First two weeks of February

Ring-necked Duck (c) Tezzer

There is a palpable sense of spring in the air despite it only being mid-February. It has been very mild although sometimes grey and cloudy with blustery winds.

Goldfinch near the hide (c) Bark

There have been some notable returnees to the moor, turning up very  much when we might have expected them. Two Cranes have returned one of them un-ringed and the other after some initial difficulty was identified as Maple Glory. She was the female Crane that attempted to breed unsuccessfully for five consecutive years on the moor when partnered with Wycliffe who sadly disappeared in 2020.

Record shot at a distance (c) Bark

We are also expecting last years successful breeders to return probably with last years youngster in tow. The pattern would then be for them to drive the youngster away once they start courtship, mating and nesting. There were a further two Cranes that made occasional visit to the reserve last spring and they may well put in another appearance this year. Expert opinion suggests that there is enough space on Greater Otmoor to accommodate three pairs of Cranes although issues of disturbance by people and predation of eggs and young would be a major problem.

Glossy Ibis (c) Debbie Cowee

There is no way of knowing for sure if the Glossy Ibis that put in a brief appearance at Port Meadow and promptly left for Otmoor, is the same one that spent so much time with us last year, but it does seem likely. It may very well still be in the vicinity and out on one of the flooded fields to the north, where it spent a lot of time last year.

"Luke" (c) Bark

One bird that we can be certain is a returnee is “Luke” the leuchistic Pochard. He was back in front of the first screen with a party of mostly male Pochards and three females. His pale blond head mean he is unmistakeable. We first saw him in 2015 as a juvenile and have seen him every year since. He seems quite able to compete with more conventionally pigmented males and has been seen in company with a female. We assume that the leuchistic gene is regressive as we have yet to identify any of his progeny.

Bullfinch chewing desiccated Blackberries (c) Moth Clark

The Starling roost and murmuration is to all intents finished for this season. There are still large numbers of Starlings in the vicinity, but they are not staying in the reedbed anymore, and their choice of roosting places is variable. They are frequently using the body of water that is halfway up Ashgrave for a pre roost wash and brush up. Unfortunately, this is one of the most difficult parts of the reserve to watch.

Lapwings and Goldies (c) Bark

We have noticed that many members of the  public are still coming down to see the murmuration and are leaving under the impression that the massive whirling flocks of thousands of Lapwings and Golden Plovers are indeed Starlings. These flocks fly very densely when they first flush and if they are being pursued or threatened by a raptor, they will take evasive action in tight synchronous flocks.

Tufted Duck Diving (c) Bark

A drake Ring-necked Duck appeared at the first screen on Saturday afternoon but did not linger until the next day. Another odd-looking duck arrived at the end of last week and was still present at the weekend. It is a hybrid that shows some elements of Teal, Ferruginous Duck and Pochard. It is associating with the Pochard out in front of the first screen.

Duck of dubious parentage (c) Bark

Another interesting fact is that its arrival coincided with that of a drake Ferruginous duck at another Oxfordshire site. There were over fifty Common Snipe out on the reed stubble at the right of the second screen on Sunday, once again one individual was hunkered down in the reeds right in front of us on the water’s edge.

Common Snipe back in front of the second screen. (c) Bark

Redshank are already back on site in small numbers as are Curlew, over the next few weeks I would expect the numbers of both species to rise steadily.

Yellowhammer by the Hide (c) Bark

Finally, there is a male Marsh Harrier that may occasionally be mistaken for a Hen Harrier as it has quite a pale rump that in some lights and at a distance can cause confusion. I have attached one very fuzzy distant shot that was taken in poor light to illustrate this. The Hen Harrier itself is still present on the moor although unpredictable.

Marsh Harrier showing pale rump (c) Bark

All through January and into February

Common Snipe second screen. (c) Bark

This is often the darkest, coldest and least attractive month. This year it has been dryer, sunnier and slightly warmer than usual.

Wren beside the second screen (c) Bark

The dryness is of some concern to the reserve as during these wet winter months we store water in the reedbed and lagoons. It is then released slowly to keep the fields wetted up for the benefit of breeding waders during the spring and early summer. The reedbed has been cut as part of its annual management and the views from the first screen have been widened and more pools have been opened up to sight.

The numbers of both Lapwings and Golden Plovers have steadily built up during the month and once again flocks in their thousands are flushing up from the fields in response to threats both real and imagined.

Lapwing over the screens (c) Bark

The flocks are difficult to count and often the Golden Plovers fly much higher than the Lapwings and are barely visible to the naked eye. It may well be that the Dotterel that was found on the last day of 2021 is still attached to one or other of the Golden Plover flocks but to find and identify we need to see them on the ground, and they are very flighty and often a long way out on the fields.

Water Rail in the ditch beside the bridleway (c) Bark

The flocks are being flushed in response to the number of raptors that are currently  present across the moor. There have been three Peregrines, a ring-tailed Hen Harrier and our regular three Marsh Harriers.

Marsh Harrier (c) JR

There has also been Kestrels, Buzzards, Sparrowhawks and very irregular and unpredictable visits from a Merlin. Seen most recently yesterday (Sunday 6th Feb.) perched on a post near to the hide. I have also had a report of two Short-eared Owls, hunting across the MOD fields in the late afternoon.

Commuting wildfowl (c) Bark

Wildfowl are commuting between the reedbed Lagoons and water bodies on Ashgrave, Big Otmoor and The Flood. Wigeon are feeding out on grassy areas adjacent to pools into which they can retreat if they sense danger. At least one Shelduck is present as it has been since January 1^st. Occasional small parties of  Pintail are being seen with them spending most of their time on big Otmoor and The Flood.

Yellowhammer and Linnet (c) Bark

The feeding regime beside the hide is proving to be very beneficial to seed eating birds now that supplies of natural food in the wild is mostly exhausted. The essential small seeds that used to be abundant in field margins and stubble fields no longer exist, as a result of modern farming practices. Fresh seeds will not reappear until early summer once the weedy plants have flowered and set seed.

Brambling and Chaffinch (c) Bark

There is quite a large flock of Linnets, Chaffinches and Reed Buntings present and this weekend there were ten Yellowhammers amongst them, Goldfinches, two Bullfinches and one female Brambling. There had been a report of four Bramblings earlier in the week.

Redpoll beside the bridleway (c) Bark

The weather has remained warmer than usual and there are the first signs of spring beginning to appear it gives me a lift to see the Snowdrops in flower in the car park field.

The days are just beginning to get longer and the very first of our breeding waders are starting to appear. Last week a Redshank was seen out on Big Otmoor, and we heard one calling on Saturday morning. Two Curlew were on the MOD ground on Friday perhaps a week or so earlier than we would normally expect them, although one did appear last year at the beginning of January.

Common Snipe at the first screen (c) Bark

On Saturday we counted over fifty Common Snipe from the northern and southern lagoon margins. On both days this weekend and last weekend  at the second screen, there was one particular bird hunkered down in a tiny inlet just in front of us at the water’s edge.

Super-close Snipe (c) Bark

It was very close indeed and yet somehow seemed to be able to appear and disappear at will!

Super-close closeup. (c) Darrell Woods

We are looking out now for the return of the Cranes from Somerset where they have been over-wintering. It will be fascinating to see if they bring their youngster with them, as we expect them to do. They will then probably try to push it away as they set about nesting again. In spring last year, we had five Cranes on and around the moor. Although only one pair attempted to breed, we understand from the experts that there should be enough space to accommodate at least three breeding territories in the Otmoor basin.

Close encounter of the vulpine kind (c) Bark