Oxon Birding Weblog: November Month-to-month Overview

In attention-grabbing ringing information a colour-ringed Cormorant noticed
at Farmoor on the morning of the ten^th November. Fortunately information of
its provenance was forthcoming and it was ringed as a chick in northern Germany
alongside the Baltic Coast again in 2020 at Wallnau Waterbird Reserve,
Fehmarn. It has been noticed twice since then, each instances at Farmoor – the
first time on the 27^thAugust 2022 additionally at Farmoor.

Waders

Except for the joy over at
Cote with the mega Dunlin flock, there was loads of information of
waders this month with a great number of species and numbers current – albeit
with lots of them coming from Cote-upon-Humber. A pair of Turnstone obtained
the month going with each current on Farmoor on the 1^st of
the month. Gray Plover appeared to vary between a pair websites with the
first report coming from Port Meadow on the 17^th, with presumably
this particular person not having fun with the frequent disturbance and human presence and
popping up at Cote on the 23^rd. This was then joined by a 2^nd
on the 24^th with each remaining right here till not less than the 28^th
within the firm of a number of thousand Golden Plover and Lapwing. Additionally
placing in a quick look late within the month at this website was a Ruff current
within the plenty of waders feeding on the floodwaters. 

Gray Plover at Cote, courtesy of Mick Cunningham

 

Black-tailed Godwit have been
seen at a number of websites in November though solely singles have been current. Days
Lock hosted one on the three^rd, while Cote had one from the
9^th till not less than the ten^th. Port Meadow additionally then
hosted a lone chook for a few days from the 27^th. Cote continued
to be the wader magnet with Ringed Plover current in numerous numbers all through
the month, kicking off with a flock of 6 on the three^rd. Singles and doubles
have been current once more later within the month the place then 6 once more have been current on the 25^th.
Dunlin have been clearly current in large numbers as beforehand talked about in
the highlights with a lowered depend of 200+ nonetheless current up till the tip of
the assessment interval. Different websites additionally hosted birds this month albeit in rather more
typical numbers for the county. Farmoor hosted a single chook on the 1^st
and once more on the three^rd and 17^th, while East Hanney hosted
12-13 birds from the 5^th and sometimes by till the 26^th.
Port Meadow hosted birds later within the month, presumably birds peeling
off from Cote. Eleven have been right here on the 21^st and quantity ranged
from 3-12 till the tip of the yr.

Inexperienced Sandpiper continued
to be recorded in a lot lowered numbers this month, presumably with birds
establishing attainable winter territories. Curbridge had one chook on the
11^th, while Bicester Wetlands had three birds additionally on the 11^th.
Ardley ERF additionally hosted a number of birds with two current right here on the 25^th.
Redshank, like a lot of the waders recorded by the month, have been virtually
ever current at Cote this month. A most depend of seven right here on the 11^th
with a number of birds current many of the month. Fyfield Wick noticed a single
flyover chook on the 11^th while Farmoor hosted three birds on
the 13^th and a single on the 19^th. A single chook was additionally current on the floods at Cholsey.

Redshank courtesy of Alan Dawson.

Woodcock made a good
return to the county within the latter a part of November with the primary of
the month coming from Lye Valley on the 18^th. Port Meadow additionally
hosted a single chook on the 21^st while persevering with the city theme a
useless chook was picked up on the Dragon College in Oxford on the 24^th.
Final winters nicely used flight line over Piddington was watched for the
first time this winter and produced three birds heading out of roost and heading
to feeding grounds within the wider panorama.

Wildfowl and so forth

Simply the standout rarity in
this group this month was a ‘short-stopping’ pair of Bewick Swan at Otmoor
on the 25^th. The primary report since 2018 with what was an annual
species for the county beforehand and one of many miserable components of an ever
warming local weather. With birds now trying to winter in elements of Europe en
masse, while birds that do arrive right here arrive later and depart earlier
that is more and more a standout county rarity and there may very nicely be a
time the place these superb swans now not return to the UK. One of many
extra superb facets of Bewick Swan is the flexibility to inform people
aside by the sample of their payments, with every being distinct and distinctive to
people. Fortunately, although these birds remained distant one was not less than
identifiable as ‘Bruton’ and he or she was seen the next day at WWT Slimbridge. 

The 2 Bewick’s Swans at Otmoor, courtesy of Jackie Newcombe

The Farmoor Slavonian Grebe, courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

 

A cracking red-headed Smew was
considerably overshadowed by the above, however who doesn’t love a Smew? Absolutely the
better of all our winter wildfowl in any plumage! This chook was much more particular
by the truth that it was the primary Smew recorded inside Oxford for
75 years, one other superb city report of such an enigmatic species. Sadly,
one other quick stayer with the chook disappearing not lengthy after the preliminary sighting. 

The red-head Smew on Port Meadow, courtesy of Steve Lavington

Given the abundance of inland information surrounding the county in the course of the latter
a part of October it’s no shock that Oxfordshire lastly obtained in
on the diver motion in early November. The largest shock was the
location, with a Nice Northern Diver current on Thrupp Lake at Radley
GP’s on the 1^st. Given the degrees of disturbance and the scale of
the positioning it’s considerably much less shocking that the chook didn’t seemingly grasp round
any greater than an hour or so earlier than departing someplace rather more appropriate. 

The Radley Nice Northern Diver, courtesy of Ben Carpenter

The years first Brent Goose was
additionally logged this month when a single chook dropped into Farmoor on the afternoon
of the 7^th. Sadly, like lots of this months rarities it did
not linger lengthy and was passed by sundown. Additionally at Farmoor the feminine Scaup
continued its extended keep having arrived the earlier month, presumably
this particular person will now spend a lot of the winter right here with a possible foray
to Dix Pit as different birds have often carried out in recent times. Shelduck
have been pretty widespread throughout the county with a number of teams of a number of birds
current. 4 have been on Port Meadow on the 6^th with birds returning
right here on the 25^th and 27^th. Cutteslowe Park hosted
a single on the 12^th, while Cote continued to be the epicentre
of birding exercise with birds right here on the 13^th and 23^rd rising
to 11 people by the 25^th.  Grimsbury then hosted a single chook on
the 28^th. 

The Farmoor feminine Scaup courtesy of Gnome

Ruddy Shelduck have been
recorded at a single website with Blenheim internet hosting a pair of birds on the 16^th
a pleasant bonus for the Patchwork Problem patcher there. Goosander have been
at 4 websites with all birds been reported within the latter a part of the month. Chinnor
hosted a pair on the 17^th, while Port Meadow hosted the
most birds with 7 on the 21^st and once more on the 27^th. Two
different websites hosted a number of birds in the direction of the tip of the month – Standlake on
the 24^th and Grimsbury on the 26^th. Goldeneye additionally
returned to the county in larger numbers this month with not less than 5 websites internet hosting
birds – Blenheim, Pit 60, Dix Pit, Farmoor and Radley GPs. Just a few
notable Mandarin information for the county this month with a excessive depend of
20+ at Blenheim current for a lot of the month, while a single chook at Farmoor
on the 21^st was notable for its rarity worth for the positioning. 

A drake Mandarin at Pinkhill, Farmoor, courtesy of Dave Lowe

 

Herons,
egrets and so forth

Cattle Egret continued to linger within the county by
November, albeit with some seen departures from the primary post-breeding
flock peaks of the autumn. Otmoor hosted probably the most birds with as much as 13 on
the 11^th with not less than 4 remaining till the 20^th. Wytham,
Port Meadow and Days Lock additionally hosted birds this month with 4 at Wytham
on the 11^th, a single at Port Meadow on the identical day and
a small flock of 4 at Days Lock on the 24^th.

Nice White Egret have been at 7 websites this month made up of
principally single birds, though the very best depend got here from Blenheim with
4 birds right here on the 15^th. Information of different a number of birds got here
from Farmoor on the 19^th and Standlake on the 24^th.
Lye Valley recorded solely its 5^th ever report of the species
on the 20^th though that is the 4^th report this yr. Different
information got here from Radley GP’s, Cote, Chipping Norton, Port Meadow and Waterstock.
Surprisingly Crane have been nonetheless recorded this month when two have been at Otmoor
on the 6^th, though not once more after having presumably made their means
all the way down to the Somerset Ranges to winter. 

Nice White Egret at Radley, courtes of Ben Carpenter

 

Gulls
and Terns

With winter nicely and actually set in the primary staple for this
group depends on Caspian Gull to maintain information ticking over with the faint
hope of a white-winger within the latter phases of winter the last word prize. Just a few
information of Caspian Gull this month principally relating to 1 or two 1^st
winter people roosting on the identical couple of websites. Farmoor hosted
a single 1^st winter on the 1^st of the month joined by a 2^nd
on the 15^th. Appleford village hosted a single grownup on the
17^th, while Port Meadow hosted a single 1^st
winter on most evenings from the 21^st of the month. Grimsbury on
the opposite hand hosted a possible hybrid chook or considered one of not less than some combination in
its genes having been noticed as lower than typical instance of the species. 

1w Yellow-legged Gull and Caspian Gull on Port Meadow, courtesy of Thomas Miller

 

3w Caspian Gull at Appleford, courtesy of Ian Lewington

Passerines

With all of the discuss and subsequent proof of main inflow of
Waxwing into the nation we’re actually within the grips of a ‘Waxwing winter’,
with flocks of 1000+ in Scotland and lots of flocks of 100+ throughout the
north of the nation. Given the abundance it was solely a matter of time earlier than
the primary report this far south with birds within the midlands and to the east of Oxfordshire.
Sadly the report was a fleeting one with lone ‘trilling’ name
heard over basic habitat in an industrial property in north Banbury. Given
the variety of information within the nation and nonetheless but to maneuver south searching for
berries hopefully Oxfordshire will get its fair proportion of twitchable
birds but!

Additionally fairly fleeting was a report of Water Pipit on
the 27^th from Port Meadow, jotted down as a attainable heard
calling over the floodwaters. A report of Rock Pipit on the 6^th
was additionally probably recorded as both species and will feasibly relate to
the identical unidentified particular person that can hopefully give itself up sooner or later.
Hawfinch have been recorded twice this month with each coming from calling
birds heard over Blenheim on the 17^th and 20^th
though neither report was capable of be pinned down. Crossbill have been
reported from two places with a flock of three+ reported from Aston Rowant on
the 11^th while Blenheim hosted a flock of 11 birds on the 19^th.
The primary Siberian Chiffchaff of the winter was caught and ringed in Burgess
Area, Port Meadow on the 29^th, a unbelievable ringing report for
the positioning and a pleasant chook to see up shut for the ringers. 

Siberian Chiffchaff courtesy of Thomas Miller.

Firecrest have been additionally reported from two websites – Warburg
on the three^rd and West Hendred on the 24^th. Brambling
have been unfold properly across the county with principally singles and pairs in combined
finch flocks. The best depend nevertheless was a unbelievable c50 over a Blenheim in
a combined flock of 300+ finches feeding in sunflower area. Information got here from a
additional eight websites with the subsequent highest depend coming from Fyfield Wick on
the 17^th with a small flock of seven birds over.

Stonesfield Brambling, courtesy of Paul Wren

Raptors

A Hen Harrier was current sometimes in the direction of the tip of
the month, with the primary report coming from a chook making the most of the Starling
roost on the 23^rd. It was then reported once more on the 29^th
though particulars weren’t forthcoming as to the place and what age/intercourse the chook was.
Brief-eared Owl information principally got here from the identical location on the downs with
as much as 4 across the Ridgeway and Crowhole Backside all through the
month. Further information got here from Oxfordshire Golf Course with two
seen quartering the tough floor by the day. 

A Marsh Harrier harrying the Starling roost at Otmoor, courtesy of Malcom Bowey

Merlin have been reported from 4 websites this month with Cote
probably the most ceaselessly used with a chook current on the 4^th and 10^th.
Water Eaton hosted a chook on the 11^th, while one other was at Farmoor
on the 14^th. West Hagbourne additionally hosted a single chook on
the 26^th.

Patchwork problem

Patch	Birder	Factors	Species	Spotlight	Goal	Share of goal
Aston eyot	Ben Sheldon	58	56		90	64.44
Blenheim	Gareth Casburn	131	115		100	131.00
Dix pit	Simon Bradfield	114	91		75	152.00
Grimsbury reservoir	Gareth Blockley	126	111		130	96.92
Lye valley	Tom Bedford	98	87		80	122.50
River Thames	Geoff Wyatt	159	135		122	130.33
Sutton courtenay	Conor MacKenzie	156	130		140	111.43
East challow	Mark Merritt	84	80		83	101.20
Freeland	Glen Pascoe	90	80		80	112.50