Monday 24 June 2024
Sunday 23 June 2024
Farmoor Reservoir: Farmoor I: 23rd June
Common Scoter 12:00.
Ian Stewart
Saturday 22 June 2024
Woodstock - Stratford Bridge 22nd June
Cattle egret - 3 feeding in the field to the north of the road this morning among the cattle.
North cross valley way, Ducklington.: 22nd June
3 Sandwich Tern: Flying in direction of witney lake. SP365082. 08:00.
John Pimm
Otmoor rspb 22nd June
Bicester Wetland Reserve 22nd June
1 Great Egret
9 Little Egret
3 Heron
4 Green Sandpiper
2 Kingfisher
2 Cetti's Warbler
1 Lesser Whitethroat singing well
A Peters
Key Holder Reserve
Friday 21 June 2024
Rushy Common: 21st June
2 Hobby: pair. Flying over. Slightly different sizes. Larger one observed talons to bill movements no prey visible. SP381073. 21:03.
John Pimm
Fordwells: 21st June
Lesser Whitethroat: Singing from hedge. 22:57.
Asthall Leigh
Hobby 22:57.
Mick Cunningham
Blenheim 21st June
Geese - 300-400. Plenty of juvs among the moult gathering. Majority greylags. 6 of the local feral white-fronts are also present.
Oystercatcher - 2. If they did attempt to nest on the island I don't think they've been successful.
Reed warbler - 1
Stanford in the Vale: QE2 Field: 19th June
Grey Partridge: Heard at the edge of the field. SU334937. 19:34.
JB Woodford
A329 near Moulsford: 21st June
Cuckoo: Male calling from just E of here, as per yesterday. SU5985. 03:50.
Mike Amphlett
Thursday 20 June 2024
Dorchester: Dyke Hills: 20th June
2 Grey Partridge: Calling. SU571936. 21:55.
Matthew Lloyd
Chipping Norton: 20th June
Quail: Calling again from flower meadow on Addlestrop Hill nr Chastleton on Oxon/Glocs border - heard calling again at 18.00. 17:00.
Green Woodpecker: juv. 17:00.
11 Skylark 17:00.
2 Whitethroat 17:00.
Steve Akers
Otmoor rspb 19th June
A329 near Moulsford: 20th June
Cuckoo: Yes, 03:58! Male calling just E of here, somewhere along the river, prob between 4-Arches Bridge and the Marsh NR. SU5985. 03:58.
Mike Amphlett
Otmoor rspb 20th June
 |
| Courtesy of Paul Torevell. |
Wednesday 19 June 2024
Otmoor rspb 19th June
Glossy Ibis came in to roost in front of the 1st screen 21:15 (per Steve Sansom).
Standlake Pit 60: 19th June
Marsh Harrier: male 2cy? 20:41.
2 Hobby: 2cy and ad. 20:41.
Mick Cunningham
Farmoor Reservoir 19th June
 |
| Courtesy of Brian Walker. |
Tuesday 18 June 2024
Chipping Norton: 18th June
Quail: Heard calling from flower meadow on Addlestrop Hill near Chastleton for 10-15 mins only. SP255280. 15:20.
9 Skylark: SP255280. 15:20.
2 Whitethroat: SP255280. 15:20.
Green Woodpecker: SP255280. 15:20.
Steve Akers
Standlake Pit 60: 18th June
40 Lapwing: Flock of exactly 40 on LL island. Only 9 of which were juvs. Young don't survive early crop cuts. 12:13.
2 Hobby: one 2cy, hardly any hint of moult. one adult. 12:13.
Marsh Harrier: cream crown. First for a while. Age ... 2cy? Brilliant white crown and throat. No pale on chest of forewing. Tall dull brown seems to rule out adult. Moult gap at junction of prim and secs (p1?). 12:13.
5 Great White Egret 12:13.
2 Teal: m n f. 12:13.
Cuckoo: m. 12:13.
Mick Cunningham
Otmoor rspb 18th June
Chimney: Chimney Meadows: 18th June
Cattle Egret: One flew north from the Chimney hide. SP356004. 11:43.
Phil Chapman
Bicester Wetland Reserve 18th June
3 Green Sandpiper
2 female Gadwall each with 6 ducklings
2 Little Egret
2 Heron
A Peters
Key Holder Reserve
Widford: 17th June
9 Lapwing: 4 adults ... a half grown fluffy chick,. 2 full grown jiuvs and a 'new' juv fledged within the last couple of weeks (white bar base of secondaries). 07:34.
Mick Cunningham
Monday 17 June 2024
Waterstock: River Thame: 16th June
2 Mandarin Duck: Pair. 08:00.
2 Oystercatcher 08:00.
Shoveler 08:00.
14 Sedge Warbler 08:00.
9 Linnet 08:00.
Garden Warbler 08:00.
11 Blackcap 08:00.
8 Chiffchaff 08:00.
8 Whitethroat 08:00.
17 Swallow 08:00.
2 Grey Wagtail 08:00.
2 Common Tern 08:00.
13 Yellow Wagtail 08:00.
Grey Partridge 08:00.
Reed Warbler 08:00.
Barn Owl 08:00.
Spotted Flycatcher 08:00.
Hobby 08:00.
21 Swift 08:00.
11 House Martin 08:00.
Goosander: and 5 chicks. 08:00.
15 Lapwing 08:00.
Nick Marriner
Otmoor rspb 17th June
Sunday 16 June 2024
Port Meadow: 16th June
3 Oystercatcher: maybe 2 ad 1 juvenile. one bird had lighter coloured legs. 06:12.
Matthew Southwell
Widford: 16th June
Corn Bunting: Was surprised to see this drop in, then quickly head west. I've had them in game cover crop just beyond Swinbrook before but ... 14:14.
Sedge Warbler: Still in song. 14:14.
Mick Cunningham
Blenheim 16th June
Shoveler - 2
Little egret - c20 on island, mostly juv birds
Common tern - 1
Swift - c100 feeding over Queen Pool
Reed warbler - 1
Port Meadow: 16th June
Little Ringed Plover: juv.
Thomas Miller
Firday 14th June
2 Little Ringed Plover
3 Oystercatcher
4 Shelduck
5 Egyptian Goose
Black Swan.
Steve Lavington, Matthew Lloyd
Saturday 15 June 2024
Bicester Wetlands Reserve 15th June
Marsh Harrier (per Kyle Smith).
Key holder reserve.
 |
| Courtesy of Kyle Smith. |
Friday 14 June 2024
Widford: 14th June
Greenshank: The flood has almost entirely gone. Greenshank came in, landed briefly, took off circled calling several times but left. I'll need to check a map for direction. Northbound bird held up by continuous N is winds? 16:39.
6 Lapwing: At least one pair has 2 full crown. Another pair, with a male chasing crows, might have hidden young. Flood is almost totally dry. 16:39.
2 Yellow Wagtail: Flushed info air by anxious lapwing. 16:39.
Mick Cunningham
Kidlington: Oxford Canal: 14th June
Hobby: Briefly over Thrupp Community Forest then flew West over canal. 13:05.
Glen Pascoe
Horton-cum-Studley: 7th June
2 Cuckoo: 1 calling and second probable female acting furtively in low bushes. 14:39.
Richard Seekins
Thursday 13 June 2024
Wednesday 12 June 2024
Blenheim: Northern park: 12th June
2 Stonechat: Male plus at least 1 fledgling in same place previously seen. 17:45.
3 Corn Bunting: 3 birds seen (up from 2 seen previously). 17:45.
David Watkinson
Rushy Common: 12th June
Marsh Harrier: fem. Hunting over reed bed under transmission line. SP381073. 15:30.
2 Hobby: Flying high above lake talons to bill movement noticed several times no prey visible. SP381073. 15:30.
Great White Egret: SP381073. 15:30.
Cuckoo: Calling. SP381073. 15:30.
John Pimm
Port Meadow 12th June
Video courtesy of Adam Hartley
Bicester Wetland Reserve 12th June
1 Tufted Duck with 8 ducklings now at least 13 days old
2 Teal (pair)
1 Shelduck
A Peters
Key Holder Reserve
Tuesday 11 June 2024
Chinnor: Cement Works: 11th June
Little Ringed Plover: Lake 2b. 11:00.
Hobby: Catching insects over lake 2b. 11:00.
David Stracey
Monday 10 June 2024
Otmoor: 10th June
Glossy Ibis: Flew up out of Flood and straight into the roost at 21.10.
3 Great White Egret: One often arrives on its own with the other two coming in as a pair.
40 Little Egret: Not an exact count but c40 arrived over a ninety minute period. Birds came in from all directions with a bias from the south.
5 Hobby
3 Marsh Harrier
Steve Roby
 |
| Glossy Ibis courtesy of Steve Sansom. |
Sunday 9 June 2024
Rushy Common: 9th June
Marsh Harrier: fem. Flew east mobbed by black headed gull. SP381072. 15:01.
Cuckoo: Calling and seen going into Tar lakes. SP381072. 15:01.
John Pimm
Otmoor rspb 9th June
Blenheim: Queen Pool: 9th June
100 Swift: At least 100 swifts over the lake this morning. Brilliant to see.
Bob Pomfret
Witney Lake: 9th June
Cattle Egret: ad. In breeding plumage. Dropped into the fields to the West of the lake briefly then headed South. 08:20.
Glen Pascoe
 |
| Courtesy of Connor Pimm. |
Blenheim: Queen Elizabeth Island: 9th June
6 Cattle Egret: It is difficult to be accurate but I think there are at least two nests.
16 Little Egret: Blenheim: Queen Elizabeth Island. I think there are around 4 broods of young active around the island at the moment.
13 Grey Heron: Still two occupied nests, each with two young.
Blenheim: Blenheim Lake
3 Common Tern
6 Shoveler
11 Gadwall
17 Tufted Duck
2 Egyptian Goose
50 Sand Martin: At least 50 around the colony on Grand Bridge.
2 Reed Warbler
Bob Pomfret
Saturday 8 June 2024
Ducklington: 8th June
Lesser Whitethroat: Male singing in hedge at junction of A415 and Curbridge turn off. 23:46.
Standlake
Reed Warbler: Singing loudly from apple trees in my village garden. Doubt the pond brought it in. The filthy river Windrush borders the garden though. Second acro for the garden having had a sedge Warbler there in lock down. 23:46.
Mick Cunningham
Letcombe Bassett: 8th June
Yellow Wagtail: Flew over Cricket Ground. 15:30.
Jed Cleeter
Chimney: Chimney Meadows: 8th June
Cattle Egret: ? Feeding around a herd of cattle visible from the bird hide. SP368012. 13:00.
Sam Prior
Enslow: Enslow Marsh: 7th June
Enslow: Enslow Marsh
Cuckoo 18:45.
Tackley
Cuckoo: Near Oxford Canal. 19:00.
David Watkinson
Friday 7 June 2024
Otmoor rspb 7th June
 |
| Above & below courtesy of Malcolm Bowey. |
Charlton-on-Otmoor: 7th June
White Stork: Drifting over village and heading off in North West direction. 11:45.
Barry Batchelor
Bicester Wetland Reserve 7th June
1 Green Sandpiper : first returning bird, failed breeder?
2 Shelduck
A Peters
Key Holder Reserve
Otmoor rspb 7th June
Thursday 6 June 2024
Goring 6th June
 |
| Above & below courtesy of John McGowan. |
Wednesday 5 June 2024
Otmoor rspb 5th June
 |
| Courtesy of Paul Wyeth. |
Weston-on-the-Green: Stonehouse Farm: 5th June
Yellow Wagtail: male. Male perched on one of main barns. 07:30.
David Watkinson
Tuesday 4 June 2024
Otmoor rspb 4th June
Port Meadow: 4th June
Port Meadow
Caspian Gull: 2cy.
Ringed Plover
Curlew over
4 Shelduck
25 Barnacle Goose
Thomas Miller, James King, Adam Hartley
Monday 3 June 2024
Otmoor rspb 3rd June
Didcot Lydalls Road: 3rd June
Oystercatcher: Flew over calling. SU523903. 09:30.
William Lester
May review
Highlights
Oh the joys of May. A month where it feels like anything can happen and the potential for a patch mega or even a county level rarity reaches its peak levels of anticipation. A reminder of what can occasionally happen came just across the border in Buckinghamshire when a scarcely believable record of an Alpine Accentor at Pitstone Quarry came on the 5th May. Being a mere 13 miles away was sufficient to see plenty of Oxon birders make the short journey across to Bucks, a record that continues to prove the old adage that anything can turn up anywhere! Although not quite on the same level, the county did record its very own local mega when a Grey-headed Wagtail was picked up on Port Meadow on the 3rd May. A female bird, a proper birders bird at that, came almost to the day of the last record back on the 1st May 2019 on the same site, even more remarkable was that both these most recent records were found by the same birder. Being the fourth record for the county, the same birder is now responsible for 50% of the county's records for this species – some feat! Unfortunately, like the previous record, this bird was only present into the evening before departing that night. The county has been lucky enough to host four subspecies of Yellow Wagtail with two turning up on near regular basis, below is a summary of the records for Oxon.
Some distant video footage of the Port Meadow bird this month courtesy of Steve Lavington
Channel Wagtail
The hybrid offspring of the nominate Flava and our
very own native Flavissima - a result of an intergrade breeding zone in
Northern France. It is the most common of the Yellow Wagtail forms to
occur in the county, aside from Flavissima that is, and had been
recorded on a near annual basis up until 2021, but it has now been several
years since then with no records. The spring of 2021 appeared to be a
particularly good year for records where four birds were recorded across four
different sites.
 |
| Courtesy of Ewan Urquhart. |
Blue-headed Wagtail
The nominate
subspecies Flava is also a semi-regular occurring subspecies within the
county with records following a similar pattern that of the Channel Wagtail,
occurring on an a near annual basis up until 2021. Although records are
occasionally mixed up between the hybrid Channel’s and nominate Blue-headed
both did occur in the county in 2021 in what was a good year for both
forms. 2024 saw a single record of 3 females on Port Meadow at the back
end of May, after an absence of three years.
 |
| Above & below courtesy of Thomas Miller. |
 |
| Courtesy of Thomas Miller. |
Grey-headed Wagtail
The Scandinavian subspecies breeding from northern Scandinavia through to north-western Siberia occurs in the UK on annual basis in small numbers. Typically these records come much later in the year than those of Flava forms with the birds migrating much further north. The county has been lucky to play host to four birds, two of which have come in the last 5 years. The 1st and 2nd record were of a pair of birds on the Oxon Downs in 1992, but details are scant regarding length of stay and/or sex of the birds. However, nearly 30 years later, a stunning male graced Port Meadow on the evening of the 1st May 2019.
Unfortunately a one day wonder, although thankfully found early enough for others to connect – a very similar pattern followed by the next record in 2024. This bird’s identification proved a little trickier than the male of 2019, for obvious reasons. Although likely a female thunbergi, particularly based on timings and the UK wide influx of the subspecies – three males arrived on the east coast also on the 3rd May, the influence of flava, iberiae or cinerocapilla cannot be ruled out in this bird.
 |
| Above courtesy of Jason Coppock - 2019 |
Black-headed Wagtail
The rarest of the four subspecies or forms to have occurred
in the county and the big prize for most birders when it comes to finding rarer
Yellow Wagtails. The UK had only had fewer than 20 records of feldegg
up until 2010 before a big uptick in records in the last decade and a half. One
of those records pre-2010 was from our very own county where a stonking male
was observed holding territory in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell in June 1988.
Apparently very aggressive and instigating mid-flight duels with local flavissima,
this bird was never observed to be properly paired up despite its best
efforts. This record was made even more interesting when in the same exact
field that year, a male flava paired with up with a female flavissima
fledging three young!
 |
| Ian Lewingtons fantastic feldegg sketch |
Thomas Miller, the finder of both of the county’s latest Grey-headed
Wagtail records, has helpfully provided some additional ID info on
distinguishing female flava and thunbergi been somewhat of Yellow
Wagtail subspecies enthusiast and all round ID expert.
Female flava
1. Blue-grey head contrasting with mantle.
2. Darker lores than flavissima.
3. White throat, supericilium and ear-covert spot - typically
yellow in flavissima.
4. Buzzy call.
Female thunbergi
1. Very dark grey head and lores, some overlap with flava.
2. Reduced supercilium - thinner than flava, not flaring behind
the eye.
3. Reduced ear covert spot.
4. Often has whitish throat/supercilium, but some individuals
more yellow.
5. Often has dark marks/streaking in a "necklace"
shape extending onto chest below throat - also present in male thunbergi.
6. Has buzzy call like flava - may be separable from flava
using sonogram
As in previous years we will be taking a small break over the
summer lull but will be back at the end of July to round up any notable
sightings that may have happened over the summer. The county year list now has
ticked up to 177, despite me saying it was 183 in the last review which
included subspecies, ferals and probable records. With those included it now
stands at 193 with a small flurry of cracking subspecies recorded this month
and a couple unconfirmed probable’s.
Waders
An expectedly busy month for wader records, with plenty of interesting species moving through the county. The main highlight came in the early part of the month when a pair of Avocet turned up at Peep-o-Day Lane on the 6th. Quite a late record with most birds already on nests around the country, there was some brief hope that these birds would set up shop in the county when the birds remained for a couple of days after. Unfortunately, the birds departed by the 10th, despite behaving territorially in the time they were here.
 |
| courtesy of Steve Sansom |
Sanderling had a good showing this month, with records from the 4th all they way through to the 26th. A classic bird of late spring, with birds heading as far north as Greenland, the first bird arrived on the 4th. This was followed by two on the 11th which seemingly remained until the 17th. A nice flock of five were present on the 22nd in inclement weather, with between two and four still present until the 26th.
 |
| courtesy of Debbie Cummins |
Turnstone were present on Farmoor in the latter part of the
month, arriving initially inclement weather along with the Greenland bound
Sanderling and arctica Dunlin. A pair of birds was present
on the 22nd until the 25th. A probable 2nd
pair of birds was then present on Farmoor on the 30th. Whimbrel
records only came from the early part of the month with two sites recording
birds on the 4th of the month – three birds on the Farmoor and
a single bird on Pit 60, whilst Greenshank were also present at
two sites at Farmoor on the 4th and Waterstock on the
11th. Dunlin records calmed somewhat in May, although
four sites still hosted birds. Farmoor, Port Meadow, Ardley and Venn
Mill with only singles at the latter two. Farmoor saw the most birds
where up to 13 were present on the 27th, but most interestingly were
two to three strong candidates for the arctica subspecies. With only a
handful of good candidates in the last two decades - birds are typically paler,
smaller and shorter billed birds classically arriving in late May and
are potentially on route Greenland. A thorough blog post on arctica in
North Spain can be found here - https://subalpinebirding.com/blog/greenland-dunlin-ssp-arctica-a-first-approach-to-its-identification
 |
| Above and below, the candidate arctica courtesy of Ian Lewington |
 |
| ...the top left bird |
A Grey Plover was reported but unconfirmed from Otmoor on the 12th, whilst a beauty of a Wood Sandpiper came from Widford on the 19th although unfortunately it didn’t linger long enough for others to connect beyond the single day.
courtesy of Mick Cunningham
Black-tailed Godwit records were limited to the early part of the month and to only single birds at two sites – Port Meadow on the 4th and Days Lock on the 8th. Ringed Plover records also tailed off with only three sites seeing birds recorded, with all hosting multiple birds. Port Meadow recorded five on the 9th with a single there on the 25th. Balscote Quarry played host to three birds on the 14th, whilst Farmoor had two on the 7th. Common Sandpiper continued to move through the county in small numbers, presumably a mix of non-breeders and birds moving further north, with five sites recording birds. Henley Road, Grimsbury, Farmoor and Oxford all recorded birds in the early part of the month whilst Farmoor, Grimsbury and Port Meadow recorded multiple birds together in the latter stages of May.
Wildfowl & Game etc
The year’s first Quail was right on que with the arrival
of a duo of singing birds at Chipping Norton on the 12th. This
was swiftly followed by a single singing bird at Toot Baldon on the 16th,
which was still singing on 19th. Presumably June will bring
with it more singing birds along the various cereal fields of the Downs,
certainly worth an early rise if you get a chance to.
Garganey were at five locations this month with some encouraging signs, due to lateness of the records and length of stay, that some local breeding may occur again. Records all came from the north and west of the county with all records been single drakes or pairs. A rather late record of White-fronted Goose came from Otmoor on the 15th with two birds here, although these may relate to the feral birds that frequent the county all year round as opposed to the Russian birds that spent much of the winter on site.
 |
| The Port Meadow Garganey courtesy of Steve Sansom |
Some great news of breeding Shelduck came from two sites this year. A rare breeding bird in the county, its fantastic that two pairs have bred at Days Lock and Venn Mill. At the former the pair were first observed on the March 16th with the male behaving very territorially from the off before the female disappeared a month later. By May 20th the pair had returned to the new scrape on the Earth Trust land with 10 fresh ducklings having seemingly swam down river from their nesting location. A further three sites hosted birds this month, with Port Meadow recording 11 birds on the 28th, with the prevalence of so many birds well into the breeding season it seems maybe more breeding records may be on the cards.
 |
| Shelduck family courtesy of Geoff Wyatt. |
Herons, egrets etc
In what might have been a contender for the highlght of the month, if not for a certain Grey-headed Wagtail at the same site earlier in the month, a juvenile Spoonbill was present on Port Meadow on the 22nd. This record was made even more interesting by the fact that it was colour ringed from a ringing scheme in Denmark! Ringed as a chick in Hoje Sande, Ringkobing Fjord in June 2023 the bird spent the winter on the Hayle Estuary, Cornwall with a small jaunt to Yorkshire in between. A brilliant record and amazing to be able to trace this birds movements since leaving its native Denmark. The bird was gone by the following day and has hopefully made its way north back to its homeland.
 |
| courtesy of Thomas Miller |
Another decent bird to grace the county this month was a Glossy Ibis which turned up at Otmoor on the 4th. The bird remained here until the 6th before then also visiting Port Meadow on the same day, a site which has had a particularly good late Spring. The bird then went missing and was assumed to have departed the county. A 2nd bird was seen then on the 17th again at Otmoor and was present on and off again between then and the 27th, with a brief sighting at Port Meadow on the 24th and at Clifton Hampden on the 25th.
 |
| Glossy Ibis Otmoor rspb courtesy of Kyle Smith. |
 |
| The Port Meadow bird courtesy of Thomas Miller |
More White Stork records were observed this month where a presumed Knepp Estate ringed bird was observed flying over several locations in the county on the 11th. An apparently un-ringed bird was also then present at Waterstock the following day with several birds frequenting this area over the last couple of months.
 |
| Courtesy of Wayne Paes |
Cattle Egret continued their typical pattern of this time of year with all records coming from northern and western parts of the county, anywhere within commuting distance of their breeding colony at Blenheim. The highest count, aside from there, came from Shipton-on-Cherwell where six birds were present on the 24th, whilst a further seven sites recorded between one and two birds throughout the month. Great Egret records dissipated a bit more this month, although up to six birds seemed to be present in the county at any one time. A maximum of four were at Pit 60 on the 4th whilst a pair were frequented Otmoor through the month. At least two birds were seen in summer plumage, could this be the year?
 |
| Otmoor Cattle Egret courtesy of Steve Cumnock |
Gulls and Terns
May was all about quality over quantity for Gull and Tern records. Otmoor got its, and the county’s, 2nd Little Tern of the year only two weeks after the first one at the end of last month. Both these records come after an absence the previous year, but unfortunately both were brief records unlike the 2022 bird which stuck around for several day across Port Meadow and Farmoor. The county also saw its first Black Tern of the year with a small flock of eight birds on Farmoor on the 11th, it’s always a wonderful spectacle to see this species darting and bouncing around the reservoir whilst on active migration!
 |
| courtesy of Ewan Urquhart |
The early part of the month also saw more
records Sandwich and Arctic Tern. Rushy Fen had a single Sandwich
Tern on the 1st of the month, followed up by a cracking record
of multiple birds on the 7th where four graced the same site. The 3rd
saw yet more Arctic Tern moving through the county across multiple sites.
Grimsbury Reservoir saw 2+ birds come and go fairly quickly, as records tend
to at this site, whilst Dorchester Sailing Club had at least three birds
pass through. Farmoor initially hosted a few birds on the morning of the
3rd which slowly increased to 20+ as the day went on in what
appeared to be one last big movement of birds across the country. No birds remained
at any sites the following day.
Lingering winter gulls remained in the county all the way through to the end of the month, in what has become a later and later pattern in recent years. A 1st summer Caspian Gull was initially at Shepherds Pit north of Oxford on the 14th, which then appeared at Port Meadow on the 25th. Whilst an adult Yellow-legged Gull was at Sonning Eye GPs on the 7th.
Passerines
A quiet month for rarer and migrant passerines with the big
push of birds occurring in the previous month. The main highlight for the month
was a stonking male Black Redstart on residential street in Bicester on
the 2nd. Unfortunately like the previous records this year it was untwitchable
and not located the despite searching. A lone Whinchat record came from Otmoor
on the 9th whilst several Wheatear likely bound for Greenland
were at Farmoor on the 7th and Yarnton on the 14th ,
with the Farmoor bird been a particularly good candidate.
In rarer Motacilla news Farmoor hosted a single
White Wagtail record on the 3rd, whilst three female Blue-headed
Wagtail were present on Port Meadow on the 3rd following off
the back of the subtle female thunbergi type Yellow Wagtail also
present here on the 3rd.
 |
| Cuckoo Otmoor rspb courtesy of Kyle Smith. |
Raptors
A wholly unconfirmed report of a Black Kite over Otmoor came on the 15th of the month, unfortunately the reporter was not pinned down for any additional details so this one will remain a mystery. The same applies for an unconfirmed report of a Honey Buzzard over Weston-on-the-Green on the 23rd. Short-eared Owl, however, continue to linger in the county at several sites with a strong hope that some birds may eventually breed in the county.
 |
| Peregrine St Marys Witney Courtesy of Andrew Hall |
Hobby were present in good numbers at Otmoor through the month with a brilliant high count 17 here on the 4th. Marsh Harrier were noted at a few locations from the usual site of Otmoor with five sites recording birds. Appleford GPs and Bicester Wetlands were particularly unusual given the time of year with a pair seen in the west of the county over Witney, Ducklington and Rushy Common were perhaps more usual locations given the proximity to Pit 60 and Chimney Meadows.
Patchwork challenge
|
Patch |
Birder |
Points
|
Species |
Highlight |
|
Aston eyot |
Ben Sheldon |
71 |
70 |
Reed Warbler – patch tick |
|
Ardley ERF |
Gareth Casburn |
84 |
79 |
Dunlin and Red-crested Pochard |
|
Dix pit |
Simon Bradfield |
77 |
71 |
|
|
Grimsbury reservoir |
Gareth Blockley |
70 |
73 |
|
|
Lye valley |
Tom Bedford |
58 |
57 |
|
|
River Thames |
Geoff Wyatt |
155 |
130 |
|
|
Sutton Courtenay |
Conor MacKenzie |
123 |
111 |
Avocet and Marsh Harrier only the 2nd
of either species I’ve had on the patch |
|
Radley GP’s |
Ian Elkins |
112 |
101 |
|
|
Freeland |
Glen Pascoe |
76 |
65 |
|
|
South Hinksey |
Alex Figueiredo |
61 |
59 |
Cuckoo |
|
Cholsey |
Alan Dawson |
106 |
100 |
Firecrest |
 |
| Hobby hunting on Otmoor composite Courtesy of Joe Downing. |
Treecreepers.
Terry Godfrey filmed a pair of nesting Treecreepers (from a safe distance) in his Cassington garden.
Below is a beautiful compilation of their progress.