November and into December

 

Red-breasted Geese (c) Bark

November was for the most part an unseasonably mild month until close to its end. I have only had to clear the windscreen on my car on two of my morning visits to the moor, which is remarkable for this time in the year! Only the last couple of visits have required gloves, hats and proper winter gear.

The Frost Moon

For a while the seasons seemed to pause with very little changing, but the first proper winter storm at the end of the month has pushed things along.

Wren (c) JR

This time last year Otmoor was largely flooded, due to an excessively wet autumn but water levels across the reserve have only been creeping up slowly, both on the reedbed and across the scrapes in the fields.

Grey Heron (c) JR

Winter thrushes arrived almost a month late and only now are the hedges beginning to look bare of berries, whereas last year they were stripped by the end of October. Redwings seem to be the predominant species now and are quieter than their noisy chuckling cousins the Fieldfares.

Redwings    above (c) JR   and below(c) Bark

There also appears to have been an influx of Blackbirds during the last couple of weeks they are much more noticeable now in and around the paths and bridleways.

Even Blue Tits eat Haws

There are mixed roving tit flocks moving through the hedgerows and taking advantage of the feeders in the car-park field. We are about to start the winter-feeding programme for Finches in earnest from next week.

Linnets (c) Bark

Already there are good numbers of birds coming down to the limited seed we have been spreading to start things off. They are mostly Chaffinches, Reed Buntings, Goldfinches and Linnets at present but as the weeks progress, I am sure that we  will draw in Yellowhammers, Bullfinches and any passing or over-wintering Bramblings.

Reed Bunting, Chaffinch and Dunnock (c) Bark

If we are really lucky, we might attract one of the rarer Bunting species.

In mid-month two Red-breasted Geese were spotted out amid the feral goose flock. They were keeping very close company with a small party of four Barnacle Geese. They arrived two days later than two other Red-breasted Geese had arrived on the Essex coast.

It is possible to see just how small they are beside a Greylag (c) Bark

We have no way of ascertaining where the birds originated unless a feather could be obtained for radio isotope analysis, a very unlikely possibility. All we can say with certainty is that the birds are not ringed and are full feathered, whatever their provenance they are very beautiful birds.

With Canadas (c) Bark

They are very small and frequently disappear when feeding amongst the much larger Canada and Greylag Geese. They get lost to sight down dips in the ground and hidden behind tussocks. Despite their stunning colour and attractive patterning, they can be difficult to pick out amidst the numerous feral geese.

Pair on Stonechats on the path up to July's meadow (c) Bark

Apart from the Red-breasted Geese we have recorded two further species that can  legitimately be counted on the Otmoor Yearlist. We had a party of seven Ring-necked Parakeets fly over the hide and along into the car-park field whilst we were watching the Red-breasted Geese. This is the largest number we have recorded on Otmoor and reflects the rapid rise of their population in the county.

Marsh Harriers    above (c) JR    below  (c) Bark

There was also a Whooper Swan seen, that flew over the reedbed heading north-west at the end of the month. These last two species have brought the yearlist up to one hundred and sixty-seven species.

Displaying Mandarins (c) Pete Roby

Mandarin Ducks have become much commoner on the reserve in recent years, but we usually only see females or eclipse males. In the last couple of weeks, a pair have been seen displaying in front of the first screen, the male resplendent in his superb, over the top breeding finery.

Distant Hen Harrier (c) Bark

The Starling roost continues to attract both avian predators and many human admirers. At this, the darkest time of the year, the birds often arrive as dark is falling and dive straight in and settle in the reeds. This can prove disappointing for visitors hoping for a dynamic murmuration display. The raptors however, often flush the flocks and can provide dramatic scenes as thousands of Starlings take to the air simultaneously.

Wigeon and Shovellers flushed at the screen. (c) Bark

All of the regular winter raptors are being seen including Merlin, Peregrine and Hen Harrier. There have also been Short-eared Owls hunting across the fields at dusk. Woodcock are also being spotted as they leave the security of the scrub in the car-park field, where they roost in the day time, and move out onto The Closes and Greenaway’s to feed.

Even leafless willows can be beautiful (c) Bark