RSPB Frampton Marsh :: 05 July 2025

It was shaping up to be another potentially damp Saturday, so Kev @kev07713 and I headed northeast, where the forecast looked driest; our destination this time was RSPB Frampton Marsh. There was nothing particularly headline-worthy reported and most of the recent highlights had already moved on - but there’s always hope, and a day spent birding at Frampton is never wasted.

We skipped our usual breakfast stop, planning instead to grab something from the Visitor Centre once it opened. Arriving in good time, we made our way toward the 360 Hide and Reedbed Hide, pausing along the way to enjoy good numbers of black-tailed godwits, ruff, little ringed plovers, and a couple of redshanks mixed in with the usual wildfowl. A reed warbler darted across our path, while linnets and goldfinches flitted overhead.

At the 360 Hide, we settled in and began scanning the pools. Reports of spotted redshanks had come in recently with 11 individuals reported earlier in the week, it looked like they were all still present and showing well.

The spotted redshank is a striking and elegant wader, medium-sized, with long legs and a distinctive silhouette. They pass through the UK mainly on migration and occasionally overwinter in small numbers. Seeing a group like this together made for one of the day’s highlights. In summer breeding plumage it sports striking black with white spots, long red legs, and a slightly upturned bill with a red base. Our birds were in this form but as winter approaches they will return to non-breeding plumage - a pale grey above and white below, more subdued.

They do not breed in the UK but in the far north of Scandinavia and Russia. A passage migrant, they are typically seen in spring (April–May) and more commonly in autumn (July–October). There are often up to 5 birds but there has obviously been a bit of an upgrade! Between here and the Reedbed Hide we had some distant but occasional good views. From the Reedbed Hide there was an individual who was sleeping in the edge of the grass, beak tucked under its wings and motionless - well every five minutes or so it would look up and before you could even reach for the camera it would be back down.

At one point, something spooked the flock - godwits, lapwings, ducks, and even the spotted redshank all lifted into the air in a sudden burst of activity. After a couple of circuits over the hide, the birds gradually settled back down. The spotted redshank returned to the island, at first keeping close to cover. After a few minutes, it stepped back into the open water, spent some time preening, and then returned to its preferred roosting spot to doze.

From the 360 Hide, we had a good view across the pools. Most birds were either sleeping or preening, though a few were actively feeding in the shallows. Spotted redshanks forage by wading through shallow water, using their long legs and slender, slightly upturned bills. In deeper areas, they often sweep their bills from side to side, a technique similar to that of an avocet, to detect and disturb prey. Much of their foraging is done by touch rather than sight, thanks to sensitive receptors in the bill that can detect movement in the water.

On the island, behind the spotted redshank was a single spoonbill - others were grouped elsewhere and as usual, fast asleep.

From the 360 Hide, we also watched a pair of little ringed plovers fiercely defending their territory. They repeatedly chased off any birds that strayed too close, first a few ruff, then a couple of unsuspecting lapwings. After a few minutes, the reason for their agitation became clear - two tiny chicks appeared, likely no more than a day old. Cute.

Within just a few hours of hatching, little ringed plover chicks are up on their feet - long legs and all - and leave the nest almost immediately to begin foraging. They’re precocial and nidifugous, meaning they’re mobile and feeding independently from the start, though both parents stay close to guide them to invertebrate-rich spots and keep watch for danger.

We started back to Reedbed Hide and came across a sedge warbler calling and perch just below the tops of the reeds - in the end I found an angle I could get a clear view - I suppose it won't be too long before they are on the move.

Almost back to the Reedbed Hide we stopped to look at the sand martin wall - there had been significant numbers of them in the sky above us and here we saw them returning to their chicks to feed them. In mid‑June, the reserve team observed the first nesting tunnel being dug in a constructed sand/gravel bank, and now 67 Sand Martin nests are active in the colony. Many pairs attempt a second brood before they depart in late summer or early autumn

Several of the nest holes had chicks perched right at the entrance, their tiny heads poking out as they waited to be fed. Now and then, a cluster of adults would gather near the wall, only to scatter suddenly, as if sensing a nearby threat. I managed to capture one of these moments on video.

We continued toward the East Hide, pausing along the way to watch several ruff and a mix of dabbling ducks and other wildfowl. At one point, Kev picked out a bird and called it as a wood sandpiper, a call we both quickly agreed on. It stood in place preening, giving us a good look, though it didn’t move much. Eventually, it took off to feed elsewhere, leaving us to carry on to the hide.

From the East Hide, Kev once again picked out the wood sandpiper, this time feeding along the far side of the pool. It moved steadily from right to left, and a few others in the hide were eager to get onto it. Once they realised just how distant it was, most abandoned any hopes of a photo, though one determined birder mentioned heading to another hide in case it offered a better view.

We lost sight of the bird for a while but managed to relocate it a couple more times before heading off to continue our walk along the sea wall.

Now on the sea wall we saw marsh harrier, male and female, quartering on the saltmarsh, and a single brent goose - the UK hosts tens of thousands of brent geese from October to March and this time of year they have usually migrated to Arctic Russia, Svalbard, and Greenland to breed (May–August). RSPB Frampton Marsh and similar wetland reserves occasionally report isolated birds in summer.

Back off the sea wall, we chatted with a reserve volunteer who mentioned a couple of green sandpipers had been seen along the return route. We’d already picked up a couple of common sandpipers, so it was great to add another species to the list. Thinking about it, I’ve seen fewer green sandpipers this year than usual, so it was a welcome addition, and our 57th species of the day.

We stopped at the Centre for some food, catching it still serving, but not long before they would close – almost too late even for lunch!

Year list: 219.

Grimsbury Reservoir, Berkshire & Otmoor :: 09 & 13 April 2024

I left work just after 6.00pm and when having dinner, noticed an update on the Banbury Birders WhatsApp that two Arctic terns had been found at Grimsbury Resevoir by John Friendship-Taylor @987jonty. There was a follow-up message from Kev Heath @kev07713 to say they were still present and that there were also yellow and white wagtails. My wife said she was going to pop to the shops and so I decided to nip back to the other end of town and see if I could tick these long-distance migrants.

Arctic terns undertake one of the longest migrations of any bird species, traveling from their breeding grounds in the Arctic to their wintering grounds in the Antarctic, and back again; they cover an astonishing distance of up to 44,300 miles round trip, equivalent to traveling more than twice around the circumference of the Earth. They typically arrive or passing through the UK in late April to early May, and breed in colonies located in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, including the British Isles, nesting on coastal cliffs, rocky islands, and sometimes even on floating icebergs.

I arrived to find Mark Ribbons, and Kev & Karen Heath watching the birds feed across the water, unusually not diving for fish but seemingly catching flies over the water. As the light fell, and we sheltered from occasional rain showers, the terns gracefully worked up and down the water, never diving in. Kev picked out the yellow wagtail through his scope on the far bank (also a year tick for me) but couldn't relocate the white wagtail. A good couple of mid-weeks ticks - I usually don't bird in the week.

Saturday arrived, and we agreed to drop down into Berkshire for nightingale and Dartford Warbler - nothing like the sound of nightingales in the Spring. They typically arrive in the UK in April, marking the onset of spring, their arrival coinciding with the availability of suitable breeding habitat and the emergence of insects. Nightingales undertake an arduous migration journey of thousands of miles, crossing the Mediterranean Sea and Sahara Desert - the exact route and distance covered varies between individuals and populations, but they typically travel several thousand miles. Once they have established territories, Nightingales begin to sing to attract mates and defend their nesting sites. Their beautiful and melodious song is a hallmark of spring in the UK, filling the air with rich, flute-like notes during the dawn and dusk hours.

Arriving onto site we set off across the gorse-rich and bush/tree lined perimeter immediately seeing a chiffchaff coming off the ground and a very vocal common whitethroat in the hedges, giving me a run-around to get a photo; this is my first of the year.

We walked on, watching for Dartford's but seeing plenty of stonechats when Kev stopped and pointed to where he'd heard the start of a nightingale call - then it went into full song, and we moved along the path to see if we could get a view. For a good 15 minutes we couldn't see it but could easily narrow it down to an area; we simply enjoyed the song. Eventually we caught some movement and could see the bird but when it stopped again it was still deep in the bush and I couldn't get a clear line for a photo - we'd have had to walk across to the bush and that wouldn't have been acceptable, especially as it was on territory. A year tick in any case. Behind and through the trees I could see a male bullfinch - that has taken a while to tick this year!

We saw and heard a woodlark high in the sky but out of reach and when it dropped it was far over and in the region of tall dense trees. We picked out a Dartford warbler in a low tree just as it dropped down and out of view, into a patch of low gorse. Within a couple of minutes, it popped up and shot left into a further line of gorse. Yet another year tick.

We circled back at the end of the path and found lots of dog walkers with their beasts off lead - while most were not distracted we saw one chasing a pair of muntjac deers, completely out of control - really there should be signs, especially at this time of year where there will be a lot of ground nesting birds - and to protect against dogs with insufficient training. While being flushed left and right by walkers (mostly with dogs), a wheatear fed along a stretch of grass close to us. So far this year I've been unable to get close enough to one for a photo - here was my chance. Beyond me a handful of linnets and meadow pipits fed on the ground and I picked out a whinchat but it was flushed before Kev could get on it.

We followed a path running parallel to the one we'd come out on, and heard another nightingale behind, deciding not to search for it. A Dartford perched in a tree ahead but against the bright sky and so it was a job to pick out the features. Another stonechat, this one a female perched low on some gorse to the left and four/five house martins dropped on a large puddle ahead before leaving as quickly as they arrived.

While we heard more woodlarks, today was not our day for a close encounter and so after reaching the end of the circuit we stopped for a coffee before making our way back to RSPB Otmoor to see if we could pick up any warblers recently returned.

There was a lot of water in the car park at Otmoor which rendered a number of the spaces relatively unusable/undesirable. We waited for a chap and his sone to pack up and depart to take their spot. We turned the first corner and came across a vocal and showy chiffchaff, dancing around the base of a hedgerow - it exhibited a strong supercilium which caught our attention, although it already had to be honest, especially the way it flapped its wings as we watched.

Our key now was to follow the bridleway and see some sedge warblers, which we did very quickly, however getting one out in the open for a photo was somewhat of a challenge. The birds were in general out of sight - a couple from Somerset stopped for a chat and remarked how subdued it was now, compared to when they arrived at late breakfast time. There were quite a few marsh harriers over Greenaways and some interactions with the red kites, but it was all rather quiet. There were brimstone and peacock butterflies and our first dragonfly of the Spring, but nothing really to excite.

We then managed to get a sedge warbler that didn't mind being seen and I got my photo. Another first of the year but we couldn't locate a reed bunting or any other migrants just in.

It had been a good day out with some cracking migrants just in, so we pulled stumps, and I dropped Kev back home. I'm away on business for the next week and so it will likely be a couple of weeks before I get out again.

Year list: 180.