Birds
A Hawfinch at Lockinge was a nice find on the 14th.
- October Highlights & News
Merlin Otmoor courtesy of Derek LaneHeadline Birds So that's October been and gone now. Statistically the best month of the birding calendar year though with an inland county of course it can be very hit and miss. As I look down at the list of headline...
- September Highlights
Little Stint by Andy Last Headliners So here we are in proper autumn now but whilst the east coast has been bombarded by wave after wave of drift migrants with Wrynecks, Barred Warblers and Red-breasted Flycatchers dripping from every bush sadly here...
- December Highlights
Iceland Gull by Andy Last Once again the concrete basin took most of the limelight this month and once again it involved a pelagic county mega; also a potential first for Britain but only a second for Oxon stopped off at nearby Stanton...
- September Round-up
Wryneck on Otmoor courtesey of Andy Last September, a month traditionally offering up some choice birds to the discerning birder and low down dirty county lister's alike, sadly held few surprises .This month the highs referred more...
- August County Round-up
Black Tern Farmoor Reservoir (c) Andy Last The month started with a notable passage of Common Terns with numbers peeking at upward of 100 birds at Farmoor on the 2nd. A slow build up of wading birds over the course of August kicked off with 3 Whimbrel...
Birds
July Round-up
Spotted Flycatcher (c) Andy Last
In what is the quietest month in the birding calender July still held a few surprises. The Female Marsh Harrier continued its residency at Otmoor throughout with a male bird seen at Standlake on the 5th. Last months star attractions the Bearded Tits remained at Otmoor RSPB although they were frustratingly elusive at times; the two calling Quails were also still around and equally elusive. Much more cooperative were the Turtle Doves on Otmoor which have raised at least two young.
Not all the news came from the Moor... a single Black Tern graced Farmoor Reservoir on the 11th with a second adult bird on the 22nd. A female Common Scoter, part of a mini influx in the midlands, arrived at the res on the 14th and was still present the next morning though by early evening the female was replaced by a male Common Scoter. No less than five Sandwich Terns were at Farmoor on the 22nd together with three adult Mediterranean Gulls.
Redstarts continued to trickle back through the county with individuals at Linky Down on the 16th Lollingdon Hill on the 23rd and Aston on the 28th. Mandarins bred in the south of the county with three young and three adult females on the new workings at Sonning Eye GPs on the 21st.
Yellow-legged Gull numbers increase in the county over the summer with 50+ also noted at the res on the 22nd. Passage wader numbers started to increase through the month with small numbers of returning Turnstones, Dunlin (numbering up to 10 at Farmoor on the 30th), Greenshank, Common and Green Sandpipers, Black-tailed Godwits and a couple of fly-through Whimbrel at Farmoor and Abingdon.
Sandwich Tern Farmoor 22nd July (c) N.Hallam
- October Highlights & News
Merlin Otmoor courtesy of Derek LaneHeadline Birds So that's October been and gone now. Statistically the best month of the birding calendar year though with an inland county of course it can be very hit and miss. As I look down at the list of headline...
- September Highlights
Little Stint by Andy Last Headliners So here we are in proper autumn now but whilst the east coast has been bombarded by wave after wave of drift migrants with Wrynecks, Barred Warblers and Red-breasted Flycatchers dripping from every bush sadly here...
- December Highlights
Iceland Gull by Andy Last Once again the concrete basin took most of the limelight this month and once again it involved a pelagic county mega; also a potential first for Britain but only a second for Oxon stopped off at nearby Stanton...
- September Round-up
Wryneck on Otmoor courtesey of Andy Last September, a month traditionally offering up some choice birds to the discerning birder and low down dirty county lister's alike, sadly held few surprises .This month the highs referred more...
- August County Round-up
Black Tern Farmoor Reservoir (c) Andy Last The month started with a notable passage of Common Terns with numbers peeking at upward of 100 birds at Farmoor on the 2nd. A slow build up of wading birds over the course of August kicked off with 3 Whimbrel...