Plenty of yellowhammer up on The Ridgeway and the byways that run off of it

 

Farmoor 16th May (08:30 - 11:30)

Osprey - 1 over F2 at 11:18, no further sign by 11:22

Common Sandpiper - 2 

Swift - 100+ early on but then left as the weather improved. 

Graven Hill, Bicester; 16th May 2025

09:30-10:00

Grasshopper Warbler

per Colin Oram

Old Caley's Diary

RSPB Otmoor 15 May 2025

Glossy Ibis at screen one this morning (per Malcolm Bowey)

Bittern 1
Hobby 3
Cuckoo 4
Snipe 2 drumming

Curlew 6
Cattle Egret 2

Great White Egret 3
Common Tern 13
Swift/Swallow/House Martin 100+ (large number of mixed hirundines over the reed bed)

10 species of warbler

Courtesy of Malcolm Bowey 

Sonning Eye GPs: 15th May

Courtesy of Marek Walford 

3 Little Tern: 3 birds! Still present 15:15 on string of bouys. Viewed from end of rowing course

2 Sandwich Tern 12:40.  
Cuckoo: Calling. 12:47.

Marek Walford

2 Egyptian Goose 15:15.
Mandarin Duck: m. 15:15.
Hobby 15:15.

Ralph Watts

Old Shifford 15th May

Cattle Egret 10+ behind St Marys Church 14:14 (P.B)

Hobby Otmoor rspb 
Courtesy of Lee Willcocks

 

Farmoor Reservoir: 14th May

Farmoor Reservoir
Turnstone: On west side of F2. 16:30.

Andrew Mann

Chinnor: Chinnor Hill: 14th May

Chinnor: Chinnor Hill
Spotted Flycatcher: 1 by footpath North of the car park. SP766003. 10:30.

David Stracey

Otmoor: 14th May

Otmoor
16 Hobby: min. count. 15:14.

D Moden

Farmoor Reservoir: 14th May

Farmoor Reservoir
17 Arctic Tern: Flew around F2 before departing north east. 10:00.

Dave Murphy

Whooper Swan - Northern Cross Valley Way 13th May

 

Video best viewed in its highest resolution

Northern Cross Valley Way 13th May

Avocet 2 no further sign by 12:42

Oystercatcher 2

Whooper Swan still 13:52

Great white Egret 2

(per S.M, L.OH et al)

Courtesy of Glen Pascoe 

Wootton nr Woodstock: Stratford Bridge: 12th May

Wootton nr Woodstock: Stratford Bridge
Cetti's Warbler: calling, about 200m upstream from the bridge.
Barn Owl: Hunting, early evening. Being rattled at by a pair of nesting mistle thrushes.

Bob Pomfret

Farmoor Reservoir 12th May

Black Tern

 

A329 near Moulsford: 11th May

A329 near Moulsford
Cuckoo: Male calls from the river area, prob close to Cholsey Marsh area. SU5985. 21:05.

Mike Amphlett

A329 near Moulsford: 12th May

A329 near Moulsford
Cuckoo: Calls heard, likely in Cholsey Marsh area. SU5985. 10:00.

Mike Amphlett

Farmoor Reservoir 12th May

Black Tern F2 still 12:48

Sanderling 2 along causeway 

Ringed Plover 

Turnstone over

Dunlin 6 over

Whimbrel heard 

(per Dave Lowe, Simon Myers)

Courtesy of Dave Murphy