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!

Upton Warren & Balscote Quarry :: 22 August 2021

Saturday daytime had been wet and so I'd decided to catch up on sleep - no birding for me. Despite the evening turning brighter I had an appointment to go and see friends and hence a plan started to hatch about going to Upton Warren on Sunday morning to catch up with the avocets breeding on The Flashes. I am occasionally in touch with one of the locals on Twitter and he'd suggested that the gates to that area on the reserve would open at 8.00am and so that is when I arrived.

The car park was quiet, and I made my way straight for The Flashes - passing by the boat slip a single oystercatcher ran ahead of me and down to the water's edge and almost as soon as I'd passed through the gate, I could hear a Cetti's warbler calling. I stopped and managed to catch a single flight as it worked its way left. I passed the first two hides but made for the best hide over the flashes, finding someone already in residence (David Jackson). I scanned the water and found a juvenile ringed plover, 18 avocets, 10 green sandpiper and 36 lapwing - then David pointed me at three dunlin that I'd missed, and a juvenile little ringed plover.

Skeins of geese, some Canada and others greylag, passed the hide on a frequent basis and the collection of birds spotted fed and rotated position. It wasn't until a flock of 11 curlew dropped in that the picture changed. While landing in view they quickly moved further from view and many into the grass cover.

By now there were four of us in the hide and as a kingfisher gave us a flypast I briefly chatted with the chap to my left. The kingfisher landed on a distance fence and moved between the various perching points. We followed its progress until eventually lost from view. Later it became apparent that this had been Carl Jones who I talk to and follow on Twitter - it was good to meet in person but if only we'd realised while sitting beside each other.

I'd arranged to be home before lunch as my wife was heading out for a tennis match in the afternoon so made my way back to the car and back down the motorway.

After lunch my wife left and I decided that I'd have another try at catching up with the hobby visiting Balscote Quarry, hunting for dragonflies. The site was very quiet, and it was until Mike Prentice arrived that much happened at all - a bit more spotting of butterflies and a likely brown argus was called. We had a long catchup which made for a nice afternoon but no view of anything other than a couple of distant jay passes. Eventually Mike couldn't take any more of the excitement and went off to see what he could see elsewhere (wheatear at the local airfield?) but I hung on in there. After my three-hour vigil I was presented with a hobby on the far hedge line, and it swooped through the back pool I presumed chasing the large dragonflies I'd seen over the water. However, it rose up and I could see a bulkier prey in its talons. It circled briefly and I got a view of a small bird in its grip - perhaps house martin. While successful this was not going to result in a hunting display, and it left almost as soon as it had arrived. Nice, but damn.

I prepared to head home when a barn owl poked its head out of the owl box, stared down a stock dove which took to the wing, then returned to the safety within. A fine end to a long and generally very quiet visit.

Balscote Quarry & Pitsford Water :: 14/15 August 2021

I didn't rush to get out of bed having driven home from Scotland for 9½hrs with only a ½hr snack and toilet break - the joys of traffic and closure of the M6. As it approached late morning, I decided to get some fresh air and visit Balscote Quarry to see if I could connect with the semi-regular hobby visiting the site. As I arrived a drizzle started - not what had been forecast. Fortunately, the bench was dry and so I popped on a waterproof jacket and settled in. There was little in the bowl and more activity around and over.

A red kite cruised through, and three buzzards rose from the trees by the main Stratford Road. Watching the buzzards, a smaller raptor joined them and I was convinced that it was the arrival of the hobby. Lowering my bins I grabbed my camera and went to take a photo to confirm the ID at this distance only for the bird to disappear beyond the trees. Damn. A few minutes later a kestrel appeared in roughly the same area and so I decided it must have been wishful thinking.

Another raptor crossed the bowl again at the main road end, but this time was clearly a male sparrowhawk - it didn't stop and cleared the hedge and was gone. Up to 18 linnet could be seen at a time, with a pair of whitethroat still being very active around the site they have been seen taking in food. A male kestrel showed around the site but then another raptor came in low across the bowl - I saw it late and it disappeared behind the scrub and landed on the rocks on the far side. I jumped up and crashed off a volley of photos only to find it was the female kestrel - again no cigar.

Five buzzard took to the wing and added to the raptor total but not the species I'd hoped for.

The next morning I again had a bit of a lie in before making for Pitsford Water. The car park was filling up and I started with a crossing of the causeway finding lots of Canada geese, a few greylag and a strung-out flock of lapwing. There wasn't anything of note through the bins as so I made for the bird hides on the left shore. I took note of the usual common species as I went and the handfuls of pochard mostly asleep on the water. As I passed the feeder area I could hear sparrows but couldn't get a look at them so pushed on - I'd try again on the return. I soon arrived at the Bird Club hide and scanned the waters edges - a lot of juvenile moorhen and a single little egret - as I scanned back a great white egret left the trees behind and dropped onto a stick, followed by another. A third joined briefly but then disappeared back out of view.

I was taking a few photos which turned out to be more complicated due to the environment around the bird - the brilliant white just lit up against the dark background - a fiddle with the camera settings resulted in some better captures - another bird to add to the year list. I was scanning the area and thinking how many perching points there were when a kingfisher dropped onto one of the sticks to the left and surprisingly this is my first of the year. I took a record shot but it was not worthy of even including here. I continued on to see if I could find another angle but in vain. Neither could I pick out the RC pochard (in eclipse) that has been reported in this vicinity.

On the return to the car park I stopped again at the feeder area and this time could see some of the sparrows flitting around - one gave a long enough view to take a photo and I could confirm that they were tree sparrows - another first for the year - I'm so glad to see this group seem to be doing well where so many others have vanished. A great visit and some fresh air to try and clear the headache I'd been experiencing for the last couple of days since the epic drive.