Standlake 13th Jan

Pit60:
Great White Egret
Peregrine
2 Goldeneye

Pit27:
15+ Goosander
120+ Red Crested Pochard

Worton: 13th January

Worton
2 Shelduck: SP460110.
2 Egyptian Goose: SP460110.
200 Shoveler: SP460110.
150 Wigeon: SP460110.
2 Pochard: SP460110.
4 Goldeneye: 2 pairs. SP460110.
100 Lapwing: SP460110.

Derek Evans

Port Meadow: 12th January

Port Meadow
100 Barnacle Goose
3 Yellow-legged Gull: ad.
Caspian Gull: 1w. The same bird as last night. Seems to have an injured left leg.
8 Golden Plover

Adam Hartley

Port Meadow 12th January

Caspian Gull (1stw) again this afternoon (per RBA). 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

: 12th January

Boarstall
3 Woodcock: SP616156. 14:00.

Colin Oram

Pit 60 Standlake 12th January

Great white Egret (per RBA) 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Sarsgrove: 12th January

Sarsgrove
2 Raven: One over the wood. Another over farmland and the valley. Cronking noisily. 11:30.

Steve Akers

Stratfield Brake: 12th January

Stratfield Brake
Pintail: drk.
Pochard: fem.
30 Redwing
Cetti's Warbler

Derek Evans

Port Meadow: 12th January

Port Meadow
Merlin: Flying over very fast, eastwards, vanishing over Burgess Field. SP490085. 09:00.

Steve Goddard

Otmoor 12th Jan

2 Nuthatch - Noke woods
2 Yellowhammer
1 Stonechat
1 Pintail
1 Marsh Harrier.

Sent from my iPhone

: 12th January

Mount Owen road near Yelford
Merlin: Flew low north scattering numerous birds. SP331066.

Mick Cunningham

Dix Pit: 12th January

Dix Pit
Caspian Gull: ad. Female?

Mick Cunningham

Chipping Norton: 11th January

Chipping Norton
3 Brambling: 1m, 2f. Still present in small stand of Beech trees to W of CN. 12:40.

Steve Akers

Pit 60 Standlake 11th January

Great white Egret (per RBA) 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Red Kites in Stonesfield courtesy of Paul Wren.

Port Meadow: 11th January

Port Meadow
Caspian Gull: 1w. Same bird as on Monday 7th.
2 Yellow-legged Gull: ad.

Adam Hartley, Thomas Miller

11th Jan Buckland Warren

10-15 flock of Crossbills at 2.0pm 11th Jan Buckland Warren. High in the usual trees and mobile

per Graham Lenton

Piddington Wood: 11th January

Piddington Wood
Woodcock: Flushed. 11:30.

Colin Oram

Stratfield Brake: 10th January

Stratfield Brake
Pintail: male. Good view of pintail swimming across water and feeding by upending, pointing its tail to the sky. SU493122. 15:30.

Andrew Siantonas

Standlake Pit 60: 10 January

2 Great White Egrets
1m Goldeneye
Many Wigeon

Also 8+ Goosander at nearby 3T's lake

For a larger image, go to this page on my website

Great White Egret (c) Stephen Burch

www.stephenburch.com

Dix Pit Stanton Harcourt 10th January

Caspian Gull (ad) by island c14:50 (per Ian Smith) 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Chipping Norton: 10th January

Chipping Norton
Brambling: fem. A female Brambling still present with Chaffinch in this small stand of Beech trees. SP314245. 10:30.

Steve Akers

River Thames nr Pangbourne Oxon/Berks border 9th January

  

1230-1420hrs

Great Northern Diver 1 juv
Mandarin Duck 4 2m 2f
Little Grebe 3
Siskin 6
Lesser Redpoll 2

Blenheim, Combe end, 9th January

Great White Egret
along side off shoot of main lake Combe end
Little Egret 6
Shelduck
Pintail 3
Raven 2
Kingfisher
Siskin

(per Clackers & Mrs Clackers,Dave Doherty)

Chipping Norton: 9th January

Chipping Norton
57 Golden Plover: In field alongside B4450. SP300257. 11:30.

Steve Akers

Chipping Norton: 9th January

Chipping Norton
Brambling: f. With Chaffinch feeding at farthest edge of the small stand of Beech trees. SP314245. 10:15.

Steve Akers

Chipping Norton: Spelsbury road: 8th January

Chipping Norton: Spelsbury road
Short-eared Owl: Sat in middle of road as I drove back toward CN. Flew off low as I stopped to observe. 23:30.

Steve Akers

Stratfield Brake 9th January

Pintail 2 (mf) 

Shoveler 2

Pochard

Teal c6

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Cholsey

2 Stonechat - Lollingdon Hill
1 Little Egret - Lollingdon

Egyptian Geese Cliftom Hampden courtesy of Barry Neale.

Witney Lake, 8th January

Siskin 2m 4f
Yellowhammer m
Egyptian Geese 2
Little Egret

Clackers & Mrs Clackers

Linch Hill 29th December

Caspian Gull: 1w. Apologies for late post. Seen at very late dusk and i forgot to check the grainy footage (per Mick Cunningham).

Farmoor 8th January

2 Common Scoter. (1 drake). F2.

Golden Plover Otmoor rspb courtesy of John Workman.

Christmas Quiz Answers

Oxon Birding 2018 – Christmas Cryptic Quiz ANSWERS

Hope you all enjoyed the quizzes. Below are the answers to Jeremy Dexter's excellent cryptic quiz.

     

1. Amongst Maracas, Pianos, Recorders favourite

*Caspian

2. Harass this underground birder

*Badger

3. Stick around river to observe this bird

*Crane

4. Seabird or to put it the other way seabirds

*Skua

5. Fruity motor with sat-nav will get you to this site

*Appleford GPs

6. Bird having hormone treatment

*Moorhen

7. Bird of immense sadness having lost head

*Great Egret

8. Small part of bird for another bird

*Bittern

9. Peculiar looking Pixy Tits might be seen here!

*Pit Sixty

10. A bird of reef or wood?

*Knot

11. Motorcycle loses duck to get another duck?

*Scoter

12. Trip up Tees Valley birder

*Steve Alley

13. Map of quarry required for this bird

*Osprey

14. ‘The Holly and the Ivy’

*Treecreeper

15. Northern port merged with northern town for northern location

*Grimsbury

16. Sounds like cat being roused to get bird

*Kittiwake

17. Ripe green bananas feed this bird

*Peregrine

18. Here you could enjoy two drinks followed by a shout of pain

*Port Meadow

19. Have a look around local bird club to find duck

*Goosander

20. Untidy sunhat on crusader gives this bird a name

*Anthus Richardi

21. Bird that sounds like an inexperienced beach musician?

*Green Sandpiper

22. Gannet in Owl, I create a birder

* Ian Lewington

23. This bird will leave you spellbound

*Merlin

24. Room to reverse, not always easy in this car park

*Otmoor

25. Pub immediately on the left brings you to this bird

*Barn Owl

26. First man on the scene is very jammy

*Adam Hartley

27. Blushing celebrity Heather is a good-looking bird

*Rosy (Rose-Coloured) Starling

28. Left-wing election flyer

*Redpoll

29. A bird that changes colour

*Turnstone

30. Switch on power wash to clean up this bird

*Whooper Swan

31. Bird initially gliding low over shallow swamps yet identified by its silhouette?

*Glossy Ibis

32. On Welsh coast see famous rock for the ‘game over’ man

*Barry Hudson

Dix Pit: 7th January

Adult Caspian Gull

Port Meadow: 7th January

Port Meadow
Caspian Gull: 1w.
3 Yellow-legged Gull: ad.
100 Barnacle Goose
3 Shelduck

Adam Hartley & Thomas Miller

1w Caspian Gull, found at last light & digiscoped in very windy conditions

Pangbourne: 7th January

Juvenile Great Northern Diver still present on the River Thames, just south of the cut to Beale Park Lake:

A few more pictures plus a county boundary map of the area is here.

: 7th January

Sutton Courtenay/Drayton
Green Sandpiper: On flooded field immediately to the north of B4016 midway between Sutton Courtenay and Drayton. SU491942. 12:30.

Sutton Courtenay/Drayton
2 Egyptian Goose: On flooded field immediately to the north of B4016 midway between Sutton Courtenay and Drayton. SU491942. 12:30.

Gerry Quinn

Farmoor Reservoir 7th January

Iceland Gull (2w) on F2 15:07 (per Ewan Urquhart)

Goldeneye: On far side of F2 opposite the Causeway Hide to the left of the large group of Tufted Duck. 13:15. 

Steve Akers

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

River Thames nr Pangbourne 7th January

Great northern Diver (imm) again in Oxfordshire on the river south of the cut 

nr Beale Park 10:44 (per Tom Bedford) 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Pit 60 Standlake 6th January

Great white Egret 2+ (per RBA) 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Farmoor Reservoir 6th January

Iceland Gull (2w) c15:00-15:15 then flew north

Caspian Gull (1stw)

(Andy Last et al) 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

River Thames, Pangbourne. Sunday 6th January

08:30-11:00

Great Northern Diver (on Thames, Oxon)

Great Northern Diver: c.100 yards south of the lake at Beale Park. There's a cut at the back of the lake onto the river so the bird comes and goes from the lake. 13:05.

Marek Walford

 

Video taken on Beale Park courtesy of Badger.

Henley-on-Thames: 6th January

Henley-on-Thames
2 Egyptian Goose: pair. Flew in and settled on roof of TS Guardian sea cadet centre and calling constantly! 09:30.

Steve Akers

Dix Pit 6th Jan

Caspian Gull Adult
5+ Goldeneye

New Marston: New Marston Meadows: 6th January

New Marston: New Marston Meadows
Goosander: 1f. On Cherwell by LMH.

Tom Evans

Didcot Landfill 5th January

5th: Adult Caspian Gull

4th: 4 Caspian Gulls (1st w, two 2nd w, 3rd w)

Port Meadow: 5th January

Port Meadow
2 Shelduck: A pair sleeping on the north end of the water. 15:20.

Jeannie Moulton

Ewelme: Cress beds: 6th January

Ewelme: Cress beds
2 Little Egret 11:00.
2 Grey Wagtail 11:00.

Steve Akers

 Treecreeper courtesy of Dai

Farmoor 5th Evening

Roost:
Iceland Gull showing well in NW corner of F2

Shrike Meadow:
Barn Owl

Pangbourne: River Thames: 5th January

Pangbourne: River Thames
Great Northern Diver: imm. on the Thames half a mile south of Beale Park from 8:45 until 10:30 when it went through the cut into Berkshire. 08:45.

Jerry O'Brien

Farmoor 5 January

Iceland Gull 1 from 3.50pm

Botley Oxford 5th January

No sign of the Rose-coloured Starling. 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Chipping Norton: 5th January

Chipping Norton
5 Brambling: 2m, 3f. At least 5 Brambling in flock of over 60 Chaffinch feeding in field and at base of trees t rear of stand of Beech trees. Good views from verge on side of A361 to Burford. Please be aware if you photograph here you may be challenged by the elders of the traveller community at The Beeches. Just explain you are photographing the birds and they will be ok. SP314245. 13:30.

Steve Akers

Farmoor Reservoir: Farmoor II: 4th January

Farmoor Reservoir: Farmoor II
Redshank

Farmoor Reservoir
Yellow-legged Gull: bird lacks right foot, but appears healthy. SP714047.

Anthony Cheke

Pangbourne: River Thames: 5th January

Great Northern Diver at Beale Park. When this bird is in the centre of the River Thames it's then in Oxfordshire.

Pinkhill Meadow, Farmoor: 5th January

Water Rail (still) from hide

: 5th January

Brambling
Brambling: f. At least one Brambling with large number of Chaffinch beneath Beech trees beside A361 south of CN opposite The Beeches travellers site. SP314245. 12:45.

Steve Akers

Farmoor 5th Jan

Iceland Gull flew over F2 heading west at c11am.
Yellow legged gull.
Per Wickster et al.

Sent from my iPhone

Buscot Park 4th January

Great white Egret still present at Buscot Park (per RBA). 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Oxey Mead: 4th January

Oxey Mead
9 Goosander: 6m, 3f. SP480108. 15:30.

Steve Goddard

Pangbourne: River Thames: 4th January

Pangbourne: River Thames
Great Northern Diver: imm. The Beale Park bird using the Thames and mostly on the Oxon side - keeping close to the cut. 12:30.

Jerry O'Brien

Farmoor Roost - 4th January

Iceland Gull:  Second-winter again.
Caspian Gull:  2 First-winter, 1 Adult.
Mediterranean Gull: Adult.

Abingdon Sewage Works

Courtesy of John workman

Swyncombe Downs wood: 4th January

Brambling (f) - 14:20pm in Chaffinch flock by parking area at SU665913
Tawny Owl calling, also in morning

Balscote: Balscote Quarry: 4th January

Balscote: Balscote Quarry
122 Golden Plover: In fields to south of reserve. 13:45.

Steve Holliday

Chipping Norton: 4th January

Chipping Norton
3 Brambling: 1m, 2f. Small number of Bramblings still present feeding beneath stand of Beech trees in small copse. SP300254. 12:00.
50 Skylark: Flock circling and then settling over fields W of CN. SP305257. 12:00.

Steve Akers

Sarsgrove: 4th January

Sarsgrove
25 Golden Plover: Feeding in field alongside minor road near Sarsgrove Wood.

Steve Akers

Standlake 4th January

Goldfinch on Teasel

Oxford City Centre 4th jan

Magdalen Tower:

Peregrine perched on top of gargoyle on road side of tower eating a pigeon at 08:45

Sent from my iPhone

Botley Oxford 3rd January

ROSE-COLOURED STARLING still present in Botley today around Crabhill Road
although mobile and elusive.

Many thanks to Helen and her family for very kindly letting us view the bird from the
warmth of her kitchen.

Please note there is to be no further public access.

All photos courtesy of Ewan Urquhart 

Farmoor Roost 3rd January

Second winter Iceland Gull

First winter Caspian Gull

Buscot 3rd January

Great white Egret still at Buscot Parks on large Lake (per RBA). 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Chipping Norton: 3rd January

Chipping Norton
4 Brambling: 3m, 1f. Possibly more as saw large flock flying away - presume mixed Chaffinch/Brambling flock of up to 40 birds. SP300254. 10:00.
Probable 40 Chaffinch: See note re Brambling. SP300254. 10:00.
2 Greenfinch: pair. SP300254. 10:00.

63 Golden Plover: Settled in field just W of CN alongside B4450 - a favourite spot over several years. SP302258. 10:30.

9 Yellowhammer: 5m, 4f. SP302258. 10:30.

Steve Akers

Botley Oxford 2nd January

ROSE-COLOURED STARLING (ad) 

Again in Botley early afternoon on Elms Rise Estate East of Crabtree Road (per RBA).

All photos courtesy of Alex White Appleton Wildlife Diary

Cherwell Hights Banbury 2nd January

Ring-necked Parakeet c11:00 (per Marcus Ridley) 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Cholsey

Little Egret near Amwell Spring, Lollingdon.

Brambling, Cholsey Village (per Alan Dawson).

2 Chiffchaff, near CSW (per Tony Williams).

2 Blackcap, (per Tony Williams).

Blenheim Park 2nd January

Great White Egret
Little Egret c5
Shelduck
Pintail 2 (m)
Raven 2
Siskin 22
Crossbill 2+

(per Dave Doherty)

Ardley Waste Treatment Plant (lakes)

Smaller of the 2 lakes opposite the waste treatment plant

1 Green Sandpiper
2 Cormorant
4 Tufted Duck
2 Little Grebe
1 Mute Swan
18 Herring Gull

Alan Peters

Chipping Norton: 2nd January

Chipping Norton
6 Brambling: 3m, 3f. At least six still feeding with Chaffinch at base of Beech trees at side of minor road - and the added joy of seeing two Roe Deer hinds. SP300254. 13:30.
Peregrine: SP300254. 13:30.

Steve Akers

Sarsgrove: 2nd January

Sarsgrove
2 Raven: pair. In trees in top of Sarsgrove Wood. 12:00.

Steve Akers

Moreton nr Thame: Moreton Golf Course: 2nd January

Moreton nr Thame: Moreton Golf Course
25 Gadwall 12:00.
35 Wigeon 12:00.
Barn Owl 12:00.
Shoveler 12:00.
30 Golden Plover 12:00.
26 Meadow Pipit 12:00.
Reed Bunting 12:00.
21 Lapwing 12:00.
3 Yellowhammer 12:00.
12 Little Grebe 12:00.

Nick Marriner

Chinnor: Cement Works: 1st January

Chinnor: Cement Works
Raven: Calling over the Chiltern Ridge.

David Stracey

Dix Pit Stanton Harcourt 1st January

Caspian Gull (ad) 

Yellow-legged Gull (ad) 

Red-crested Pochard 9

Goldeneye 9

Siskin 3

(per Dave Doherty) 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Port Meadow: Wolvercote Common: 1st January

Port Meadow: Wolvercote Common
20 Golden Plover: Group of 20+ flying low over the ground looking ghostly in the gathering gloom. Settled on ground not far from railway. Several groups came in but could have been the same flock circling around. SU496094. 16:30.

Andrew Siantonas

Port Meadow: 1st January

Port Meadow
100 Barnacle Goose: with Steve Goddard.
Goosander: r/h.
Yellow-legged Gull: 2w.

Adam Hartley

Linch Hill (LWV Pit 18): 1st January

Linch Hill (LWV Pit 18)
574 Lesser Black-backed Gull: Gulls are currently gathering here late pm, presumably prior to roosting at Farmoor as they all leave N at dusk.
18 Herring Gull: Been up to 40 here in last week. Including several obvious argentatus.
2 Yellow-legged Gull: ad. Been double figures here in last week.
Siskin: Heard only.

Mick Cunningham

Standlake Pit60

2 Great White Egret c3pm

Sent from my iPhone

Otmoor: 1st January

Otmoor
Barnacle Goose: 1, with 3 weird hybrids (offsrping?), almost all dark with pale 'barnacle' face - look like cross with Brent, but Canada more likely.
2 Pintail: Pair, 1st screen.

Anthony Cheke

1st January; The Lince, Blenheim Park

10-12:00

Great Egret
Little Egret (2)
Little Grebe (16!)
Wigeon (15)

Standlake Pit 60: 1st January

Standlake Pit 60
Pintail: m. New in.
Great White Egret

Mick Cunningham

Blenheim: Combe Gate: 1st January

Blenheim: Combe Gate
2 Common Crossbill 12:50.

Michael Hunt

Happy New Year!

Thank you to all of the contributors to Oxonbirding. 
We wish you a very happy and bird filled  2019!

Jay at Radley courtesy of Mark Chivers.

Ardington and Lockinge 1st January

Brambling 1m
Stonechat pair
Little Egret

Blenheim: Blenheim Lake: 1st January

Blenheim: Blenheim Lake
Shelduck

Michael Hunt