Friday 25th April

The rainy conditions have rather put a damper on the Meadow birding over the last few days though it has meant that at least the flood waters are nicely topped up. Birds of note over the last couple of days have included the usual OYSTERCATCHERS, the two SHELDUCK, a sprinkling of RINGED PLOVER, LITTLE RINGED PLOVER and DUNLIN and a single BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. There have been a few YELLOW WAGTAIL about and a pair of COMMON TERN have been hanging out on the flood water, looking very much at home. Burgess Field has been very quiet with just the usual warblers in the usual places. 

Talking of warblers, the only two that we still need that we would normally expect are Grasshopper Warbler and Sedge Warbler. The former I have trouble hearing these days unless its quite close so I'm rather relying on some younger ears to find one on the Patch. As far as Sedge Warbler is concerned, I'm just hoping that I stumble across one as it passes through - they don't seem to be interested in breeding on the Patch at all.

Our visiting Black-tailed Godwit has a lovely spangly back as it undergoes its spring moult.

Wednesday 23rd April

It's been a productive few days on the Meadow. The floods have been fairly quiet still with a few RINGED PLOVER and LITTLE RINGED PLOVER, the usual OYSTERCATCHERS and SHELDUCK making up the sightings. Today however there was finally something different with the first COMMON SANDPIPER of the year bobbing away along the North Channel. Finally there have been reasonable numbers of YELLOW WAGTAIL as well with a stonking count of 20 in amongst the Cattle yesterday. In Burgess Field the first GARDEN WARBLER of the year was warbling away by the southern gate yesterday and today the first REED WARBLER of the year was singing in the Trap Grounds reed bed. To add to the year list tally four COMMON TERNS flew through today in the murk.

Perhaps the most interesting bird though was one that sadly got away. On Monday I had a brief glimpse of what looked like a dove with reddish brown upper wings. The chances are that it was a Turtle Dove though I never got a good enough view to be certain and given that it would have been the first on the Meadow since I've been birding it as well as the first in the country this year (only by one day though) I can't in all honesty tick it.

It's nice to have the Swallows back on the Meadow again

Saturday 19th April: Iceland Gull

It's been another good couple of days on the Meadow. Yesterday there was a lovely LESSER WHITETHROAT singing and working its way along the hedge that borders the Trap Ground allotments - I even managed to get a few glimpses of it as it flitted between the bushes. The floods have picked up a little as well with a few LITTLE RINGED PLOVER and RINGED PLOVER down at the Southern Tail over the last couple of days. The OYSTERCATCHERS have still been around, as have the last remaining pair of SHELDUCK. This evening I finally managed to find the first YELLOW WAGTAIL of the year in amongst the horses and cattle that are now back on the Meadow. Finally to cap it all there was a lovely 1w ICELAND GULL in amongst the straggler gull roost this evening, looking very bleached as they tend to do by this time of the year.

Iceland Gull - a strange throw-back to winter after all the spring 

migrant action over the last week or so

Thursday 17th April: Tree Pipit

It's been a good couple of days on the Patch with a couple of new year ticks. On Wednesday in Burgess Field I heard and then found the first COMMON WHITETHROAT of the year (for even the whole county I believe) warbling away quietly in the Hawthorn. By today there were at least three of them already staking out their territories. The highlight of this morning was when I stumbled across a TREE PIPIT sitting in a tree (of course) and having a bit of a quiet sing to itself. It was right into the sun but I could make out the diagnostic finer streaking down its flanks and of course the song snippet was enough to clinch the ID. Ewan Urquhart managed to find it again later in the afternoon so it was nice that it hung around for others to see. Tree Pipit is a common enough bird nationally but within the county they sadly no longer breed and it's a good bird to catch up with on spring or autumn passage. I must say that Burgess Field does look like a great bit of habitat for them so in years to come a pair may choose to breed there.

On the floods it's still very quiet though there have been a LITTLE EGRET, a pair of SHELDUCK, the usual OYSTERCATCHERS and three RINGED PLOVER to report. We've still yet to have Yellow Wagtail though by way of compensation there was a very nice WHITE WAGTAIL along the shoreline today. There was a flock of several House Martins and a single Sand Martin hawking low over the floods late afternoon as the weather deteriorated somewhat.

My attempts to photograph today's Tree Pipit proved lamentable 

so here's a shot of last year's very accommodating bird

I'm expecting Garden Warbler any day as they've reached the county now. We still need Sedge Warbler though and Reed Warbler should reach the Trap Grounds in due course.

Tuesday 15th April

I visited the the floods this afternoon to find that they are still bereft of birds. Even the Dunlin had moved on thought there was a single BLACK-TAILED GODWIT that was new in. Apart from that it was just the six OYSTERCATCHERS and a few straggler ducks.

This afternoon's Black-tailed Godwit

Monday 14th April

An early morning walk before work found four DUNLIN on the floods in amongst the loafing Black-headed Gulls. These are the first of this species for the year - quite amazing that it should take this long for what is one of our commonest visiting waders. I think that the extreme level of the floods was to blame, the water was just too deep for them over the winter months. Anyway, it's nice finally to have them on the list. Apart from the Dunlin, the floods were remarkably empty with just a handful of duck left and varying numbers of OYSTERCATCHERS (five today) and a three SHELDUCK.

Three of the four Dunlin. I later learnt from Nick Boyd that 

they were also present yesterday evening

With the floods now so empty this means that I am spending more time in Burgess Field which is now coming into its own as the warblers arrive though it's still just Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers at present. The best that I could do today was a distant singing (heard only) LESSER WHITETHROAT which sounded like it was working its way up the canal or along the railway line. I'm hoping to get more of them at least passing through even if they do not stay to breed. I've still not heard or seen a Sedge Warbler on the patch - it's amazing how few of these common warblers we tend to get here.

Over in North Hinksey a female REDSTART was spotted by Jeremy Blakey. It's pushing it a bit to claim that as being on the Patch so let's hope that we get one coming through in the next few days.

Sunday 13th April

I went for a run around the patch on Saturday, hoping to find some spring migrant action. In particular I was looking for Redstarts as a number of them were being reported across the country over the last few days. Sadly I found precious little though a single HOUSE MARTIN in amongst the Swallows hawking low over the floods was a nice find: the first for the year on the Patch and I think I'm right in saying the first for the county as well. Apart from that it was just the usual OYSTERCATCHERS and SHELDUCK to report.

On the moth front I managed to find an interesting micro moth outside my house on Friday evening. It looked very similar to a relatively common species but certain difference in the legs and antennae made me think that it might actually be something else and fortunately someone on Bird Forum was able to identify it as Psychoides filicivora. It turns out that this is a very rare micro in the county, in fact there have only been two previous records, both from Marston. The larvae feed on ferns and its gradually spreading through the country via cultivated ferns. We have several ferns in our garden and our house which probably explains why it's turned up here. Anyway, a great local record and another good moth for the Port Meadow area.

Psychoides filicivora - a local micro Mega

Friday 11th April: Short-eared Owl

It's been rather quiet on the floods over the last couple of days. There have been one or two LITTLE RINGED PLOVER, the OYSTERCATCHER count has gone up to six and there have been one or two pairs of SHELDUCK but that's been about it. Duck numbers are very low now with all the spring Gadwall having moved on and just a few lingering winter ducks left now. There have been remarkably few waders so far passing through on the Meadow and in fact now that I think about it the numbers haven't been that great elsewhere in the county. Let's hope things pick up shortly

The highlight of the last couple of days was a splendid record of a SHORT-EARED OWL that was spotted hunting from 19:00 to 19:40 at the north end of Burgess by John Sutton on Thursday evening. It's always great to get this species on the year list, normally they're autumn or winter reports so this spring record is rather unusual.

Wednesday 9th April: Hobby

The Meadow rather feels like it's had a bit of a clear out over the last few days. The rather breezy conditions certainly haven't helped and it's felt distinctly chilly whilst scouring the floods for birds on my late afternoon visits. The two LITTLE RINGED PLOVER are still around but OYSTERCATCHERS are now down to just two pairs and there is just a single pair of SHELDUCK left now. Swallows are now "in" as I've been seeing several every day for the last few days and there has been the occasional Sand Martin accompanying them. On the Warbler front there's nothing new to report though there are plenty of Willow Warblers about singing away. Today there were a couple of Buzzards soaring for the first time over towards Medley Farm and a Skylark was singing up in the Hinterland.

Nick Boyd (whom I met for the first time on Friday when he found the Wheatear) visited this evening when he managed to turn up an immature HOBBY (a year tick) as well as a juvenile ICELAND GULL in the roost.

A great photo of a Little Ringed Plover taken by Roger Wyatt (c)

There's been no sign of Winifred who's done the decent thing and departed, adding to her credentials as a wild bird

Monday 7th April

I wasn't able to get out to the Meadow over the weekend so after such a good visit on Friday, by today I was champing at the bit to see what about. Sadly there was no sign of the Garganey though the two LITTLE RINGED PLOVERS were still there along the north shore of the North Channel. Fresh in though was a flock of five RINGED PLOVER along the south shore of the Channel. There was also a single BLACK-TAILED GODWIT and the OYSTERCATCHER count had gone up to seven birds. As far as water flow were concerned SHELDUCK numbers had reduced to just seven though the WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was still there. As is my custom for lingering lone ducks and geese, it is probably due a name so I shall christen it "Winifred". There were at least half a dozen Swallows about and there was even one perched on the "Swallow Tree" (the small Hawthorn at the end of the boat moorings).

Some rather shaky video of two of the five Ringed Plovers

Friday 4th April: Garganey & Wheatear

What a difference a day makes. Today was a full-on spring day with lots of different species fresh in to keep one occupied. By contrast the previous two days have been rather "samey" with the usual OYSETERCATCHERS and SHELDUCK the only birds of note. I even thought that the WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE had disappeared as I couldn't see it yesterday afternoon. However, on today's visit it was back in amongst the Greylags.

The star of today's visit was a handsome drake GARGANEY looking very much at home half way along the West Shore. The Meadow does look perfect for this species at present so I've been carefully looking out for these gorgeous ducks. I also finally managed to find a couple of LITTLE RINGED PLOVER along the North Shore. I can only think that it has been too boggy for them until now but the shoreline is starting to dry out a little now. I also finally found a PHEASANT (a very much overdue year tick) in the Hinterland. Two SWALLOWS worked their way north while I was there, a flock of 10 Golden Plover flew over and a WILLOW WARBLER was singing along the Castle Mill stream this morning as well. To cap it all a lovely WHEATEAR was working its way about the hillocks to the south of the floods. We get this species every year but only a handful of sightings so I'm always pleased to see one.

Today's splendid drake Garganey

So it's all kicking off at last. We should start getting the other warblers in over the next few weeks as well as Yellow and White Wagtails and with any luck finally get a bit more variety on the wader front. I can't wait!

Tuesday 2nd April: Spring Migrants, A Little Gull & A White-fronted Goose

At last I have some definite spring migrant news to report. This morning when I was going for a brisk walk along the canal to loosen up before a day ahead sitting at my desk I heard my first WILLOW WARBLER of the year singing, appropriately enough, in a Willow Tree. Keeping it company were a total of five LESSER REDPOLL that I've been hearing for the last week or so in the same spot.

Later on this afternoon I went to check out the floods which are being kept nicely topped up by the intermittent rain. The 13 SHELDUCK are still around and another birder also reported the CAPE SHELDUCK as still being around as well. The usual 5 OYSTERCATCHERS were the only waders present and I've still personally yet to see a Little Ringed Plover on the floods this year. At least my Hirundine blank was finally broken when I spotted two SAND MARTINS and a SWALLOW hawking over the floods. It really does warm ones cockles to see them back again.

What was probably the highlight of the visit was when in amongst the Greylag Geese I noticed a WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. It clearly wasn't one of the usual mongrel group of five birds that hang out here from time to time and certainly seemed to be a pure White-front. It looked like a 1w/1s bird with a full white blaze around the beak but only reduced black markings on the belly. A rampaging dog that was chasing every bird on the floods (why do dog owners allow their pets to do this?) put it up along with the rest of the flock which flew to the river where I finally managed to get some video footage of it.

It's always difficult to tell the provenance of single geese but it's here at the right time of the year, it seemed wary to me and it's a young one (which are more inclined to get lost) so as long as it doesn't hang around for an indecent length of time I'm tempted to count it on the year list.

Addendum

In my goosey excitement I forgot to mention the lovely LITTLE GULL that was found earlier today on the Meadow by Dave Daniels and photographed by Roger Wyatt. They are always gorgeous little things to see gracing the Meadow floods in the spring.

Photo (c) Roger Wyatt

Friday 28th March: Iceland Gull Again

It's been a rather "samey" few days on the Meadow with the usual birds in the usual places. Granted the floods are looking great and the recent top-up from the rain has ensured that they're not going stale and there are still plenty of birds to look at but there's not really been anything "different" this week. SHELDUCK numbers have been fluctuating in the mid teens before hitting a new peak of 17 birds today (a new record I believe) with the CAPE SHELDUCK still hanging around to add a touch of the exotic. OYSTERCATCHERS numbers have varied between 3 and 6 birds, clearly enjoying the soft muddy margins of the floods. There have even been been some Golden Plover with an impressive flock of 200 on Thursday though just 2 birds on Friday. The GOOSANDER have been around occasionally with 3 red-heads present on Thursday. There have even been some gulls about though this time of year the remaining stragglers are starting to look very strange. All the prime good looking gulls have paired up by now leaving the dregs of the larid world to loaf about and bemoan their failure to find a mate. There have been a couple of birds with paler, light-fringed primaries though that's been about all they had going for them on the Kumlien's/Thayer's scale. Interestingly the (or a) juvenile ICELAND GULL was reported again today (Friday) at 11:30 am on RBA though unsurprisingly there was no sign of it when I visited later on in the day.

One of many of the Shelduck that are currently in residence on the floods (c) Roger Wyatt

All in all a good selection of birds though you'll notice that they're all "winter birds" and there is still a definite lack of spring migrants. In fact, apart from Roger Wyatt's LRP sighting on Monday there's not been so much as a sniff of one. Now that we're back to the warm proper spring weather I am definitely expecting that to change over the coming days - fingers crossed!

Monday 24th March: Little Ringed Plovers!

Finally we have our first spring migrants! Roger Wyatt found a couple of LITTLE RINGED PLOVERS on the Meadow today though sadly they'd gone by the time I visited later in the afternoon (unless I managed to overlook them). Over the last couple of days the SHELDUCK count has continued to climb, peaking at an amazing 16 birds on Sunday before dropping back to 13 today. OYSTERCATCHER numbers have been steady at 3 or 4 birds and there have been up to five REDSHANK about as well. Whereas the rest of the duck species are declining in numbers, Gadwall are noticeably more numerous with at least 20 birds today.

The Jericho RED KITE has been hanging around a lot recently on the Meadow and has even been on the ground on the Railway Field a couple of times. The only other point of interest was a CAPE SHELDUCK in amongst the other Shelduck. Certainly an escape from somewhere, the Meadow seems to attract more than its fair share of plastic waterfowl.

The (plastic) Cape Shelduck, adding a splash of the exotic to the Meadow

Saturday 22nd March: Two Iceland Gulls!

I made two trips to the Meadow today. Mid afternoon I went looking for spring migrants. Whilst the rest of the county is enjoying lots of spring migrant action such as 100+ Sand Martins at Farmoor, the first Little Ringed Plovers at Otmoors and Wheatears everywhere, there was not so much as a sniff of anything on the Meadow. In fact it was more or less the same birds as yesterday with now just 3 OYSTERCATCHERS and no sign of the Godwit though the SHELDUCK count had increased even more to an amazing 11 birds, surely a Meadow record. The two GOOSANDER were still about as were a pair of PINTAIL and noticeably more Gadwall with at least 10 birds.  

My second trip was when I decided to make a late visit this evening to see if I could catch up with Steve Goddard's Iceland Gull from yesterday. Fortunately I was well rewarded for this effort in the form of not just one but two ICELAND GULLS. The 2nd winter bird that was seen at Farmoor this week and which Steve saw yesterday was there but there was also a first winter bird present as well. It's not often that you get to see two Artic gulls standing right next to each other in the county - very pleasing! Unfortunately I had problems with my camera so only managed to get some shots of the 1st winter bird.

It was practically dark by the time I found the two Iceland Gulls and after my camera problems all I could manage was some rather dodgy video footage from which I've taken this grab.

...and here's the footage from which it was taken

Friday 21st March: Iceland Gull

We've finally made it to the spring equinox and the first official day of spring though so far we've not had any proper spring migrants. Meanwhile our existing species have been growing in numbers: OYSTERCATCHERS are now up to six birds and the SHELDUCK count is up to an amazing ten. Keeping them company is the BLACK-TAILED GODWIT which has been with us for several days now - I imagine that it's not in any hurry given that the arctic tundra is probably still under ice. Apart from that there have been a few PINTAIL still and the last GOOSANDER pair have been hanging around still. 

Whilst we've not yet had any proper spring migrants there have been several singing Chiffchaff and Blackcap around the area over the last few days. However I've had a couple of late season winter birds in the garden of late: I was fortunately enough to have a lovely male LESSER REDPOLL briefly, complete with a lovely rosy pink flush to his breast and there has also been a singing male Siskin in my garden twice this week.

The highlight of the last few days was today when Steve Goddard came across what sounds like the ICELAND GULL that was seen at Farmoor earlier this week. It was present from 5:45 until 6:15 pm at least today. 

An amazing ten Shelduck are gracing the floods at present

Tuesday 18th March

The floods are now more or less back to their usual size though nice and full and looking great. The waders seem to be appreciating them as well as suddenly we've started to get some records again. Over the last few days there have been regular OYSTERCATCHER sightings with four birds (two pairs) about this evening. A single BLACK-TAILED GODWIT also put in an appearance today and there were a pair of REDSHANK about yesterday evening. 

Black-tailed Godwit

Duck numbers have gone right down now with far fewer Wigeon and Teal and just a handful of Shoveler, a few Gadwall, a pair of GOOSANDER and sometimes a few PINTAIL still about. SHELDUCK numbers by contrast have been steadily increasing with an amazing 8 birds (four pairs by the look of it) about this evening, certainly a great count for the Meadow. 

Sadly the gull roost seems to have petered out almost entirely though I'm no longer able to stay until last light to be certain.

Amazingly, we've not had any migrants to report so far - I would have thought that a Sand Martin or Little Ringed Plover would have been with us by now. It should be any day now I reckon.

One other record of note is that Liam Langley had a RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE fly over his head towards the Trap Ground allotments on Thursday. This species is slightly less than annual so it's good to get it on the year list.

Now that spring is here the moth trapping season is starting to get under way. I put out my trap for the first time last night and was rewarded with the princely total of four moths: two Hebrew Characters, one Clouded Drab and a Brindled Pug. Steve Goddard up in Wolvercote by contrast has already been catching some good stuff. You can follow his catches either on the Upper Thames Moth blog or the Garden Moth Challenge blog.

Pug's are a nightmare to ID but I think that I'm right in saying that this is a Brindled

Monday 10th March

What a difference a few days make! Last week we were still firmly stuck in "lake mode" with floods stretching all the way up past the north end of Burgess Field NR; in order to view the birds one had to slog all the way over to the Poplar trees north of the Perch. Then suddenly on Thursday it was as if a switch had been thrown and large areas of grass were revealed, to be picked over eagerly by the hoards of Black-headed Gulls. This receding of the floods has continued each day so that today on my visit, for the first time this year the best viewing point was on the east side again, by the Burgess Field gate.

Hoards of Black-headed Gulls on the freshly exposed grass

Over the last few days there hasn't been anything of particular note. A few YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS were the highlights on the gull front. Whilst there are still good numbers of gulls about, the vast majority are Black-headed Gulls and it's becoming apparent that the gull season is starting to wind down though we could well score a few more Med. Gulls before it's over.

This adult Yellow-legged Gull only seems to have one leg

On the duck front a single SHELDUCK was around on Thursday and there have been a few GOOSANDER still each evening. The PINTAIL have been about more regularly but that's been about it.

Today we had the first decent bit of wader news for a while in the form of the first BLACK-TAILED GODWIT of the year, accompanied by an OYSTERCATCHER. It's amazing to think that it's March already and we still don't have Dunlin on the year list. Now that the floods are more or less back to normal I would expect to get quite a few more wader sightings over the coming weeks now.

A record shot of the Black-tailed Godwit

As if to emphasise the imminent arrival of spring I heard the first singing Chiffchaff of the year in my garden this morning.

Wednesday 5th March: Caspian Gull & Mediterranean Gull

It's been a fairly productive few days on the Meadow since my last posting. The weather has been improving and we seem to be through the rainy season now though the floods are still rather full. The improving weather has meant that the gull roost hasn't always been very numerous though there's usually been plenty of birds to look through. The MEDITERRANEAN GULL spring passage is well underway now in the county with Farmoor scoring good counts of several birds quite often. Not to be outdone, the Meadow has turned up another one itself in the form of a smart summer plumaged adult that was picked out by Liam Langley from the throng of Black-headed Gulls though it disappeared before I could get any photos. The Common Gull spring passage is also underway and I keep looking out for a Ring-billed Gull in amongst them though so far no luck.

This evening there were very few gulls though what it's lacked in quantity it seems to be making up for in quality in the form of a lovely, heavily marked 1st winter CASPIAN GULL that was reasonably close in (by current Meadow standards at least). Ian Lewington said that he saw the same bird at Appleford on the 10th of last month though it's not been reported since then.

1 winter Caspian Gull

Apart from the gulls the 6 REDSHANK were around at the start of the week though they've not been seen for the last couple of evenings. The two SHELDUCK are usually around and yesterday there were 21 PINTAIL though they'd gone this evening. A few GOOSANDER are still loitering as well.

With spring now knocking on the door we should start getting the first arrivals shortly - Sand Martins are usually the first to arrive followed by the Little Ringed Plovers though given the present extended state of the floods I'm not sure how easy it's going to be actually to spot them: they'll be so far away!

Friday 28th February: Little Gull & Caspian Gull

There's been a definite feel of things picking up finally this week. The floods have started to recede and by mid week were down sharply enough for a thin strip of land to be exposed along the eastern edge of the river - one of my favourite Meadow configurations as regular readers will know. I even managed a visit every evening apart from Wednesday when fortunately Liam Langley provided cover.

There are hoards of Black-headed Gulls about now, pouring over the newly exposed grass for worms etc. In amongst them are noticeably more Common Gulls as their spring passage starts to kick off. Numbers of large gulls by contrast are still relatively low though do seem to be picking up a bit. The five REDSHANK have been around most of the week and on Wednesday Liam managed to find the first OYSTERCATCHER of the year for the Patch. A smattering of GOOSANDER have been around each evening though only in small numbers of late. The PINTAIL are finally back with 8 or so birds about on Thursday and there was a count of 11 Gadwall earlier on in the week. The two SHELDUCK have been around for the latter part of the week.

The highlight of the week was today when first I picked out a very smart adult winter plumaged LITTLE GULL. Unfortunately it didn't stay settled long enough for me to get any photos before it got swept up in the maelstrom of restless gulls. There were quite a few YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS about, mostly 2nd winter birds - it's good to have some of those back after a lean period of late. Finally at last light I picked out what looked promising for a 3rd winter CASPIAN GULL - not an age that I'm familiar with for this species. I busied myself with taking photos and thanks to Ian Lewington the ID was eventually confirmed.

A video grab of the 3rd winter Caspian Gull ...

...and a crucial wing-flap shot that clinched the ID...

...and some video as well.