Birds
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 in the plantations, but no Water Rails heard or Woodcock flushed. Quick circuit of area found single Blue Tit and Robin, a few Blackbirds and couple of Song Thrush and around 50 Fieldfare and Redwing feeding on haws. As ever two flocks of Long-tailed Tits, which 'alarmed' a glimpsed Sparrowhawk.
Thames found to be still flowing where 43 Greylags, 6 Mallard and single Cormorant and Grey Heron were all very skittish, whilst all arboreal Wood Pigeon appeared moribund.
Back at Thrupp; Teal: 240 counted from east side earlier but later dusk flights to SW must have totalled well over 300(?). Similalry, 5-6 flights of Mallard to SW probably totalled 30.
Pintail: 4 male & 1 female
GC Grebe: at least 1, along with 1 Grey Heron and uncounted Coot, Mute Swan, Tufted, Pochard, Teal, Gadwall, Wigeon, Canada's, the relocated Greylags and Moorhen around the islets, which also hosted a Robin.
Gulls at roost very skittish as ever and many birds not landing but continued northward, leaving around 1200 large gulls and 300 Black-headed at 4.30. Just 2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls were the main interest in the eye-straining murk. The gulls must be keeping the water unfrozen in part, but that don't help the increasingly absent passerines ...
- Otmoor Webs Totals 22/2
Black-headed gull- 39Canada goose- 278Coot- 165Cormorant- 1Curlew- 2Gadwall- 50Golden plover- 3797Great crested grebe- 2Grey heron- 4Greylag goose- 197Lapwing- 4771Little grebe- 1Mallard- 140Moorhen- 19Mute swan- 10Oystercatcher- 1Pintail- 100Pochard-...
- Otmoor Webs Totals, 18/1
Bittern- 1 Black-headed gull- 245 Canada goose- 359 Coot- 72 Cormorant- 5 Gadwall- 36 Golden plover- 3129 Great crested grebe- 2 Grey heron- 3 Greylag goose- 134 Kingfisher- 2 Lapwing- 3033 Lesser black-backed gull- 3 Mallard- 186 Moorhen- 2 Mute swan-...
- Abingdon Sewage Works 3.30 -4.00pm
Chiffchaff 2; Pied Wagtail c250; Grey Wagtail and Meadow Pipit; Redwing c30 and Blackbird 10+; Goldcrest 6 +. Unfrozen Lake opposite: Mallard, Gadwall, Shoveler & Teal; Pochard and Tufted; Coot; GC Grebe 1 & Little Grebe 3; Grey Heron & Cormorant; BH...
- 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...
- Around Abingdon 27th November
Radley Lakes All lakes mostly frozen, apart from most of Thrupp Lake. c.4 Common Gull c.390 Coot c.100 Gadwall c.50 Mute Swan c.16 Pochard c.10 Shoveler c.54 Teal c.13 Tufted duck c.75 Wigeon Wilsham Road Gravel Pits Part of marina frozen, rest all un-iced....
Birds
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 in the plantations, but no Water Rails heard or Woodcock flushed. Quick circuit of area found single Blue Tit and Robin, a few Blackbirds and couple of Song Thrush and around 50 Fieldfare and Redwing feeding on haws. As ever two flocks of Long-tailed Tits, which 'alarmed' a glimpsed Sparrowhawk.
Thames found to be still flowing where 43 Greylags, 6 Mallard and single Cormorant and Grey Heron were all very skittish, whilst all arboreal Wood Pigeon appeared moribund.
Back at Thrupp; Teal: 240 counted from east side earlier but later dusk flights to SW must have totalled well over 300(?). Similalry, 5-6 flights of Mallard to SW probably totalled 30.
Pintail: 4 male & 1 female
GC Grebe: at least 1, along with 1 Grey Heron and uncounted Coot, Mute Swan, Tufted, Pochard, Teal, Gadwall, Wigeon, Canada's, the relocated Greylags and Moorhen around the islets, which also hosted a Robin.
Gulls at roost very skittish as ever and many birds not landing but continued northward, leaving around 1200 large gulls and 300 Black-headed at 4.30. Just 2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls were the main interest in the eye-straining murk. The gulls must be keeping the water unfrozen in part, but that don't help the increasingly absent passerines ...
- Otmoor Webs Totals 22/2
Black-headed gull- 39Canada goose- 278Coot- 165Cormorant- 1Curlew- 2Gadwall- 50Golden plover- 3797Great crested grebe- 2Grey heron- 4Greylag goose- 197Lapwing- 4771Little grebe- 1Mallard- 140Moorhen- 19Mute swan- 10Oystercatcher- 1Pintail- 100Pochard-...
- Otmoor Webs Totals, 18/1
Bittern- 1 Black-headed gull- 245 Canada goose- 359 Coot- 72 Cormorant- 5 Gadwall- 36 Golden plover- 3129 Great crested grebe- 2 Grey heron- 3 Greylag goose- 134 Kingfisher- 2 Lapwing- 3033 Lesser black-backed gull- 3 Mallard- 186 Moorhen- 2 Mute swan-...
- Abingdon Sewage Works 3.30 -4.00pm
Chiffchaff 2; Pied Wagtail c250; Grey Wagtail and Meadow Pipit; Redwing c30 and Blackbird 10+; Goldcrest 6 +. Unfrozen Lake opposite: Mallard, Gadwall, Shoveler & Teal; Pochard and Tufted; Coot; GC Grebe 1 & Little Grebe 3; Grey Heron & Cormorant; BH...
- 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...
- Around Abingdon 27th November
Radley Lakes All lakes mostly frozen, apart from most of Thrupp Lake. c.4 Common Gull c.390 Coot c.100 Gadwall c.50 Mute Swan c.16 Pochard c.10 Shoveler c.54 Teal c.13 Tufted duck c.75 Wigeon Wilsham Road Gravel Pits Part of marina frozen, rest all un-iced....