August Review

Highlights

One of the many great joys of birding is the appearance of a total wildcard. A totally unexpected species that not even the most optimistic of us had on our radars. Of course, one can dream, particularly as an inland county - who amongst us didn’t dare to indulge in a bit of fantastical thinking when a Black-winged Kite turned up just 50 miles west of the county border only to disappear NE never to be seen again? Although obviously not remotely at that level, a Marsh Sandpiper is one such species that is the definition of a wild card. Initially found on the morning of the 28^th but not actually identified until the evening after a query by the finder, it was up to a few birders to do a pre-dawn raid at Pit 60 on the 29^th to see if the individual was still there. For some of us, having not seen the initial news in the evening, a brief spell of panic was thankfully tempered once the bird was relocated at first light. 

The Marsh Sandpiper during a brief period when it was close enough for a photo attempt in the morning gloom, courtesy of Thomas Miller

A classic Oxon twitch ensued with, whilst the Marsh Sandpiper showed reasonably well if a little distant the majority of the time. Even at range, this delicate little wader's diminutive size was readily evident, occasionally being dwarfed by a passing Grebe or Mallard. With only 1 or 2 records annually in the UK this individual also proved to be a popular bird with out of county birders, and despite the site being a key holder reserve, a small national twitch appeared to be managed pretty well. The bird continued to please locals and visitors alike for the majority of the day before apparently departing the site around 7pm. Despite a good search on the 30^th, the bird was not re-located and was very possibly gracing some other Oxon birders patch. 

Oxon's finest in early morning twitch action, courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

“Our” bird at first seemed to have been the well tracked juvenile that had been through Somerset, Devon and then Gwent, especially after negative news at the latter the previous day. However, with that bird being reported later the same day, it confirmed that two individuals were involved. This was the 2^nd county record with the first occurring in 2007, - a massive grip back for those of us who either weren’t in the county back then or who missed it. 

Marsh Sandpiper Farmoor Reservoir 2007 Courtesy of Nic Hallam

That bird also stayed only for two days at Peep-o-Day Lane and then Farmoor. Having a read back through the 2007 OOS report proved extremely gripping with some very good county birds around:

- Pomarine Skua

- Purple Heron

- Corncrake

- Buff-bellied Pipit

- Sabine’s Gull

- Franklins Gull

- Kumlien’s Gull

- Thayer’s Gull

- Twite

Any of those over the next month or so would prove extremely popular I imagine. In any case, with a flurry of new birds in August the county year lists stands at a respectable 197 and with the next few weeks there’s a good chance 200 will be cracked by the end of the September, provided wader migration continues at its current pace with Knot and Curlew Sandpiper yet to fall whilst I would bet heavily on a Grey Phalarope in the next couple of weeks, given the weather forecast and plenty of records.

Waders

Although often on the ‘expected’ list of autumnal birds, Little Stint is a bird one can never tire of seeing, particularly at a site like Farmoor where you can be within a few feet of birds likely seeing humans for the very first time. The first individual of the autumn arrived at Farmoor on the 20^th, initially as a probable and confirmed later the bird disappeared for the rest of day until being located in the early evening before seemingly departing overnight. We didn’t have to wait long for the next however, arriving on the 22^nd where it stayed until at least the 29^th being joined by another on the 26^th – until the 29^th. A single bird on the 30^th was potentially believed to be our fourth individual of the autumn, a fairly decent return for this species and still plenty of the autumn left. 

 

Little Stint courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

Some video courtesy of Adam Hartley

 

A nocmigged record of an Avocet was the highlight of a sustained effort over the last month in north Oxon with a bird flying over pre-dawn on the 24^th, with the first Whimbrel and Grey Plover of the autumn also recorded from here on the 22^nd and 18^th respectively.

With so many records of Wood Sandpiper around the surrounding counties and across the country, it was beginning to feel like an invisible forcefield was preventing the county from seeing its first of the autumn period, especially as the peak arrival date passed us by. Finally though, Otmoor, about the only site out of Farmoor that still had any water or wet mud available, came through for us with one at the 1^st screen on the 19^th. Lingering long enough for plenty of admirers to enjoy its presence until at least the 23^rd, although a report on the 25^th suggested it had moved to the 2^nd screen at least for a period.  

Wood Sandpiper courtesy of Brian Walker

 

Farmoor had a fairly decent turnover rate of Turnstone on mid-August with a single present on the 12^th, followed by another on the 13^th and four on the 14^th. Whilst another single on the 16^th rounded off a great period for this species. Sanderling began there southward migration through the county on the 7^th with a single at Farmoor. Flyover birds followed the rest of the month with records of singles on the 19^th and the 21^st. 

Turnstone courtesy of Russell Allen

Aside from the nocmig record on the 22^nd, Whimbrel records were few and far between with two flyover only records at Farmoor and Port Meadow on the 27^th and the 30^th respectively. Ruff presence in the county was also somewhat low key, with peak numbers due in the next week or two. Pit 60 saw the county’s first autumn bird on the 20^th, which remained until the 26^th, whilst Farmoor had a single bird flying around the reservoir on the evening of the 30^th. Ringed Plover were largely confined to Farmoor, where birds were recorded almost daily between the 7^th and 30^th. These involved an unknown number of individuals, comprising both juveniles and adults in varying stages of moult, with a maximum of four present on the 17^th. The only other record came from Ardley ERF, where a single bird was noted on the 22^nd. 

Ringed Plover courtesy of Debbie Cummins

Greenshank were more widespread, with birds reported from at least nine sites between the 1^st and 28^th. The first arrival was at North Cross Valley Way on the 1^st, a rather early individual, with the next not appearing until the 10^th and the main passage beginning on the 18^th. Otmoor held the most records and the highest counts, with up to three birds between the 19^th and 28^th.

Courtesy of Geoff Wyatt

However, the most notable record came from John Allen Pit, Dorchester-on-Thames, on the 22^nd, where a flagged and colour-ringed bird was present. Remarkably, it had been ringed just five days earlier, on the 17^th, at Havika on the southern Norwegian coast. Intriguingly, a similarly marked Common Sandpiper was recorded at Farmoor in August 2023, also ringed on the same stretch of coast, although details of the scheme remain sparse.

Greenshank courtesy of Ewan Urquhart    

Dunlin were entirely confined to Farmoor in August, with records starting on the 7^th and birds been reported all the way through until the 30^th. Almost all of these records were of single or flyover records, although two individuals were observed on the site on both the 16^th and the 30^th. After starting their southward migration last month, Black-tailed Godwit records were somewhat sparse within the county’s borders this month. A pair of winter plumaged individuals were present on Pit 60 from the 10^th and were still on site by months end. Two juveniles were at Appleford on the 23^rd, a site now largely inaccessible to the public and perhaps yielding some of its final decent wader records despite its former status as a premier locality. Both Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper continued to pile through the county and the rest of country en masse this month, with 11 and 7 sites, respectively, hosting birds in August. Bicester Wetlands continued to be the premier stopover site in the county hosting a minimum of 11 birds on the 4^th, with 10 still here on the 26^th. Likewise, Farmoor, as it often does, had the highest counts of Common Sandpiper with at least five here on the 23^rd. 

Common Sandpiper courtesy of Debbie Cummins

Most Little Ringed Plover have left their local breeding grounds now, so the majority of the records passing through the county are northern or even continental migrants. At least four sites had birds, although Ardley ERF records may relate to a mixture of locally bred birds and passing migrants. Farmoor had a mixture of juveniles and adults throughout the month, with at least several different birds involved between the 11^th and 27^th. Also likely involving out of county birds, Redshank were at Bicester Wetlands and Farmoor on the 5^th and 23^rd respectively, whilst a Curlew on Appleford GPs on the 17th was notable for a site that probably has more Whimbrel records. 

Little Ringed Plover courtesy of Steve Liptrot

 

 

Wildfowl, game etc

Black-necked Grebe has been the subject of much discussion in recent weeks, particularly among Farmoor regulars, owing to its continued absence from the county year list. So it was a big relief when one was finally picked up on Farmoor on 22^nd. Although the excellent photograph that accompanied the record raised expectations, those who arrived later were met mostly with a Black-necked Grebe–shaped dot in the middle of F1. Unsurprisingly, the bird proved to be a juvenile, but more unexpected was its brief stay — it departed overnight after just a single day on site. 

Farmoor Black-necked Grebe courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

Quail records were little sparse this month, probably in part due to a lack of surveyor effort on the Oxon Downs but also partly due to not being a classic Quail year. A single bird at Swalcliffe on the 1^st was a continuing male from the previous month. Interestingly this individual was particularly showy for the species, often seen in flight between periods of singing and allowing for some excellent photo opportunities for this frequently elusive species. It remained reported until the 2^nd although it is suspected that remained longer than this. 

Quail courtesy of Nick Truby

Otherwise, it was a typically quiet period for the group, with no records of Ruddy Shelduck, a species often expected to appear from the continent in August. Shelduck were only reported from one site this month, with Ardley ERF with two juveniles on the 17^th and 21^st. The first Pintail of the autumn was on Pit 60 on the 29^th, a finely marked female. Red-crested Pochard were mostly confined in their usually westerly distribution in the county, with a single juvenile on Farmoor on the 5^th the only noteworthy record. Mandarin were at three sites, the most notable of which came from Grimsbury on the 10^th – I would guess a somewhat underwhelming patch tick for birders there? A moderately sized flock of 14 at Henley Road GPs seems to point to another good breeding year for the species. Keeping on theme, the Snow Goose flock returned to their wintering grounds on Farmoor with a minimum of 89 here from the beginning of the month.

Herons, egrets etc

In another month, without the drama of a 2^nd record for the county, a juvenile Shag on Farmoor would most likely have been the county highlight for August. Although annual in recent years, Shag have historically been a decent county rarity with not many records of the species in the last decade or two. Part of a country wide influx and as usual off the back of some inclement coastal weather, this juvenile arrived on the 5^th. Inland seabird records don’t often have a happy ending, and this juvenile upon arrival did not look in great condition – often adopting a very odd position on the pumping tower on F1. Despite bouts of looking in decent health, fishing for fry off the pumping tower and even occasionally flying between locations, prolonged periods of looking moribund often followed and unfortunately the bird perished on the 17^th. 

 

The juvenile Shag courtesy of Steve Liptrot

Aside from this somewhat depressing record, it was business as usual for the rest of this group. The Glossy Ibis continued its summer jaunt at Otmoor and to be honest given the weather over the summer, probably felt more at home than the rest of us did. The last record came on the 28^th, although the bird is almost certainly still present into the early part of September. 

Glossy Ibis courtesy of Russell Allen

Cattle Egret continued to amaze with their large number at Otmoor with up to 70 here in the middle part of the month, begging the question of where these birds are coming from? Presumably some are local and locally bred birds but given the size of the colony at Blenheim this doesn’t explain all the individuals. It is possible there are additional breeding colonies around the county that are yet to be discovered, whilst some of these birds are probably also from larger colonies down in Somerset dispersing post-breeding. Aside from Otmoor, a further six sites had records inlcuding a maximum of eight at Kings Lock – presumably enjoying the presence of the new cattle herds along the Thames. Chimney also hosted birds, as it frequently does, and it would not be surprising if a new colony was discovered somewhere near to here in the future. 

Cattle Egret courtesy of Steve Liptrot

Great White Egret were recorded from a minimum of seven sites, with a maximum of three birds from any one site – including Pit 60 and Otmoor on the 17^th and 25^th respectively. Most other records were on single birds in non-breeding plumage, with the most interesting being a red colour-ringed individual at Otmoor. Unfortunately the ring was too worn to read, although it is assumed that the individual is from Somerset as with all the other colour ringed individuals to date – although the first confirmed Hungarian record in the UK came recently, so anything is possible. The Crane continued at Otmoor this month, with the usual pair being reported towards the latter part of the month, 26^th – 31^st and were not reported from any other sites.

Courtesy of Thomas Miller

 Gulls and Terns

August proved a somewhat quiet affair for migrating Gulls and Terns, although a little bit of quality can always help to overcome the lack of quantity. Five Black Tern were reported on Farmoor on the 13^th although by the time wider news had gotten out there was only one left, but showing well enough to be the star in its own right. Also a nice highlight was a cracking juvenile Little Gull into the Farmoor roost on the evening of the 23^rd, a nice reward for the roost count which can often not produce the gold nugget locals are looking for.

Otherwise, it was mostly busy as usual this month with a couple records of Mediterranean Gull and our usual few records of Caspian Gull, albeit involving some different individuals this month. Two juvenile Mediterranean Gull at Grimsbury Reservoir were the first juvs of the autumn and are often a particular highlight for gull lovers in this plumage – arguably one of the finest looking gulls when at this stage. A 3CY bird was also at Farmoor having been picked out roosting amongst the Black-headed Gull roosting on the valve tower, assumed to be the same bird that has been at several sites the previous month. Three sites hosted Caspian Gull this month with the first juveniles been reported at the usual spots of Farmoor and Ardley ERF, whilst a minimum of three were seen in the Farmoor roost on the 21^st. Birds were reported at Farmoor throughout the month. 

Juvenile Caspian Gull courtesy of Ian Lewington

Passerines

One of the absolute stand out finds of the month was a stunning Wood Warbler at Buckland Warren on the 28^th. The first record of the year, with no records in the spring, made the find all the more significant and there are likely very few if any passage records in the autumn, at least not in the recent decade or two. Unfortunately, despite a significant search in the early afternoon, no sign was found except for the flock of crests and tits it had been associating with when it was initially found that morning. 

 

Wood Warbler courtesy of Jeremy Dexter

Although a bit early for Wryneck in the county, a convincing but unconfirmed report of one in Ardington on the 10^th, coincided with a few records from across the country. Unfortunately, no further information was forthcoming and this another record lost to a non-birders garden – one day one of us will get lucky! Another report of one from Otmoor on the 24^th was also pretty convincing, in the newly opened seasonal trail. Unfortunately, despite a decent search no further sign was forthcoming that evening.

The Hawfinch family at Warburg continued to delight locals and out of county folk alike, with a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with a typically elusive species. Although it seems likely that the species has bred before in the county, with vast habitat availability and a lack of sustained surveyor effort, this was the first time a juvenile has been present in the county and potentially constitutes the first breeding record. 

 

Hawfinch courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

As if the hide at Warburg hadn’t seen enough action, the first record of Pied Flycatcher this year also came from efforts from this hide – a female bird on the 26^th seen by only a handful of folk before disappearing on its way south. 

Pied Flycatcher courtesy of CJ Kearns

August has also proved to be an excellent month for Teee Pipit a species that often transits through the county at this time of year in fairly small numbers. Most years only see 5-10 records in total and with a few records in the spring, August has added an additional 13 records to the years total. A combination of good period of weather in the early part of the month, observer awareness and effort later in the month has all contributed to a cracking total for a species that hasn’t historically been on the average county birders radar. The most significant of these records included an urban record on the 10^th from the same garden that brought you a flyover calling Mediterranean Gull – a combination that would make most patch birders happy never mind garden listers! The other significant records came from Elsfield, a cracking set of nocmig records on the 22^nd and 23^rd and a bird in the ringing nets at Port Meadow on the 24^th. With September likely to produce more records, it’s likely we will have a very notable year for the species. Thanks to Tom Bedford for the additional context! 

A Tree Pipit in the hand courtesy of Thomas Miller

Whinchat came from eight sites this month with half the sites recording singles and the other half reporting two birds. Balscote Quarry and Farmoor had the first birds of the year on the 7^th whilst Ardley ERF and Childrey Field both had birds towards the end of the month. 

Whinchat courtesy of Mark Merritt

Redstart were much more numerous and widespread with a minimum of 15 sites reporting birds and maximum of five at one site – Otmoor on the 11^th. Most other sites had single birds although at least four sites had two birds, including Chimney Meadows, Aston Upthorpe, Letcombe Regis and Gramps Hill. After the very early record the previous month, a further eight sites saw there first autumnal passage birds this month. Sites on the Oxon Downs reported the most birds with both Childrey Field and Lark Hill both seeing five birds on the 23^rd and 30^th respectively. 

Restart courtesy of Thomas Miller

The Crossbill irruption into the county continued unabated if somewhat understated compared to the previous month with at least seven sites seeing birds, including at least one decent sized flock of 30+ at Stonor Park on the 3^rd. Otherwise it was mostly singles or small flocks at the remaining sites. Finally, the regular autumn Otmoor Yellow Wagtail roost got well under way this month, with anywhere between 100 and 300 birds, maybe more piling into the reedbed on an evening – a fantastic soundscape in a fitting setting. 

Juvenile Spotted Flycatcher courtesy of Connor Pimm

Raptors

August, typically a quiet month for raptors aside from the occasional migrating Osprey, produced a more varied selection this year. Among the reports was a wholly unconfirmed record of a Black Kite over Heythorp Park on the 18th, which is probably best left without further comment. Easily the standout bird was a juvenile Honey Buzzard photographed in the south of the county, a species with almost mythical status in Oxfordshire. All too often reported and not confirmed, this bird appears to have just passed through the county on its way southward. 

Courtesy of Ian Lewington

Courtesy of Ian Lewington

Another White-tailed Eagle report was frustrating, particularly for those who bird Port Meadow regularly, with one here on the 24^th. You would think that a bird with a near 8ft wingspan would be hard to miss for those of us interested, but having seen how much the introduced birds get around compared with local reports, it is maybe more understandable that no further reports were forthcoming. A single Osprey record at Farmoor on 24^th continued the run of birds that have put in very brief appearances at the site this year. Despite seeming to be a very suitable fishing location, records of lingering birds have been entirely non-existent this year. I wonder if disturbance plays a factor in this, with birds lingering at several sites north and south of us that seem to have less human activity.

Courtesy of Paul Mallarini

Hobby continued to be reported from at least six sites and will probably continue to be reported into the middle if not the latter part of next month. Marsh Harrier, away from Otmoor, were reported at three sites with Days Lock, Letcombe Regis and Pit 60 all reported singles at some point or other during the month.

Patchwork challenge

Patch	Birder	Points	Species	Highlight
Aston eyot	Ben Sheldon
Ardley ERF	Gareth Casburn	113	103
Dix pit	Simon Bradfield
Grimsbury reservoir	Gareth Blockley	105	97
Lye valley	Tom Bedford	68	68
River Thames	Geoff Wyatt	140	123
Sutton Courtenay	Conor MacKenzie	131	115
Radley GP’s	Ian Elkins	106	100
Freeland	Glen Pascoe
South Hinksey	Alex Figueiredo	77	73

Oxon Big Year 2025

After the mostly dry spell of new birds over the summer period, August has proved significantly more fruitful for most of us attempting an Oxon Big Year. Most of this time has seen a lot of effort spent flitting between the two premier sites of Farmoor and Otmoor. Personally I have visited Farmoor on 15 days just this last month - a considerable increase on my usual 1-2 days a month or less in a “normal” year and I suspect this has been the same for everyone else as well. 

In amongst the new birds there have been some painful misses also in the mix, part and parcel of any typical Big Year attempt. Little Stint and Wood Sandpiper would at least prove to be retrievable for those returning from summer holidays. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for a 1-day Black-necked Grebe a not always annual species. A Wryneck record at Otmoor proved elusive despite a decent search of the area after the report and a 2+ hr search for a Wood Warbler in a conifer plantation had me briefly questioning my life choices. Thankfully, almost all of us were available for the Marsh Sandpiper, a real “drop everything you’re doing kind of bird” if there ever was one. Focus now turns to the month of September, where anything really can happen and a month that has some excellent form in recent years for county megas including - Pallid Harrier, Common Nighthawk, Purple Heron and Lesser Yellowlegs all since 2020. Let’s just hope we haven’t peaked too early with the Marsh Sandpiper!

Name	Total
Ben Sheldon	180
Thomas Miller	184
Neil Hayward	157
Conor MacKenzie	186
Simon Myers	173
Peerawat Chiaranunt	176

Work has begun on habitat improvements on our Ashgrave field. This is a major project, with new scrapes and ditches being created, plus a new bund and predator exclusion fence. Visitors should be aware that for 6-8 weeks from mid-August to late September, diggers and dumpers will be working on site, in direct view of the Wetlands Watch hide.

With thanks 

The Otmoor team.

The creation of new scrapes on Ashgrave