Tar Lakes, Rushy Common: 21st May

Tar Lakes, Rushy Common
4 Hobby: Hawking Insects. 15:30.
6 Shelduck 15:30.
2 Oystercatcher 15:30.

Jed Cleeter

Standlake 21st May

No sign of the female Red-footed Falcon by 13:00 from the Thames path west of Newbridge.

Hobby 2

 (per Gnome et al).

Otmoor rspb 21st May

Glossy Ibis on Flood field 08:49 (per RBA)

Take bridleway east of Oddington, cross river and go through kissing gate to view third field on the right.

Standlake 20 May

Red-footed Falcon still present 13:30 - 15:00 at least but very high and difficult to reliably distinguish from Hobbies without close inspection of photos later. 

Distant Red-footed Falcon © Stephen Burch

Standlake 20th May

Red-footed Falcon - 2nd year bird again in the same area as yesterday but mostly high in the sky with up to 6 hobbies. Only on a couple of occasions did it come lower and didn't perch up anywhere in the few hours I was there.

Common sandpiper - 1

Cattle egret - 4

 

Standlake 20th May

RED-FOOTED FALCON f 12:26 viewable from the Thames path west of Newbridge and over Pit 60

Hobby (per James Hammond et al).

Pit 60 is a key holder reserve.

https://goo.gl/maps/meokLX5xz6g89xvJ6

Otmoor rspb 20th May

Glossy Ibis at the first screen until 05:43 (per Dan & Trisha Miller).

A329 near Moulsford: 20th May

A329 near Moulsford
Cuckoo: Male calling, sounded as if coming from Moulsford side of the Four-Arches Bridge... prob in SU5984. SU5985. 21:10.

Mike Amphlett

Standlake 19th May

Red footed Falcon female

Newbridge/Standlake 19th May

16:30-18:30

Red-footed Falcon

Old Caley's Diary

Standlake 19th May

Courtesy of Thomas Miller 

RED-FOOTED FALCON female still 18:40 along Thames Path south of Pit 60 then appeared to

drift N/W high and no further sign by 20:14 (per Simon Myers et al).

Hobby 5+

Peregrine 

Marsh Harrier 

Cuckoo

Cattle Egret 2

Egyptian Goose 6

Curlew

https://maps.app.goo.gl/4MFsQxt7rZeHEKUD8?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy

Hobby courtesy of Thomas Miller

Otmoor rspb 19th May

Glossy Ibis again at the first screen 19:05 ( per RBA)

Bicester: 19th May

Bicester
Grasshopper Warbler: male. Male been present for some time and singing. 08:17.

Steven Portugal

Courtesy of Steve John

Otmoor: RSPB reserve: 18th May

Otmoor: RSPB reserve
Glossy Ibis: Into heron roost from first screen 8:20pm. 20:29.
7 Cattle Egret: In heron roost. 20:29.
3 Cuckoo 20:29.
4 Bittern: 2 separate females performing feeding flights (told apart by different coloured legs) + 1 male in flight and 1 on greenaways. 20:29.
2 Great White Egret: In heron roost. 20:29.

Kosmo Dossett

Tadpole Bridge: 18th May

Tadpole Bridge
3 Cattle Egret

Mark Merritt

Chipping Norton: 17th May

Chipping Norton
Mandarin Duck: drk. On Cornwell Wetland. 21:00.
Barn Owl: Hunting over Cornwell Marsh. 21:00.

Steve Akers

Otmoor rspb 17th May

Glossy Ibis from the first screen this morning at dawn (per Anna Marlow).

Cattle Egret 7 from bridleway east of Oddington 

Great white Egret 4 on Flood field.

Whimbrel h

Hobby 2

(per Simon Myers)

Bittern: Heard only. 13:10.
11 Hobby: 11 Birds on our walk round some very close views. 11:30.
Bullfinch: m. 11:30.
3 Reed Warbler: Seen or heard on our walk round. 11:30.
3 Cuckoo: Heard only. 11:30.

(per Ralph Watts)

Bittern courtesy of Malcolm Bowey 

Otmoor rspb 16th May

No sign of the Glossy Ibis

9 Great Egrets 

Cattle and Little in the roost. 

2 Bitterns, 

9 Hobbies all from the first screen.

(per Steve Roby)

Ardley Quarry 16th May

Sanderling and 2 Ringed Plovers from this morning. Plovers likely to be of the "tundra" variety.

Chimney Meadows BBOWT 14th May

Belated news of a RED-FOOTED FALCON f on Sunday S/E of Chimney over fields south of the Thames footpath. Present for 3 days.

(per RBA)

No sign today (et al)

The Ridgeway: 16th May

Plenty of yellowhammer up on The Ridgeway and the byways that run off of it

 

Farmoor 16th May (08:30 - 11:30)

Osprey - 1 over F2 at 11:18, no further sign by 11:22

Common Sandpiper - 2 

Swift - 100+ early on but then left as the weather improved. 

Graven Hill, Bicester; 16th May 2025

09:30-10:00

Grasshopper Warbler

per Colin Oram

Old Caley's Diary

RSPB Otmoor 15 May 2025

Glossy Ibis at screen one this morning (per Malcolm Bowey)

Bittern 1
Hobby 3
Cuckoo 4
Snipe 2 drumming

Curlew 6
Cattle Egret 2

Great White Egret 3
Common Tern 13
Swift/Swallow/House Martin 100+ (large number of mixed hirundines over the reed bed)

10 species of warbler

Courtesy of Malcolm Bowey 

Sonning Eye GPs: 15th May

Courtesy of Marek Walford 

3 Little Tern: 3 birds! Still present 15:15 on string of bouys. Viewed from end of rowing course

2 Sandwich Tern 12:40.  
Cuckoo: Calling. 12:47.

Marek Walford

2 Egyptian Goose 15:15.
Mandarin Duck: m. 15:15.
Hobby 15:15.

Ralph Watts

Old Shifford 15th May

Cattle Egret 10+ behind St Marys Church 14:14 (P.B)

Hobby Otmoor rspb 
Courtesy of Lee Willcocks

 

Farmoor Reservoir: 14th May

Farmoor Reservoir
Turnstone: On west side of F2. 16:30.

Andrew Mann

Chinnor: Chinnor Hill: 14th May

Chinnor: Chinnor Hill
Spotted Flycatcher: 1 by footpath North of the car park. SP766003. 10:30.

David Stracey

Otmoor: 14th May

Otmoor
16 Hobby: min. count. 15:14.

D Moden

Farmoor Reservoir: 14th May

Farmoor Reservoir
17 Arctic Tern: Flew around F2 before departing north east. 10:00.

Dave Murphy

Whooper Swan - Northern Cross Valley Way 13th May

 

Video best viewed in its highest resolution

Northern Cross Valley Way 13th May

Avocet 2 no further sign by 12:42

Oystercatcher 2

Whooper Swan still 13:52

Great white Egret 2

(per S.M, L.OH et al)

Courtesy of Glen Pascoe 

Wootton nr Woodstock: Stratford Bridge: 12th May

Wootton nr Woodstock: Stratford Bridge
Cetti's Warbler: calling, about 200m upstream from the bridge.
Barn Owl: Hunting, early evening. Being rattled at by a pair of nesting mistle thrushes.

Bob Pomfret

Farmoor Reservoir 12th May

Black Tern

 

A329 near Moulsford: 11th May

A329 near Moulsford
Cuckoo: Male calls from the river area, prob close to Cholsey Marsh area. SU5985. 21:05.

Mike Amphlett

A329 near Moulsford: 12th May

A329 near Moulsford
Cuckoo: Calls heard, likely in Cholsey Marsh area. SU5985. 10:00.

Mike Amphlett

Farmoor Reservoir 12th May

Black Tern F2 still 12:48

Sanderling 2 along causeway 

Ringed Plover 

Turnstone over

Dunlin 6 over

Whimbrel heard 

(per Dave Lowe, Simon Myers)

Courtesy of Dave Murphy 

Didcot: 12th May

Didcot
Lesser Whitethroat: In hedgerow on bridleway between Didcot/Hagbourne. SU535886. 15:40.
Blackcap: in hedgerow by bridleway Didcot/Hagbourne. SU535886. 15:40.
Reed Warbler: Singing in hedgerow, on bridleway, strange as i have never seen one down this stretch before. Didcot / Hagbourne. SU535886. 15:40.

W Holden

Rushy Common 11th May

Osprey over 16:44 (per SNT)

Blenheim 11th May

Spotted Flycatcher - approx 8 seen/heard in High Park.

Bicester Wetland Reserve 11th May

 4 Common Sandpiper
Pair Shoveler

A Peters
Key Holder Reserve

Otmoor rspb 10th May

 

Whinchat nr Carpark/Morleys 
Courtesy of John Workman 

River Thames: nr Sandford-on-Thames: 10th May

River Thames: nr Sandford-on-Thames
Hobby: Flew in and hunted over lake briefly. 21:11.

Harshith Parthiban

Farmoor Reservoir 10th May

Sanderling 1 

Common Tern 2

Cuckoo 2 m/f

Drayton (nr Abingdon): 10th May

Drayton (nr Abingdon)
Shelduck: At pool NW of 1066, viewable from Gypsy Lane. 16:58.
Little Ringed Plover: At pool NW of 1066, viewable from Gypsy Lane. 16:58.
Common Sandpiper: At pool NW of 1066, viewable from Gypsy Lane. 16:58.
Oystercatcher: At pool NW of 1066, viewable from Gypsy Lane. 16:58.
19 Lapwing: At pool NW of 1066, viewable from Gypsy Lane. 16:58.
26 Red Kite: In Gypsy Lane/Oday Hill area. 16:58.

Ian Elkins

Otmoor rspb10th May

Bittern & Marsh Harrier encounter 

Otmoor rspb

All photos courtesy of Malcolm Bowey.

 

Drayton 1066: 10th May

Drayton 1066
Garganey: drk. Still present at 15:55. 
Great White Egret 15:59.

Ian Elkins

Drayton Flood (1066) 10th May

Garganey drake still on road side pool (per Ben Carpenter et al) 14:34

Great white Egret 

Gramp's Hill: 10th May

 

Ring Ouzel

Marsh Harrier (imm)

2 Spotted Flycatcher

2 Yellow Wagtail

2 Grey Partridge

Radley GP: Thrupp Lake: 10th May

Radley GP: Thrupp Lake
3 Common Sandpiper 05:55.

Ian Elkins

Otmoor rspb 9th May

Greenshank 

Bittern 2+

Honby 6+

(Bark

Farmoor Reservoir: Pinkhill: 9th May

Farmoor Reservoir: Pinkhill
2 Cuckoo: 2 seen and heard.

Richard Parsons

Northern Cross Valley Way 9th May

Grey Plover

Runged Plover 4

Little-ringed Plover 

Common Sandpiper 

Yellow Wagtail 2

(et al)

Northern Cross Valley Way 8th May

1 grey plover

1 common sand

1 ringed plover

1 flyover curlew, usual lrp, oystercatcher

6+ yellow wag

(S.M)

Henley-on-Thames: 8th May

Henley-on-Thames
Peregrine: On the tower of St Mary's Church seen from other side of Road . 13:15.

Ralph Watts

Standlake: West Oxon Sailing Club Lake: 8th May

Standlake: West Oxon Sailing Club Lake
Cuckoo: male. Singing over towards B4449. SP397047. 21:13.

Graeme Coates

Shepherd's Pits:Stanton-St-John 8th May

Probable second-summer Baltic Gull with moult limit at P8/9.

First-summer Caspian Gull

2 Yellow-legged Gull

Dorchester: Days Lock scrape: 8th May

Dorchester: Days Lock scrape
3 Cattle Egret: SU569943. 11:10.
Cuckoo: Heard. SU569943. 11:10.

 
Dorchester: Days Lock
2 Oystercatcher: SU569937. 11:27.

William Lester

Cholsey: Cholsey Marsh Nature Reserve: 8th May

Cholsey: Cholsey Marsh Nature Reserve
Grasshopper Warbler: Seen and heard. 08:15.

Mick Hannington

Otmoor rspb 7th May

Garganey drake 1st screen 14:22 (per Jackie Newcombe)

Cholsey: Cholsey Marsh Nature Reserve: 7th May

Cholsey: Cholsey Marsh Nature Reserve
Grasshopper Warbler: reeling at end of Ferry Lane h/o. 10:06.

Peter Law

Common Tern at dawn.
Otmoor rspb courtesy of Ian Birch

 

Ardley ERF Lagoon & Quarry 6th May

Ringed Plover

Little-ringed Plover 2

(JT)

Farmoor Reservoir 6th May

Caspian Gull (per RBA)

Henley Road GPs: 6th May

Henley Road GPs
Hobby: Water ski lake. 13:50.

Marek Walford

April Review

Highlights

I think we can all agree that the early part of spring had not exactly got the gears going. Inland birding can often be bleak and at times downright miserable, so when spring migration is not just slow, but almost at times imperceptibly slow, it can somewhat make you question whether it’s really worth the effort of venturing out. Not helped by the incredibly clear and dry conditions, migration, at least the bulk of it appeared to be passing Oxon by. Even some classic rainy April days in the middle part of the month failed to produce any notable movement, even at our premier migration site - Farmoor. This, despite, inland water bodies to our south and north getting some passage of Arctic Tern and Bar-tailed Godwit, as I said - bleak! Some birds did eventually drop in however, but with clear conditions almost immediately moving straight through.

Finally though on the 23rd April, with the forecast looking promising and early reports of some big movements of the classic April fare, a few of us arrived at Farmoor early doors. I had decided to try and do some work from the car whilst the weather settled a bit, only to be jolted out by the news of 40+ Arctic Tern of F1. And so begun one of those classic migration days where it felt like anything was possible. Another flock of Arctic Tern flew into the mix, with a minimum of 100 in view across both basins, and likely more through and over. Having got a thorough soaking and enjoyed the spectacle of these epic wanderers, I attempted again to be responsible and do some work in the cafe. Again proving utterly futile with the news of Grey Plover, followed by two Bar-tailed Godwit, the latter straight through. Several Whimbrel joint the mix, occasionally flying the perimeter of the reservoir before eventually heading NE. Crowd assembled on the causeway, the cherry on top was a Little Tern being expertly plucked out of the masses of Arctic Tern. Rounding it off was a flock of 12 Dunlin over F2 and had at least one observer commenting it’s basically Cley! 

Little Tern & Arctic Tern at Farmoor courtesy of Thomas Miller

Of course, these sorts of days come rarely but when they do it doesn’t half make those hard yards stomping the inland patches feel worthwhile.

Farmoor day list 23/04

Arctic Tern - minimum of 120
Little Tern
Whimbrel – minimum  4
Bar-tailed Godwit - 2
Grey Plover
Turnstone
Sanderling
Dunlin - 16
Rock Pipit
Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Swift
Common Tern - 9
Shelduck
Common Sandpiper - 2

The county year list now stands at 182 with the return of almost all of our regular summer migrants back on breeding grounds, who knows what May has in store for us! Arrival dates for some regularly occurring and breeding migrants below:

Species	Median (since 2000)	Earliest	2025
Sandwich Tern	4th April	18th March	10th April
Osprey	30th March	18th March	4th April
Common Tern	4th April	4th February	9th April
Arctic Tern	13th April	30th March	15th April
Redstart	4th April	19th March	6th April
Reed Warbler	10th April	31st March	3rd April
Cuckoo	11th April	30th March	9th April
Grasshopper Warbler	15th April	4th April	12th April
Garden Warbler	15th April	24th March	12th April
Lesser Whitethroat	14th April	5th April	12th April
Whimbrel	14th April	29th March	11th April
Hobby	16th April	5th April	13th April
Sanderling	22nd April	25th January	17th April
Bar-tailed Godwit	22nd April	1st January	12th April
Spotted Redshank	16th April	15th February	23rd April
Greenshank	16th April	28th January	13th April
Wood Sandpiper	29th April	14th April	22nd April
Turnstone	4th May	29th January	16th April
Little Tern	12th May	19th April	23rd April
Whinchat	14th April	2nd January	13th April
Ring Ouzel	31st March	15th March	4th April

 

Waders

One of the more surprising elements of the early Spring period has been the rise of a relatively new site of North Cross Valley Way, a small gravel workings/wetland area on the outskirts of Witney. A combination of increased effort, some of the other county’s premier sites been unbelievably dry and the habitat looking excellent, this patch has had itself a bit of a purple patch this April. Topped off by a smart pair of Avocet on the 26^th which spent the day at this site before departing overnight, although an annual species it is certainly not one you can rely on to grace your county list in any given year. 

Avocets courtesy of Stuart Thomson 

Also having itself a bit of run of good birds, although it has produced the odd one, Venn Mill had the county’s first Bar-tailed Godwit on the 12^th. The great benefit of this site is that the birds are usually very close and offer some excellent views and photo opportunities with a bit of field craft. Another bird that can be occasionally sporadic, last year only had one record in the autumn, another two birds were seen straight through on Farmoor during that epic day on the 23^rd and then actually seen later on at Otmoor by several observers – a great bit of observed interconnectivity between these two sites. 

Bar-tailed Godwit at Venn Mill courtesy of Steve Burch

Venn Mill also continued its run of form with a ‘brief and early’ Spotted Redshank on the 23^rd, although unfortunately the bird was not later observed transiting any other sites. Frustratingly, from a Big Year perspective but also for the wider birding community this was the 2^nd record of the year and given we usually only get 1-2 records in a good year this may be it for another Oxon birding year.

A lone Turnstone was also disappointedly brief in its appearance, dropping into Farmoor late on the 16^th and departing overnight. A small consolation for those attending site the following day was the year’s first Sanderling with a pair in their usual variable plumage, although again these only stayed for the day before moving on by the next day. A second record however came on the 21^st joining a Dunlin, Ringed Plover and a male White Wagtail on the causeway for the afternoon.  

Farmoor Sanderling courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

Whimbrel were much more forthcoming for patch watchers across the county, with the first the year coming in the north of the county at Ardley ERF on the 11^th. Almost a week later Rushy Common also had a bird on the 19^th and it remained until the following day at least. This was followed up by several transiting birds through Farmoor with two on the 21^st, a single on the 22^nd and a minimum of four through on the best day of the Spring on the 23^rd. Venn Mill had a lone bird on the 21^st and affording some excellent viewing opportunities, whilst in the west of the county North Cross Valley Way had the largest single flock of the year with four birds here also on the 21^st. Lower Arncott had single bird on the 24^th with Otmoor rounding the month off also with a single on the 30^th. 

Venn Mill Whimbrel courtesy of Steve Burch

A supremely early report of a Wood Sandpiper from Peep-o-Day Lane on the 1^st would have been the 1^st bird reported country wide and despite a through search that afternoon, no individual was located. A much timelier report however came from Otmoor on the 22^nd and although almost every seemed to be getting reports of multiple birds and even small flocks, no more records came from the county in April. The 1^st Greenshank of the year came from two sites, with two birds at Days Lock and a single at Cholsey on the 13^th. Ardley ERF had the largest flock of the Spring with five birds here on the 19^th, although initially looking settled they departed within the hour and were possibly picked up at site northeast of there in Bucks later that day. Chipping Norton also had a single on the 19^th, in what seemed to be a big day of movement for the species. Otmoor had single bird on the 21^st which seemed to linger on site until at least the 23^rd. In what has been a poor Spring for the species overall, Oxon saw only two records of Black-tailed Godwit in April – one at Farmoor briefly on the 12^th followed by a single bird at Peep-o-Day Lane on the 15^th which spent several days fuelling up before departing sometime on the 17^th. 

Greenshank Alan Dawson.

Ruff have also had a little bit of a poor Spring, despite the early records from March, with only a single record in April, a single bird at Port Meadow on the 3^rd remained until at least the 4^th. 

 

Port Meadow Ruff courtesy of Thomas Miller

Ringed Plover were recorded across five sites. Otmoor had the largest flock with five here on the 15^th, Farmoor just behind with three on the 21^st. The remaining sites recorded singles or pairs from the 3^rd until 19^th – Port Meadow, North Cross Valley Way and Ardley ERF. Dunlin were also a little thin on the ground this month, although a cracking flock of 16 were seen at Farmoor on the big day of 23^rd. A few records also came from Farmoor from the 13^th until the 25^th, with Otmoor hosting up to 13 birds on the 23^rd.  North Cross Valley Way was the only other site to report birds this month with two on the 17^th.

Regarding Little Ringed Plover, after the arrival of a few birds onto summer territories throughout March the real deluge of birds came through during the first few weeks of April, with at least 14 sites reporting birds, often multiples and probably involving a mixture of breeding pairs and passing migrants. Ardley ERF had the most birds with eight here on the 13^th, whilst Port Meadow had six on the 5^th. Peep-o-Day Lane and Venn Mill had at least four birds throughout the month and probably related to two breeding pairs at each site. The remaining sites though had between 1-3 birds and most sites reported birds throughout the month.  

Port Meadow Little Ringed Plover courtesy of Thomas Miller

Green Sandpiper were present on at least seven sites, with the highest count coming from Chipping Norton on the 14^th, with the remaining sites hosting 1-3 birds with the last bird been reported from Chipping Norton and Balscote Quarry on the 17^th. Common Sandpiper were present on a minimum of six sites. Farmoor continued to hosts its wintering bird through to the 7^th which was joined by more birds on the 11^th and by the 17^th at least six birds were present. The highest count though came from Blenheim on the 30^th where seven birds were present and were part of a much larger movement across the country. The rest of the sites hosted mostly single birds mostly in the middle part of the month.

Wildfowl etc

With much of the winter wildfowl now on their way back to breeding grounds, April was an expectedly quiet affair on the wildfowl front. The returning female Ring-necked Duck continued its habit of disappearing for long periods before popping back up again, this time back over in the west at Dix Pit on the 24^th. True to form it disappeared again and who knows whether its been pulled to continent with movements of wildfowl or whether we may see it reappear in May as in other years. A Ruddy Shelduck was an unexpected record this month, although the location was less so, with Peep-o-Day Lane having hosted a single bird for the last couple of autumns. This individual was unfortunately only present for the evening of the 7^th before departing presumably for the near-continent where much of the feral population now breeds.

Red-crested Pochard Farmoor Reservoir courtesy of Steve Liptrot

A lone White-fronted Goose was still present at Standlake on the 5^th, but with no further records it presumably realised it was time to get its migration gears moving. Likewise the winters last Goldeneye were still present at Dix Pit, with a small flock of four still here until at least the 6^th. Goosander had all but departed the county for breeding grounds in the north, although several sites seemed to be hosting returning breeding pairs. Waterstock had a pair on the 13^th and then up to two pairs and a lone male here on the 21^st. Another site near Thame also hosted a pair on the 29^th and with both sites having breeding records in the last couple years, I am sure another year of successful breeding is just around the corner. A flock of five at Blenheim on the 14^th, could well have been the five later seen at Waterstock or probably more likely birds passing through on their way north.

Shelduck were very widespread this month, with a minimum of 10 sites hosting mostly pairs and small parties of birds. North Cross Valley Way had the highest count this month with a minimum of eight here on the 28^th, although Hatford was close behind with six on the 20^th. The rest of the sites, with the exception of Farmoor and Port Meadow seemed to be hosting potentially territorial birds and it seems likely that at least one of these sites might see some successful breeding in 2025.  

Port Meadow Shelduck courtesy of Thomas Miller

Red-crested Pochard were present on two sites this month, with much of the large winter flock having departed for unknown breeding grounds. Farmoor had three on the 21^st until at least the 28^th, with Rushy Common hosting a single bird on the 28^th. Mandarin were present on at least four sites, with Christchurch probably seeming like the most apt location for this exotic species with a single on the 13^th. Chipping Norton had two birds on the 14^th  and still present on the 25^th, whilst a female flew through Farmoor on the 14^th and 17^th Sutton Courtenay had two pairs present under Culham Bridge on the 10^th.

Herons, egrets etc

Cattle Egret remained much the same this month, with a minimum five sites hosting birds all in expected locations. The breeding colony at Blenheim got itself going with at least 12 birds here on the 7^th and eight on the 14^th with another successful year of breeding likely on the cards. Chimney Meadows had a whopping count of 50+ birds there on the 15^th and one has to wonder where and if this birds are breeding anywhere out of sight? Additional records came from Otmoor with between 2-4 here on the 4^th and 24^th.  Shipton-on-Cherwell had 15 birds on the 11^th and probably were birds from the nearby breeding colony at Blenheim. Days Lock was the remaining site which continued to host four birds until at least the 13^th. 

Blenheim Cattle Egert courtesy of Gareth Cashburn

Great White Egret records reduced significantly this month with ‘only’ nine sites hosting birds in April. Port Meadow hosted the most birds this month with three present here on the 9^th, with only Otmoor and Peep-o-Day Lane hosting more than one bird both sites having two birds sporadically throughout the month. North Cross Valley Way, New Marston, Ardley, Blenheim, Farmoor and Venn Mill were the other sites to host single birds in April with most sites hosting repeat sightings sporadically throughout the month.

Otmoor rspb hosting multiple boomers.
Courtesy of John Workman 

  

Gulls and Terns

Other than the big day of April 23^rd with the epic movement of Arctic Tern with a cameo Little Tern thrown in for good measure the standout this month came in the form of several Black Tern moving through the county in the latter part of April. The first bird of the Spring came from Appleford GP’s on the 26^th, a welcome return to form for a site that has become massively overgrown in recent years and less attractive for gulls and waders – a crying shame for a site that has produced so many good birds over the years. Departure overnight, birders got a 2^nd crack of the whip the following day with three birds present on Farmoor on the 27^th, although these birds performed well initially they were gone by mid-morning much to disappointment of myself. Further records came from Farmoor a few days later, also of three birds but these came via national bird services rather than through local channels. 

Appleford Black Tern courtesy of Thomas Miller

We also had our first Sandwich Tern of the year although unfortunately the three records this month turned out all to be disappointingly brief. The first came on the 10^th with a bird sat on a buoy at Farmoor and although it seems like this individual was readily available, as is often the case news was slow to get out. The other two birds were direct fly throughs so no chance for anyone else to connect with them, one through North Cross Valley Way on the 21^st and the other over Dix Pit on the 24^th. Additional Arctic Tern records all came from Farmoor this month, although surely with so many through on the 23^rd other sites must have seen birds it’s just that the focus was squarely on Farmoor and for good reason. The first bird of the Spring arrived on the 15^th, albeit briefly and moving on fairly quickly, whilst four birds were also here on the 21^st although again with such clear weather were moving on from there within a few hours. 

Farmoor Arctic Tern courtesy of Thomas Miller

The early part of April still saw some movements of Little Gull, although overshadowed by tern movements later in the month, at least three sites had birds in first 10+ days of the month. Three were on Radley GPs on the 1^st with another bird joining the small flock by the next day. 

Little Gulls Radley Courtesy of Badger 

A few days later on the 4^th a flock of six was present on Farmoor, remaining on site until the 7^th although losing the odd bird with each passing day. Dix Pit had the highest count however, with the first double digit count of the year, with 12 spending much of the 6^th at the site before leaving later that day. 

Radley Little Gull courtesy of Brian Walker

The first Common Tern of the year arrived on the 9^th and nearly a week later than the median arrival date for the species in the last decade or so. Birds continued to be recorded from the site, with a maximum of five present on the 20^th although one imagine there was some turnover over of birds between the 9^th and 28^th. Port Meadow also got its first bird on the 15^th followed by a flurry of sites all recording birds from the 21^st. Good news came from Hinksey Lake, home to the largest colony of Common Tern in the county, with the first bird arriving in the 17^th just in time for a new raft installation – more on that at the bottom of this review.

For Caspian Gull, it was businesses as usual with the long-staying and much reported 2^nd calendar bird putting in frequent appearances along the Farmoor causeway throughout April and given the species changing status within the county, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it reported again early next month. Also of interest for local Larid lovers, was the reappearance of the Caspian x Herring Gull hybrid which has occasionally popped up at Farmoor and Port Meadow in recent weeks with the bird present at Farmoor sporadically in the middle part of the month. 

Farmoor Caspian Gull courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

 

Passerines

Ring Ouzel proved a tricky bird to pin down for much of the early part of April, with all records coming from the Oxon Downs where news is often slow to filter down. The first of the year was at Churn on the 4^th , a few days later than expected but not by much. A pair of males were then at Devils Punchbowl on the 6^th and although both appeared to be transiting the site, a lone male was then present from the 7^th and for much of the early-middle part of the month. Aston Upthorpe also got in on the action, been a traditional site for Spring birds, with up to three here from the middle of the month until at least the 21^st. 

Devil's Punchbowl Ring Ouzel courtesy of Wayne Paes

A probable Water Pipit came from Balscote Quarry on the 7^th, possibly the fourth record the year with Port Meadow, Otmoor and Farmoor possibly having birds already in 2025. Much easier to pin down however, was another Rock Pipit at Farmoor on the 22^nd which was still present until at least the 23^rd occasionally showing very well along the causeway for gathered crowds. 

Farmoor Rock Pipit courtesy of Thomas Miller

Three more record of Black Redstart came this month possibly relating to the same bird moving through the county. A female-type at Bicester Wetlands Reserve was an excellent and unexpected record for the site on the 9^th. Whilst another female-type at Cholsey on the 11^th was almost certainly the same bird present in Wallingford later that day. A few lingering winter birds made it into the recording period, with a line Hawfinch still at Woodstock on the 2^nd. Whilst the two Siberian Chiffchaff were still at the Port Meadow on the the 3^rd, having remained on the site since late November. Also, in keeping with the winter theme, a small flurry of Crossbill records made into April. It has been an abysmal winter for the species with the trio at Little Wittenham the first record of the year on the 13^th. This was followed by a single bird over Wytham Woods on the 28^th.

Black Redstart Alan Dawson

The first Whinchat of the Spring arrived on the 13^th from both Farmoor and Lark Hill, and when showing well it’s really not hard to see why they are some folk's favourite of the spring migrants. The Lark Hill individual remained on site until at least the 17^th, whilst another bird was also present at Otmoor on the 17^th with no further reports of the species for the remainder of April. 

Whinchat courtesy of Paul Thomlinson

Redstart were also a little thin on the ground with only seven sites reporting birds up until the 17^th. The first of these came from New Marston on the 6^th, followed in short order by a bird at Seven Barrows on the 8^th. Letcombe Regis and Grimsbury Reservoir also had birds on the 11^th and 13^th respectively, followed by birds at Farmoor, Otmoor and Berinsfield in the latter part of the month.  Wheatear also continued to trickle through the county in moderate numbers with at least nine sites reporting birds up until the 23^rd. The highest count came from the Oxon Downs with at least six at Devil’s Punchbowl on the 13^th with likely quite a few more dotted around the landscape. Lark Hill had the next highest number on site with four here on the 13^th, with the rest of the sites recording 1-2 birds mostly in the middle part of April. 

Lark Hill Wheatear courtesy of Steve Burch

White Wagtail were reported from a minimum of four sites with up to seven at North Cross Valley Way on the 11^th. Widford had three on the 1^st with Farmoor also multiple birds in the 9^th, with at least one male lingering here until the 21^st. Grimsbury was the only other site to host a bird, on the 17^th.

Courtesy of Bryan Manston

After the first Yellow Wagtail of the year on the 30^th March the first week of April saw the rest of the county get its share of birds passing through, pulling with them the odd Flava/Blue-headed birds with them. Females were present at Port Meadow and Otmoor in the mid-late part of April. The remaining migrants started appearing at sites across the county with Reed Warbler at Otmoor on the 3^rd, followed by Farmoor on the 9^th and Port Meadow on the 14^th. Sedge Warbler were at Peep-o-Day Lane on the 4^th followed by Pit 60, Farmoor and Bicester Wetlands Reserve on the 5^th. 

Farmoor White Wagtail courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

The year’s first Garden Warbler came from Farmoor on the 9^th, followed by Port Meadow and Otmoor on the 15^th. Cuckoo was on bang on time with the Springs first bird at Farmoor on the 9^th, followed by birds at Otmoor on the 12^th and Stanton-St-John on the 15^th. 

Cuckoo courtesy of Lee Willcocks

 Farmoor also had the seasons first Grasshopper Warbler on the 12^th, where up to three birds present in mid-April with at least one bird showing exceptionally well for period. Otmoor had its first bird on the 14^th, with up to four here on the 17^th, followed in short order by birds at Radley GPs and Kings Lock in the latter part of the month. Lesser Whitethroat came from Otmoor on the 12^th followed by Port Meadow on the 15^th, whilst Farmoor saw its first 10 warbler day on the 15^th. And finally the very first Swift arrived at Farmoor on the 21^st joining the masses of Hirundine present here for the latter part of the April period which included 200+ Sand Martin at various times this month. 

Grasshopper Warbler courtesy of Andy Last

Raptors

Osprey can be incredibly difficult bird to catch up with in the county, no more so than during the spring migration where birds are clearly drawn to large bodies of water such as Farmoor but often fly straight through with migration instincts set to the maximum. Occasionally birds do stop or fly in low over the site but you typically have to be very lucky and be on site to see them! As was the case for all records of Osprey this month, with a minimum of five reports spread throughout the month. The first came on the 4^th, only a few days short of the median arrival date and was quickly followed by an assumed ringed bird although details were not clear enough. Thame then had a flyover record on the 6^th before another record at Farmoor on the 7^th. The final record also came from Farmoor on the 29^th, again a ringed bird and details of were clear enough to see this was likely a female from the Rutland Project. 

Farmoor Osprey courtesy of Jeremy Dexter

The first Hobby of the year came on the 13^th and inevitably from Otmoor. Only a few days earlier than the median arrival date, it was soon followed by more birds arriving at various sites in the county a week or so later. Otmoor had at least 13 by 29^th and May will likely see even more than that hawking over Greenaways and Otmoor’s extensive reedbed. Finally, although not usually part of this review a colour ringed Peregrine over Port Meadow felt worthy of mention with this 2^nd calendar year having been rung as a nestling at St Albans Cathedral on 27^th May 2024 – always nice to know where ‘our’ birds come from!

Courtesy of Nick Truby

 

Patchwork challenge

Patch	Birder	Points	Species	Highlight
Aston eyot	Ben Sheldon
Ardley ERF	Gareth Casburn	100	91	Whimbrel, Great White Egret
Dix pit	Simon Bradfield
Grimsbury reservoir	Gareth Blockley	93	89
Lye valley	Tom Bedford	60	59
River Thames	Geoff Wyatt	135	119	Crossbill, Greenshank
Sutton Courtenay	Conor MacKenzie	125	110	Ruddy Shelduck, Grey Partridge
Radley GP’s	Ian Elkins	103	97	Grasshopper warbler, Bearded Tit
Freeland	Glen Pascoe	55	53
South Hinksey	Alex Figueiredo	52	50

Oxon Big Year 2025

As previously mentioned, the lack of early spring migration meant birding was a bit slow during the first few weeks of April. Although somewhat depressing, for myself at least, it was a small relief to not having to constantly drop everything and allowed me to pick off birds at a slower pace! For the most part birding was confined to local patches and frequent visits to Farmoor, usually providing not much interest except some of the commoner and expected migrants.

An unexpected Bar-tailed Godwit at Venn Mill was a nice addition early on in the year as the species can be sporadic in its appearance, with only one record last year. Also later seeing Black-tailed Godwit on my own patch - any day with both Godwit species is a good day! Unfortunately there were a few misses, with Turnstone been a bit of a missed call, hoping in vain it would still be there the next day. Two Sanderling in its place were at least a small consolation prize.

Unfortunately two of our number were out of the country on the best day of the spring. On that day I managed to add 5 species to my own year total including Little Tern, which may prove the only record of the year. But it wasn’t long before the favour was to be returned with Black Tern, found by Thomas, and Avocet present in the county whilst I was up north. The returning Neil managed to twitch both birds and Avocet may also end up proving to be a blocker for the rest of us. Having missed 4 reports of Black Tern, at the time of writing, I may have to wait until later in the year for another chance.

With everyone firmly back in the county, thoughts turn to mopping up the remainder of the summer migrants and likely plenty of visits to Farmoor and Otmoor, hoping May has some good birds in store for us!

Name	Total
Ben Sheldon	159
Thomas Miller	166
Neil Hayward	148
Conor MacKenzie	167

 

 

Hinksey Park Common Terns - Oxfordshire’s largest colony

By Dave Lowe

During  2024  I  was  contacted  by  TVERC  (Thames  Valley  Environmental  Records  Centre)  to  undertake  bird  surveys  at  Hinksey  Lake  to  see  if  it  could  achieve  the  threshold  of  a  Local  Wildlife  Site  (LWS).  For  those  people  that  are  not  familiar  with  the  site,  Hinksey  Lake  sits  within  Hinksey  Park,  which  is  located  off  the  Abingdon  Road  only  1  mile  from  the  centre  of  Oxford.  There  is  a  small  pay  &  display  car  park  by  the  playground,  or  it  can  be  reached  easily  from  the  end  of  Lake  Street.  It  is  bordered  to  the  west  by  the  main  train  line  into  Paddington  and  to  the  east by New Hinksey and Grandpont.  https://what3words.com/hero.flops.oppose.

Over  the  coming  months,  along  with  local  resident  and  fellow  volunteer  Emma  Lenz,  we  undertook  regular  surveys  noting  Cetti’s  Warbler,  Kingfisher,  Stock  Doves,  a  small  Tufted  Duck  flock  and  regularly  up  to 9   Goosander,  which  was  surprisingly  Oxfordshire’s  largest  wintering  flock.  A  city  centre  mega  turned  up  in  November  when  Alex  Figueiredo  found  a  Bittern.  Another  surprise  came  on  the  16th  January  when  a  drake  Scaup  joined  the  Tufted  flock.  This  bird  was  also  seen  on  nearby  Farmoor  and  it  was  nice  to  prove  avian  interaction  between  the  2  localities.  Although  it  suffers  from  disturbance  by  wild  swimmers,  model  boats,  sculling  and  fishing,  the  lake  continued  to  provide  interest  with  an  occasional  Gadwall  and  Shoveler,  over-wintering  Siskin  and  Stonechat  and  occasionally  a  fly  over  from  one  of  the  city  centre  Peregrines.  Sadly,  during  one  of  the  many  winter  storms,  the  tern  raft  provided  for  by  the  EA  a  decade  ago  became  detached  from  its  anchors  and  drifted  into  the  lakeside  vegetation  and  was  damaged.  This  was  very  disappointing,  as  over  the  summer  6  pairs  of  Common  Terns  raised  14  young  on  the  raft,  and  these  were  rung  under  licence  at  the  end  of  June  by  Dr.  Alice  Edney.  Incredibly,  this  meant  our  small  urban  lake  hosted  the  county's  largest  Common  Tern  colony,  only  just  below  the  threshold of 10 pairs for an LWS. 

I  made  numerous  enquiries  to  see  who  would  take  responsibility  for  the  repair  but  no  one  seemed  able  to  give  a  clear  answer.  Eventually,  through  the  assistance  of  Katherine  Howell  at  TVERC  I  was  put  in  touch  with  TOE  (Trust  for  Oxfordshire’s  Environment)  who  agreed  in  principle  to  fund  not  just  repair  of  the  old  raft  but  also  the  supply  of  a  new  one.  By  doubling  our  capacity  we  were  excited  to  think  that  we  might  encourage  enough  Terns  to  nest  to  be  able  to  recognise  the  site  as  an  LWS.  With  thanks  to  Sue  at  TOE  who  made  the  application  process  straightforward,  we  then  got  in  touch  with  John  Beaumont  at  Green  Future  Building  and  agreed  a  price  to  repair  the  existing  raft  as  well  as  supply  a  new  one,  properly  anchored  and  filled  with  cockleshells - just the ticket for a nesting Tern. 

The  new  raft  was  successfully  anchored  in  position  on  the  17th  April,  and  in  a  beautifully  serendipitous  moment  as  we  were  paddling  out  across  the  lake  with  the  raft  in  tow,  the  first  Common  Tern  of  the  year  appeared!  By  the  23rd  a  pair  were  seen  inside  the  raft,  and  on  the  28th,  3  pairs  were  seen  noisily  commuting  between  the  lake  and  Iffley  Lock,  a  fabulous  sight  and one that gives us real hope for the breeding season ahead. 

Now  that  the  Terns  are  back  on  the  lake  I  am  hosting  drop-in  sessions  for  anyone  who  would  like  to  come  and  watch  them  displaying  and  fishing.  I  hope  this  helps  raise  awareness  of  the  birds,  and  in  turn  will  reduce  the  pressure  on  the  Terns  from  unnecessary  disturbance.  If  any  members  have  any  records  from  the  lake  they  can  share,  please  drop  me  a  message  (07770  431715).  These  will  then  be  added  to  TVERC  database  and  will  go  some  way  to  protecting  this  vital urban oasis. 

Local resident Yan Wong kayaking the raft into position

Dave Lowe on the cockleshell-filled raft with Common Tern behind him

Useful Links.
www.trustforoxfordshire.org.uk
Green Future Building Ltd (GFB) - Green Future Building
Welcome | Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre
 
Dave Lowe
Freelance Ornithological Consultant
07770 431715

May Header

With thanks to Steve Liptrot for the May banner which features a Hobby, one of up to twenty
at the Otmoor rspb reserve currently.
Thanks also to Pete Barker who creates the Oxonbiring banners each month.

Photo of the Month

A returning Whitethroat announcing his arrival.
Farmoor taken by Ewan Urquhart on the 11th April.

In tribute to Alan Dawson who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Wednesday April 23^rd.

He was a friend and a birding colleague. He was very family orientated and had a great sense of humour, generally a nice bloke who got on with most people. Together we covered Cholsey and were always in contact whenever out birding, which was frequent. He would often say to his wife, “just popping out for an hour” and get back 3 hours later. I’m sure most of you have been there. Our paths would cross frequently when we discussed what we hoped would turn up and also solving the world’s problems. Whilst his family dog Bella, would sit patiently waiting for one of us to throw her the ball she always carried around with her. Alan found 2 firsts for Cholsey recently, a Rock Pipit and a Sanderling, as well as other scarce species. Also, a 1^st class Dragonfly finder with a good knowledge of Butterflies.Alan took some great photos which he would always send to me along with his records. A prolific contributor to the Cholsey Wildlife blog, Cholsey Wildlife Facebook page, and appreciated by many. He will be missed greatly by his family, friends and Oxon birders… and I’ll miss you mate. Cheers!

Paul Chandler.