Highlights
After 2024 considerably
underperformed, 2025 bought off to a flyer, bringing some hope that this yr
may perform a little higher on the county checklist and rarity entrance. Three species not
recorded in 2024 got here within the first couple weeks of the yr and supplied a
welcome elevate to any lingering January blues! The primary of those and arguably
the spotlight of the month got here from Balscote Quarry on the twond
January when a Bewick’s Swan was discovered resting on the small lake there. A
uncommon chicken just about wherever that isn’t a WWT web site nowadays and
getting much less considerable at these websites due birds stopping on the continent as
local weather change makes websites increasingly more enticing. With the latest
document coming not that way back in 2023, when a pair stopped off at Otmoor earlier than
heading over to Slimbridge, this was nonetheless a really welcome option to ring in
the New Yr for county birders. As with the earlier information the possibilities have been
that this chicken was virtually definitely enroute to Severn Estuary and so
time was certain to be restricted to get pleasure from this lovely arctic customer.Â
| The Bewick’s Swan courtesy of Badger |
Having spent the afternoon and
early night basking within the winter solar and offering the fortunate few with some
incredible viewing alternatives, as anticipated the chicken departed that even and
arriving at Slimbridge in a single day. As with plenty of the Bewick’s that
arrive at Slimbridge this chicken underwent the standard scrutiny of its
distinctive invoice sample to determine whether or not it has been recorded earlier than and what
it’s historical past is that if so. This particular person, possible a male, arrived as a yearling in
2023 with its dad and mom ‘Orkney Reid’ and ‘Doodled’ who has been coming to Slimbridge
for six years now, and when it arrived in 2023 it was, as all newcomers are,
named – ‘Cardington’. However after some liaising between one in every of our personal and Slimbridge
folks the chicken was renamed ‘Balscote’ in honour of its little tour into
the county. Hopefully in years to return we will monitor the actions of this younger
chicken over the approaching yr and whether or not it continues to return like its mom
for a few years to return. Extra info could be discovered right here on the WWT weblog – https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/slimbridge/information/bewicks-blog-winter-20242025
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| Balscote & pals Slimbridge WWT |
Waders
Though sometimes the county
can have a busy and fascinating winter in the case of waders – see Cote in
2023 when it seemingly grew to become twinned with Thames Estuary, regular
service has been resumed this winter with little birds of word. Dunlin have been
the one unusual species to be recorded this month with three information from two
websites. Pit 60 had two on the 4th, while Port Meadow, enticing
because it at all times is, had 5 on 9th rising to 12 on the tenth.
The wintering Frequent Sandpiper continued its keep on the huge concrete
bowl of Farmoor with sporadic information in January. It was briefly
joined by a 2nd chicken on the 13th, a minimum of exhibiting the
web site is enticing to multiple chicken within the winter. As I could have talked about
earlier than, if anybody has any literature on wintering constancy of Frequent
Sandpiper I’d be very !Â
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| Farmoor Frequent Sandpiper courtesy of Ewan Urquart |
Elsewhere, wintering Inexperienced
Sandpiper continued to be considerably skinny on the bottom with solely three websites
reporting birds in January. Chipping Norton continued to carry as much as two
birds with a one common chicken reported in the course of the month. Peep-o-Day Lane then
additionally hosted a single chicken between the 18th and 27th of
the month, while Ardley ERF within the far north of the county had one lone
chicken on the 25th. Information of Jack Snipe have been pretty
widespread and sporadic of their reporting, as is to be anticipated from this
elusive species. Information got here from a minimum of 4 websites in January, with Waterstock
internet hosting essentially the most birds with three right here on the 12th. With different
websites internet hosting extra typical numbers with singles, which included Days Lock and
New Marston Meadows within the latter a part of the month. Woodcock, nevertheless,
have been far more quite a few in abundance and websites which recorded them. At the very least six
websites recorded birds this month, usually a number of collectively. The biggest rely got here
from Chipping Norton the place a minimum of ten birds have been reported throughout the
property land there. A considerably stunning rely of 5 got here from Peep-o-Day
Lane with birds seen flying from roost into the outdated landfill web site for a
night time of probing for earthworms. Different websites recorded single birds and included
Piddington, a web site that normally has double determine counts, Abingdon and
decrease Heyford.
The primary Oystercatcher of
the spring (?!) arrived over East Challow on the 14th
though been a nocmigged document it was probably simply transiting the county
to elsewhere. Both method this chicken is the twond earliest arrival since
the flip of the century (12th January 2021) and beating the median
arrival date of the final decade by greater than 3 weeks! This was adopted by
birds at Rushy Frequent on the 22nd and Decrease Windrush
Valley on the 26th with a pair on the latter web site. All arriving
sooner than in earlier years. As is usually stated about such occasions ‘altering
baselines earlier than our very eyes’. The one different chicken of the word for the month
got here within the type of a pair of Curlew again at Otmoor and though
not the primary birds to have returned this winter, the haunting name of a Curlew
again throughout the county’s premier birding web site is one thing value
celebrating!
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| Frequent Sandpiper courtesy of John Workman |
Wildfowl and so on
Wildfowl season actually bought
underway this month with a number of county rarities recorded and loved for lengthy
intervals of time, a pleasant change for these of us not at all times capable of react to information
straightaway! Arguably the rarity of the month got here within the type of a drake Inexperienced-winged
Teal at Otmoor on the 24th. Simply pipped to the highest
spotlight spot by Bewick’s Swan, principally on account of a private love of that
species having spent the early a part of my profession volunteering within the analysis
division at Slimbridge, Inexperienced-winged Teal could be very a lot a high stage
county rarity. Though the final document got here in early 2024 at Day Lock, this
belies the true standing of this species at a county stage. Since 2000 there have
been 4 information earlier to this one, with the final two all however untwitchable.
A drake exhibiting at shut vary from the 1st display screen then, was very
prone to be a well-liked chicken. Fortunately the chicken did the best factor and
remained current till the subsequent day and in reality via the rest of the
month into February. It took some sifting via the hordes of
‘normal’ Teal, particularly with
the fixed menace of searching Marsh Harrier inflicting absolute chaos and
creating an avian model of musical chairs – simply as you have been pretty assured
you had sorted via one half of the birds. A little bit of endurance although was effectively
rewarded with some nice views of an excellent chicken.Â
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| The Inexperienced-winged Teal, above courtesy of Conor MacKenzie
Inexperienced-winged Teal courtesy of Gareth Casburn |
Considerably overshadowed in rarity
worth however definitely not in aesthetics, a pair of Smew from far south of
the county bought a lot of the county birders transferring to part of the county that
doesn’t at all times get that a lot consideration. A redhead and a drake, simply the
prettiest duck pairing, have been current at Henley Street GP’s from the 12th
till a minimum of the 29th with a relentless stream of admirers making
the worthwhile pilgrimage to the border with Berkshire. This was the
first document of the species since a considerably epic document from Port Meadow in
2023, the place a redhead briefly made an look on the huge flood that varieties
on the location each winter.Â
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| The drake Smew, above courtesy of Ben Sheldon and beneath Johnathan Mercer |
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Additionally making the location worthy of a go to was the
wintering Nice Northern Diver which was current on the finish of 2024.
Though the Diver seemingly most well-liked the bigger crusing lake on the
different aspect of the causeway to the Smew pair. Having already spent fairly
a little bit of the winter on the web site, it was considerably unsurprising that it continued
till the top of the month and into February.Â
.jpg) |
| Courtesy of Marek Walford |
The feminine Ring-necked Duck which
put in a quick look on the finish of 2024 made a reappearance at Dix Pit on
the 12th earlier than bunking once more. It did lastly pop up once more 3 days
later however this time at West Oxon Crusing Membership Pits and from there grew to become
far more dependable, been recorded all through to the 31st
aside from a quick return to Dix Pit on the 19th. Â Additionally a Dix Pit on the 19th
was one other good county chicken with a Brent Goose current within the afternoon
roost. It seemingly modified its thoughts in the previous couple of hours of daylight and
departed the location to pastures new. One chicken that precipitated some dialogue within the
early a part of the month was a doable Ferruginous Duck current on Dix
Pit on the NYD, a mighty discover for the native patch birder there.
Sadly it departed and that appeared to be it till it reappeared, simply as
the Ring-necked Duck did, at West Oxon Crusing Membership later within the
month the place it was a lot simpler to scrutinise. With some good pictures, it was doable
to see that this chicken sadly had some Pochard in its lineage and
was a hybrid of some form. The chicken continued to be reported from the gravel
pits sporadically till a minimum of the 26th.Â
.jpg) |
| Courtesy of Nick Truby |
It doesn’t fairly really feel just like the
winter birding season till we get a wintering Scaup at Farmoor,
such is the regularity and reliability of the species at this web site. It had been
getting a bit late within the day for one to make an look, so it was a reduction
when one lastly was discovered at Farmoor on the 12th. The lone
drake continued on the web site solely till the 15th, a surprisingly
quick keep for a species which frequently could be current from November till March. Astonishingly
the drake then turned up a Hinksey Lake the next day – a incredible
discover for the native birder who patches right here and for such an city patch, in what
presumably is a primary document for the Metropolis of Oxford?! With its new discovered
house so small and accessible it continued to indicate extraordinarily effectively throughout its
quick keep till a minimum of the morning of the 18th , when it departed
to not be discovered elsewhere within the county as of writing.Â
 |
The Scaup at Hinskey courtesy of Gareth Cashburn
.jpg) Scaup at Farmoor courtesy of Debbie Cummins |
A trio of White-fronted Goose at
Standlake even have loads of admirers this month, with the group being
current from the 1st till a minimum of the 26th. Three have been
additionally at Otmoor on the 17th and have been presumably the identical trio
on a small jaunt after being pulled there by the lots of Greylag and Canada
Goose. Additionally at Otmoor this month was a Garganey, discovered
throughout the lots of Eurasian Teal from the 1st display screen on the
similar day as Inexperienced-winged Teal.Â
 |
| Garganey courtesy of Badger |
with virtually annual wintering information within the county. However in case you thought the Inexperienced-winged
Teal was tough to select of the a whole bunch of wildfowl current from the
1st display screen continually altering locations, you possibly can see why no stories
adopted this preliminary sighting.Â
 |
| The White-fronted Geese courtesy of Steve Burch |
Shelduck have been solely
reported from 4 websites this month, with Peep-o-Day Lane offering the
most information this month. A single chicken was current for just a few days within the latter
a part of the month with the chicken at Appleford GPs on the 27th
presumably the identical chicken. Port Meadow had two birds on the 17th
and Chimney Meadows hosted a single on the 22nd. Goldeneye
have been surprisingly extra unfold than common this month. Two have been current at Henley
Street GP’s on the 11th, while Farmoor hosted as much as 5
birds between the 13th and 16th. Radley GP additionally
hosted a single chicken on the 19th till a minimum of the 15th,
while Dix Pit, the county’s premier web site, hosted a most of 15
all through January. Goosander have been current at a minimal of seven websites this
month, sometimes in pairs or small teams. The max rely got here from Dix Pit the place
a minimum of 4 have been current on the 20th. At the very least two websites hosted Mandarin
this month. A drake continued briefly on the Ducklington which
continued to be in all probability essentially the most mentioned Mandarin within the county’s
historical past. While Blenheim had two females on the threerd.Â
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| Goldeneye courtesy of Debbie Cummins |
 Herons, egrets and so on
Cattle Egret have been slightly
extra quite a few and widespread in January with the standard giant feeding
flock current within the Wytham space for a lot of the month, with a most
of 25 right here on the 6th. Further information got here from a minimal of
5 websites with small feeding events of between 3-5 at most websites with the
exception of a single chicken at Peep-o-Day Lane for a lot of the early half
of the month. Nice White Egret nevertheless have been once more at a whopping quantity
of web sites with a minimal of 17 websites internet hosting between 1 – 3 birds in January. Otmoor
and Blenheim each hosted three birds sooner or later this month, on
the 25th and 22nd respectively. At the very least two websites hosted
two birds, particularly Peep-o-Day Lane and Henley Street GPs on the 7th
and 10th respectively. Who is aware of what number of birds are literally current
within the county at anyone time, however with a most of 13 current at one sight
final yr it’s a must to marvel if 2025 may lastly be the yr we get our first
breeding document of the species?!
.jpg) |
| Bittern & Marsh Harrier Otmoor rspb courtesy of Malcolm Bowey |
In a considerably groundhog day spherical
up of this group the Nice Bustard continued in its favoured discipline at Childrey
within the New Yr, usually within the firm of Roe Deer however not
completely so. Probably some disturbance to the sector meant the large chicken was
solely current till a minimum of the 13th, though she did lastly
return early the subsequent month. The Nice Bustard Group kindly supplied some
fascinating info on this chicken after a little bit of digging round. Apparently,
she spends most of her time up on the Oxon Downs since being rescued as
an egg from Spain and launched on Salisbury Plain in 2019. She
did nevertheless return to the plain final spring to breed however seemingly couldn’t
keep away from Oxon Downs too lengthy and returned for the winter.
Apparently she is without doubt one of the solely birds who doesn’t follow the primary droves
of Nice Bustard in the course of the winter, possibly sooner or later some others will
observe her!Â
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| “Our” Nice Bustard, courtesy of Geoff Dymott |
 Gulls and Terns
A really quiet month this month,
with a lot of the motion coming from Port Meadow in January. A
vary of ages of Caspian Gull have been current within the websites night roost –
1st winter, 2nd winter and the odd grownup too. Farmoor additionally
had a minimum of one chicken this month, a 2nd CY on the 13th,
while Cassington and Ardley ERF hosted a single and two birds
respectively within the 2nd half of the month. Mediterranean Gull have been
current at two websites this month, together with the standard lone chicken on Port
Meadow – an grownup within the roost on the 18th and 21st. Sonning
Eye GPs additionally hosted a single chicken on the 12th.Â
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| Grownup Caspian Gull on Port Meadow courtesy of Thomas Miller |
Passerines
After given many people the runaround
final month the Bearded Tit at Radley GPs grew to become considerably extra
dependable though nonetheless under no circumstances straightforward to pin down. It took a number of individuals,
myself included, a number of visits and hours to get first rate views of this native mega.
Information got here pretty regularly in the course of the early a part of January after which
tailed off within the latter half with much less individuals on web site, though the final
document got here on the 29th. Hawfinch information subsided
considerably into the New Yr, with solely 4 websites recording birds this
month. A far cry from the unfold of information the earlier two months, just one
web site was a brand new one – an unconfirmed report from Otmoor on the 17th .
East Lockinge continued to host a minimum of a pair birds from New Years
Day till a minimum of the 4th. Nice Tew was essentially the most dependable
web site this month with between one and three birds current from the 16th
till a minimum of the 20th. Woodstock had a flock 5 over the
aptly named secret backyard on  the 21st,
with loads of habitat for birds to vanish into.Â
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| Bearded Tit courtesy of Thomas Miller |
The Black Redstart in Oxford
and Chinnor continued their winter residency all through the entire of
January. The 1st winter male continued to garner admirers
feeding within the winter solar alongside the partitions and ivy of Christchurch School. Apparently
the feminine sort returned to the location on the threerd after a protracted absence
however was gone once more by the 11th. Fairly the place it has been within the interim
will not be fully sure, however a clue could be within the reality the 1st
winter male turned up on the Radcliffe Digicam on the 31st.
The feminine sort remained at Chinnor Quarry or extra precisely the brand new
housing property right here from the twond till a minimum of the 29th,
with few stories in between.Â
.jpg) |
| Black Redstart Chinnor courtesy of Jez March |
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| The Christ church male Black Redstart courtesy of Ewan Urquart |
Siberian Chiffchaff additionally
remained in situ at their favoured wintering websites, with the ringed chicken nonetheless current
at Port Meadow on the tenth and 15th a minimum of. Abingdon
STW additionally continued to host its two birds with each current on the 7th
and once more on the 24th. A brand new chicken was additionally current this month, with
a single at Didcot STW additionally on the 24th, a superb indication
that many extra birds are on the market at underwatched websites throughout the county. Alongside
with the 2 Sibe’s current at Abingdon STW have been a unprecedented
quantity of Frequent Chiffchaff, with a minimal of 80 birds current within the
early a part of the month and possibly 100 birds all collectively between the sewage
therapy works and the remainder of Peep-o-Day Lane. What’s extra stunning
is that nothing rarer than the 2 Siberian Chiffchaff have been plucked out
of the wintering hordes of Phylloscopus on web site.
.jpg) |
| Siberian Chiffchaff Didcot courtesy of Ian Lewington |
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| The Port Meadow Siberian Chiffchaff courtesy of Thomas Miller |
Raptors
At the very least three websites hosted Hen
Harrier in January, a pleasant enhance from the earlier month and
inlcuding an stonking grownup male up on the Oxon Downs. The opposite two consisted
of a ringtail searching near Didcot, while a 2nd calendar
feminine did the rounds at Otmoor rspb entertaining the native birders at that
web site. Quick-eared Owl have been current at a number of websites this month, with the
Oxon Downs internet hosting possible double figures at one level while one other
web site within the south county additionally hosted a minimum of three birds in what’s proving to
be one other good yr for the species.Â
.jpg) |
| The Otmoor rspb Hen Harrier Above & beneath courtesy of Malcolm Bowey |
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Merlin additionally have been
current on a minimum of three websites this month, with all three been immature or
feminine sort birds. At Appleford one flew over at nightfall on the twond,
while Childrey Fields hosted one sporadically between the threerd
and the top of the month. Chipping Norton additionally hosted a single chicken on
the 20th.Â
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| Wing-tagged Marsh Harrier Blenhiem courtesy of Gareth Casburn |
Â
Harrier that had been at each Pit 60 and Otmoor earlier in
the winter interval then turned up at Blenheim on the 8th, having
been ringed in Cambs in the summertime of 2024 it is going to be fascinating to see
if the chicken stays at Otmoor or if it continues to be nomadic for a
couple of minutes longer.
.jpg) |
| Barn Owl Otmoor rspb courtesy of Zeke Ng |
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Patchwork
problem
|
 Patch |
Birder |
Factors |
Species |
Spotlight |
|
Aston eyot |
Ben Sheldon |
 |
 |
 |
|
Ardley ERF |
Gareth |
54 |
50 |
 |
|
Dix pit |
Simon |
 |
 |
 |
|
Grimsbury reservoir |
Gareth |
 |
 |
 |
|
Lye valley |
Tom Bedford |
 |
 |
 |
|
River Thames |
Geoff Wyatt |
95 |
85 |
Jack Snipe |
|
Sutton Courtenay |
Conor |
85 |
79 |
Siberian Chiffchaff |
|
Radley GP’s |
Ian Elkins |
72 |
70 |
Bearded Tit, |
|
Freeland |
Glen Pascoe |
 |
 |
 |
|
South Hinksey |
Alex |
 |
 |
 |
|
Cholsey |
Alan Dawson |
 |
 |
 |
Oxon Large Yr 2025
A couple of of
us are trying a little bit of an Oxon Large Yr in 2025, with the goal of
somebody or all of us cracking 200 species within the county in a single calendar
yr. Given the sorry state of the county yr checklist in 2024, which barely scraped
by 200 and the final downward pattern of the county yr checklist yr on yr this
could also be a tricky ask. The 200 barrier has been damaged a pair instances, most
not too long ago in 2009 when the county recorded 213 species within the yr but additionally included
some subspecies equivalent to American Black Tern. 2025 has already bought off to
a superb begin with three new species recorded not seen in 2024, so momentum for
a greater yr whole appears to be there however who is aware of what the Spring will
convey with it. For this yr’s Oxon Large Yr checklist have been going to be following
eBird taxonomy (Clements Listing), as this enables us to maintain straightforward monitor of
progress all year long and it additionally counts just a few of the non-BOU species
i.e Nice Bustard – we will want all the assistance we will get on that entrance!  Relying on the way it goes and what the subsequent
couple months seem like, I’ll do my greatest to convey some updates on our
particular person and collective progress on this quest for the legendary 200.
|
Title |
Complete |
|
Ben Sheldon |
121 |
|
Thomas Miller |
116 |
|
Neil Hayward |
104 |
|
Conor MacKenzie |
114 |
.jpg) |
| GWT An excellent addition to any yr checklist! Courtesy of Richard Stevens |
Birding Reminiscences – Noticed Sandpiper – Farmoor, 1990.
by Phil Barnett
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By 1990, I used to be having fun with county birding. I used to be residing with my dad and mom in Beckley, which was best for spending days on Otmoor. Regardless of the remoteness and fascination of the place, I used to be at all times taken with what else was occurring within the county and elsewhere. On the time transport was onerous to return by, and some of us teen-birders (together with Justin Taylor, John Prowse and Jason Coppock) used to depend on the month-to-month RSPB outings to locations like Radipole and Portland (the place I had 17 ‘lifers’ on my first outing on April twenty sixth 1987) and Dungeness (one other 15, the subsequent month).
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In direction of the top of 1988 my Mum was OK with me occurring the bus and I used to rise up to Farmoor on events and typically Dorchester and different locations. I bought the occasional elevate and, on one such time, had two lifers at Farmoor on December thirtieth 1988 – two Nice-northern Divers and a male Snow Bunting which flew in and landed on the causeway for a few minutes earlier than flying off. I used to be nonetheless hurting, although, from dipping Leach’s Petrel and Gray Phalarope there in September.
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All through 1988 and 1989 we continued to go on the RSPB coach outings. In September 1988 we ticked Ortolan Bunting at Portland Invoice, which I wrote down on the time was “actually beautiful and exquisite in immaculate male plumage.” We had spent a while in search of the best place, so after we noticed it at fairly shut vary, it was an excellent feeling. September the next yr noticed us get one other lifer, one other species outstanding on the needed checklist, this time a Crimson-necked Phalarope at Dungeness. We knew beforehand it was there, so when Justin informed us that Jason wasn’t coming, as he had a hangover, we knew one thing was flawed. Teenage pursuits had taken over, however he is again birding now.
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In 1989 in Oxfordshire, after a number of makes an attempt, I bought Ferruginous Duck (nonetheless wanted by Stuart Thomson and others within the county) at Dorchester in March and Hoopoe at Dix Pit in April, precisely a month afterward April twelfth. It flew up and landed in a willow, a euphoric second in spite of everything the trouble. I left some particulars on the Birdline reply telephone, and was considerably star struck when Richard Millington left a message with my sister for me to telephone him again about it.
Â
A chicken that I used to be fascinated by seeing was a summer season plumaged Noticed Sandpiper and I used to often attempt to distract myself from classes by drawing it (and different species) in train books. I keep in mind doing this across the time of Could 1st (Could Day) 1989, a date I’ve at all times thought was a superb one for birding after I noticed my first Marsh Harrier, on Otmoor, on that date in 1988.
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On Could 1st 1989 I used to be strolling across the rifle vary on Otmoor within the night (within the days when there have been Marsh Fritillaries and Nightingales, and also you did not want a allow), once I met a birder who informed me he had been at Farmoor that morning and there was nothing there however six Frequent Sandpipers. It turned out he had checked out solely the primary two or three of the flock. I used to be greater than slightly shocked once I turned up at Farmoor on the third by bus, to see from studying within the log e-book that in truth there had been 5 Frequent Sandpipers and a summer season plumaged Noticed Sandpiper on the first. The Noticed Sandpiper was a county first, which Bob Burgess and Carl Salmon had discovered. I forlornly walked across the space realizing that it wasn’t going to be there, however possibly there was simply an opportunity. There wasn’t.
In direction of the top of 1989 I used to be beginning to ‘twitch’ birds outdoors the county by practice and I noticed Darkish-eyed Junco at Portland (together with Rose-coloured Starling) in December 1989. In 1990 I noticed the final twitchable Dusky Thrush within the UK in February, at Chingford in Essex. It was of the shape Naumann’s (there’s since been one document of both of the varieties, one other Naumann’s close to there in 1997). The Naumann’s Thrush is one in every of three species I’ve seen within the UK that Justin hasn’t.
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By this time lifers on the RSPB coach outings have been getting onerous to return by, although I had two on March seventeenth 1990 at Chew Valley Lake – Ring-billed Gull and Water Pipit. This was the second final time (the final the next month to Elmley) I went out with the RSPB group. Older associates, like Justin, have been quickly to move their driving checks. Through the day somebody phoned Birdline and we discovered about Woodchat Shrikes at Portland and Plymouth, the primary March information of the species within the UK. The Birding World editorial famous that “uncommon birds abounded in March, primarily because of the distinctive heat climate – certainly on some days common Birdline listeners may have been forgiven for considering it was Could!”
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Every week afterward March twenty fourth, I bought the practice to Dawlish Warren and had a 3 tick day. The Nice-spotted Cuckoo which had arrived there on the twentieth (I painted it once I bought house and gave the portray to my Mum for an Easter card), then I bought a elevate for the Woodchat Shrike close to Plymouth and we noticed Cirl Bunting on the best way again. The Woodchat Shrike appeared pristine and exquisite within the coastal solar, one other euphoric second.
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That spring appeared to be a magical time for birding, with main rarities turning up within the UK virtually daily for some time. Alpine Accentor on the Isle of Wight (which I noticed with Justin), Tree Swallow (Scilly), Least Tern (Sussex, it had been there since 1983 although the information broke in 1990), Pallas’s Sandgrouse (Shetland), White-throated Robin (Skokholm). However most spectacular was the Historical Murrelet on Lundy. For a short while the telephone field in Beckley was not working correctly and you can make telephone requires no cost, best for phoning Birdline. I keep in mind phoning Birdline from there and listening to concerning the Historical Murrelet. It was the primary and solely time I would not heard of the species talked about on Birdline and I did not have any thought what it was both (I believed effectively possibly it is a sort of parrot). I used to be determined to see it (I would since discovered it was an auk) for the three summers it was there, however my Mum had different concepts.
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I used to be having fun with the varsity summer season holidays that yr and initially of July was working on the native Decide Your Personal farm in Stanton St John. I used to be payed £1:63 an hour – a determine I inquired about as soon as, however was proven a desk of agricultural wages which confirmed that that was the beginning wage for a farm labourer. The climate was good (it was a heat spring and summer season), and issues appeared a lot simpler then. I assume they have been.
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In these days discovering out about native rarities depended upon having a community of contacts. I would met lots of the county birders, together with Bob Burgess (once I requested him if his initials have been MO, which I would seen a number of instances within the county chicken report, he identified they stood for ‘many observers’), however was solely on telephone phrases with just a few. In these days there have been no mobiles, pagers, web sites, e mail teams and textual content alerts, so discovering out about issues was a way more haphazard affair.
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I arrived house shortly after 5pm on July 4th and my Mum informed me that my pal from Aylesbury, Andrew Taylor (who I had first met on a YOC vacation in 1988), had phoned. He’d left a message with particulars a couple of sandpiper at Farmoor. As she appeared for the piece of paper, I believed the almost certainly wager is Pectoral (which I would seen, with him the earlier autumn at Startop’s Reservoir, Tring) and phoned Birdline Midlands for the main points…..”in Oxfordshire, the summer season plumaged Noticed Sandpiper continues to be at Farmoor Reservoir” (or one thing like that)…..now I needed to get to Farmoor as quickly as doable. My Mum gave me a elevate to Headington, the place I bought a bus to Oxford, then a bus to Farmoor. From there I ran the quick distance to the reservoir, then up the causeway. I handed just a few birders, together with Carl Salmon, who informed me it was nonetheless there and around the again of F1. A couple of minutes later I used to be watching it, getting good views. Steve Heath had discovered it the day earlier than and it appears possible it was the identical chicken that had been current on Could 1st the earlier yr. There had been a summering chicken in Yorkshire in 1990, final seen on June twenty fifth, so maybe that was the Farmoor chicken.
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| Farmoor Noticed Sandpiper (this one from Could 2014) courtesy of Roger Wyatt |
The day may enhance much more although, as England have been enjoying Germany (West, because it was then) within the World Cup semi-final while I used to be at Farmoor. The texture good feeling for the World Cup had been elevated by the New Order (Englandneworder) tune ‘World in Movement’ which had been No 1 for 2 weeks in June, till knocked of by Elton John with ‘Sacrifice’/’Therapeutic Palms’, who was changed at No 1 by Companions in Kryme with ‘Turtle Energy’. I would been a fan of New Order since 1987 once I was mesmerized by the tune ‘True Religion’ – a document launched that yr that appeared to be in stark distinction with a lot of the charts, dominated largely then by the assorted Inventory, Aitken & Waterman acts.
The England New Order tune lyrics have been ambiguous sufficient so they might apply to something that’s necessary – John Barnes rapped “we ain’t no hooligans, this ain’t a soccer tune.” One phrase, sung twice within the tune, is “when one thing’s good, it is by no means gone.” Although England misplaced the semi-final on penalties, that day was maybe the one I’ve loved essentially the most in Oxfordshire birding.
