Last two weeks of September

Black-tailed Godwit (c) Bark

After a dry end to summer the weather has finally changed and a we have experienced some very wet weather. This has had the effect of turning our dry parched fields green again and has begun the long process of recharging our ditches, scrapes and reservoirs.

Michaelmas

Things have continued to change on the bird front too. Stonechats now outnumber Whinchats by three to one and on the 29^th September there were thirteen reported out on the sedges and reedmace of Greenaway’s. As in other years the Stonechats appear to display over a chosen territory flying up vertically and hovering above a favoured perch. It is impossible to say if they are checking out the area, looking for other Stonechats or simply declaring their presence. As the winter comes on they will be seen more and more in pairs.

Wryneck (c) Ron Louch

A Wryneck added a welcome boost to our moribund year-list. It was seen initially on the ground and flying up into a hedge. It then disappeared, as Wrynecks often do, for several hours, before appearing briefly once again on bushes at the side of the reedbed. It was photographed by a visiting birder from Yorkshire who only really managed to id it from his pictures. It seemed to have been feeding on a meadow ant nest beside the path to the first screen. Interestingly it was seen about a hundred metres from the two other places where  Wrynecks have been reported over the last ten years.

Blackwits Above (c) JR below preening (c) Bark

There have been two juvenile Black-tailed Godwits on the lagoon in front of the first screen for over two weeks now. They have spent most of their time at the far end of the lagoon feeding in the shallows but on Sunday came and stood on the small muddy island in front of the screen. There they proceeded to preen busily, showing how delicately and accurately a bird with a very long bill can give all of its feathers careful attention.

Pintails     Above in flight (c) Tezzer below (c) Bark

On Sunday we found two eclipse drake Pintail out on the water at the first screen. It is unusual to see them in this particular plumage and I can’t recall seeing them before on Otmoor. There have been reports of the first Wigeon arriving and Teal numbers are starting to increase. Three Ruddy Shelduck also dropped in briefly last week. 

Kingfisher (c) Bark

Kingfishers are now being seen regularly from both screens.

It will be worth checking the Snipe on the mudbanks carefully over the next few weeks as there has already been a Jack Snipe seen elsewhere in the county.

There are good numbers of Meadow Pipits on and over big Otmoor and Ashgrave. There seem to  be more of them this year and perhaps  they have had a successful breeding season. Jays are beginning to be seen gathering acorns from the oaks along the bridleway. A group of five juvenile Green woodpeckers on the field to the south of July’s Meadow was notable.

Kestrel being mobbed by Jackdaws (c) JR

There were still two Hobby present on Monday and Kestrels can be seen almost all the time. They are often noticed when being harassed by Jackdaws and Crows. Three different Marsh Harriers are still in the vicinity of the moor and certainly cover a much larger area than just the reedbed.

Three weeks ago I suggested that we had seen the last of “our” Cranes for the year and duly the RSPB were sent a picture of a Crane flock on the Somerset Levels that conclusively includes at one of our birds the male “Wycliff”

Cranes on the levels (c) John Crispin