Birds
Quite a few changes from a few days back - listed here - noticed during Tom Wickens monthly guided bird walk, attended by 7 persons. 0830-1030 4m/2f Pintail flew around F2. 2m/2f Shoveler F2. c30 Teal on river. Pochard and Tufted groups flying frequently. Scaup missing (not even Dai could find them!). Slav Grebe relocated to N/E of F1 after months on S/W. 2m/7f Goldeneye including displaying. Peregrine spooking BH Gulls on the Thames/flooded plain. Sparrowhawk. Buzzard. 2 Mipits east side of F1. Dunnocks and Robin in song. Flock of feeding finches just north of Pinkhill hide parking area, much reduced. VERY quick scan of Thrupp Lake from east side only, around 12noon, did not reveal Smew, but that may well be down to its ability to always be 'the other side' of an island. With Smooth and Great Crested Newts also recorded on the move to breeding sites; changes certainly seem to be happening after Tuesday's sunshine, following a couple of months of stagnation. Long may it continue(?).
- Farmoor Quiet Evening 18.30 - 20.30
Massive fly hatch in hot calm weather Common Tern - 2 appeared at 19.15 on F1, then 4, then back to 2 as 2 left SW B H Gull - Building up to c 16 at sundown Yellow-legged Gull - 2 immatures but possibly more (Heat shimmer across F2) Great Black-backed...
- Radley & Sutton Courtenay 3/4th January
Redhead Smew still on Thrupp Lake feeding actively around the first two islands north of the hide till 2.15pm. Unusually difficult to view. Also 1 Kingfisher. Yesterday, a large count of at least 26 Little Grebe east of Sutton Courtenay at this pit .....
- Radley Lakes Sat 5th March
1 Goldeneye- female (Thrupp Lake) 1 Smew- redhead (Thrupp Lake) 1 Redshank (Lake G) 3 Green Sandpiper (Lake G) 49 Lapwing (Lake G) 26 Cormorant 1 Common gull c. 10 Shoveler c. 10 Pochard c. 30 Teal c.80 Gadwall...
- Radley Lakes Sunday 12th December (pm)
All following birds on Thrupp Lake. (Thrupp Lake ice free along its western side, all other lakes frozen). 2 male and 1 female Goosander 3 male and 1 female Pintail c.490 Coot c.50 Gadwall 24 Mute Swan c.20 Pochard c.815 Teal (of which c.322 in photo)...
- Radley Lakes Mon 6th Dec 2010 2.45-4.45pm
Raw is the word but not as bad as heading towards Farmoor where increasing hawfrost precipitated an about turn. At Radley, all water bodies frozen excepting about western fifth of Thrupp Lake and some deep chanels under heavy willow growth and peaty ground...
Birds
Farmoor and Thrupp Lake: Sat 5th Jan
(c) Stephen Burch www.stephenburch.com
Quite a few changes from a few days back - listed here - noticed during Tom Wickens monthly guided bird walk, attended by 7 persons. 0830-1030 4m/2f Pintail flew around F2. 2m/2f Shoveler F2. c30 Teal on river. Pochard and Tufted groups flying frequently. Scaup missing (not even Dai could find them!). Slav Grebe relocated to N/E of F1 after months on S/W. 2m/7f Goldeneye including displaying. Peregrine spooking BH Gulls on the Thames/flooded plain. Sparrowhawk. Buzzard. 2 Mipits east side of F1. Dunnocks and Robin in song. Flock of feeding finches just north of Pinkhill hide parking area, much reduced. VERY quick scan of Thrupp Lake from east side only, around 12noon, did not reveal Smew, but that may well be down to its ability to always be 'the other side' of an island. With Smooth and Great Crested Newts also recorded on the move to breeding sites; changes certainly seem to be happening after Tuesday's sunshine, following a couple of months of stagnation. Long may it continue(?).
- Farmoor Quiet Evening 18.30 - 20.30
Massive fly hatch in hot calm weather Common Tern - 2 appeared at 19.15 on F1, then 4, then back to 2 as 2 left SW B H Gull - Building up to c 16 at sundown Yellow-legged Gull - 2 immatures but possibly more (Heat shimmer across F2) Great Black-backed...
- Radley & Sutton Courtenay 3/4th January
Redhead Smew still on Thrupp Lake feeding actively around the first two islands north of the hide till 2.15pm. Unusually difficult to view. Also 1 Kingfisher. Yesterday, a large count of at least 26 Little Grebe east of Sutton Courtenay at this pit .....
- Radley Lakes Sat 5th March
1 Goldeneye- female (Thrupp Lake) 1 Smew- redhead (Thrupp Lake) 1 Redshank (Lake G) 3 Green Sandpiper (Lake G) 49 Lapwing (Lake G) 26 Cormorant 1 Common gull c. 10 Shoveler c. 10 Pochard c. 30 Teal c.80 Gadwall...
- Radley Lakes Sunday 12th December (pm)
All following birds on Thrupp Lake. (Thrupp Lake ice free along its western side, all other lakes frozen). 2 male and 1 female Goosander 3 male and 1 female Pintail c.490 Coot c.50 Gadwall 24 Mute Swan c.20 Pochard c.815 Teal (of which c.322 in photo)...
- Radley Lakes Mon 6th Dec 2010 2.45-4.45pm
Raw is the word but not as bad as heading towards Farmoor where increasing hawfrost precipitated an about turn. At Radley, all water bodies frozen excepting about western fifth of Thrupp Lake and some deep chanels under heavy willow growth and peaty ground...