Saturday, Sunday and Monday 5th, 6th and 7th March

Shorty (c) JR

No sooner than I start to mention spring, winter comes back and reminds me that it is not yet over. Saturday, the worst kind of squally, sleety and chilly day was in stark contrast with the early frost and then bright crisp sunshine that we experienced on Sunday morning.

The moor is still thronged with birds, Lapwings and Golden Plover are the most noticeable but wildfowl numbers must be at or about their annual maxima. They are spread over the whole reserve but Big Otmoor and the flood field would appear to hold the most. At one point, something like a Peregrine flushed a huge number of Wigeon from the flood field and it made a spectacular sight from the second screen. Pintail favour the western pools on big Otmoor and parties of Teal are scattered over the whole area. Shoveller too are abundant but evenly spread out, as are both Gadwall and Tufted Ducks.

Drake Shoveller (c) JR

On Saturday morning we walked to Noke, the bridle way is sticky but not impossible. It was worth it to have a careful scan over Big Otmoor from a different angle and for the large number of birds we found feeding on the short grass sheep fields adjacent to the farm. Not only Lapwings and Goldies but also at least five hundred Fieldfares and a smaller number of Redwings. The winter thrushes are now feeding on open fields having exhausted the food supplies in the hedgerows.

Long Tailed Tit gnat catching in the reed bed (c) JR

There were also several song thrushes to be found out these fields. On our way back several Canada Geese flew over and we noticed a small dark goose with them. It was a Barnacle Goose that we later spotted out on Ashgrave. Despite its dubious provenance it is a really attractive bird and beautifully marked. Despite its size it can be feisty and is more than able to hold its own amongst the larger Canadas.

There are plenty of Snipe to be seen flitting up from one set of tussocks to another, landing and promptly disappearing it will not be long now before our resident birds start drumming.

Redshank (c) Derek Lane

Redshank numbers have increased sharply with ones and twos being seen feeding around the edges of pools and scrapes. Their voices are also becoming part of the soundscape again especially their yodelling flight call. Lapwings are now separated out into the tighter more coherent flocks and what we must assume are “our” resident breeding birds. “Our” birds are spread out and occupying potential nest sites. They are starting to swoop and loop in their courtship displays. I even saw one pair mating. Another significant difference between the residents and the visitors is the way that they react to Kites. While whole flocks flush the territorial residents have started to fly up and attempt to challenge or mob the overflying raptors.

The Grey Herons are back nesting in the gnarled oak to the west of the hide, having abandoned the site last year. In previous years it has been great to watch their progress.

Grey Heron (c) JR

On Thursday some members of the RSPB staff who were carrying out an ecological survey flushed up a Jack Snipe, the first of this calendar year. It would be good to get one of these elusive birds feeding in the wet grass in front of the hide.

Singing Reed Buntings (c) Derek Lane

More and more male Reed Buntings are to be both seen and heard singing from prominent bushes and tall reed stems. Great Crested Grebes are also starting to get into mating mode and four individuals were on the southern lagoon on Friday. On Sunday two of them were carrying weeds and almost but not quite starting their courtship dance.

Grebes and Coots courting? (c) Derek Lane

On Sunday at midday a Short Eared Owl was showing well in the Car Park Field. It was hunting in the eastern side of the field and seemed unconcerned by the number of people watching from the bench near the feeders. These birds are much more likely to hunt in the daytime now than they were when they first arrived. On Monday evening there were at least three individuals enthralling watchers across the whole area.

Short Eared Owls (c) JR

Saturday and Sunday 27th and 28th February

Yellowhammer (c) JR

In spite of the chill from a persistent nagging easterly, this weekend felt a lot more like spring. When the sun came through it was possible to feel the warmth provided one was out of the cold wind. The birds and the other wildlife are responding to the subtle changes in temperature and in day length.

There were many signs of the seasons moving on. The Song Thrush in the carpark field was still belting out its song from the top of a willow tree but louder and more enthusiastically than last week, a male Reed Bunting was singing its scratchy nondescript song from the reeds along the path to the screen and along the bridle way is the occasional splash of yellow from the first Coltsfoot flowers.

Male Reed Bunting (c) JR

There are still large numbers of both Lapwings and Golden Plovers and on Saturday morning they were, as has become usual, wheeling and tumbling across the skies in response to threats both real or imagined. On Sunday however we felt that their numbers were somewhat diminished, it may just have meant that they had dispersed from the larger flocks and were feeding slightly further afield.

Wren (c) JR

There are now a minimum of eight Curlew feeding out on Greenaways occasionally taking to the air and calling as they move from one feeding area to another. Last week two Ruff were seen on Ashgrave and as the next few weeks pass I would expect to find more feeding out on the flooded grassland, this is the time of year when we see them most frequently. Redshanks are much easier to spot now there has been one out on Closes quite near to the trail and showing well from the fresh gaps that have been made in the hedge. On Sunday a Dunlin was seen from the same spot feeding on the edges of the Golden Plover flock and was most noticeable when they took to the air.

Mrs Bullfinch munching buds (c) JR

The carpark field has a very healthy population of Bullfinches now. They are not moving about in small flocks as they were only a few weeks ago, but are very clearly paired up and as far as I can determine are still eating Blackthorn buds. At the moment it is unusual not to see them in the carpark field.

Both Shorty Pics (c) JR

On Saturday morning as we walked towards the second screen we flushed a Short Eared Owl from the bank of the reedbed. It gave superb views as it flew ahead of us towards the screen where it settled briefly before flying on and out over the reedbed. There it strayed into the Marsh Harriers airspace and was pursued high and far by one of the pair.

Courting Harriers (c) JR

The Harriers themselves were well worth watching as they are exhibiting courtship behaviours that I have not seen before. One bird has been calling from below whilst the other has been performing virtuoso flying stunts overhead. On Saturday the higher bird was tumbling and banking steeply in the strong wind, all the time focussed down on the bird on the ground. We were first alerted to it by the calling which we identified more by a process of deduction and observation, than by familiarity or prior knowledge.

Little Grebes (c) JR

Out on the northern lagoon there were a pair of Little Grebes displaying to each other and occasionally giving their whinnying call. There are also a pair of Great Crested Grebes but they are not yet performing their coordinated courtship “dance”.

Female Brambling (c) JR

On Sunday morning we spotted a lone gull making its way over the scrapes on Noke Sides. Careful observation revealed it as a Mediterranean Gull. It veered off away from us and we didn’t relocate it. It was an adult bird approaching summer plumage. It looked very similar to the bird seen at Grimsbury last week and may even have been the same individual. It is an unusual bird for Otmoor although one was reported last spring. The last one I recall seeing on the moor was at least ten years ago.

Bittern and Harriers (c) Oz

At one point on Saturday morning the Harriers spooked a Bittern from the eastern side of the first lagoon. It flew straight up and down looking very aggressive with its crest erect. It has been suggested to me that the Bittern seen for the last few days at Farmoor is a male. This being indicated by the blueish tinge to its lores. If it continues its journey it might well alight on Otmoor and find it a suitable place to start booming !

Shoveller (c) Derek Lane

Tomorrow is the 1st of March and things will really start to speed up as we head towards spring proper, by next week we should have Lapwings starting to display and hold territory, exciting times!

 

Watchers watched (c) Derek Lane