Blog Header Text

For questions you can contact Adam at: adamchartley "at" gmail "dot" com or Jason at: jasoncppk "at" yahoo "dot" co "dot" uk

Friday 19 April 2024

Port Meadow: 19th April

Port Meadow
Dunlin
4 White Wagtail
12 Yellow Wagtail
6 Shelduck
3 Oystercatcher
2 Great White Egret

Adam Hartley, Steve Lavington

Standlake Pit 60: 19th April

Standlake Pit 60
2 Pintail: fem. 17:52.
8 Great White Egret: 6 in field to east of LL hide 2 north shore. 17:52.

Mick Cunningham

Farmoor Reservoir 19th April

Sanderling 2 along the causeway 13:47
Dunlin

(per Paul Butler)

Rushy Common 19th April


Seventeen Black-tailed Godwit still present on the island this morning. 

Viewable from the car park.

David Hastings


Black-tailed Godwit © David Hastings

Woodstock 19th April

No sign of any Waxwings by 09:14 
(per Dave Doherty). 

Bicester Wetlands Reserve 19th April

Grasshopper Warbler singing from the back of the main pool 08:41 (JFT).

Key holder reserve.

Otmoor Lesser Whitethroat

 

Singing Lesser Whitethroat (c) Bark

Thursday 18 April 2024

Cholsey 18th April

Tree Pipit heard flying north over Cholsey Station 

(per Richard Broughton).

Port Meadow: 18th April

Port Meadow
2 Grasshopper Warbler: In Burgess Field this morning.
2 Snow Goose
 

Thomas Miller

Appleford GP: 18th April

Green Sandpiper 1
Yellow Wagtail 1

Woodstock 18th April

Waxwing 21 still present 17:50 SE of Woodstock and just west of Bladon by river Glyme viewed from path just east of Lince Bridge 

(per RBA, Glen Pascoe, Gareth Casburn).



Otmoor rspb 18th April

Grasshopper Warbler in Morleys
Sedge Warbler
Cetti's Warbler 
Swallow
Cuckoo
Bittern 2

(et al)

Farmoor Reservoir 18th April 2024



White Wagtail 3
Oystercatcher 2
Common Shelduck 3
Grasshopper Warbler 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Sand Martin 50+

Cuckoo 1 poss 2
Peregrine 1


Blenheim 18th April

Egyptian goose - 2 pairs, and a lone male possibly with a mate on a nest somewhere. 1 pair has three young having started with 6.

Goosander - 1

Oystercatcher - 2

Sand martin - c50

Lesser black-backed gull - 4 (2 pairs)

Willow warbler - 1

Sedge warbler - 1






Rushy Common 18th April

Black-tailed Godwit 17 at 12:41 viewable from the carpark (per Ewan Urquhart).

Cutteslowe: Cutteslowe Park: 18th April

Cutteslowe: Cutteslowe Park
2 Oystercatcher: flying west. 08:22.

Nicholas Boyd

Wednesday 17 April 2024

Rushy Common: 17th April

Rushy Common
3 Black-tailed Godwit: Probing in mud on island in lake in front of NR car park. SP382073. 02:10.

John Pimm

Childrey: Childrey Field: 17th April

Childrey: Childrey Field
6 Wheatear
6 Grey Partridge
2 Yellow Wagtail

Mark Merritt

Chipping Norton: 17th April

Chipping Norton
12 Sand Martin: A mixed flock of Sand Martin and Swallow hawking for insects over the fast flowing waters at Swailford Bridge nr Cornwell. SP283263. 13:00.
15 Swallow: Estimate of numbers. SP283263. 13:00.

Steve Akers

Otmoor: 17th April

Otmoor
2 Crane: On Greenaways. 09:30.
6 Redshank: At least. 09:30.
Cuckoo: Heard along Greenaways path. 09:30.
2 Marsh Harrier: At least. 09:30.

Jim Rose

Letcombe Regis: Blandys Farm: 17th April

Letcombe Regis: Blandys Farm
2 Yellow Wagtail: Two birds on the ground by the flooded area next to the pond. SU374865. 11:00.

Devil's Punchbowl
Whinchat: Briefly on a wire fence. SU357854. 11:00.

Geoff Dymott

Whinchat courtesy of Geoff Dymott.


Yellow Wagtail courtesy of Geoff Dymott.

Farmoor Reservoir 17th April

Arctic Tern 2 over F1 10:48 (per RBA).

Rushy Common: 17th April

Rushy Common
Black-tailed Godwit: On island in lake in front of car park-walking around probing into ground. SP382073. 11:08.

John Pimm

Tuesday 16 April 2024

Tackley 16th April

Cattle Egret 5 
Little Egret 
On flooded water meadows at Northbrook Bridge
Wheatear Creasy Hill

(per John Reynolds).

Port Meadow: 16th April

Port Meadow
10 Yellow Wagtail
2 Great White Egret
2 Sand Martin 

Steve Lavington, Katie Wright

Standlake Pit 60 - 16 April

Record shots of the super distant female Garganey found by Mick Cunningham: 

Female Garganey on the north shore from the Langley Lane hide © Stephen Burch

Female Garganey with male Teal © Stephen Burch

Otmoor: RSPB reserve: 16th April

Otmoor: RSPB reserve
2 Hobby: 2 over the lagoons. SP558137. 15:00.

Adrian Johnstone

Farmoor Reservoir 16th April

Arctic Tern 4  still present 11:30
Common Tern 2
Osprey went through
Cattle Egret 10
Red-crested Pochard 2
Common Sandpiper 7
Lesser Whitethroat 
Whitethroat 5
White Wagtail 
Wheatear

(per Roger Wyatt, Justin Taylor et al)

Courtesy of Trudi Rowland.



Aston Upthorpe: 16th April

Aston Upthorpe
6 Wheatear: SU834546. 15:53.

Frances Buckel

Chinnor: Cement Works: 16th April

Chinnor: Cement Works
2 Oystercatcher: Lake 2b. 11:00.
5 Little Ringed Plover: Lake 2b. 11:00.
Common Sandpiper: North end of Lake 2b. 11:00.
Willow Warbler: Singing south of the fishing lake. 11:00.

David Stracey

Chipping Norton: 16th April

Chipping Norton
2 Raven: pair. One with egg in beak. SP283268. 12:30.
7 Swallow: Feeding over the small lake and marsh near Cornwell. SP283268. 12:30.
Blackcap: m. Singing male. SP283268. 12:30.
4 Chiffchaff: SP283268. 12:30.
Grey Wagtail: SP283268. 12:30.
4 Pied Wagtail: SP283268. 12:30.
4 Reed Bunting: SP283268. 12:30.
3 Grey Heron: SP283268. 12:30.

Steve Akers

Standlake Pit 60: 16th April

Standlake Pit 60
Garganey: f. On north shore. Asleep 90% of time. Otherwise quiet. 2 pintail 2 common sand. Cc Marsh Harrier. 12:40.

Mick Cunningham

Grimsbury Reservoir: 16th April

Grimsbury Reservoir
Osprey: flew through north-west just before 7am.
Redstart: singing male on eastern side of the river.

Gareth Blockley

Abingdon: Peep-o-Day Lane: 16th April

Abingdon: Peep-o-Day Lane
50 Sand Martin: 50+ hawking over the lane near angling car park, seems like there has been a big arrival today. 2+ Swallow mixed in. SU493951. 08:45.

Philip Chapman

Abingdon: Abingdon Bridge: 15th April

Abingdon: Abingdon Bridge
Common Sandpiper: Flew low eastwards up the Thames during my lunchtime stroll. SU500970. 12:45.

Philip Chapman

Monday 15 April 2024

Farmoor Reservoir 15th April

Arctic Tern 20 still present on F1 12:16 
Caspian Gull
Dunlin 2
Common Sandpiper 5
White Wagtail

(per Roger Wyatt et al).

Aston Upthorpe: 15th April

15th April

Aston Upthorpe
4 Wheatear: fem. Seen in field west of grain store. SU549845. 16:30.
2 Wheatear: fem. One seen in field south of the Ridgeway and the other in ploughed field southeat of Lowbury Hill. SU540825. 17:30.
6 Wheatear: 4 male and 2 fem. JuniperValley - very confiding, probably trying to escape very blustery conditions. SU543832. 18:45.

Steve Violette

Standlake: West Oxon Sailing Club Lake: 15th April

Standlake: West Oxon Sailing Club Lake
2 Arctic Tern: Patrolling in strong wind. 19:28.
2 Reed Warbler: In song. Modest, but obvious, passage of hirundines. 19:28.

Mick Cunningham

Grimsbury Reservoir: 15th April

Sandwich Tern: found 06:45 by Ian Rowe and flew west 07:45.
Little-ringed Plover 2 19:06

Gareth Blockley

Cholsey 15th April

Yellow Wagtail 3 (per Alan Dawson)

Courtesy of Alan Dawson.

 

Lower Shiplake: 15th April

Lower Shiplake
House Martin: First of the year nested near here last year. SU775788. 16:00.

Ralph Watts

Rushy Common: 15th April

Rushy Common
16 Black-tailed Godwit: Probing in shallows past island in rushy fen NR. SP382073. 13:40.
Oystercatcher 2  
Great White Egret: SP382073. 13:40.

(per John Pimm, Debbie Cummins)
.

Courtesy of Debbie Cummins.


Stratfield Brake: 15th April

Stratfield Brake
2 Lesser Whitethroat 13:53.

Jason Coppock

Abingdon: Abingdon Bridge: 15th April

Abingdon: Abingdon Bridge
Common Sandpiper: Flew low eastwards up the Thames during my lunchtime stroll. SU500970. 12:45.

Philip Chapman

Cimmon Sandpiper Cholsey courtesy of Alan Dawson.

 

Marcham: Marcham Mill: 13th April

Marcham: Marcham Mill
Lesser Whitethroat: Singing bird glimpsed briefly on my Waterways BBS transect. SU446956. 12:36.

Philip Chapman

Day's Lock, Little Wittenham.

Osprey - 12.20. south over Day's Lock/Bishops Court farm scrape with a fish. Appeared to land in the eastern end of Wittenham Wood.

Whinchat - male on the scrape.

Shelduck 2

Cattle Egret - 1 still present around Bishop's Court farm paddocks.


Sunday 14 April 2024

Rushy Common: 14th April

14th April

Rushy Common
Probable Little Ringed Plover: More than one bird only heard on gravel works opposite rushy fen NR. SP382073. 16:00.
9 Black-tailed Godwit: Walking around probing into mud on small island on rushy fen in front of NR car park. SP382073. 16:25.

John Pimm

Whimbrel Farmoor Reservoir 13/4 courtesy of Steve Sansom.

 

Standlake Pit 60: 14th April

Standlake Pit 60
5 Common Sandpiper: Early am. 23:38.

Carterton/Alvescot
Lesser Whitethroat: For for me. 23:38.

Mick Cunningham

Farmoor Reservoir: 14th April

Caspian Gull 1w (per RBA)

2 Common Sandpiper 12:00.
Grasshopper Warbler: singing. In the Nature Reserve. 12:00.
2 Peregrine 12:00.

Jed Cleeter

Henton: 14th April

Henton
Wheatear: Male on ploughed field south of the Emmington bridleway. SP752025. 11:00.
Redstart: Male on hedgerow along the southern edge of the ploughed field. SP752025. 11:00.

David Stracey

Courtesy of David Stracey.


Grimsbury Reservoir: 14th April

Grimsbury Reservoir
Grasshopper Warbler: North of Reservoir. 16:00.

Mark Ribbons

Port Meadow: 14th April

This evening
25 Black-tailed Godwits
A few Yellow Wagtail
Good numbers of Swallows+a few House and Sand Martins
2 Shelduck
Great White Egret still

Ben Sheldon, Gnome

This morning
2 Ringed Plover
4 Dunlin
4 Curlew
Yellow Wagtail
Oystercatcher
Garden Warbler: In Burgess Field.

Thomas Miller, Steve Lavington, Mary MacDougall, Matthew Lloyd

Churn: 14th April

14th April

Churn
Greenshank: Bird circling flooded area adjacent to Old University Field station. SU518826. 18:30.

Churn: Unhill Bottom
20 Yellow Wagtail: South of Ridgeway in recently ploughed field feeding on gnats? Ploughed field in Berks, however most of flock later flew north over Ridgeway into Oxon. 18:45.

Steve Violette

Leafield old airfield: 13th April

Leafield old airfield
3 Stonechat: male. All 3 birds perched on fence posts along the public footpath that follows Akeman street. We got good views with binoculars for several minutes before they flew off. SP335140. 17:49.

John Woolliams

Letcombe Regis: Blandys Farm: 14th April

Letcombe Regis: Blandys Farm
3 Wheatear: Two males and one unidentified on the stubble set aside of the field to the east of the deer enclosure. SU372866. 10:00.

Geoff Dymott

Courtesy of Geoff Dymott.


Standlake, pit 60: 14th April

Whimbrel 1
Common Sandpiper 4
Oystercatcher 8
Goosander 1f
Pintail 6
Cattle Egret 8, fields to E
Great White Egret, up to 8 in area
Sedge & Reed Warblers
Redpoll over

Farmoor Reservoir: 14th April

Farmoor Reservoir
Probable White Wagtail: Probable on causeway. 15:15.

Yacky Morris

Courtesy of Yacky Morris

 

Devil's Punchbowl: 14th April

Devil's Punchbowl
4 Wheatear: 1m3f. scattered; no Ring Ouzels; too many glyphosate deserts in local fields. 13:00.

Anthony Cheke

Tar Lakes, Rushy Common: 12th April

Tar Lakes, Rushy Common
Probable Marsh Harrier: It was flying for a few moments into wind from west nr electric pylons then turned to go east. Dark brown bird with pale crown. SP382073. 15:25.

John Pimm

Blenheim: Northern park: 14th April

Blenheim: Northern park
Wheatear: On dry stone wall along Roman road. Also 5 singing willow warblers, lesser whitethroat nearby in Bladon woods. 10:00.

Simon Myers

Chipping Norton: 14th April

Chipping Norton
Raven: SP283263. 10:00.
7 Sand Martin: Near Swailsford Bridge. SP283263. 10:00.
Grey Wagtail: SP283263. 10:00.
3 Reed Bunting: SP283263. 10:00.
Yellowhammer: m. SP283263. 10:00.
5 Chiffchaff: SP283263. 10:00.

Steve Akers

Otmoor: 14th April

33 Black Tailed Godwits on Flood field
6 Oystercatchers 
1 Shelduck
Great White Egret
Grasshopper Warbler - Barn field
Lesser Whitethroat 
Whinchat on fence between first two fields on left from Oddington to Noke.



Scary Hill: 14th April

Scary Hill
Ring Ouzel: m.
3 Wheatear

Woolstone Down
Redstart: m.
Yellow Wagtail
Wheatear

Mark Merritt

Carterton/Alvescot: 14th April

Carterton/Alvescot
Corn Bunting: In song on downs. 06:32.
4 Corn Bunting 06:32.

Mick Cunningham

Saturday 13 April 2024

Carterton/Alvescot: 13th April

Carterton/Alvescot
2 Grey Partridge: On downs. 21:55.

Milton Common
Grey Partridge: Not seen one here before. Unsure of provenance as plenty of red legged Partridge here. 21:55.

Mick Cunningham

Port Meadow: 13th April

This evening
Osprey over north

This morning
Ringed Plover
3 Common Tern
2 Great White Egret
Lesser Whitethroat
Whitethroat
20 House Martin: light passage north.
20 Red Kite: Several large flocks moving through.
2 Willow Warbler
4 Shelduck
4 Egyptian Geese

Adam Hartley, Steve Lavington, Matthew Lloyd, Mary MacDougall, Thomas Miller

Otmoor: Oddington Bridge: 13th April

Otmoor: Oddington Bridge
Whinchat: male. On mud piles off side of path to Noke. 18:00.
20 House Martin: passing through with swallows. 18:00.
2 Great White Egret 18:00.
Lesser Whitethroat 18:00.

Simon Myers

Chinnor: Cement Works: 13th April

Chinnor: Cement Works
7 Little Ringed Plover: Lake 2b. 12:00.
2 Oystercatcher: Lake 2b. 12:00.

David Stracey

Black-Tailed Godwits at Rushy Common

A flock of 19 near the main island at Rushy Common this morning. They stayed until midday when a Red Kite disturbed them and they flew off West. I've never seen this many waders at this site before. Apologies for the quality!
 




Sonning Eye GPs: 13th April

Sonning Eye GPs
4 Little Egret: Birds on flooded field. 15:00.

Ralph Watts

Sonning Eye GPs: 13th April

Sonning Eye GPs
11 Egyptian Goose: Two families one with four and one with three Goslings. 15:01.

Ralph Watts

Tar Lakes, Rushy Common: 13th April

Tar Lakes, Rushy Common
Oystercatcher 11:33.
19 Black-tailed Godwit: All flew off at about 12pm, spooked by a Red Kite. 11:33.

Jon Hicks

Devil's Punchbowl - 13 April

2 Ring Ouzel (male and female) at 0830 still, at approximately: https://maps.app.goo.gl/MoWt8cGCZyH1sXGBA

1 Whinchat






Marcham: Marcham Mill: 13th April

Marcham: Marcham Mill
Lesser Whitethroat: Singing bird glimpsed briefly on my Waterways BBS transect. SU446956. 12:36.

Philip Chapman

Abingdon: River Thames: 13th April

Abingdon: River Thames
Cuckoo: Calling near Barton Fields. 12:09.

Jason Coppock

Bicester Wetland Reserve 13th April

1 Lesser Whitethroat
3 Whitethroat
6 Sedge Warbler
4 Cetti's Warbler
1 Willow Warbler
3 Chiffchaff
2 Little Ringed Plover

Key Holder Reserve
A Peters C Oram

Wether Down: 13th Apr.

Merlin (fem/imm)
2 Raven
2 Siskin
Corn Bunting