Birds
A minor influx of Red-rumped Swallows was under way in early May with several birds recorded around the UK. The closest being near Guildford in Surrey. As it's a favourite species I decided to finish work early and take a trip down to see it. I got just a short way along the A34 before grinding to a halt in heavy traffic. It was also raining quite hard and pretty miserable. I decided to abort the journey and go to Farmoor. After all the conditions were ideal and there were Red-rumped Swallows about so why not at the reservoir.......
Predictably the place was heaving with hirundines and with a chilly westerly wind blowing and steady rain falling they were feeding low over both reservoirs. I headed up to the top of the causeway and began checking through about 300 Swallows feeding in the lee of the wind, many directly under the lip of the wave wall. The birds were flying directly towards me and doubling back an forth. Within just a minute or two one bird stood out, it had a neat black 'beret' and just as I was taking this in, it flipped round to reveal a glorious pinky white rump! I enjoyed having the bird to myself for a while and then alerted the various keen local birders.
Photo (c) Nic Hallam
Happily it proved to be a most obliging bird. It remained for five days, the predominately cold wet weather effectively preventing it from leaving. It was quite faithful to the south western corner of F.1. were some excellent photographs were taken by local lensman George Reszeter. It was also seen perched on the wave wall and the wire fencing of the reservoir perimeter. It gradually became more elusive as the weather improved and was last seen out in the middle of F.2. on the evening of 12th May.
This was the first record for Farmoor and Oxon and at the time was still a "BB Rarity". It has since come off the list but despite several influx years still remains the sole record.
Reproduced by kind permission of Nic Hallam.
- 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...
- May Highlights
Spotted Sandpiper by Andy Last So we’ve come to the end of May and the start of the summer doldrums. Whilst statistically this month should be the best one for the first half of the year in terms of rarities it had to do pretty well to beat what had...
- November Highlights
Long-tailed Duck Farmoor (c) Andy Last A Red-necked Grebe arrived at Farmoor on the first day of the month and was still present at the month's end. Even in winter plumage these birds look smart and its protracted stay coupled with October's...
- March Round-up
Avocet at Dusk Andy Last Weather wise March came in like a lion...and ummm...went out like a lion. The unseasonably cold weather nationally certainly made a difference to numbers of migrant birds arriving in the country and they were consequently very...
- Goshawk Puts On Great Display Over Wytham
Turned up at Farmoor 11.10 with a force 6 westerly blowing. Went to causeway, scanned Wytham, then Farmoor 1. Then scanned Wytham again and everthing was up at 11:25. At least one Goshawk, a couple of Buzzard, with Male sparrowhawk and Carrion crows showing...
Birds
Red-rumped Swallow Farmoor May 1997
A minor influx of Red-rumped Swallows was under way in early May with several birds recorded around the UK. The closest being near Guildford in Surrey. As it's a favourite species I decided to finish work early and take a trip down to see it. I got just a short way along the A34 before grinding to a halt in heavy traffic. It was also raining quite hard and pretty miserable. I decided to abort the journey and go to Farmoor. After all the conditions were ideal and there were Red-rumped Swallows about so why not at the reservoir.......
Predictably the place was heaving with hirundines and with a chilly westerly wind blowing and steady rain falling they were feeding low over both reservoirs. I headed up to the top of the causeway and began checking through about 300 Swallows feeding in the lee of the wind, many directly under the lip of the wave wall. The birds were flying directly towards me and doubling back an forth. Within just a minute or two one bird stood out, it had a neat black 'beret' and just as I was taking this in, it flipped round to reveal a glorious pinky white rump! I enjoyed having the bird to myself for a while and then alerted the various keen local birders.
Photo (c) Nic HallamHappily it proved to be a most obliging bird. It remained for five days, the predominately cold wet weather effectively preventing it from leaving. It was quite faithful to the south western corner of F.1. were some excellent photographs were taken by local lensman George Reszeter. It was also seen perched on the wave wall and the wire fencing of the reservoir perimeter. It gradually became more elusive as the weather improved and was last seen out in the middle of F.2. on the evening of 12th May.
This was the first record for Farmoor and Oxon and at the time was still a "BB Rarity". It has since come off the list but despite several influx years still remains the sole record.
Reproduced by kind permission of Nic Hallam.
- 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...
- May Highlights
Spotted Sandpiper by Andy Last So we’ve come to the end of May and the start of the summer doldrums. Whilst statistically this month should be the best one for the first half of the year in terms of rarities it had to do pretty well to beat what had...
- November Highlights
Long-tailed Duck Farmoor (c) Andy Last A Red-necked Grebe arrived at Farmoor on the first day of the month and was still present at the month's end. Even in winter plumage these birds look smart and its protracted stay coupled with October's...
- March Round-up
Avocet at Dusk Andy Last Weather wise March came in like a lion...and ummm...went out like a lion. The unseasonably cold weather nationally certainly made a difference to numbers of migrant birds arriving in the country and they were consequently very...
- Goshawk Puts On Great Display Over Wytham
Turned up at Farmoor 11.10 with a force 6 westerly blowing. Went to causeway, scanned Wytham, then Farmoor 1. Then scanned Wytham again and everthing was up at 11:25. At least one Goshawk, a couple of Buzzard, with Male sparrowhawk and Carrion crows showing...