: 10th January

Neal's Shaw
2 Brambling: m&f. SU6882. 09:10.

John Taylor

: 10th January

Chartersfield Wood
Raven: SU6882. 11:06.

John Taylor

Iffley Meadows: 9th Jan

Siskin c30 in Alders by Weirs Mill Stream

Water Rail calling from Long Bridges NP 

Common Gull 1 on the floods

Kingfisher 1 hunting the ditches

: 9th January

famoor
Blackcap: mail. Feeding on Apples. SP450070. 18:48.

Paul Butler

Sarsgrave, 9th January 2021

 12-13:00

Brambling 60+ 

Chaffinch 30+

Bullfinch m

Linnet 100+

Sparrowhawk

Old Caley's Diary

Play Hatch: 9th January

Play Hatch
3 Brambling: 2 m 1 f. 13:50.

John Kearns

Ring-necked Ducks LWVP Pit 6 - published with the escape proviso!

 

Hardwick 9th January

RING-NECKED DUCK 3 (2m) on pit opposite the West Oxon Sailing Club Pit 6 14:56 

(per Mick Cunningham).

 

Marsh Harrier Otmoor rspb courtesy of Jessica Crumpton.

University Parks: River Cherwell: 9th January

University Parks: River Cherwell
Goosander: m. At Cherwell Boathouse. 15:30.

Colm O Caomhanaigh

Bagley Wood: 9th January

Bagley Wood
20 Common Crossbill 08:00.

D Moden

Sonning Eye GPs: 9th January

Sonning Eye GPs
Great White Egret: Rowing course bund. 12:38.

Marek Walford

Letcombe Regis 9th January

Great Bustard still in usual field 12:20 

Bicester Wetland Reserve 9th January

Foggy conditions:

Pair Stonechat
90 Teal
55 Snipe 

Alan Peters

Key Holder Reserve

Port Meadow: 8th January

Port Meadow
9 Shelduck
10 Pintail: approx count.
3 Goosander: 2m 1 r/h.
50 Golden Plover
2 Gadwall

Adam Hartley

Oxford: Aston's Eyot: 8th January

Oxford: Aston's Eyot
Pintail: male. single flushed from Shire Lake ditch; new record for the patch. 17:06.

Anthony Cheke

: 8th January

Ridgeway - Ardington Down
2 Stonechat: Including one male in the fog and frost! SU436847. 12:00.

Stephen Burch

Stonesfield - finch flock

 

Stonesfield

 I think I was at Kings etc Brake. Certainly was according to a well-informed local. Large flock of chaffinches coming to seed, with Bramblings. I counted an absolute minimum of 48 Bramblings on the ground at once. Probably an under-count as that did not checking hedgerow at same time and the birds were feeding on two separate patches, close together, but one was quite hidden by the lie of the land and birds were feeding a bit out of sight on that patch

. I watched from the path. 'Close ups' are 70X scope plus 4x optical zoom on phone. Also 2 or 3 Marsh Tits. Raven.

Appleford: Appleford GP: 8th January

Appleford: Appleford GP
2 Red-crested Pochard: drk and fem. On fishing lake. SU520936. 10:37.

Kevin Polley

Ascott-under-Wychwood: 8th January

Ascott-under-Wychwood
3 Siskin: AuW Fishing Lake,. 10:40.

Mark Pidgeon

 

Great white Egret at Witney Lakes courtesy of David Cartwright.

Otmoor: 6th January

Otmoor
Hen Harrier: Ringtail through. 15:43.

David Murdoch

Sonning Eye GPs: 7th January

7th January

Sonning Eye GPs
Great White Egret: Flew from near boat course over to Henley Road G.P. Flying low. 14:38.
3 Goldeneye: 1 m/2 f. 15:20.
Pochard 15:20.
7 Great Crested Grebe 15:20.
Green Woodpecker 14:00.

Ralph Watts

Letcombe Regis - 7th January

 Great Bustard still present in the field to the east of the village at c. 14:15.  Asleep! SU386869 

Balscote Quarry B.O.S 7th January

Brambling 2 m/f reported

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Chipping Norton: 6th January

Chipping Norton
Stonechat: ad fem. SP283268. 11:00.
7 Teal: SP283268. 11:00.
Grey Heron: SP283268. 11:00.

Steve Akers

: 6th January

Churn Farm,
5 Stonechat: At least 5 x birds present with the sheep. SU521824. 15:15.

Mike Amphlett

Witney Rose-coloured Starling

 

Photo courtesy of P. Ponton.

Belated report of a 1stw/2nd cal yr ROSE-COLOURED STARLING in a Witney garden over
the new year.

RSPB Otmoor during lockdown

In line with Government guidance for lockdown, the Otmoor car park and trails will remain OPEN for local, daily exercise only.

The Wetland watch hide and the starling viewpoint are closed.

We strongly urge you to follow the legislation around non-essential travel.

We once again ask that you do not visit to view the starling murmuration as this is not essential travel.

Please visit your most local nature reserves and green spaces only.

If visiting Otmoor for daily, local exercise, please follow all current Government guidance around social distancing, group sizes, hygiene and follow all signage on-site.

We know that for many of you, Otmoor provides enjoyment and solace in the natural world throughout these challenging times and we look forward to welcoming you back when you can return to visit us again. Thank you for your continued support and patience. Stay safe everyone.

For the latest RSPB Covid-19 updates please visit: www.rspb.org.uk/reservesupdate.

Thanks for your co-operation.                                                                                       

The Otmoor team.

Cornbury 6th January

   Common Crossbill 13

   Common Raven 1

 

Fields just past Caulcott village on Lower Heyford Road SP505244

 10 Grey Partridge (originally  found by Colin Oram)

120 Golden Plover

Alan Peters

Rushy Common: 6th January

Rushy Common
13 Red-crested Pochard: Tar Lake. 10:15.

Mark Pidgeon

Port Meadow 5th January

Caspian Gull 5 -2 1stw & 2 2ndw +ad in the gull roost late afternoon (per RBA). 

Cholsey: 5th January

Cholsey
Blackcap: fem. Nice to see the other half, the male is often feed here on a feeder(fat-balls). SU58. 13:45.

Steve Foster

Otmoor: RSPB reserve: 5th January

Otmoor: RSPB reserve
70 White-fronted Goose: At least 70 present on Ashgrave. Probably more present but very hard to count. Sorry the RBA report earlier was me but forgot to pop it on the blog. 12:00.

Isaac West

Rushy Common: 5th January

5th January

Rushy Common
2 Red-crested Pochard: pair. actually on Tar Lakes (but not on database). 16:14.

Dix Pit
Egyptian Goose: on heronry island. 12:00.

Anthony Cheke

Cornbury 5th January

Common Crossbill 5

Common Raven 3 

Kingstanding 5th January

Common Crossbill 6 drinking from a puddle

Linnet 100+

Chaffinch 50+

Goldfinch 10+

Brambling 1

Yellowhammer 20+

European Stonechat 1m

 

Sarsgrove: 5th January

Sarsgrove
30 Brambling: Still present with Linnet and Chaffinch - flying out from the thicket opposite Shepherd Hill House to feed and then back to rest and digest. SP314249. 12:00.
80 Linnet: SP314249. 12:00.
40 Chaffinch: SP314249. 12:00.
Redwing: SP314249. 12:00.

Steve Akers

Dunsden Green: 5th January

Dunsden Green
2 Egyptian Goose: m & f. At the Loddon Brewery site ( Who can blame them). 11:50.

John Kearns

LWVP Hides 5th January

The hide at Rushy Common and the two at Pit 60 have been closed.

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Sutton Courtenay: 5th January

Sutton Courtenay
12 Pintail: 5m and 7f on flooded fields between Sutton Courtenay and Drayton. 09:20.

Conor MacKenzie

Chipping Norton: 4th January

Chipping Norton
2 Brambling: In with flock of over 50 Chaffinch in field just beyond Didley Squat Farm Shop car park. SP314243. 12:00.
52 Chaffinch: SP314243. 12:00.
10 Redwing: SP314243. 12:00.
67 Fieldfare: SP314243. 12:00.

Steve Akers

Port Meadow Caspian x Herring - at Cote?

 Thomas: this 4w was at Cote yesterday. Very casp jizz at times and some features eg bill eye hinted that. But for reasons too boring for the blog eg legs not quite right. I wavered between argentatus Herring and CaspxHG. Lew thinks latter. You were closer. Same bird as Port Meadow?

Port Meadow: 4th January

1w Little gull

2w Caspian gull

2 Yellow-legged gulls

Little gull

Appleford: 4th January

5 Caspian gulls (1w, 2w, 3w, 4w and adult) and 2 hybrid Caspian x Herring gulls (1w and 4w) loafing in fields near the level crossing. Several more in the area per Ian Lewington.

2w

3w

Adult

XJNE a probable Caspian x Herring gull hybrid ringed at Braunsbedra, Germany. Also seen at Cotesbach, Leicestershire in December.

Probable 4w Caspian x Herring gull hybrid.

White-fronted Goose Northmoor

 Oxon tick for me. Been searching for one during current influx so as to avoid Otmoor.

Chippinghurst 4th January

8 Egyptian Goose: SP6000. 14:00.
Raven: Over. SP6000. 14:00.

Stephen Lockey

Bagley Wood: 4th Jan

Common Crossbill c30 among the first trees encountered when exiting the footbridge from Kennington. 

Ascott-under-Wychwood: 4th January

40 Golden Plover: In field of Brasswell Lane
100 Chaffinch: 100 plus nr Kingstanding. SP319168. 09:33.
3 Yellowhammer: Kingstanding. SP319168. 09:33.
3 Brambling: At least 3 in large flock of chaffinch nr Kingstanding. SP319168. 09:33.
Stonechat: Brasswell Lane near Kingstanding

Mark Pidgeon

Appleford: Appleford GP: 4th January

Appleford: Appleford GP
2 Red-crested Pochard: Male and female still. 08:59.
Water Rail 

Conor MacKenzie

Port Meadow: 3rd January

Port Meadow
Egyptian Goose: Flying south over the flood. 16:30.
3 Shelduck 16:30.

Steve Goddard

Chipping Norton: 3rd January

Chipping Norton
4 Stonechat: ad pairs. Two adult pairs at either end of the marsh at small lake near Cornwell - males particularly striking. 11:00.
2 Teal: ad pair. 11:00.
5 Mute Swan: Three on marsh; two flew over. 11:00.
Grey Heron 11:00.

Steve Akers

Stonesfield 3rd Jan

 Kingswood brake:

15+ Brambling in mixed finch flock

Sydlings Copse: 3rd January

Sydlings Copse
10 Common Crossbill 13:30.

Isaac West

Otmoor: 3rd January

Otmoor
54 White-fronted Goose: On Ashgrave. 10:35.
41 Barnacle Goose: On Ashgrave and Big Otmoor. 10:35.
Grey Plover: On Big Otmoor. 10:35.
4 Dunlin 10:35.
Peregrine 10:35.

Peter Alfrey

Farmoor Reservoir: River Thames: 3rd January

3rd January

Farmoor Reservoir: River Thames
40 Snipe: Overhead. 16:00.
9 Grey Heron: Along hedgerow with sleeping Fox. 16:00.
Barn Owl: Shrike Meadow area. 16:30.

Jessica Turner

Port Meadow: 3rd January

Port Meadow
3 Goosander: Floods: 3 Goosander (all m.) 1 Redshank feeding on grassy strip in-between floodwaters 50 Barnacle Geese 150+ Black Headed Gulls 8 Lesser Black Backed Gulls 100+ Wigeon Path on Binsey side of the River: 1 Kingfisher 5 Redwing 8 Linnet 50 Black-Headed Gulls 1 Herring Gull . 15:30.

Matthew Doorly

Yarnton Mead: 3rd January

Yarnton Mead
2 Stonechat: Perching on vegetation on the raised river bank a little upstream of King's Lock overlooking flooded meadow. 15:00.

Andrew Siantonas

 

Chiffchaff Abingdon Sewage Works courtesy of John Workman.

Farmoor Reservoir: River Thames: 3rd January

Farmoor Reservoir: River Thames
3 Goosander: 1m2f. flying up river opposite Shrike Meadow. 15:33.

Anthony Cheke

Moulsford Downs 2nd January

Moulsford Downs, Wellbarn Estate
Raven: Calls heard, then seen folding wings and plummeting down. SU5682. 12:00.

Mike Amphlett

Appleford GPs 3rd January

Red-crested Pochard 2 m/f

Wigeon 30+

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Standlake Pit 60: 3rd January

Standlake Pit 60
Bittern: Flew the whole length of the open water flushing masses of ducks. Also 2.5 to 3k wild fowl. Mostly teal and wigeon. 14:54.
2 Marsh Harrier: Imm Male juv f. 14:54.
Great White Egret 14:54.

Mick Cunningham

Allen's Pit Dorchester 3rd January

Pintail 2

Wigeon c225

Tufted Duck 175+

Gadwall c50

Shoveler c50

Pochard c100

Sailing Club Pit:

Goosander f

Egyptian Goose

Chipping Norton: 3rd January

Chipping Norton
30 Brambling: 30 mixed with large flock of chaffinch. SP312252. 13:14.

Mark Pidgeon

Balscote Quarry B.O.S Reserve 3rd January

Brambling 3 reported.

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New Marston: New Marston Meadows: 3rd January

New Marston: New Marston Meadows
Raven
Goosander: 1m.
50 Teal
80 Redwing

Tom Evans

Port Meadow: 3rd January

Port Meadow
4 Goosander: 1m 3f. Near river. Pair flew towards Godstow Lock. 11:51.

Colm O Caomhanaigh

Farmoor Reservoir Closure.

Farmoor Reservoir has been closed to the public from today (3rd) onwards, due to concerns regarding the number of people visiting currently.

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East Oxford: 2nd January

Blackcaps: 1 m, 1 f at garden feeder in Cowley rd area this morning, and throughout most of last week. 

Tom Pizzari

Stonesfield: Kingswood Brake: 2nd January

2nd January

Stonesfield: Kingswood Brake
11 Brambling: 6+ feeding on seed with large numbers of chaffinch, while 5 others in a nearer tree, might be a very conservative count of numbers in area today. Quite a sight! 22:58.
Raven 14:30.

Simon Myers

Play Hatch: 2nd January

Play Hatch
3 Brambling: With large group of Linnets and Chaffinch. 10:55.

John Kearns

Play Hatch: 2nd January

Play Hatch
Egyptian Goose 10:15.

John Kearns

Sparsholt: Sparsholt Firs/Tower: 2nd January

Sparsholt: Sparsholt Firs/Tower
2 Woodcock
3 Stonechat

Mark Merritt

Stonesfield: Kingswood Brake: 2nd January

Stonesfield: Kingswood Brake
8 Brambling: I have been monitoring this sight for the last two months and wonder if the report of 70 Brambling might be a typo ? 1st January. 5 were first seen on the 10th November, a maximum of 25 were seen on the 1st December. 14 on 17th, 10 on 24th, 10 on 27th, and 8 today. They are always tight in the chaffinch of which there have been a maximum of 115 on the 5th December. 17:35.

John Sampson

Asthall: 2nd January

Asthall
Peregrine: adult, probably male. Flew over, spooking gulls off floods. It appeared to have a full crop. 17:08.

Mick Cunningham

Otmoor 2nd January 2021

 08:30-11:30

Merlin (Greenaway)
Jack Snipe (flushed from bridleway, flew over hedge onto Closes)
Lesser Redpoll & 2 Marsh Tit (feeders)
Raven
3 Peregrine (per the Massif)
30+ White-fronted Goose (Ashgrave)
2 Ruff, 5 Dunlin & Blackwit (Big Otmoor)
Marsh Harrier (Reedbed)
3 Egyptian Goose (over Greenaway)

 Old Caley's Diary

Hen Harrier r/t over Greenaways 12:00
Brambling nr the Wetlands Watch hide

(per Leo Bateman)

Pintail 14+ (per Anthony Cheke)

Northmoor: 2nd January

Northmoor
2 Jack Snipe: Along with 26 common snipe. 16:55.  
2 Pintail: male. In floods. Possibly more as seen at dusk. 16:55.
6 Shoveler: male. In floods. Possibly missed females/others as dusk. 16:55.
Chiffchaff 16:55.

Mick Cunningham

Henley Road GPs: 2nd January

Henley Road GPs
3 Red-crested Pochard: 2m/1f. Seen with Alan A. 150 yards from the road view through wooden fence .cracking birds. SU736751. 14:33.

Ralph Watts

Farmoor Reservoir 2nd December

Scaup 3 (per RBA)

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Sonning Eye GPs: 2nd January

Sonning Eye GPs
2 Brambling: In flock of Chaffinch/Linnet at the allotments at the end of Spring Lane. SU748762. 14:45.

Marek Walford

 

Damp Buzzard Wantage courtesy of John Workman.

Letcombe Regis 2nd January

Great Bustard from the Wiltshire reintroduction project again just east of Letcombe Regis.

Park in the village and follow footpath east from Manor Field OX12 9JG to view field on the left.11:25 (per RBA).

Balscote Quarry Reserve 2nd January

Jack Snipe

Brambling 

(per Mark Ribbons)

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Otmoor White-fronts

 

Some of the 61 White-fronted Geese currently residing on the Otmoor rspb reserve amongst 
the Barnacle, Greylags and Canada Geese.

All photos courtesy of Peter Alfrey Non-Stop Birding

Radley GPs

No sign of either Ring-necked Duck between 745 and 915

Otmoor: 1st January

Hen Harrier courtesy of Luke Marriner.

White-fronted Goose 61 (44 on Ashgrave and 17 over Greenaways)

Egyptian Goose

Barnacle Goose 39

Bittern
Hen Harrier ringtail feeding on greenways

Marsh Harrier 3

Peregrine

Merlin
Grey Plover Big Otmoor

Dunlin 7 Big Otmoor

Ruff Big Otmoor

Woodcock 3 16:30 over Morleys (car park field)

Water Rail 9+

Great Black-backed Gull

Yellow-legged Gull ad

Common Gull 25

Raven
Brambling By wetland hide

Siskin 

Marsh Tit

(per Steve Goddard, Isaac West, Peter Alfrey, Luke Marriner, Ewan Urquhart, Mark Pidgeon)

 

Farmoor Reservoir 1st January

Caspian Gull (ad)

Yellow-legged Gull 3

Snow Goose 90

Scaup 3

Wigeon 55

(per Dave Lowe)

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Blenheim: Glyme Bridge: 1st January

Blenheim: Glyme Bridge
Great White Egret: Feeding around 15 metres from the bridge next to a Grey Heron. Very good views. 14:45.

Nick Perks

Chinnor: Cement Works: 1st January

Chinnor: Cement Works
Yellow-legged Gull: Adult in gull roost Lake 2b. 15:00.

David Stracey

Baulking Pit 1st January

Red-crested Pochard
Pintail: m. SU325908.

Mark Merritt

Larkhill Wantage 1st January

60 Golden Plover: Spread over arable field amongst fieldfare, probably more than 60
100 Fieldfare
3 Stonechat
5 Red Kite
Buzzard
Sparrowhawk 

SU411860. 12:30.

Mark Bradfield

Standlake: 1st January

19 Chiffchaff: In area from Broad Bridges to LWVP Pits pit 10 and Hardwick Chiffchaffs counted along while area. 3 Chiffchaff: Forgot to list these. Shifford Lane and north hide. 
4 Blackbird: male. Either end of Hardwick park. To complement the Male and female in my garden. 
2 Nuthatch: In my Rack End Garden. One serum frequently then 2 appeared at same time yesterday and today

Standlake Pit 60
Great White Egret 16:58. 
72 Shoveler: Water is very high. LL hide was totally inaccessible yesterday.

N hide accessible with wellies. . 16:58. 
21 Pintail: Probably under count of ducks today as it was clear more were out of sight behind Reed barrier on south shore. 16:58. 

Mick Cunningham

Stonesfield: Kingswood Brake: 1st January

Stonesfield: Kingswood Brake
70 Brambling: Massive mixed flock with Linnets and Chaffinchs. 14:22.

Justin Taylor

Long Wittenham 1st January

Moor Ditch
Goosander: male. In floods near Long Wittenam with 200 Canada Geese and many gulls. SU538936. 11:45.

William Lester

Grimsbury Reservoir: 1st January

Grimsbury Reservoir
Goosander: drake.

Gareth Blockley

Letcombe Regis 1st January

Great Bustard from the Wiltshire reintroduction project again just east of Letcombe Regis.

Park in the village and follow footpath east from Manor Field OX12 9JG to view field on the left.

c12:30 (per Leo Bateman).

Courtesy of Christopher Knight.

Radley GPs 1st January

Ring-necked Duck 2 (m/f) on Thrupp Lake this morning (per RBA).

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