The Ridgeway at Streatley 9th June

Great Bustard

Great Bustard

Tawny Owl juv

Great Bustard just over the border in Berkshire. Seen in with sheep, flushed by a sheepdog and flew into Oxfordshire and not relocated. This is a tagged bird "White 17 on a black background", a first summer female.

Farmoor 9 June

Many Swifts, also Swallows, House Martins and a few Sand Martins + Common Tern

Swift (c) Stephen Burch

Otmoor 9th June

Dunlin
L.R.P 2
Hobby
Little Egret 2
Tawny Owl
Quail (h)
Turtle Dove 1+
Cuckoo 2+
Gropper 1

Bark was once again interviewed on 
Radio Oxford this morning talking 
about the flora & fauna to be seen on 
Otmoor.For those who missed it, its 
available to listen to again here
BBC Radio Oxford 


Otmoor Birding

Henley Road GPs: 8th June

Henley Road GPs
7 Egyptian Goose

Marek Walford

Otmoor 6th June PM

1 Quail (Calling on Closes)
1 Dunlin
2 LRP
1 Little Egret
1 Turtle Dove
3 Cuckoo
1 Barn Owl
1 Oystercatcher
4 Curlew
2 Gropper

Farmoor 6th June

Sanderling 11 along causeway at 08:50 (per Dai)
Still present at 12:30 (per Peter Law)

(c) Dai

The Insomniac Birder

(c) George Brooks

Churn: 5th June

Churn
3 Corn Bunting

Steve Goddard

Port Meadow: 5th June

Port Meadow
Little Gull
58 Mute Swan
Red Kite

Sydney Penner

Otmoor.A.M. 5th June.

Quail (calling on Closes)
2 Raven (over Greenaways)
1 Turtle Dove (Bridleway)
2 L.R.Plover Big Otmoor scrape)
2 Dunlin (Big Otmoor scrape)
No sign of Little Stints.

Port Meadow: 4th June

Port Meadow
3 Dunlin
2 Shelduck
Red-crested Pochard: m.
Little Gull: 1s.
Yellow-legged gull

Adam Hartley

Otmoor Monday 4th

Some shots of the six Little Stints and one Dunlin on Otmoor this morning. They were moving between the two scrapes on Big Otmoor better pictures to follow on the blog

Stints and Dunlin (c) Peter Barker

(c) Derek Woodard

Little Stint 6
Dunlin 1
Little-ringed Plover 2
Little Egret 5
Quail (h) off Otmoor Lane (per The Wickster)

Otmoor Birding

Rushy Common 4th June

Peregrine
Red-crested Pochard 5
Cuckoo

(per Clackers)

Otmoor 4th June

5 breeding plumage little stints on Big Otmoor

Per Peter Barker

Turtle Dove Marsh Lane Marston (per Hugh Wiggins Oxonbirds)

Henley Road GPs: 3rd June

3rd June

Henley Road GPs
2 Egyptian Goose

Sonning Eye GPs
2 Oystercatcher
Hobby

2nd June

Crog Hill
Curlew

Marek Walford

Radley 2nd June

Avocet

Avocet

Avocet

Avocet  on the Plover Pit at Radley (per Ben Carpenter)
Still present at 15:20 (per Badger)
Little-ringed Plover
Redshank 2
Lapwing 2+

Access off Thrupp Lane. Park near the Sandles building and take the main 
track past Thrupp Lake (on the right). At the end of the main track, take
the path off to the left opposite the white metal barrier/cycle track.
The small flooded ash pit (Plover Pit) is on the left c100yds.


Third record for Radley and second record this year for the county.

Port Meadow: 2nd June

Port Meadow
16 Ringed Plover
2 Dunlin
2 Shelduck

Adam Hartley

Farmoor 2nd June

Honey Buzzard (flew over heading north approx 14:37 per Dai)
Osprey (09:00-09:15 then flew N/W per The Wickster)
Sanderling 2
Ringed Plover 7
Dunlin 1

More from the Res at
The Insomniac Birder

Turtle Dove purring near Bampton (per Alan Larkman)

Otmoor 2nd June

Quail (calling from The Closes at 13:30)
Ringed Plover 6 (pools on Big Otmoor)
Little-ringed Plover 2
Curlew
Turtle Dove 4
Cuckoo
Grasshopper Warbler 3

Some video on Otmoor Birding

Churn 1st June

The Downs: South of Blewbury
17 Corn Bunting: 14 singing males counted between end of metalled road (Woodway) and the Ridgeway with another 3 in the immediate vicinity of the Ridgeway. SU5383.

The Downs: South of Blewbury
2 Curlew: SU5383.

The Downs: South of Blewbury
2 Grey Partridge: Flushed by dog walker. SU5383.

Mark Merritt

Otmoor: RSPB reserve: 1st June

1st June

Otmoor: RSPB reserve
2 Turtle Dove: In trees along main path to hide, plus one purring near car park.
2 Cuckoo: At least two: calling regularly.
Grasshopper Warbler: In reedbed: from path to second screen.

Steve Goddard

Sonning Eye GPs: 1st June

Sonning Eye GPs
2 Oystercatcher: Flew over from the east, calling, and landed on the rowing course bund.

Henley Road GPs
2 Egyptian Goose

Marek Walford

Port Meadow: 1st June

Port Meadow
Little Gull: 1s.
Red-crested Pochard: m.
Little Ringed Plover
6 Ringed Plover
Dunlin
5 Little Egret
51 Mute Swan

Adam Hartley

Otmoor 31st May

Linnet

Curlew

Whitethroat

Chiffchaff

Redshank

Linnet

Reed Warbler

Photos (c) Nigel Forrow

South Stoke 31st May

Cuckoo

Long live the Buzzard

Port Meadow: 31st May

Port Meadow
2 Garganey: 1m 1f.
Red-crested Pochard: m.
3 Ringed Plover
Dunlin
Redshank
2 Shelduck

Adam Hartley

Good News For Buzzards

It looks as if the Buzzard issue has been sensibly resolved at least for the present so well done to the powers that be for listening and acting in the interests of this marvellous bird and the countryside in general.
Thought i'd post a picture of a Yellowhammer celebrating the good news today at Stanford-in-theVale.

camboy

Henley-on-Thames: 30th May

Henley-on-Thames
35 Common Crossbill: Private site (per Hugh Netley).
Spotted Flycatcher: Private site (per Hugh Netley).

Marek Walford

Abingdon - Drayton Road Allotments: 29th May

Abingdon - Drayton Road Allotments
Cuckoo: heard calling in the distant south east.

Dave Godfrey

Otmoor: RSPB reserve: 28th May

Otmoor: RSPB reserve
2 Quail
Turtle Dove
Curlew

Paul Boult

Otmoor 29th May

Drake Garganey on Ashgrave
Gropper in carpark field
Hobby
Turtle Dove

Terry Tossell

Port Meadow: 29th May

1 "Channel" wagtail: male
2 Ringed Plover
Dunlin
2 Shelduck
1 Little Gull: 1s.
3 Little Egret

Adam Hartley

More at Port Meadow Birding

Cholsey 29th May

Quail
Yellow Wagtail

More at Cholsey Wildlife

Horley: 29th May

Horley
Spotted Flycatcher: singing.

Michael Hunt

Otmoor 29th May

Grasshopper Warbler

Thrupp Lake Radley Monday etc

Kingfisher; Mute Swans with just one cygnet showing for the first time and still two pairs of Common Terns on BH Gull island despite idiots in inflatable deliberately disturbing the birds into the air yesterday (Police informed and responded). Downy Emeralds seen between 14:15 and 17:15 on Thrupp plus two other flooded pits. Small Blue butterfly as well on St Davids meadow. Female Mallard feeding inside the main trolley park outside entrance to Abingdon Tesco Extra this evening. On Sunday evening, Cetti's singing just SE of Barton Fields nature reserve, Abingdon,

Port Meadow: 28th May

Port Meadow
Little Gull: 1s.
2 Shelduck
Red-crested Pochard: m.

Adam Hartley

Otmoor 27th May

Whitethroat

Drumming

Snipe

Several Snipe drumming early morning.

Abingdon - Drayton Road Allotments: 27th May

Abingdon - Drayton Road Allotments
Cuckoo: heard calling to the south.

Dave Godfrey

South Leigh
Cuckoo: calling near village and earlier in the day.

Richard Catling

Grimsbury Reservoir: 27th May

Grimsbury Reservoir
5 Little Egret: Flew from the pool created from the flood alleviation work just north of the reservoir (per Clive P).

Gareth Blockley

River Thames Iffley to Sandford 27th May

14 Common Crossbill: Over....North along the Thames. Second Crossbill encounter in a very unexpected place in 3 days. What's going on?!.

Radley GP River Thames
4 Oystercatcher: Driving away a Kite.
Garden Warbler

Mark Merritt

Peacock Nuneham Arboretum (c) Mike Flemming

Garsington: 27th May

Garsington
Cuckoo: calling in fields between Oxford Rd and B480.

Peter Law

Port Meadow.A.M. 27th May.

3 L. Egret
2 Oystercatcher
1 R.C.Pochard
1 Common Tern (Wolvercote end).

Farmoor 27th May

Turnstone 2
Short-eared Owl (Shrike Meadow)

(per Dai)

The Insomniac Birder

Port Meadow: 26th May

Port Meadow
6 Ringed Plover
Red-crested Pochard: m.
Peregrine

Adam Hartley

Farmoor 26th May

Sanderling 2
Dunlin 2
Ringed Plover

(per Dai)

Stratfield Brake: 26th May

Stratfield Brake
Cuckoo: Heard only.

Nick Suckling

Otmoor 26th May

3 Grasshopper Warbler (1 in carpark field. 2 near second screen).
Oystercatcher: On first scrape (Big Otmoor).
10 Redshank: Unusual sighting 10 hovering together in a group, just off the ground, on big Otmoor.
Garganey (Male) flying from Big Otmoor onto Ashgrave. flying with three other ducks. Didn't have time to I.d. as they disappeared over hedge. Four Gargany ?.
Turtle Dove
Curlew
Little ringed Plover 1 (Badger)
Hobby 4+

Peter Coombes

Cuckoo 1 of 3 Otmoor (c) Terry Sherlock

Otmoor Reed Warbler (c) Ewan

Complete weekend round up at 

Otmoor Birding

Grimsbury Reservoir: 26th May

Grimsbury Reservoir
Spotted Flycatcher: Next to the canal in large ash at footpath junction.

(Gareth Blockley)

North Abingdon
Spotted Flycatcher 3

(Badger)

Shipton-on-Cherwell 25th May

Spotted Flycatcher: In Holy Cross churchyard.

Steve Goddard

Port Meadow: 25th May

Sanderling
3 Dunlin
27 Ringed Plover
Little Gull: 1s.
2 Little Egret
2 Shelduck

Adam Hartley

Red-crested Pochard

Steve Goddard

Farmoor 25th May

Little Gull

(per Dai oos)

Otmoor: 25th May

Otmoor
Grasshopper Warbler: Calling from carpark field.
Peregrine: Circling near hide with buzzard and red kite.
Ringed Plover: On 1st scrape (Big Otmoor).
Curlew

Peter Coombes

Otmoor Birding

Linnet

OOS conservation officer has winter/spring fed Linnets for the last two year and it looks as if it paying off -i'm finding Linnets every time I bird - previously these sites were barren.

camboy

Wantage: 25th May

Wantage
10 Common Crossbill: Jupp-jupping their way over to the East. Nice!.

Mark Merritt

Great crested Grebe Otmoor (c) David Cuddon

Otmoor 24th May

White-tailed Eagle imm NE of Oxford flew SW over Otmoor RSPB at 4.15pm.
(per RBA)

Anyone know who or where this report has come from?

Port Meadow: 24th May

Port Meadow
2 Little Gull: 1s.
Shelduck

Adam Hartley

Buscot & Grafton Lock

Turtle Dove and 6 House Martins at Buscot. 2 Common Terns 1 Bullfinch 1 Tree Sparrow at Grafton Lock.

camboy

Clocked Eynsham Area

Three Cuckoo's one Blackcap One Garden Warbler.
camboy

Port Meadow: 23rd May

Port Meadow
2 Little Gull: 1s. (Still present). SP4908.

Phil Chapman

Garsington 23rd May

Cuckoo: calling in fields between Oxford Rd and B480.
Grey Partridge: in lane from B480 to Toot Baldon.

Peter Law

Cuckoo (c) Terry Sherlock

Cholsey: 22nd May

Cholsey
Spotted Flycatcher

Cholsey: Bow Bridge
Lesser Whitethroat

Cholsey: Cholsey Marsh Nature Reserve
3 Willow Warbler
Hobby

Cholsey: Lollingdon Hill
Yellow Wagtail: flyover.
Hobby
5 Corn Bunting

Paul Chandler

More at Cholsey Wildlife

Kingham

Spotted Flycatcher 2

(per Ewan)

Heythrop: 22nd May

Heythrop
2 Corn Bunting
2 Spotted Flycatcher

Michael Hunt

Otmoor 22nd May

Shelduck

Curlew

Lesser Whitethroat

Grasshopper Warbler 2 in field by the car park and one by second screen, Greenshank over, 3 Turtle Doves, and many Hairy Drogonflies.

Port Meadow 22nd May

Little Gull 1st S

Little Gull 1st S

Little Gull 1st S

Garganey

Old Marston: 2nd May

Golden Oriole fem. SP520091.

NB Please note the date  - this is a record from a few weeks ago.

Farmoor May 22nd (05:30 - 09:15)

Whimbrel - 1 (heard)
Hobby - 2
Barn Owl - 1
Cuckoo - 1
Garden Warbler - at least 1
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Common Tern - 5

Tuesday 22nd May Port Meadow

Drake Garganey on Port Meadow (per Dave Lowe)

Port Meadow: 21st May

Yellow Wagtail Male blue-headed (ssp. flava).
6 Grey Heron
2 Little Gull: 1s.
3 Shelduck

Sydney Penner

Cetti's Warbler at Abingdon Tesco this evening

Eynsham: Oxford Road: 20th May

20th May

Eynsham: Oxford Road
Cuckoo
Tawny Owl: In roost/nest hole in willow tree.

Andrew Petersons

Otmoor 21st May

Turtle Dove: In trees along Roman Road, first heard from the car park.
Grasshopper Warbler: Nr 2nd screen

(Jackie Newcombe)

Marsh Harrier
Hobby 4
Short-eared Owl (car park field)
Cuckoo 3

(Badger)

Long Wittenham: River Thames: 20th May

Long Wittenham: River Thames
Oystercatcher: SU547945.

Anni Byard

Farmoor 21st May

Marsh Harrier at Farmoor (per Dai)

Port Meadow: 20th May

Port Meadow
Little Gull: 1s. Only saw one though the other one was probably around somewhere.
2 Shelduck
100 Swallow: At least. Also quite a few swifts, sand & house martins.

Adam Hartley

Chimney: Chimney Meadows: 20th May

Chimney: Chimney Meadows
Cuckoo: Heard only.
Grasshopper Warbler: Heard only.

Mark Merritt

Farmoor 20th May

Black Tern 2 (on F1)

(per Dai)

Also:
Adult Kittiwake on F2 (per Dai)
though no further sign by 11a.m. (per Tom Wickens)

The Insomniac Birder

Port Meadow: 19th May

Port Meadow
2 Little Gull: 1s.
2 Shelduck
48 Mute Swan

Adam Hartley

Farmoor 19 May

Dunlin

(c) Stephen Burch. To view a higher res version, click here.

Also
Ringed Plover 5
Shelduck 2
(per Dai)


Whimbrel (h) (Andy Last)

Otmoor 19th May

Short-eared Owl
Oystercatcher 2

(per Oz)

Chimney: Chimney Meadows: 19th May

Chimney: Chimney Meadows
Curlew

Mark Merritt

Abingdon - Drayton Road Allotments: 18th May

Abingdon - Drayton Road Allotments
Cuckoo: heard calling on and off for an hour or so.

Dave Godfrey

Marcham Hobby

15:45 Hobby flew at an amazing attack speed SSW across garden and across Hyde Farm/Garden Centre. No obvious prey species in sight. First for garden list.

Sonning Eye GPs: 18th May

Sonning Eye GPs
Cuckoo

Henley Road GPs
Cuckoo

Marek Walford

Port Meadow: 18th May

Little Gull: 1s.
4 Shelduck

Adam Hartley

More at Port Meadow Birding

Farmoor 18th May

Turnstone 2
Sanderling
Greenshank
Oystercatcher
Ringed Plover

(per Dai & Lesley Staves)

(c) Dai

More from the Res at
The Insomniac Birder

Port Meadow: 17th May

Port Meadow
2 Little Gull: 1s.
Oystercatcher
2 Shelduck

Adam Hartley

Farmoor 17th May

Greenshank
Ringed Plover 2
Swift c500
Garden Warbler 3
Barnacle Goose

(per Ewan)

More from the Res at
The Insomniac Birder