Oxon Birding Weblog: February Evaluation

Highlights

February,
sometimes a quiet month, has proved to be a reasonably productive month a method or
the opposite. With the addition of 5 extra species added to the county yr checklist
it now stands at 134 for 2024. There have been two main surprises bookending the
month, a county mega within the early a part of February adopted by a really early
migrant on the latter finish.

Having been
spoilt for selection in the previous couple of years in terms of vagrant American
wildfowl, you’d anticipate the county to have a little bit of a niche between the subsequent go to
of a Nearctic wanderer. Throughout a dramatic spell all 4 commoner American duck
species had been seen within the house of three months throughout late 2022 and early 2023,
with three species remarkably obtainable in a single day. The primary of those
species to fall in late 2022 was a Inexperienced-winged Teal, the primary
since 2018, however not like its successors was a quick and untwitchable document. So
when a seemingly settled, albeit distant, Inexperienced-winged Teal was discovered on
the 11^th February at Days Lock it felt that this perhaps a protracted
stayer, or a minimum of lengthy sufficient to attach with. A radical search that
afternoon resulted within the briefest of views at a ways for just a few
observers and would show to be the final sighting earlier than disappearing for good.
With the quantity of habitat obtainable and the abundance of Teal flocks in
the county it wouldn’t be a shock if this fowl remained unseen within the county
throughout the month and with that the look forward to a extensively obtainable
fowl continues into its 6^th yr.

Inexperienced-winged Teal Pit 60 2018

The subsequent shock for the month got here on the 23^rd
February when a particularly early Sand Martin rocked up at Otmoor, fairly
presumably regretting its life selections. This document fully smashes the
earlier early document for this species by effectively over per week, which got here on the two^nd
March 2019. Sometimes the species arrives the two^nd week of
March with the median arrival date since 2000 being the 15^th, though
the final couple of years have began to see sporadic early arrivals in early March.
This document got here on the tail of a number of data throughout the south and
southwest all probably pushed north by sturdy climate methods in Africa earlier
within the month. With meteorological Spring now upon us the subsequent two weeks ought to see
the primary correct push of migration again into the nation and the county and I
am positive I’m not the one one who can’t wait!

Brief-eared Owl Otmoor rspb courtesy of Richard Stevens

Waders

One other
attainable signal of issues to come back was the arrival of the yr’s first Black-tailed
Godwit picked up in the course of the WEBS rely at Otmoor on the 26^th.
Additionally on web site throughout the identical survey was large rely of 234 Dunlin, doubtless
remnants of the big flock from late 2023 nonetheless lingering within the county and
perhaps bolstered by birds shifting in from the coast or additional afield. That being
mentioned, 142 had been additionally current right here on the 12^th with smaller counts at
different websites in the course of the month. This species was additionally current on Port Meadow thoughout the month, principally in small numbers although there was a rely of 67 on the twenty fourth. Birds had been additionally seen at Pit 60 within the
center of the month the place six had been right here on the 16^th.

Otmoor Oystercatchers courtesy of Paul Wyeth.

Jack
Snipe continued to
be recorded sporadically within the county and was nearly actually not a real
illustration of this sometimes elusive species presence within the county. Bicester
Wetlands continued to host a fowl though it was solely noticed on the ten^th
and never once more within the month. Northmoor, Waterstock and Weston-on-the-Inexperienced
all hosted birds this month, sometimes all single observer and transient
sightings on the 17^th, 27^th and 28^th respectively.
Ruff additionally continued to be recorded in February and as with January
all data got here from Otmoor the place two birds had been recorded on the 14^th
and a single nonetheless right here on the 20^th.  

One other Ringed Jack Snipe on Port Meadow

Woodcock data got here solely from a single web site this
month. Boarstall Decoy continued to host a wholesome variety of birds inside
its perimeter with seven birds recorded right here on the two^nd due to the
sustained efforts of the native patcher there.  Inexperienced Sandpiper had been recorded from solely
three areas this month. Curbridge on the 4^th, Sutton
Courtenay on the 13^th and Bicester Wetlands on the 19^th
all internet hosting single birds. Over at Farmoor the wintering Frequent Sandpiper
continued to benefit from the concrete bowl as its winter residence all through the
complete of February. 

Farmoor Frequent Sandpiper courtesy of John Workman

Aside from
that, the month was pretty quiet wader smart with the returning breeding birds
the most important spotlight of February. Curlew returned again to Otmoor
on the again finish of final month, with the haunting and enigmatic name
as soon as once more a part of the websites soundscape. A number of extra had been then seen this month
with as much as 5 right here on the 26^th. Pit 60 and Farmoor additionally
noticed transiting birds, hopefully returning domestically to breed within the wider panorama.
Redshank had been additionally on Otmoor and Farmoor this month,
while seven websites loved the noisy return of Oystercatcher all through
the month. 

Otmoor Curles courtesy of Luke O’Byrne

 Wildfowl and many others

Apart from the briefest of visits from throughout the pond of a
sure yank Teal the most important highlights this month got here from long-staying
birds and the odd rarity popping up additionally. A lone Brent Goose made an
look at Otmoor on the 9^th and was once more seen on the 12^th,
however with information gradual to get out was not loved by a wider viewers in what can
be a tough fowl to meet up with on an annual foundation. The 4 White-fronted
Goose continued into the early a part of the month with the final sighting
approaching the three^rd, having assumed to have left the county for
someplace additional north. The birds then reappeared briefly on the 25^th
earlier than not been seen once more the remainder of the month.

Brent Goose Otmoor rspb courtesy of Julian Parfitt

The long-staying Nice Northern Diver lastly appeared
to have left the county with the final sighting coming the 24^th, leaving
the document effectively intact for the document staying fowl a pair years in the past and I believe
that may take some beating. Scaup additionally continued its lengthy keep on Farmoor
and even was joined by a 2^nd fowl on the 7^th. This 2^nd
fowl was most likely the person current on Dix Pit on the 5^th,
though there’s a suspicious hole from the 4^th – 7^th of
the lengthy staying fowl at Farmoor. In any case each birds had been then current
on Farmoor from the 7^th by way of till the very finish of the
month. 

The Farmoor Nice Northern Diver courtesy of Trudi Rowland

Shelduck got here from 5 websites this month, with the very best rely of seven coming from
Port Meadow on the 18^th. 4 had been additionally at Cote on the
6^th with the rest of the websites recording both single or pairs
of birds. Goosander had been solely on the one web site this month with Port
Meadow internet hosting as much as six birds sporadically. Goldeneye had been at 4
websites this month, all with a westerly distribution within the county. Dix Pit continued
to be one of the best web site for numbers the place as much as 9 had been on the 18^th,
though Pit 60 additionally hosted eight birds on the three^rd and 17^th.
Farmoor and Cassington GPs had been the opposite two websites that hosted a
pair and single respectively.

Mandarin had been solely at two websites, each inside the Blenheim space the place a pair
had been noticed at each ends of the month. Crimson-crested Pochard had been lowered
to 12 birds on Dix Pit this month, in an analogous vein to the resident
inhabitants of Snow Geese fairly the place all these birds go after the winter,
I’d be eager to know. Rounding off plastic nook, a fairly exceptional document of a
brood of seven Egyptian Goose goslings/ducklings (?) had been right here with
adults on the 5^th. An entire six weeks previous to the earlier yr
which noticed birds with younger on the 24^th March, simply exhibiting how actually
gentle this winter has been.

Returning Hybrid to Otmoor courtesy of Mark Gosling

Herons,
egrets and many others

Cattle
Egret had been at six
websites this month, persevering with their nearly omnipresence inside the county for
the final 12 months and past. The flock was nonetheless going sturdy and upwards of
25 birds of their favoured pasture fields by Wytham on the 15^th.
With singles, pairs and trios noticed at different websites throughout the county with Otmoor,
Days Lock and Sutton Courtenay persevering with to be websites that hosted
birds. New websites to host birds had been Witney Lakes, Ickford and Cassington.
Nice White Egret had been amazingly recorded from a minimum of from 19 websites this
month. With ever extra rain falling into the county this month, presumably birds
had been being pushed round by the rising and falling of water ranges throughout Oxfordshire.
For as soon as no websites recorded greater than two birds, most likely as an impact of the quantity
of birds shifting across the county and competitors for one of the best foraging areas.

Wallingford Nice White Egret courtesy of Alan Dawson

Crane continued at Otmoor this month
with as much as three current on the 7^th. A pair had been seen flying over Shrivenham
in the direction of Swindon on the 11^th, while one other pair or presumably
the identical pair had been seen shifting again throughout the county at Dix Pit on the
16^th.  

Otmoor Cranes courtesy of John Workman

Gulls
and Terns

A really quiet
and disappointing month for our lovers of all issues gulls this month with solely
one notable document of any species. A single Grownup Caspian Gull was seen
at Rushy Frequent on the 9^th, though the document was made particularly
notable by the very fact the fowl was apparently lacking a leg. This distinctive
function sadly didn’t imply the fowl was recorded wherever else although,
with no additional data this month.

Passerines

Information of Waxwing
continued unabated in February with as much as 9 websites internet hosting birds.
Probably the most dependable of those websites was in Abingdon with a small flock of
9 birds current from the ten^th till a minimum of the 27^th.
The fortunate finder was even in a position to get these onto his backyard checklist, absolutely the dream
of all birders throughout the county. 30 birds had been reported at Kidlington on
the ten^th however as with earlier data of mega flocks the birds had been
not forthcoming and no signal was discovered of them subsequently. Kirtlington Golf
course had 10 birds on the 11^th while Whitecross hosted
6+ birds on the identical day, exhibiting that a minimum of three flocks had been current within the
county on the similar time. Bodicote noticed the return of birds on the 12^th
joined by just a few extra this time round and so they even continued at this web site till
a minimum of the 18^th. A neighborhood PWC patch additionally had some luck when eight
birds had been current on Thrupp Lane on the 12^th. Brightwell-cum-Sotwell
was the subsequent web site to host birds the place two had been seen on the 14^th
and once more on the 28^th and provided the prospect to bag a uncommon
mixture of presumably catching web site of each a Waxwing and a former Prime
Minister, each with pretty questionable hairdos. Adderbury and Wooton
had been the ultimate two websites to host birds with 5 on the former and a pair of on the
latter on the 15^th and 27^th respectively. 

Above and beneath, the Abingdon Waxwings courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

Waxwing Bodicote courtesy of Wally Warburton

A cracking
male Black Redstart was one other good early addition to the county yr
checklist, with one current within the backyard of fortunate residence in Chipping Norton on
the 8^th. These in a position to react fast sufficient had been handled to some good
extended views of the fowl feeding with Pied Wagtails on the pavements
outdoors the housing property, however sadly the fowl didn’t linger for wider
enjoyment. A single Hawfinch was a fleeting document coming from Buckland
Warren on the 4^th with no additional sightings on from the preliminary document.
The location nonetheless did produce some good alternatives to look at a not at all times simple
fowl within the county within the type of a small flock of Crossbill. 4 had been
right here from the ten^th till a minimum of the 12^th. A cracking
flock of 15 had been additionally at Cowleaze Wooden on the 17^th.  Brambling had been recorded at solely 4
websites this month with essentially the most coming from Blenheim as soon as once more the place a
a lot lowered flock of seven had been seen on the 7^th. Chipping Norton,
Wantage and Begbroke had been the opposite websites to host 2-3 birds. 

Buckland Warren Crossbill courtesy of David Hastings

The Port Meadow Siberian Chiffchaff was rather more elusive this month although was seen on just a few events.

 

Siberian Chiffchaff on Port Meadow courtesy of Ben Sheldon

 

Raptors

Otmoor hosted all the notable raptor motion this
month The wintering ring-tailed Hen Harrier continued to be recorded
sporadically with sightings on the three^rd, 16^th and 19^th.
A lone Merlin was recorded right here on the 25^th, which ends a
barely disappointing winter for the species inside the county borders. A
single Brief-eared Owl was additionally seen searching the positioning on the 26^th
and 29^th  

Otmoor Brief-eared Owl courtesy of Richard Stevens

Patchwork problem

Patch	Birder	Factors	Species	Spotlight
Aston eyot	Ben Sheldon
Ardley ERF	Gareth Casburn	57	59
Dix pit	Simon Bradfield	53	58	Marsh Tit (Patch first) & Nice White Egret
Grimsbury reservoir	Gareth Blockley	70	73
Lye valley	Tom Bedford	52	53
River Thames	Geoff Wyatt	100	119	Inexperienced-winged Teal (!) – 6 pointer
Sutton Courtenay	Conor MacKenzie	87	93	Pintail
Port Meadow	Thomas Miller
Radley GP’s	Ian Elkins	79	85	Nice White Egret, Marsh Harrier & Waxwing
Freeland	Glen Pascoe	56	56	Brambling & Marsh Tit
South Hinksey	Alex Figueiredo
Cholsey	Alan Dawson	83	89	Firecrest