Oxon Birding Weblog: October evaluate

Highlights

After the joy that ensued in September with a
handful of county rarities, which incorporated a 2^nd county file, October
introduced a far slower and secure tempo. That being stated, with the welcome
go back of our wintry weather migrants it’s tricky to be too disillusioned with the
birding go back. With 10s of 1000’s of Redwing at coastal headlands on
the 8^th October, Oxfordshire were given its first deluge the
following day with flocks as much as 500+ noticed around the county. Fieldfare trickled
via in among the primary flocks however then arrived in larger numbers every week
or so later. Our first Brambling of the wintry weather arrived within the 2^nd
part of the month with birds in Oxford and on the newly stuffed feeders
at Balscote Quarry. Iciness wildfowl numbers started to construct at wetland
websites while wintering raptors like Quick-eared Owl arrived to bring in in
the actual get started of the wintry weather duration.

In the meantime, a couple of birds persevered to transport in the course of the county
to stay locals busy and issues ticking over, even though there was once no standout
rarity this month with most commonly anticipated birds passing in the course of the county. With
October no longer including any species to the county checklist, what’s going to the following couple
months deliver? Expectantly the yr nonetheless has some other county mega left in it but!

Waders

A miles quieter month after a lot
of the wader motion was once carried out and long gone all the way through September, with a Gray Plover, the
stand out species in October. A unmarried chicken heard calling over Cote on
the 23^rd was once the end result at a web site that had noticed a lot of the
wader motion within the county this month. A Black-tailed Godwit arrived at Bicester
Wetlands at the 10^th and remained there for a couple of days till at
least the 12^th. Seven Dunlin have been discovered previous at Cote on
the 21^st construction to 11 tomorrow after which to a top rely
of 24 at the 23^rd ,a specifically great rely for overdue within the season.
This flock ebbed and flowed over the following few days lowered to fourteen through the 30^th.
A good flock of 12 Ringed Plover at the 21^st was once additionally just a little
of a wonder and proved that birds will flip up the place first rate habitat exists. Further Dunlin sightings got here from Farmoor
at the 18^th with a small flock of three right here. Port Meadow had
a unmarried chicken at the 28^th construction to 4 birds at the 29^th.

Inexperienced Sandpiper information
got here from no less than 4 websites. Bicester Wetand once more produced probably the most
information and best rely with 10 right here at the 5^th, birds persevered via
the month with numbers lowered to 7 through the 28^th. Unmarried birds got here
from Peep-o-Day Lane at the 8^th – 11^th, Cote on
the 24^th and Ardley at the 29^th. Handiest two websites had
Not unusual Sandpiper with Farmoor and Chinnor Cement Works internet hosting
birds at the 9^th and 10^th respectively.

Wildfowl, recreation and crakes

A unmarried feminine Scaup on Farmoor
from the nineteen^th was once the primary chicken of the wintry weather duration and proper
on cue. Ultimate in the course of the month and it will appear more likely to stay via
the wintry weather confidently to be joined through others in a while as extra wildfowl transfer
via and/or go back to the county. An unconfirmed document of Garganey at
Appleford at the 11^th would no longer be wholly out of the query
given overdue information in recent times and the newest sightings of a juvenile close by
at Dorchester-on-Thames. The primary returning Goldeneye was once logged at the very ultimate day of the month with a lone feminine on Farmoor at the 31st

The Farmoor Scaup courtesy of Lew

 

 

Goosander got here from simplest
two websites with Port Meadow, a standard hang-out within the wintry weather, internet hosting a
unmarried chicken at the 4^th and 29^th and Ardley ERF additionally
hosted unmarried flyover chicken at the 29^th, while a lone Shelduck was once
provide at the floods at Cote at the 29^th till the top of
the month. Rounding off the small go back this month was once a big rely of Mandarin
at Blenheim with a whopping 19 birds right here at the 4^th, 16
of that have been men.

Herons,
egrets and so on

The month were given off to an excellent get started when a White Stork flew
over Kingston Bagpuise at the 1^st ahead of it was once tracked through
different observers over Standlake and later noticed shedding into Chimney
Meadows. Unusually, in spite of its measurement this person was once no longer noticed once more.
As with the former sighting this yr the belief is that this was once some of the
birds from the reintroduction venture.

Juvenile and grownup Farm animals Egrets Otmoor rspb Courtesy of Malcolm Bowey.

The post-breeding flock of Farm animals Egret persevered to
transfer across the county, albeit favouring some spaces for sessions of time. 8
websites noticed sightings with the biggest rely of 27 coming from Port Meadow on
the 15^th,  a web site that was once
favoured for a lot of the month. Maximum sightings got here from the close by space with Standlake,
Farmoor, Otmoor and Wytham Farm all seeing fluctuating numbers of
birds within the month. Outlier websites incorporated a unmarried at Cholsey at the 19^th
and in addition a unmarried at Grimsbury at the 28^th.

Nice White Egret got here from a complete of seven websites with
maximum websites being common haunts from the former a number of months. A top rely
of three got here from Blenheim at the 3^rd with 2 right here relatively
steadily. New websites incorporated Radley GP’s and Lye Valley which
persevered its positive shape with a unmarried flyover at the 11^th after which 2
over at the 18^th, an implausible file for this small city web site. 

Otmoor Nice White Egret courtesy of Barry Neale

 

 

Gulls
and Terns

The simple standout sighting this month got here from Fyfield
Wick at the 20^th when a flock of 35 Little Gull flew
via. No longer an extraordinary quantity for say Farmoor at the again of a few
robust climate however indubitably an excellent quantity overland via a small Oxon village.
Coming off the again of a tight displacement of Little Gull in other places in
the rustic a unmarried chicken was once additionally noticed on Farmoor the next day to come on
the 21^st. 

Farmoor juvenile Not unusual Tern, courtesy of Lew

 

Its now formally Caspian Gull season with birders
heading to the closest gull roost, be {that a} landfill web site, waterbody or a
random arable box and patiently selecting in the course of the lots of white and gray.
5 websites recorded birds this month, with Farmoor probably the most frequented
or no less than probably the most watched with birds right here at the 11^th, 21^st
and 24^th. Crow Marsh, Cote and Port Meadow all
recorded immature birds. Blenheim had an grownup provide against the top
of the month and was once perhaps the similar returning chicken from the former season. 

 

Caspian Gull at Farmoor, courtesy of Lew

Caspain Gull at Port Meadow courtesy of Steve Lavington

Passerines

The busiest of the teams this month with birds nonetheless
trickling in the course of the counties borders, albeit in a lot lowered numbers. The
standout birds have been a few Ring Ouzel information coming from the
downs. One was once on Linkey Down at the 20^th even though didn’t
seem to linger very lengthy while a shocking male was once later at Sparsholt
Firs at the 29^th. Rock Pipit returned in the course of the county
within the 2^nd week of the month with a unmarried flyover chicken heard over Farmoor
at the 9^th. Two birds have been at the causeway at the 14^th
and each remained right here for a lot of the month with sightings off and on between
the 14^th and 22^nd. Sudden information got here from Fyfield
Wick with two birds over calling at the 15^th after which a unmarried
file once more flying over at the 22^nd. 

Otmoor Whinchat, courtesy of Paul Wyeth

A lone Black Redstart was once within the personal grounds of Harwell
Laboratory at the 24^th, a standard forestall over for birds transferring
in the course of the county with 4 out of the ultimate 5 years seeing birds right here. Whinchat
persevered within the county with a handful of web sites recording a couple of birds in
the early a part of the month. 3 have been at Sarsgrove at the 1^st
with two ultimate till no less than the three^rd. Otmoor noticed a
unmarried chicken at the 3^rd while Kings Lock had the best
rely of five at the 5^th of the month. Wheatear have been equivalent in
numbers and unfold across the county, with maximum birds coming from the downs or
upper floor. Sarsgrove had a juvenile provide at the 2^nd,
becoming a member of the Whinchat at this location. Farmoor noticed birds provide
at the 3^rd and once more at the 14^th , while the Devils
Punchbowl had 3 at the eighth with no less than one ultimate there till the 22^nd
with one additionally at Childrey Box the similar day. 

Harwell Black Redstart courtesy of Mark Merrit

 

Raptors

Notable raptor observations picked up this month with different Chicken
Harrier and Quick-eared Owl noticed across the county. The primary Chicken
Harrier was once famous at the 10^th at Churn and was once usually
a ring-tail person and perhaps the similar chicken was once noticed later at Aston Upthorpe
at the 15^th. A cracking male was once then noticed at Otmoor on
the 21^st with some wonderful flyby pictures taken through the locals there,
the chicken persevered at Otmoor till tomorrow and confidently received’t
be the ultimate some of the season. 

 

The male Chicken Harrier at Otmoor, courtesy of Rob Cadd

Quick-eared Owl sightings got here first of all from the downs with
one over the Chilton Downs within the early a part of the month till the 8^th,
while sightings additionally got here from Churn at the 10^th. A couple of
birds have been then noticed additional west alongside the Ridgeway with two on the Devils
Punchbowl at the 16^th emerging to 4 later within the month reported
from Sparsholt Firs however possibly all looking the similar space. Otmoor additionally
produced information with one flushed at the 11^th after which possibly the
similar chicken noticed once more at the 24^th. Chipping Norton had a
imaginable chicken flushed and noticed in short flight at the 20^th however this
remained simplest as a imaginable.

Marsh Harrier Cassington GP’s 22/10 courtesy of Terry Godfrey.

After all, we were given our first Osprey of the fall with a unmarried
flyover chicken at the 23^rd noticed over Grimsbury Reservoir with
perhaps the similar chicken noticed later over Cotswold Water Park simply over the
border into Wiltshire. Merlin larger in unfold and quantity with 7
websites generating birds. A male was once at Freeland at the 1^st with
a number of sightings of immature/feminine birds round South Leigh and Ducklington
over the next weeks. Otmoor produced one file, as did Grimsbury
at the 6^th and 18^th respectively. The downs noticed two information
of pairs noticed along with Childrey Box internet hosting two women at the 21^st
and Lambourn having a female and male provide at the 22^nd. 

Otmoor Sparrowhawk, courtesy of Malcolm Bowey

Patchwork problem

Patch	Birder	Issues	Species	Spotlight	Goal	Share of goal
Aston eyot	Ben Sheldon	58	56		90	64.44
Blenheim	Gareth Casburn	131	115		100	131.00
Dix pit	Simon Bradfield	114	91		75	152.00
Grimsbury reservoir	Gareth Blockley	118	107		130	90.77
Lye valley	Tom Bedford	97	86		80	121.25
River Thames	Geoff Wyatt	155	132		122	127.05
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