Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th August

Juvenile Willow Warbler

Juvenile Great Spot

 Juvenile Jay above pics (c) Bark

Juvenile Kestrel (c) Pat Galka

Juvenile Green Woodpecker (c) Pat Galka

A quiet weekend, typical of the midsummer doldrums but not without interest if you were prepared to take the time to look carefully.
On Sunday morning along the bridleway by standing and watching in just one place for a quarter of an hour or so we saw at least twelve different bird species moving about a clearing in a loose feeding party. They included several brightly coloured juvenile Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, both kinds of Whitethroat, Reed and Sedge Warblers and many yellowish, recently fledged, Blue and Great Tits. Long-tailed Tits zipped about the bushes and hung upside down from the umbrella heads of cow parsley, as they gleaned tiny insects from them. Meanwhile a Tree Creeper worked the bark of the blackthorns and in a patch of groundsel in the clearing, both Bullfinches and Goldfinches could be seen munching on the seed heads. In addition to this feeding party we also saw juvenile Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers and a noisy family group of Jays flew along the oaks beside the path.
A couple of Green Sandpipers fed along the margins of the scrape in front of the hide and on Saturday morning a Greenshank was seen in the same place. Several Snipe were seen flying over Greenaways and then dropping to disappear into the rank vegetation. The Turtle Doves are still present and are still purring, but much more intermittently than in the preceding weeks and I have a feeling that they may soon move on. Last year they seemed to leave at about the same time as the Swifts.
The Lizard City continues to add interest at the first screen and visitors are enjoying the opportunity to see what is usually an uncommon and reclusive species. Dragonflies are at their most abundant with the largest numbers being Common and Ruddy Darters. Emerald Damselflies could be found in the long grass but are fiendishly difficult to spot when they keep still. Careful study of bramble patches showed what vital food sources these plants are to all manner of insects. On them we found nectaring Purple Hairstreaks in several locations, as well other more common species of butterfly. Small Coppers were also seen and the first of the latest crop of Common Blues were on the wing along the visitor trail towards the second screen.
All of this goes to show that there is no such thing as a dull summer weekend......whatever the weather does

Brimstone

Purple Hairstreak

Common Blue

Emerald Damselflies

Small Copper  All Bug Pics (c) Bark

End of July Weekend

Juvenile Common Tern (c) T.S.

Juvenile Robin

Whitethroat

One of many juv. Chaffinches

Acrobatic juv. Blue Tit

Sedge Warbler all above pics (c) Bark

Despite dire warnings of torrential downpours, both mornings were warm and mostly sunny. In the sunshine there was plenty to see especially invertebrate life.
On the bird front there are now quite extensive mixed flocks feeding in the hedgerows and on the ground. It is interesting to see that the insectivorous species group together and the buntings and finches likewise.
Clearly it is to do with food sources, diets and preferences. There were very large numbers of immature Chaffinches mixed in with fewer Linnets and Reed Buntings. Bullfinches could also be found in Moorleys (the proper name for the car park field) but tended to keep themselves to themselves. The path through Moorleys is now open again and offers a pleasant alternative to the track alongside the Closes.
The Common Tern chick is now flying, but not yet hunting for itself. There are still three adult birds present and all three took part in the raising of the chick. Might the third bird be a previous years offspring? I don't know if this is a regular strategy for Common Terns. The tern raft took much time and trouble from the reserve staff to build and to site, it is very gratifying to see that their efforts have been so worthwhile.
The Marsh Harrier continues to haunt the northern edge of Greenaways and the MOD land, it seldom seems to venture over the reedbed, at least not when I am there.
Several waders were around including Green Sandpipers and on Sunday morning four Black-tailed Godwits, that flew over and landed somewhere out on Greenaways. Out from the first screen the azolla weed was much clearer than last weekend and there were larger numbers of eclipse ducks to be seen out on the water. They included Pochard, Shoveller, Gadwall, Teal and a preponderance of Mallard. The Bearded Tits were heard pinging out in the reedbed and we had a brief glimpse of two birds in flight over the reeds on Saturday morning.
The highlight of the weekend out by the first screen was the success of the “reptile city”. There were at least eight Common Lizards to be seen, basking on the tussocks of dry grass and the logs. Some of them were very small and dark others clearly much larger, but probably still not fully adult. Congratulations to Joe Harris the warden for constructing such an effective piece of habitat.
On Saturday morning we walked up around the edge of Ashgrave on the public footpath between Ashgrave and the wood. At times there were clouds of butterflies coming up from the grass and from the bramble flowers. It was possible to imagine what the countryside in summer might have been like in times before intensive agriculture and heavy pesticide use. They were mostly Meadow Browns, Ringlets and Gatekeepers, but amongst them were also Marbled Whites, Green-veined Whites, Brimstones, Skippers and the odd Peacock. There were also at least five Silver-washed Fritillaries that had ventured out of the woodland to nectar on the brambles along the path. The warm settled weather seems to have benefitted Butterflies after the last two cold and wet summers, it remains to be seen if the Brown Hairstreaks will stage similar resurgence, they should be on the wing in a few weeks time.

Reptile, Amphibian and Invertebrate Supplement

Common Lizards

Great Crested Newt

Essex Skipper ?

Peacock

Emperor Dragonfly

Silver washed Fritillary on Ashgrave

Brimstone (c) all above pics Bark

Saturday and Sunday 20th and 21st July

Reed Warbler

Magpie pair

Juvenile Beardie

and again.

Tufties in the Azolla

Small Tortoiseshell   All pics (c) Bark.   pics from two weeks ago

 
It is staggering how much the moor has changed during the two weeks that I have been away. Grasses are seeding, pools are evaporating, more and more butterflies are on the wing and the invasive water weed azolla is enveloping the southern lagoon. All of these factors driven by the sudden appearance of summer.
There are large loose mixed flocks of juvenile tits, warblers, Dunnocks and Robins moving around the car park field and the hedgerows. One on Sunday morning included both species of Whitethroat, Willow/Chiffs and at least two Grasshopper warblers. The adult “groppers” had started reeling again presumably to start second or third broods. There were at least thirty juvenile Chaffinches by the cattle pens and the Turtle doves were purring continuously on both mornings. Both species were coming down to feed on the fine seed mix scattered in front of the gate.
At least two and probably three Quail could be heard calling, one from the MOD land to the east of the Roman Road.
Waders were seen on some of the scrapes during the previous week. Water levels are dropping rapidly now and I hope that they may be topped up, if the forecast thunderstorms happen over the next few days.
I was considering the list of birds recorded on the reserve and in the Otmoor basin this year and there are several commoner species that have yet to be seen. They include: Little Owl, Grey Wagtail, Common Sand, Spotted Flycatcher and for me the most missed of all, Cettis Warbler. There may well be other surprises and additions but it would be good to hear of any records of these species.

Saturday and Sunday 30th and 31st June

Juvenile Beardy (c) Bark

Again (c) Bark

Parrotbill family (c) Bark

Reed climbing (c) Bark

Flyover Oystercatcher (c) Bark

Turtle (c) Bark

Painted Lady (c) Bark

Much better weather this weekend and some good sightings.
We found the juvenile Bearded Tits again on Saturday on the edge of the southern reedbed. Despite the breeze they were happy to ping away and show themselves at the top of the reed stems. They gave excellent photo opportunities and by chance one of my pics taken of the bird in profile whilst it was calling, clearly shows the parrot like bill....hence the family name. Other birders on Sunday saw one of the bearded tits from the first screen. They were very certain that it was an adult female, so it could well be that there are more in the reedbed. The Marsh Harrier continued to be seen over the reeds and along the double hedge at the back of Greenaways. Hobbies put on spectacular dragonfly hunting display in front of the hide, swooping down to snatch them from the closest pools very much to the enjoyment of the watchers. The bridle way Turtle Doves were also very popular with visitors and remarkably comfortable near people. I can only endorse a comment made by an Oxonblogger  last week that: “.....if they are as tame as this on migration they will never make it back to their wintering grounds” The juvenile Herons on Ashgrave have finally left the nest. They appeared to be well grown and healthy. The Common Terns on the raft in front of where the second screen used to be have one chick which they are feeding regularly and defending from any aerial threats. A Kingfisher was working its way along the River Ray as I did a survey on the Oddington side of the moor and a pair of Ravens were feeding out on the flood field, but too far away for me to see what they were feeding on. An Oystercatcher flew over on Saturday and appeared to land out on Big Otmoor. Snipe were still drumming on Saturday, there certainly seem to have been more drummers than I can remember in previous seasons. It appears to be a good “quail year” with birds being heard calling from Greenaways, the Closes and the Carpark field. It may of course be one very mobile individual!
Grass Snakes were again very much in evidence along the track through the carpark field. More Dragonfly species are now on the wing and on Sunday I found my first Painted Lady of the summer.

Saturday and Sunday 22nd and 23rd June

Turtle dove in full song

Moulting Garganey

Great Crested Grebe Family

Goldfinch in the sunshine.

Tufties

Linnets by the cattle pens.

Broad bodied Chaser

Scorpion Fly

Cricket.     All pics this week (c) Bark

 Another weekend of indifferent weather, showery and windy.
On the bird front there was nothing new to report...until I received a message as I wrote this on Monday morning, of a Spoonbill flying over the reedbed, across Big Otmoor and out onto Ashgrave. The grass there is getting very long and as yet it has not been relocated.
The three Turtle Doves in the area around the pumphouse, cattle pens and along the bridle way have been giving exceptional views. I have met an increasing number of visiting birders who have come specially to see them as they are so scarce elsewhere. I have heard a number of people saying that they feel that this iconic summer dove is destined for UK extinction as a breeding species. Let us hope that they are wrong.
Quail, another iconic summer bird was heard from Greenaways on Sunday, there were clearly two different individuals, as the calling was coming from either side of the stone track. We stood there for about an hour hoping to see one or other of them cross the open ground but to no avail. By the gate there is a small flock of Linnets beginning to assemble. They are taking advantage of the fine seed that we are scattering to help the Turtle Doves. Out in the reedbed the Marsh Harrier is still patrolling from time to time and the Common Terns are sitting out on the raft. Snipe are drumming almost all the time over Greenaways and Big Otmoor and their cryptic plumage and smaller size helps them to avoid aerial predation.
The most interesting and calm part of the reserve is still the Roman Road area, where a fascinating range of bugs and caterpillars could be found in the lush undergrowth. The most bizarre amongst them are the scorpion flies, they look as if they were made by taking a random set of parts from different and unrelated bugs and gluing them together to make a monster. Hopefully next weekend will be calmer and warmer and we can explore some other parts of the moor.

Saturday and Sunday 15th and 16th June

Feeding Duties

Over the reedbed......

.....and along the track

Young Hares

One of many Grass snakes

Very windy on Saturday giving way to warmer and calmer weather on Sunday.
My main aim this weekend was to catch up with the juvenile Bearded Tits that had been photographed on Monday. One of them had been seen on Friday and I was quite hopeful. The strong wind meant that most birds on Saturday were keeping their heads down but we did at least hear a couple of pings from the south western corner of the reedbed. Given that we are fairly certain that they bred somewhere on the moor this year it will be worth keeping ears and eyes open in a week or so as they can produce more than one brood in a year. B.W.P. states incubation takes between eleven and twelve days and the chicks fledge between twelve and fourteen days. It is certainly worth paying particular attention when walking along the path between the bridleway and the first screen.
Elsewhere Snipe are drumming over Greenaways and Big Otmoor and RSPB staff have found a number of nests. The two scrapes alongside the bridleway had at least nine Lapwing chicks of several different sizes feeding around the margins and also a family of Redshanks including four chicks. The parent birds always alert to the threat of aerial predation and quick to challenge Kites and Crows. A female Pochard was in the ditch alongside the bridleway with two ducklings in tow and a pair of Mute Swans have four cygnets. The Common Terns on the raft out from the site of the second screen are clearly breeding, on Sunday morning the parents changed over brooding duties and were clearly taking pains to cover their eggs and turn them. The Grey Herons in front of the hide look just about ready to leave the nest as it is getting to be a very tight fit for three.
Grass snakes and Common Lizards were again visible on the pollarded willows in the carpark field beside the track. There were two lizards there together in the sunshine on Sunday.
As we pass the summer solstice we should begin to get some returning waders, neither Common Sand nor Green Sand have been recorded on the moor so far this year, we usually have quite a passage of Green Sands as we move into July and I look forward to seeing them in the next couple of weeks.

Latest News: Joe Harris reserve warden has found the first Green Sand of the year on Ashgrave today: Tuesday 18th June

Grass snake about to shed its skin

Stripy Beetle sp.......All Pics this week (c) Bark