Oxon Birding Weblog: Might assessment

Feminine flava

1. Blue-grey head contrasting with mantle.

2. Darker lores than flavissima.

3. White throat, supericilium and ear-covert spot – sometimes
yellow in flavissima.

4. Buzzy name.

Feminine thunbergi

1. Very darkish gray head and lores, some overlap with flava.

2. Diminished supercilium – thinner than flava, not flaring behind
the attention.

3. Diminished ear covert spot.

4. Usually has whitish throat/supercilium, however some people
extra yellow.

5. Usually has darkish marks/streaking in a “necklace”
form extending onto chest under throat – additionally current in male thunbergi.

6. Has buzzy name like flava – could also be separable from flava
utilizing sonogram

As in earlier years we will probably be taking a small break over the
summer season lull however will probably be again on the finish of July to spherical up any notable
sightings that will have occurred over the summer season. The county 12 months record now has
ticked as much as 177, regardless of me saying it was 183 within the final assessment which
included subspecies, ferals and possible data. With these included it now
stands at 193 with a small flurry of cracking subspecies recorded this month
and a pair unconfirmed possible’s.

Waders

An expectedly busy month for wader data, with loads of
attention-grabbing species shifting via the county. The primary spotlight got here within the
early a part of the month when a pair of Avocet turned up at Peep-o-Day
Lane on the 6^th. Fairly a late report with most birds already on
nests across the nation, there was some transient hope that these birds would set
up store within the county when the birds remained for a few days after.
Sadly, the birds departed by the ten^th, regardless of behaving
territorially within the time they have been right here. 

courtesy of Steve Sansom

Sanderling had an excellent exhibiting
this month, with data from the 4^th all they means via to the 26^th.
A traditional chicken of late spring, with birds heading as far north as Greenland,
the primary chicken arrived on the 4^th. This was adopted by two on
the 11^th which seemingly remained till the 17^th. A pleasant
flock of 5 have been current on the 22^nd in inclement climate, with
between two and 4 nonetheless current till the 26^th. 

courtesy of Debbie Cummins

Turnstone have been current on Farmoor within the latter a part of the
month, arriving initially inclement climate together with the Greenland certain
Sanderling and arctica Dunlin. A pair of birds was current
on the 22^nd till the 25^th. A possible 2^nd
pair of birds was then current on Farmoor on the 30^th. Whimbrel
data solely got here from the early a part of the month with two websites recording
birds on the 4^th of the month – three birds on the Farmoor and
a single chicken on Pit 60, while Greenshank have been additionally current at
two websites at Farmoor on the 4^th and Waterstock on the
11^th. Dunlin data calmed considerably in Might, though
4 websites nonetheless hosted birds. Farmoor, Port Meadow, Ardley and Venn
Mill with solely singles on the latter two. Farmoor noticed probably the most birds
the place as much as 13 have been current on the 27^th, however most apparently have been
two to 3 robust candidates for the arctica subspecies. With solely a
handful of excellent candidates within the final 20 years – birds are sometimes paler,
smaller and shorter billed birds classically arriving in late Might and
are doubtlessly on route Greenland. A radical weblog publish on arctica in
North Spain will be discovered right here – https://subalpinebirding.com/weblog/greenland-dunlin-ssp-arctica-a-first-approach-to-its-identification

Above and under, the candidate arctica courtesy of Ian Lewington

…the highest left chicken

Courtesy of Ben Sheldon

A Gray Plover was reported however unconfirmed from Otmoor
on the 12^th, while a great thing about a Wooden Sandpiper got here
from Widford on the 19^th though sadly it didn’t
linger lengthy sufficient for others to attach past the only day.

courtesy of Mick Cunningham

 Black-tailed
Godwit data have been restricted to the early a part of the month and to solely single
birds at two websites – Port Meadow on the 4^th and Days Lock on
the 8^th. Ringed Plover data additionally tailed off with solely three
websites seeing birds recorded, with all internet hosting a number of birds. Port Meadow recorded
5 on the 9^th with a single there on the 25^th. Balscote
Quarry performed host to 3 birds on the 14^th, while Farmoor
had two on the 7^th. Widespread Sandpiper continued to maneuver via
the county in small numbers, presumably a mixture of non-breeders and birds shifting
additional north, with 5 websites recording birds. Henley Street, Grimsbury,
Farmoor and Oxford all recorded birds within the early a part of the month
while Farmoor, Grimsbury and Port Meadow recorded a number of birds
collectively within the latter phases of Might. 

Wildfowl & Sport and so forth

The 12 months’s first Quail was proper on que with the arrival
of a duo of singing birds at Chipping Norton on the 12^th. This
was swiftly adopted by a single singing chicken at Toot Baldon on the 16^th,
which was nonetheless singing on 19^th. Presumably June will convey
with it extra singing birds alongside the varied cereal fields of the Downs,
definitely price an early rise when you get an opportunity to.

Garganey have been at 5 areas this month with some encouraging indicators, because of
lateness of the data and size of keep, that some native breeding might happen
once more. Data all got here from the north and west of the county with all data
been single drakes or pairs. A somewhat late report of White-fronted Goose got here
from Otmoor on the 15^th with two birds right here, though these
might relate to the feral birds that frequent the county all 12 months spherical as opposed
to the Russian birds that spent a lot of the winter on website.

The Port Meadow Garganey courtesy of Steve Sansom

Some nice information of breeding Shelduck got here from two websites
this 12 months. A uncommon breeding chicken within the county, its incredible that two pairs
have bred at Days Lock and Venn Mill. On the former the pair have been
first noticed on the March 16^th with the male behaving very
territorially from the off earlier than the feminine disappeared a month later. By Might
20^th the pair had returned to the brand new scrape on the Earth
Belief land with 10 contemporary ducklings having seemingly swam down river from
their nesting location.  An additional three
websites hosted birds this month, with Port Meadow recording 11 birds on
the 28^th, with the prevalence of so many birds properly into the breeding
season it appears possibly extra breeding data could also be on the playing cards. 

Shelduck household courtesy of Geoff Wyatt.

Herons, egrets and so forth

In what may need been a contender for the highlght of the
month, if not for a
sure Gray-headed Wagtail on the similar website earlier within the month, a juvenile Spoonbill
was current on Port Meadow on the 22^nd. This report was made
much more attention-grabbing by the truth that it was color ringed from a ringing
scheme in Denmark! Ringed as a chick in Hoje Sande, Ringkobing Fjord
in June 2023 the chicken spent the winter on the Hayle Estuary, Cornwall
with a small jaunt to Yorkshire in between. An excellent report and
wonderful to have the ability to hint this birds actions since leaving its native Denmark.
The chicken was passed by the next day and has hopefully made its means north
again to its homeland. 

courtesy of Thomas Miller