Grey Wagtail (c) JR |
January started in just the
same way as December ended, with leaden skies, wind and intermittent rain. Where
are the crisp cold bright days of winter?
I managed to get out on a
couple of the long weekend days and was not disappointed by the birds we managed
to see. On the path south from the hide, where we are carrying out the winter
feeding for finches, there is now a large mixed flock established. It is made up
predominantly of Linnets and Reed Buntings with slightly smaller numbers of
Chaffinches, occasional Goldfinches, a few Dunnocks and Robins.
There are also
up to three Bramblings coming down sometimes, two or three Yellowhammers and a
few Greenfinches. There is a male Kingfisher that is regularly hunting in the
body of water beside the same path.
Bramblings (c) Nick Truby |
Reed bunting and Kingfisher beside hide (c) JR |
On New Year’s Day three Short
Eared Owls were seen being mobbed by corvids to the north of the reed bed. One
of them gave superb views as it flew towards us and then over the reedbed and
out along the double hedge to the north of Greenaways.
Short Eared Owl (c) Nick Truby |
There are still two Grey
Wagtails frequenting the cattle pens on Greenaways and many Pied wagtails out on
the Noke Sides fields. These fields are also favoured by the steadily increasing
numbers of Lapwings and Golden Plovers that are present on and around the moor.
They are not yet here in their thousands but certainly in the high hundreds. On
Saturday morning they were very flighty and nervous.
Lapwings and Starlings (c) Tom Nicholson- Lailey |
Duck numbers are now really
starting to go up both on the fields and on the reed bed. Shoveller are very
evident on the southern lagoon and although not always visible the larger
numbers of Teal are betrayed by their high whistling calls. Almost a thousand
Wigeon were recorded on Monday morning on the regular WeBS count. They are
spread in smaller flocks across the whole reserve usually feeding on the grass
next to a body of water.
Bittern (c) JR |
Bitterns are being seen and
although it might just be a single bird that can smuggle itself across the reed
bed without being spotted the likelihood is that there are at least two and
possibly three. The interesting time will come in mid-February when they should
start booming. They certainly called intermittently last year and the year
before. But I feel this year coming might well provide us with a new breeder for
Oxfordshire.
Mr and Mrs Stonechat (c) JR |
I will not be out and about
on the moor for the next few weeks. I will however try to write a regular report
on what is there, but without the benefit of first hand observation. I will be
relying on my friends to let me know what’s new and what’s around and of course
to keep me furnished with their excellent photographs. I should be back in
action by the middle of February.
Can anyone confirm if the Starling roost are still showing?
ReplyDeleteRegards
Mike