Farmoor & Grimsbury Reservoir :: 29/30 December 2021

An unexpected opportunity to visit Farmoor Reservoir late afternoon - wife's idea for a short walk - who am I to argue.

As always, we made our way across the causeway but found nothing until the scaup on the F1 west end of the causeway. The wind was blowing directly into our face and we looked forward to soon be walking across or away from it – at least the rain had stopped. Another birder approached from F2 and informed us that he had found nothing of note - we shared the location of the scaup behind us and decided to circumnavigate F1 - it wouldn't be long before sunset.

There was still no sign of the great northern diver and as we continued there were few birds on this section of F1 at all. We soon reached the eastern end of the causeway, approaching the Visitors Centre - the sun had already set. I scanned the water a couple of times and there it was, the great northern diver was fishing in F1. We returned to watch and I took a few shots, one of which showed it catching a small fish. The settings hit my maximum ISO limit of 12,800 but I would wait and see what I could pull out of the records - the photos turned out well given the circumstances - happy with that.

I was just sending a message on WhatsApp when Kevin Heath informed me I'd missed an update that a pair of red-crested pochard had been found by Clive Payne at Grimsbury Reservoir - not a species I've come across on my travels this year. To make things worse Edwin Barson had a nice photo posted that evening on the Banbury Birding WhatsApp group. I checked with Edwin and he confirmed the RCPs had been there just before sunset - I decided that I’d head to Grimsbury Res for sunrise.

There was a very light drizzle as I popped on my walking boots. I opted to investigate the western side as that is often where the best views are obtained. As I approached the last group of ducks on this side, I could make out the RCP pair - a nice end of year tick. I laid my camera's waterproof cover on the bench and sat waiting for either better light or a closer pass. As I waited, I heard my phone buzz and found it was John Friendship-Taylor updating the continued presence of the RCPs. I looked along the path and could see him approach - he stopped and we had a nice chat and catch-up. We took a few photos each time the birds made a closer pass, but they were never really 'close'. The drizzle continued and soon he, and then I, packed up and headed home.

Borough Hill & Furtzon Lake :: 24 December 2021

It was Christmas Eve and I'd elected to take the day off - no need to rise early. I eased into the day and sent a WhatsApp message to Kevin Heath to see if he had gone to see any of the local rarities or was thinking about it. He was off the have lunch at his son's house and so was doing neither. I pulled myself together and decided that the black redstart found by @Joeparham19 and @John1Coakley at Borough Hill, Daventry a couple of days ago.

The car park at Borough Hill was only about a quarter full and it appeared only people looking to walk their dog. I went past the transmission tower to the eastern side of the station and made my way along to railings - this is where I saw a black redstart a couple of years ago. Nothing doing. The finders had indicated that they had seen the bird loosely associating with stonechat around the concrete blocks and so I went and toured around these, with no success - although did have some distant views of stonechat. I circled round and made another pass of the transmission station when a charm of goldfinches passed over and drew my attention to the corner of the building itself. Atop the roof was the black redstart, pausing only for a few tens of seconds. It then flew down and behind me, landing on the fence. I took a couple of photos, but I was facing directly into the grey sky and towards the light - the bird would be in silhouette - better than nothing.

I circled back, and the bird fed on the other side of the fence where I managed to get a better shot although through the fence itself. The photo would show the bird clearly though. It made its way along to the southern perimeter fence and there I lost it. I waited for a few minutes and eventually picked it out to my left and outside the compound, on a concrete structure. It worked its way along, sometimes pushed by passing dog walkers. I took several photos as it paused on various structures and working further and further away from the transmission station.

I lost it again when I stopped to take a photo of a rather attractive stonechat perched in the scrub - not the smartest move but easily done. I searched but to no avail. I circled back passed the transmission station and saw it again but more distant on the railings again – I edged closer and took some more photos. I decided that I'd got a decent photo (fingers crossed) and made for the car park.

I changed out of my walking boots and hopped into the car. It was around midday, and I wondered how long it would take to get to Furtzon Lake from here - 40 mins the Satnav suggested - I cleared it with her indoors and set off and down the motorway. I arrived at the main car park and had no idea where anything was, or where the Slavonian grebe had been seen earlier that morning. I set off deciding that a nice walk wouldn't do any harm. As is always the case with a 50:50 decision I got it wrong and ended up going the long way round. There was nothing of particular note but eventually I reached a bridge and from here spotted a kingfisher perched on the branch of a tree.

Another birder appeared from the opposite direction (the first I'd seen) and joined me on the bridge - he said he thought I must have seen the Slavonian grebe when he saw me taking pictures but then the kingfisher departed, and he'd realised that was the target of my attention. I was apparently in the right place. Another birder arrived and he appeared to know the first - they got chatting as we scanned the water. After a few minutes I decided to make my way down the grass path away from the main lake and soon spotted a couple on the opposite bank, the chap crouched low - the bird must be over there. I turned back, passed on the information to those on the bridge and set off on the opposite side. I had almost reached the couple when I saw the Slavonian grebe dive to my right - it was working its way back to the bridge, pushed by two great crested grebes. I retreated to the bridge and tried a few shots from there - in no time at all the bird shot off, passed the great crested, and started to fish just in and out of sight. I made my way back down the bank and found the bird working its way away from the other grebes and into the back corner. It continued to fish but seemed to settle here. I watched for a short while but decided to return to the car as the rain started to fall. It had been grey and murky, the light was poor, and it was about to rain, but I loved it. A great few hours out and I'd had a pleasant few miles walk to boot.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Farmoor Reservoir :: 18 December 2021

I found myself with a couple of hours before lunch and a desire to catch up with a great northern diver - I made for Farmoor Reservoir. The car park was quite busy considering the weather, but it soon became apparent there was a sailing event on. The diver had been reported on F1 from the causeway earlier that morning by Nick Truby and so I made my way there directly. My heart sank as I saw multiple paddleboards making their way around the perimeter - the bird would likely be pushed out or perhaps even have decided to depart, stage left.

I followed a family carrying bins and a camera and soon found the diver out beyond the boarders - the group past and the bird made its way closer in and afforded some closer views. We watched it fish and followed as it made its way to the western end of the causeway. It didn't take long for another couple of paddleboarders to approach sending the diver down and away from the causeway - we watched as the boarders paddled directly at resting birds (great crested grebes and gulls) making them take flight. Any birds near the water’s edge were unable to settle as they were flushed regularly.

A really beautiful bird and I’m glad the usual Saturday curse was not in operation. The great crested grebes were regularly on the move, and I was pleased to see a few of their little cousins fishing nearby too.

Short and sweet - but well worth the visit.

Pitsford Reservoir :: 11 December 2021

I'd been to have my scheduled Covid booster jab on Friday evening and was washed out by the working week. I was in no rush to get up and out on the Saturday morning. I eased into the day, pulling on some clothes to do a spot of gardening in and to ready for the winter; an hour's effort would be all it took.

I came in for an early lunch to hear that the two drake smew reported at Pitsford Reservoir were still there and after a bowl of soup I was on the road. There was constant spotting on the way, but never outright rain and so it was as I put on my walking boots and headed to the Goosander Hide from the Fishing Lodge car park.

From the path I located the birds on the water and so the day was already successful. I stepped into the hide and found Ricky Sinfield and another chap watching the birds and boy were they stunning - I do like the redhead females but the drakes are really something special. There were lots of wigeon, gadwall, teal, mallard, tufted and shoveler ducks on the water with other wildfowl such as moorhen and coot. Usually on the right of the body of birds were the smew - always distant. Spots of rain continued to fall, the sky was grey, the light was limited but none of these spoiled the views.

Ricky and the other chap packed up and left, leaving me watching and hoping that the smew would come closer, but they never did. I did have some fortune though as a great white egret fished off to my left. They are really elegant birds, and it is amazing quite how many are appearing across the region. Once a rare visitor to the UK, sightings have become more common over the last few decades, with several pairs now breeding - the UK’s first breeding pair of great white egrets was in 2012. A handful of others flew past, as did little egrets and several grey herons.

What a great hour and completely unplanned. As the rain set in, I took a few photos of other species on the water and had tits, finches, goldcrest and grey wagtail as I made my way back to the car. The rain increased in intensity and was set in by the time I reached home.

Bicester Wetland Reserve :: 04 December 2021

The regular Friday night conflab decided that we would stay closer to home this weekend and I suggested to Kevin Heath that we could visit the Banbury Orthithological Society's (BOS) Bicester Wetlands Reserve – he’d never been. Disturbance to the reserve is kept to a minimum by viewing from hides or screens. Bicester Wetland Reserve is managed by the BOS on behalf of Thames Water and is a member-only (keyholder) reserve due to the nature of the site with heavy moving equipment and hazardous areas.

We arrived shortly after sunrise and flushed a great spotted woodpecker from a feeder, along with an array of great and blue tits. We entered the hide and looked across the scrape and back into the water treatment workings - the first obvious sighting was the number of teal on and beside the water - a count yielded 96 but there were probably others out of sight. We also had gadwall and shoveler on the water and handfuls of moorhens on the fringes. Kev turned and looked back over the pool in the water treatment site as I mentioned a few of the species that I'd seen there; within moments a kingfisher appeared on cue - it was distant but fished from some railings and a signpost. quite successfully.

Kev popped out the hide and when he poked his head back in, he told me that a peregrine had gone through sending up the starlings and pied wagtails on the workings - unfortunately it hadn't stopped and was away so no chance of me connecting. We had regular visits from a pair of great spotted woodpeckers and a little egret dropped into the treatment site pool and then half a dozen house sparrows onto the feedeers. A lovely wren fed in the flattened reeds immediately below the elevated hide.

We prepared to investigate the rest of the site but as we did so we had a flypast from a grey heron and three roe deer poked their head out along the back edge of the hedgerow behind. A jay could be heard calling but we didn't lay eyes on it.

We dropped into 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' and then to the hide by the back pool seeing red kite, more wrens, and a buzzard. There was nothing on the back pool and so we didn't stay long. Stepping out of the hide Kev noted a small flock of birds land on the field, and as we made our way back, we stopped several times and could make out they were 14 meadow pipits - when we got closer they took to the wing and one landed in better view for his photo to be taken. A little further on we added a couple of greenfinches.

Back in the main hide we were fortunate to see three snipe and one that flew across and out of view below the ridge around the water's edge. There were a few black-headed gulls around the site and in the workings of the new Technology Park in front. One larger bird caught our attention and after some investigation we could see it was a yellow-legged gull.

A great morning's birding and 34 species recorded (excluding the redwing and peregrine seen only by Kev and the jay we only heard).