Standlake Pit 28: AM 8th January

18 Red crested Pochard including what appears to be a leucistic female, pale cream/white except for characteristic brown cap

Red Crested Pochard

Bicester Wetlands Reserve 9th January

Teal 200
Shoveler 2
Gadwall 2
Little Egret
Water Rail showing very well from the main hide

(per Alan Peters)

Nb: Access to the reserve requires a key available through membership
       of the Banbury Ornithological Society

Water Rail courtesy of Nick Truby

Dix Pit,9th Jamuary

Siskin c45 alongside car park near recycling area

Clackers and Mrs Clackers

Reed Bunting Otmoor courtesy of JR

Port Meadow: 8th January

Port Meadow
5 Redshank
5 Goosander
10 Pintail
1 Shelduck
200 Lapwing

Adam Hartley

Henley Road GPs 8th January

Smew (drake) still at Henley Road GPs today
(per RBA).

Otmoor.A.M. 8th. January.

7 Redpoll
9 Pintail
1 Kingfisher
7 Pochard
3 Stonechat



Male and female Stonechat
photos courtesy of John Reynolds













1 Marsh Harrier                              
1 Peregrine
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Short-eared Owl.
3 Water Rail (h)
1 Cettis Warbler (h)



(per PR & PG)

Balscote Quarry 8th January

Brambling (m)
Tree Sparrow 2
Lesser Redpoll 5
Golden Plover 100
Lapwing 4

(per Mark Ribbons)

Ewelme: Cress beds: 8th January

Ewelme: Cress beds
Green Sandpiper 09:30.

Thomas Stevenson

Oxford 8th January

Goosander 5 (3m) on the Thanes this morning near Magdalen Bridge.

(per Tomaso Pizzari)

Standlake Common Area: 8th January

Pit 60
3 Goldeneye
Approx 40 Pintail
Pochard
1+ Little Egret

Pit28
17 Red Crested Pochard

Pit 27
2 Goosander
1+ Little Egret

(JDH & JD)

Mr and Mrs Pintail

Pochard

Goosander

South Leigh G8th January

Great Grey Shrike SP409085. 08:30.

Sally Taylor

Grimsbury Reservoir: 7th January

9 Goosander: 2 drakes (per JFT).
Willow Tit: In the wood.

Gareth Blockley

Grimsbury Birds

Port Meadow: 7th January

Port Meadow
60 Barnacle Goose: Same group present during the week. Dog scared the group and flew NW. 11:30.

Erik Sandvig

Rushey Common main lake,7th January

Goldeneye 1m 1f
Peregrine plucking a Lapwing on far grassy finger, left side of lake

Clackers

Henley Road GP

Smew

Smew

Smew

2 Smew 1drake
1 Red-breasted Merganser f

Farmoor: AM 6th January

Sanderling

Sanderling

Great northern Diver still at least 1

Woodstock: Shipton Slade Farm: 6th January

6th January

Woodstock: Shipton Slade Farm
Barn Owl: flying from a barn that houses a nest box. 07:30.

3rd January

Wootton nr Woodstock
Raven 11:30.

Bob Pomfret

Port Meadow: 5th January

Port Meadow
14 Pintail: 10 male, 4 fem. 16:00.
4 Goosander: 3 male, 1 fem. 16:00.
53 Barnacle Goose: at least 53. 16:00.

Steve Goddard

Chipping Norton: 5th January

Chipping Norton
Lesser Redpoll: m. Feeding in our back garden with Goldfinches. SP308267. 08:30.

Steve Akers

Grimsbury Reservoir 5th January

Goosander 9 (2m) (per JFT & JD)

Sonning - Thames Path: Tues 5th

Ring-necked Parakeet, 2.

Radley GP: Thrupp Lane: 5th January

2 Egyptian Goose: In field adjacent.
2 Pintail: 1 drake.

Gareth Blockley

Xmas Quiz Results

It's Xmas quiz results time! Many thanks to those who entered, it was a little harder than last year but not so hard that it spoiled the enjoyment we hope. The answers are below

There are two entries which both got just one wrong so the much coveted title of "King of the Quiz" is jointly awarded to Stuart Thomson and Jeremey Dexter - well done to both of you!

1. Ivy?  TREECREEPER
2. Brown river DUNNOCK
3. Thievin' ROBIN
4. Sounds like a crow BLACKBIRD
5. Boast about roadkill CARRION CROW
6. Used knife REDSHANK
7. Be waffling BRAMBLING
8. Prop up an entrance? JACKDAW
9. A noose for a curry? PHALAROPE
10. Bank transfer SWIFT
11. Engulf SWALLOW
12. Top fish STARLING

13. Dancing? RAVEN

14. e.g. stamp collecting HOBBY
15. Gordian Wader KNOT
16. Religous wag GODWIT
17. Age of the boar PIGEON
18. Underground singer REED WARBLER
19. Wit's story? WAGTAIL
20. Victory talk? WHINCHAT

Otmoor,5th January

Bittern
Brambling f
Peregrine
Cetti's Warbler 1seen + 2 others heard
Kingfisher
Sparrowhawk
Stonechat 2 (m&f)

(per Clackers and John Reynolds)

Bittern & Stonechat photos
courtesy of John Reynolds.

Weekend round-up now on
Otmoor Birding

Stanton Harcourt/Hardwick: AM 5th January

Still no sign of Slavonian Grebe 11:00 -12:00 on Pit 10 or any of adjacent pits

Pit  3

3 Red crested Pochard

Pit 15

Goosander (m)

Farmoor 5th January

 Great Northern Diver

 Sanderling

Great Northern Diver

Henley Rd GP: Tues 5th am.

R-B Merganser, f,
Smew, 2, (1 drake)
On Lake West of Rowing club access Rd.

Farmoor 5th January

Sanderling 1
Little Owl 1
Great Northern Diver 3
Water Rail calling.

Stanton Harcourt/Hardwick 5th January

No sign of the Slavonian Grebe on Pit 10 by
09:30 (per Dave Doherty).
Goosander (m)

Stanton Harcourt/Hardwick 4th January

Slavonian Grebe late afternoon on pit 10 (per Bob Hurst).
Pit 10 is to the left of the access track to
West Oxford Sailing Club which is signed off of the
B4449 between Stanton Harcourt and Hardwick.

Farmoor Reservoir 4th January

Little Gull 1stw on F2 a.m (per Dai)
Great northern Diver 3 still on F2 near the sailing club at 13:30 (per RBA).

Short-eared Owl near Eynsham courtesy of Moth Clark.

Balscote Quarry: 4th January

2 Brambling (1 m)

(per Rob Downes, Banburybirds Yahoo Group)

Shiplake: 4th January

Shiplake
2 Egyptian Goose

Ralph Watts

Port Meadow: 4th January

Port Meadow
6 Pintail
75 Barnacle Goose
4 Goosander

Adam Hartley

Standlake Common area: AM 4th January

Pit 60

2 Goldeneye (m and first winter)

Peregrine

12 Pintail

Little Egret

Pochard (m)

Approx. 300 Lapwing

Lots of Teal, Widgeon, Shoveler and Gadwall

Pit 28

18 Red Crested Pochard

Pit 27

14 Red Crested Pochard

2 Little Egret

6 Pintail

Mallard

Steeple Barton: 3rd January

Steeple Barton
5 Tree Sparrow: Minimum of 5 feeding with finch flock in game cover and at Pheasant feeders. 14:30.

Colin Oram

Otmoor.A.M. 4th January.

1 Peregrine
1 Marsh Harrier
1 Stonechat
1 Water Rail (H)
C. 1000 Lapwing
C. 1000 Golden Plover.

Chipping Norton: 4th January

10 Bullfinch: 7m; 3f. SP304268. 08:00.
2 Raven: pair - one persistently mobbed by Carrion Crow when it perched in copse - desisted when second Raven joined it's mate. SP303252. 09:30.

Steve Akers

Ridgeway Down nr Wantage: 3rd Jan

Merlin (M)
Grey Partridge heard nearby.

Sonning Eye GPs 3rd January

Bittern Sonning Eye GPs in reedbed at north
end at 16:30 (per RBA).

Ewelme cress beds - 3rd January

Drake Mandarin still, just downstream from road bridge at 3:30pm

Cowley, 3rd January

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 1m
In trees along footpath at end of barracks lane, behind cowley marsh recreation ground at 3pm. SP539050
Loosely associating with a small tit flock.

Port Meadow 3rd January

~70 Barnacle Geese (the usual Cat. C Home Counties birds) on Port Meadow again today

per Mary MacDougall

Chipping Norton: 3rd January

Chipping Norton
4 Bullfinch: 3m; 1f. On garden feeders - 41, The Leys. SP308267. 11:30.

Steve Akers

Rushey Common area,3rd January

Peregrine great views from hide as it tried several times to scatter wildfowl
Goldeneye 1m 1f
Bullfinches 2m 1f

Clackers

Farmoor Reservoir 3rd January

No sign of the Slavonian Grebe
Great northern Diver 3+

(per Dave Lowe)

Standlake Pit 60: 3rd January

If you are planning a trip the Thames has burst its banks behind the reserve and the Langley lane hide has a rapidly rising approx. 300mm of standing water around and its locality.

The North shore hide is still accessible but again water levels are rising quite rapidly

Letcombe Bassett: 2nd January

Letcombe Bassett
24 Corn Bunting
350 Fieldfare

Mark Merritt

Farmoor: 2nd January

Slavonian Grebe 1 in S/W corner of F1 still 14:45
Great Northern Diver 4 on FII
Goldeneye
Jack Snipe

(per Dai)

Both photos courtesy of  Tezzer




Short clip of the Slav in horrible weather.

Chipping Norton: 2nd January

Chipping Norton
2 Stonechat: pair on N side of small lake on Cornwell Estate perched on barbed wire fence posts - still present at 12:00 - first record this location. SP284267. 12:00.

Steve Akers

Otmoor 2nd January

One of the Otmoor Harriers courtesy of Rad Ramsey

Bittern 2+
Marsh Harrier 2
Sparrowhawk
Snipe c20
Brambling 2 reported
Marsh Tit

(per the Massive)

Chipping Norton: 1st January

Chipping Norton
2 Peregrine: f and m. possible pair. 16:30.

Steve Akers

Oxford: Rutherway: 2nd January

Oxford: Rutherway
2 Goosander: male and fem. 10:00.

Matthew Southwell

Otmoor RSPB 1st January

Short-eared Owl
Marsh Harrier
Golden Plover c500
Snipe c20
Kingfisher
Brambling 2 from W.W hide

(per Nick Truby)


Photos courtesy of Nick Truby

Wootton Glyme Valley 1st January

19 Golden Plover
10 Teal
2 Little Grebe
6 Moorhen
2 Grey Heron
3 Mistle Thrush
18 Red Kite

Bob Pomfret

Grimsbury Reservoir: 1st January

4 Goosander
1 Chiffchaff

(per Clive Payne)

Kingham 1st January 2016

Hen Harrier 1 ringtail  - a nice start to the year

Steeple Barton: 1st January

Steeple Barton
Tree Sparrow: In mixed flock of finches and Yellowhammers. 12:00.

Colin Oram

Trap Grounds: 1st January

Trap Grounds
Woodcock: Flushed. Flew towards Port Meadow. 10:30.

Tom Evans