Bablockhythe: 29th January

Bablockhythe
Peregrine: male. Hunting near the Thames. 15:00.

Jed Cleeter

Port Meadow: 29th January

Port Meadow
3 Goosander: 2f/1m. On river upstream from The Perch landing stage. 15:00.
3 Shelduck: On the floods with the usual large number of wigeon and shoveler. 15:00.

Andrew Siantonas

: 28th January

Hinksey Lake, Oxford
2 Goosander: 1 m 1 f. On the water, diving for fish, but no evidence of any success. Chasing each other in agitated swimming. SP513046. 12:00.

Trevor Lea

Farmoor Reservoir: 29th January

29th January

Farmoor Reservoir
75 Snow Goose: South end of F2. 14:36.
33 Barnacle Goose: South end of F2. 14:36.
Scaup: South end of F1. 14:47.

Yacky Morris

Both photos courtesy of Yacky Morris

 

Henley Road GPs: 29th January

Henley Road GPs
Scaup: drk. On the north lake west of the island. 13:48.

Marek Walford

Dix Pit: 29th January

Dix Pit
Yellow-legged Gull: ad. 09:17.
9 Pintail 09:17.

Simon Bradfield

Piddington: 28th January

Piddington
2 Woodcock 17:30.

Colin Oram

Port Meadow: 27th January

5 Shelduck
2 Yellow-legged Gull: ad & 1w.
2 Goosander
1 Pintail
1 Dunlin

Yesterday
10 Pintail
2 Shelduck

Adam Hartley, Thomas Miller, Pete Roby

Bullfinch Otmoor rspb courtesy of Malcolm Bowey.

 

: 28th January

Boarstall
7 Woodcock: SP618150. 14:00.

Colin Oram

Ardley ERF 28th January

Green sandpiper - 2 on lagoon

Wigeon - 2 grazing on edge of lower lake

Teal - 18 on lower lake

Golden plover - c60 in flight over M40.

Farmoor Reservoir 28th January

Scaup f

Goosander 

Marsh Tit 

Woodcock flew across the road at Lower Whitley

(J.T)

Lye Valley, Oxford: 28th January

 

A pair of fly-over Goosander over Headington, only the second patch record here. Also Little Egret over. 

Childrey Field: 28th Jan.

Hen Harrier and Merlin briefly dueling this morning (a moment I lacked the skill to capture)

3 Common Gull

Corn Bunting

Warburg Reserve, Bix - Friday 27th January 2023

 Raven.

Red Legged Partridge x 5.

Jay x 2

Buzzard x 2.

Treecreeper.

Nuthatch x 3.

Coal Tit x 3

Marsh Tit x 4

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Chaffinch (m) x 3

Grimsbury Reservoir: 27th January

Grimsbury Reservoir
2 Peregrine: pair flew over towards town.

Gareth Blockley

 

Water Rail Otmoor rspb courtesy of Jessica Crumpton.

Blenheim: 27th January

Blenheim
4 Great White Egret 14:00.
Pochard: Drake. 14:00.

Gareth Casburn

Sonning Eye GPs: 27th January

Sonning Eye GPs
2 Stonechat: m+f. At the triangle. 12:38.

Marek Walford

Abingdon Sewage Works 26th January

Siberian Chiffchaff still present (per RBA).

Farmoor Reservoir: 26th January

Farmoor Reservoir
Goldeneye: f. 12:00.
Scaup: f. 12:00.

James Blunt

Appleford - 25th January

 

Caspian Gull - 1 adult

Farmoor Reservoir 25th January

Scaup drk reported this evening (per RBA).

Port Meadow: 25th January

Port Meadow
2 Stonechat: In scrub by the floods near Aristotle Lane gate. For the second day.

Adam Hartley

Woodstock: Woodstock Church: 25th January

Woodstock: Woodstock Church
Hawfinch: Single bird in flight over the churchyard into Blenheim viewed from Rectory Lane. 14:00.

Gareth Casburn

Lye Valley, Oxford: 25th January

Finally, a Water Rail in the Lye Valley, Headington. It only took 427 patch visits! 

 

: 24th January

Keble College, Oxford
Raven: SP512069. 13:00.

Steve Goddard

Letcombe Bassett 24th January

Letcombe Bassett Field
2 Stonechat: pair. On manure heap in freezing conditions. SU361862. 13:00.

Stephen Burch

Farmoor Reservoir 24th January

Goosander on the Thames 15:07 courtesy of Bill Lester.

 

: 24th January

Thame STW
Woodcock: SP709067. 18:39.

Thame STW
11 Chiffchaff: SP709067. 18:39.

Thame STW
Snipe: On filter beds. SP709067. 18:39.

Thame STW
13 Teal: SP709067. 18:39.

Luke Marriner

Piddington: 24th January

Piddington
3 Woodcock 17:15.

Colin Oram

Blenheim 24th January

Peregrine - 2 on the monument this morning. The female with a full crop and some bloodied breast feathers.

Wigeon - 8

Great white egret - 3

Little egret - 2

Woodstock Water Meadows

Pintail - 2

Wigeon - 10+

Teal - 50+

Gadwall - 20+

Snipe - 3

The area I would call the meadows comprises everything in the red area. The river Glyme flows through it and at the moment it is flooded. You can walk through part of it shown on the bottom of the map, but the majority is off limits. The yellow area adjacent is the new plantation area created by Blenheim Estate. It's surrounded by deer fence but has a number of gates and they have created some permissive paths through it. The blue line is the walk I typically do through it and the adjacent fields. There is a footpath north out of Old Woodstock through fields up towards the farm. These fields I believe may well be built on so they have been left unmanaged and consequently are great for wintering passerines. 100s of yellowhammers, good numbers of linnets, reed buntings, skylarks and a few corn buntings. I've also seen Merlin and barn owls and heard grey partridges. The blue arrow is where you can overlook some of the meadows which is marked as a private nature reserve (I believe the owner of the farm has control of this). That is where I saw the pintail other ducks today. Overall a great piece of habitat, but I fear some won't remain for much longer.

Cutteslowe: Cutteslowe Park: 24th January

Cutteslowe: Cutteslowe Park
Water Rail: SP510104. 09:00.

Nicholas Boyd

Blenheim: Blenheim Lake: 23rd January

Blenheim: Blenheim Lake
3 Great White Egret
Little Egret
13 Cormorant
9 Snipe: Most were visible from the Grand Bridge in the reeds at the lake edge in front of the block commemorating the old Manor house.
Kingfisher
4 Wigeon
2 Shoveler
132 Gadwall
150 Magpie
99 Coot
19 Moorhen
12 Great Crested Grebe
18 Mute Swan
205 Greylag Goose
142 Canada Goose
Yellow-legged Gull
Raven
Tawny Owl: calling in the middle of the day.

Bob Pomfret

Duxford: 22nd January

Duxford
Great White Egret: Took off from floods. 15:00.

Jed Cleeter

South Leigh: 23rd January

South Leigh
Merlin 12:00.

Richard Catling

Piddington: 23rd January

Piddington
4 Woodcock: Flighting over garden each evening at dusk, usually two birds but four this evening. 17:15.

Colin Oram

Pit 60

 Pit 60

Conditions changing daily. Yesterday wellies and care needed on flooded path between hides and only N Hide was accessible. But Pit was 4/5ths free of ice and there were 1330+ wigeon (SNT) min 78 pintail and a lot of other ducks. 

Today, path not flooded at Shifford lane end, just v muddy. N Hide accessible. But Pit about 90% frozen and ducks all at East end (scope needed). LL hide not tried.

Ring-necked Duck m+f  on P60 (p27 mostly frozen).

GW Egret - present since yesterday

Shelduck 3 - there were 2 in Thames Fields yesterday,

South Stoke - Monday 23rd January 2023

 Egyptian Goose x 5 - on the Thames.

Shoveler - m & f - on the Thames.

Stonechat - m.

Siskin x 6 in Alder Trees along river.

Reed Bunting - f.

Redwing x 5.

Fieldfare x 8.

Chiffchaff.

Pied Wagtail x 13.

Buzzard x 2.

Kestrel x 1.

Grey Heron.

Peep-o-day lane

Siberian chiffchaff - calling at Abingdon STW. 

Green sandpiper - on small patch of open water opposite quarry. 

Fieldfare Otmoor rspb courtesy of John Reynolds 

Iffley: Iffley Meadows: 22nd January

Iffley: Iffley Meadows
Woodcock 17:20.

Nicholas Boyd

Bicester Wetland Reserve 23rd January

 All standing water deep frozen, water birds on Landford Brook

1 Green Sandpiper
1 Little Egret
1 Heron
30 Teal

Alan Peters
Key Holder Reserve

Jay courtesy of Edwin Barson.

 

Cutteslowe: Cutteslowe Park: 23rd January

Cutteslowe: Cutteslowe Park
Water Rail: SP510104. 09:00.

Nicholas Boyd

Port Meadow: 22nd January

Port Meadow
Caspian Gull: 3w. In the roost tonight per Thomas Miller.

Adam Hartley

 

3w Caspian Gull courtesy of Thomas Miller

 

Otmoor 22nd January am.

Fieldfare eating frozen haws by First Screen (c) Bark

 

Abingdon 22nd

Peep o day Lane:

Green sandpiper
Sparrowhawk


Sent from my iPhone

Farmoor Reservoir 22nd January

Scaup f still present on F1 this afternoon.

Clifton 22nd January

Pink-footed Goose in field opposite Malins Farm 

with 196 Greylags 11:25 (S.B).

Park at the Great Western Arms OX17 3BP and

take the canal towpath south.

Kennington: River Thames: 21st January

Kennington: River Thames
Water Rail: SP528018. 16:15.

Sylfest Muldal

Farmoor Reservoir 21st January

Scaup f on F1 10:46 (per Adam Lake)

Port Meadow: 20th January

Port Meadow
9 Pintail

Adam Hartley

Abingdon Sewage Works 20th January

Yellow-browed Warbler at Abingdon SF this morning along Peep-o-Day Lane 100m north from junction with the track that runs along the north edge of the sewage works. SU 496955. 

(per Jed Cleeter).

Pintail Otmoor rspb courtesy of Malcolm Bowey.

 

Piddington: 20th January

Piddington
2 Woodcock: Over my garden at dusk. 17:00.

Colin Oram

Farmoor Reservoir: 20th January

Farmoor Reservoir
Scaup: fem. On F2 with the Tufted Ducks. SU446068. 13:30.
32 Barnacle Goose: Flown in on F2
Mark Morgan

Female Stonechat Appleford GPs recently courtesy of John Workman.

 

Cutteslowe: Cutteslowe Park: 20th January

Cutteslowe: Cutteslowe Park
Water Rail: In the stream just west/upstream of the pond. Mostly hidden in sedge. Nice to confirm after probable views of a skulker on 9th January. Good siskin numbers + bullfinch flock regularly also in same area currently. SP510104. 09:20.

Nicholas Boyd

Port Meadow: 19th January

Garganey reported (per Birdguides)

180 Barnacle Goose: On high ground at the Wolvercote end of the floods. Access to this area from Wolvercote very difficult as water covers most access points and there are many flooded diches and channels which cut off dry areas. High wellingtons and great dare needed to pass through to higher land. 15:30.
4 Goosander: 3m/1f. On the flooded river below Godstow lock. 15:30.

Andrew Siantonas

Scaup Farmoor Reservoir 18/1 courtesy of Bryan Manston.

 

Moreton nr Thame: Moreton Golf Course: 19th January

Moreton nr Thame: Moreton Golf Course
Common Scoter: ad fem. Still on main lake. View from bridge. Please stick to footpaths around course. Great find Dave Philips. 13:00.

Nick Marriner

Cassington: A40: 19th January

Cassington: A40
Peregrine: fem. Hunting. 08:35.

Jed Cleeter

Eynsham: 19th January

Eynsham
1000 Starling: Been present for a couple of weeks. Some good displays - the birds are roosting in trees in the centre of the village. Possibly up to 5000 seen leaving one morning last week. 16:30.

Nick Suckling

Woodstock 19th January

In the farmland area north of Woodstock and along the Glyme valley.

Merlin - 1

Corn bunting - 4

Skylark - c100

Linnet - c50

Yellowhammer - c100

Woodpigeon - c1000

Lapwing - c100 over south 

Marsh tit - 1 in Glyme valley

Great white egret - 1 flew along the Glyme. First I've seen in this area.

Teal - c15 on flooded area along the river.

Gadwall - 2

Appleford GPs 19th January

Ring-necked Duck f again on the riverside Pit this afternoon (per RBA).

Bernwood Forest: 19th January

Bernwood Forest
2 Marsh Tit: calling by side of main track where it goes through the open area. SP612112. 11:00.

Martin Green

Oxford: Christchurch Meadow: 18th January

Oxford: Christchurch Meadow
Stonechat: male. 15:13.

Phil Barnett

Cholsey: 19th January

Cholsey
2 Egyptian Goose 13:04.

John Taylor

Oxford Aston’s Eyot 19th January

Firecrest again 10:49 (per Phil Barnett).

Moreton nr Thame: Moreton Golf Course: 18th January

Common Scoter: Female on the Main lake, found by Dave Phillips last night still present this evening. Please stick to the paths if visiting, the course is busy at the moment. 18:22.

Luke Marriner 

Above & below courtesy of Clair Nuttall

Yellowhammers at Old Shifford and Cote

 This video might be pixelated to death by You Tube. 

Message to "Steve" from P60 other week who was asking where to see Yellowhammers. If you've not seen one yet, there's A mini flock at Old Shifford . Google St Mary's Church Old Shifford.

 From Witney take A415 towards Abingdon then B4449 towards Cote/Aston, then at sign for 'Old Shifford, turn left onto single track road. Soon after cottages, and well before a bend, there's an isolated bit of fencing. Pull in here: Yellowhammers feeding on left of road between here and bend. Sometimes in hedgerow next to St Mary's Church which you'll see beyond bend to right,

Cote: on above single track go past St Mary's Church to Cote. In Cote turn left on single track signposted "Chimney" (quite hidden sign - opposite P.D. Hook). Then turn left at T junction towards Chimney. Park near bridge over river. Yellowhammers are in flooded field  on right just before you hit this bridge.

 

Sorry folks: no other way to alert Steve. And I forgot map refs. 

Otmoor rspb 18th January

Black-tailed Godwit reported Noke sides

Dunlin 6

Oxford 18th January

Yellow-browed Warbler still present on northern side of Donnington Bridge (per RBA).

Lower Shiplake: 18th January

Lower Shiplake
2 Egyptian Goose: Bird's in flooded field near lock. 15:15.
8 Redwing: Near care home ??. SU775791. 15:15.
8 Ring-necked Parakeet: Over calling near station ??. SU775791. 15:15.

Ralph Watts

Farmoor Reservoir 18th January

Scaup f still on F1 13:15 ( per RBA).

Cowley: 18th January

Cowley
2 Blackcap: M&F feeding on suet pellets on gravel in my nan's garden. 12:08.

Jed Cleeter

Fyfield Wick: 17th January

17th January

Fyfield Wick
Woodcock: Over at dusk. 16:50.
Snipe: Feeding on the edge of lake. 15:45.
Raven: Over at dusk to roost. 16:25.
3 Chiffchaff: Working bushes along stream and calling on way in to roost in wood. 16:25.
22 Teal: On lake. 16:00.
2 Sparrowhawk: Male hunting finches and female hunting thrushes at dusk. 16:00.

Jed Cleeter

Golden Plover Otmoor rspb courtesy of Malcolm Bowey.

 

Cote: 17th January

Cote
4000 Lapwing: Count adds up birds from Cote, Yelford to Standlake and is pretty accurate. Loads on different iced over fields with a few golden plover. 17:41.

Leafield
Stonechat: fem. 17:41.

Mick Cunningham

Woodstock 17th January

Blenheim

Great white egret - 3

Little egret - 1

Kingfisher - 2

Shoveler - 4

Glyme valley / North Woodstock

Lapwing - 53 over South

Skylark - 10+

Yellowhammer - 50+

Linnet - 20+

Reed Bunting - 20+

Management work at Otmoor.

 RSPB Otmoor 17^th, 18^th and 19^th January.

On the 17^th-19^th January, the reserve team will be conducting the annual reedcut in the Otmoor reedbed.

This is essential management of the reedbed and takes place around this time every year to coincide with the suitable cold weather.

If you are thinking of visiting during this time, please be aware that there will likely be disturbance in the Southern reedbed, the area viewable from the 1^st screen.

Many thanks for your understanding.

The Otmoor team.

Port Meadow: 16th January

Port Meadow
Caspian Gull: ad.
2 Shelduck

Thomas Miller

Thame: 16th January

Thame
Merlin: Female hunting over the flood into bucks at times but mainly oxon. SP717069. 17:44.

Luke Marriner

Standlake Pit 60: 16th January

Standlake Pit 60
40 Wigeon: Langley Lane is flooded well before the gate to the hide. Path to north hide is under water, higher than normal welly height and slippery under foot. Duck numbers pretty low. 13:21.

Mick Cunningham

Sutton Courtenay

Mandarin - pair on floodwaters by culham bridge

Letcombe Bassett: Ridgeway above Letcombe Bassett: 15th January

Letcombe Bassett: Ridgeway above Letcombe Bassett
2 Short-eared Owl 16:00.

Jed Cleeter

Sparsholt: Ridgeway: 15th January

Sparsholt: Ridgeway
Hen Harrier: Ringtail (Sub-Adult Male) flew West. 15:10.
Peregrine: fem. Sub-Adult with prey. 15:10.

Jed Cleeter

Kingston Warren: 15th January

15th January

Kingston Warren
Raven 12:30.

Letcombe Bassett
Stonechat: male. 13:10.

Jed Cleeter

Kings Lock: 15th January

Kings Lock
2 Goosander: 1m/1 f. On flooded river downstream of the lock. Road to lock covered in water, but passable with care in wellington boots. Upstream of lock, the path is covered and not safe to pass. Yarnton Mead on opposite bank largely flooded attracting large number of gulls mainly black headed. 16:12.

Andrew Siantonas

Parsonage Moor Reserve 15th January

Jack Snipe flushed during maintenance work

Snipe

Woodcock

(P.P).

Churn: 15th January

Churn
Stonechat: fem. 11:00.
100 Fieldfare: Plenty of Fieldfares, far fewer Redwings. 11:00.

Nick Suckling

Oxford 15th January

Yellow-browed Warbler still along northern side of Donnington Bridge 10:53 (per Paul Wren).

Marsh Baldon: 15th January

Marsh Baldon
Treecreeper: Working its way up the Ash Tree in our garden. SU565999. 08:57.

Paul Torevell

Oxford: Oxford Canal: 15th January

Oxford: Oxford Canal
Bullfinch: Along the canal between Walton Well and Aristotle bridge. 11:54.

S_ TH

: 15th January

Burnt Platt Wood
2 Woodcock: SU6883.

John Taylor

Port Meadow: 14th January

Port Meadow
Hardly any duck on the floods this evening - it's probably too deep for the dabbling ducks to feed now.

Caspian Gull: 2w. Same bird as on Wednesday.
11 Goosander

Yesterday
Mediterranean Gull: adult briefly in the roost yesterday

Adam Hartley & Thomas Miller

Taynton: 14th January

Taynton
2 Raven 16:20.
500 Fieldfare 16:20.

Jed Cleeter

Foxholes Reserve: 14th January

Foxholes Reserve
4 Marsh Tit 14:00.
8 Siskin 14:00.
2 Treecreeper 14:00.
2 Nuthatch 14:00.
6 Goldcrest 14:00.
100 Pied Wagtail 14:00.
2 Grey Wagtail 14:00.
2 Sparrowhawk: M&F. 14:00.

Jed Cleeter

: 14th January

Boarstall
4 Woodcock: SP618150. 13:00.

Boarstall
Sparrowhawk: SP618150. 13:00.

Colin Oram