Morning at Otmoor

Since last time I was at Otmoor RSPB reserve they have built a hide overlooking ashgrave field. From this I watched 2 hobbies chasing dragonfly around the pools and another sat on a fence post for at least 2 hours. Other birds seen from the hide were wigeon, teal, a little egret, Red kite, lapwing, female stonechat, single Raven. Walked along the screen walk to the 1st screen (flying snipe, kingfisher) then the 2nd (very quiet apart from 3 squabbling herons). Several cettis were heard singing from both the bridleway and the screen walk. 2 Great spotted woodeckers, a jay, flocks of skylarks and hirundines flying over were also seen. One coal tit was at the feeders and a male stonechat was on the path back to the car park.

Weekend in Lincolnshire

Last week was great for birding in Lincolnshire with a large number of migrants and a few rarities. I'd been keeping an eye on this county because I had planned a weekends birding at Gibraltar Point and Frampton Marsh with Jenx. We left Wantage on Saturday morning at 5.30 am and arrived at the Beach Car park at Gibraltar Point where Chris (a local birder I had met last year in Cuba) was waiting for us. First thing to do was scan the shrubs for migrants but the place seemed quiet, apart from flocks of skylarks, pipits and a few thrushes. Later in the day, we did find a stunning female brambling though. We also observed a female merlin perched out in the salt marsh and a superb ring tailed hen harrier. Spent some time at the ringing station where they had just released a firecrest, but they only had a few robins when we were there. Chris told me in Ernest that they were ringing a red-breasted flycatcher but when I looked it was just a robin ; I was the victim of a cruel jibe. Most birders we chatted to commented that it was a very quiet day. Despite this, the Point is a lovely place to bird and can be super given the right weather conditions at this time of year.

As evening approached, we decided to try Frieston Marsh. From the screen overlooking the reservoir we saw a single little stint and 2 bar tailed godwits then walked to the shelter overlooking the salt marsh and tidal mud flats. In front of us was a huge number of waders, ducks and geese with several grey seals further out loafing on a sand bank. Saw another female merlin and a female (again) marsh harrier. The light was starting to fade so we took a walk back around the lake to the car park. Great views of a kingfisher, sparrowhawk and pintails were a nice end to the day. Chris drove back to Lincoln and Jenx and I stayed the night at the Red Lion pub in Wainfleet. Was amazed how much cheaper the meals were compared to pub meals in Oxfordshire. On Sunday, we planned to spend half a day at Frampton Marsh, then drive back to Didcot for Jenx's train to Wales. It was again a bit quiet but managed 2 Grey Partridge in the fields outside the reserve, 4 little stint, 2 ruff, several snipe, 2 knot and black tailed godwit. Stopped in the visitor center for a coffee and watched a group of tree sparrows on the feeders. Heavy traffic on the M40 resulted in Jenx just arriving at the train station with minutes to spare. Had a very enjoyable weekends birding despite the lack of migrants or rarities.

Tree sparrows are common at Frampton Marsh

Ghost of a Wryneck

When I was around 9 years of age I used to go birdwatching with two pals in my class. We went to Llangranog, a Welsh language and activity center, on a school trip. During one of the walks, one of my friends shouted Wryneck pointing to a bird flying off into the distance. Both claimed to have positively identified it and cajoled me into agreeing, although I did have my doubts. Later they admitted that it was a planned trap to belittle my birding skills.

Since then the Wryneck has been the bird that I have most liked to see, but have dipped on 3 occasions, and it has come to haunt me. Incidentally, one of the jokers was best man at my wedding (and vice versa). So, when a Wryneck was reported in Bucks and showing well I set of to the Chilterns. There was only one birder present at the top of Bacombe Hill when I arrived and he said the Wryneck had just flown into some nearby bushes. Stood in the rain for 2 hours, scanning the bushes and ant hills for a sign when it was located sitting in a tree. It soon flew to the ground to feed and I got to within 5 meters, although the bird actually came even closer.

Wryneck at Bacombe Hill, Chilterns, Bucks

Looks a bit like a wren in this shot

Cotswold Water Park Glossy Ibis

Two Glossy Ibis had been reported for a couple of days at pit 95 of Cotswold Water Park. Initially arrived at the wrong pit where I found a local birder who was watching hobbies. She said that she had looked for the Ibis previously but had given up. When I told her that they had been reported an hour earlier, she suggested we go together to look for it. Pit 95 was overgrown with a few pools that are difficult to view and a permissive path that skirts the West and North. From the path entrance on Friday Ham Lane, we observed a roe deer and within a few minutes, a brief view of a single Glossy Ibis in flight. Decided to walk around the Pit hoping for a better vantage point but returned to entrance where a few birders had gathered. Stayed another 30 minutes and managed 2 further glimpses, the second of which showed the glossy coat shimmering in the sun.

No chance of a Glossy Ibis shot but managed this photo of a Comma butterfly

Glossy Ibis : UK lifer 270

Spotting a Spotted Crake

Since my last post I was booked onto 2 pelagics in Cornwall. The 12+ hours scillonian pelagic was cancelled due to a lack of people and the St Ives pelagic was cancelled due to a storm. Disappointed but decided to spent a few days on the Scilly Isles next year and do a couple of pelagics from there. apart from that, haven't done much birding as went to France for a wedding, then had the in-laws over from Germany. Did see a couple of black kites and 2 black redstarts but that was about it.

Oxfordshire has been quiet the last few months so the appearance of a spotted crake at Radley gravel pits was noteworthy. They are sometimes found in Southern England at this time of year but are notorious for hiding away in dense undergrowth. I often read of birders waiting all day for a briefest of glimpses of the bird. However, I was pleased to note that the Radley Crake was showing well for alot of the time.
Got to the correct pit (Small ash pit G) around 8.00 am and was surprised to be the only person. Had to wait about 10 minutes for it to emerge from the undergrowth during which I was entertained by 2 Greenshanks, 4 Snipe, 2 Green sandpipers and a Green woodpecker. For the following hour I watched the Crake feeding on the mud to the East of the pit. The light was poor and it was quite far away, but the bird was in the open for long periods of time.

On the way back, I turned my ankle on the stoney path running alongside the pit whilst looking at a Green Woodpecker flying over. Painful but managed to hobble back to the car.

I have now seen Spotted Crake, Little Crake (Slimbridge), Baillon's Crake (Teinhoven Plassen, Holland) but not a corncrake.

Birding with Jenx

Have not been birding for a while, partly due to lack of anything interesting around Oxfordshire and saving for a new bathroom. One notable exception was dipping the white tailed plover at Slimbridge. Got to the Holden hide at 6.45am, waited for 2 hours then had to leave, only to find out that it had turned up 15 minutes after I had left. This weekend, Jenx was visiting and 2 things are certain. He will want to go birding and have an Indian meal. On Saturday, we went local spending a few hours at Farmoor. This time of year can be quiet at Farmoor before migration proper begins but we found 3 common tern (2 Juveniles and 1 adult), single Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpipers, Peregrine Falcon.

Crounching Dunlin at Farmoor

Obliging juvenile Common Tern

On sunday, we drove down to Titchfield Haven near Southampton. Highlights included a large number of Common Terns, a single avocet, lots of Common Sandpipers, 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Snipe, a Water Rail and a Med Gull.

Distant photo of a Green Sandpiper, taken using the unorthodox combination of my Scope and FZ18 panasonic.

Gwent Marmora's warbler and Iberian Chiffchaff

The temptation of two mega lifers in Gwent, an Iberian Chiffchaff and a Marmora's warbler was too much so I left Wantage on Friday evening with a plan to spend the night at my mums in Cardiff then make an early start. Upon leaving Wantage a barn owl was sat in the middle of the road only flying when I drove quite close to it (Initially I thought that somebody had left an ornament in the road). Just after joining the M4, a hobby flew across in front of me ; a good start to the trip.
On Saturday morning, I arrived at the Blorenge, a region of hilly moorland, at about 5.30am and there was already a large group of birders present. As I approached the car park, I saw (and heard) the warbler in gorse at the side of the road. Marmora's warblers are usually found in Sardinia, Corsica and a small region of the Italian mainland. However, a small population does migrate from the Northern coast of Africa. Very rarely a vagrant bird will turn up in the UK ; only 5 have been confirmed to date. In contrast, the similar Balearic warbler is resident on the Balearic Islands (now excluding Menorca) and so would be highly unlikely to end up here.
The warbler was circling the car park, singing on top of gorse bushes and especially liked prominent Holly and Hawthorn bushes. At 6.30, I drove to Chepstow to pick up Jenx and returned to the Blorenge. By now, the numbers of birders had swelled to well over a hundred. The bird was still showing well but has stopped circling the car park possibly because a long line of birders was cutting a swathe through it's territory. Other birds of interest were several whinchats and tree pipits, and 3 cuckoos.

Next stop was Cadeira beeches in Wentwood. The Iberian Chiffchaff was easy to find about 100 yards south of the Car Park. We actually heard its distinctive song well before seeing it. This species is usually seen in Iberia and northwest Africa and until 2007 had only been confirmed 11 times (BTO birdfacts).

Got back to Wantage in time to see the Wales rugby match v the Springboks. I hope they win - I am still reeling from Cardiff City's playoff defeat to Blackpool.

Marmora's warbler at Blorenge, South Wales

Marmora's warbler : UK lifer 267
Iberian Chiffchaff : UK lifer 268