September Review

The Highlights

September well and truly delivered on its potential and promise, and who could really doubt it after the year, we’re having? In what is becoming a somewhat repetitive narrative, although who really cares, the county hosted three big county rarities, followed by a much-anticipated county first. 2026 continues to truly be the year that keeps on giving! 

September saw a large influx of American waders across the country, with good numbers of Nearctic Calidris species popping up the length and breadth of the UK. The most interesing of these species, at least from an inland perspective, was Baird’s Sandpiper, which was having a record-breaking year. In the first two weeks of September alone, more than 22 were recorded, despite a normal year producing fewer than 10 records annually, and the birds just kept turning up throughout the month.

For those of us labouring away from coastal and headland hotspots, excitement and anticipation were building as some of these birds appeared to be filtering southwards and turning up at inland sites in the northern counties of England, rather than simply sticking to the coast. This included two birds at inland reservoirs in Staffordshire and South Yorkshire, while another turned up on a fairly innocuous farmland pool in Cheshire. It was enough evidence, for a few of us at least, to take a punt that we might get one of these before one of the many other Yank waders doing the rounds.

Ardley twitch

The question was, where would one, if any, drop in? Farmoor felt the biggest draw, but there was always the risk of suppression or disturbance. Most other sites were dry, so maybe we’d be missed altogether? Thankfully, Gareth Casburn pulled a stunning county first out of the bag on his patch at Ardley ERF on the 20^th. Even better, it was a weekend, meaning almost everyone could react to the news as it broke, me included.

Baird's Sandpiper courtesy of the finder Gareth Casburn

A procession of the county’s birders duly made the trip to the far north of the county to participate in another classic Oxon twitch. There was, of course, a brief moment of sympathy for those Oxon birders who had once again abandoned the county to go birding on the northern isles at the “wrong” time of year and missed yet another county first — but only very briefly. I say this of course, having been burned many times already this year and last, so my own smugness levels were fairly high for a change. 

Oxfords finest watching the Baird’s 

As for the bird, viewing was about as good as you might hope - down to 30m at times with some very helpful screening to boot, offering excellent views. For those unable to react immediately, it remained on site until it was flushed by a Sparrowhawk at 4pm. It briefly returned an hour later, only to disappear altogether later that evening. 

Above courtesy of Ian Lewington and below Nick Truby

 

A huge thanks to Gareth, who got the news out so quickly, and who joins a select group of birders to find an Oxon first. Interestingly, this also appears to be the most inland record of this record influx, although this might change as the record-breaking year for Baird’s continues unabated for now. 

This record, however, was the cherry on top of an already pretty remarkable couple weeks of local birding. Oxon Golf Course, already having a pretty decent autumn, hit the jackpot when a Red-necked Phalarope dropped onto one of their lakes. An excellent find by Nick Marriner, who promptly got the news out on the 5^th. Unfortunately, the golf club was in the middle of one of their big championships and the bird was sitting on a pond at the penultimate hole! Thankfully, Nicks relationship with the club and the green keepers enthusiasm for birders to get on site, ensured smooth access and little disruption to the golfers - a fantastic result for everyone involved. Unlike the last record in early June, this juvenile having likely never seen a human before, was very confiding. To have two chances at a Red-necked Phalarope in any given year, is fairly unprecedented, and a particularly welcome return for any year listers. To delight of many, the bird remained on site until the 8^th. 

The Red-necked Phalarope, courtesy of Ewan Urquhart.

Red-necked Phalarope courtesy of Thomas Miller 

 

Another species that arrived off the back of some anticipation, but in much less fortunate circumstances, was Manx Shearwater. Westerly winds in mid-September can occasionally bring in the odd windswept bird, coinciding with the departure of juveniles from natal colonies on the west coast of the UK. For most, this means stranding in some random field, bundled into a cardboard box and taken into care. Oxon, however, has the huge advantage of Farmoor, which at the very least provides some refuge and, with it, an opportunity for a twitchable bird. It is still remarkable that these birds seemingly manage to home in on the site, often arriving at night and utterly exhausted. And so, almost exactly 12 months to the day, Farmoor hosted another Manx Shearwater. In a year that has had everything, of course, one wouldn’t expect anything less!

The Manx Shearwater courtesy of Nick Truby

Unfortunately, unlike last year’s bird, this one was clearly in a bad way from the get-go. Not quite the “shearing” display we were treated to last year; this poor individual spent its stay struggling not to drown. Having seemingly used the last of its energy to reach Farmoor rather than some dry land, it was clear this was one of those unfortunate individuals unlikely to make it through the day, never mind all the way to South America with its kin. Eventually, someone took the merciful decision to fish it out of the water, once it had washed up close to the causeway. 

Although the westerlies had seemed barely perceptible, the following day produced yet another belting county rarity. To get one Phalarope in a year is a highlight; three records involving two species is almost unheard of, although, both species were recorded as recently as 2018. A Grey Phalarope on Dix Pit on the 19^th was a fantastic find by Steve Sansom. As is often the case with the species, it remained on site for several days, despite almost perfect conditions for an overnight departure. At times it showed down to just a few metres, providing some excellent views and photographic opportunities, although at such close range it was clear that the bird was carrying an injury. These are hardy little creatures, however, and by the 21^st it had departed Dix Pit, presumably heading out to join rafts of its kind somewhere in the Atlantic. This was the first county record since 2023 and another welcome addition to an ever-growing county year list. It was, however, somewhat overshadowed by the county first that followed the next day, capping what had been an epic three days of local birding.

The Grey Phalarope, above courtesy of Nick Truby and below Steve Sansom

 

Finally, the Long-tailed Shrike, one of the birds of the year nationally, finally departed its summer moulting grounds in the Cotswolds. Although it had spent much of the previous few weeks in Gloucestershire, it remained close enough to warrant a mention here. It stayed in its favoured area until the 11^th, with no further reports in the days that followed. Its prolonged stay apparently raised over £7,000 through the £5 “car park” fee. Ignoring the slightly dubious “charity” aspect of the money raised, that equates to a minimum of 1,400 paid visits, with certainly plenty more coming from those who didn’t require the field car park. Surely one of the biggest twitches in Oxon history, although quite where it ranks among all the previous county megas is for someone else to work out!

The Long-tailed Shrike courtesy of Roger Wyatt

 

Long-tailed Shrike courtesy of Phil Jones

 

Waders

After an early record in July and no records in August it was nice to get a couple records of Little Stint in September. Unfortunately, the first of these on the 1^st was only very brief and gone with only a single observer seeing it. Thankfully two more followed on the 26^th, although by the evening this had been reduced to one. 

Little Stint courtesy of Ian Lewington

A single Knot on the 13^th was the third record this year, a decent return for a bird that is often very hard to connect with in the county.  

Knot courtesy of Adam Hartley

Turnstone has also had a very decent year, with three record this month, all from Farmoor.  A single bird went over F1 on the 2^nd, followed up by another decent flock of six on the 3^rd all of which remained on the causeway for a period and by the 4^th only two were left. 

Turnstone courtesy of Steve Liptrot

Six sites hosted Ruff this month, with Pit 60 continuing to be the site of choice for the most birds. The site hosted four birds on the 5^th, which peaked at seven between the 12^th and 14^th, whilst four birds were still present by the 27^th. Stratfield Brake was the most surprising site to host the species this month, with a pair here on the 2^nd. A cracking patch find for one patch birder on this very small urban site; one remained here until the 7^th. Otmoor, Days Lock, Dix Pit and Cassington GPs all hosted individuals, with the latter sites hosting three and two birds on the 6^th and 13^th respectively. 

Ruff, courtesy of David Hastings

Greenshank were only present at two sites this month, with the majority of our passage observed last month. Farmoor had one on the 4^th, followed by a single at Stratfield Brake on the 7^th. Black-tailed Godwit was only at a single site, four at Otmoor on the 1^st. Ringed Plover were present on four sites, with a near omnipresence at Farmoor. The 1^st of the month saw the highest count with five, with one – three recorded most days until the 26^th. Grimsbury hosted one bird early in the month, whilst Pit 60 and NCVW hosted singles on the 5^th and 14^th respectively. Farmoor also hosted the only Dunlin records this month singles on the 12^th, 17^th , 20^th and 25^th whilst two were present on the 13^th. 

Ringed Plover courtesy of Ian Stewart

Farmoor hosted two records of Little Ringed Plover, one on the 1^st of the month followed by another which stayed on site from the 12^th – 14^th. Green Sandpiper were recorded on a minimum of seven sites. Bicester Wetlands Reserve continued to host the highest number, with nine here on the 15^th. Cornwell Marsh and Ardley ERF reported the next highest counts with three a piece on the 3^rd and 20^th respectively. Farmoor was probably the most surprising site to host an individual on the 4^th, whilst Chimney, Henley Road GPs, Pit 60 and Rushy Common were the other sites hosting birds this month. Common Sandpiper were present on five sites, with Farmoor observing the most records. The highest count of three came from here on the 13^th, with another three also at Pit 60 and NCVW on the 5^th. 

Common Sandpiper courtesy of Ian Stewart

 

 

Wildfowl, game etc

The pair of Ferruginous Duck continued to prove elusive in their habits. The female was present on Dix Pit on the 3^rd and 5^th, whilst both were then here on the 6^th. On the 8^th only the male was present, whilst the female was the only bird present on the 10^th, with the male then back again on the 15^th. What followed was an absence of both birds for the next 12 days. The female then popped up on Farmoor on the 27^th, an excellent patch find by one lucky birder and remarkably a first for the site. Firsts for Farmoor are very few and far between these days on a site that boast’s a 226+ species list already, so any addition to that list deserves to be celebrated. Both birds seemingly disappeared for the remainer of the month, although it seems likely they are are still around somewhere in this area of the county.

It was very slim pickings for this group otherwise, with very little to discuss. A lone Goosander on Grimsbury on the 5^th was the only record this month, in fact for at least a couple months. Quite where our local breeders go in the autumn is a mystery! Red-crested Pochard were only on Dix Pit this month, with 11 here on 10^th, whilst Mandarin were on two sites, a sizeable flock of 14 at Henley Roads GPs on the 10^th. More unusually were two at Stratfield Brake on the 2^nd, in what has been an unusually busy month for such a small site,

Herons, egrets etc

Spoonbills are one of those really annoying county birds, that turn up regularly enough but are inevitably untwitchable or brief stayers. This year we’ve already have two records, one a flyover at Rushy Common in February and a brief touchdown of one at Otmoor in April. In any “normal” year that would be more than enough, but not 2026. A trio of birds were found on Pit 60 on the 24^th, to give everyone another chance at seeing this enigmatic species in the county. Staying for an afternoon, preening and sleeping for the majority of that time, meant most who had a need to see this species had a relatively good chance to get there in time.

Spoonbill, courtesy of Jeremy Dexter

Nothing much changed on the scarcer Egret front, with Cattle Egret on five sites, all of which regularly report birds throughout the year. A large flock of around 40 individuals flying over Bablock Hythe was the highest count, seen on the 26^th. A sign that we’re likely to be seeing the roving wintering flock we have all become accustomed to over the last few winters. Great White Egret were across eight sites, a slight uptick from the previous few months. Interestingly more sites this month hosted more than one individual than in previous months, with five of the eight sites hosting two or more birds. Bicester Wetland Reserve hosted three, as did Blenheim, whilst Kirtlington Park had four. The highest county however came from Pit 60 which has whopping nine birds on the 26^th. 

Great White Egret courtesy of Ian Hastings

 

 

Gulls and Terns

Two records of Black Tern were observed this month, a trio of birds on the 15^th followed up by a single late individual on the 30^th. A few days after that trio of Black Tern a trio of Sandwich Tern also bombed through Farmoor on their southward bound migration and also included a Common Tern in their number. A trio of Little Gull kept the theme going for September, two adults accompanying a lone juvenile at Farmoor on the 29^th. Interestingly, presumably two of these same individuals were then heard calling and subsequently seen flying over Kidlington the following day. 

Black Tern courtesy of Lisa Dobson

Until recently Baltic Gull, the nominate form of Lesser Black-backed Gull, was regarded as a bit of a mega rarity. A combination of tricky identification, occurrence timing (during the summer months) and general indifference to subspecies has meant that for most, Baltic Gull has remained completely off the radar. That all changed in 2021, when one dedicated “guller” made it his mission to find a nominate fuscus within Oxon’s borders. You can read Thomas’s excellent account of that summer here - https://tmbirding.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-baltic-gulls-at-appleford.html?m=1 . Inevitably it was he that found a cracking adult bird on Farmoor, on the 7^th. For those that have yet to see a nominate form of Lesser Black-backed Gull, as you can see from the photos, they really are different beast and one I would highly recommend seeing. 

Baltic Gull courtesy of Thomas Miller

A single Mediterranean Gull was on Farmoor on the 29^th, whilst Caspian Gull were on Farmoor and Dix Pit, with the former hosting several different individuals throughout September.

Passerines

Like buses, you wait for one twitchable Wryneck and a 2^nd one comes along the following month. This time it was Days Locks turn, with cracking find on the 25^th. Almost imperceptible in its movements at times, it remained incredibly elusive and camouflaged amongst its favoured hedgerow. It was still present the following day, at least early doors, but remained even more elusive than the previous day. Only seen by a handful of people, it was not to be seen the rest of of the 26^th. 

Wryneck courtesy of Geoff Wyatt

 

Cryptic Wryneck courtesy of Ben Sheldon

The first Rock Pipit of the autumn came late in the month, with two at Farmoor on the 27^th. Both remained on site until the 29^th, whilst Grimsbury Reservoir got its first bird of the season on the 30^th.

Tree Pipit continued to trickle through the county, with three sites seeing birds in the early part of September. Churn Hill and Stonesfield Common both had birds on the 5^th, with the latter site actually having a bird on show briefly. Lye Valley also saw a flyover individual on the 12^th, a site that has become a classic location despite its urban setting. 

Tree Pipit courtesy of Paul Wren

Whinchat were on at least four sites this month, with no sites seeing more than two individuals. Eastleach Downs continued to host up to two birds, whilst Oxon Golf Course also had its own pair. Churn Hill and Cornwell Marsh both had singles towards the end of month.  

Whinchat courtesy of Gareth Casburn

Wheatear were a little more widespread and numerous, with at least 11 sites seeing records. Almost all records involved 1-2 individuals, although classic sites such as Sarsgrove and Lark Hill had four and three respectively. One on a new housing estate on Carterton was the most unusual sighting on the 9^th, whilst Farmoor, which has seen very few this year, had one on the 14^th. 

Wheatear courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

Some late Redstart action came from five sites, although all records came from the first week of the month and only involved singles. A big clear out of Hirundines was noted at Farmoor on the 5^th, with approximately 500 individuals. And finally in a sign that the changing of guard was truly underway, the autumn first Redwing came from Oxford on the 30^th. 

Raptors

Farmoor saw two Osprey records this month, both of which appeared to just power on through the site rather than linger something of a disappointment for local birders. The first was on the 4^th, followed quickly by another on the 7^th. 

Osprey over the city courtesy of Tom Bedford 

The standout record this month however goes to one over Lye Valley on the 12^th. An outstanding record and kudos to Tom Bedford for getting his 2^nd patch Osprey on a site inside Oxford City and that has zero water, clear evidence if it was needed that hours of patch birding can and will be rewarded. 

Osprey courtesy of Roger Wyatt

Hen Harrier were on two sites. After some initial confusion over identification, a ringtail at Eastleach Downs was eventually nailed down as Hen Harrier on the 2^nd. Another ringtail was later seen at Otmoor several times from the 21^st, sometimes from the 1^st screen although across Big Otmoor too. The site also saw the only Short-eared Owl of the period, with one reported here on the 26^th. 

Wing-tagged Marsh Harrier courtesy of Mark Dowie

A  single Merlin was recorded this month, from Ardley ERF on the 27^th, whilst at least five sites saw migrating or wintering Marsh Harrier present. This included a wing-tagged female at Eastleach Downs, which was ringed in Norfolk as a nestling 2023. 

Hen Harrier courtesy of Roger Wyatt

Patchwork challenge

Patch	Birder	Points	Species	Highlight
Grimsbury reservoir	Gareth Blockley	113	107
Lye valley	Tom Bedford	92	87	What a month in the city! Second patch record of Osprey, third Golden Plover, fourth Egyptian Goose, fifth Redstart; plus Hobby and Tree Pipit also NFY. 87 species equals my all-time patch year list record.
River Thames	Geoff Wyatt	154	124	Ruff. Wryneck - double pointer patch tick.
Blewbury Chalkpit	Conor MacKenzie	111	97	Wheatear & Whinchat - double patch tick.
Radley GP’s	Ian Elkins
Port Meadow	Thomas Miller	137	116

County listing ideas

With the publication of 2026 Avilist, bird taxonomy across multiple platforms is being unified – including with the IOC World List, which the BOU British List follows. Some of these changes affect the Oxon list. Hooded Crow is lumped with Carrion Crow, and Green-winged Teal is lumped with Eurasian Teal.

Currently, our county listing leaderboard still includes these taxa as separate species, so it would be good to get people’s opinions on how totals are updated in the leaderboard and give people a chance to update theirs.

There are two main ways to approach this.

1. Strict BOU. No Snow Geese (unless you happened to see the Category A flock over Holywell in 1980), no reintroduction White Storks, White-tailed Eagles, Great Bustard or even Common Crane (not yet Category C as per BOURC). Similarly, birds rejected as escapes are not countable (e.g. Falcated Duck). Barnacle Goose is Category C2 on the British List and is therefore countable.

2. Counting reintroductions (plus Snow Goose and Ruddy Shelduck) – “eBird” type taxonomy, which seems to be of potential interest to county birders. Similar to BOU, but less strict and may solve the issue of potential reintroductions being too difficult to tell apart from wild birds now.

It may then be useful to fill out a checklist for what people have and haven’t seen in the county. The overall county list has already been partially updated to reflect the latest changes.

Kingfisher courtesy of Jason Hornblow