A mix of winter and summer migrants today.
Wheatear - an incredibly confiding male near Park Farm.
A mixed hirundine flock over the lakes totalling 100 odd birds with a clear influx of Swallows and House Martins.
Brambling - a male and female together with the male singing briefly.
Crossbill - 1 male.
Cuckoo over Burgess Field
4 Oystercatchers
2 Shelduck
5 Egyptian Geese
Great White Egret
5 Little Egret
2 Redpoll over Burgess Field
Noticeable influx of spring migrants:
4 Willow Warbler
6 Whitethroat
Dozens of Swallows & House Martins along the river
Gnome, Uber Birder
 |
| Common Cuckoo |
Great Northern Diver 1
Port Meadow
Great White Egret
6 Little Egret
3 Oystercatcher
6 Shelduck
6 Swallow
Burgess Field:
2 Willow Warbler
Whitethroat
Lesser Whitethroat
Wolvercote Bridge:
r/h Goosander
Gnome & the Uber Birder et al.
Yellow Wagtail 4
Oystercatcher 4
Little Ringed Plover 1
Curlew 2
Cattle Egret 2
Sedge Warbler 4
Reed Warbler 2
Willow Warbler 4
Swallow 10
Sand Martin 20
 |
| Redshank courtesy of Paul Wyeth |
The Highlights
After a period dominated by
visitors from the East, March provided some much-needed variety with several rarities
from the West. The standout of these, by orders of magnitude, was a fantastic 2nd
calendar Ring-billed Gull at Port Meadow on the 7th.
Expertly picked out, inevitably by one of the county’s top Larophiles, in
amongst the throng of gulls loafing and coming into roost at Port Meadow in
the early evening. A surprising record, not least given the decline in national
records of this once fairly frequent neartic cousin of the Common Gull, and
which are now essentially restricted to returning and familiar adults. New
birds then carry some extra significance, particularly in counties like Oxfordshire
which have not had a record since 2013. Thankfully, this one was not a one-day
wonder restricted to those that could react in the short window between finding
and sunset with it being present the following day, at least for a few hours. For
the assembled crowd on the 8th, it performed fairly well with most
getting decent views, when on show, until the mid-morning at which point it
flew north over the Trout Inn. Any hopes of a return at the evening
roost later that day were soon dashed however and with heavy fog the following
morning, it was clear that this bird had departed the site if not the county
altogether. Despite it only being March, it seems likely that this bird
will be a heavy contender for bird of the year for 2026, a proper birders bird
and a real gem of a find for the committed patch birder that found it.
Interestingly, a 1st winter bird at Lower Farm GPs just over
the border in Berkshire in December might very well relate to the
same bird? Hopefully this young individual might have enjoyed its stay in some
of the Home Counties enough to see a return in the winter of 26/27.
 |
 |
| Above & below courtesy of Thomas Miller |
 |
| Courtesy of Roger Wyatt |
The month was not done there though, with another visitor from across the pond in the form of an American Wigeon. Picked out from photographs just up the road at Otmoor in with its palearctic cousins, any disappointment at dipping the aforementioned Gull at Port Meadow was at least made up by this find also on the 8th. Like the previous record in 2023, this drake favoured the flood field which is not exactly the most accessible part of the site, but thankfully with patience and timing good views could be attained. Again, as with the previous record, it remained in its favoured area throughout its stay with the last report coming on the 23rd March. The yanks kept on coming when a Green-winged Teal was also found on the flood field at Otmoor on the 17th. Despite its downgrading from full species status last year and the recent records, this was nonetheless an excellent find and a welcome addition to the county year list. Unfortunately, given the cryptic nature of these birds, the expanse of habitat availability and plenty of palearctic cousins to hide behind this individual remained a one-day wonder seen only by the finders.
 |
| The American Wigeon courtesy of Gareth Cashburn |
Waders
The standout of the early wader movements this month was a pair of Avocet found at Otmoor on the 23rd. Despite looking well suited, these birds were clearly destined for a salt marsh somewhere else in the country, departing the county on the same day.
 |
| Avocet coutesy of Pete Roby |
The flood field at Otmoor continued to produce some good birds of the non-American kind, with a Grey Plover found here on the 24th and its plausible this was a wintering individual, something that has become a more frequent occurrence in recent years. Black-tailed Godwit were present at three sites, with Otmoor still hosting a small flock of birds in the early part of the month. This flock peaked at nine on the 17th and was reduced to just two by the 24th. Port Meadow also had a couple of birds on the 7th until the 8th, possibly birds commuting to and from Otmoor, with a single bird on the 13th and again on the 21st. Days Lock also got in on the action with a pair of birds on the new scrapes by the Thames on the 9th of the month. A Greenshank calling over Otmoor on the 3rd was probably one of the more surprising records this month, given the early nature of the record. Classically a bird of early – mid April a bird in early March is fairly unusual to say the least.
 |
| Grey Plover coutesy of Thomas Miller |
Dunlin continued to be
recorded at the three main wader hubs in the county. Up to four birds at Port
Meadow until the 10th and three at Otmoor on the 7th
seem likely to be wintering individuals that have been present on and off
throughout the winter. Farmoor however probably saw the first migrating
individuals from the 17th, with singles here also on the 21st
and 26th followed by three on the 28th. One of the
highlights of early March is the arrival of the year’s first Little
Ringed Plover, usually one the first transcontinental migrants to arrive
back within the county’s borders. Otmoor was the first site to see one
this year, arriving on the 6th March – the earliest arrival
since 2009 and the joint earliest record since the turn of the century. Peep-o-Day
Lane was not far behind however, having been the first site for the last
few years, with one here on the 7th. A trickle of birds followed
from the 10th, although the dam truly burst from the middle of the
month with at least eight sites recorded birds. The highest count came from Ardley
ERF on the 29th, where five were present across the various
lagoons and pits here.
Green Sandpiper were
spread across four sites this month, with some clear movements of new birds obvious.
Bicester Wetlands hosted a couple at the beginning of the month, rising
to five by the 31st. Sonning GPs and Balscote Quarry were
also new sites to host birds on the 15th and 20th
respectively. Cornwall Marsh continued to host its two wintering
individuals, although reports of their presence only came from the latter part
of the month. The lone wintering Common Sandpiper was again present at Farmoor
although interestingly more sporadic in its appearances, with only four
reports throughout the entirety of March. Jack Snipe were reported from
two sites this month, with Northmoor recording a single bird on the 8th
and Cornwell Marsh hosting the other on the 26th and 30th.
Migrating Redshank were confined to just one site, a single bird present
at Farmoor on 24th and 25th. A single Woodcock was
reported flying over Port Meadow on the 8th, a tiny
consolation morsel for those that were unfortunately dipping the main highlight
of the month!
Wildfowl, game etc
Wildfowl continued to dominate
the months highlight reel in March with plenty of top county birds to
keep folk busy. Last month’s Long-tailed
Duck relegated to the lower leagues this month, albeit still an excellent
record, continued to find Rushy Common to its liking. It remained here
from the 1st until at least the 28th and received plenty
attention from locals and out of county birders alike. With spring upon us and
few half-hearted displays to the local Tufted Duck the pull of breeding
instinct presumably got this handsome drake finally on the move again.
 |
| Courtesy of Debbie Cummins above and Ewan Urquhart below |
A trio of Bewick’s Swan also in and around the Otmoor flood field on the 11th proved the extreme value of this area and the potential it holds, hosting no fewer than three excellent county rarities this month. A species which continues to return to the UK in ever diminishing numbers, records in the county are especially important. These birds were likely heading from wintering grounds at Slimbridge to staging grounds on the East Coast and Oxfordshire is thankfully about halfway, making it the perfect stopover. Clearly the birds were in a hurry though and some quick refuelling and they were gone by the following day, probably overnight.
 |
| courtesy of Roger Wyatt |
A juvenile Great Northern Diver was a surprise visitor to Farmoor at the months close. It continued to enjoy the offerings of the concrete bowl, seemingly enjoying the abundance of Crayfish present, until the very end of the month and into April too. It even managed the occasional eerie call, a particularly memorable moment for one birder. The huge White-fronted Goose flock continued at Otmoor until at least the 5th, with at least 250 present in what has been an unprecedented period for this species. Numbers dwindled as the month went on with as few as 16 present by the 11th. Coleshill Park was the only other site to report the species this month where 14 were recorded on the 5th.
 |
| courtesy of Ewan Urquhart |
The Ruddy Shelduck continued its tour of the county’s top birding sites this month, with Otmoor the next site to host the wandering male on the 3rd. By the 4th it had moved onto Blenheim with some excellent shots taken of this rather impressive looking bird. It seemingly returned to Otmoor later that day and was again reported here on the 11th. The first Garganey of the year arrived on the 11th, a fairly standard date over the last decade or so. A pair on Port Meadow remained on the site for a brief period before departing to somewhere with less foot traffic. Another drake was found at Days Lock on the 28th and despite it being flighty it was still present on the 29th.
 |
| Ruddy Shelduck courtesy of Gareth Cashburn |
The female Scaup continued its winter holiday at Farmoor, even as numbers of Tufted Duck began to dwindle. With the numbers reduced it was occasionally all on its tod but showing excellently near the causeway. It remained on site until the end of the month and into the early part of April. Some nocturnal flights calls of Common Scoter over Central Oxford on the 31st was part of a larger movement of birds stretching from Oxon to Yorkshire hundreds of birds move between the west and east coasts.
 |
| Greater Scaup courtesy of Nicky Truby |
Shelduck were present on at least seven sites this month, with at least some of these records relating to birds appearing to be paired. The highest count came from Port Meadow with a maximum of 10 on the 8th, with five birds still here by the 31st. Hatford also had a decent count with a maximum of nine on the 15th. The remaining five sites had mostly pairs, with only Days Lock hosting more, where three present in the latter half of the month.
 |
| Shelduck courtesy of Russell Allen |
Red-crested Pochard were at two sites this month, with Henley Road GPs not one of the typical sites that host birds. Four were here on the 2nd whilst Blenheim had a pair of birds from the 4th until the 23rd at least. Mandarin were on three sites, Cornwell Marsh, Bletchingdon and Henley Road GPs.
 |
| Courtesy of Mark Chivers |
Herons, egrets etc
The trio of Glossy Ibis continued to find Otmoor to their liking and with the onset of spring it will be interesting to see if they get caught up with any of the breeding behaviour of the various herons in and around the site. All three remained here until the end of the month. Cattle Egret remained diminished but were a little more widespread this month. Newbridge had five in the early part of the month, as did Days Lock albeit later in the month. Wytham, Farmoor and Blenheim were the remaining sites hosting birds. The colony at the latter site looks to be very active again with all three species of Egret present!
 |
| Above Cattle & below Great White Egret, courtesy of Gareth Cashburn |
 |
| Otmoor Bitterns are booming! Courtesy of Di Stone |
After the seriously good gull at the beginning of the month, almost all other records seem irrelevant by comparison, but some interesting action happened nonetheless. A 2nd calendar Little Gull frequented Port Meadow for much of the first half of the month been present from the 1st until at least the 10th. Presumably the same bird was then later found on Farmoor on the 23rd, loafing on both F1 and F2 for much of the day.
 |
| Little Gull courtesy of Gareth Cashburn |
 |
| The ringed Caspian Gull courtesy of Geoff Wyatt |
 |
| Mediterranean Gull courtesy of Dave Lowe |
Passerines
Ring Ouzel are always very popular birds in the county, even though multiple annual records are expected, it’s one of those species folk tend to the make the effort for. So a pair of males on the 28th need Lark Hill proved no exception, with many folk making the pilgrimage to downs in search of some northern bound migrants. Both remained here until at least the following day, whilst belated news came of another bird on the Downs earlier in the month. The first Rock Pipit of the year were at Farmoor on the 9th, although unlike most other records these ones did not hang about much at all.
 |
| Ring Ouzel courtesy of Jed Cleeter |
 |
| courtesy of Luke O'Byrne |
 |
| Sand Martin courtesy of Gareth Cashburn |
Following not far behind was our joint 2nd earliest Wheatear, arriving at Grimsbury on the 8th, the same date as last year. So early was this individual that the next record was not recorded until a week later with a single at Ipsden on the 15th, whilst Port Meadow was the next site with a bird on the 18th. The Oxon Downs had a decent fall of birds at some point in the latter part of the month, with six at Devils Punchbowl at one end and at least seven on the Aston Upthorpe Downs. The first Willow Warbler of the year was heard singing at Farmoor on the 15th, another joint record, although this has arrival date has occurred several times in recent years. Further birds didn’t appear until nearly 2 weeks later with birds at a further four sites from the 26th onwards.
 |
| courtesy of Edwin Barson |
White Wagtail were
confined to Port Meadow, a classic site for this continental subspecies,
with the first bird back here on
16th and still present the following day. The first Swallow arrived
back within a few days of the median arrival date over the least decade, a
single individual at Days Lock on the 20th. Consecutive days
of singles at Radley GPs and Grimsbury followed, with at least
six sites reporting birds from the 24th. Farmoor had the
largest count, with small flock of five here on the 25th. The
seasons first Sedge Warbler was not far behind with a bird holding
territory on Otmoor from the 24th and was still here on the
29th.
The latter part of the month saw
further arrivals, our first House Martin joined a small contingent of
other Hirundines at Grimsbury Reservoir on the 27th. Small
numbers followed at Farmoor with a minimum of scene here on the 29th.
A stunning male Redstart at Aston Upthorpe was our final migrant
arrival of the month, present from at least the 29th it was one our
earliest arrivals for the species. It remained here until the end of the month
with a steady trickle of admirers throughout its stay.
For those interested in migrant
arrival dates the table below has some of the species that have already arrived
this year and comparisons with previous years. Also of interest was a recent
paper titled Changes in arrival dates and relative abundance of migratory
warblers at a long-term ringing site in the BTO Ringing and
Migration Journal. Some interesting results, particularly on such a granular
site level, and poses some interesting questions on the reasons for these
long-term local and national changes. A link to the Abstract can be found here
for those not subscribed - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03078698.2025.2587895
|
Species |
Median (since
2000) |
Earliest |
2025 |
|
Garganey |
16th March |
2nd
March |
11th March |
|
Oystercatcher |
15th February |
12th January |
12th January |
|
Sand Martin |
12th March |
23rd February |
3rd March |
|
Wheatear |
15th March |
19th February |
8th March |
|
White Wagtail |
24th March |
4th March |
16th March |
|
Willow Warbler |
23rd March |
7th March |
15th March |
|
Osprey |
31st March |
10th March |
10th March |
|
Swallow |
22nd March |
17th February |
20th March |
|
Sedge Warbler |
4th April |
23rd February |
24th March |
|
House Martin |
29th March |
8th March |
27th March |
|
Redstart |
6th April |
19th March |
29th March |
|
Greenshank |
6th April |
28th January |
3rd March |
|
Ring Ouzel |
31st March |
15th March |
28th March |
Raptors
March was an excellent month for Osprey records, with at least four individuals noted and one bird lingering for an extended stay. The first of these came in its usual form, a flyover record, from Kirtlington on the 10th. Indeed, this was our earliest record since 2000 and potentially ever, something that continues to observed in many of our sub-Saharan migratory species. The next bird flew over Otmoor on the 20th, followed by another at Farmoor on the 24th which was potentially seen later at Otmoor that same day. Farmoor had another record on the 25th, potentially the previous days individual, which proceeded to catch a sizeable trout and attempt to eat it on the main footpath of all places! Mobbing ensued with the bird departing the site not long after. Lye Valley then got in the action with a bird circling this urban site on the 26th. A cracking record for a small urban patch - shows whats possible with persistence and commitment to one small site. Finally Farmoor saw yet more action, with a bird seen multiple times on the 28th. Seemingly this bird found the area and the site to its liking, seen again multiple times at Farmoor until the end of the month. Additional sightings came from further sites in early April. Whether this was young bird territory prospecting or just a lingering bird remains to be seen, but with breeding birds as close as Northampton breeding birds may very well be in the county’s future! One thing for certain before that happens though, they are going to need a better nesting platform than the one currently on offer!
 |
| courtesy of Ewan Urquhart |
 |
| Little Owl South Oxon courtesy of Pete King |
After a quiet period for the species,
a couple of Hen Harrier records were very welcome. A ringtail at Otmoor
on the 9th and 14thwas a fairly typical location and
sighting, and it’s possible the bird has been here much of the winter (?).
Another ringtail, or even the same bird, was at Pit 60 on the 18th,
an excellent record for the site with it not subsequently seen or reported
later in the month. Merlin were also on two sites, first at Otmoor on
16th and then at Farmoor on 25th, the latter
record been particularly notable for that site!
 |
| Ring-tailed Hen Harrier courtesy of Debbie Cummins |
Patchwork
challenge
|
Patch |
Birder |
Points |
Species |
Highlight |
|
Grimsbury reservoir |
Gareth
Blockley |
87 |
83 |
|
|
Lye valley |
Tom Bedford |
74 |
70 |
Osprey & Sand Martin + Common Gull |
|
River Thames |
Geoff Wyatt |
127 |
100 |
Merlin, Marsh Harrier, Caspian
Gull, Shelduck, White-fronted Geese. |
|
Blewbury Chalkpit |
Conor
MacKenzie |
84 |
76 |
Hen Harrier |
|
Radley GP’s |
Ian Elkins |
87 |
83 |
Cattle Egret |
|
Port Meadow |
Thomas Miller |
125 |
100 |
Ring-billed
Gull - self-found |
 |
| Great crested Grebe Otmoor RSPB courtesy of Paul Torevell |
RSPB Otmoor Dawn Chorus Walks
Join us this May as the sun rises over Otmoor and immerse yourself in the full symphony of the dawn chorus. Our leisurely guided walk is perfect for the enthusiast wanting to learn more about native and migratory bird song and identification.
For more information and tickets see RSPB events:
Saturday 2 May: https://events.rspb.org.uk/events/159464
Saturday 9 May: https://events.rspb.org.uk/events/159467
