Farmoor Reservoir 31st October

Peregrine

Otmoor Bird Race

A big thank you to everyone who turned out for the annual College Lake and
Otmoor Bird Race. This was the first year the race has been held at Otmoor, 8
teams battled it out for the prestigious trophy.
Due to the dry conditions on the reserve, bird watchers had to work especially
hard to find as many species as possible. In total 70 species were found by all
the teams which is a fantastic effort. The winning team Peter's Pals found an
impressive 59 species, although the tricky Canada goose eluded them!
The bird race record is 60 species, which was at College Lake, so Otmoor will
have to try again in 2013 to beat that impressive total.
All the sponsorship money that will be raised from the event will go towards
BBOWT and the RSPB. I would also like to thank Barry Oxley and the Otmoor and
College Lake volunteers for all their hard work organising the event.
Next year the Race will return to College Lake, where Peter's Pals will be
defending their trophy form the reigning College Lake champions the Double D's.

David Wilding

Port Meadow: 30th October

Port Meadow
Redshank

Mary Gregory

Farmoor Reservoir: 30th October

Farmoor Reservoir
Rock Pipit

Mike Youngman

Dix Pit 30th Oct

Egyptian Goose
Red Crested Pochard c20
Goldeneye
Black Swan

Short-eared Owl (c) Ewan Urquhart

Otmoor 30th October

Hen Harrier 2 (juv & f)
Peregrine
Golden Plover c20
Water rail
Green Sandpiper

Pill

Woodcock
No sign of the Great Grey Shrike

Rushy Common 30th October

Hen Harrier (male)
Golden Plover c300
Lapwing c300
Peregrine

Tar Lakes

Green Sandpiper 2

(per Clackers)

Warburg Reserve: 30th October

Warburg Reserve
Raven

Peter Law

Hoverfly reveals Woodcock

13:50 Trying for closer view of a hoverfly in my father's small garden in north Abingdon resulted in a Woodcock errupting from amonghst the Vebena boreinsis at my feet. Effortless County tick !
Unlike Friday evening dip with Snow Bunting. Compensation through in the form of Noctule, Pips and surface trawling Daubenton's bats in the calm air/water near farmoor causeway.

Farmoor (Oct 29th 8-10am)

no sign of last nights snow bunting
Rock Pipit - 1
Aythya hybrid - 1 (m)
Goldeneye - 2
Redpoll - 2
Common Sand - 1
Redshank - 1

with Tom and Dai.

Otmoor (Oct 28th 4-6pm)

Great Grey Shrike - showing reasonably well but at distance in hedges viewed east from the Pill

Farmoor Reservoir October 28th 2011

http://theparanoidbirder.blogspot.com/

 

Still present 17:40

Knollend Down: 28th October

Knollend Down
2 Corn Bunting
3 Grey Partridge

Mark Merritt

Snow Bunting at Farmoor

Dave John has just phoned to report a Snow Bunting along the causeway at Farmoor, currently near the two small sheds.

Cheers,

Ian

A couple of photos taken by visiting Worcester
birder Brian Stretch who independently came across the bird.

Short-eared Owl Noke

Cholsey: Lollingdon Hill: 27th October

Cholsey: Lollingdon Hill
Wheatear
15 Corn Bunting

Paul Chandler

Roost Reminder

It's that time of year again to post a gentle reminder. If you are lucky enough to come across a roost of harriers, owls, Merlins or any other species that may be vulnerable to disturbance, please keep the location to yourself. By all means submit the record directly to me or Jon Uren and we can check with the land owner that the site is safe (you may prefer to do that yourself). As winter roosts are often traditional, the locations will of course always be kept confidential and never mentioned in any publication.

Thanks again,

Ian

Otmoor 26th October

Both photos (c) Pete Barker

Juv Hen Harrier Otmoor 26th Oct

+Short-eared Owl near Noke 26th Oct

http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/OtmoorBirding