Oxon Birding Weblog: August Overview

 Highlights

What a distinction a month makes! It’s protected to say that patch and native birding is again in full swing with a lot of waders making their means by means of the county’s waterbodies, floods, and muddy swimming pools. Passerines are also trickling by means of with the autumns first Wheatear beginning to transfer by means of Oxfordshire’s borders too. August has seen 4 species added to the county 12 months checklist which now stands at 181 with an additional 17 subspecies, non-BOU species and ferals additionally noticed inside the county in 2024. One extraordinarily miserable notable absence from the 12 months checklist in 2024 is the shortage of any Turtle Dove information, a species that has been hanging on by thread within the county for a number of years now and one which we might have misplaced altogether as a breeding species.

The spotlight of the month, sadly, was a hen not seen by the broader birding group this month. A feminine Montagu’s Harrier was current for a interval at first of the month within the south of the county. Given the breeding standing of the species within the UK, with no confirmed breeding within the final two years, and given it was in appropriate breeding habitat on the proper time of 12 months it was thought of essential to withhold the report from the broader public. This coupled with it being on non-public land meant there was just one wise choice. The 2nd calendar 12 months feminine was apparently color ringed with a German ring and was ringed in 2023, presumably on the nest, though particulars haven’t been forthcoming from the scheme as of but. Montagu’s Harrier has a particular place in Oxon birding lore with the species having bred efficiently between 1999 and 2013, earlier than, been misplaced as breeding species altogether from throughout the nation over the next decade. An excellent write up of the fortunes and breeding behaviour of Montagu’s Harrier in Oxfordshire may be discovered within the 2018 Birds of Oxfordshire Annual report. With the final two years producing information of the species in the course of the breeding season, one can solely hope that we’ve not seen the final of Montagu’s Harrier as a breeding species within the county simply but.

Montagu’s Harrier

Montagu’s Harrier

Montagu’s Harrier

The Montagu’s Harrier

Waders

The spotlight of the month got here within the type of one in all our most wanted autumn waders – a Little Stint. A single hen was current on Farmoor causeway on the morning of the nineteenth. Sadly, with information gradual to get out and the hen leaving by the afternoon this hen wasn’t loved by many birders who frequent the positioning right now of 12 months. 

The Farmoor Little Stint courtesy of Dave Murphy

One species that was loved by the numerous this month was Wooden Sandpiper. With 4 websites recording birds and with a good unfold throughout the county, lots loved this enigmatic little Tringa. Ardley ERF was the primary website to host the species this month with one current on the tenth. This was swiftly adopted by 2 at Days Lock on the 12th and single hen at Pit 60 on the 15th, the latter having already hosted a hen final month. Peep-o-Day Lane, nonetheless, proved probably the most engaging website with it internet hosting a hen from the 17th till at the least the 26th – ample alternative to be loved by loads of folks.

Wooden Sandpiper Days Lock courtesy of Geoff Wyatt

Pit 60 Wooden Sandpiper courtesy of Mick Cunningham

The month produced three information of Turnstone, all from Farmoor, on the 1st, 14th and 19th though it wasn’t clear if these had been all completely different birds or the identical hen hanging across the concrete bowl for a number of weeks. Sanderling, nonetheless, had been a lot simpler to trace the turnover of birds shifting by means of with birds usually in all ranges of moult and plumage. Seven information had been produced, usually all from Farmoor, with a max rely of 10 birds on the 25th. Henley Highway GPs offered the one report of Whimbrel in August on 24th, with absolutely lots extra to comply with in September. Greenshank had been recorded from 5 websites. Farmoor produced probably the most information with 4 information and a max rely of two on 18th. Chipping Norton (10th), Bicester (14th), Pit 60 (17th) and North Cross Valley (26th) had been the opposite websites to supply information. Black-tailed Godwit was current at just one website with a single moulting hen at Peep-o-Day Lane on the 23rd till the 26th, likewise Ruff was reported from a single website with Chipping Norton internet hosting a hen on the 14th. Ringed Plover information got here from two websites – Ardley ERF on the 9th and the 24th while Farmoor hosted birds from 14th by means of to 25th.

Farmoor Turnstone courtesy of Bryan Manston

Dunlin had been, usually, recorded incessantly from Farmoor all through the month. A most rely of 5 got here on the 25th with birds reported throughout eight days within the August. Ardley ERF & Peep-o-Day Lane had been the one different websites which produced information this month with singles right here on the 9th and 27th respectively. Six websites hosted Inexperienced Sandpiper this month with a excessive rely of 15 coming from Peep-o-Day Lane on the 25th, while six websites additionally hosted Frequent Sandpiper with Farmoor & Peep-o-Day Lane the one websites internet hosting multiple hen.

Wildfowl & Recreation and so on

An anticipated quiet interval for this group with probably the most notable hen been a lone Ruddy Shelduck current at Peep-o-Day Lane 5th till at the least the 14th, associating with the native Egyptian Goose flock in that point. Garganey information had been few and much between with the lengthy staying moulting male nonetheless current at Pit 60 this month, albeit sporadically between the threerd and 18th. An attention-grabbing report of three flying into roost at Chipping Norton on the 18th. Mandarin had been the one different notable species this month with three websites recording single birds – Chipping Norton (2nd), Waterstock (4th) and Sonning Eye GPs (15th).

Herons, egrets and so on

The tip of the month produced the primary correct twitchable rarity of the Autumn. and would have been the spotlight of the month, had it not been for a sure Monty’s elsewhere within the county. A Shag current on Farmoor on the 30th after the fog had cleared was the primary to grace the county since 2021. August and early September are the traditional time to log this species within the county with a lot of the final 20 years of information coming on this interval. While most birds away from Farmoor are typically brief stayers, birds at Farmoor generally tend to hold round for a couple of days if not weeks, presumably the presence of Cormorant, loads of meals and classically brutal climate makes them really feel extra at house! This hen was nonetheless current by 31st and appears to set to have an prolonged keep inside the county.

Farmoor Shag, courtesy of Steve Liptrot

Talking of prolonged stays, the Shiny Ibis at Otmoor continued its summer time vacation on the positioning. Largely reported coming into roost with the varied Egrets and different Wildfowl throughout night vigils the hen was nonetheless current on the finish of the month. 

The Otmoor Shiny Ibis courtesy of Steve Lavington

Shiny Ibis  Courtesy of Trish’s Nature Pix.

Cattle Egret numbers had been an enormous spotlight this month with the submit breeding flock taking to Otmoor this 12 months as an alternative of the fields of Farmoor village round Wytham Wooden. Counts of feeding flocks remained round 30-40 birds for a lot of the month, which in of itself would have been unheard only some years in the past. An enormous rely, nonetheless, of 62 coming into roost on the 24th was one thing else! Clearly a very good breeding 12 months has been had by the species, though not all can be birds from our native breeders, and presumably one of many highest counts of birds outdoors of Somerset? One other 5 websites reported birds, all within the west of the county aside from Port Meadow on the 29th. Birds had been reportedly nonetheless on nests on the 11th at Blenheim with Farmoor, Wytham and Woodstock all hosted birds sporadically.

Otmoor Cattle Egret courtesy of Steve Lavington

A grand complete of 9 websites hosted Nice White Egret this month. Most information got here from Otmoor, a website that’s more and more sounding like a wetland within the Med. A county report of 10 birds had been current on 24th, though 2 -5 birds had been extra generally recorded. 

ADC Otmoor rspb courtesy of Malcolm Bowey

A color ringed hen (ADC) has been current on Otmoor for a while and was ringed down in Somerset the earlier 12 months, it has frolicked in Northants, Herts and Bucks in addition to Slimbridge early this 12 months see beneath. 

-Summer season Leys LNR, Northants eighth September 2023
-Wilstone Reservoir Tring, Herts seventeenth September 2023
-Willen Lake North, Milton Keynes, Bucks ninth March 2024
-Tack Lake, Slimbridge twenty fourth Could 2024

ADC is a feminine and was ringed on the nest on eighth June 2023 on the rspb Ham Wall Reserve

ADC as a chick.

One other color ringed particular person (AFT) was additionally current on Cassington GPs on the 4th. This hen was ringed as a chick on the twenty ninth of April 2024, a feminine and likewise from the rspb Ham Wall reserve in Somerset. This was its first sighting since leaving the county and was within the firm of 4 different people on website. 

ATF Cassington GPs courtesy of Terry Godfrey

ATF as a chick on the Ham Wall rspb Reserve

For extra data relating to these lovely birds and their standing see Alison Morgan Birds of the Somerset Ranges and Moors

Pit 60 additionally hosted 5 GWE sporadically all through August with Radley GPs the one different website to host multiple hen this month.

Passerines

In what would of have been a very fashionable hen had it been current throughout waking hours, a flyover Nightjar on the night of the 18th at Eynsham was the primary report of this species for various years. Though the nocturnal and cryptic nature of the species in all probability belies its true standing throughout migration, Nightjar remains to be a serious county rarity. The illustrate the purpose, there are a lot of of us which have Frequent Nighthawk in Oxfordshire however have but to see Nightjar! The wait continues!

Kingfisher courtesy of Jason Hornblow

Whinchat began shifting by means of the county in larger quantity this month with 9 websites reporting birds. Wytham had the best rely of 5 on the 18th, though a number of websites hosted a number of birds. Chipping Norton had as much as 2 birds between 4th and 24th, while Waterstock and Otmoor hosted 2 and three birds on the 4th and 16th respectively. Lollingdon Hill had a single hen current on the very finish of the month. Unbelievably the primary Wheatear of the autumn got here from Oxford on the 18th, with a hen feeding on the roof of the Churchill Hospital of all locations! This was adopted by information at an additional 5 websites with most of those been confined to the Oxon Downs, with the most important rely of three coming from Lollingdon Hill on the 31st.

Whinchat courtesy of Dave Murphy

Redstart had been the commonest and widespread of the migrant passerines this month with at the least 11 websites reporting birds. As with the earlier two species nearly all of the information got here from websites on the Oxon Downs, with Aston Upthorpe recorded probably the most with 4 people on the 23rd. Farmoor was the one website that reported a number of birds outdoors of the Downs with two current right here on and off between the 4th and 26th. The common roost vigil at Otmoor for the varied Egrets & Herons counts additionally produced a cracking report of at the least 276(!) Yellow Wagtail coming into roost on the 27th, one can solely think about the sound!

Stonesfield Frequent Redstart courtesy of Paul Wren

Gulls and Terns

The tip of the month produced by far the most important number of species and information with the sooner a part of August been deathly quiet. A single juvenile Little Gull was a pleasant method to the tip of the month with a hen at Farmoor on the 31st. Black Tern had been current at each ends of the month with a juvenile on Farmoor on the 1st, 5 at Cassington GPs on the 12th and one other juvenile at Sonning Eye GPs on the 31st.

The Farmoor juvenile Little Gull courtesy of Steve Willis

Farmoor was constantly the positioning to be for the rarer and Gulls and Terns, because it usually is, with 3 Sandwich Tern current on the 25th together with a lone Arctic Tern. All had departed by the next day, though a single Sandwich Tern was as current on Farmoor on the 30th.

Sandwich Terns and Arctic Tern at Farmoor courtesy of Steve Sansom

Caspian Gull continued to hold on within the county, with the inevitable inflow as a consequence of come over the subsequent few weeks and months. Single birds had been current at Farmoor and Appleford within the 28th.

A juvenile Caspian Gull courtesy of Ian Lewington

A Baltic Gull was transient customer to Didcot Landfill on the 23rd and sadly didn’t reappear in what’s changing into, or already was, a daily customer to the county. A single Mediterranean Gull at Pit 60 was the one report of the species in August on the 25th.

A possible Baltic Gull at Didcot landfill briefly courtesy of Ian Lewington

Raptors

Osprey information got here from three websites this month with Otmoor this primary to get in on the motion on the threerd. An unconfirmed report got here from Abingdon the next day, in what may have been the earlier days hen following the Thames south. Farmoor additionally obtained in on the motion with hen current on the 27th. Honey Buzzard are usually and frustratingly both transient, unconfirmed or probables, and this month proved no completely different with a possible over Dix Pit on the tenth.

The very fashionable pale Marsh Harrier younger continued to please admirers from close to and afar at Otmoor till at the least the 17th. Given the plumage it was all the time going to be pretty easy in monitoring these distinctive birds. One among them was seen north of Otmoor at Lillbourne Meadows in Northants the next day earlier than seemingly bombing it proper by means of to Willow Tree Fen in Lincolnshire afterward the 18th. It has seemingly remained within the space of the character reserve ever since. 

The twond hen moved rather less far with it delighting the principle birders and photographers at Slimbridge from the 18th onwards. After this it seems to have headed a little bit additional south to Catcott on the Somerset Ranges by the 26th August. Let’s hope the birds proceed to outlive by means of the autumn into the winter and delight many extra observers but!

Above and beneath taken at Slimbridge and are courtesy of Blair Jones

Courtesy of Blair Jones

Patchwork problem

The Photograph Of The Month

This nice picture by Steve Lavington of a number of Otmoor Egrets coming into roost was unanimously voted PotM by the weblog committee.

Otmoor Egrets courtesy of Steve Lavington