Oxon Birding Weblog: April Evaluate

Otmoor rspb internet hosting a number of boomers. Courtesy of John Workman

Gulls and Terns

Aside from the massive day of April
23^rd with the epic motion of Arctic Tern with a cameo Little
Tern thrown in for good measure the standout this month got here within the type of
a number of Black Tern transferring via the county within the latter a part of April.
The primary chicken of the Spring got here from Appleford GP’s on the 26^th,
a welcome return to kind for a website that has develop into massively overgrown in
current years and fewer enticing for gulls and waders – a crying disgrace for a
website that has produced so many good birds through the years. Departure in a single day,
birders obtained a 2^nd crack of the whip the next day with three
birds current on Farmoor on the 27^th, though these birds
carried out effectively initially they had been passed by mid-morning a lot to disappointment
of myself. Additional information got here from Farmoor just a few days later, additionally of
three birds however these got here by way of nationwide chicken companies somewhat than via native
channels. 

Appleford Black Tern courtesy of Thomas Miller

We additionally had our first Sandwich
Tern of the 12 months though sadly the three information this month turned
out all to be disappointingly transient. The primary got here on the ten^th with
a chicken sat on a buoy at Farmoor and though it looks as if this
particular person was available, as is usually the case information was sluggish to get
out. The opposite two birds had been direct fly throughs so no probability for anybody else
to attach with them, one via North Cross Valley Means on the 21^st
and the opposite over Dix Pit on the 24^th. Further Arctic
Tern information all got here from Farmoor this month, though certainly with
so many via on the 23^rd different websites will need to have seen birds it’s
simply that the main target was squarely on Farmoor and for good cause. The
first chicken of the Spring arrived on the 15^th, albeit briefly and
transferring on pretty rapidly, while 4 birds had been additionally right here on the 21^st
though once more with such clear climate had been transferring on from there inside just a few
hours. 

Farmoor Arctic Tern courtesy of Thomas Miller

The early a part of April nonetheless
noticed some actions of Little Gull, though overshadowed by tern
actions later within the month, at the least three websites had birds in first 10+ days
of the month. Three had been on Radley GPs on the 1^st with
one other chicken becoming a member of the small flock by the subsequent day. 

Little Gulls Radley Courtesy of Badger 

A couple of days afterward the 4^th
a flock of six was current on Farmoor, remaining on website till the 7^th
though dropping the odd chicken with every passing day. Dix Pit had the
highest rely nonetheless, with the primary double digit rely of the 12 months, with 12
spending a lot of the 6^th on the website earlier than leaving later that day. 

Radley Little Gull courtesy of Brian Walker

The
first Widespread Tern of the 12 months arrived on the 9^th and practically a
week later than the median arrival date for the species within the final decade or
so. Birds continued to be recorded from the positioning, with a most of 5
current on the 20^th though one think about there was some turnover
over of birds between the 9^th and 28^th. Port Meadow additionally
obtained its first chicken on the 15^th adopted by a flurry of web sites all
recording birds from the 21^st. Excellent news got here from Hinksey Lake, residence
to the biggest colony of Widespread Tern within the county, with the primary chicken arriving
within the 17^th simply in time for a brand new raft set up – extra on that
on the backside of this evaluation.

For Caspian Gull, it was
companies as regular with the long-staying and far reported 2^nd
calendar chicken placing in frequent appearances alongside the Farmoor causeway
all through April and given the species altering standing inside the
county, it wouldn’t be stunning to see it reported once more early subsequent month.
Additionally of curiosity for native Larid lovers, was the reappearance of the Caspian
x Herring Gull hybrid which has sometimes popped up at Farmoor and
Port Meadow in current weeks with the chicken current at Farmoor sporadically
within the center a part of the month. 

Farmoor Caspian Gull courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

Passerines

Ring Ouzel proved a tough
chicken to pin down for a lot of the early a part of April, with all information
coming from the Oxon Downs the place information is usually sluggish to filter down. The
first of the 12 months was at Churn on the 4^th , just a few days later
than anticipated however not by a lot. A pair of males had been then at Devils Punchbowl
on the 6^th and though each gave the impression to be transiting the positioning,
a lone male was then current from the 7^th and for a lot of the
early-middle a part of the month. Aston Upthorpe additionally obtained in on the
motion, been a conventional website for Spring birds, with as much as three right here from the
center of the month till at the least the 21^st. 

Satan’s Punchbowl Ring Ouzel courtesy of Wayne Paes

A possible Water Pipit got here
from Balscote Quarry on the 7^th, presumably the fourth document
the 12 months with Port Meadow, Otmoor and Farmoor presumably having birds
already in 2025. A lot simpler to pin down nonetheless, was one other Rock Pipit at
Farmoor on the 22^nd which was nonetheless current till at the least
the 23^rd sometimes displaying very effectively alongside the causeway for
gathered crowds. 

Farmoor Rock Pipit courtesy of Thomas Miller

Three extra document of Black Redstart got here this month presumably
referring to the identical chicken transferring via the county. A female-type at Bicester
Wetlands Reserve was a superb and sudden document for the positioning on the
9^th. While one other female-type at Cholsey on the 11^th was
nearly definitely the identical chicken current in Wallingford later that day. A
few lingering winter birds made it into the recording interval, with a line Hawfinch
nonetheless at Woodstock on the two^nd. While the 2 Siberian
Chiffchaff had been nonetheless on the Port Meadow on the the three^rd,
having remained on the positioning since late November. Additionally, in line with
the winter theme, a small flurry of Crossbill information made into April.
It has been an abysmal winter for the species with the trio at Little
Wittenham the primary document of the 12 months on the 13^th. This was
adopted by a single chicken over Wytham Woods on the 28^th.

Black Redstart Alan Dawson

The primary Whinchat of the
Spring arrived on the 13^th from each Farmoor and Lark
Hill, and when displaying effectively it’s actually not exhausting to see why they’re some folks’s
favorite of the spring migrants. The Lark Hill particular person remained on
website till at the least the 17^th, while one other chicken was additionally current
at Otmoor on the 17^th with no additional stories of the species
for the rest of April. 

Whinchat courtesy of Paul Thomlinson

Redstart had been additionally a bit skinny on the
floor with solely seven websites reporting birds up till the 17^th. The
first of those got here from New Marston on the 6^th, adopted in
quick order by a chicken at Seven Barrows on the 8^th. Letcombe
Regis and Grimsbury Reservoir additionally had birds on the 11^th
and 13^th respectively, adopted by birds at Farmoor, Otmoor and
Berinsfield within the latter a part of the month.  Wheatear additionally continued to trickle
via the county in average numbers with at the least 9 websites reporting birds
up till the 23^rd. The best rely got here from the Oxon Downs with
at the least six at Satan’s Punchbowl on the 13^th with seemingly
fairly just a few extra dotted across the panorama. Lark Hill had the subsequent
highest quantity on website with 4 right here on the 13^th, with the remainder of
the websites recording 1-2 birds largely within the center a part of April. 

Lark Hill Wheatear courtesy of Steve Burch

White Wagtail had been
reported from a minimal of 4 websites with as much as seven at North Cross Valley
Means on the 11^th. Widford had three on the 1^st
with Farmoor additionally a number of birds within the 9^th, with at the least
one male lingering right here till the 21^st. Grimsbury was the
solely different website to host a chicken, on the 17^th.

Courtesy of Bryan Manston

After the primary Yellow
Wagtail of the 12 months on the 30^th March the primary week of April
noticed the remainder of the county get its share of birds passing via, pulling
with them the odd Flava/Blue-headed birds with them. Females had been
current at Port Meadow and Otmoor within the mid-late a part of April.
The remaining migrants began showing at websites throughout the county with Reed
Warbler at Otmoor on the three^rd, adopted by Farmoor on
the 9^th and Port Meadow on the 14^th. Sedge
Warbler had been at Peep-o-Day Lane on the 4^th adopted by Pit
60, Farmoor and Bicester Wetlands Reserve on the 5^th. 

Farmoor White Wagtail courtesy of Ewan Urquhart

The 12 months’s first Backyard
Warbler got here from Farmoor on the 9^th, adopted by Port
Meadow and Otmoor on the 15^th. Cuckoo was on bang
on time with the Springs first chicken at Farmoor on the 9^th,
adopted by birds at Otmoor on the 12^th and Stanton-St-John
on the 15^th. 

Cuckoo courtesy of Lee Willcocks

 Farmoor additionally had the seasons first Grasshopper
Warbler on the 12^th, the place as much as three birds current in
mid-April with at the least one chicken displaying exceptionally effectively for interval. Otmoor
had its first chicken on the 14^th, with as much as 4 right here on the 17^th,
adopted briefly order by birds at Radley GPs and Kings Lock in
the latter a part of the month. Lesser Whitethroat got here from Otmoor on
the 12^th adopted by Port Meadow on the 15^th,
while Farmoor noticed its first 10 warbler day on the 15^th. And
lastly the very first Swift arrived at Farmoor on the 21^st
becoming a member of the lots of Hirundine current right here for the latter a part of the April
interval which included 200+ Sand Martin at numerous occasions this month. 

Grasshopper Warbler courtesy of Andy Final

Raptors

Osprey could be
extremely troublesome chicken to meet up with within the county, no extra so than
throughout the spring migration the place birds are clearly drawn to giant our bodies of
water corresponding to Farmoor however usually fly straight via with migration
instincts set to the utmost. Often birds do cease or fly in low over the
website however you sometimes should be very fortunate and be on website to see them! As was
the case for all information of Osprey this month, with a minimal of 5 stories
unfold all through the month. The primary got here on the 4^th, only some
days wanting the median arrival date and was rapidly adopted by an assumed
ringed chicken though particulars weren’t clear sufficient. Thame then had a
flyover document on the 6^th earlier than one other document at Farmoor on
the 7^th. The ultimate document additionally got here from Farmoor on the 29^th,
once more a ringed chicken and particulars of had been clear sufficient to see this was seemingly a
feminine from the Rutland Undertaking. 

Farmoor Osprey courtesy of Jeremy Dexter

The primary Passion of the 12 months
got here on the 13^th and inevitably from Otmoor. Just a few days
sooner than the median arrival date, it was quickly adopted by extra birds
arriving at numerous websites within the county per week or so later. Otmoor had
at the least 13 by 29^th and Could will seemingly see much more than
that hawking over Greenaways and Otmoor’s intensive reedbed. Lastly,
though not normally a part of this evaluation a color ringed Peregrine over Port
Meadow felt worthy of point out with this 2^nd calendar 12 months having
been rung as a nestling at St Albans Cathedral on 27^th Could
2024 – all the time good to know the place ‘our’ birds come from!

Courtesy of Nick Truby

Patchwork
problem

Oxon Large Yr 2025

As beforehand talked about, the
lack of early spring migration meant birding was a bit sluggish throughout the first
few weeks of April. Though considerably miserable, for myself at the least, it was a
small aid to not having to always drop every part and allowed me to choose
off birds at a slower tempo! For essentially the most half birding was confined to native
patches and frequent visits to Farmoor, normally offering not a lot curiosity
besides a number of the commoner and anticipated migrants.

An sudden Bar-tailed Godwit at Venn Mill was a pleasant addition early on in
the 12 months because the species could be sporadic in its look, with just one document
final 12 months. Additionally later seeing Black-tailed Godwit alone patch – any day with
each Godwit species is an efficient day! Sadly there have been just a few misses, with
Turnstone been a little bit of a missed name, hoping in useless it could nonetheless be there
the subsequent day. Two Sanderling as a substitute had been at the least a small comfort
prize.

Sadly two of our quantity had been overseas on one of the best day of the
spring. On that day I managed so as to add 5 species to my very own 12 months complete together with
Little Tern, which can show the one document of the 12 months. But it surely wasn’t lengthy
earlier than the favour was to be returned with Black Tern, discovered by Thomas, and
Avocet current within the county while I used to be up north. The returning Neil managed
to twitch each birds and Avocet might also find yourself proving to be a blocker for the
remainder of us. Having missed 4 stories of Black Tern, on the time of writing, I
might have to attend till later within the 12 months for one more probability.

With everybody firmly again within the county, ideas flip to mopping up the
the rest of the summer season migrants and sure loads of visits to Farmoor and
Otmoor, hoping Could has some good birds in retailer for us!

Hinksey Park Widespread Terns – Oxfordshire’s largest colony

By Dave Lowe

Throughout  2024  I  was  contacted  by  TVERC  (Thames  Valley  Environmental  Data  Centre)  to  undertake  chicken  surveys  at  Hinksey  Lake  to  see  if  it  might  obtain  the  threshold  of  a  Native  Wildlife  Web site  (LWS).  For  these  individuals  that  are  not  acquainted  with  the  website,  Hinksey  Lake  sits  inside  Hinksey  Park,  which  is  situated  off  the  Abingdon  Highway  solely  1  mile  from  the  centre  of  Oxford.  There  is  a  small  pay  &  show  automobile  park  by  the  playground,  or  it  can  be  reached  simply  from  the  finish  of  Lake  Avenue.  It  is  bordered  to  the  west  by  the  fundamental  prepare  line  into  Paddington  and  to  the  east by New Hinksey and Grandpont.  https://what3words.com/hero.flops.oppose.

Over  the  coming  months,  alongside  with  native  resident  and  fellow  volunteer  Emma  Lenz,  we  undertook  common  surveys  noting  Cetti’s  Warbler,  Kingfisher,  Inventory  Doves,  a  small  Tufted  Duck  flock  and  commonly  up  to 9   Goosander,  which  was  surprisingly  Oxfordshire’s  largest  wintering  flock.  A  metropolis  centre  mega  turned  up  in  November  when  Alex  Figueiredo  discovered  a  Bittern.  One other  shock  got here  on  the  sixteenth  January  when  a  drake  Scaup  joined  the  Tufted  flock.  This  chicken  was  additionally  seen  on  close by  Farmoor  and  it  was  good  to  show  avian  interplay  between  the  2  localities.  Though  it  suffers  from  disturbance  by  wild  swimmers,  mannequin  boats,  sculling  and  fishing,  the  lake  continued  to  present  curiosity  with  an  occasional  Gadwall  and  Shoveler,  over-wintering  Siskin  and  Stonechat  and  sometimes  a  fly  over  from  one  of  the  metropolis  centre  Peregrines.  Sadly,  throughout  one  of  the  many  winter  storms,  the  tern  raft  supplied  for  by  the  EA  a  decade  in the past  grew to become  indifferent  from  its  anchors  and  drifted  into  the  lakeside  vegetation  and  was  broken.  This  was  very  disappointing,  as  over  the  summer season  6  pairs  of  Widespread  Terns  raised  14  younger  on  the  raft,  and  these  had been  rung  beneath  licence  at  the  finish  of  June  by  Dr.  Alice  Edney.  Extremely,  this  meant  our  small  city  lake  hosted  the  county’s  largest  Widespread  Tern  colony,  solely  simply  under  the  threshold of 10 pairs for an LWS. 

I  made  quite a few  enquiries  to  see  who  would  take  duty  for  the  restore  however  no  one  appeared  in a position  to  give  a  clear  reply.  Finally,  via  the  help  of  Katherine  Howell  at  TVERC  I  was  put  in  contact  with  TOE  (Belief  for  Oxfordshire’s  Setting)  who  agreed  in  precept  to  fund  not  simply  restore  of  the  previous  raft  however  additionally  the  provide  of  a  new  one.  By  doubling  our  capability  we  had been  excited  to  assume  that  we  may  encourage  sufficient  Terns  to  nest  to  be  in a position  to  recognise  the  website  as  an  LWS.  With  thanks  to  Sue  at  TOE  who  made  the  software  course of  easy,  we  then  obtained  in  contact  with  John  Beaumont  at  Inexperienced  Future  Constructing  and  agreed  a  value  to  restore  the  current  raft  as  effectively  as  provide  a  new  one,  correctly  anchored  and  stuffed  with  cockleshells – simply the ticket for a nesting Tern. 

The  new  raft  was  efficiently  anchored  in  place  on  the  seventeenth  April,  and  in  a  superbly  serendipitous  second  as  we  had been  paddling  out  throughout  the  lake  with  the  raft  in  tow,  the  first  Widespread  Tern  of  the  12 months  appeared!  By  the  twenty third  a  pair  had been  seen  inside  the  raft,  and  on  the  twenty eighth,  3  pairs  had been  seen  noisily  commuting  between  the  lake  and  Iffley  Lock,  a  fabulous  sight  and one that provides us actual hope for the breeding season forward. 

Now  that  the  Terns  are  again  on  the  lake  I  am  internet hosting  drop-in  periods  for  anybody  who  would  like  to  come  and  watch  them  displaying  and  fishing.  I  hope  this  helps  increase  consciousness  of  the  birds,  and  in  flip  will  scale back  the  stress  on  the  Terns  from  pointless  disturbance.  If  any  members  have  any  information  from  the  lake  they  can  share,  please  drop  me  a  message  (07770  431715).  These  will  then  be  added  to  TVERC  database  and  will  go  some  means  to  defending  this  very important city oasis. 

Native resident Yan Wong kayaking the raft into place

Dave Lowe on the cockleshell-filled raft with Widespread Tern behind him

Helpful Hyperlinks.
www.trustforoxfordshire.org.uk
Inexperienced Future Constructing Ltd (GFB) – Inexperienced Future Constructing
Welcome | Thames Valley Environmental Data Centre
 
Dave Lowe
Freelance Ornithological Guide
07770 431715

Could Header

With because of Steve Liptrot for the Could banner which encompasses a Passion, one in every of as much as twenty
on the Otmoor rspb reserve at present.
Thanks additionally to Pete Barker who creates the Oxonbiring banners every month.

Picture of the Month

A returning Whitethroat saying his arrival.
Farmoor taken by Ewan Urquhart on the eleventh April.

In tribute to Alan Dawson who handed away out of the blue and unexpectedly on Wednesday April 23^rd.

He was a pal and a birding colleague. He was very household oriented and had an awesome sense of humour, typically a pleasant bloke who obtained on with most individuals. Collectively we coated Cholsey and had been all the time in touch each time out birding, which was frequent. He would usually say to his spouse, “simply coming out for an hour” and get again 3 hours later. I’m certain most of you could have been there. Our paths would cross regularly after we mentioned what we hoped would flip up and likewise fixing the world’s issues. While his household canine Bella, would sit patiently ready for one in every of us to throw her the ball she all the time carried round together with her. Alan discovered 2 firsts for Cholsey lately, a Rock Pipit and a Sanderling, in addition to different scarce species. Additionally, a 1^st class Dragonfly finder with data of Butterflies.Alan took some nice images which he would all the time ship to me alongside together with his information. A prolific contributor to the Cholsey Wildlife weblog, Cholsey Wildlife Fb web page, and appreciated by many. He can be missed tremendously by his household, associates and Oxon birders… and I’ll miss you mate. Cheers!

Paul Chandler.