A couple of years in the past, I made up our minds that I’d attempt to prohibit myself, anyplace imaginable, to non-motorised birding in Oxfordshire. This wasn’t basically motivated through ideas of lowering my carbon footprint, however extra through looking for the easiest way to mix two issues that I experience doing maximum in my spare time: birding and biking. I’d discovered that, inevitably, time spent doing one supposed much less time for the opposite, and it appeared that the 2 see-sawed when it comes to how a lot of every I used to be doing. Therefore, and in part impressed through the exploits of folks like Peter Moore (see his nice weblog right here: http://petermooreblog.blogspot.com/), I believed I’d attempt to mix them. Since then, I’ve just about caught to this, with very occasional exceptions (the Wantage Nighthawk a main instance!). Birding biking is a little of a compromise: biking lengthy distances with wellies on isn’t to be really helpful, so from time to time it’s a must to settle for rainy ft, and there’s at all times the calculation about what, rather than binoculars you wish to have. Nowadays’s birder is ill-equipped with out ‘scope and a strong digital camera, at minimal, however those plus some heat garments can simply upload 7-8 kg and a great deal of drag – now not nice for lengthy distances, or steep hills. Having discovered it rewarding and a amusing solution to see bits of the county otherwise than during the window of a automobile, as 2023 began I made up our minds to decide to a “Giant Yr” inside the county most effective through motorbike. On the outset, I knew that this used to be going to have to slot in round paintings, and quite a lot of absences round circle of relatives and work-related trip. Alternatively Oxford, the place I’m based totally, may be very smartly situated, being inside of 10 km or so of 2 of the principle websites – Farmoor and Otmoor, and having the bright Port Meadow proper inside the town. That is an account of that 12 months.
January
A gradual begin to the 12 months, with not anything requiring long-distance journeys, so the primary few days had been spent visiting websites within the town between 1-4 January and accumulating 73 species. Of those, the spotlight used to be the wintering Yellow-browed Warbler at Donnington Bridge, which had first proven up on 29 December 2022, and which attracted a trickle of native birders over the primary two weeks of the 12 months. I noticed it early on New Yr’s day and used to be additionally happy to look the wintering Firecrest, which had survived the chilly snap in mid December 2022, at my native patch of Aston’s Eyot, at the identical day.
The primary right kind longer travel of the 12 months used to be on 5 January with a 48 km spherical travel out to the Windrush Valley looking for a couple of scarcer wildfowl proving a success with 2 Ring-necked Duck and 15 Crimson-crested Pochard at the pits close to Standlake and 5 Goldeneye (an indication of the days that this now wishes a distinct travel to search for moderately than being reliably provide at Farmoor) in addition to 2 Nice White Egrets at Dix Pit, completing the day on 81 species for the 12 months. The remainder of January used to be moderately quiet, with few explicit birds price travelling for, even though a Shelduck on Port Meadow on twenty sixth used to be in all probability the primary signal of spring, and I made a brief travel out to Farmoor to look the wintering Better Scaup; the month completed on 92 species, with various gaps nonetheless.
Left: Yellow-browed Warbler, Donnington Bridge, Oxford Jan 2023; Proper: Better Scaup, Farmoor Reservoir, Jan 2023.
February
February started with little time for birding, even though I did select up my most effective Woodcock of the 12 months on seventh February on a work-related seek advice from to Wytham Woods, and loved some impressive perspectives of the Siberian Chiffchaff wintering through Port Meadow. Because the month wore on, and the primary indicators of spring started to be felt, I began to forged my web additional afield. The eleventh February noticed a 69 km spherical travel out in opposition to the threshold of the county the place a gray and chilly morning time arrival used to be in reality rewarded with making a song Woodlark at a standard website. Day after today I headed out to Nice Tew up within the Cotswolds the place a gaggle of Hawfinch were discovered. This time it used to be a case of every other 69 km travel however for not anything greater than the primary Crimson-legged Partridges of the 12 months (my one centesimal species within the county in 2023), however no less than the pleasure of a excellent trip in great nation-state. Day after today, February 13 used to be a Monday and a piece day, however the discovery of an Avocet (a miles sought after county first for me) used to be the reason for a speedy mid-day seek advice from to Port Meadow, adopted through a extra sedate publish paintings seek advice from, which published that the Avocet had moved on, however offering the primary Oystercatcher and Med Gull of the 12 months as an alternative – extra indicators of the beginning of spring passage. Annoyed through the Hawfinch dip, I made a mid-week go back to Nice Tew at the sixteenth, hoping that much less disturbance would offer a greater likelihood of seeing them; so it proved, even though perspectives had been rarely vintage with ‘ticking’ birds audible at all times however virtually invisible hiding in holly bushes. The next weekend noticed the primary seek advice from of the 12 months to Otmoor, which yielded a couple of new species for the 12 months together with Crane, Marsh Harrier and Lesser Redpoll. A Caspian Gull day after today used to be a virtually anticipated early spring sight on Port Meadow.
Past due February noticed the primary in reality available county rarity of the 12 months seem with an American Wigeon discovered at the flood box at the NE aspect of Otmoor – virtually without a doubt the similar hen that were observed overdue in one night time on Port Meadow in January. A lunch-time seek advice from on 22 February used to be unsuccessful – certainly the hen went lacking for a number of days after its first look – however a 2nd try on a gorgeous overdue wintry weather’s afternoon on 26 February ultimately produced cheap, if far away, perspectives of the hen. February completed on 112 species: a really perfect month with 3 private county firsts and a few excellent scarcities.
Left: Siberian Chiffchaff, Port Meadow, Oxford Feb 2023; Proper: American Wigeon (with feminine Eurasian Wigeon), Otmoor, Feb 2023.
March
March started with a travel to search for Goshawk on a transparent early spring morning. Having observed a male hovering at distance smartly, I headed house, preventing in brief at the as far back as scan Farmoor, one thing I very much regretted when a male Lesser Scaup used to be discovered overdue within the afternoon on second March on the west finish of the Causeway. The ethical of the tale is: at all times take a look at the overall duration of the causeway at Farmoor! The next morning I joined an early-morning contingent of county birders hoping that this hen would have remained – the remaining Oxon document were in 2007, such a lot of had been prepared to look this hen. I picked it up in flight with a small team of Tufted Geese flying over the bigger of the Reservoirs, and after a twinkling of an eye when it went lacking, it confirmed smartly within the NE nook of F2, ultimately staying smartly into April.
The month persisted with a travel to look wintering Inexperienced Sandpiper at Peep-o-Day Lane (this species is bizarrely scarce in Oxford town itself, so now not one I may simply depend on ‘bumping into’ at Port Meadow), after which a fortunate Sunday afternoon ‘on spec’ travel to Otmoor which coincided with a couple of Spoonbills that had dropped onto Giant Otmoor. Clearly a mated pair, the bigger, possibly male, hen may also be heard softly hooting every so often (visual on this good video from Rob Cadd: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFZv9FRU8nY) one thing I’ve by no means heard ahead of. The remainder of March used to be most commonly interrupted through trip, however regularly accrued a couple of early migrants together with some spring waders on Port Meadow (Ringed & Little Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Greenshank and a ideally suited flock of 29 Black-tailed Godwits), finishing on 125 species. The fewer stated concerning the failed 67 km travel to the downs and again not to see Brief-eared Owl, all the way through which I were given soaked *two times* through the similar desk bound band of rain the simpler…
Left: Lesser Scaup, Farmoor, March 2023; Proper: Spoonbills, Otmoor, March 2023.
April
All the time one of the thrilling months of the 12 months, April started with an inland inflow of Kittiwakes – from time to time a difficult hen to meet up with within the county, particularly as Grimsbury Reservoir looked as if it would have a magnetic enchantment for them in 2023 (and is a website that will be a 94 km spherical travel from house). Thankfully, two birds spent a lot of two April at the large floods on Port Meadow the place the Black-tailed Godwit flock had grown to 38 and incorporated an extraordinary-looking small, richly colored male with a recurved invoice. A couple of days later, a 2nd 62 km travel to the Downs used to be extra a success with Stone-Curlew and the bonus of 2 drake Garganey at the go back direction by the use of Peep-o-Day Lane.
Left: Black-tailed Godwits (and 1 Golden Plover), Port Meadow 2023, together with the outstanding small, richly colored male that used to be on this flock. Proper: Garganey, Peep-o-Day Lane, April 2023.
Circle of relatives Easter vacations then took me abroad for 10 days – a frightened duration given the time of 12 months. Because it took place, I didn’t pass over an excessive amount of – the one Black-necked Grebe of the 12 months which roamed the Windrush Valley in mid April being the most expensive neglected species. The remaining ten days of April introduced some superb birding with a flurry of passage species together with Arctic Tern and Not unusual Scoter at Farmoor, a lot of Garganey and Little Gulls (together with 16 on Port Meadow), Pied Flycatcher and Redstart at Witney Lake, making a song male Picket Warblers at each Burgess Box and Wytham Woods and the sumptuous Noticed Crake at Otmoor from the night time of the twenty sixth onwards. On the finish of the month, Thomas Miller and I joined forces and tried a bike-powered “Giant Day” in Oxfordshire, logging 149 km at the motorbike between 4.30 AM and 9 PM. This used to be a really perfect day’s birding with 112 species observed or heard through me for my part, even though just one used to be a 12 months tick: Livestock Egret! A temporary Crimson Heron at Pit 60 on this present day, observed through Thomas however now not through me, used to be a pricey pass over, and certainly one of my largest dips of the 12 months. The day’s exploits are recounted in complete element right here: https://medical doctors.google.com/file/d/1cIDfM4lsk8prvgvipOJQYDc8oxjVsxTP9hb9Ps4eHB8/edit?usp=sharing
April ended on 155 species.
Left: Little Gulls, Port Meadow, April 2023; Proper: Pied Flycatcher, Witney Lake, April 2023.
Would possibly
Whilst the tempo of recent additions to the 12 months can also be anticipated to drop off in Would possibly, any birder hopes that the standard will increase, with the opportunity of arctic-bound waders and overshooting southern rarities jostling for consideration. Once more, I used to be clear of the county or rather tied-up with paintings for a excellent bite of this month and frightened about what I would possibly pass over. Getting a textual content about Black-winged Stilt on Otmoor as I drove a gaggle of scholars over the county boundary at the M40, heading to Northern Eire for a week-long box direction, used to be a in reality low blow. Because it became out, once more success used to be with me, and I used to be in Oxfordshire on the proper time for probably the most thrilling duration of the spring. A Bar-tailed Godwit on Port Meadow on third Would possibly used to be a welcome get-back after lacking a excellent county-wide passage in April, as used to be an Osprey present in torrential rain on the identical website on 6 Would possibly, which in truth stayed lengthy sufficient for a neighborhood twitch. Noticed Flycatcher in Wytham Woods whilst instructing on 15 Would possibly used to be then adopted later that day through the very welcome reappearance of the Black-winged Stilt at Otmoor and my first Gray Plover of the 12 months at Port Meadow that night time. The latter became out to be a mistake, as with restricted mild I gambled that Gray Plover could be more difficult to look once more than Turnstone, of which there have been 3 at the causeway at Farmoor the similar night time. The Port Meadow Gray Plover stayed for every week, and Turnstone ended up being in all probability probably the most unexpected lacking species of the entire 12 months.
Sanderling, Tree Pipit and Turtle Dove later in Would possibly preceded a thrilling two days when first, a Temminck’s Stint used to be discovered at Farmoor through Andy Closing, mid night time at the twenty third. Thankfully loose when the inside track got here thru, and figuring out that those are from time to time short-stayers, I cycled flat out from house in East Oxford to Farmoor in 22.5 mins (I will be able to’t get there a lot sooner through automobile), and used to be gazing the hen inside of 35 mins of the primary textual content alert. A lot of the dialogue some of the small crowd of birders there that night time used to be in truth round a document of a ring-tail harrier from Otmoor which got here in whilst we had been gazing the stint; reported as a imaginable Montagu’s, the date made it an overly intriguing hen. Day after today, a peaceful morning operating at house used to be interrupted through information that the harrier – nonetheless now not known needless to say – had reappeared over Greenaways. I dropped the whole lot and now set a brand new private velocity document thru Oxford and out to Otmoor (26 mins), and used to be extremely lucky that the hen got here in over Greenaways once more just about as I arrived on website. A couple of ‘document pictures’ shared by the use of WhatsApp showed the id as a primary summer time male Montagu’s Harrier – unquestionably a species many people hadn’t anticipated to look once more within the county because the small breeding inhabitants disappeared a decade or extra in the past. The thrill used to be raised every other notch later that day through Mick Cunningham’s outstanding ‘name of nature’ in finding of a making a song Golden Oriole at New Yatt, however having already burnt a number of playing cards within the previous 24 hours, this used to be a hen I needed to hope would possibly keep until day after today; unfortunately that wasn’t to be, and Would possibly ended on 165 species.
Left: Temminck’s Stint, Farmoor, Would possibly 2023; Proper: Montagu’s Harrier, Otmoor, Would possibly 2023.
June & July
As anticipated, the tempo slackened significantly in June, with a unmarried Crossbill ‘chipping’ excessive of Wytham Woods on 4 June, and a Quail making a song at Otmoor on 22 June the one new birds that month. July started with a night gazing a circle of relatives birthday celebration of Little Owls inside the Oxford ring-road: 3 full of life kids being fed inside of yards of a hectic pub lawn, and appeared more likely to proceed in a in a similar fashion quiet type until Tom Wickens’ explosive discovery of a roosting Night time Heron at Peep-o-Day lane on a sleepy Sunday 9 July. Once more, a speedy trip adopted – 32 mins to cycle the 14.5 km from house (sporting complete birding equipment) – with superb perspectives loved through all on arrival. The remaining new species of the month used to be Mandarin – a hen that had led me on one thing of a wild duck chase at a couple of websites previous within the 12 months ahead of ultimately seeing one at Sutton Courtenay. July completed on 170 species, and with various ‘autumn specials’ nonetheless to return, I used to be smartly forward of the place I anticipated to be.
Left: Night time Heron, Peep-o-Day Lane, July 2023; Proper: Mandarin Duck, Sutton Courtenay, July 2023.
August used to be ruled through annual circle of relatives vacations in Sweden: being away it used to be simple sufficient to modify off for a month and recharge batteries, able for a extra energetic September. Then crisis struck. On coming back from a month in Sweden on the finish of August, I started to really feel feverish and in reality rather in poor health. Ultimately, I finished up in health facility for every week and used to be identified with tick-borne encephalitis, a viral illness which is transmitted through ticks, and really uncommon in the United Kingdom. Whilst I recovered from the an infection, the after-effects had been rather serious and it wasn’t till overdue October that I used to be smartly sufficient to trip a motorbike any distance. This used to be a pity, as September particularly used to be a cracking month, with some firstclass county birds, a few of which (Pallid Harrier, Curlew Sandpiper, Gray Phalarope & Whooper Swan) I used to be ready to look through riding to look them whilst I used to be recuperating, however for which biking wasn’t remotely imaginable, even if they’d were eminently gettable underneath standard prerequisites. October used to be quieter, however there used to be no getting again a number of species that, in 2023, had been in reality most effective imaginable for me to look in those two months.
November
Having regained my health through early November, I used to be able for extra bike-powered birding however rather anticipating species to head and spot. The primary unexpected alternative used to be equipped through Steve Lavington’s surprise discovery of a redhead Smew on Port Meadow (the primary document within the town of Oxford for 75 years) at 3.44 PM on 16 Nov. At paintings, with an unmissable assembly at 4.00 PM, I rode as rapid as I’ve ever finished to Port Meadow, had an overly fast (30 2nd) glance down Steve’s scope and high-tailed it again, arriving breathless and somewhat baggy most effective two mins overdue for the assembly. Whilst I hate ‘tick-and-run’ birding, from time to time there’s in reality no choice. The next weekend used to be superb, with first a Slavonian Grebe being discovered mid-morning at Farmoor (a miles wanted county first for me), after which two Bewick’s Swans appearing up on Ashgrave at Otmoor within the afternoon. Each had been welcome species I’d now not in reality anticipated to look this 12 months. The remaining new species for the 12 months in November used to be the rather past due Brambling with advantageous perspectives of a small team at Blenheim, taking me to 174 species.
Left: Slavonian Grebe, Farmoor, Nov 2023; Proper: Brambling, Blenheim Palace, Nov 2023.
December
December used to be a quieter month, with the primary new species for the 12 months being the Nice Northern Diver which arrived at Farmoor overdue afternoon on 11 December. Having neglected an overly temporary hen at Radley in November, I used to be taking no probabilities with this one and raced out during the nightfall rush hour site visitors, arriving at Farmoor some time after sundown when thankfully the hen used to be rather simply visual within the mirrored mild of the surroundings solar. After all, as is frequently the case, it then hung round into 2024! All the way through the remainder of December Oxfordshire birders had been teased through temporary sightings of Waxwings shooting up right here and there everywhere in the county, whilst neighbouring counties looked as if it would experience desk bound flocks. Slightly a couple of spins round most probably searching websites in Oxford, and a 51 km excursion across the again streets and supermarkets of Abingdon and Kidlington didn’t ship any of those for me for my part. The overall two new species for the 12 months took a number of failed makes an attempt, with, after 3 close to misses all the way through the fall, a ringtail Chicken Harrier coming in to roost at Otmoor on 29 December in spite of everything finishing the set of 4 harrier species at that website for me, and a Jack Snipe at Iffley Meadows (after rather numerous looking) being the remaining addition to go away the 12 months general on 177 species.
So, what did I be informed this 12 months? First, that Oxfordshire has some nice birding, available 12 months spherical, with no automobile. I cycled round 1800 km in particular to search for birds all the way through the 12 months, however in part as a result of Oxford is centrally situated and lots of the very best websites are inside of 10km of town, I didn’t must make many spherical journeys longer than 30km. After all, this could be other in a 12 months when all of the county rarities flip up at the Downs, round Banbury or down at Sonning Eye! Whilst a snappy 10k trip out to Farmoor or Otmoor is straightforward and rarely wishes a lot making plans, the a long way corners of the county are tougher rides (my longest unmarried trip within the county to this point has been 104 km to look Dartford Warbler up at Balscote Quarry in 2022), particularly after they move out of doors the flat Thames valley undeniable. I additionally discovered that there are some nice birders right here, satisfied to proportion pointers and data: due to all of you that did in 2023 and proceed to take action. As with all 12 months there are ideas of what would possibly were: if all of September and October hadn’t been written off, I believe every other 10-15 species would were imaginable this 12 months, so in all probability I would possibly have were given someplace close to 190. Different species that I noticed whilst out of motion (from biking) within the autumn had been Black Tern, Pallid Harrier, Curlew Sand, Gray Phalarope, Whooper Swan, Rock Pipit, Brief-eared Owl, Merlin and Tree Sparrow; I completely neglected Knot, Turnstone, Picket Sandpiper and Little Stint all the way through this era. May just the legendary 200 species be observed in one 12 months within the county with out the usage of a automobile? Possibly, with an excessive amount of success and making plans. Now there’s a problem…