Farmoor Reservoir :: 04 September 2021

Another earlyish start for a Saturday morning and a visit to Farmoor Reservoir with Kevin Heath. We scanned the water and apron as we made our way toward the causeway mainly noting the regulars, other than a yellow-legged gull on the pontoons. Only halfway across the causeway did we come upon a wader on the water's edge. It was a single dunlin and it allowed a close approach for a photo. Standing still it would even walk past us as it fed - it must be something to do with the causeway but species that would normally flush if approached seem happy to have people close. A couple of common sandpiper bucked the trend.

We continued to the end of the causeway where Kevin picked out two Egyptian geese to our left on F2. In front of us we had two little egrets noisily chasing around a statuesque heron. Behind a couple of yellow wagtails appeared and then a common sandpiper. We saw a couple of birders pass around F1 and they stopped, looking as if they may have spotted something - we headed that way.

Before we got far, we picked out a number of birds in a bush down the slope to our left. We could see a number of blackcap, chiffchaff, whitethroat and goldfinch and spent a while watching them flit about and feed. We set off again seeing that the two birders were still ahead, although they shortly parted and one headed our way. When we drew level, we found it was Thomas Miller and he told us they had actually not been looking at anything in particular. He had though seen a Caspian gull earlier and appeared to be searching to see if he could relocate it - we tagged along as there didn't seem too much point in finishing F1 at present.

We turned back onto the causeway and could see Ewan Urquhart in the distance - Thomas went off to talk with Ewan and behind us a juvenile ruff dropped in. I took a couple of distance shots, but it let us approach - apparently it had been present over the last five days or so and had been very obliging. When Thomas and Ewan caught up with us they mentioned that there were now three dunlin down the causeway - we went to look and stopped to view the ruff again on our return.

We opted to make a circuit of F2 but found no sign of the Egyptian geese from earlier. However, the ruff flew past and landed behind a woman seated on the perimeter wall but was flushed by a jogger before we got close. We had a further sighting of yellow-legged gull and c.70 cormorants over and on the water - quite a fishing party. We completed F2 and stopped for a coffee and a bacon baguette before heading back across the causeway and round F1, finding mostly hirundines.

We finished up watching blackcap, whitethroat and spotted flycatcher in the bushes before making our way to the cars stopping only to view a little egret that paid us no attention from the pomtoon.

Grimsbury Reservoir :: 03 September 2021

And it was morning. I woke early and decided to get ready for work and drop in on Grimsbury Reservoir on the way to work - John Friendship-Taylor has found common redstart there the previous weekend and both he and Gareth Blockley had been reporting all week.

I set off along the western side which seems to be the favourite for perching birds and very soon could see both John and Gareth ahead. My phone rang and it was a WhatsApp call from Gareth to let me know that there was a wheatear feeding in the fringe of the newly mown bank about halfway between - needless to say, I hadn't spotted it and it was good he'd thought to call. I stopped and scanned with my bins but before I could locate it, it took to the wing and flew a bit closer but down near the perimeter fence around the reservoir. I caught glimpses of it as it fed but too soon it took to the wing again and flew over the fence and passed me - now protected from view by the remaining grass growing up the fence. Gareth and John made their way along and we chatted for a short while before John announced he'd have to go and Gareth that he was going to do another circuit. They mentioned that they had seen the redstart again and it had been quite showy, briefly landing on the perimeter fence. I made for the spot they'd been standing and opted for a sit down on the bench - if I stayed still the bird may afford me a view perched on the fence.

A few people out for an early walk passed by and very soon after one had passed the redstart appeared on the fence to my left. I moved closer and managed to get a couple of photos before another couple of walkers came level with me - to my surprise they stopped and waited until I took another couple of photos and thanked them for their patience. As they stepped on the bird flew off and out of sight.

I returned to the bench and in just a few minutes the wheatear appeared on the fence having been chased to this corner by a pied wagtail. It paused briefly, hopped onto another perch then dropped down and away.

Pleased with the morning I was just thinking of moving on when the redstart came from my right and landed on the perimeter fence. I went to take a photo and the damn thing took off - however I was lucky, and it only went a few feet and landed still in view. I snapped off a couple more photos before it left into the tree where I got another photo of it perched. Wow.

It really was time to get to work and I paused enroute only long enough to record the ringed plover feeding on the edge of the water.

RSPB Middleton Lakes :: 30 August 2021

I fancied a trip out on the Bank Holiday Monday and agreed with my wife that a visit to RSPB Middleton Lakes would be nice: I haven't been recently; it is a nice circuit; there were reports of great white egrets and crucially a spoonbill. Early in the morning it doesn't take long from Banbury and 50 minutes later were pulling into the reserve car park; there were plenty of spaces and it also probably meant the paths would be relatively quiet.

We passed the feeders and again noted many moorhen chicks accompanied by around 18 rats; blue and great tits visited the feeders. We waited but nothing of any note appeared. We made our way along the trail and as we crossed the canal bridge a nuthatch dropped onto the side and hopped along - I think people ignore the instructions and place seed on the structure which has made the birds a bit too confident and trusting of visitors. Nice to get a close view and a photo but a bit artificial. It was joined by a couple of chaffinches and a robin. We didn't hang about and made for the scrapes.

We arrived at the first screen to find two birders getting up from the benches - apparently the spoonbill had been feeding in the pool in front of us but had flown "just before" we got there - isn't it always the way? We watched a great white egret, a grey heron and little egret feed but I was keen to move on to see if I could find the spoonbill. It didn't take long but disappointingly it was at a fair distance from the path.

Given the distance I was quite happy with the photos. The bird preened for a short time but then buried its head and went to sleep - not much point in hanging around here as it wasn't likely to moving any time soon. A Cetti's warbler called from behind us -andI stopped and waited to see if it would show. It gave another call and the briefest of views as it headed back parallel to the path we'd just walked along. A few little and a couple of great white egrets could be seen ahead, and we started to make our way and started talking with a very nice couple; apparently they had been to Brandon Marsh the day before and seen the same collection of birds that I had on Saturday.

We walked all around and dropped into the Wetland Lookout hide but didn't see anything of interest but continued chatting with the other couple. It made for a very enjoyable morning.

Time was getting on and we would have to get home by late lunchtime so said our goodbyes and completed the circuit. Almost back to the first screen we could see one of the great white egrets stalking the pool and I could resist taking a couple of photos. I'd hoped that the spoonbill would have relocated back to the pool while we had been away, but it was still on the same distant island. We paused to see if it would start to move around but instead flocks of birds behind took to the air - some raptor species would likely have been responsible, and I scanned the birds to pick out the culprit; it didn't take long to see what I presumed was a peregrine circling. The flocks spun around but very quickly the raptor decided the element of surprise had been lost and departed. As it left, I snapped a couple of photos and on review it was actually a hobby.

Time to pack up and mosey on home, happy to have seen a spoonbill without having to travel to the south or east coasts.

WkWT Brandon Marsh :: 28 August 2021

I arranged to meet Kevin Heath at WkWT Brandon Marsh at 6.15am hoping to catch up with some of the birds reported the previous day. In a break from the norm, we headed straight for the Teal Pool hide as this seemed to be the centre of all the action and found it to be empty. We looked out and immediately could see three juvenile water rails feeding amongst the teal and moorhens. Soon we added a wood sandpiper and a green sandpiper but there was no sign of the greenshank - greenshank I believe tend to stay for a couple of days and move on, so we may have missed it. We sat patiently with another birder (@BrandsbayBob) that had followed us in - eventually we added two adult and five juvenile water rails - absolutely amazing.

We made a tour of the hides further into the reserve, but everything was very quiet, so we made our way back aiming for the East Marsh hide. As we approached John Coakley and Bob appeared at the door of the Teal Pool hide and announced that the greenshank had been back, but it had flown just two minutes before in the direction of East Marsh. They showed a photograph and I tried not to turn green. We all crossed into the East Marsh hide and could easily find the green sandpiper that had flown at the same time and in a few minutes the greenshank was also located. I took a record shot and hoped it wouldn't be the only photo I'd get. In moments the greenshank took to the wing and disappeared in the direction of Wolston.

I stopped in the hide talking with John while Kevin wandered off - after about 15 minutes he reappeared to announce that the greenshank had return to Teal Pool. We decamped and connected with David Bird who had been further up the track. We all had the opportunity to watch the water rail, greenshank, green sandpiper, and wood sandpiper feed within feet of one another. A most enjoyable sight. Two grey herons appeared and one took exception to the presence of the other, resulting in some nifty evasion moves.

We decided that we should leave the hide to other visitors and made our way back and past the Mick Taylor/River Pool hide. There were numbers of reed warbler and chiffchaff feeding in the reeds and soon one popped up for his photo call. A kingfisher was also seen across this pool.

We noted that there were many moorhen around and suspect it has been a good year for them - perhaps also why we saw five juvenile water rails? Another kingfisher view brought us back to the circuit in and past the Wright hide. From here we could get a better view of a couple of juvenile little ringed plover. A flock of swallow and sand martin passed overhead.

We circled Swallow Pool and into New Hares Covert and heard and saw both great spotted woodpecker and nuthatch; the nuthatch was balancing acorns on a branch and pounding the shell to open them. We tried not to laugh as it accidentally knocked one off and it tried to follow the fall - it was quite comical, and we imagined the bird swearing to itself.

We totalled our sighting sand were surprised to have run up 48 species - time for home.

Wormleighton, Boddington & Hinton :: 24-27 August 2021

Back at work for a full week and so I found myself more restricted in popping out for a spot of birding. Despite this, a report from Dylan Parry-Davies of spotted (and crucially) pied flycatchers at Wormleighton spurred me to action. I finished at work promptly and shot off there "on the way home". I was joined by Kevin Heath who was already out and about at Balscote Quarry. In only a few steps we found our first couple of spotted flycatchers on overhead wires and atop a tree. I took a couple of photos, but the light was quite harsh and much of the time the birds were in silhouette. We circled round to get views from the other side.

We pressed on to see if we could locate the pied flycatcher and ended up down at the water treatment works seeing great spotted woodpecker and some warblers on the way. We returned to the top of the lane by the church and walked through the village but still couldn't find anything of note. We decided that the only chance was where we had previously seen the spotted flycatchers and when we connected with them again, we could see up to five. We watched on but had no joy in finding the pied but did enjoy both goldcrest and nuthatch in the trees opposite; the nuthatch a particularly bright bird. As we waited, we were watched by a red kite from a tree beyond the wall and when we eventually gave up, a hobby went through chasing various hirundines.

The folllowing day had reports of a black-necked grebe at Boddington Reservoir, unfortunately too late for a visit before dark. I decided that I'd have a go first thing in the morning but arrived a little late at around 6.30am, by which time a number of fisherman had already set up - we will never know if it stayed overnight. While looking I came across both common and lesser whitethroat by the dam and a flushed a female wheatear from the dam itself. Other than these the reservoir was quiet and I headed off to work.

At work on Friday I read that John Friendship-Taylor had a fruitful visit to Hinton Airfield in the morning which included finding a whinchat, a redstart and 2 wheatear. I packed up work at 5.00pm and dropped into the airfield on the way home. On my circuit I found John's two wheatear but couldn't see or hear the redstart or whinchat. The redstart may have followed him to Grimsbury Reservoir as he then reported one there. He is on a bit of a roll with these species.

As I continued my search about half a dozen parachutists departed their plane and circled around, taking it in turn to drop onto the grass close to the runway. A couple of them made very dramatic turns before swooping to the ground - one gave me a fright as they pulled up at the very last moment and delivered a stylish landing - show-off!