Grimsbury Reservoir: 4th December

Grimsbury Reservoir
Coot: Uncommon here - new for the year. Only the second one I have ever recorded here, I've seen more Med gulls!.
Willow Tit: In the woodland, near to the canal.

Gareth Blockley

4th December

Farmoor
GN Diver 1 - E side FII at 10.10

Standlake
Green Sand 1
White-fronted Goose 1ad - Thames fields
Little Egret 1
Wigeon 300+
Teal 250
Pintail 1m

Bagley Wood: 4th December

Bagley Wood
8 Common Crossbill

Peter Law

Hinksey Park (10am)

Blackcap - 3 (1 female)

Stonesfield Common

Golden Plover 300+ over common and adjacent fields before heading off towards Fawler

Farmoor at Dusk

Light no good for gull roost but a Great Northern Diver was perfectly silloueted at the edge of the thousands of Larids. At least 2300 Jackdaws coming mainly from Wytham direction to roost in the woodland south of the Res. One buzzard flying NE into wind, over the cold waters of F1 towards Wytham and later 2 Buzzard circling together surprisingly late in the fast advancing gloom, overhead of the departing Jackdaw flocks.

Great views around Appleford Pit gulls

402 Canada Geese with 2 Greylags arriving together certainly made the gulls shift to the goose free side, but this chap and his large dog circling the lake in full view had not the slightest effect on anything ! So great views of Iceland flying around at will, Caspian (sedentary), 2 adult Yellow-legged and Badgers 1st W bird, set aganst a background of argentatus Herring Gulls and intermedius L B-backs, G b-backs, Black-headed and 1 adult Common Gull and the sun perfectly behind the car between 1pm and 2pm made for a very worth while visit.

Thrupp Lake, Radley

Earth Trust Birdwatching walk around Thrupp Lake, Radley yielded 31 species in 2 hours. Green Sandpiper, small flocks of Redwing and Lapwing, displaying G.C. Grebes in winter plumage, singing Song Thrush, 3min Kingfisher and perhaps 6 Grey Heron and a personal County tick - Redpoll, probably being the main interest. No Goosander now, but wildfowl included: Wigeon, Mallard, Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall, Tufted, and Pochard. All birds getting increasingly tolerant of people including the gulls, Cormorants and waterfowl.
Collective observations by attending group with Ben Carpenter leading.

Appleford 3rd December

Iceland gull 2w on the Spit Pit at 11:23
Caspian Gull late afternoon
Yellow-legged Gull (ad 1stw)
(per Badger)

Iceland Gull (2ndw) & Probable Caspian Gull

Farmoor Res 3rd December

Great Northern Diver at 07:43 but No further sign after 8a.m (per The Wickster)

Back on F2 at 11:20 (per The Wickster)



photo (c) T.Sherlock

Port Meadow: 3rd December

Port Meadow
Yellow-legged Gull: ad.
3 Pintail: 2m 1f.

Adam Hartley

Leucistic Starling Abingdon (c) M.Flemming

Mike Flemming's website and gallery

Ashbury: 2nd December

Ashbury
6 Corn Bunting: SU278821.

Mark Merritt

Appleford 2nd December

Iceland Gull (2ndw)
Caspian Gull (prob) see Ian's post from 30th Gulls at Appleford
Both on the Spit pit mid afternoon.
View only from Car.

photo (c) Lew

Otmoor RSPB reserve 2nd December

Hen Harrier (f)
Green Sandpiper

Paul Greenaway

Otmoor Birding

Farmoor 2nd December.

Great Northern Diver  F2 ( Late afternoon )
2 Tawny Owl
2 Redshank
1 Common Sandpiper

Port Meadow: 1st December

Port Meadow
Pintail: male.

Adam Hartley

Coleshill: 1st December

5 Common Cranes seen in Coleshill (National Trust Estate), both in am and pm today. Also one dead one in a nearby field.
The dead one did not have any rings. At 4.05pm they flew, north, towards Buscot.

Helen Newton

Otmoor: RSPB reserve: 1st December

Otmoor: RSPB reserve
Merlin: f.

Paul Greenaway