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Monday, 16 February 2026

Tar Lakes Lower Windrush Valley 16th February


Long tailed Duck 1m 

Feeding with 4 Tufted Ducks at the far end of the first lake immediately after you go thru the gate.Take the path to the right side of the lake which is passable with wellingtons and follow round to the far end.

Great White Egret 1

Tar Lakes, Rushy Common

3 Goldeneye: 2 drake; 1 fem. Drakes displaying for female throwing their heads back. 15:15.
9 Pintail 15:15.
86 Shoveler: 52 drake; 34 fem. 15:15.
100 Wigeon: Estimate - definitely more. 15:15.
44 Tufted Duck 15:15.
40 Teal: Estimate. 15:15.
16 Coot 15:15.
Oystercatcher 15:15.
Great White Egret 15:15.
Little Egret 15:15.
Grey Heron 15:15.
Grey Heron 15:15.
4 Mute Swan 15:15.
15 Starling: Flying in to roost. 15:15.

(per Steve Akers)

Park at Rushy Common OX29 6UN and follow footpath south, then cross the road and go through gate (marked in yellow).

Otmoor rspb 16th February

Tundra Bean Goose 6 on Ashgrave 15:13 (per Birdguides)

Wytham Wood: 16th February

Wytham Wood
20 Common Crossbill 15:25.

Yacky Morris

Stanton Harcourt 16th February

Smew 2 drk and rh. Still present at 13:40 SP419041 Pit 18/Linch hill (per Birdguides)




Henley Road GPs: 16th February

Henley Road GPs
6 Pintail: 3m+3f. North Lake. 12:50.

Marek Walford

Oxford 16th February

Black Redstart male still present 10:13 on and around Christ Church college (per Phil Barnett)

Blenheim Park 16th February

Crossbill 4 in fir plantation adjacent to the monument 10:17 (per Paul Willis)

Lye Valley, Oxford: 16th February


 Redpoll, demolishing silver birch seed pods. One of six in the Lye Valley this morning. 

Sunday, 15 February 2026

Abingdon: Peep-o-Day Lane: 15th February

Abingdon: Peep-o-Day Lane
2 Cattle Egret 17:00.
2 Oystercatcher 17:00.
Chiffchaff: But no sign of the Ruddy Shelduck in deteriorating conditions. 17:00.

Ian Elkins

Farmoor Reservoir - 15 February

Two Dark-bellied Brent Geese dropped in ahead of a squall and spent 5 minutes on F2 before flying off high to the north at 1616

SM, BCS

Tar Lakes, Rushy Common: 15th February

Tar Lakes, Rushy Common
Goldeneye: drk. 14:19.
65 Shoveler: drk. 14:19.
7 Pintail 14:19.
152 Wigeon 14:19.
80 Teal: Approx count. 14:19.
60 Tufted Duck 14:19.
10 Coot 14:19.
8 Great Crested Grebe: One pair engaged in courtship display. 14:19.
Oystercatcher 14:19.
2 Great White Egret 14:19.
Little Egret 14:19.
Grey Heron 14:19.
Marsh Harrier: fem imm. 14:19.
Kestrel 14:19.

Steve Akers

Rushy Common 15th February

Long-tailed Duck male again 10:15 viewable from the hide but no further sign by 15:00
Flooding along path and wellies advisable 
Goldeneye 
Great white Egret 2
Oystercatcher 
Marsh Harrier 

(per Glen Pascoe et al) .

Key Holder Reserve 

Farmoor Reservoir 15th February

Scaup f F1 
Common Scoter 
Goldeneye 2

(per Birdguides et al)

Saturday, 14 February 2026

Otmoor: 14th February

Otmoor
5 Barnacle Goose
2 Tundra Bean Goose: On Ashgrave at 4pm, not there earlier.
10 White-fronted Goose: On Ashgrave at 4pm, not there earlier.
2 Crane: Flew over by second screen.
2 Oystercatcher
4 Dunlin
6 Curlew
2 Glossy Ibis: On flood by second screen.
3 Bittern: Probably two boomers, a third showed very well in field north of main track.
2 Great White Egret
3 Marsh Harrier
Brambling: With the Chaffinch/Bunting flock by the hide.

Tom Jordan

Short-eared Owl 
Redshank
Dunlin 15

(per Birdguides et al)

Courtesy of Kevin Heath

Waterstock: River Thame: 8th February

Waterstock: River Thame
55 Gadwall 10:30.
315 Lapwing 10:30.
Little Egret 10:30.
3 Meadow Pipit 10:30.
54 Pintail 10:30.
2 Raven 10:30.
3 Lesser Redpoll 10:30.
105 Shoveler 10:30.
1800 Teal 10:30.
2650 Wigeon 10:30.
2 Yellowhammer 

Nick Marriner

Tar Lakes, Rushy Common: 14th February

Tar Lakes, Rushy Common
Great White Egret 17:00.
Egyptian Goose: With injured leg. NCVW. 17:00.
2 Shelduck: pair. NCVW. 17:00.
Marsh Harrier: fem. NCVW. 17:00.
5 Red-legged Partridge: NCVW. 17:00.
2 Oystercatcher: NCVW. 17:00.
Common Gull: ad w/p. NCVW. 17:00.
Stonechat: male. NCVW. 17:00.

Ian Elkins

LWV Pit 3: 14th February

14th February

LWV Pit 3
2 Egyptian Goose 14:15.
2 Red-crested Pochard: drk. 14:15.

LWV Pit 10
Goldeneye: drk. 14:30.

Rushy Common
Great White Egret 15:00.
8 Pintail: four pairs. 15:00.

Ian Elkins

Barcote Cottages, near Littleworth: 12th February

Barcote Cottages, near Littleworth
Blackcap: male. SU319972. 07:45.

Tony Hadland

Peep-o-Day Lane Abingdon 14th February

Ruddy Shelduck off of Peep-o-day Lane 
Cattle Egret

(JS)



Buckland Warren: 14th February

Buckland Warren
3 Common Crossbill
2 Brambling
21 Siskin

Mark Merritt

Farmoor Reservoir 14th February

Common Scoter imm male F1
Scaup f F1
Goldeneye 2 F1

12:08 (per Debbie Cummins)

Scaup courtesy of Debbie Cummins 

Goldeneye courtesy of Debbie Cummins 

Common Scoter courtesy of Debbie Cummins 


Radley GP: 14th February

Radley GP
Oystercatcher 11:00.
Goosander: rh. 11:00.
3 Egyptian Goose 11:00.
2 Stonechat: pair. 11:00.
Raven 11:00.

Ian Elkins

Stanton Harcourt 14th February

2 Smew: Drake and redhead present on Pit 18. 08:45 (per Birdguides)




Northern Cross Valley Way/Rushy Common 14th February

No sign of the male Long-tailed Duck by 10:45 (et al)

Oxford 14th February

Black Redstart male still present 08:45 on and around Christ Church college (per Luke O'Byrne)

Friday, 13 February 2026

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland: 13th February

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland
Raven 13:04.
Little Egret 13:04.
5 Grey Heron 13:04.
2 Mute Swan 13:04.
2 Teal 13:04.
60 Mallard 13:04.
5 Redwing 13:04.
Meadow Pipit 13:04.
Kestrel 13:04.

Steve Akers

Day's Lock/Bishop's Court Farm - Fri 13th

Marsh Harrier 1 juv, Church Farm Backwaters

Short-eared Owl 1, mobbed the Marsh Harrier as it flew west of Church Farm.

Golden Plover 8,

Teal c200,

Pintail 2,

Stonechat 2

Rushy Common 13th February


Long tailed Duck - male 
In the rain and gloom of late afternoon on the pit west of the road running past Rushy Common car park.

Bruern 13th February

Linnet 250+
Yellowhammer 80+
Chaffinch 70+
Brambling 2 m/f

Stock Dove 27

All feeding on seeded footpath


Farmoor Reservoir 13th February

1000-1230hrs

Kittiwake 1 adult winter.

Sadly not looking well and subsequently taken into care. Could this be the bird seen at Port Meadow yesterday?

Curlew 1 circling F1@1030 and then departed East

Northern Cross Valley Way 13th February

Long-tailed Duck male again on pit west of Rushy Common viewable from the public footpath 13:28 (P.M)





Farmoor Reservoir: 13th February

Kittiwake: Sick bird on edge of causeway F1. 11:39.
(per Dave Murphy)

Scaup f on F1 09:14 (per Conor MacKenzie)
Curlew flew over (per Ewan Urquhart)

Courtesy of Kyle Smith 


Otmoor rspb 13th February

Russian White-fronted Goose 115+ on Ashgrave 
Bittern 2
Curlew 2

(per Sue Carruthers)

Blenheim 13th February

Russian White-fronted Goose 17 flew over 09:07
Crossbill c30

(per Dave Doherty)

Thursday, 12 February 2026

Otmoor: RSPB reserve: 12th February

Otmoor: RSPB reserve
244 White-fronted Goose: Counted on Ashgrave from Wetlands Watch hide. Large and noisy flock later seen heading over the reserve heading towards Flood.

(per Steve Roby)

Glossy Ibis 2
Short-eared Owl 
Bittern
Red-crested Pochard 2

(et al)

Port Meadow: 12th February

Port Meadow
Kittiwake: ad.
Little Gull
Caspian Gull: 2w.
6 Oystercatcher
Shelduck
10 Goosander
Lesser Redpoll: fly-over. 

Thomas Miller

Adult Kittiwake courtesy of Thomas Miller

 

Bruern/Foxholes 12th February

Woodcock 2

Yelllowhammer 80+
Linnet 100+
Chaffinch 20+
Brambling 1

Henley Road GPs: 12th February

Henley Road GPs
6 Pintail: 4m+2f. North Lake. 12:35.

Marek Walford

Oxford 12th February

Black Redstart male still present 11:26 on and around Christ Church college (per Phil Barnett)

Henley Road GPs: 12th February

Henley Road GPs
6 Pintail: 3m 3f. On north pit. 10:58.

Mick Hannington

Stanton Harcourt: 12th February

Stanton Harcourt
2 Smew: Drake and redhead present on Pit 18. 10:45.

Allen Stevens



Wednesday, 11 February 2026

Marcham 11th February


Ruddy Shelduck 1f in flooded field west of Mill Road
Common Shelduck 3

Egyptian Goose 3
Little Egret 5



Drayton 1066: 11th February

Drayton 1066
Cattle Egret: Circled Flooded field then headed. Possibly the same bird seen at Peep O'Day Lane two days ago?. SU526936. 15:37.

Steve Violette

Stanton Harcourt 11th February

Smew 2 drk and rh. Still present at 13:41 SP419041 Pit 18/Linch hill (per Mark Pidgeon)




Blenheim Park 11th February

Crossbill 2 near the Combe Gate
Brambling 2+

(per Dave Doherty)

Farmoor Reservoir 11th February

Common Scoter imm male 
Scaup f
Russian White-fronted Goose 31 flew over heading west

(Birdguides et al)

Tuesday, 10 February 2026

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland: 10th February

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland
4 Stonechat: Two pairs. 15:19.
Snipe 15:19.
Water Rail 15:19.
3 Moorhen 15:19.
2 Mute Swan 15:19.
55 Mallard 15:19.

Steve Akers

Day's Lock/Bishop's Court Farm - Tues 10th a.m.

Oystercatcher, 2, f.o.y. on the BCF scrapes.

Great White Egret, 1.

Cattle Egret, 4. 

Marsh Harrier, 1 ad female. A different bird to the juv seen recently.

Peregrine, 1.

Teal, c100 Church Farm Backwaters.

Shoveler, 5.

Shelduck, 2 yesterday on BCF scrapes.




Otmoor: 10th February

Otmoor
5 Black-tailed Godwit: W end of Big Otmoor. 12:20.
17 Tundra Bean Goose: Towards NW corner of Big Otmoor with one White Fronted Goose. 12:20.
30 White-fronted Goose: Far end of Ashgrave, not counted accurately. 12:20.

Simon Ramm

Henley Road GPs: 10th February

Henley Road GPs
6 Pintail (2 on Water ski pit) 11:30.
2 Oystercatcher: First if the year. 11:30.

Marek Walford

Oxford 10th February

Black Redstart male still present 10:47 on and around Christ Church college (per Phil Barnett)