This weekend produced two days that were just about as fine, bright and
sparkling as early autumn days go. The mist lifted rapidly on Saturday and just
a little more reluctantly on Sunday. Colours glowed from the hedgerows and birds
fed actively in the reedbeds and the bushes.
Lifting mist and Redpoll (c) Bark
There is a lot of seeding
willowherb beside the path to the first screen and it was there that I found my
first Redpolls of the winter. There were ten or so of them tearing into the seed
heads as white down drifted off on the light breeze. There were also a group of
Goldfinches in the same area but they were concentrating exclusively on the
abundant thistle heads. Two Siskins flew over and another two or three were also
seen on Sunday morning on bushes out to the right of the first screen. In the
sunshine there were still warblers to be seen gleaning insects from the bushes,
principally Chiffchaffs but it was also possible to pick out Lesser
Whitethroats, a few Reed Warblers, one Sedgie and a Garden Warbler.
Gleaning warblers (c) Bark
In the Roman
Road Blackcaps were seen but it is impossible to know whether they were birds
returning for the winter or summer visitors that are yet to leave. Cetti’s
Warblers have bounced back very strongly having been wiped out on the moor for
nearly two years after two severe winters. There were two birds in bushes around
and behind the first screen on Sunday and another two birds reported at the same
time up towards the second screen in the reedbed. There was also another bird
calling midway along the bridle way near the wooden bench. Lets hope that this
winter allows them to continue to thrive.
Lapwings (c) JR and Snipe (c) Bark
Out on the Southern Lagoon the muddy area in front continues to grow, but
very slowly. There were a flock of about twenty Lapwings there on both days and
over the next few weeks their numbers will start to rise dramatically. Up to
thirty Snipe are also around on the margins of the Lagoon, from time to time
flying round and round in small flocks without any clear threat or reason. A
single Dunlin was picking its way between the Snipe and the Lapwings feeding
busily. While we were watching a party of eight Wigeon flew in and joined the
handful that were already out at the back of the water.
There was a fine male Stonechat in July’s Meadow on Sunday morning quite a
pale coloured individual, since then another three have been reported, both by
Lower Farm and out at the Pill.
Corvid Sprawk interaction (c) JR
Sparrowhawks have been very noticeable both male
and a large female. Perhaps they have been attracted by the increasing numbers
of starlings that are roosting in the reedbed and feeding in the fields. A Barn
Owl was seen on Sunday morning perched on the gate to the rifle range. The first
Short Eared Owl of the winter was seen being hassled by crows on Thursday
afternoon and another or indeed the same one was seen hunting over the MOD on
Sunday afternoon. On Sunday morning at least three Kestrels probably a family
party were hunting in the bright sunshine calling frequently and chasing each
other around they came very close and looked stunning.
Kestrel (c) JR
During the next couple of weeks Fieldfares and Redwings will come in to
take advantage of the abundance in the hedgerows, perhaps we will benefit from
the irruption of Bearded Tits that happens about now or perhaps it will be a
good winter for Bramblings. Be certain we will be out there looking.
The weather forecast suggested a warm sunny weekend and although both days
improved eventually, when I was on the moor in the mornings it was very foggy. I
had been looking forward to getting back down on the reserve after a week in the
Spanish sunshine. The mist is of course very atmospheric and the whole place is
quiet as the noise of the motorway and the A34 is muffled almost to silence.
Only a mournful sounding robin was singing in the car park field and other birds
could only be detected by the odd whirr of wings and subdued contact calls.
Webs (c) Bark
At
this time of year and in these conditions I am always struck by the sheer
numbers of spiders webs and thus the massive numbers of spiders that would
normally go unnoticed. The condensed water droplets reveal vegetation festooned
with spiral webs and gossamer threads. It is easy to see how birds can find
plenty of food foraging through the undergrowth and a substantial part of their
diet must consist of spiders.
At the first screen the water levels have dropped much further and are
beginning to reveal a very attractive muddy bank and it will not be long before
the island in front of the screen appears. There are large numbers of ducks
loafing about many of them still in partial moult but some of the drake Mallard
are now emerging from their eclipse plumage and beginning to display.
Wigeon (c) Badger
There are
Gadwall, Teal, Tufted Ducks and the first of the returning Wigeon out at the
back of the lagoon. Herons and Little Egrets continue to hunt the margins and
sometimes Kingfishers whizz past, a vivid flash of blue in the gloom. Water
Rails are frequently seen and there are still late Reed and Sedge Warblers in
the vegetation.
A Sparrowhawk has taken to perching on the willows to the left of the main
channel and twice this weekend we saw it launch a surprise attack through the
reeds but did not appear to catch anything. Snipe are taking advantage of the
stubble of old reeds and are almost impossible to spot unless they move, the
Sparrowhawk flushed fourteen of them as it flew through.
Stonechat (c) Badger
Stonechats are now back for the winter and the good passage of Whinchats
continues, there were at least thirteen scattered over the moor on Friday. A
Stonechat was at the farm and another out on a fence on Greenaways on
Sunday.
Whinchats at Noke (c) Jim Hutchins
Hirundines pushed down by the weather were feeding in and around the sheep
at Noke and as the weather finally brightened Hobbies were reported hunting
dragonflies over Greenaways.
Hobby and Kestrel (c) JR
A Merlin was seen on Friday and there are usually a
couple of weeks in both Spring and Autumn when they overlap. Soon we can look
out for more winter visitors perhaps Short Eared Owls, Hen Harriers or even a
Great Grey Shrike. It would be even better if we had clear conditions in which
to look for them!
If autumn was hovering in the doorway last
weekend this weekend it truly arrived. Saturday was grey cold, windy and rainy
but Sunday was the finest kind of September day. From the top of the lane on
Sunday morning the bottom of the moor was wreathed in a soft shallow silver
mist, from which the tops of the trees stood out like islands in an inland sea.
The whole was bathed in a cool golden light and the sky a peerless blue.
The moor has something of a transit lounge
about it at present, there are birds coming and going but not in any great
numbers. The regular residents are quiet and going about their business steadily
but the big influx of proper winter visitors has yet to happen.
Willow Chiffs in long meadow (c) Bark
There were mixed flocks of Willow Warblers and
Chiffchaffs moving along the hedgerows, gleaning insects and occasionally
fly-catching. It really is a clear example of feeding on the move and these
warblers are most likely to have bred or been fledged further north. From the
first screen on Sunday both Reed and Sedge Warblers could be seen feeding
busily, low along the reed margins close to the water. They favoured the
sunniest spots as presumably the insect life gets going soonest in the warmest
areas after a night as chilly as the one that had just passed.
Sedgie (c) JR
On Saturday there
was just one Whinchat on the wires near the farm at Noke and the Stonechats have
yet to arrive.
Snipe are still feeding and roosting among the
cut reed stems. On Sunday we saw at least one adult and two juvenile Water Rails
scuttling about on the muddy bank to the left of the main channel.
Scuttling Rail (c) JR
Duck numbers are just beginning to creep up,
there were four Wigeon and at least twelve Teal on the southern reedbed. In
addition to the moulting Mallard there were more Shovellers and a couple of
Pochard present and already moulted, freshly plumaged Gadwall. Kingfishers
continued to use the dead trees as lookout points and were constantly catching
small fry, they did not however show any interest in getting too close to the
screen and the waiting battery of cameras!
Autumn Bounty (c) Bark
The hedgerows are now laden with fruit. Hips,
haws, sloes and blackberries shine out in shades of red, purple and blue. The
sloes are particularly prolific this year in some places and the subtle bloom
over their dark black skins make them look as if they were touched by the early
mist. All this banquet awaits now is the birds to feed on it.
Lots of Herons (c) JR
Red Backed Shrike now confirmed in July's Meadow bird number one hundred and fortysix for the year list!
I had intended to do a roundup of the whole bank holiday weekend. As the
rain teems down steadily this morning and the weather forecaster is promising
more of the same all day, I suspect there will not be much to report from the
moor today.(Monday)
There have been suggestions of Autumn over the last few weeks and it seemed
even more autumnal this weekend. It may be the phragmites reeds having flowered
with their purplish tassels softening and subduing the bright green of the
reedbed, then again it could be the thistles that have set seed and drifted pale
thistledown over the hedgerow herbage. Vegetation looks tired and ragged yet the
hedgerows are still a long way from turning to the true colours of fall.
Where is it? (c) Early Birder
The birdlife this weekend also reflected the changes that are occurring
with passage migrants moving through and the last of our summer visitors feeding
up before going south. The most exciting and uncommon of the visitors was a
Wryneck found by Mark Chivers along the path to the first screen from the
bridleway. As most of my friends know, this has been a “bogey” bird for me. I
had never seen one in Oxfordshire having missed through travel, bad luck and on
one occasion ineptitude, all of the previous ones over the last fifteen years.
Having been called as soon as it was found I made my way back down to Otmoor to
try to catch up with this unusual species on my regular patch. The bird had been
taking advantage of the ant colonies beside the footpath, but with it being a
footpath it was being regularly flushed by visitors who needed to walk through.
I arrived at one of these moments when the bird had decided to spend some time
in the depths of a bush. I did eventually see it as did a number of other people
several times during the afternoon sadly it was not seen again after about four
o’clock and there was no sign of it on Sunday. I was especially pleased as it
was the one hundred and forty fifth species for the moor this year and my two
hundred and sixty first for Oxfordshire.
There are fewer warblers around (C) JR
On Saturday there was a fine male
Wheatear out on Big Otmoor and at least three Whinchats on both days along the
path up to July’s Meadow. There were also several at other spots, both around
the reserve and out at the Pill.
The most photographed Kingfisher anywhere. top two (c) JR lower one (c) Tom N-L
The photographic stars of the weekend and last week have undoubtedly been
the Kingfishers from the first screen. It was indicative of the change that is
happening in birding, that when one of them, a juvenile female, landed on the
perch right beside the screen and then stayed there for over five minutes, all
that could be heard was the machine gun rattle of camera shutters taking ten
frames a second. A bit like the start of a battle but happily without the
resulting carnage! We all delight in the stunning images that result none more
than myself, who illustrates a blog with the resulting pictures. At one point on
Saturday there were three Kingfishers there.
Water Rail in transit. (c) JR
Sit at the first screen for any
amount of time and sooner of later you should see a Water Rail making its way
stealthily along the reedy margins before flying across the open water to
disappear back into the reeds.
Not one to share with the chick. (c) JR
The last Great Crested Grebe chick is still
trying to beg food from its parent but is increasingly being ignored and is
hunting for itself. One of the Bitterns gave us a lengthy flypast on Sunday
morning having been flushed from the grass beside the visitor trail. We
speculated that it might have been hunting small frogs in the wet grass as we
had seen several crossing the path.
At least two Marsh Harriers are still around as are several Hobbies. A
Peregrine made a low and fast pass over the reeds on Saturday and a Sparrowhawk
is frequently being seen from the hide.
There are still plenty of Snipe to be seen. (c) JR
Water levels have crept up a bit on the southern reedbed and we have yet to
see the small island in front of the screen or the extensive muddy area to the
right and behind the reeds. If the water levels do draw down a bit more over the
next few weeks it will be definitely be the place to watch.
Hares are easy to see now the grass has been cut. (c) Early Birder
