RSPB Otmoor :: 13 January 2018

It was time for my first visit of 2018 to RSPB Otmoor. Always a pleasure and a good place to move on with my year list. I decided to go early in the morning, as I usually do, although this prevents me seeing the spectacle of thousands of starlings in their winter murmuration. The car park was relatively quiet when I arrived and you could see evidence of reserve management taking place with lots of trees cut down and logs piled.

There were lots of bullfinch around the car park, joined by good numbers of blue and great tit. From here there wasn't much evidence of any movement in the sky but I could hear some distant geese calling. Soon these were seen in The Closes. Nothing unusual at the feeders I continued on and wondered if it was quiet and it was going to be "one of those" Saturday mornings. As I got closer to the hide I was greeted by a very large flock of golden plover taking off from Big Otmoor. The number on Big Otmoor alone has been estimated at 2,500 and as high as 5,000 on the whole site.

Into the hide and distant flocks could be seen - good numbers of linnet and reed bunting. As I waited the flocks got closer and were joined by chaffinch, dunnock and yellowhammer. As I sat a large fox ran past on The Closes side and crossed towards Greenaways.

Through the gate and towards the first screen I got better views of the golden plover, sharing the field with large but lower numbers of lapwing. At regular intervals they both were spooked and took to the air creating a swirling mass of birds - great to watch and be directly under.

From the first screen I had three marsh harrier, a pair and a juvenile female. It appears all the others have left the reserve. Joining them were large numbers of red kite across to the trees and hedgerow beyond. At one point I thought I had spotted the hen harrier but unfortunately not. A handful of snipe could be seen in their usual spot. No sign of bittern (three seen over the last weeks) nor water rail.

Rather than continuing onto the second screen I opted for a return toward the hide and a look along the path between Ashgrave and Big Otmoor. As I walked I could feel the mud getting deeper and wetter and wondered if this was a good idea ... up popped a female stonechat to be added to the year list, then wigeon. A group walking in the opposite direction suggested it might not be worth continuing on as nothing special had been seen further on.

As I approached the turn for the feeders I could see a goldcrest flying and hovering beside branches ahead. At the feeders I then added marsh tit.

A pleasant visit and added 12 species to take me to #70 for the year.

Sightings (41) included: black-headed gull, blackbird, blue tit, bullfinch, buzzard, canada goose, carrion crow, chaffinch, cormorant, dunnock, goldcrest, golden plover, goldfinch, great tit, grey heron, greylag goose, lapwing, linnet, long-tailed tit, magpie, mallard, marsh harrier, marsh tit, moorhen, mute swan, pheasant, pied wagtail, pochard, red kite, redwing, reed bunting, robin, rook, snipe, starling, stonechat, teal, wigeon, woodpigeon, wren and yellowhammer.

WkWT Brandon Marsh :: 06 January 2018

Still the first week of the year and my second outing. This time there was no specific bird in my sights but it had been quite a while since I went to WkWT Brandon Marsh so off I set. It was a cold morning with ice covering the car and the temperature still below freezing. Gentle set off aware that black ice may be an issue with Kat’s wide rear wheel drive.

On the hill up the Southam Road, atop a tree on the right, sat a peregrine - perhaps the same one noted by Gareth (@Grimsburybirding) recently. Nothing else of note on the remaining journey.

Through the Visitor’s Centre and onto the path I immediately caught sight of a jay. I stopped to observe and to my surprise the bird flew left and into a tree where I could see it better. As I headed for New Hare Covert I saw the jay again and followed it onto the waters edge where it flew on further than I could follow. I continued on and within another couple of minutes I saw two jay and had some reasonable views although not great photos due to poor light.

As I reached the tall trees at the centre of the New Hare Covert I saw treecreeper and while watching this also found goldcrest; last year I couldn’t buy a goldcrest sighting but no such problem this year. More sightings of the jays but becoming more distant. As I turned to walk between Swallow and East Marsh Pools, looking down the gated lane I could see a mixed flock which comprised Siskin, goldfinch and a couple of dunnock and reed bunting.

From the Wright Hide I saw a fine male goldeneye and shoveler ducks, but none of the snipe or wigeon listed in the last week.

Nothing else of note around the rest of the reserve other than the constant presence of goldcrest across all areas. More treecreeper too. The rain started while I was in the Carlton Hide but fortunately became intermittent and allowed me to get back to the car without getting too wet. From the Visitor's Centre I also added nuthatch and willow tit.

Back via Bicester Village I also added buzzard, red kite and collard dove taking my year list to 59.

Sightings on the reserve (37) included: black-headed gull, blackbird, blue tit, bullfinch, canada goose, carrion crow, chaffinch, coal tit, coot, cormorant, dunnock, goldcrest, goldeneye, great spotted woodpecker, great tit, greenfinch, lapwing, long-tailed tit, magpie, mallard, moorhen, mute swan, nuthatch, pheasant, red kite, redwing, reed bunting, robin, rock dove / feral pigeon, shoveler, siskin, teal, tufted duck, willow tit, woodpigeon and wren.

Draycote Water :: 02 January 2018

On a mission to add hawfinch to the 2018 year list and so returned to Draycote Water - seemed to be the best chance of getting the tick (although @987jonty reported one still at Thenford Church yesterday). Charlotte decided to join me, on the understanding that we visited the café in the Visitors Centre.

Started with lunch then down into the park to see if we could find the hawfinch. Green woodpecker [#20] standing out on the grass in the playground and mistle thrush [#19] calling from the trees started us off and we soon had our bird - the hawfinch [#25] but in the shadow of the copse on a very gloomy day. We also had a beautiful pair of bullfinches and a large mixed flock of fieldfare and redwing.

Up onto the waterside and we had goldeneye, goosander and a little grebe showing off it's catch. Quite a few dead gulls along the side of the water was upsetting to see. At the turn we saw good numbers of teal, although in the cold I couldn't spot the hybrid green-winged found a few days ago by @wildrainsbrook.

A quick coffee and hot chocolate then back home.

Sightings (31) included: black-headed gull, blackbird, bullfinch, carrion crow, coot, cormorant, dunnock, fieldfare, gadwall, goldeneye, goldfinch, goosander, great crested grebe, green woodpecker, hawfinch, kestrel, lesser black-backed gull, little grebe, long-tailed tit, magpie, mallard, mistle thrush, moorhen, pied wagtail, redwing, robin, song thrush, teal, treecreeper, tufted duck and woodpigeon.

Draycote Water :: 28 December 2017

Yesterday in Banbury it snowed and, in the main, mostly melted. We arose to find a heavy frost but decided to continue with our plan to visit Draycote Water and see if we could see the hawfinch there. As we headed north there was a noticeable increase in snow on the fields and roadside. Between Southam and Dunchurch the road became quite treacherous and cars were slowing down to deal with the icy conditions - you could feel the car twitch on cornering. The Country Park had been closed early yesterday due to show and fallen trees.

@DraycoteBirding had pointed where the likely spots would be and so on arriving we quickly had hawfinch feeding on the ground in the small copse behind the park zip wire. The light from this position wasn't ideal and another birder was on the far side of the copse and was waving - later we found out he had the other hawfinch on his side.

After a short while the hawfinch moved right, further into the gloom and into a dip. While it's head was briefly visible there were no photos possible. We decided to circle the copse (bad idea) and see if we could get any views with the sun at our backs. Between our movement and some cyclists coming down the path the birds scattered and it took a good 15 minutes before the finches were back in any number, however without the hawfinch. We opted for a visit to the café for coffee and hot chocolate.

When we returned to the park the hawfinch had returned to the spot we had first seen it but quickly hopped right into a darker spot, the sun now directly behind the copse. No chance to improve the photos I had without perhaps spooking the birds again.

Today sighting (copse only) were: blackbird, bullfinch, chaffinch, dunnock, great spotted woodpecker, great tit, greenfinch, hawfinch, robin, song thrush, woodpigeon and wren.

Thenford :: 17 December 2017

After last month’s failed attempt at seeing hawfinch, I was interested to read on @987jonty's twitter feed that there were still two or three hanging around Thenford Church. I'd been busy picking up my eldest daughter from Uni on Saturday and so after breakfast Sunday I made a quick visit.

Actually it was bloody freezing standing still watching across the lake to the yew and other trees on the far side of the lake. A few flyovers but none were hawfinch. I had been told to listen out for the flight call but the main sounds came from mistle thrush.

Without any success I dropped down the wall from the churchyard to the path beyond and talked briefly to a small group walking their who helpfully suggested that the birds had moved on. Starting to rain I turned and saw a small group of finches at the top of a distant tree; predominantly greenfinch but one turned out to be hawfinch [#172]. I’d started to believe was a mythical creature but at last some success.

Sightings (16) included: black-headed gull, blackbird, blue tit, carrion crow, chaffinch, collared dove, coot, dunnock, greenfinch, hawfinch, house sparrow, mistle thrush, robin, starling, woodpigeon and wren.

Draycote Water :: 02 December 2017

It was a cold morning to go out but I needed to get some fresh air after a week indoors. I wanted to go to Thenford again to see if I could find a hawfinch, but in the end decided on Draycote Water. It looked like a bad choice as I left Banbury as the drizzle started to fall. I needn't have worried as it stopped by Southam.

The car park was quiet and I noted the payment machine has been upgraded to take contactless card payments - note to self. Decided for anticlockwise rotation and spotted good numbers of ducks, grebes and cormorants, plus a single shag. At the spit I spotted the black-necked grebe [#171] but couldn't see any sign of the long-tailed duck; speaking to others confirmed no one else had seen it either. There appeared to a coach-load of birders and I stopped with a group of them as they scanned trees opposite. Turned out to be stunning pair of goldcrest.

Turned to head back as birders suggested there was nothing of any consequence further on. One chap was more disappointed the departure of the LT duck as he is sitting on 198 and looking for a couple of visitors to top the 200 for the year.

A short visit but good to add another species to the year list after a pause in progress.

Sightings today (33) included: black-headed gull, black-necked grebe, blackbird, blue tit, canada goose, carrion crow, coot, cormorant, dunnock, fieldfare, goldcrest, goldeneye, goosander, great crested grebe, great spotted woodpecker, great tit, grey heron, greylag goose, little egret, little grebe, long-tailed tit, magpie, mallard, meadow pipit, mute swan, oystercatcher, pied wagtail, robin, rook, shag, tufted duck, woodpigeon and wren.

Thenford :: 18 November 2017

Despite the drizzle I decided that it would be a good morning to get some fresh air. The only local place I'd heard multiple sightings of hawfinch (other than over @987jonty's back garden) was around Thenford Church - decided. As I approached the church I could see the attraction with substantial numbers of winter thrushes, first redwing and soon joined by fieldfare. Soon, to the right, I also had mistle thrush.

I circled the church and looked out, often distracted by movement of the thrushes. Seven moorhen fed at the edge of the lake and coot called. A wren however tried to drown out all the other calls.

No sight of any hawfinches I returned to the front of the church and followed the paths and gates to the left, down closer to the waters edge. Noisy mistle thrush called from the tops of trees but no joy for the target bird. I thought I saw another birder set down his scope in the churchyard and so looped back that way to see if they had had any luck but no one was around when I got there.

Looks like this millstone will stay around my neck for another week at least as I head back to Russia for work again this week.

Sightings (21) included: black-headed gull, blackbird, blue tit, carrion crow, chaffinch, coot, dunnock, fieldfare, goldfinch, greenfinch, jackdaw, lapwing, long-tailed tit, mistle thrush, moorhen, mute swan, redwing, robin, starling, woodpigeon and wren.