First two weeks of August Egrets and Waders

Wood Sandpiper (c) Bark

The water on the southern reedbed has continued to draw down steadily and as it does so is exposing larger areas of mud and reed stubble.

Early morning Blue Tit (c) Bark

This area is acting like a magnet to passing waders and Snipe. Over the last week we have seen Wood, Green and Common Sandpipers picking their way through the reed stubble and out onto the muddy margins.

Wood Sand and Green Sand (c) Bark

There has also  been a handful of Greenshanks through. On Sunday there was a returning Ruff feeding out there, looking very bright and spangly, altogether heavier and more solid than the delicate and refined Wood Sandpiper that it superficially resembles. There are good numbers of Lapwings scattered across the island, moulting, loafing and chattering quietly amongst themselves.

Sipe abve (c) JR below (c) Bark

This weekend there were over fifty Snipe feeding and preening amongst the dead reed stems, as always blending in perfectly. They are so well camouflaged that it might well be that fifty is a serious underestimate. At least two juvenile Water Rails could be seen scuttling in and out of the still growing reeds.

Juvenile Water Rail (c) Bark

They are browner, scruffier and lack the adult bird’s smart clean plumage and bright red beak. Last Saturday a Yellow wagtail was also out there perched up on the dead reeds amongst the Snipe. As the month draws on, we can expect to see more of them feeding around the grazing animals and roosting in the reedbed by night.

Snipe (c) Bark

The recent influx of Cattle Egrets to the county has also been reflected on Otmoor. They have frequently appeared in amongst the grazing cattle on all of the major fields with six seen amongst and over the herd on The Closes last weekend.

Six Cattle Egrets over The Closes (c) Bark

As the cattle lay down two Egrets could be seen standing on their backs like those on Buffalo in the Kruger National Park. Both Little and Cattle Egrets have taken to resting and preening on the mudbanks in front of the first screen where the differences between the two species can really be appreciated.

Serengeti Egrets? (c) JR

The comparison prompted the observation from one eminent birder “ How come they are called Little Egrets when they are so much bigger than Cattle Egrets?” The Cattle Egrets have bred successfully at Blenheim and although it is very late in the season were seen and photographed carrying sticks into the isolated willow tree out from the first screen.

Egrets on Greenaway's (c) Oz

We know, thanks to Terry’s dedicated team of Bittern watchers, that they have fledged chicks from three different nests, although the number of fledged young is not certain. They are being seen frequently, flying around the reserve, feeding out in the ditches and landing in the reedbed, although “landing” is something of a misnomer. Bitterns, especially young ones, tend to crash heavily into the reeds rather than landing in any kind of controlled way!

Bittern (c) Nick Truby

Passage whinchat on Greenaway's (c) Nick Truby

The first returning Whinchat has been seen out on Greenaway’s and there are regular reports of both adult and juvenile Redstarts in the bushes and hedges of Long Meadow.

Juvenile redstart (c) Bark

Mixed flocks of tits and warblers are roaming across the moor and there are still Reed and Sedge Warblers along the ditches and in the reedbed.

Reed and Sedge Warblers (c) Bark

The yearlist has gone up by yet another species when a female mandarin duck was seen at the second screen taking it up to an extraordinary one hundred and sixty-two for the year.

Female Mandarin at the second screen (c) Rob Cadd