Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th September

Water Rail (c) JR

Two perfect early autumn days, crisp and chilly to start with a light mist hanging over the lowest parts of the moor that melted away as the sun rose. It was bright, sunny and clear right to the horizon once the mist had lifted.

I can’t clearly remember a time when the water levels at the first screen were so low. Although the sluices are closed the levels have dropped due to evaporation.

Our Resident Little Egret (c) Bark

The mud is now very extensive and has continued to attract occasional waders. Last Thursday a Ruff dropped in and on Sunday two Black-tailed Godwits were feeding in the shallows at the northern end of the lagoon. 

Wandering Water Rail (c) Bark

Between fifteen and twenty Snipe can be spotted with a little patience, either feeding on the margins and mudflats or roosting amidst the stalks of cut reeds where their cryptic colouration makes them very hard to see. Water Rails were easy to see on Sunday morning. They seem to be busy establishing winter territories and chase each other in and out of the reeds squealing like piglets. Sometimes taking to the wing to cross open water.

Early morning Whinchats  above (c) Bark  below (c) JR

It is the best time on Otmoor to see Wheatears and Chats. Several Whinchats have been seen out along the stone track on Greenaway’s. Around the farm at Noke on Friday and Saturday there were four Wheatears and a couple of distant Whinchats. On Sunday and Monday there were four Whinchats and at least one Stonechat out at the Pill, with an additional Wheatear there for good measure on Monday.

Lesser Whitethroat (c) Bark

A late Redstart was around the crossroads area on Sunday morning and presumably the same individual, a female, was seen and photographed near the first screen later the same day.

Yellow Wagtails (c) Bark

On Saturday morning the cows on Ashgrave slowly made their way over to the area in front of the hide bringing with them their attendant Yellow Wagtails. It was interesting to see that the birds tried to stay in the shadow of the cattle just slipping out to snatch insects. There were family parties amongst the Wagtails I saw several juveniles still begging for food from the adults.

Chilly early morning Meadow Pipit (c) Bark

There  has been an influx of Meadow Pipits onto the reserve and there are several small flocks feeding out on both Ashgrave and Greenaway’s. It will not be long before we get our first autumn record of Merlin as they seem to follow the Meadow Pipits south. In other years we have noticed that the Hobbies and Merlin tend to overlap by two or three weeks at either end of the winter.

Sparrowhawk (c) JR

Two different Marsh Harriers were present at the weekend, one much scruffier and mid moult than the other. A young Buzzard with a very pale breast has been spending a lot of time perched out on a post in the middle of Greenaway’s. It seems that whenever one  looks out over the fields at the moment, somewhere there will be a Kestrel hovering. People who have been on the moor around dusk have reported two Barn Owls hunting over Greenaway’s and on the eastern side of the  reedbed.

fallow Deer (c) Bark

A couple of young male Fallow Deer made their way across Saunders Field on Sunday looking beautiful in the sunshine and looking as if they were dressed specially in autumnal colours.

Nectaring Brimstone (c) Bark