Iffley: Iffley Meadows: 12th January

Iffley: Iffley Meadows
Jack Snipe

Mark Merritt

Banbury 12th January

Waxwing On Dukes Meadow Drive near roundabout with Lapsley Drive.

Mark Ribbons

Otmoor 12th January

Whooper Swan with 17 Mute Swan In field east of the main Bridleway between Oddington and Noke this afternoon. (per Barry Bachelor). Whooper Swan still present 15:20 at least (per Dave Lowe) White-fronted Goose 11 (2 juv) Hen Harrier 1 (ringtail) Peregrine 2  Otmoor Birding Bittern over reedbed late afternoon Little Egret 8 (per Dave Lowe)

Female (left) & Male Peregrine Otmoor (c) R.W

Port Meadow: 12th January

12+ Waxwings in the row of hawthorns between the Aristotle Lane railway footbridge & the Meadow, just south of the Trap Ground allotments at 11:20 a.m.

48 Barnacle Goose
2 White-fronted Goose
4 Bar-headed Goose
13 Pintail
4 Shelduck
11 Ruff: (per Jason Coppock & Andy Last)
Dunlin: (per Jason Coppock & Andy Last)

Adam Hartley

Distant Ruff. Photos Badger

North Newington 12th January

9 Waxwing North Newington feeding on Sorbus berries per mr & mrs Tapper.

Michael Hunt

Otmoor.A.M. 11th January.

4 Redpoll
10 Snipe
12 Little Egret
2 Siskin
2+ Chiffchaff
2 Hen Harriers (M&F)
2 Goldcrest
1 Shellduck
1 Water Rail.
1 Stonechat (per Mike Flemming)



Hen Harrier (now a 3rd cl yr male) (c) Roger Wyatt

Chipping Norton: 11th January

Chipping Norton
Raven: Flying over fields on right of minor road to Lidstone. SP303252.
Barn Owl

Stephen Akers

Stonechat (c) Mike Flemming

Bicester Wetland Reserve 11th January

Bearded Tit (m) showing well from main hide this morning.
90 Teal
1 Green Sandpiper
45 Common Snipe
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Grey Wagtail

(per Alan Peters Banburybirds)

Access to B.O.S key holders only.

Little Egret (c) R.W

Port Meadow: 11th January

Port Meadow
48 Barnacle Goose
2 White-fronted Goose
4 Bar-headed Goose
4 Dunlin
50 Golden Plover
2 Shelduck
Pintail
Yellow-legged Gull: 3w.

Adam Hartley

6 Redshank
300 Lapwing

Mary Gregory

3 Waxwing Canal bridge on Aristotle Lane at 10 a.m.

Tom Evans 

Farmoor Reservoir 11th January

Caspian Gull (1stw)
Med Gull 2 (ad & 1stw)
(per Nic Hallam)

Slavonian Grebe
(Alex Martin)

Banbury: 11th January

Banbury
3 Waxwing: Still on Dukes Meadow Drive but opposite Hanwell House B&B this morning.

Mark Ribbons

Otmoor Wren (c) T.S

Benson: 10th January

Benson
11 Egyptian Goose: Flying low, south over Benson.

Thomas Stevenson Benson & Ewelme Wildlife

Chipping Norton 10th January

Golden Plover 204
Yellowhammer/Chaffinch/Greenfinch - mixed flock 60 +
Eurasian Sparrowhawk 1f

Port Meadow: 10th January

Port Meadow
48 Barnacle Goose
2 White-fronted Goose
4 Bar-headed Goose
2 Shelduck
100 Golden Plover
Dunlin
13 Pintail

Adam Hartley

Otmoor Redpoll (c) Terry Sherlock

Otmoor 10/01 AM

Both male and female Hen Harrier

4 Dunlin in Golden Plover flock

Stonechat

Kingfisher along bridleway to Noke
2 Raven over Big Otmoor
2 Chiffchaff along southern edge of the reedbed

Dix Pit 10th January

Caspian Gull (1stw) 14:12 Yellow-legged Gull 7 Great B B Gull 17 (per Ewan) Black Audi Birding Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android

Otmoor Chiffchaff (c) T S

Play Hatch 10th January

3 Egyptian Goose
2 Little Egret

(Ralph Watts)

Iffley Meadows 10th January

1 Heron
5 Cormorant
2 Kestrel
104 Snipe
4 Jack Snipe
20 + B H Gull
2 LBB Gull
18 Meadow Pipit
1 Stonechat ♀
70+ Redwing
3 Siskin
1 Reed Bunting

W.P.Bull

c300 Snipe and 1 Jack Snipe nr South Moreton 9th Jan (per The Wyatts)

Banbury 9th January

Waxwings 3 Feeding on black berried bushes on Dukes Meadow Drive near sign post for Angelcas Close 15:05

Mark Ribbons

Crowmarsh 9th January

Waxwing 17 Half a mile east of Crowmarsh on Henley Road at Nuffield junction.

Cholsey: Lollingdon Hill: 9th January

Cholsey: Lollingdon Hill
2 Raven: Flew over.
5 Corn Bunting: incl one in song.

Paul Chandler

Snowlag and Barnacle Goose Port Meadow (c) John

Otmoor 9th January

A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (male)
Was seen in the tree by the feeders today.
Worth checking the Roman road oaks and those along the bridleway.
Bark

Otmoor Birding

Port Meadow 9th January

Barnacle Geese still present this morning
2 Shelduck
3+ Waxwings by the entrance to the Trap Grounds

(per Jarrod Hadfield & Tom Wickens)

Chimney: Chimney Meadows: 8th January

Chimney: Chimney Meadows
250 Teal: Multitudes of ducks and gulls on flooded fields between Chimney and Duxford but not accessible from Chimney side, and too distant for resolution.
Water Rail: Grunting and squealing from flooded scrub by car park.
2 Grey Partridge: Field by Chimney House.
Raven

Mark Merritt

Port Meadow: 8th January

Port Meadow
45 Barnacle Goose
2 White-fronted Goose
4 Bar-headed Goose
2 Yellow-legged Gull

Adam Hartley

More at Port Meadow Birding

Cholsey Marsh Nature Reserve: 8th January

Merlin
100 Corn Bunting

Paul Chandler Cholsey Wildlife

Radley Gravel Pits/Lakes 8th January

3 Little grebe
Mallard,Wigeon,Teal,Gadwall,Pochard,Shoveler,Tufted duck
1 ♂ Pintail
4 Buzzard
2 Red Kite
4 Water rail
1 Snipe
1 Marsh tit
4 Siskin

W P Bull

Otmoor 8th am

Hen Harrier Male far east side of Greenaways flushing all the duck, Lapwing and Golden Plover
Kingfisher along ring ditch by feeders
Stonechat by first screen
11 White-Fronted Geese with Graylags on Flood field, there was also a lot of duck on Flood field including several Pintail

Grimsbury Reservoir: 8th January

Jack Snipe and 22 Common Snipe - wet field northwest of the woodland
Little Egret - over south
19 Lapwing - circling over and left to the east
34 Siskin (at least)
2 Little Owl

Otmoor 8th January

Hen Harrier (rt) Excellent views from first screen. Circuited reedbed then off over Greenaways.
Stonechat 2
Little Egret 12
Barn Owl

(per Mark Merritt)

Bodicote: 7th January

Bodicote
Woodcock: Flying over the A4260 near Bodicote fly-over.

Nick Suckling

Port Meadow 7th January: Barnacle Geese Still

45 Barnacle Geese on Port Meadow between the sailing club and the Perch till dusk at least.

Also,
Shelduck
10 Pintail
2 Goosander

More at Port Meadow Birding

Gnome

(c) Gnome

Piddington 7th January

16 Waxwing over from bucks side into oxon side of Piddington.
(per Michael Hunt)

7th January Farmoor/Port Meadow

Dai John has just phoned to say that a flock of 44 BARNACLE GEESE have flown off from Farmoor over the hill towards Port Meadow where they may well have come down.

In discussion with Lew, it is reckoned that these are probably part of the feral birds from the Home Counties (Bucks are currently missing all their birds for example) which would make them Cat C tickable for keen BOU listers.

Duxford 6th January

10 White-fronted Goose In flooded field north of Duxford towards Thames.

J Dexter

Dix Pit 6th January

Red Crested Pochard 2 males
Common Pochard 71
Northern Pintail 20
Northern Shoveler 86
Eurasian Wigeon 1000+
Eurasian Teal 9
Tufted Duck 50+
Common Goldeneye 15
Gadwall 100+
Yellow Legged Gull 3

no sign of 2 male Smew here or on pits nearby

Lesser Redpoll 39
Siskin 14

Henley Road GPs: 6th January

Henley Road GPs
Red-breasted Merganser: fem. On the lake to the right of the access road off Henley Road.
Goosander: rh.
Smew: rh.

Marek Walford

Horley NR: 6th January

10 Common Crossbill, near the Scout Camp (per Clive Payne)

Balscote Quarry: 6th January

17 Tree Sparrow (estimate of around 70 around the reserve this morning)
18 Snipe (recent counts of 30 plus)
4 Teal
c.30 Stock Dove, in adjacent field
13 Lapwing, over
1 Little Owl (per Roger Evans)
2 Bramblings and 1 Barn Owl, reported regularly recently

Otmoor 6th January

Hen Harrier (male) over The Closes then Ashgrave 10:30. White-fronted Geese 11 Ashgrave until 11:20 then flew off (per Graham Coleman) (per Terry Sherlock et al) Both Pictures (c) Terry Sherlock Complete weekend round up on Otmoor Birding

Port Meadow Trap Grounds 6th January

Firecrest Along the ditch by the entrance.

(per Tom Evans)

Oxford 6th January

8 Waxwing Corner Henley Ave/ Between Towns Rd
Seemed to be hawking flying insects. SP537041.

(Darrell Wood)

Radley Lakes- 6th January

(c) Badger

Smew (redhead) still there at 10:30. View for approximately 30 seconds before being lost to view in the overhanging vegetation. Viewed from the viewing platform- it was by the third island group to the north (of the four main island groups), and may have moved to the other side of the island, and therefore would be viewed from the western side of Thrupp Lake. There was a good range of species on Thrupp Lake as well there this morning including: 1 Goldeneye c.70 Wigeon c.65 Tufted Duck c.40 Pochard c.100 Teal c.80 Gadwall c.50 Shoveler 2 Little Grebe 2 Lapwing (on Gull Island) 1 Grey Heron 16 Cormorant Elsewhere around Radley lakes there were: 2 Kingfishers 3 Water Rails 1 Raven A number of singing Song Thrushes and Great Tits

Smew still present 13:30 at least tho elusive (Badger)
Raven (Tom Evans)
2 Egyptian Goose (Tom Evans)

Farmoor 6th January

Slavonian Grebe F1 Scaup 2 (f) (per Dai) The Insomniac Birder

Sonning Eye 5th January

Red-breasted Merganser (redhead) Sonning Eye at Henley Road GPs on pit
right of road at 10:04 (per RBA)

Farmoor and Thrupp Lake: Sat 5th Jan

(c) Stephen Burch www.stephenburch.com

Quite a few changes from a few days back - listed here - noticed during Tom Wickens monthly guided bird walk, attended by 7 persons. 0830-1030 4m/2f Pintail flew around F2. 2m/2f Shoveler F2. c30 Teal on river. Pochard and Tufted groups flying frequently. Scaup missing (not even Dai could find them!). Slav Grebe relocated to N/E of F1 after months on S/W. 2m/7f Goldeneye including displaying. Peregrine spooking BH Gulls on the Thames/flooded plain. Sparrowhawk. Buzzard. 2 Mipits east side of F1. Dunnocks and Robin in song. Flock of feeding finches just north of Pinkhill hide parking area, much reduced. VERY quick scan of Thrupp Lake from east side only, around 12noon, did not reveal Smew, but that may well be down to its ability to always be 'the other side' of an island. With Smooth and Great Crested Newts also recorded on the move to breeding sites; changes certainly seem to be happening after Tuesday's sunshine, following a couple of months of stagnation. Long may it continue(?).

Willow Tits

Three Willow Tits seen and heard north of Claydon on the bridleway to Wormleighton Reservoir today. (per Paul, Banburybirds Yahoo Group).

Claydon is in the very northern tip of Oxfordshire, with Wormleighton over the border into Warwickshire. Wormleighton has a few pairs of Willow Tits breeding each year and the area around here just into Oxfordshire would be a prime location for anyone to target if they still need to see one in the county (before it's too late!). For the record, I haven't seen one at Grimsbury Reservoir since September 2012.

Tackley: 5th January

Tackley
Barn Owl: Along the side of the A4260, near Tackley/Wootton area early morning (still dark).

Gareth Blockley

Otmoor 5th January

White-fronted Geese 11 on Ashgrave with the Greylags
Bittern 1st screen
Golden Plover c1500
Lapwing c2000
Bearded Tit 2 1st screen
Merlin
Little Egret 11
Stonechat 4+

 

Otmoor Birding

Henley Road GPs: 5th January

Henley Road GPs
2 Pintail: m + f.
3 Goosander: 1m + 2f.

Richard Marsh

Otmoor Kes (c) Andy Last

Port Meadow: 5th January

30 Waxwing: Hawking insects in north-east corner of Burgess Field.
30 Barnacle Goose Some Video here
Yellow-legged Gull
Goosander: m.
10 Pintail: 6m 4f.
Bar-tailed Godwit

Jarrod Hadfield

Jack Snipe in Burgess Field (Gnome) 

Barnacle Geese still present at 1:20 pm (Gnome) but no sign at 3pm (Badger)

No sign of the Waxwings either this afternoon (Richard Foster)

Dix Pit 5th January

Smew 2 (both drakes) still 13:23 Scaup 4 (per Clackers & Steve Burch) Smew flew off to the south west at 13:40 but appeared to land nearby (per Badger)  (c) Steve Burch

Unfortunately these stunning sawbills always remained distant.

University Parks: 5th January

University Parks
5 Waxwing: Keble College Enterance.

Jarrod Hadfield

East Hendred Down 05/01/13

A decent gathering of finches and buntings in the scrub on the conservation area, impossible to count fully (distance/movement/light) but at least;

50 Goldfinch
35 Linnet
12 Chaffinch
9 Yellowhammer
5 Corn Bunting
4 Reed Bunting
2 Brambling

Also 35 Fieldfare, 8 Redwing and a patrolling male Kestrel. 22 Pied Wagtail over with Meadow Pipits heard but not seen.

Rushey Common & Tar Lakes 5th January

Egyptian Geese 2
Snipe 4
Chiffchaff 4+
Yellowhammer 2
Redpoll

(per Clackers)

Otmoor: 4th January

Otmoor
Short-eared Owl: Seen at dusk, emerging from very close in front of me on track between Greenways and car park field.

Steve Goddard

Sonning Eye 4th January

Smew 2 (both redhead) Sonning Eye still at Henley Road GPs at 09:00 (per RBA)

Radley & Sutton Courtenay 3/4th January

Redhead Smew still on Thrupp Lake feeding actively around the first two islands north of the hide till 2.15pm. Unusually difficult to view. Also 1 Kingfisher. Yesterday, a large count of at least 26 Little Grebe east of Sutton Courtenay at this pit .. map link here. Also 7 Grey heron lined up in SE corner in very close proximity to each other was notable. Otherwise Coot, Pochard and Tufted. A single Redhead Goosander on pit at east edge of the village, associating with 'mixed' Mallard flock.

Port Meadow 4th January

Waxwing 50+ in Burgess Field at 3p.m (per Geoff Adams 'The Early Birder')

Yellow-legged Gull (3w)
4 Pintail: 3m 1f.

(Adam Hartley)

 Burgess Field Waxwing (c) Geoff Adams

Pic loading problem

Load the pics to your Picassa web album and then load them to your Blog from there, until Google fix the Blogger problem!

(c) Julian Mole

Cholsey: Lollingdon Hill: 4th January

Cholsey: Lollingdon Hill
Raven: seen by TW.

Cholsey
2 Stonechat
Peregrine

Paul Chandler Cholsey Wildlife

Otmoor RSPB 4th January

5 White-fronted Geese with Greylag flock this (pm per RSPB staff)
Bittern from first screen this am (per Terry Sherlock)
(Bark) Otmoor Birding

Bittern (c) Terry Sherlock

Otmoor RSPB
Nice views of Stonechat today; not a great deal else to be seen, but a few photos made up for it.
Happy new year to all!

Belated Report of Short-eared Owl on the 1st on Otmoor (Badger)

Port Meadow: 3rd January

Port Meadow
Bar-tailed Godwit

Gareth Blockley

Radley 3rd January

Smew (redhead) Thrupp Lake 11:10 (per Wayne Bull) Still present around islands north of hide on Thrupp Lake at 13:39 (per Ian Smith)

Oxford 3rd January

(c) Terry Sherlock Waxwing c60 on Aristotle Lane 10:50 (per Gareth Blockley & Terry Sherlock). About 30 were loitering in the south-east corner of the playing field until about 11:20 am when they flew towards the Meadow. They may be in Burgess Field now. (Gnome)

Port Meadow & Burgess Field 2nd Jan 1.30-4pm

Flooding up to near Wolvercoate, where the feeding BH Gulls were concentrated along with 1 adult Med Gull; observed from NW Burgess Field. Wigeon and Teal concentrated just west of Field and 9 Shoveler joined them 3.47. Gull roost started to build well to north (too distant). Bar-tailed Godwit roosting near mid tree of the three large ones in NW of Port Meadow (scope only). At present, birding access from North is advised and as for Burgess Field.... the reported Waxwing would about treble all the birds I saw in that particular 'empty quarter'!

Starling roosts 2nd January

Two sizable Starling roosts this evening both numbering in the low thousands.

1.Over Cutteslowe and roosting in 4 conifers along Harefields.
2.Bigger group in Kidlington over Thames Valley/Gosford Hill area and
roosting in conifers in gardens around Thames Valley police HQ.

(per Terry Tossel)

Otmoor 2nd January

Hen Harrier (ringtail) over reedbed (per RBA)

Farmoor 2nd January

Slavonian Grebe still on F1 this morning
Scaup 4+

(per RBA)

Cholsey 2nd January

Cholsey
2 Stonechat
4 Grey Partridge
Blackcap
3 Lesser Redpoll

Cholsey: Cholsey Marsh Nature Reserve
Hen Harrier (ringtail)
3 Water Rail
4 Egyptian Goose flew upstream.
6 Siskin
100 Corn Bunting
Cetti's Warbler

Paul Chandler  Cholsey Wildlife

Stonesfield Common 2nd January

9 Lesser Redpoll
11 Snipe
Water Rail
16 Goldfinch
Marsh Tit

Paul Wren

Starlings on RSPB Otmoor

We can now confirm that the starling roost on the reedbed has moved on. Fingers crossed they will be back next winter to give more stunning views.

Harwell Laboratory: Rutherford Laboratory: 2nd January

Harwell Laboratory: Rutherford Laboratory
2 Brambling: Over...

Mark Merritt

Port Meadow 2nd January

Waxwing 20-30 Burgess Field 14:20
Bar-tailed Godwit
Redshank 6
Peregrine

(per The Wickster & Jarrod Hadfield )

Waxwing 6 on Aristotle Lane nr playground 14:10 (per Peter Law)

Aristotle Lane Waxwings Both Photos (c) Peter Law

Clifton: 2nd January

No sign of the Bewick's Swans today between Clifton and Somerton.
5 Pintail (4 drakes), c.150 Wigeon, c.100 Teal, c.250 Lapwing and a Kingfisher.
Several Otter spraints along the canal.

RSPB Otmoor WeBS 2nd January

Total counts from the WeBS (wetland bird survey) 2nd Januray 2013. The breakdown of numbers in each field are also shown:

Teal: 834 (102 Reed bed, 96 Ashgrave, 350 Big Otmoor, 250 MOD, 14 Maltpit, 22 Flood)

Pochard: 3 Reedbed

Wigeon: 800 (400 MOD, 250 Big Otmoor, 150 Greenaways)

Pintail: 50 MOD

Mallard: 101 (2 Reed bed, 2 MOD, 12 Ashgrave, 48 Big Otmoor, 7 closes, 6 Greenaways, 6 Flood, 18 Maltpit)

Tufted duck: 13 (3 Ashgrave, 9 Maltpit. 1 Flood)

Gadwall: 6 (2 MOD, 4 Reedbed)

Shoveler: 38 (4 Ashgrave, 30 MOD, 4 Big Otmoor)

Little egret: 4 Ashgrave

Heron: 3 (2 Big Otmoor, 1 Ashgrave)

Bittern: 1 Reedbed

Mute swan: 15 (3 Reed bed, 1 Big Otmoor, 4 Flood, 5 Closes, 2 Greenaways)

Greylag goose: 313 (100 Ashgrave, 213 Big Otmoor)

Canada goose: 223 (6 Reedbed, 14 Ashgrave, 162 Big Otmoor, 16 Greenawys, 25 Flood)

Moorhen: 8 (2 Reedbed, 6 Closes) 

Coot: 10 (6 Reedbed, 2 MOD, 1 Closes, 1 Big Otmoor)

Cormorant: 2 reedbed

Lapwing: 1242 (30 Ashgrave, 13 Big Otmoor, 1 Maltpit, 53 Greenaways, 1,145 Flood)

Golden plover: 1,140 (Flood)

 

Grove: Airfield: 1st January

Grove: Airfield
2 Brambling: Over.

Leo Bateman

Trap Grounds: 1st January

Trap Grounds
20 Waxwing: Just outside Trap Grounds, jct of Frenchay and Chalfont Rds.

Tom Evans

Bicester Wetland Reserve: 1st January

1 Bearded Tit in reed bed, 3 Little Egrets, 31 Snipe, 1 Jack Snipe, 70 Teal, 2 Gadwall.

(per Alan Peters and Mike Lewis, Banburybirds yahoo group)

Otmoor, 1st January

Hen Harrier - 2nd screen

Kestrel - bridleway

Pochard - 2nd screen

Red Kite - 2nd screen

Stonechat - path to 1st screen

Photos (c) Nigel Forrow

Grimsbury Reservoir: 1st Januay

Shoveler (fly over)
2 Little Owls
35 Common Gulls

(per Clive Payne)

Otmoor Jan 1st

Bittern (c) Terry Sherlock

59 species to start the year.Highlights:
Hen Harriers (2) both ringtails
Bittern
Ravens
Kingfishers
Happy New Year to all.
(Bark) Otmoor Birding

Little Egret 2
Bearded Tit 2 nr junction of reedbeds
(Terry Tossel)

Stonechat (per Simon Bradfield)

Farmoor 1st January

Slavonian Grebe F1
Scaup 5 F1
Goosander
Brambling

The Insomniac Birder

Thames Water are now enforcing parking charges at the reservoir by use of an automatic barrier.
Parking is charged at £2 for the day or £20 for an annual permit.
Permits are available on site.

Henley Road GPs: 1st January

Henley Road GPs
3 Goosander

Ralph Watts

Redhead Goosander (c) The Paranoid Birder

Dix Pit 1st January

Waxwing 5 16:00 Bewick's Swan 2 15:45 then flew west (per Dave Daniells) 14 Pintail: 8m 6f. 6 Goldeneye (Joanna Harding) Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android

Port Meadow: 1st January

Bar-tailed Godwit
6 Redshank

Jarrod Hadfield

Cherwell Valley January 1st

2 Bewick's Swans in the Mid Cherwell Valley today at 11.30. On flood water at
grid ref aprox 495305 below Chisnel Farm but seen from tow path before the
swing bridge from Clifton end. 200+ Wigeon, teal, gadwall. Good start to 2013

(per Sandra B)

Cuddesdon: 1st January

Cuddesdon:
1,500 Fieldfares
1 Little Owl

The Birdless Cuddesdon Blog