Oxon Birding Weblog: Summer time evaluation

Highlights

The lean interval, the summer season lull or the summer season hunch –
no matter you name the June – July interval, birding the months wedged between the
Spring and Autumn migration intervals is a a lot quieter and targeted affair. It
generally is a nice time to understand the comings and goings of our native breeding
species that we might typically take as a right in the course of the busier months.  Numerous us will even use this era to catch
up with a number of the rarer Orchids, Lepidoptera and Odanata of which Oxon and
the encircling counties host in abundance. For those who do give attention to these
different taxa, rewards can sometimes come within the type of a number of the rarer
migrant species with 2024 producing a report breaking variety of Lesser
Emperor for the county. Others will give attention to the fortunes of our
uncommon and scarcer breeding species, notably Waders which may, to say the
least, be a mildly miserable exercise – talking from my very own expertise of
monitoring our native breeding Curlew this yr. 

Lesser Emperor, courtesy of Steve Burch

Rarities, of the avian selection, are usually only a few and much
between. That being stated, wanderers do sometimes stray into the county borders,
see the Black-crowned Night time Heron on my very personal patch final yr, however
2023 sadly didn’t produce something on this stage. A quick coronary heart
palpation second got here when an unconfirmed report of a Purple Heron at Otmoor
on the 19^th however remained a thriller with no additional sightings. The
arrival of our first returning passerines from the latter a part of July although
alerts a altering of the seasons with each Whinchat, Redstart and Willow
Warbler famous. While I bought a pleasant shock when surveying simply different the
border in Bucks, when a male Wheater popped up on a fencepost –
the unstoppable march in direction of Autumn has begun and we are able to all now look
ahead to a busier interval of native birding!

Waders

The standout of the interval got here with the primary returning Wooden
Sandpiper again Pit 60 on the 27^th. At all times a preferred
species after they flip up this one had a string of admirers throughout its keep
till the 29^th earlier than it departed in a single day. 

Pit 60 Wooden Sandpiper, courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

Sanderling have been
recorded in each of the summer season months with a single hen current at Farmoor on
the 5^th June and apparently nonetheless current by the ten^th.
A late northward certain migrant or a failed breeder returning south, who is aware of!
A hen current additionally at Farmoor on the 22^nd July,
appeared a lot clearer, with probably the identical hen nonetheless there on the 28^th. 

Farmoor Sanderling courtesy of Steve Sansom

A lone Whimbrel report got here from Farmoor on the
5^th June and was seemingly on path to the north, though in
current years lone birds have linked up with failed breeding Curlew flocks
across the county. Greenshank have been additionally recorded in each months with a
hen at Widford on the 14^th June while a primary returnee got here
on the 4^th July at Ardley remained till at the least the
11^th. 

Ardley Greenshank courtesy of Gareth Cashburn

Black-tailed Godwit have been first famous within the county at Peep-o-Day
Lane on the 7^th July the place a flock of 5 took benefit of
the now fixed presence of shallow water right here. The subsequent birds then got here
by the county at Ardley on the 23^rd July with a
pair right here till at the least the 25^th. The one Dunlin report
got here on the 28^th July with a single hen becoming a member of the Sanderling
at Farmoor, while Ringed Plover have been famous at Port Meadow
on the 1^st and three^rd June and at Grimsbury on
the 28^th July, with a pair at each websites. 

 

Ardely ERF Black-tailed Godwits courtesy of John Friendship-Taylor

The primary returning Inexperienced Sandpiper got here from Bicester
Wetlands Reserve got here on the 7^th June, a really early hen
and probably a failed breeder from the far north the place the breeding season can
be very quick affair. Three birds have been right here on the 18^th while July
noticed a excessive depend of 17 on the 25^th, with the positioning sustaining
its standing because the premier cease over web site for this species throughout migration. Eight
extra websites recorded between 1 and 5 birds from the 19^th June onwards,
though most information got here from the center a part of July. Widespread Sandpiper arrived
slightly later, though the primary report of 14 birds at Farmoor on the
29^th was a little bit of shock. With females and failed breeders returning
sooner than males and juveniles, it appears this flock was in all probability mixture
of the latter. An extra 7 websites recorded birds by July with
anyplace between 1 and 10 birds at anyone web site. 

An unseasonal Avocet spent a day on Port Meadow on the twelfth June

Port Meadow Avocet courtesy of Gnome

 

 

Wildfowl & Sport and so forth

Probably the most stunning sighting of the interval got here from Farmoor
on the 23^rd when a feminine Widespread Scoter dropped in.
Presumably a failed breeder from some remote Scottish Loch the hen
remained for the remainder of the day earlier than departing in a single day. In what has turned
out to be not a very fruitful yr for Quail, and positively not
a ‘Quail 12 months’, the summer season produced solely 6 public information. Crog Hill,
a basic summer season web site, had a single report in early June while someplace
in West Oxon noticed two birds ringed on the 8^th June. A hen
singing alongside the Glos/Oxon border was the one hen reported on consecutive
days reported between the 18^th and 29^th June sporadically.
Most different information got here, sometimes, from the Oxon Downs with a most
of three birds heard directly at Sparsholt on the 30^th June. 

 

Calling Quail (at 17 seconds) courtesy of Steve Akers

A really uncommon likelihood to look at a Quail up shut 

With no confirmed breeding this yr, information of Garganey got here
from 4 websites. Otmoor, the positioning of breeding in earlier years, had a
single male on the three^rd June. While extra single feminine
information got here from Appleford and Peep-o-Day Lane on the ten^th
June and 15^th July respectively. While Pit 60 had a pair
current within the latter a part of June, with solely the feminine then current
by a lot of July. One other uncommon breeding species that was confirmed breeding
although, got here within the type of a feminine Goosander with 5 chicks at Waterstock
on the 16^th – the three^rd yr such breeding has occurred.

Ruddy Shelduck made their annual jaunt into the county, submit summer season moult,
with information at Farmoor and Peep-o-Day Lane. A flock of 4 was
on the former on the 21^st July while a single hen was on the
latter on the 31^st, the two^nd yr through which a hen has
arrived on web site post-moult. Our personal native Shelduck have been recorded solely
from 3 websites in the course of the summer season months, with no additional affirmation of breeding
forthcoming from any of those websites. Port Meadow hosted essentially the most birds
with 5 right here on the 15^th June. Additional information got here from Bicester
Wetland Reserve and Peep-o-Day Lane.

Herons, egrets and so forth

A report of Purple Heron from Otmoor on the 19^th
June bought the collective coronary heart of the county going for a quick interval
over the summer season. Sadly, the report was by no means confirmed and a few folks’s
look ahead to an accessible Purple Heron within the county must stretch a
little additional! The key spotlight then, got here within the type of the two^nd
Spoonbill of the yr with one over Otmoor on the 18^th
June, with the hen seen sporadically between then and the 22^nd
June. Issues then bought slightly loopy with 5 possible’s over Thame on
the 29^th July, though these we not seen anyplace within the
county and can sadly stay a thriller.

Otmoor Spoonbil courtesy of Paul Torevell.

 

The Shiny Ibis that turned
up within the county on the finish of Could took an ideal liking to Otmoor and
remained there your entire summer season, with most reviews of it coming into roost
in the course of the night vigils. A lone White Stork, a now frequent customer to
the county courtesy of the White Stork Mission, was seen all through the
county in the course of the early a part of the month. Confirmed from SatTracking to be a hen
from the undertaking (ring quantity GBA9) that was born in 2023 and didn’t migrate
in its first yr. The hen was seen at 4 websites together with Otmoor and Appleford
between the 6^th and eight^th June and was
apparently nonetheless current on the 16^th. An unconfirmed report of 6+
over the m40 on the 11^th was an fascinating thriller report. 

Courtesy of Malcom Bowey

Each Nice White and Cattle Egret have been extensively
seen inside the county as in earlier months with the breeding standing of the latter
confirmed for an additional yr. Nice White Egret have been recorded at 8 websites
with a most depend of 5 on the most common web site of Pit 60, a possible
space for future breeding makes an attempt? Three have been additionally seen often at Otmoor throughout
the summer season, while 2 have been at Peep-o-Day Lane on the 23^rd June.

Pit 60 Nice White Egret courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

Cattle Egret largely stored their western distribution within the county, with the
exception of Otmoor, with at the least 7 websites recording birds. As much as 3
occupied nests have been noticed at Blenheim, though as in earlier years
extra have been suspected. Profitable breeding was confirmed for an additional yr with at
least a pair juveniles clocked at numerous websites and a submit breeding flock of
19 have been recorded at Otmoor on the 29^th July.

Woodstock Cattle Egret courtesy of Gareth Cashburn

Crane seem to have had an unsuccessful yr at Otmoor, with no
affirmation of any profitable breeding makes an attempt over the summer season. This was backed
up by extralimital information of Crane coming from two websites over the
summer season, with 2 over Farmoor on the 29^th June and 4
over Woodstock on the 16^th July – presumably all 4
birds from Otmoor. Little Egret don’t typically get a point out in these month-to-month
reviews, not like their rarer cousins, however a cracking depend of 40+ birds at Otmoor
felt noteworthy sufficient to say and an indication of some good breeding elsewhere
within the county?!

Gulls and Terns

The sometimes quiet months stored up
their status with only a few noteworthy information of notable species over the
summer season interval. Regardless of this, a number of the finer eyed amongst us nonetheless managed to
pull out the odd rarity. Port Meadow produced a possible Baltic Gull on
the three^rd June, the primary because the 2021 summer season interval when one
birder made it their mission to seek out the county’s first confirmed Baltic Gull
and ended up discovering 4 – see (https://tmbirding.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-baltic-gulls-at-appleford.html).
Caspian Gull continued their run within the county, to what one can now
assume shall be an nearly yr spherical presence in Oxfordshire. A lone hen
was on Port Meadow on the 4^th June and once more on the 25^th
June, while simply up the street at a comparatively newer web site in Stanton
St John have been current on the ten^th June.

The opposite spotlight got here within the type
of a number of information of Sandwich Tern, a extremely uncommon summer season sighting
and a presumably an indication of issues going mistaken for these birds on the breeding
entrance. A trio have been current at Dix Pit on the 9^th June earlier than
been noticed simply down the street at Rushy Widespread on the identical day, albeit
minus one hen. Curiously 3 have been additionally noticed at Rushy Widespread on
the 22^nd June and one has to imagine the identical birds, though
the place they have been within the interim stays a thriller! One other uncommon summer season report
got here from Freeland with pair of grownup Little Gull seen in flight
heading in direction of the extra ordinary web site of Farmoor or at the least in that path
on the 30^th July, however sadly birders there weren’t
in a position to join with these early passage birds. The one different actual noteworthy species
this month was a small variety of Mediterranean Gull information, two from Farmoor
on the 9^th and 30^th July and one other from Pit
60 on the 27^th. 

Yellow-legged Gull, a staple at Farmoor at the moment of yr, courtesy of Steve Liptrot

Passerines

Migration of passerines by the county started on the very
finish of June with 3 Redstart at Pit 60 on the 30^th.
Most birds although began transferring by the county in early-mid July. A
additional 6 websites noticed Redstart information with many of the websites recording
a number of birds by the center a part of the month. Whinchat arrived a
little later with the primary at Woodstock and Otmoor each on the
14^th July and each nonetheless current by the 21^st. 

Juvenile Redstart and Juvenile Goldfinch, Letcombe Regis, courtesy of Geoff Dymott

Different fascinating information got here from Blenheim with
breeding confirmed for Stonechat, a species with a restricted breeding distribution
within the county largely confined to the Oxon Downs. Breeding Cuckoo was
confirmed throughout a number of websites with sights of the primary fledged juveniles, together with
a pleasant video of 1 been fed by a presumably knackered Reed Warbler. A
Hepatic feminine was once more at Otmoor in the course of the summer season, this been 4^th
or 5^th yr this similar particular person has returned to the positioning.

A lone Crossbill report got here from near the downs
at Lockinge, with a male right here on the 16^th July. While
it seems the Ring-necked Parakeet have had one other first rate breeding
yr in 2024 with roughly 85 at Florence Park on the 19^th
July, the affect of that is but to be identified however presumably the native
birds are unlikely to be happy on the prospect. 

County Noticed Flycatcher courtesy of Nick Truby

Raptors

The
main pleasure for this group in the course of the summer season season has been the enjoyment of
watching the juvenile Marsh Harrier over Otmoor after one other
profitable breeding season. The curiosity has been even larger this yr resulting from
two of the 3-4 younger been in a really uncommon and hanging plumage. Regardless of the
birds trying like they’re leucistic, the reason for the patches of hanging
white plumage apparently have a way more sinister rationalization. When younger birds
are growing their fledging plumage from the comfortable fuzz of downy chicks a foul
food regimen or poor climate could cause a shock to the system whereby the physique stops
producing the melanin wanted to develop regular feathers. This lack of melanin then
causes the massive patches of white plumage that may be seen by the birds
wings and physique. Sadly these feathers in consequence are additionally brittle and survival
of the birds generally is a robust ask, particularly going into the winter months. A pleasant
rationalization may be discovered right here – https://x.com/Au_Erithacus/standing/1817867089790578792.
Let’s hope they handle to make it, they shouldn’t be too onerous to maintain a observe
of! 

Above & beneath courtesy of Richard Tyler.

Cassington Marsh Harrier courtesy of Terry Godfrey

Patchwork problem

 Photograph of the Month

If the Otmoor reserve was to be distilled, it might be the massive open skies and the wetland birds that frequent. Debbie Cowee has captured each on this photograph of the lengthy staying Shiny Ibis because it is available in to roost.