September Review

Highlights

I set out on a somewhat dispirited version of the highlights section in late September, pointing out the lack of rarities and the general sense of low-ebb migration. This was probably skewed by my own failure to connect with several new birds and, despite a very showy Manx Shearwater (more on that later), the action felt muted in the supposedly “anything can happen” month of September. Then, as so often happens, a bolt from the blue stopped us all in our tracks and the review needed rewriting, not for the first time. As with the Marsh Sandpiper, news and photos of a Bluethroat (!) at Otmoor came late in the day, at a time when nothing could be done but anxiously try to sleep and synchronise alarms for 5 am. Thankfully with a small crowd assembled at dawn at the 2^nd screen on Otmoor and after a stress filled and anxious wait, a 1w male Bluethroat hopped into view in front of the main reedbed. A video of this moment is peak twitching comedy and really captures the essence of these kind of events - stress, swearing, questioning and panic followed by abject joy. A quite remarkable bird for the county, most of us were surprised to learn that had been previous records. Both from the 1980s, with one in the Cherwell Valley in September 1980 and another taking by a cat in North Oxford, surprisingly in February 1986. 

Courtesy of Richard Stevens

Courtesy of Thomas Miller

Any bird away from the east coast would likely be popular, I’m sure for example WWT can attest to the popularity of territorial male at Slimbridge, and this is compounded even further for true inland records like these which are exceedingly rare. With most of the county’s available birders connecting at some point that morning, and a proclivity to disappear for an hour at a time, any concerns that this would be a two day wonder like the Marsh Sandpiper were soon tempered by the bird remaining on site until at least the 5th October. Spare a moment, however, for those county birders who are currently plying their trade further north or south of Oxon, an unfortunate consequence of birding the furthest reaches of our shores in this season - although I’m sure that the birding on the isles more than makes up for the loss! 

The Oxon year list now stands at 202, with September adding five new species including Manx Shearwater and Bluethroat. An additional ten subspecies or non-BOU species have also been counted, and these range from Baltic Gull through to White-tailed Eagle, all recognisable taxa with differing status within the UK list.

Waders

The single juvenile Little Stint continued at Farmoor on the 1^st September, having already spent the latter part of August already at the site. Another bird arrived on the 20^th, this time a moulting adult that unfortunately appeared to be missing its right foot, but despite this it appeared in good condition and was on its way south again the following day. Another juvenile was here on the 25^th which at least remained until the 26^th, when two were present on 27^th and appeared to potentially be new birds. One remained until the 28^th, taking the total birds this year to at least 8 a fairly decent return for a species which although annual, is not always reliable. Although it goes someway to beating the staggering count of 84 in 1996, something which is unlikely to occur ever again.  

The one-fotted adult bird courtesy of Ben Sheldon...

Courtesy of Steve Liptrot

Spotted Redshank have been incredibly difficult to come by this year. With a single brief record in the spring, it seemed appropriate that the first autumn record was also, if not brief, then not reported until it was too late for others to enjoy.

Courtesy of David Kissman

The first Curlew Sandpiper of the autumn arrived late evening of the 8^th, although this was soon joined by another nine birds – a record count for the county. Most folk would have bet good money on this amazing flock at least remaining for the evening, but they were unfortunately gone almost as quickly as they had arrived. 

Above & below courtesy of Andy Last

One of the Curlew Sandpiper courtesy of Andy Last

 Also, somewhat flighty and elusive, three record of Knot this autumn have proved difficult to pin down. The first flew straight over on the 6^th, followed swiftly by the second on the 12^th, also straight through and not landing. The final record on the 23^rd dropped in late evening, after not being present earlier in the day, but unfortunately departed overnight – a surprise for a species which usually at least sticks for a few days in the autumn. 

Farmoor Knot courtesy of Ben Sheldon

 A trio of Wood Sandpiper on the 3^rd at Otmoor were somewhat unseasonable, with main peak for this species occurring in the preceding few weeks. Although it did continue an almost annual tradition of a trio of birds turning up in the autumn, having happened in several of the last few years.

Two of the Wood Sandpiper courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

Two records of Turnstone came both from Farmoor in September. The first on the 7^th, a disappointing flying over – a running theme this month with birds more often not settling on the concrete bowl. The second record came just a few days later, on the 10^th, and this adult and juvenile pair at least stayed a little while longer on the causeway. Sanderling were confined to just the single record this month when a flock of five were present at Farmoor on the 6^th, with the peak passage now well and truly over. A species that has felt thin on the ground all year round – Ruff – this month saw a meagre two records reported. The first came from Rushy Common on the 13^th with a pair of birds present, whilst Pit 60 hosted a single bird on the 20^th. Three records of Greenshank came in September from three different sites. Otmoor hosted at least two birds from the 1^st – 2^nd, whilst Farmoor had a brief flyover on the 5^th followed by individuals on the 8^th and 10^th. Cassington GPs hosted the highest count this month, with three here on the 20^th which had reduced to one by the 29^th. 

Farmoor Sanderling courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

 

Most Black-tailed Godwit have now either left the country or sat on UK coastal marshes and mudflats, but a few birds are still moving around. Stratfield Brake a single on the 5^th, whilst Pit 60 had on the 25^th. Dunlin were still moving in decent numbers this month, although most records were confined to Farmoor. Although impossible to know how many individuals were involved, there was clearly a consistent turnover of birds between the 5^th and 28^th. The highest count came on the 7^th with five birds, although four were also present on the 28^th. Two other sites hosted birds this month – NCVW on the 13^th and Grimsbury Reservoir on the 28^th. Similarly Ringed Plover were mostly confined to the concrete bowl in September with a turnover of individuals from the 1^st until at least the 16^th. As with Dunlin the highest count of five came on the 7^th, whilst a juvenile Ringed Plover was present for the majority of early September. Otmoor saw the only other records this month with two on the 21^st and one on the 28^th.

Courtesy of Andy Last

The long remaining juvenile Little Ringed Plover continued at Farmoor until at least the 5^th, before departing for what one assumes to be warmer climes. Nine sites hosted Green Sandpiper this month, with Bicester Wetlands maintaining its status as the premier site for this species with nine on the 1^st. The next highest count came from Ardley ERF with five birds on the 16^th. Common Sandpiper were even further spread with at least ten sites hosting bird this month. Farmoor by far had the most records and the highest count, with nearly half of the records and a high of 15 on the 8^th. A trickle of Redshank records also came from Farmoor with a Juv present on the 5^th, 8^th and 11^th. Whilst the very first Golden Plover of the autumn arrived at Otmoor on the 21^st, with another bird calling in the fog over Farmoor on the 29^th. 

Common Sandpiper courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

 Wildfowl, game etc

A very quiet month for this group in September, with hardly any birds of note. The highlight being a Garganey on Farmoor’s F2 on the 2^nd and causing a mini-twitch – being a relatively decent bird for Farmoor proper. Goosander were on two sites – Farmoor and Port Meadow. A juvenile was on Farmoor from the 8^th until at least the 16^th, occasionally affording some excellent views and photo opportunities along the causeway. A trio were then also present on the Thames adjacent to Port Meadow on the 30^th and was a fairly early date for the species arrival for the winter. 

Farmoor Goosander courtesy of Steve Liptrot

 

 A count of 26 Mandarin on Henley Road GPs was at least notable for the number of birds if not for the species itself, whilst another four birds were at Waterstock on the 15^th.

Herons, egrets etc

With a national influx of Glossy Ibis, numbering into the triple digits, it was a case of when not if Oxfordshire would see its share of the major event. Beginning with a single bird at Farmoor on the 5^th, roosting on the causeway this was a major rarity for the site itself. Unfortunately, particularly for those that regularly bird the site, its stay was brief. Thankfully, the following day another chance arose with now two birds, different from the bird the previous day, were present for a time before departing mid-morning. That was nothing though, with a flock of 24 (!) over Buscot Wick on the 6^th and smashing the previous county record for the species. Thereafter, Days Lock and Stratfield Brake both hosted birds on the 7^th, with the former also lingering until the 8^th. Thereafter, it wasn’t until the end of the month, and the end of the influx, where a lingering bird was seen moving between Port Meadow and Cassington GPs.

Courtesy of Brian Walker

Courtesy of David Stracey

With some inclement weather on the UK coast, it is somewhat unsurprising that two windblown Shag records were reported this month. The first came from Chinnor Quarry, with a fairly healthy individual present on the 2^nd of the month. A less healthy individual was however taking into care, somewhere in the south of the county sometime from the following day. It seems that at least this individual was released somewhere along the coastline later in the month having spent a couple weeks in care. Cattle Egret records follow much the same pattern as they usually do, albeit with much reduced numbers. The fields around Wytham and the A34 continued to play host to a roving flock numbering at least 15. Most of the Farmoor records probably relate to these birds commuting between foraging fields, whilst other birds continued at Otmoor with only six here on the 5^th. Two juveniles had yet to fledge at Blenheim on the 11^th with the last juvenile showing incredibly well when it eventually fledged on the 25^th.

Courtesy of Gareth Casburn

Great White Egret also followed a similar pattern this month to previous months, with a minimum of nine sites hosting birds this month. Pit 60 is clearly the site of choice for the species, first hosting nine birds on the 25^th, followed by 17 on the 27^th – easily a county record. But this was broken very quickly within a few days eventually building to 26 (!) by the 30^th. Presumably, these birds all arrived from the Somerset Levels or elsewhere in the UK? Although I’m starting to sound like a broken record at this point, it surely can’t be that long before we get our first breeding record?!

Gulls and Terns

In what might have been the highlight of the month, if not for the arrival of a certain Luscinia species at the very end, the county saw three records of Manx Shearwater this month – all in very different circumstances. The first arrived on the 15^th but as is often the case it was immediately taken into care having presumably been found grounded in Steventon. In some years these kind of records might be the county’s only record of the year. Thankfully, although maybe not for the bird itself, a bird was on Farmoor on the 16^th. Surprisingly, despite looking a little worse for wear initially, the bird appeared in very good shape in the end performing well over F2 for much of the day. Seeing this bird “shear” around a windy F2 you could be mistaken for thinking you were watching this bird in its natural habitat, particularly through the view shed of a scope. The third record was the bleakest of the lot, a well eaten individual, presumably taken by a raptor and deposited it in some woodland in West Oxon.

Courtesy of Roger Wyatt

A regular passage of Black Tern through Farmoor kept regulars there busy, with at least two flocks in double digits in early part of the month. Singles were present on the 3^rd and 6^th, followed by a flock of 14 on 7^th. Fifteen were here on the 9^th, although reduced to two by late afternoon, whilst five more joined the fray later that evening. A single was then reported on the 21^st, the last record at the site this month. However, by far the most interesting record, was that of juvenile at Hinksey Lake, Oxford. A remarkable bird for an urban site it clearly had been brought down in poor weather conditions, potentially aiming for Farmoor but missing its target. A fantastic bird for the patch birders there, which in the last 12 months has also hosted Bittern and Scaup! A lone Sandwich Tern on the 3^rd at Farmoor was the only record of the month and unfortunately was straight through and off to better pastures almost as soon as it arrived.

Courtesy of Peter Milligan

A few Arctic Tern records were a little easier to connect with though, with three records involving ten individuals. A small flock of five were present at Farmoor on the 9^th, swiftly followed by four on the 10^th along with a flock of 30+ “Commic” Terns. A lone juvenile was then present on 16^th and 17^th, afforded some excellent views whilst roosting on the “beach” area of F2. This month also saw several records of Little Gull at two sites and probably related to three separate individuals. The first was on Farmoor on the 2^nd – 3^rd, often showing pretty well at times. The 2^nd was then present also on Farmoor on the 16^th, along with the juvenile Arctic Tern and Manx Shearwater providing plenty of entertainment for the gathered birders. The following day an adult was then at Pit 60, a descent bird for a site that’s already provided one of the best birds of year. This adult remained until the 30^th, albeit with a few days gap between reports.

Courtesy of Jeremy Dexter

Caspian Gull were in the usual haunts of Farmoor and Pit 60, with Farmoor hosting the regular 2w for the early part of the month, whilst an adult was at Pit 60 in the latter part September. A single Mediterranean Gull rounds off this groups showing for the month, with one present on the 16^th and 17^th on Farmoor.

Passerines

Having had one rare Phylloscopus last month, it was about time we have another and at this time of of year there is only one that can be expected. A Yellow-browed Warbler trapped and ringed in Little Clanfield on the 28^th was right on cue for the typical first arrival of the species in the county. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the record, it was not possible to twitch and so we will have to wait a little longer for our first “Tsu-weet” call of the autumn. Rock Pipit passed through the county throughout the month, so lingering longer than others but all pulled in by the larger bodies of water across the county. Farmoor, the classic site, had several records of probably two individuals – 18^th – 19^th and 28^th – 30^th. Pit 60 got only its 3^rd ever record on the 27^th, as this patch continues its fine form in 2025 whilst Grimsbury had a lone bird on the 28^th.

Courtesy of West Oxfordshire Farmland Bird Project

Whinchat were present on at least ten sites, spread across the county. Otmoor had the highest count of five on the 8^th, whilst Lark Hill had the most records, reporting birds on five occasions with a maximum count of four here also on the 8^th. The remaining sites reported 1-2 birds with the last record coming from Chipping Norton on the 28^th. Redstart had largely passed through the county the previous month, with reporting rate in September down to a single digit number of sites. The Oxon Downs had the highest count with three here on the 6^th, whilst White Horse Hill was the last site record a bird, on the 9^th.

Courtesy of Mark Merritt

Wheatear were present right across the county this month, although numbers and the number of sites had dropped off significantly. At least nine sites hosted birds, with sites on the Downs accounting for a large proportion of the records. Lark Hill had the highest count, with 12 here on the 8^th – clearly a date where lots of chats were moving southward through the county. Childrey Field and the Oxon Downs were the only other sites to host more than one individual, with 3 and 2 respectively in the early part of the month. The last record came from White Horse Hill on the 28^th. 

Courtesy of Jeremy Dexter

The Yellow Wagtail roost at Otmoor peaked early in the month with 500+ coming into the reedbed on the 3^rd, one has to wonder what else might have been in with them! Crossbill continued to be reported in small roving flocks across the county, after the major irruption across the country as a whole. The largest flock came from Cowleaze Wood where a minimum of 60 birds were present on the 21^st.

Courtesy of Thomas Miller

Raptors

A White-tailed Eagle on the border with Bucks was reported from private land on the 3^rd, with a fantastic video capturing this encounter on a farm in Hambleden. Apparently, the bird was seen to fly towards the border with Oxon although despite having a wingspan of probably over 7ft, this bird disappeared as easily as any other bird moving through the county. The county has had some great form this year with Osprey records, with another five report this month relating to at least three birds if not four. Farmoor hosted two of these records, one on the 7^th and again on the 21^st. Otmoor had one on the 16^th and again another on the 21^st, whilst Fyfield Wick also saw a bird on the 21^st. These three records on the 21^st seem to have related to two birds.

Hobby were present on a minimum of nine sites this month, most of which were reported within the first half of the month. The final record came from Port Meadow on the 28^th.

Courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

Patchwork challenge

Patch	Birder	Points	Species	Highlight
Aston eyot	Ben Sheldon
Ardley ERF	Gareth Casburn	115	104
Dix pit	Simon Bradfield
Grimsbury reservoir	Gareth Blockley	111	102	Rock Pipit
Lye valley	Tom Bedford	72	71
River Thames	Geoff Wyatt	144	125	Glossy Ibis
Sutton Courtenay	Conor MacKenzie	127	112
Radley GP’s	Ian Elkins	106	100
Freeland	Glen Pascoe
South Hinksey	Alex Figueiredo	81	76	Black Tern

 

Oxon Big Year 2025

One of the problems with a Big Year effort, is that without new birds, progress can feel slow and sluggish, even if the birding is actually pretty decent - context matters. I realise my relatively negative feelings about how September has gone is based purely on missing several birds on the trot, only adding one species to my own year list. Upon writing the main review, I’ve actually realised that September has been very decent by all accounts, so focused I have been on seeing “new birds”. Seeing Manx Shearwater in any year is brilliant, but in a Big Year attempt is great luck and to have such a performative bird rather than the usual moribund individuals, amazing. Followed up by Bluethroat?! You couldn’t really ask for more than that! Still, having missed Osprey, Knot and Curlew Sandpiper in the space of 12 days or so, wrangles me! I suspect it will continue to do so until Dec 31st or I see one, whichever comes first. 

Sadly, two of our number have now left the county. Peerawat has left for USA whilst Thomas is touring some of the UKs prime coastal headlands. Both will be very big losses to the local birding scene as well as to the local Big Year effort. Both found decent birds over the last 9 months, including Thomas’s Temmincks Stint, whilst immense credit has to be given to Peer’s almost entirely by bike effort including some very long-distanced efforts! 

With two wildcards already in the last four weeks, one has to wonder what the rest of the year has in store for us - maybe one more local mega? One can only hope!

Name	Total
Ben Sheldon	186
Thomas Miller	186
Neil Hayward	159
Conor MacKenzie	188
Simon Myers	177
Peerawat Chiaranunt	177

Work is continuing on habitat improvements on our Ashgrave field. This is a major project, with new scrapes and ditches being created, plus a new bund and predator exclusion fence. Visitors should be aware that for 6-8 weeks from mid-August to late September, diggers and dumpers will be working on site, in direct view of the Wetlands Watch hide.

With thanks 

The Otmoor team

Video & narration courtesy of Luke O'Byrne