Saturday and Sunday 16th and 17th March

Snowy Coot (a new species?)

Coltsfoot on Friday

The view from the hide on Sunday morning

Carpark mid morning

Ashgrave    all pics (c) Bark

I naively thought on Saturday afternoon that Sunday morning couldn't possibly be worse than the very wet, cold and grey morning that we had that day. I could not have been more wrong. On Sunday a very light patchy drizzle as I left home seemed to tie in with the weather forecast and I confidently expected it to get better. Instead after making it to the hide, it began to snow a little, then a lot and then a blizzard. It almost stopped and we ventured out to the first screen and then it snowed even harder and we beat a retreat, leaving the reserve and what few birds could be seen, to a stoic band from the West London RSPB members group who had left London in the morning in fine weather!
Amidst this travesty of spring there were just a few highlights. Three different Hen Harriers were seen two Ringtails working across Greenaways together on Saturday and the male seen late on Sunday afternoon. Barn Owls continue to be seen regularly with one in the carpark field at lunchtime on Saturday between the showers. Curlew are flying around in pairs calling and doing their spectacular kamikaze display flights. There are significant numbers of both Lapwings and Golden Plover on the western side of Ashgrave and the seven White Fronted Geese are still present, but not always visible. Despite the snow on Sunday morning Coots on the pools in front of the hide were battling aggressively with each other sometimes almost drowning their opponent, presumably in an effort to establish territory. Peregrines continue to spook all the ducks across the whole of the reserve and there are large numbers of Snipe lurking around the pools and sedges of both Ashgrave and Big Otmoor. A Jack Snipe flushed from under the feet of Zoe Edwards as she was working on Big Otmoor and it brushed against her wellington boot as it took off. Showing just how tight they sit before flying. This was the ninety eighth species for the yearlist, if spring does get to happen in the next month or so we can expect many more additions.

Sunday 10th March. Avocet after all.

Despite what I wrote on Sunday it seems that we did have an Avocet on the moor.It was on Ashgrave and it was seen by Paul Greenaway and almost immediately flew off. The timing would tie in  with the arrival of the sixth bird on Port Meadow.

Saturday and Sunday 9th and 10th March

Egret on ashgrave showing signs of breeding plumage

Smart Wigeon dropping in.

Last weeks blackthorn buds have burst.

The Carpark Field Songthrush

Four White fronts in flight       All above pics (c) Bark

Whitefronts on the ground (c) Terry Sherlock

What the well dressed Beckley lamb is wearing this season. (c) Badger

The promise of last weekend disappeared and we reverted once again to cold, grey, wintery bleakness.
Redshanks are now back as are Curlew and both could be heard calling as they flew over and around Big Otmoor, Greenaways and Ashgrave. It was a “six raptor” weekend. Two ring-tailed Harriers were seen on both days flushing Snipe, Golden Plovers and Lapwings as they drifted over the fields. A Peregrine was also seen both days spending at least two hours perched on the ground on the northern side of Greenaways. Best sighting of all this weekend was of a pair of Merlin that flew across Ashgrave close together and calling to each other. One of them flew off across Greenaways and the the other, a male, turned back and headed across Ashgrave. I have never heard them calling like that before and whether it was some early pair bonding or one chasing another out of its territory I don't know. It was an exhilarating experience to see two birds so well and so close flying really quickly.
Ducks are getting more confident in front of the hide and the drake Wigeon and Teal are looking particularly spruce at the moment. Many of the other ducks are out on the lagoons or on the pools in the middle of Big Otmoor. Seven White fronts were present again and a group of four were seen flying.
There have been eight Little Egrets present on the reserve since last autumn. In previous years they have been absent for the best part of the winter only returning in the early spring. They are spending their time mostly on Ashgrave and Closes and clearly have been able to find sufficient food throughout the frozen spells. They are beginning to show breeding plumage and I wonder if they may become the next species to breed on Otmoor. I am not sure if the small copse on Ashgrave, where Herons have bred in previous years, is large enough or secure enough for a breeding colony.
Many more passerines are starting to call and sing with much more purpose. Skylarks were particularly noticeable this weekend and the regular Songthrush in the car park field has taken up its song post. A hNuthatch along the Roman Road was the ninety fifth species to recorded on the moor this year, still seven behind Port Meadow, which is experiencing a purple patch. You would think that Avocets at least would make for Otmoor ,they are after all on our logo!

Saturday and Sunday 2nd and 3rd March

Obliging Kestrel

First Curlew

Barn Owl

Bittern over the reeds

Pintail and Wigeon over

Blackthorn buds. All above pics (c) Bark

Kite Canada interaction (c) Terry sherlock

Male Hen Harrier (c) Terry Sherlock

Despite a very heavy frost over night on Saturday there were still lots of signs that the seasons are changing. I had not been down to the moor for a couple of weeks and the most obvious change is the stabilised water levels, with most of the flooding beyond the reserve having subsided. This has had the effect of drawing in wildfowl to our pools, lagoons and scrapes. It is only possible to appreciate just how many ducks are present when the firing on the rifle range starts up for the first time in the morning. It initiates a mass flush across all the fields and reedbeds. There are almost two thousand Wigeon spread over the reserve and at least a thousand Teal. Shoveller, Gadwall and Tufties are present in good numbers and there were over fifty Pochard on the Southern reedbed on Sunday. When the birds flushed from the middle of the northern section there was a party of up to forty Pintail amongst them. We now have seven Whitefronted Geese feeding with the Greylags and Canadas. There have been Whitefronts present in different numbers and probably different groups since before Christmas and they seem comfortable and confident amongst their larger cousins. One pair of Canada Geese were being hassled by a Red Kite and eventually one of them flew up and tried to threaten it. I have not seen such an interaction before. (thanks to Terry Sherlock for the picture viewable on my blog)
Bittern was seen over the reedbed and at least two and probably three different Hen Harriers were seen. The male Harrier flying very fast and low around Greenaways and over the reedbeds. A Peregrine was sitting out on the ground on Ashgrave and occasionally flushing all the ducks, Golden Plover and Lapwings. Barn Owls are frequently being seen over the reeds and in the Carpark Field. Resident Lapwings are displaying and already flying up to challenge passing Carrion Crows above Big Otmoor. There was one flock of approximately a thousand flying up from the MOD land on Saturday morning.
The first lone Curlew has arrived, normally there would be twenty or thirty at this time so perhaps the rest will turn up this week. There have been no Redshanks, Ruff or Oystercatchers yet this year but it will not be long before we are hearing them again.
In the carpark field there is a very confiding Kestrel that seems to enjoy having its picture taken and below it on the blackthorn the flower buds are swelling. With the wind set to come in from a warmer south easterly direction this week, we could well be looking for our first arriving migrants next weekend.

Saturday and Sunday 16th and 17th February

Displaying Lapwings (c) Bark

Ringtail with missing primaries (c) Bark

Whitefronts on Big Otmoor (c) Bark

and earlier in the mist (c) Terry Sherlock

Despite misty starts both mornings it was possible to believe this weekend that winter is relaxing its grip and spring is not so far away.
The birds sense the difference too and there were Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Skylarks and Great Tits singing. Even more noticeable were the lapwings that have started calling, courting and displaying. Whether these are birds getting early pairing practice or breeding residents it is impossible to say, nonetheless it is very encouraging to see and enjoy. There is a slight flush now in the hedgerows and Bullfinches have started feeding on blackthorn buds in the car park field.
There are substantial numbers of Lapwings and Golden Plovers scattered over the main fields, when they flush it is possible to spot ten or so Dunlin flying with them. Amongst the birds causing them to flush were a male and ring-tailed Hen Harriers. The ringtail is missing at least one of its primaries from its left wing and is easily identifiable, it would be interesting to hear if there are any other ring-tailed birds present as there had been at least two in the earlier winter period. In addition a male Peregrine with an exceptionally white breast was hunting over big Otmoor on Saturday. There were also Sparrowhawks, a pair of Kestrels at Noke and several Common Buzzards and of course a procession of Red kites passing over the reserve. Barn Owls are hunting regularly over the reedbeds and have been seen frequently at both ends of the day.
Duck numbers remain high and included a party of fifteen Pintail flying together. There was also a single Shelduck on big Otmoor on Sunday.
The Bittern was not seen this weekend to the best of my knowledge, but was recorded on Friday morning from the first screen. With raised water levels on the southern reedbed it is likely that it can feed in deep cover.
There was a large congregation of Gulls loafing and feeding on the flooded fields at Noke. They were mostly Black headed Gulls but amongst them were twelve Lesser black backs, a Greater black back a Herring Gull and two Common Gulls. The latter being a new record for the year. The other addition to the yearlist was a Marsh Tit on the feeders, this brings us up to ninety species for the year.
We have seen very few different wader species so far this year and have yet to record even a Redshank. During the next couple of weeks we should have the Curlews arriving and after that other species will follow and with them the spring.

Saturday 9th February

The weekend epitomised in a picture (c) Bark

Visitors to the stock pens. All pics (c) Bark

Two pictures from earlier in the week when the sun shone (c) Terry Sherlock

Another great Barn owl shot (c) Andrew Marshall

Just one visit to the moor this weekend as the weather on Sunday was so dreadful. There is little worse than trying to keep optics and cameras dry, and if you wear glasses it is like looking at the world through a bathroom window. (not that I make a habit of looking through bathroom windows!!)
Saturday was only a little better than Sunday but we did manage to see a Barn Owl hunting in the car park Field as we arrived and there were a lot of wildfowl to be found. The three White-fronted Geese were still keeping company with the Greylag flock and seeming to commute between Ashgrave and the Flood Field. Duck numbers appear to be up again especially Teal and Wigeon. Now that the surrounding land has drained the birds are concentrated on and around the waterbodies on the reserve. There were over fifty Pochard on the northern lagoon the largest number that I have seen this winter. A Great Crested Grebe was the first one seen on the reserve this year. A few more ducks are now appearing on the Ashgrave pools in front of the hide amongst them two drake Pintails, looking particularly smart in the gloom.
Hen Harrier and Bittern had been recorded during the week but failed to put in an appearance on Saturday. There has been a lot of work done on the southern reedbed it is now much more open and views extend much deeper into it. A lot more edge has been created, which gives better feeding opportunities to the Bitterns and the water level has been raised to encourage small fish deeper into the reedbed. Already there have been some good Water Rail sightings earlier in the week. It could well prove to be much more attractive to waders when the spring passage takes place.
Goldcrests and Tits were easy to see in the hedgerows on the bare branches and there seem to be good numbers of Reed Buntings present everywhere at the moment.
I spent some time watching the comings and goings around the cattle pens where we put out a fine seed feed and was pleased to find a female Brambling coming in with the Chaffinches, Reed Buntings, Redpolls and Dunnocks. It is well worth standing by the gate quietly and letting the birds come to you, it is surprising how confiding they can be. It can give you something good to see even on a disappointing grey and rainy day.

Saturday and Sunday 2nd and 3rd February

Bittern over the reeds (c) Bark

Bewicks on Greenaways (c) Badger

Bewicks again (c) Badger

Barn Owl over the reedbed (c) Andrew Marshall

Long tailed Tit on reed in the snow (c) Andrew Marshall

Barn owl hunting (c) Andrew Marshall

 I have not been down to the moor for almost three weeks. A fortnight ago it was too snowy and last weekend I was in Gambia. There was a difference of thirty degrees centigrade between this Saturday and the previous one, but it proved to be a very enjoyable and exciting morning despite the cold and the biting wind.
Very little seems to have changed on the reserve since my last visit water levels are still high and the surrounding fields still mostly flooded, especially the MOD land.
A ring tailed Hen Harrier is still present and was seen well on both days of the weekend, it seems to hunt over the whole moor and has a circular route that it appears to follow. It was very noticeable just how many Teal and Wigeon were hunkered down on Big Otmoor and only visible when flushed by the harrier. There are also significant numbers of Teal on the reedbed, again only really apparent when disturbed by potential predators. There were also twelve Pochard on the northern lagoon, an increase on earlier this winter. There are still what looks to be a family group of White-fronted geese keeping company with the Greylag flock. There are two well marked adults and another that has a very small blaze suggesting juvenile.
Star of the reedbed on Saturday was the Bittern or Bitterns. Bittern appeared at least seven times on Saturday flying from side to side of the southern lagoon. It (or they) were very restless and gave excellent flight views and rather less good views as it hunted at the back of the right hand channel. Two different individuals had been seen simultaneously earlier in the week.
A Peregrine was sitting out on the far side of Greenaways an area that it seems to favour, having been spotted there frequently this winter. A party of Redpolls are usually to be seen around the feeders and the stock corral.
Undoubted birds of the weekend were the party of Bewicks Swans that appeared to fly off the MOD land over the hedge and on to Greenaways where they settled, preened and dozed until around for o'clock when they flew off strongly to the west. They are very attractive birds, neat and compact. It was very interesting to see the size difference when seen alongside a mute Swan that had taken a dim view of their presence. One of them was a juvenile the others fully adult. They are the first Bewicks we have recorded on the moor for several years and I hope its not too long before we see some again.
I have had a number of reports of a pair of Barn Owls that are being seen hunting over the reedbed and in the Carpark field at dusk, several owl pellets were in the second screen area on Saturday morning.
With conditions being as they are it should not be long before we start to see some more waders on the reserve, there is certainly enough mud!