Blenheim 20th February

Goosander - 4 (2 pairs) engaged in courtship behaviour.

Great white egret - 2. One bird coming into breeding plumage.

Oystercatcher - 1

Caspian gull - 2nd winter bird again yesterday morning.

Cutteslowe: 20th February

For the past week my garden has been visited by up to 30 Redpolls which has been very instructive. The birds have shown significant variation in overall colour, whitish rumps, tramlines, red/pink breasts, flank streaks etc, two birds have had rings, two birds have shown no poll at all, and two birds have shown a 'yellow poll'. The ringing info for the photo above - 'BPJ0679'  a first year bird ringed at Thorpe Marsh, South Yorkshire on 27.9.25. The largest 'grey' Redpoll with white wing bars may have passed the ID test for a Mealy in the old days.

Henley Road GPs: 20th February

Henley Road GPs
4 Pintail: 2m+2f. 13:05.
4 Little Egret 13:05.

Marek Walford

Rushy Common; 20th February 2026

Long-tailed Duck (male) - at north end of pit from screen

Great Egret 3

Pintail 10+

Old Caley's Diary

Rushy Common 20th February

Long-tailed Duck male 10:29 viewable from hide and periodically from the car park (N.T)

Great white Egret 

Key Holder Reserve 

OX29 6UN

Wellingtons advised 

Farmoor Reservoir 20th February

Russian White-fronted Goose 10 still just south of Witley Farm 09:34 (P.B)

Pudlicote Wetland, Chilson: 19th February

Pudlicote Wetland, Chilson
2 Crane: Flew in from W and settled in field beside the Evenlode and fed before flying out in direction of Otmoor. SP315210. 12:21.
40 Snipe: Large flock put up by dog. SP315210. 12:21.
Grey Heron: SP315210. 12:21.
8 Teal: SP315210. 12:21.
7 Mallard: SP315210. 12:21.
Mute Swan: SP315210. 12:21.
25 Canada Goose: SP315210. 12:21.
105 Lesser Black-backed Gull: SP315210. 12:21.
3 Moorhen: SP315210. 12:21.
100 Fieldfare: SP315210. 12:21.
Green Woodpecker: SP314210. 12:21.
Kestrel: SP314210. 12:21.

Steve Akers

Otmoor rspb 19th February

Glossy Ibis 2 

Bittern booming

Marsh Harrier 

(per Jamie Mayall)

Courtesy of Jamie Mayall 

Courtesy of Jamie Mayall 

Farmoor Reservoir 19th February

Russian White-fronted Goose c8 south of Whitley Farm viewable distantly from the south bank of F2.

Great white Egret 

Common Scoter imm male F1

Scaup f F1

(per Dave Lowe)

Rushy Common 19th February

Long-tailed Duck male 13:00 viewable from hide and periodically from the car park (D.L J.T)

Great white Egret 

Key Holder Reserve 

OX29 6UN

Wellingtons advised 

Henley Road GPs: 19th February

Henley Road GPs
2 Pintail: m+f. 12:30.
2 Oystercatcher 12:30.

Marek Walford

Otmoor rspb 17th February

Glossy Ibis 2 (D.H)

Rushy Common 18th February

Long-tailed Duck male still present 15:30 (per Birdguides)

Key Holder Reserve 

Port Meadow: 18th February

Port Meadow
Little Gull: 1w. Again this evening.
Shelduck
Pintail: m.
Caspian Gull: 2w.

Thomas Miller, Adam Hartley

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland: 18th February

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland
2 Jack Snipe 11:28.
2 Snipe 11:28.
2 Grey Heron 11:28.
60 Mallard 11:28.
2 Mute Swan 11:28.
Moorhen 11:28.
Stonechat: male. 11:28.
Grey Heron 11:28.
4 Meadow Pipit 11:28.
Yellowhammer: With Chaffinch flock. 11:28. 
46 Chaffinch 11:28.
35 Fieldfare 11:28.
6 Redwing 11:28.
200 Jackdaw: Estimate. Probably more. 11:28.
100 Rook 11:28.
2 Raven: pair. Over. 11:28.
Sparrowhawk: Hunting along hedge line causing panic with Chaffinch flock. 11:28.
Kestrel 11:28.
5 Red Kite 11:28.
2 Buzzard 11:28.


Steve Akers

Chinnor: Cement Works: 17th February

Chinnor: Cement Works
2 Oystercatcher: Pair Lake 2b. 11:00.

David Stracey

Rushy Common: 17th February

Rushy Common
Long-tailed Duck: Still present at 1630 in front of the low island looking right from the screen. 16:30.

Anthony Roberts

Rushy Common 17th February

Long-tailed Duck male 13:50 viewable from hide (C.C,S.V)

Key Holder Reserve 

OX29 6UN

Wellingtons advised 

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland: 17th February

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland
6 Stonechat 09:53.
Grey Wagtail 09:53.
Pied Wagtail 09:53.
3 Grey Heron 09:53.
2 Reed Bunting 09:53.
2 Meadow Pipit 09:53.
Goldcrest 09:53.
3 Mute Swan 09:53.
59 Mallard 09:53.
Little Grebe 09:53.

Steve Akers

Henley Road GPs: 17th February

6 Pintail: 4m+2f. North Lake, asleep on the island. 13:26.

(per Marek Walford, Mick Hannington)

Oxford 17th February

Black Redstart male still present 10:23 on and around Christ Church college (per Phil Barnett)

Chimney: Chimney Meadows: 16th February

Chimney: Chimney Meadows
32 White-fronted Goose: Seen flying over the nature reserve near the Thames. 11:30.

Simon Cousins

Tar Lakes Lower Windrush Valley 16th February

Long tailed Duck male 

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

(per Ewan Urquhart)

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.
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 below).

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. 

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)

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)