|
Yellowhammer (c) Bark |
It seems
churlish to complain about rain and snow, when for so long I was bewailing the
lack of water on the reserve. Nonetheless this past weekend was awful, with continuous
rain on Saturday and persistent wet snow on Sunday. Saturday was particularly disappointing
as fifteen Otmoor Volunteers attended first a presentation and then a reserve
visit in order to brush up on winter bird id skills.
|
Reed bunting and Robin (c) JR |
Fortunately, most of the more
common birds could be found, although never really seen very well, due to wet
or fogged up optics. Sunday was much the same with just two of us walking
around the moor in a blizzard of sleet like slowly melting snowmen.
|
Linnets and Finch flush (c) Bark |
There were
some birds to be found including a Hawfinch seen by two observers feeding in
the car park field on Saturday morning and then reported again on RBA on Sunday.
It may well have been feeding on dried up Haws or even sloes. I assume that
Hawfinch bills can crack open the stones and extract the kernels.
|
Bullfinch in the sleet. (c) Bark |
On Sunday we
saw a Redpoll up on the wires in the car park field and several Goldcrests were
showing confidently along both the bridleway and the path to the first screen. They
are high energy performers, never staying still as they glean the tiniest
insects from in, on and under the scrub and leaf litter. The Bullfinches in the
carpark field have now switched their attention to blackthorn buds as they are
just beginning to swell. There was a time when they were persecuted for the
damage that they did to flower buds in cherry orchards.
|
Linnet wash and brush up.(c) Bark |
Due largely
to the weather the best and most comfortable birdwatching was to be had from
the hide and from the first screen. The pools in front of the hide have filled
and wildfowl are now using them again. Wigeon, Teal and Mallard are feeding and
dabbling at the margins. The finches and other birds coming to the seed
scattered as part of the winter feeding programme are the main attraction. We estimated
that there was a minimum of a hundred Chaffinches, a hundred and fifty Reed Buntings
and well over two hundred Linnets.
|
Moorhen and dunnock (c) Bark |
Also sprinkled amongst them were
Goldfinches, Bullfinches, Yellowhammers and several Dunnocks. We failed to spot
any of the Bramblings that had been reported. Moorhens are also cashing in on
the free food as are Magpies, Jackdaws, Pheasants and Stock Doves. The latter
are extremely flighty and once flushed take a long time to return.
|
Hen Harrier over the reedbed (c) JR |
Our regular
raptors continue to be seen and a Barn Owl was noted at dusk one evening last
week as people left the Starling roost. Two Woodcock were also spotted flying
out from Morley’s to feed on the Closes and Greenaways. It is worth remembering
that the Green Winged Teal seen at Pit 60 last week disappeared the day after
it was found. It would certainly be worthwhile looking carefully through the
seven or eight hundred European teal that are currently on the moor. The trick
of course is to get them to stay still !!!!
|
Marsh Harrier and Red kite (c) Tom N-L |
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