Over the last two weekends the moor has not been the same
twice. It has been sunny, windy, foggy, cold and wet. I have experienced all of
these varied weathers in the last two weeks and they have all had their effects
on both the birdlife to be encountered and also the character of the place.
Blue Tit in the sunshine and wind (c) Bark
When blanketed with fog the sounds of the outside world are
muted and it feels as though one is wrapped in a soft grey duvet. The enveloping
silence allows one to appreciate the smaller, closer sounds as Wrens scuttle
about in undergrowth or Moorhens bicker in ditches.
Yellowhammer in the fog (c) Bark
Foggy mornings are also
windless, and so it becomes much easier to pick up subtle movements among reeds
or twigs that betray the whereabouts and passage of small birds.
Lapwings and Goldies (c) Bark
Conversely when strong winds are blowing the focus shifts to
the air where massive numbers of Golden Plover, Lapwings, Starlings and sometimes
the larger wildfowl swirl across the whole sky in huge flocks that seem to render
the wind itself visible. It is these very large numbers that are the major highlight
of Otmoor at this time of the year. There are in excess of four and a half
thousand Golden Plovers and at least three thousand Lapwings, with a total of
over two and a half thousand Ducks and at least a thousand Geese.
Peregrine (c) Bark
It makes for spectacular
displays when birds are flushed by hunting raptors. Not a murmuration, but there
is also the egress of fifty thousand Starlings, when they leave the roost at
dawn to head off in every direction to forage in the fields.
Goldies on The closes in the mist and rain (c) Bark
The birding hotspots on the reserve change throughout the
year and are dependent on water levels and the season. The heavy rains of late
have meant that The Closes are holding much more water than has been usual on
this field and it is currently the best place to scan through the Lapwings and
Goldies in search of other waders. There have been several Ruff, up to fifteen
Dunlin, two Black-tailed Godwits and yesterday the Grey Plover, first seen a
couple of weeks ago, was re-found. If the weather is overcast great scope views
can also be had from the main Hide, although face masks and telescopes do not
go together well!
Mallard (c) Bark
Big Otmoor is holding the largest numbers of ducks. Yesterday
they included at least forty odd Pintail, over one thousand Wigeon and almost
four hundred Shoveller. There are good numbers of Gadwall on the moor and the
largest concentration of them is on the southern lagoon in front of the first
screen, where yesterday we counted almost a hundred.
Ashgrave is currently hosting the largest numbers of Geese
including five of the twelve Russian White-fronted Geese that are now on the
reserve. These Whitefronts are the first we have recorded since January 2017.
There are a further five birds associating with the Greylags out on Greenaway’s.
We also have a small flock of Barnacle Geese on Ashgrave.
Barnacle wash and brush up Ashgrave (c) Bark
We normally expect to
find the odd individual and there has been one around for several years, that
has interbred with both Canadas and Greylags, resulting in some rather exotic
looking hybrids. There is no doubt that the flocks of feral geese make it more
likely that truly wild geese will be drawn down to the moor. Even though many birders
dismiss feral geese as “plastic” there is no denying the spectacle that they
create when they re-locate en masse or whiffle down to land on the lagoons.
Whitefronts in flight (c) Tezzer
It is possible at the moment, with a bit of luck, to see all
of the commoner raptor species in one visit, as Hen Harrier is being seen much more
regularly now. Merlin is most likely to be spotted over The Closes.
Marsh Harrier (c) Bark
The
juvenile Marsh Harrier was flying low over the rafted ducks on Monday causing
them to dive or flush. I think it unlikely that it was hunting properly but was
more likely to be looking for sick or injured individuals. The raptors hunting
low over Greenaways are frequently flushing up small parties of Snipe and
several Jack Snipe have been picked out among them.
Hidden Snipe at the first screen (c) Bark
Elsewhere, the feeding programme for finches that we are
carrying out beside the hide is drawing in larger numbers of birds as resources
in the wider countryside get used up.
Yellowhammer (c) Bark
The Linnet flock has doubled in the last
couple of weeks and there are more Chaffinches taking advantage of the seed.
Amongst the birds was a female Brambling
last weekend.
Female Brambling in the mist (c) Bark
The Fieldfares and Redwings have almost stripped all of the haws
from the hedgerows now but are still gleaning the last of the berries.
Redwing (c) Tezzer and Fieldfares (c) Bark
The Otmoor Year list is now one hundred and fifty-five
species with the addition just yesterday of a female Ruddy Shelduck.
Ruddy Shelduck courtesy of Jeremy Dexter.
Drake Goldeneye (c) Tezzer
Unfortunately, the very smart drake Goldeneye that was on the lagoon in front
of the first screen, now seems to have moved on.
Otter second screen (c) Paul Wyeth
Finally, I received a picture
just yesterday of an otter in the water in front of the second screen, perhaps
that explains why there are so few birds up there! Nonetheless it is a truly
wonderful time of year to connect with the wildlife on Otmoor.
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