On Friday teatime I'd returned from a business trip to Italy but still decided to arrange birding early on Saturday morning to see if we could catch anything interesting on the Farmoor Reservoir causeway, before the crowds arrived. Kevin Heath's mate, Dave South joined us. My main target for the morning was to see a cuckoo, having heard a few but not seen any this year.
We managed to get caught in the last of the overnight rain but at least found a couple of common sandpipers, a ringed plover and a dunlin on the causeway. As is usually the case, the common sandpipers were skittish, but the dunlin and ringed plover seemed relatively relaxed about our presence, eventually though departing together across F1.
We decided to drop down from the reservoir to the river thinking we might make for the Pinkhill Hide. However, the drizzle abated and we opted to make a pass along the river. Cetti's and reed warbler hopped around the reeds on the opposite bank and then a cuckoo called to the left of them. Relocating we saw the cuckoo just as it took to the wing and flew back and right. We followed the bird, but it didn't settle and moved on before we got close. I managed a couple of photos, but they were either blurred or of the rear of the bird. From the field beside us a roe deer watched and then decided to exit our view, stage right.
Between the river and the Pinkhill lock we could hear a grasshopper warbler reeling but despite search and scanning for a good half hour we didn't catch sight of it. There were common whitethroat, reed bunting and sedge warbler showing and these kept us entertained until a cuckoo landed in a distant tree - I started attempting some long-range photos but it soon flew towards and across us into the trees behind the Pinkhill lock. We managed a few shots but were challenged by the bird against a light sky - that silhouette effect again! A little egret followed behind. A woman on one of the longboats opened a hatch and seemed to be keen to talk about the birds – she would reappear later (now not in her dressing gown) but Kev’s suggestion about making us a brew fell on deaf ears.
We were joined by Ewan Urquhart who relayed that he'd seen an osprey and a whimbrel on/over the water on his way in - he had to be joking. Looks like we may need to make a special trip to add osprey this year - it doesn't seem to be happening naturally.
We worked our way back up onto the edge of the water and headed back to the causeway - here we met Nick and Anne Truby. We sat on the wall and chatted, occasionally scanning and hoping for an "uncommon" tern. Nick raised the alert that he thought that the juvenile great-northern diver had just dived beyond two fishermen beside the pontoon; he was proved correct when it reappeared about a minute later having successfully caught a signal crayfish. I took a couple of photos for the record, but they were never going to be as good as those I'd taken earlier in the year.
The Visitor Centre Cafe called and Kev, Dave and I stopped for a caffeine hit. After this we set off around F1 hoping to catch up with yellow wagtail but failed. A grey heron, although nice to see, was not an adequate replacement - another couple of common sandpipers cushioned the blow.
We made our way round F1, passed the causeway and down to the angler's car park. We stopped there to look in the hedge and down across Shrike Meadow as there are often warblers - it turned out to be a fruitless search, but we did have rather good views of a broad-bodied chaser hunting in the scrub - what a stunning specimen.
We decided to complete the circuit of F2 and as we approached the southern end, we re-found the great northern diver. It was fishing but we didn't see it catching anything, unlike the great crested grebe just a few tens of meters away. As we watched a single barnacle goose drifted by. My wife called to ask when I might get home as she was waiting for lunch and so I pulled stumps and headed for home.
Having had a busy week and an early rise on Saturday I decided not to rush about on Sunday morning. I heard from Kev that he'd been down to Grimsbury Reservoir but not connected with anything of substance - two shelduck were nice. I read that a visiting spoonbill that was showing on Big Otmoor - soon I couldn't help myself and I set out to try and get a county and year tick. On the way in, on Otmoor Lane, I came bumper to bumper with Dan and Trish Miller - I reversed back up to a gate and they pulled alongside. They confirmed that the spoonbill was still in view - well mostly as it was in the far back corner and often down in a ditch. We chatted until another car appeared behind and we had to part.
On the bridleway I listened to the various calling warblers and soon reached the bench, finding Nick and Anne Truby there, waiting for passing hobby. On cue two flew over - a year tick. A rather showy sedge warbler sang its heart out on a prominent stalk.
After a short chat I made for the crossroads and looked across Big Otmoor, easily picking out the spoonbill. It was sleeping at serious distance and photographs were destroyed by the late morning heat haze. I talked with a passing couple who confirmed that the spoonbill could be seen from the corner near !st screen. As I made my way there, I stopped to chat to a birder/photographer obviously waiting for a grasshopper warbler - it was Michael Enticott who can be found posting some great images from around Oxford. I pushed on and soon reached the corner and looked back at the sleeping spoonbill. Sure enough the heat haze was reduced but the bird was fast asleep - fortunately it stretched briefly, preened and then went back to sleep - I least I got a record shot where you can see the bird species!
I was only planning on a short stop as I was again due back for lunch - I stopped to talk with Michael on the return and he confirmed he'd managed to get a workable photo of the grasshopper warbler. I had some more views of hobby over the car park and departed leaving my space to an arriving group. Home James and don't spare the horses.
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