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Another one bites the dust (c) Early Birder |
Well here’s the first of my
“virtual” Otmoor reports that’s compiled from the reports and conversations that
I have had with other moor regulars.
Everyone has commented on
just how much water levels have risen over the last week. The RSPB staff report
that on most fields they are just at or just below the ideal levels for this
time of year. Interestingly there is now much more water on the Flood Field and
I wonder if it will now draw in the huge numbers of wildfowl that it has
attracted in the past. The track from Noke Farm to the bridleway is now flooded
and S.R. and P.R. report that the Roman Road out to the Pill is now “half way up
wellies”, a depth that I am sure we can all understand!
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Hedgerow Bullfinch (c) Tom Nicholson- Lailey |
Several of my
correspondent’s report many more Bullfinches in the hedgerows, they are starting
to get to the stage where they eat blackthorn and hawthorn buds. Usually they
would do this much later in the winter but the warm weather has encouraged the
buds to start to swell early and in fact there is already blossom to be found in
the most sheltered corners of the Carpark Field. Several people have noticed
small parties of Redpoll both in the carpark field and along the bridle way
between the pump house and the entrance to the MOD. People have also mentioned
Siskins from the same area but I have yet to have a confirmed sighting. There
are still Grey Wagtails occupying the area around the cattle pens and they seem
set to stay throughout the winter.
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Carpark blossom (c) Paul Greenaway |
Numbers of both Lapwing and
Golden Plover are going up but have yet to reach their late winter maxima. An
average of observations would suggest that there are over a thousand Goldies and
perhaps six hundred Lapwings. These numbers always fluctuate wildly as birds
feed on farmland well outside the Otmoor basin. The Golden Plover are
particularly attractive as they wheel against the sky. P.G. was lucky enough to
see a flock flying in bright sunshine but against a dark leaden sky he said
that:” when the Goldies turned in the sky they sparkled like Christmas tinsel”.
Oz said that he saw a small wader flying with them on Saturday but could not
confirm it as a Dunlin, he failed to refind it when they flushed
again.
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Ducks over the reedbed (c) Tom nicholson -Lailey |
The Starling roost
continues and alongside the higher Duck, Lapwing and Goldie numbers is proving
very attractive to raptors. A Red Kite was photographed carrying off a dead or
dying Starling. A large female Peregrine spent a long time sitting on top of a
post on Greenaways and a male was spotted on one of the regular Oak trees across
Noke Sides. Short-Eared Owls are now being seen regularly but seldom in the same
places. As the MOD floods up they might well re-locate to the drier parts of the
reserve such as the southern edge of Ashgrave and The Carpark Field.
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and yet another one! (c) JR |
We had an unconfirmed
report of a White Fronted Goose out with the Grey Lags on Noke Sides at the
weekend. This is the time that they often show up and I would like to hear of
any more information about them.
As water levels go up over
the next few weeks and the cold starts to bite we may get an influx of new
birds. It will be worth looking through them carefully for more unusual species.
The water also attracts more gulls to feed, loaf and roost on the surrounding
fields. This is especially true as those fields flood up releasing more
invertebrate food. We failed to find a Yellow Legged Gull last year at all,
perhaps this year we will be lucky.
Thanks to Paul Greenaway,
Pete and Steve Roby, Jon Uren, Tom Nicholson –Lailey and the RSPB
Staff.
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(c) Tom Nicholson-Lailey |
In case you're interested, here are the pictures from my visit on 16/Jan:
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.ministryofpropaganda.co.uk/2016/01/16/swans-and-starlings-at-otmoor-oxfordshire/
http://blog.ministryofpropaganda.co.uk/2016/01/17/marsh-harrier-pintail-kestrel-and-more-at-otmoor-oxfordshire/