Saturday and Sunday 18th and 19th May

Common Tern (c) Bark

On Saturday morning I was helping with a group of Otmoor volunteers who wanted to brush up on their spring visitor id. It is always easier to make a direct connection between a bird and its song when you can actually see it whilst it is singing. The Otmoor warblers did not let us down in this respect.

Blackcap and Lesser Whitethroat (c) Bark

Both species of Whitethroat, Sedge and Reed Warblers plus Blackcap and Chiffchaff all sat out prominently and sang. A Garden Warbler, by the bench along the bridleway, was more elusive but sang non-stop and allowed a comparison to be made between it and a nearby Blackcap. Cetti’s as usual, remained deep in cover yet called and sang all morning, there was a Willow Warbler calling loud and clearly in the car park field, but none showed themselves elsewhere on the reserve.

Common Whitethroat (c) JR and Sedge Warbler (c) Paul Wyeth 

In addition, Wrens, Goldfinches, Bullfinches, Reed Buntings and Linnets were out about and active. The finches and buntings can be seen in bushes and trees gleaning invertebrate food from under leaves and around flowers, rather than foraging their regular seed-based diet. They are clearly gathering insects and caterpillars for their nestlings.

Cuckoos above (c) Bark  below (c) Paul Wyeth

Over the whole weekend Cuckoos were very active, calling and chasing across the moor. On Sunday we were certain that there were five different individuals present and as well as the familiar male “cuckoo” call the females chuckling bubbling call could also be heard. Sometimes the males could be seen flying in a slow stalling flight whilst calling continuously.

Common Whitethroat (c) Bark

Bitterns too were very much on show. On both Saturday and Sunday there were two individuals out and about in the open on Greenaways. The sedge is still low enough for the bittern’s head to appear above the vegetation like a periscope. It may well be that there are particularly good feeding opportunities out there in the middle, with frogs and other amphibians around the shallow ditches.

Common Tern with offering (c) JR

At the second screen the Tern colony is now well established on the raft. It is difficult to determine just how many pairs there are, as the birds are coming and going all the time. It certainly seems that there are more pairs out there than last year. Courtship behaviour involves a great deal of screaming, calling and presentation of food to strengthen pair bonds.

Redshank (c) Bark

There has been a smattering of passage waders out on Big Otmoor including Ringed Plovers, Dunlin and a couple of Greenshanks. There have also been occasional sightings of Garganey both there and out in front of the first screen.

Swalow drinking (c) Paul Wyeth

Hobbies are currently very much in evidence, either perched out on posts on Greenaways or later in the morning hunting low over the ditches, increasingly taking dragonflies as their numbers are increasing as more and more adults appear. On Monday morning this week at least fourteen individuals were on and over Greenaways. It will be worthwhile looking through these falcons carefully as we might perhaps find another Red-footed Falcon amongst them. We had a fine male over Greenaways for one day in 2007 and it would be wonderful to see another one.

Hawthorn and Water violet (c) Bark

More and more plants are coming into bloom. In the ditches we are seeing the first clumps of water violet and Hawthorn is showing on shades of white and more rarely pink. In front of the first screen a large of flag Irises are just about to burst into flower, it is a very dynamic and colourful time of year.

Lackey moth caterpillars. (c) Bark