Oxon Birding Blog

Friday, 21 August 2026

Farmoor Reservoir: 21st August

Black-necked Grebe 2 on F2 15:29

(per Jeremy Dexter)

Ruff still present 12:09

Ringed Plover

Little-ringed Plover

Common Sandpiper

Caspian Gull 1w

(per Ewan Urquhart, Conor MacKenzie,Richard Parsons,)

Otmoor: RSPB reserve: 21st August

4 Whinchat: West side of Greenaways. 11:46.
Green Sandpiper 11:46.

Steve Roby

21 Aug 2026 11:48

Thursday, 20 August 2026

Farmoor Reservoir 20th August

Ruff -juvenile male

Ruff southern end of F2 18:59

(per Kevin Heath et al)

Ringed Plover

Common Sandpiper 5

Yellow Wagtail

(per Simon Myers)

NCVW 20th August

Greenshank 1

Green Sandpiper 1

Common Sandpiper 1

Little Ringed Plover 4

Common Snipe 3

Otmoor rspb 20th August

Ruff 4 at the 1st screen 15:30 (per Paul Wilkinson)

Greenshank on Ashgrave 08:00

Black-tailed Godwit 1st screen

Green Sandpiper 1st screen

Hobby 2

(per Paul Tomlinson)

Courtesy of Paul Wilkinson

Ruff courtesy of Paul Wilkinson

Sonning Eye GPs: 20th August

Yellow-legged Gull: ad. 13:45.

Marek Walford

20 Aug 2026 13:54

Dix Pit: 20th August

Ferruginous Duck m.
Greenshank: h/o flyover.
8 Red-crested Pochard

Adam Hartley

20 Aug 2026 13:18

Ardley Quarry 20th August

1 juv Black-tailed Godwit on smaller pool adjacent to quarry 10:08 (JFT)

New Marston: New Marston Meadows: 20th August

Spotted Flycatcher 07:30.

Steve Jennings

20 Aug 2026 09:05

Eastleach Downs 20th August

LONG-TAILED SHRIKE still present 07:31

(per Birdguides)

Car parking field

Wytham 20th August

Cattle Egret 10+ in field with sheep west of the A34 c½ south of Peartree 06:15

Blewbury Chalkpit 20th August

Redstart

Willow Warbler 2

07:51 (per Conor MacKenzie)

Wednesday, 19 August 2026

Eastleach Downs- 19th August

Long tailed Shrike 1m

Whinchat 2

Common Redstart 1

Corn Bunting 8

Common Whitethroat 10+

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland: 19th August

2 Green Sandpiper 20:14.
18 Lapwing 20:14.
Little Egret 20:14.
Grey Heron 20:14.
10 Mallard 20:14.
Raven 20:14.
Great Spotted Woodpecker 20:14.

Steve Akers

19 Aug 2026 21:25

Dix Pit 19th August

Ferruginous Duck m still present 18:42

Red-crested Pochard 8

(per Paul Butler,Kevin Polley)

Rushy Common 19th August

No sign of female Ferruginous Duck 09:00-10:00 (E.U)

Eastleach Downs 19th August

LONG-TAILED SHRIKE still present close to border this afternoon.

(per Birdguides)

Car parking field

Sonning Eye GPs: 19th August

Yellow-legged Gull: ad. 13:43.

Marek Walford

19 Aug 2026 13:44

NCVW 19th August

Green Sandpiper 3

Little Ringed Plover 5

Ringed Plover 1

Dunlin 1

Common Snipe 6

Great White Egret 1

Letcombe Bassett: 19th August

4 Swift 13:05.
150 Swallow 13:05.

Jed Cleeter

Otmoor RSPB 19th August

Greenshank 4

Black-tailed Godwit 2

Ringed Plover

1st Screen a.m (per Luke O'Byrne)

Courtesy of Luke O'Byrne

Tuesday, 18 August 2026

Eastleach Downs 18th August

Long tailed Shrike 1

Whinchat 3

Common Redstart 1

Common Whitethroat 5

Goldfinch 50+

Long-tailed Shrike 18th August

Sonning Eye GPs: 18th August

Yellow-legged Gull: ad. 13:24.

Marek Walford

18 Aug 2026 13:24

Rushy Common 18th August

Ferruginous Duck f still present this afternoon (per Birdguides)

Henley Road GPs: 18th August

Common Sandpiper 10:59.
Green Sandpiper 10:59.

Mick Hannington

18 Aug 2026 11:02

Dix Pit 18th August

Ferruginous Duck m still present though distant 09:05 (per Lew)

Monday, 17 August 2026

Rushy Common 17th August

Ferruginous Duck 1f

Cattle Egret 8

Little Egret 4

Hobby 1

Marsh Harrier 1

Green Sandpiper 2

Common Sandpiper 1

N.C.V.W 17th August

Dunlin

Green Sandpiper 4

Common Sandpiper

Ringed Plover 3

Little-ringed Plover 4

(T.M)

Shellingford: 17th August

Yellow Wagtail: Flew W calling. 15:45.

Jed Cleeter

17 Aug 2026 22:27

Dix Pit : 17th August

Record shot of the male Ferruginous Duck

Dix Pit 17th August

Ferruginous Duck m still 14:51

(per Ewan Urquhart)

Sonning Eye GPs: 17th August

Yellow-legged Gull: ad. 12:45.

Marek Walford

17 Aug 2026 14:00

Henley Road GPs: 17th August

Mandarin Duck: drk. 13:02.

Marek Walford

17 Aug 2026 13:02

Blenheim: Blenheim Lake: 17th August

Kingfisher
2 Little Grebe
57 Great Crested Grebe: a very good breeding season.
5 Cattle Egret: still young birds on the island stretching their wings.
13 Grey Heron
31 Cormorant
240 Coot
350 Mallard
5 Tufted Duck
10 Sand Martin: still at least 10 around the bridge, at least 3 active nest holes.

Bob Pomfret

17 Aug 2026 12:57

Wytham 17th August

Cattle Egret 5+ in field with sheep west of the A34 ½ south of Peartree 06:30

Rushy Common 17th August

Ferruginous Duck f still 11:32

Castle Egret 2

Hobby

(per Ewan Urquhart)

Sunday, 16 August 2026

Dix Pit 16th August

Ferruginous Duck prob male 10:54 (SNT)

Eastleach Downs 16th August

LONG-TAILED SHRIKE again in Oxon 10:48

Redstart

(per TrevorEllery)

Car parking field

Rushy Common 16th August

Ferruginous Duck f still present 16:08

Green Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Dunlin

Cattle Egret 7

Hobby

Marsh Harrier

(per Simon Myers et al)

Farmoor Reservoir: 16th August

Dunlin: F1 along causeway. 11:43.
Yellow-legged Gull 12:37.
3 Little Egret 12:15.

Oliver Hedley

Ringed Plover 09:39 (per Simon Myers)

A329 near Moulsford: 16th August

Raven: Heard, quite distant, prob to N. SU5985. 11:05.

Mike Amphlett

16 Aug 2026 13:56

Pit 60 16th August

Green Sandpiper 5

Common Sandpiper 4

Little-ringed Plover

Cattle Egret 5

Marsh Harrier

Mandarin f

(per Andy Last)

Key Holder Reserve

Letcombe Regis: Blandys Farm & East Challow: 16th August

Letcombe Regis: Blandys Farm
Marsh Harrier
3 Yellow Wagtail
2 Grey Partridge
2 Raven
65 Corn Bunting
7 Mistle Thrush

East Challow
13 Grey Partridge

Mark Merritt

16 Aug 2026 11:21