Highlights
The tilt length, the summer season lull or the summer season stoop –
no matter you name the June – July length, birding the months wedged between the
Spring and Autumn migration sessions is a miles quieter and centered affair. It
could be a nice time to realize the comings and goings of our native breeding
species that we would possibly regularly take without any consideration all through the busier months. A variety of us will even use this era to catch
up with one of the crucial rarer Orchids, Lepidoptera and Odanata of which Oxon and
the encircling counties host in abundance. For people that do center of attention on those
different taxa, rewards can once in a while come within the type of one of the crucial rarer
migrant species with 2024 generating a file breaking collection of Lesser
Emperor for the county. Others will center of attention at the fortunes of our
uncommon and scarcer breeding species, specifically Waders which is able to, to mention the
least, be a mildly miserable job – talking from my very own revel in of
tracking our native breeding Curlew this 12 months.
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| Lesser Emperor, courtesy of Steve Burch |
between. That being mentioned, wanderers do once in a while stray into the county borders,
see the Black-crowned Evening Heron on my own patch closing 12 months, however
2023 sadly didn’t produce anything else in this degree. A temporary middle
palpation second got here when an unconfirmed file of a Pink Heron at Otmoor
at the 19th however remained a thriller without a additional sightings. The
arrival of our first returning passerines from the latter a part of July regardless that
alerts a converting of the seasons with each Whinchat, Redstart and Willow
Warbler famous. While I were given a pleasant marvel when surveying simply different the
border in Dollars, when a male Wheater popped up on a fencepost –
the unstoppable march in opposition to Autumn has begun and we will be able to all now glance
ahead to a busier length of native birding!
Waders
The standout of the length got here with the primary returning Wooden
Sandpiper again Pit 60 at the 27th. At all times a well-liked
species once they flip up this one had a string of admirers all through its keep
till the 29th sooner than it departed in a single day.
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| Pit 60 Wooden Sandpiper, courtesy of Ewan Urquhart |
Sanderling have been
recorded in either one of the summer season months with a unmarried hen provide at Farmoor on
the 5th June and it appears nonetheless provide by means of the tenth.
A past due northward sure migrant or a failed breeder returning south, who is aware of!
A hen provide additionally at Farmoor at the 22nd July,
appeared a lot clearer, with most likely the similar hen nonetheless there at the 28th.
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| Farmoor Sanderling courtesy of Steve Sansom |
A lone Whimbrel file got here from Farmoor at the
5th June and was once apparently on path to the north, even though in
fresh years lone birds have connected up with failed breeding Curlew flocks
across the county. Greenshank have been additionally recorded in each months with a
hen at Widford at the 14th June while a primary returnee got here
at the 4th July at Ardley remained till no less than the
11th.
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| Ardley Greenshank courtesy of Gareth Cashburn |
Black-tailed Godwit have been first famous within the county at Peep-o-Day
Lane at the 7th July the place a flock of five took benefit of
the now consistent presence of shallow water right here. The following birds then got here
throughout the county at Ardley at the 23rd July with a
pair right here till no less than the 25th. The one Dunlin file
got here at the 28th July with a unmarried hen becoming a member of the Sanderling
at Farmoor, while Ringed Plover have been famous at Port Meadow
at the 1st and threerd June and at Grimsbury on
the 28th July, with a couple at each websites.
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| Ardely ERF Black-tailed Godwits courtesy of John Friendship-Taylor |
The primary returning Inexperienced Sandpiper got here from Bicester
Wetlands Reserve got here at the 7th June, an overly early hen
and most likely a failed breeder from the a long way north the place the breeding season can
be very quick affair. 3 birds have been right here at the 18th while July
noticed a top depend of 17 at the 25th, with the website online keeping up
its standing because the premier forestall over website online for this species all through migration. 8
extra websites recorded between 1 and 5 birds from the nineteenth June onwards,
even though maximum data got here from the center a part of July. Commonplace Sandpiper arrived
somewhat later, even though the primary file of 14 birds at Farmoor at the
29th was once just a little of marvel. With women folk and failed breeders returning
previous than men and juveniles, it sort of feels this flock was once almost definitely mixture
of the latter. An additional 7 websites recorded birds via July with
any place between 1 and 10 birds at anyone website online.
An unseasonal Avocet spent an afternoon on Port Meadow at the twelfth June
Port Meadow Avocet courtesy of Gnome
Wildfowl & Recreation and so on
Probably the most unexpected sighting of the length got here from Farmoor
at the 23rd when a feminine Commonplace Scoter dropped in.
Possibly a failed breeder from some a long way flung Scottish Loch the hen
remained for the remainder of the day sooner than departing in a single day. In what has became
out to be no longer a specifically fruitful 12 months for Quail, and on no account
a ‘Quail Yr’, the summer season produced simplest 6 public data. Crog Hill,
a vintage summer season website online, had a unmarried file in early June while someplace
in West Oxon noticed two birds ringed at the 8th June. A hen
making a song alongside the Glos/Oxon border was once the one hen reported on consecutive
days reported between the 18th and 29th June sporadically.
Maximum different data got here, in most cases, from the Oxon Downs with a most
of three birds heard immediately at Sparsholt at the 30th June.
Calling Quail (at 17 seconds) courtesy of Steve Akers
An overly uncommon probability to look at a Quail up shut
Without a showed breeding this 12 months, data of Garganey got here
from 4 websites. Otmoor, the website online of breeding in earlier years, had a
unmarried male at the 3rd June. While further unmarried feminine
data got here from Appleford and Peep-o-Day Lane at the 10th
June and 15th July respectively. While Pit 60 had a couple
provide within the latter a part of June, with simplest the feminine then provide
via a lot of July. Some other uncommon breeding species that was once showed breeding
regardless that, got here within the type of a feminine Goosander with 5 chicks at Waterstock
at the 16th – the threerd 12 months such breeding has happened.
Ruddy Shelduck made their annual jaunt into the county, put up summer season moult,
with data at Farmoor and Peep-o-Day Lane. A flock of 4 was once
on the former at the 21st July while a unmarried hen was once at the
latter at the 31st, the twond 12 months by which a hen has
arrived on website online post-moult. Our personal local Shelduck have been recorded simplest
from 3 websites all through the summer season months, without a additional affirmation of breeding
approaching from any of those websites. Port Meadow hosted probably the most birds
with 5 right here at the 15th June. Additional data got here from Bicester
Wetland Reserve and Peep-o-Day Lane.
Herons, egrets and so on
A file of Pink Heron from Otmoor at the 19th
June were given the collective middle of the county going for a short lived length
over the summer season. Sadly, the file was once by no means showed and a few other folks’s
look ahead to an out there Pink Heron within the county should stretch a
little additional! The main spotlight then, got here within the type of the twond
Spoonbill of the 12 months with one over Otmoor at the 18th
June, with the hen noticed sporadically between then and the 22nd
June. Issues then were given somewhat loopy with 5 possible’s over Thame on
the 29th July, even though those we no longer noticed any place within the
county and can sadly stay a thriller.
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| Otmoor Spoonbil courtesy of Paul Torevell. |
The Shiny Ibis that became
up within the county on the finish of Would possibly took a really perfect liking to Otmoor and
remained there all the summer season, with maximum reviews of it getting into roost
all through the night vigils. A lone White Stork, a now common customer to
the county courtesy of the White Stork Challenge, was once noticed during the
county all through the early a part of the month. Showed from SatTracking to be a hen
from the undertaking (ring quantity GBA9) that was once born in 2023 and didn’t migrate
in its first 12 months. The hen was once noticed at 4 websites together with Otmoor and Appleford
between the 6th and eightth June and was once
it appears nonetheless provide at the 16th. An unconfirmed file of 6+
over the m40 at the 11th was once a fascinating thriller file.
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| Courtesy of Malcom Bowey |
Each Nice White and Livestock Egret have been extensively
noticed inside the county as in earlier months with the breeding standing of the latter
showed for some other 12 months. Nice White Egret have been recorded at 8 websites
with a most depend of five on the maximum common website online of Pit 60, a possible
house for long term breeding makes an attempt? 3 have been additionally noticed ceaselessly at Otmoor all through
the summer season, while 2 have been at Peep-o-Day Lane at the 23rd June.
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| Pit 60 Nice White Egret courtesy of Ewan Urquhart |
Livestock Egret most commonly stored their western distribution within the county, with the
exception of Otmoor, with no less than 7 websites recording birds. As much as 3
occupied nests have been seen at Blenheim, even though as in earlier years
extra have been suspected. A success breeding was once showed for some other 12 months with at
least a pair juveniles clocked at quite a lot of websites and a put up breeding flock of
19 have been recorded at Otmoor at the 29th July.
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| Woodstock Livestock Egret courtesy of Gareth Cashburn |
Crane seem to have had an unsuccessful 12 months at Otmoor, without a
affirmation of any a hit breeding makes an attempt over the summer season. This was once subsidized
up by means of extralimital data of Crane coming from two websites over the
summer season, with 2 over Farmoor at the 29th June and 4
over Woodstock at the 16th July – possibly all 4
birds from Otmoor. Little Egret don’t regularly get a point out in those per thirty days
reviews, in contrast to their rarer cousins, however a cracking depend of 40+ birds at Otmoor
felt noteworthy sufficient to say and an indication of a few just right breeding in other places
within the county?!
Gulls and Terns
The in most cases quiet months stored up
their recognition with only a few noteworthy data of notable species over the
summer season length. Regardless of this, one of the crucial finer eyed among us nonetheless controlled to
pull out the strange rarity. Port Meadow produced a likely Baltic Gull on
the threerd June, the primary for the reason that 2021 summer season length when one
birder made it their challenge to search out the county’s first showed Baltic Gull
and ended up discovering 4 – see (https://tmbirding.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-baltic-gulls-at-appleford.html).
Caspian Gull persisted their run within the county, to what one can now
suppose might be a nearly 12 months spherical presence in Oxfordshire. A lone hen
was once on Port Meadow at the 4th June and once more at the 25th
June, while simply up the street at a quite more moderen website online in Stanton
St John have been provide at the 10th June.
The opposite spotlight got here within the shape
of a number of data of Sandwich Tern, a extremely odd summer season sighting
and a possibly an indication of items going improper for those birds at the breeding
entrance. A trio have been provide at Dix Pit at the 9th June sooner than
been seen simply down the street at Rushy Commonplace at the similar day, albeit
minus one hen. Apparently 3 have been additionally seen at Rushy Commonplace on
the 22nd June and one has to suppose the similar birds, even though
the place they have been in the meanwhile stays a thriller! Some other odd summer season file
got here from Freeland with pair of grownup Little Gull noticed in flight
heading in opposition to the extra standard website online of Farmoor or no less than in that path
at the 30th July, however sadly birders there weren’t
ready to connect to those early passage birds. The one different actual noteworthy species
this month was once a small collection of Mediterranean Gull data, two from Farmoor
at the 9th and 30th July and some other from Pit
60 at the 27th.
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| Yellow-legged Gull, a staple at Farmoor right now of 12 months, courtesy of Steve Liptrot |
Passerines
Migration of passerines throughout the county started on the very
finish of June with 3 Redstart at Pit 60 at the 30th.
Maximum birds regardless that began shifting throughout the county in early-mid July. A
additional 6 websites noticed Redstart data with many of the websites recording
more than one birds throughout the heart a part of the month. Whinchat arrived a
little later with the primary at Woodstock and Otmoor each at the
14th July and each nonetheless provide by means of the 21st.
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| Juvenile Redstart and Juvenile Goldfinch, Letcombe Regis, courtesy of Geoff Dymott |
Different fascinating data got here from Blenheim with
breeding showed for Stonechat, a species with a restricted breeding distribution
within the county most commonly confined to the Oxon Downs. Breeding Cuckoo was once
showed throughout more than one websites with points of interest of the primary fledged juveniles, together with
a pleasant video of 1 been fed by means of a possibly knackered Reed Warbler. A
Hepatic feminine was once once more at Otmoor all through the summer season, this been 4th
or 5th 12 months this similar person has returned to the website online.
A lone Crossbill file got here from as regards to the downs
at Lockinge, with a male right here at the 16th July. While
it sounds as if the Ring-necked Parakeet have had some other respectable breeding
12 months in 2024 with roughly 85 at Florence Park at the 19th
July, the have an effect on of that is but to be identified however possibly the native
birds are not likely to be happy on the prospect.
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| County Noticed Flycatcher courtesy of Nick Truby |
Raptors
The
main pleasure for this staff all through the summer time has been the enjoyment of
staring at the juvenile Marsh Harrier over Otmoor after some other
a hit breeding season. The passion has been even upper this 12 months because of
two of the 3-4 younger been in an overly odd and placing plumage. Regardless of the
birds taking a look like they’re leucistic, the reason for the patches of placing
white plumage it appears have a a lot more sinister clarification. When younger birds
are creating their fledging plumage from the comfortable fuzz of downy chicks a nasty
nutrition or deficient climate could cause a surprise to the device during which the frame stops
generating the melanin had to broaden commonplace feathers. This loss of melanin then
reasons the large patches of white plumage that may be noticed throughout the birds
wings and frame. Sadly those feathers consequently also are brittle and survival
of the birds could be a difficult ask, particularly going into the iciness months. A pleasing
clarification can also be discovered right here – https://x.com/Au_Erithacus/standing/1817867089790578792.
Let’s hope they set up to make it, they shouldn’t be too exhausting to stay a observe
of!
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| Above & under courtesy of Richard Tyler. |
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Cassington Marsh Harrier courtesy of Terry Godfrey
Patchwork problem
|
Patch |
Birder |
Issues |
Species |
Spotlight |
|
Aston eyot |
Ben Sheldon |
|
|
|
|
Ardley ERF |
Gareth Casburn |
96 |
89 |
search engine marketing, |
|
Dix pit |
Simon Bradfield |
76 |
68 |
Area Sparrow |
|
Grimsbury reservoir |
Gareth Blockley |
|
|
|
|
Lye valley |
Tom Bedford |
58 |
57 |
|
|
River Thames |
Geoff Wyatt |
155 |
130 |
|
|
Sutton Courtenay |
Conor MacKenzie |
125 |
113 |
Redstart |
|
Radley GP’s |
Ian Elkins |
|
|
|
|
Freeland |
Glen Pascoe |
79 |
68 |
Ltl Gull, C Tern, |
|
South Hinksey |
Alex Figueiredo |
|
|
|
|
Cholsey |
Alan Dawson |
|
|
|
Photograph of the Month
If the Otmoor reserve was once to be distilled, it will be the large open skies and the wetland birds that common. Debbie Cowee has captured each on this picture of the lengthy staying Shiny Ibis because it is available in to roost.
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