November Review

Great Northern Diver at Farmoor Reservoir, courtesy of Steve Burch

November in Oxfordshire produced something of a conveyor belt of good and generally accessible county sightings across various groups. Renewed national emergency measures to counter Covid-19 did not restrict access to the countryside, so long as people avoided congregating in numbers, hence county birders were able to record all that follows responsibly.

Video courtesy of Badger

Great Northern Diver (1w), courtesy of Roger Wyatt
click on any image to enlarge

Our bird of the month was the first winter Great Northern Diver that arrived at Farmoor Reservoir on 3rd, the first record there since early 2016. Despite an accident with an errant fishing line a week later this intrepid item remained in good health at it's adopted home throughout the review period, a long stayer indeed. The young bird was much photographed and brought pleasure to the open site's many visitors for a portion of whom it was a first time sighting.

Video courtesy of Gnome

Glossy Ibis over Otmoor, courtesy of Jeremy Dexter

Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egret were rather more fleeting Oxon records of note in November's early days. The former was logged again over Otmoor on 3rd before landing in Port Meadow at dusk, but was not relocated in either location the following morning. Another Cattle Egret sighting and sixth for Oxon this year came from Balscote Quarry near Banbury on the morning of 1st, but that bird soon moved on. Great White Egrets remained at mostly regular sites, with more appearances from new places in the Thame Valley from 22nd.

Cattle Egret at Balscote Quarry, courtesy of Kyle Smith

Great White Egret near Cuddesdon, courtesy of Andy Coates

Amongst wildfowl the tally of Scaup soon matched that from 12 months ago as last month's female at Farmoor was joined by an immature drake and a first winter female at Dix Pit which thereafter switched to the reservoir too. This trio was possibly even more popular with our own and visiting snappers than the Diver, with many pictures contributed to this log. Another returnee to Farmoor was the drake Aythya hybrid of the last three winters, which was also recorded at intervals through the review period.

Imm drake ↑ and two female ↓ Scaup at Farmoor Reservoir

Farmoor Aythya hybrid, all the above courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

Elsewhere winter Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler flocks built impressively at wetland and flooded sites. Other regular seasonal items worthy of mention included Pintail, Red crested Pochard, Goldeneye, Goosander and Shelduck. This winter's second Whooper Swan was found just outside Thame near the Bucks border on 10th but did not linger, then seven more dropped in briefly at Otmoor on the month's last day. Lone Brent Geese visited Farmoor Reservoir on the mornings of 11th and 23rd, and 19 White-fronted Geese flew over on 30th.

Whooper Swan near Thame, courtesy of Luke Marriner

Brent Goose at Farmoor, courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

There was plenty to keep county gullers occupied this month. Top billing in the group went to a first winter Iceland Gull seen around the Appleford and Didcot area a number of times. A further talking point in that locality was a possible Ring-billed x LBB hybrid on 24th, giving our experts due scope for analysis. 

Video courtesy of Badger

Caspian Gull (1w) at the Borrow Pit, Banbury courtesy of John Friendship-Taylor

Caspian Gull sightings issued regularly from the Appleford and Cassington GPs, Didcot landfill, Port Meadow and Farmoor Reservoir; as well as sites around Banbury from 22nd and Chinnor Cement Works (24th). Mediterranean Gulls too were picked out on occasion in the roosts at Port Meadow, Appleford, Farmoor and Grimsbury Reservoirs; and two Little Gull at Farmoor on 8th.

Lone Grey amid Golden Plover on Otmoor, courtesy of Thomas Miller

Woodcock, courtesy of Roger Wyatt

The month's stand-out wader sighting was a Grey Plover on Otmoor over the weekend of 14 - 16th. Golden Plover and Lapwing numbers built alongside winter wildfowl in prevailing wet conditions, with impressive concentrations at the RSPB reserve and other locations. In this group Black-tailed Godwit also made a strong showing and Green Sandpiper continued to be noted around the county. As in October Common Snipe amassed high counts, with 150+ at each of Bicester Wetland Reserve on 17th and Waterstock two days previously. This is also the time of year when Woodcock can tend to be flushed more readily, or in some cases not!

Crossbill at Buckland ↑ courtesy of Mark Merritt
and in the Chilterns ↓ courtesy of Roger Wyatt

It was a good month for winter passerines and especially Common Crossbill that were recorded in eight separate places around the county. The most visited of those was near the village of Buckland in south-east Oxon. Other seasonal finches - Redpoll, Siskin and Brambling - also produced multiple records.

Otmoor Redpoll, courtesy of Terry Sherlock

Halloween Brambling, courtesy of Nick Truby

Siberian Chiffchaff on Otmoor, courtesy of Jeremy Dexter

Finally and more unusually in this group a Siberian Chiffchaff was identified from the first screen at Otmoor on 10th, an extra scarce site and county record in what was by any measure an outstanding month for birds in Oxfordshire. Now just one further review period remains for the quite remarkable year of 2020.

Peter Law