September Highlights

So we're well into Autumn now though with the sunny and calm days of the last week or so you'd be forgiven for thinking that it's still summer. In general such good weather doesn't bode well for birding but there have been a few goodies to make the headlines this month.

Top of the bill goes to a juvenile Red-backed Shrike that spent two days at Otmoor RSPB on the 6th and 7th in July's Meadow next to the new wetland hide. Like buses, this is the third Red-backed Shrike within the last year, marking a remarkable spate of records for what is normally a real county Mega.

Talking of buses, it's been a remarkable autumn for Wrynecks in the county. Not content with a couple of records last month there were two more this month though sadly neither of them was twitchable. One of these cryptic woodpeckers was seen in Burgess Field next to Port Meadow on the afternoon of the 4th and another was spotted briefly at a bird table in a Carterton garden on the 23rd.

Apart from that there was a Pied Flycatcher seen along the River Thame near the town on the 12th. On the rare grebe front there were a couple of sightings with a one day Black-necked Grebe at Farmoor on the 28th and a last-gasp Red-necked Grebe that snuck into the review on the 30th, this may well be the now regular returning wintering bird.

An Osprey was a fantastic sighting along the Thames at Abingdon weir on the 13th before moving off towards the town itself. A Peregrine was seen hunting pigeons over the BMW Mini plant near Cowley on the morning of 2nd - you have to wonder how many of these urban hunting birds might be whizzing above our towns and cities unnoticed. A female Merlin was back at the Devil's Punch Bowl on the 12th with a single seen within the Blenheim Park estate on the 15th and on the RSPB reserve on the 18th, a male was also seen near Adderbury on the 30th.The two Marsh Harriers remained on Otmoor throughout with a single at Dix Pit on the 19th. A possible Honey Buzzard was seen over Oxford on the 17th.

Black-tailed Godwits were seen at Grimsbury reservoir on the 1st and 15th with five at Farmoor in the evening and single birds at Pit 60 on the 8th. Two Whimbrel flew over Farmoor on the 1st. A pair of Ruff came to Farmoor on the 2nd with a third bird arriving on the 3rd. There was a single bird at Pit 60 on the 5th with a pair at the later site on the 12th.

Greenshank numbers seemed down on recent years with singles at Pit 60 on the 3rd and a pair on the dried pit near Sutton Courtenay on the 15th. The first of the winter Golden Plovers started to arrive on the Downs with twelve seen at Lark Hill on the 5th. A Spotted Redshank was a great find at Farmoor on the 13th though unfortunately, like the Little Terns it didn't stop.

Whinchats were to be found in abundance throughout September with three birds in the Upper Cherwell site near to Grimsbury reservoir on the 1st and on Otmoor over the much of the month with numbers peaking at thirteen on the 18th. Two birds were a superb find near Cuddesdon on the 6th, two birds were present at the Devil's Punch Bowl on the 12th and single birds were at Grove airfield over much of the month

Stonechats started to arrive back in the county this month with two at the Devil's Punch Bowl on the 12th, singles at Grove airfield on the 12th and on Otmoor on the 18th with this number rising to three on the reserve by the 25th. Three birds were seen at Churn on the 19th with a single at Lark Hill on the same date; another individual was at White Horse Hill on the 20th and Blewbury on the 27th.

Wheatears were also well represented this month with twelve birds at Churn on the 6th being a notable record.

Redstarts were at Lark Hill near Wantage on the 1st, 5th and the 19th with two birds on the 17th. Single birds were at Lollingdon Hill on the 3rd, Otmoor on the 5th, Letcombe Bassett on the 22nd with a single at Grimsbury res on the 15th (the latter becoming two on the 17th). A female was at Churn also on the 5th, two birds were also seen near Charlton-on-Otmoor on the 6th, a male was also seen along Shifford Lane near Pit 60 on the 12th and three Redstarts were at Grove airfield on the 13th.

A forecast of moderate, south westerly winds had governed that I try my luck for an annual August trip, seawatching in Cornwall, hoping for the big one. And so to Gwennap Head, Porthgwarra, from Tuesday 25th, putting in a daily shift from 6.30am to 8.00pm. Cory Shearwaters had been numerous each day, good numbers of Great Shears, Balearics, Stormies and a few Skuas had been entertaining the assembled birders.  Late Tuesday evening, a very credible candidate for Yelkouan Shearwater rewarded we five hardy remaining stalwarts, but as in The Tales from the Riverbank..."that's another story."

Things quietened down during the afternoon of Thursday 27th, a Minke Whale being the very welcome highlight. For me, a sleep-in was over due and thus I arrived  at PG "late" at 7.30am on Friday 28th. 11 visiting birders had already gathered, scattered among the rocks at Gwennap Head. I was surprised they had already tallied 50 Cory's dawdling slowly West. At around 8.05am, Martin Birch urgently exclaimed "Get on this bird... Look at this" or something of that ilk.  He efficiently directed us on to a lone bird that was already West of the Runnel Stone buoy. As myself, Jeff Burgham, James Garside and others got on to it, the bird was flying directly away from us and it appeared to show the tri-coloured wing pattern of an adult Sabines Gull. Several of us, confidently said Sabines but Martin was not happy with that saying it had a long tail, a feature we couldn't see at this angle, he mentioned Tropicbird as a possibility, with that, the bird banked right, clearly revealing itself as a Tropicbird. A thump of adrenaline surged through me like a lightening bolt, Martin and I shouted Red-billed Tropicbird. Incredibly, the bird circled back towards the coast and returned towards us, within about half distance from shore to the Runnel Stone buoy, although, off to the West of our viewpoint.  It was flying about 10-15 metres above the sea and investigated several Gannets, flying directly to them, and following them for short periods. It had a steady, constant flapping action. As the bird first banked right, and subsequently as it circled, we could see a pale orange bill, black mask through the eye, a substantial black wedge formed by the outer primaries, white triangular trailing edge to the wing from the inner primaries and secondaries and pale grey coverts,  the white tail had protruding central tail feathers that extended beyond the rest of the tail by about an additional half to three quarters of the tail length, it circled for approximately 7 minutes gradually heading West, at one point it had travelled out if view behind the rocks to our right but came back in to view, flying out to sea again. Amid all the high excitement, swearing, and repeated directions, all 12, physically shaking birders got on to the bird.

A cliff-top telephone conversation I had with Ian Lewington, describing the birds features and plumage, would strongly suggest it was a 2nd calender year Red-billed Tropicbird, differing from adult due to bill colour - pale orange as opposed to red, its tail length- not having full length tail streamers, and from a juv by lack of any dark scalloping in mantle/coverts, and again bill colour- pale orange whereas yellow in juv.

Great credit must go to Martin Birch for the initial call and sticking to his first thoughts/impressions on the bird. Manic phone calls and text messaging followed the sighting,  trying to get the news out in case the bird followed the the Land's End coastline.This was followed by, hurried, joyous, congratulatory conversations as the dozen visiting individuals were united in a moment of exhilarating triumph.

I'm writing this account sat in the Logan Rock, Treen, benefiting from WiFi and a pint of Tribute. I'll be in West Penwith for the coming days, sat on a cliff top...watching...waiting...smiling. August in Cornwall...I'll be back next year.

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