Oxon Birding Weblog: September evaluation

Gray Phalarope video & photograph courtesy of Anna Marlow.

Honourable Mentions

Dartford Warbler

A as soon as county mega this species is beginning to change into an
nearly anticipated annual, with birds recorded in 3 of the ultimate 4 years equivalent to quantity
of data within the earlier twenty years.  At all times
a skulky species this chicken was once no exception with an induvial heard calling close to
Frilford Heath Golfing Route at the 17^th September and no longer noticed
or heard once more. Like every of the previous couple of data its slightly conceivable this
chicken will move to floor for some time sooner than reappearing somewhere else and even on the
similar website online later within the Autumn. 

 

Manx Shearwater

Most often this species would make the highlights phase in
its personal proper. Sadly those data relate to windblown person that
have been due to this fact taken into care in Didcot having been picked up in Witney.
Unbelievably 2 birds have been in fact picked up throughout the county inside of a pair
of days and each have been taken to Oxfordshire Flora and fauna Rescue Sadly,
as this the case with many pelagic birds, each perished over the direction in their
care.

Courtesy of Oxfordshire Flora and fauna Rescue

Waders

As mentioned within the earlier
version of the per month evaluation each Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper made
their look at Farmoor this month, apparently each got here inside of a
day of one another. Little Stint got here first with a lone person at the
causeway at the night of the 8^th, even though sadly didn’t stay
lengthy sufficient for the ones no longer already provide on website online that night. 

Farmoor Little Stint, courtesy of Lew

A file staff
of Curlew Sandpiper additionally made a temporary look the next morning with
7 birds alongside the causeway, sadly the inside track didn’t filter sooner than they
had lengthy departed even though I think the distraction of a 2^nd county
file over at Otmoor could have proved the extra in style draw on this case.
Thankfully, every other Curlew Sandpiper seemed, once more at Farmoor, on
the 12^th with the inside track of this one getting out briefly many a contented
birder was once ready to attach sooner than it departed that night. 

Farmoor Curlew Sandpiper courtesy of Ben Sheldon

In what has been an excessively respectable
yr for Knot within the county, every other two seemed this month at the 18^th.
To begin with a unmarried chicken at the causeway was once ultimately joined through a 2^nd,
even though within the drabber wintry weather plumage to which us inland birders are a lot more
aware of. Proceeding the theme of excellent showings, Turnstone persisted
to achieve the county in respectable numbers. Unmarried birds have been provide on Farmoor on
the three^rd and 14^th with two birds then provide at the 22^nd.
A big rely of 6 then flew into the reservoir while observers have been delighting
within the Gray Phalarope additionally provide. A unmarried someday Wooden Sandpiper was once
additionally provide this month in what has felt a far poorer autumn for this species,
a lone chicken was once provide down Peep-o-day Lane at the 10^th the
2^nd file for the website online this yr.

One of the crucial Farmoor Knot courtesy of Peter Legislation

Ruff data got here from
4 places this month with maximum birds been unmarried day stopovers while
passing thru. The exception to this was once a couple of juveniles at Pit 60 which
grew to become up at the 2^nd of the month and remained at the website online till at
least the 11^th. Unmarried birds have been at Venn Mill and Days
Lock at the 3^rd and 13^th respectively, while a couple
of birds have been on Farmoor at the 9^th and 17^th. We
simplest had a unmarried Greenshank file this month with a couple at Venn
Mill at the 2^nd, a rather deficient appearing from this species
all through this a part of autumn. Ringed Plover and Dunlin persisted to
be logged ceaselessly all over September with all however one file of those
species coming from Farmoor, with a close to ever presence this month. Ringed
Plover have been recorded off and on between the three^rd and 18^th
this month with a most rely of five logged on two events, the one non-Farmoor
file got here from Cutteslowe Park with a flyover chicken at the 1^st.
Dunlin have been normally extra commonplace with 13 days of the month logging
birds from the three^rd till the 26^th and a most rely of
6 got here from the 7^th. 

Ringed Plover at Farmoor courtesy of John Workman

Inexperienced Sandpiper data
began to fritter away rather this month with simplest 5 websites recording birds. Bicester
Wetlands persisted its shape because the position for massive gatherings of the
species all through the migration length with a prime rely 6 logged on 4^th,
8^th and 16^th. Not unusual Sandpiper have been nonetheless unfold
everywhere around the county with 10 websites logging birds all over September.
Maximum data associated with unmarried birds however prime counts of four have been recorded throughout
two websites – Grimsbury at the 1^st and Farmoor at the 2^nd. 

Bicester Wetland Inexperienced Sandpiper, courtesy of Patricia Clissold

Wildfowl, Recreation and Crakes

A conceivable Quail flushed
at Water Eaton was once the one file of this magnificent diminutive and migratory
gamebird this month, even though probably one of the crucial conceivable breeders remained
for a part of it. A flock of five Whooper Swan on Farmoor at the 27^th
was once remarkably early for the county and so far as I will be able to inform from looking the
quite a lot of knowledge bases the primary September file of this species for at
least the ultimate twenty years. The flock after some indecisiveness, first leaving and
then returning, ultimately left later that afternoon.

Whooper Swans courtesy of Dave Murphy.

Additionally this month a corking
drake Not unusual Scoter extremely joyful people at Farmoor for a couple of days
after arriving at the 20^th, coming shut sufficient now and then for some
very respectable pictures available sooner than departing at the 23^rd.

Not unusual Scoter courtesy of Bryan Manston

 

A reported double of Black-necked
Grebe and Scaup reputedly seen all through a twitch for the Phalarope
sadly remained as ‘reported’ and not using a sightings tomorrow. A
juv or feminine Garganey then again was once very a lot showed having been noticed once more
at Days Lock in Dorchester-on-Thames even though last
extremely elusive it might appear. Goosander simplest had 3 data this
month from two websites – Port Meadow at the 22^nd and Farmoor
additionally at the 22^nd and once more at the 25^th. At the feral/plastic
entrance Mandarin have been reported a number of occasions within the Blenheim and Woodstock
space and a big rely of 8 got here from Waterstock at the 10^th. 

 

Herons, Egrets And so on.

The standard species make up the data this month with little or no
trade to ultimate months sequence of sightings. Farm animals Egret numbers grew to
a minimum of 26 folks consisting of many ‘house grown’ folks even though
no longer slightly beating ultimate years giant totals. The birds remained lovely dependable to the
Blenheim space for far of the month with the bizarre sighting somewhere else of
unmarried birds (Farmoor and Pit 60) even though some obviously had itchy
toes with giant flocks Cassington (17 at the 4^th) Otmoor (9
at the 5^th) and Day’s Lock (13 at the 12^th and 9
at the 13^th). No birds remained at Blenheim through the 25^th,
even though, probably becoming a member of the mega flocks now down at the ranges. 

Woodstock Farm animals Egrets courtesy of Gareth Cashburn

Nice White Egret adopted a lot the similar trend and
numbers of the former month with Blenheim and Pit 60 ceaselessly
internet hosting between 1 and three birds. Grimsbury scored one this month with a flyover
chicken at the 2^nd, a pleasant chicken for the locals. Farmoor additionally controlled
two data this month of flyover birds at the 8^th and 22^nd,
while the colour-ringed chicken from down at the ranges remained at Day’s Lock
at the 13^th. 

Nice White Egret at Shrike Meadow, Farmoor, courtesy of Brian Walker

Crane remained on Otmoor in September in
what has been a disappointing yr after 2022’s giant good fortune. As much as 3 birds have been
noticed from the 14^th till the 25^th with a minimum of two birds
un-ringed, we will simplest hope that 2024 brings some higher fortunes for this
iconic species. 

Crane bugling on Otmoor courtesy of Steve Liptrot.

 

Gulls
and Terns

Sadly no longer so much to recount this month, a lot more
about high quality than amount for September. A surprising juvenile Little
Gull was once expertly picked out over F1 at Farmoor at the 14^th
the place it remained for the remainder of the day.  

 

Farmoor Little Gull, courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

Black Tern had a good
appearing this month with all data coming from Farmoor. 4 have been right here
at the 2^nd consisting of a minimum of two juveniles and one last
till the 4^th. A flock of 8 then flew in the course of the reservoir at the 8^th
and every other unmarried provide right here at the 18^th. 

Above & underneath Black Tern courtesy of Mark Chivers.

Sandwich Tern additionally got here in the course of the county in small
numbers. Grimsbury persisted its just right shape, particularly given the scale of
the website online, with 2 birds flying thru at the 2^nd. Obviously a motion
of the species was once going on around the county/nation as a result of an ordinary file
of two+ got here from Aston Rowant of all puts the similar day, a fantastic vis-mig
file! Some other unmarried chicken additionally got here later within the month with one over Farmoor
at the 10^th. Caspian Gull season hasn’t slightly kicked off
but within the county with just a couple data to say, in the case of two birds.
One was once at Grimsbury at the 2^nd while a 1cy chicken was once provide
within the gull roost at Farmoor from the 14^th till a minimum of the
19^th. Additionally provide ceaselessly within the roost was once a 1cy Mediterranean
Gull from the 5^th till a minimum of the 25^th, with the
simplest different file of the species additionally coming from Grimsbury at the 2^nd. 

Caspian Gull at Farmoor courtesy of Lew

 

First Iciness Mediterranean Gull at Farmoor courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

 

Passerines

Most often a chicken that may make the spotlight reel for the
month if no longer demoted for rarer species, a Wryneck was once gladly added to
the county yr listing. A chicken flushed from a footpath round Baulking Pit on
the three^rd allowed the observer transient perspectives within the adjoining sallow however
sadly wasn’t noticed once more. A lone Pied Flycatcher file this month
was once made rather extra particular due its location in city Oxford with the
Lye Valley proceeding its very respectable run of shape at the 8^th,
simplest the two^nd file for the website online and considered one of simplest 3 data for
the county this yr. 3 Flava sort Yellow-wagtails have been provide
on Farmoor at the 24^th and have been the primary file of the
nominate subspecies within the county this yr and not using a Channel Wagtails logged
in any respect both this yr. 

Lye Vallye Pied Flycatcher courtes of Tom Bedford

Whinchat persisted to march their approach in the course of the
county with 9 websites recording birds this month. The absolute best rely got here from Kings
Lock with a gaggle of 6 right here at the 8^th, while a rely of four got here
from Aston Upthorpe at the 26^th. Wheatear adopted on
in better numbers and unfold additional across the county with 10 websites nonetheless
logging birds. Even though most commonly of singles or pairs a pleasant rely of 6 up through the Devils
Punchbowl got here at the 9^th while every other staff of five have been up on Lark
Hill at the 3^rd. The one Tree Pipit file got here from Pit
60 this month, normally a unmarried flyover chicken calling. Redstart data
have been a lot more decreased having in large part made their approach in the course of the county ultimate
month. 4 websites recorded birds with singles at maximum websites with simplest Childrey
Box recording 2 birds at the 2^nd. Port Meadow, Lark Hill and
Stonesfield Not unusual have been the opposite websites to log birds.

Ring-necked Parakeet obviously had every other just right
breeding yr in 2023 when a flock of 32 flew over Cowley Highway in Oxford
at the 6^th. No longer slightly the 40+ birds of earlier years however obviously
the species is doing neatly within the town, it might be attention-grabbing to know the way many
breeding pairs Oxford hosts? 

 

Raptors

Apart from absolutely the mega that was once recorded early within the month
within the type of a definite Pallid Harrier this staff has in a different way been quite slightly
in September. No longer a unmarried returning passage Osprey was once logged in
both September or August, the primary clean autumn for a bunch
of years (even though October would possibly but produce a chicken).

A Quick-eared Owl was once flushed from Greenaways on Otmoor
through an enthusiastic Marsh Harrier at the 8^th. The early Merlin
at the downs probably persisted on from August with a feminine sort
chicken provide at Letcombe Basset at the 3^rd.

 

Patchwork problem

Patch	Birder	Issues	Species	Spotlight	Goal	Proportion of goal
Aston eyot	Ben Sheldon	58	56		90	64.44
Blenheim	Gareth Casburn	127	113		100	127.00
Dix pit	Simon Bradfield	114	91		75	152.00
Grimsbury reservoir	Gareth Blockley	118	107		130	90.77
Lye valley	Tom Bedford	90	83		80	112.50
River Thames	Geoff Wyatt	154	131		122	126.23
Sutton courtenay	Conor MacKenzie	152	127		140	108.57
East challow	Mark Merritt	84	80		83	101.20
Freeland	Glen Pascoe	86	78		80	107.50

Nice white Egret Otmoor rspb courtesy of Mark Chivers.