A blog to record sightings on and around Port Meadow in Oxford. Feel free to make comments with additional sightings (click on the comments link at the top of each entry) or alternatively e-mail them to: info"at"portmeadowbirding.com (replace the "at" with @). Also any Port Meadow bird photos are much appreciated and will be fully accredited.
Where appropriate in the blog, sighting sources are referenced (OOS = www.oos.org.uk, BG = www.birdguides.com, OXB = Oxon Birds yahoo news group WoM = word of mouth/private e-mail).
Overview
For information on access instructions and species that one might expect go to Background Info section.
Photos
All photo's are copyrighted. Contact details for the photographer can be found by clicking on the photo album link on the right-hand side and then selecting the appropriate album where the contact details will appear at the top of the page.
2010 Sightings Interesting sightings for 2010 so far include (presumed escapees in square brackets):
Waders: ruff, redshank, lapwing, golden plover, knot, dunlin
Water Fowl:wigeon, teal, shoveler, pintail, [bar-headed goose], shelduck, goosander, tufted duck, water rail, little grebe, gadwall, ruddy shelduck Gulls/Terns: black-headed, lesser black-backed, greater black-backed, herring, common, yellow-legged Misc. Others: kingfisher Birds of Prey:sparrowhawk, kestrel, peregrine, buzzard
Warblers: blackcap
2010 Year List Current Total 75: Ruddy Shelduck is the latest addition to the Port Meadow 2010 year list . NB I have included 1 "plastic" wild fowl in this list so purists should subtract 1 from this total. YouTube Channel Some simple video clips of birds on Port Meadow can be seen at the Port Meadow Birding YouTube Channel. NEW Twitter Channel Want to keep abreast of the latest updates on Port Meadow Birding? Then why not subscribe to our Twitter feed
A brief afternoon's visit to the Meadow en famille found conditions to be overcast and grey but very calm giving the place a rather nice atmosphere. Plenty of birds to look at with the usual Sunday afternoon dog walkers having made sure that everything was out in the middle rather than on the flood shore-line. The usual ducks including the odd PINTAIL, a reasonable gathering of gulls starting to build up but nothing out of the ordinary. A few lapwings around but no obvious sign of the knot though without my scope I could easily have missed them.
A late afternoon visit found much milder conditions and the Meadow bathed in some sunshine for a change - I'd almost forgotten what that was like. The floods continue to shrink in size, a little too quickly for my liking and we'll need them to be topped up if they are going to last any decent length of time. The five KNOT were still present, hanging out with the lapwings near the Spit. The usual ducks were around including 9 PINTAIL (though an amazing 41 were reported on OOS by Norman Gregory which were seen in three groups at around 3pm). The gull roost was relatively modest tonight and held nothing of particular interest.
A morning visit to the Meadow in the drizzle found the floods have retreated away from the river to leave the "normal" flood size. There were good numbers of duck back on the water with large numbers of wigeon and teal, reasonable shoveler, 8 PINTAIL and a few gadwall. There were two SHELDUCK at the north end though no sign of their ruddy companion today. Along the river was a REDSHANK and just one remaining KNOT. There was also a good sized mixed flock of redwing and goldfinches in the trees bordering the allotments.
Whilst scanning the floods I noticed a lesser black-backed gull sitting half submerged in the water and clearly not very well. It was moving around but being submerged like that was going to get it rather cold and a few crows were starting to circle it with interest. Accordingly I went home and returned with a bag and my wellies and waded out to it. It seemed incapable of either flying or even standing so both it's legs might be broken though it's wings appeared to be ok. I took it to St. Tiggywingkles and will be able to report back in about a week or so. It was also ringed (Blue with organge letters CPK). I've submitted a report and will post any feedback to this blog.
Mary Gregory (private e-mail)
"I saw a RUDDY SHELDUCK on the north end of the flood around 3.30 this afternoon with a COMMON SHELDUCK. They flew round the Meadow to the north then settled again on the flood. I could see them again from the main track as I came back through Burgess Field."
After an over-night dusting of snow a mid-morning visit to the Meadow found much of the floods frozen over and what birds that were remaining were in the corner near the boats. Fortunately there were still five KNOT about and the bright sunshine offered better photographic opportunities. Apart from that there were some lapwings and black-headed gulls about with a few loafing larger gulls. A modest number of teal were still present standing on the ice near a patch of unfrozen water. A couple of great crested grebes were hunting away in the river.
Addendum (Mary Gregory)
The five KNOT were still around this afternoon. Plus I had a great view of a kingfisher perched on the hawthorn tree at the upriver end of the boardwalk. Otherwise much as usual - three REDSHANK (I saw the five yesterday), three cormorants, c110 teal but no other ducks, 50+ lapwings but no plover. I saw the DUNLIN yesterday but not today. The coots are on the river in big numbers; I counted 35 yesterday.
A short late afternoon visit found most of the floods frozen over though there were patches of free water still. Many of today's sightings are from other observers. The number of KNOT was reported now to have grown to 7 with 5 RUFF in attendance (Bob Burgess). In addition at least four of the REDSHANK and a little grebe were seen (Pete Styles). Five PINTAIL on the river seeking sanctuary from the frozen floods (Adrian Gray). Three SHELDUCK were in amongst the flock of teal. A relatively modest gull roost was very densely packed so the birds were rather difficult to see but one or two YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS were reported (James Grundy).
A late afternoon visit to the Meadow found the four KNOT still present and feeding near Stint Corner. In addition seven RUFF and the single DUNLIN were reported in the morning (Wain Bull WoM) though not present when I was there. There seemed to be a lot fewer birds around than yesterday so some may have moved elsewhere (temporarily I hope). Three PINTAIL, a single REDSHANK and a few golden plover were also present about. There was a decent sized gull roost though the only bird of interest was a single adult YELLOW-LEGGED GULL though gulls were still streaming in as I was leaving.
An excellent day on the Meadow today with the floods in perfect condition: when they are receding from their peak there is a period when there's just a narrow corridor of grass between the river and the flood water and at such times lots of the birds congregate in this area where they can be viewed from relatively close quarters from the west bank of the river. Today there were very good numbers and a wide variety of birds with the star of the show being four KNOT, together with a single DUNLIN and half a dozen RUFF and at least 300 lapwings. The latter were their usual skittish selves and kept going up for no apparent reason, taking the other waders with them which meant getting any decent photos of the birds was not that easy. On the one occasion when three buzzards were actually circling low overhead the lapwings chose to stay put - very contrary! Plenty of wigeon, teal and shoveler around. Also a SPARROWHAWK near the Aristotle Lane entrance and a single snipe in Burgess Field NR. Quite a few gulls also around as well. The Meadow really is on top form at present.
Addendum (Pete Styles):
Ten PINTAIL and two gadwall in amongst the ducks
A cold, windy and grey afternoon visit to the Meadow found plenty of gulls to look at. Nothing especially of note though I did count at least 16 greater black-backed gulls in amongst them. Many of the gulls were diving about just beneath the surface and retrieving various things from the bottom. I did wonder whether they were feeling some trapped fish swimming by beneath them and diving to try to catch them. There was also a great crested grebe on the floods (as opposed to the river where they usually are) which might lend weight to this theory. The usual ducks could just be made out in the distance from my viewing point on the west side of the river including at least a couple of PINTAIL. A distant wader turned out to be a RUFF though it was only identifiable once it flew to another spot on the floods. Good numbers of lapwings about. All the Meadow birds seemed rather flighty this afternoon so I don't know whether there was something (e.g. a peregrine) putting them up but I couldn't see anything in particular.
An afternoon visit to the Meadow found it rather cold today. On the Railway Field were a number of redwings and a pair of mistle thrushes and a fieldfare were on the Meadow near the Weir bridge. On the floods themselves the usual ducks were about though very distant including at least four PINTAILS. Plenty of lapwings at the north end of the floods. All five overwintering REDSHANK were about near Perch Corner. A dark-morph buzzard put up a lot of the black-headed gulls as it flew low over the floods. The gull roost was rather slow to get started but in the end there were a reasonable number though they were widely scattered over the very extensive flood waters. Quite a few greater black-backed gulls about and at least two YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS. The argenteus herring gulls are looking rather smart and many have lost their streaky heads now.
Having neglected the Meadow for a couple of days (being distracted by wild county geese elsewhere) I thought that I'd better have a look round so took a morning run around Burgess Field. The Meadow is still pretty flooded and the ducks are all dispersed mostly at the north end. The usual suspects present: wigeon and teal in good numbers, some shoveler and a few PINTAIL. A few gulls and lapwings resting on one of the small islands of grass. In Burgess Field a colourful jay was seen with an acorn in its mouth and some pheasants were heard calling from near the railway line.
A lunch-time run around the field found the floods somewhat reduced from the highs of two days ago with the north end now in line with the mound. In Burgess Field there were plenty of small birds around including several bullfinches. One green woodpecker was seen and a couple of snipe were flushed. At the north end of the floods the usual ducks were still about including reasonable numbers of PINTAIL. There were at least a couple of REDSHANKS along the river shore, and good numbers of lapwing and about 30 golden plover about. Just one TUFTED DUCK still about on the river.
A late-afternoon visit to the Meadow found the floods extending all the way up to the north end of Burgess Field and the birds were scattered along the north and east boundaries and consequently rather far away. In the end I elected to view from the west bank of the river near the poplar trees. From this vantage point the usual ducks and geese were found, the single REDSHANK still present, just four golden plover were about and a flock of TUFTED DUCK were twice seen to fly along the river. The gull roost was a relatively modest affair and the rather bright conditions meant that judging the subtle mantle tones was not very easy. This and the fact that many of the herring gulls are now becoming clean-headed meant that picking out YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS was not very easy but there was at least one definite and several other possibles. A few skylarks still moving overhead.
With the thaw well and truly with us a morning visit down to the Meadow found all the snow gone and the floods only part frozen. They were also increased back to their full extend by the swollen river. The ducks were most grateful to have their winter residence back and the wigeon were back in full number with good numbers of teal and shoveler as well. There were also 15 PINTAIL and a single gadwall. A single REDSHANK was seen in the distance though more could have been further along the river. A few lapwings were dotted about and quite a number of pied wagtails were feeding away on the remaining pieces of ice. A small number of black-headed gulls were also about. A few skylarks flying overhead. All in all, it was most gratifying to have the Meadow back to its proper winter state.
A first winter male pied wagtail feeding on the ice
Mary Gregory (private e-mail)
"The thaw is now bringing some open water on the boundary ditch between the Meadow and Burgess Field. On Friday afternoon this hosted seven teal and an eclipse male shoveler. The single REDSHANK was still at the centre gate. And many more wigeon were collecting in the Meadow, but still keeping to the river rather than the flood. A gull roost was assembling - several hundred black-headed and, separately, c 150 black- backs."
I took a lunch-time walk along the canal today to see what was about now that things were starting to thaw. It was pleasing to see plenty of small birds around such as wrens, dunnocks and tits with lots of redwings, fieldfares and blackbirds all busily feeding away. I was particularly looking for siskins and redpolls though all I found were loads of goldfinches and greenfinches. A singing male goldcrest and a treecreeper were welcome sightings as well.
An afternoon walk around the patch found a single wigeon hiding in the Mill Stream along with a couple of snipe on the shore. A greater-spotted woodpecker (patch year tick) was also seen in this area and a couple of cormorants were skulking about, looking very over-sized for the small width of the Mill Stream.
There was a single teal near the old weir and another snipe along the river shore line near the Perch. A single REDSHANK was feeding along the river near the sailing club and the usual flock of black-headedgulls contained a single adult common gull in amongst them. Incidentally all the gulls are looking particularly good when viewed against the snow-laden clouds at present: somehow the various tones of grey and white in the gulls are brought out by the sky colour and the common gull's darker grey wings looked very striking. Up by the poplars there were eight cormorants in their usual trees and the TUFTED DUCK count had gone up to 23 (21 males). There was a lone pair of wigeon along the river at this end. The kingfisher was seen on a number of occasions and at one point I saw two of them which is a first for me on the patch. A grey heron was seen and heard near the Weir Cottage as I returned.
From Mary Gregory
With the fresh snow the small birds in Burgess Field were keeping hunkered down. The trees at the bottom corner of the top section, however, produced two fieldfares with an aggressive crow in attendance. There is a small amount of open water at the middle gate and a REDSHANK was busying around; this is the first time I have seen one in that area. A green woodpecker flew noisily across at the main gate.
From Mary Gregory
The slight thaw seemed to make the Meadow lose its appeal. Curiously, the biggest count (apart from a small flock of gulls) was four REDSHANK. The TUFTED DUCK were down to 2 females, and there was a lone teal and a great crested grebe. No cormorants, no wigeon, no lapwings, no plover.
Mary Gregory (private e-mail)
My count today was much like yours yesterday: 5 REDSHANK, 8 cormorants, 1 lapwing, 14m + 3f TUFTEDDUCKS, 16 wigeon and a single teal on the river. There was a large flock of geese 70-80 near Wolvercote; I only saw them in the distance when a dog put them up. c130 gulls also on the river opposite Medley.
Lou Windle (private e-mail)
There's a male TUFTED DUCK down on the canal just near the entrance to Port Meadow, on Walton Well Road. there were also 3 Little Grebe at Fiddler's Island on Sunday, in the water adjacent to the Willow Walk.
A morning visit along the newly established route of the Mill Stream followed by the slog through the snow to opposite the poplars found that despite the snow the birds seemed a bit more perky. Perhaps it was the slightly milder temperatures but there were more small birds around in the form of a long-tailed tit, blue and great tits, goldfinches, greenfinches and chaffinches as well as a robin and a wren. Along the Mill Stream there were several teal tucked away behind the fallen trees in the river and a couple of snipe along the shoreline. A great-crested grebe in full summer plumage was feeding near to the weir. A duck and goose feeding session by the weir found the mallards, a young moorhen and a single mute swan all suitably grateful. A kingfisher was seen to speed away from the boats by the moorings. Along the river there was just one lapwing looking very weak and forlorn. New in were about 100 wigeon that were digging through the snow to get at the grass underneath. However they were rather flighty and the steady stream of Sunday walkers along the river bank meant that they kept getting disturbed. Near the poplars were a total of 12 males and 2 female TUFTED DUCKS and 4 REDSHANKS were variously seen along the shoreline. The cormorant count had now gone up to 10.
No visit by myself to the Meadow today though we have the following from OOS (Mary Gregory): TUFTED DUCK 12m 6f Buzzard 1 Cormorant 8
Clearly more tufted ducks are being driven to the open waters of the river as more and more still waters freeze over.
Also yesterday Mary saw 5 REDSHANKS rather than just the one that I saw.
From Roly Pitts private e-mail
There were a pair of SISKINS feeding in a tree on Rutherway and a female Blackcap in the bushes on the right just before the railway line on the way to Port Meadow.
Along Willow Walk alongside the Mill Stream into Port meadow this morning where there was a Widgeon, couple of Mute swans, some Greylags, Moorhen, a Coot, Great-Crested Grebe, couple of Teal, and I flushed a Snipe on the way into the meadow and when I returned that way.
Having spent a couple of days holed up at home due to the weather I was fast developing "cabin fever" and so decided that I should make a trek out to the Meadow. With everything covered in snow once more it was a case of expecting nothing more than subsistence birding but once again I was pleasantly surprised.
In view of the conditions I decided to concentrate on the areas of running water and so walked along the Mill Stream to Fiddler's Island and then up the river to the poplar trees. The Mill Stream held a total of two adult and 6 juvenile mute swans all looking decidedly hungry and making me regret not bringing some bread with me. There were also a couple of teal and a few of the feral greylag geese were also skulking along the bankside. A grey heron was seen flying over the neighbouring allotments. Along the Thames itself was a flock of 50 odd lapwings huddled against the wind and looking thoroughly dejected. There were also a similar number of black-headed gulls with a single first winter common gull in amongst them. Two snipe were seen flying over whilst I walked. Up near the poplars were a total of 9 male and 1 female TUFTED DUCK, 3 wigeon, 8 cormorants in the trees and a REDSHANK still along the shoreline. As I retraced my steps back home looking for my hat which I'd managed to lose somewhere along the way I flushed a red-head GOOSANDER close in to the river shore. Back along the Mill Stream a kingfisher darted away, as did a snipe from the bank and best of all a WATER RAIL was seen skulking along the far bank. These birds are so secretive that it's always great actually to see one anywhere let alone on the local patch. In years gone by they have been on the Trap Ground ponds though none was seen or heard last year. Despite having my hand-held camera with me I didn't manage a photo as it was just too quick at scurrying away into the undergrowth though I did manage to watch if for about a minute.
From Mary Gregory (private e-mail)
The action on Thursday was all on the river as I was walking along the tow path. Lots of lapwings with 8 golden plover close to the bank, with a single snipe right at the water's edge. Six cormorants were sitting in one of the poplar trees and one was on the river, and there were a group of TUFTED DUCK on the same stretch. Two long-tail tits passed over as I was crossing the Meadow, apparently on their way to Burgess Field.
With everything frozen and the prospect of snow on the way that evening, on my late afternoon visit to the Meadow I had little expectations other than for some "subsistence birding" where just to see a bird was to be considered a triumph. However I was pleasantly surprised at what turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable trip. As is usual when the floods are frozen, the first port of call was the Railway Field and this held eight golden plover, a few lapwings, four skylarks, one meadow pipit, a handful of redwings, one fieldfare and a mistle thrush.
The floods themselves were being skated over and walked upon so I elected to walk along the river to see if I could find any redshanks working their way along the river shore. There was a family of two adults and one juvenile mute swan opposite the sailing club. I seem to recall a swan family with three juveniles not long ago so unfortunately two of them may have perished. A couple of snipe flew over and down into the undergrowth on the opposite side of the river, probably flushed from the Hinterland by some dog walkers. A pair of kestrels were being rather vocal and were buzzing around the place, often perching in the trees along the river for a while before flying off. Just past Perch Corner I came across a black-headed gull with some head wounds, looking rather groggy. I don't know what might have attacked it but it was healthy enough to move out into the middle of the river as I approached so there was no chance of rescuing it. A bit further on there were a pair of REDSHANKS resting on the shore line. They were rather flighty and would move along the shore ahead of me, piping as they flew, before doubling back behind me again. Opposite the poplar trees there were a number of mallards and black-headed gulls and also a surprise male TUFTED DUCK, which is not at all common on the Meadow: for example, only one was seen for the whole of last year. In the distance at the north end of the frozen floods a small gull roost was starting to form but they soon flew off towards Farmoor. At this point the snow started to fall and it was time to make my way back again, once more disturbing the redshanks which flew away noisily.
From Steve Clark (private e-mail):
I visited the meadow at about 8:45-10:15 today. I thought you might like to know that there were c.450 Lapwing and c.20 GBBG. There were at least 3 Ruff and 3 Redshank. Loads of Wigeon and Teal and a few Shoeveler. One Shelduck. Mipits feeding on the ice. Burgess field was virtually birdless but 33 species in all.
From Adrian Gray (OxonBirds):
On a day when the Gullet was so frozen there were only four birds on it, was rather startled to realise that two were male Shoveler. Not hugely exotic, but was very startled this afternoon to find them on the other side of the road dabbling vigorously in the pond at the top end of Wolvercote Common. Other than the Widgeon who are regulars (and today were right up parallel to the road, despite all the people about, where I've only ever seen them before at dawn), very little that comes to the Gullet seems to cross the road and show in the ponds opposite, so I was quite surprised.
A sunny but frosty start to the day found me up early to look for yesterday's pink-footed geese. In fact as the floods were partially frozen there were less geese around than usual and they were just the usual feral greylags and canada's though the pink-foots were later found again in a field near Farmoor. I was able to make a more detailed count of the waders and there were a total of three REDSHANK and eight RUFF present. Lapwings were about in good numbers with several hundred being seen - they were as flighty as ever and kept rising up in large flocks before settling again. The usual wigeon, teal and shoveler still about and a reasonable number of gulls staying behind after the roost, mostly lesser black-backed. At least three cormorants about including one fishing by the old weir next to the bridge. It managed to catch quite a large chub from under the bridge which it proceeded to swallow with difficulty.
From Ian Curtis (e-mail)
there was a PEREGRINE on port meadow about 8.30 am. it was in one of the black poplars very briefly before flying off north. Also a pair of GOOSANDER.
A gloriously sunny but surprisingly cold start to the new year found the Meadow it full lake mode and plenty of birds. As usual under such conditions I viewed from the west bank of the river and this found some waders close in: 6 or 7 RUFF and 2 or 3 REDSHANK. Given these counts I am wondering if my very distant identifications of the waders that I saw yesterday were now correct! There were also plenty of lapwings around as well as the usual wigeon, teal and shoveler. I couldn't see any pintail though I didn't look very hard. A female SPARROWHAWK flew low over the river and a kingfisher shot upstream as well. Plenty of pied wagtails and meadow pipits to tick of for the ew year list and an assortment of gulls standing on a frozen portion of the ice, mostly lesser black-backed with a few herring gulls and greater black-backed gulls in amongst them. To the north of the floods were the usual vast hoards of geese including several BAR-HEADED GEESE in amongst them.
Stop Press:
I've been told by Farmoor regular Dai John that a flock of 19 probable PINK-FOOTED GEESE flew over the reservoir heading towards the Meadow so I'll endeavour to get down there first thing tomorrow to look for them.
Looking back on the year it's been a rather quiet one for the Meadow from a birding perspective. I've not actually been birding this patch for very long with 2008 being my first full year and I now realise that I was rather spoilt by the fact that the flood water never went away last year. This year was probably more normal in that respect with the floods pretty much drying up by May and before that being a shadow of their full winter size. What's more they didn't really return until November which meant six months in the birding wilderness. This meant of course that much of the key spring and autumn passage was missed and this is reflected in a lower patch year list total of 126 + 4 plastic water fowl compared to 140 the previous year. Still there were some good birds in the first half of the year with iceland gull, jack snipe, raven and short-eared owl all seen during the winter period and spring brought a spate of good county birds with avocet, bar-tailed godwit, osprey and little tern culminating of course with the all too brief spoonbill sighting which must be the bird of the year for the Meadow. It was a shame that the spoonbill couldn't have been enjoyed by other birders though there was one at Otmoor later in the year which stayed for several days.
The summer months, despite being dry from a flood perspective, did have a good crop of warblers with all ten of the basic warbler species at least being seen in the patch with a cetti's warbler staying around for several weeks. Given the lack of birds it was also a chance to get to grips with the excellent butterflies in Burgess Field NR. We did have a couple of lapwing chicks which managed to reach maturity which was great to watch. During this dry period I took to doing runs around the Hinterland and though I didn't manage to turn up anything too rare (I have always hoped for something like a Richard's pipit) I can relate a tale of one that got away during this period: during one of my runs I heard a call which I knew that I didn't know and so it must have been something pretty unusual. It only called a couple of times and I never actually saw the bird but I memorised it as "I told you so", fairly melodic whistly call,descending in tone. A couple of months later during an idle moment when I was going through my bird calls I came across something which seemed to match it pretty well: common rosefinch! Whether it indeed was one of course we'll never know but it is galling to think of what might have been.
WIth the return of the flood water finally the birding got back to the quality that I've come to know and love. Soon after the wigeon and teal returned there was a lovely adult caspian gull on the floods, which has to be the bird of the second half of the year. The usual black-tailed godwits, redshanks, ruff and dunlin were all seen as well as good numbers of ducks and geese. The top count of ruff on the Meadow was 48 which is a great number and we had the added bonus of a spotted redshank appearing in December for the second year running. Egyptian geese which are not that common on the Meadow were seen on a couple of occasions which was nice. When the floods are most extended this attracts a good gull roost and yellow-legged gulls were seen on most occasions. There were also some new plastic water fowl to add to the list including bar-headed goose and black swan as well as the return of "Barry" the barnacle goose and the resident plastic female ring-necked duck.
So all in all, a relatively quiet year compared to last year though it's always a pleasure to bird such a wonderful and varied patch and there is always the chance of something really good turning up. Let's seen what 2010 will bring.
A late afternoon visit down to the Meadow to end the year found the floods much extended by the recent rain and back to full-on lake mode. The usual duck suspects of wigeon, teal and shoveler were about feeding along the extensive shores of the floods. There were lots of lapwings about with a small number of goldenplover. There were a total of 7 REDSHANK dotted about in various locations with a couple of RUFF for good measure. A reasonable gull roost had at least a couple of YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS in amongst them. With the floods back to their largest size it should soon attract back really good numbers of over-wintering birds once more which should make for a great start to the new year.
All that remains is for me to wish a very Happy New Year and Good Birding to all readers of this blog.
Adam
As a round up of the year, here's a montage of some of the best birding throughout the county for the last year. I hope to do a review of Port Meadow for the year in the next day or two.
A late afternoon visit to the Meadow found most of the floods still frozen though now with some quite large open areas. The grass surrounding the floods were now noticably thawed and the ducks were back grazing in large numbers along the western shore, mostly the usual wigeon and teal though with at least 2 male PINTAIL in amongst them. There were a few shoveler about and a pair of gadwall in one of the open pools. On the wader front there were 3 REDSHANK along the near Stint Corner or along the North Shore. There was only a modest gull roost made up mostly of black-headed gulls but with a reasonable number of lesserblack-backed gulls as well. A single common gull and a couple of greater black-backed were also about and a few herring gulls, now starting to lose their streaky heads, thus making hunting for yellow legged and Caspian gulls much harder.
A very brief afternoon visit to the Meadow with bins only found much of the floods still frozen though there were a couple of large pools in the middle around which some gulls were congregating and another to the north to which the wigeon and teal had returned from their absence during the worst of the frozen weather. What were probably the three RUFF were still about on the far side of the floods amongst some lapwings.
An afternoon visit to the Meadow to inspect the state of the floods found them still to be frozen solid. What's more everyone and their dog were out walking so what was the nucleus of a modest gull roost was soon frightened off to Farmoor leaving the ice deserted except for a few crows. Instead the only bird action was the Railway Field with three RUFF, three golden plover and a handful of lapwing all working their way around the area. There was also a skylark and a meadow pipit as well as a couple of black-headed gulls in the same field.
A mid-day run around the patch found the floods completely frozen and people even skating on the ice. There was of course not a bird to be seen on the ice apart from half a dozen crows and a pied wagtail. Burgess Field NR had plenty of fieldfares and redwings and blackbirds feeding on the hawthorn berries. A couple of snipe were buzzing about in the Hinterland and along the river there were a total of four REDSHANK, confirming my theory that they are often to be found along here as opposed to on the floods. Unfortunately there was no sign of their spotty cousin. A buzzard was seen flying across the Meadow though that was the only raptor. A few of the teal had taken haven in the Mill Stream tributary by Fiddler's Island. Just as I was going up Walton Well Road I met a couple of birders (Pete and Wain) who were scanning the Railway Field where they'd found a single RUFF, a few lapwings and a couple of golden plover. They also reported a couple of kingfishers along the river.
Tom Wickens reported that the SPOTTED REDSHANK was still present first thing this morning feeding in the one remaining clear bit of water on the ice. However the Sunday dog walkers soon managed to flush all the birds on the Meadow. Let's hope it stays in the area and perhaps returns once things thaw out.
With the prospect of the floods still being frozen I almost didn't bother to venture out this afternoon and when I did arrive at first sight it just looked like a huddle of teal with even the wigeon having given up on the frozen wasteland that currently is the Meadow. As there was nothing else to look at I started to count exactly how many teal there were (it was that bad!) when suddenly I spotted a SPOTTED REDSHANK huddled up at the back of the group. There were half a dozen RUFF also there and some golden plover started to come in whilst I was watching so they probably totalled about a hundred birds by the time I left. There were a few dozen large gulls (a couple of greater black-backed gulls being the most intersting) standing in another group and a first winter MEDITERRANEAN GULL touched down very briefly to join them before all the gulls took off and headed over the hill towards Farmoor Reservoir for the roost.
Interestingly it was about this time last year (the 15th to the 21st December to be exact) that a spotted redshank turned up on the floods and one can speculate as to whether this might be the same bird. However with the floods completely frozen as they are it may struggle to find much to keep it here though along the river bank there may be sufficient mud to hold its interest.
Addendum:
I've been told by Stephen Burch that he saw a wader on Otmoor this morning which could very well have been a spotted redshank and if so then it may well have been the same bird.
A very cold and frozen day on which I elected to visit at around 3pm in the vain hope of some sort of gull roost. The floods were completely frozen apart from a couple of pools near the north end and all the ducks were crowded in on these two areas. In the more southerly pool they were even upending and feeding on the grass on the bottom of the water. Plenty of wigeon and teal with a few PINTAIL though the gadwall and shoveler had left. Still around 15 RUFF toughing it out and plenty of lapwings still about. The gull roost consisted of a few dozen birds standing around disconsolately on the ice though there were a couple of greater black-backed gulls in amongst them.
A bright but chilly and windy morning on the Meadow found the usual birds present: I counted a total of 35 RUFF but as they were moving around a fair bit I may have double-counted some of them. A single DUNLIN was in amongst the lapwings. Good numbers of wigeon and very good numbers of teal with some PINTAIL still about and Gadwall and shoveler also still present. A handful of loafing lesser and a single greaterblack-backed gulls on the North Shore.
A lunchtime run around the patch found not much new to report. A couple of snipe in Burgess Field NR and a couple more in the wet grass to the north of Stint Corner. 6 REDSHANK feeding along the river bank and probably 40+ RUFF dispersed in various locations around the floods and feeding away happily. 3 DUNLIN along the West Shore, about 150 golden plover and good numbers of lapwings too. Large numbers of ducks still about.
A rather misty start to the day though clearing up mid morning. After the recent flooding it almost seems rather strange to get back to the comparatively still water of the isolated flood water once more. All the ducks were in the middle of the water this morning, still in good numbers but not as large a count as recently. A single SHELDUCK was in amongst them this morning, making a welcome change. The large RUFF contingent is still present with 44 birds along the west shore of the South Channel with a single REDSHANK in amongst them though it soon flew off to the river bank where there could have been more. I couldn't see any dunlin in amongst the lapwing though it was hard to make out in the mist. Now that the waters have receded it's easier to make out the wagtails and pipits more easily and they are still as abundant as ever. I keep looking out for water pipits (or even something rarer) though still with no success.
A late afternoon visit to the Meadow found the flood levels much reduced again with a clear strip of land between the river and the floods. I suspect that it won't take much to raise the river level again but at present the floods are an isolated pocket of water once more. Bird numbers seemed reduced as well, certainly from the impressive counts that were reported yesterday though there were at least 35 RUFF still present, a couple of REDSHANK and several DUNLIN. Still plenty of ducks on the water and the geese grazing in the distance on the Hinterland. A single BLACK SWAN added a touch of the exotic and drew much comment from the passing Sunday dog walkers. There was a smaller though still reasonable gull roost though many of the birds took off and presumably headed for Farmoor at dusk so now that the waters have receded it may go back to being more of a pre-roost. Several YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS were picked out from the throng this evening.
The Meadow was fog-bound for much of the day so I elected for a later afternoon visit when the sun was briefly shining before setting. The water level was very slightly down on yesterday though the floods are still wonderfully extensive and the thousands of birds are relishing the habitat. The RUFF were still about and I managed a peak count of 28 this evening. Golden plover were finally back in numbers with a huge flock just past Perch Corner of at least a thousand birds and probably a lot more. The gull roost was slightly smaller tonight and contained the usual birds with four YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS found. Apart from that the usual geese (including Bernard) and ducks (including plenty of PINTAIL)were about and there could well have been other waders as I didn't spend a great deal of time looking for them. Still lots of redwings and fieldfares in the hawthorns along the river and a kestrel was seen flying off at dusk with a small rodent in it's claws. All in all it's currently a great place to go birding!
A glorious start to the day this morning with bright sunshine and little wind and just a slight nip in the air. Given the extended state of the floods I was mostly viewing from the west river bank to the North of the Perch Inn. The floods waters are now extending as far as Godstow Lock. There were plenty of birds to view from gulls and waders close to the shore through to the ducks and geese right in the distance. The highlight of the morning was a count of about 20 RUFF which were mostly located quite close to the river bank though there was a rather flighty flock of a dozen or so that kept buzzing around and doing a rather acrobatic tumbling action which I assume is some sort of evasive flight manoeuvre. There were three DUNLIN about, two asleep near the ruff and a third was seen in flight. A couple of REDSHANK were asleep further along the river bank. There were a couple of golden plover about this morning: it's nice to have at least some of them back. As far as the ducks and geese were concerned these were present in very large numbers. I did a brief tally of PINTAIL numbers and there were about 30 of them. "Bernard" the BAR-HEADED GOOSE was still about.
A morning run along the river found the Meadow as flooded as it's been so far. The only strip of land now visible along the river is the highest part opposite the Perch. Much of the Hinterland is now flooded and it does make finding a good viewing location rather difficult. As I only had my bins with me it was difficult to see much but I did notice a single DUNLIN along the shore in amongst the lapwings and black-headed gulls. There were the usual vast numbers of ducks and geese about though I didn't notice anything unusual. There were a pair of nice mistle thrushes feeding on berries near to Weir Cottage and I heard a third bird singing behind them.
Late afternoon update:
A return visit to check out the gull roost found wonderfully calm conditions and plenty of gulls. A good proportion of the birds were in the flooded area of the Hinterland and consequently were rather difficult to view but there were still plenty on the main lake to sort through. The highlight was a total count of six YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS. I also spotted a dozen or so golden plover along the flooded river shoreline to the north of "Perch Corner" (the corner of the river opposite the Perch Inn).
This particular yellow-legged gull seemed to have something wrong with one of its feet and can be seen to be paddling rather unevenly at the end of this sequence
The only news from the Meadow today is from Adrian Grey up in Wolvercote:
"There were five GOOSANDER - three males and two females - on the Gullet in Lower Wolvercote this morning, so they may be going there rather than Farmoor. It's alleged to be quite deep, so they might stay a while"
A morning run along the river bank found the floods once more extended and about as full as they've been so far this autumn.
The waders were back in their hot spot opposite the house boat with 2 BLACK-TAILED GODWITS, 2 RUFF and 4 DUNLIN in amongst the lapwings. Much further along the river a single REDSHANK was seen. A female GOOSANDER flew south low over the flood water and may be hiding out on the river or its tributaries near by. The two BLACK SWANS were still on the floods this morning and a kingfisher whizzed by once again. A reasonable number of lesser and one or two greater black-backed gulls still about on the floods. There was a family of two adult and four juvenile mute swans on the floods as well as the usual hoards of geese. In the distance 10 golden plover flew over and there was a huge (several thousand strong) flock of something which was probably starlings which were doing the "large flock moving like a creature" thing that starling roost flocks do. It's a shame it wasn't nearer.
Late afternoon Update:
A return visit found the flood levels noticably higher than this morning with most of the narrow strip of grass by the river opposite the boat club now having disappeared. There were now 3 godwits present though I didn't see any other waders though they could well have been elsewhere. A modest gull roost still found 4 adult YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS together with quite a reasonable number of greater black-backed gulls and three common gulls. The kingfisher was once again seen flying around close to the river bank.
This morning starting bright and sunny though clouding over later.
The flood waters had gone down noticably with the channel through to the river having disappeared and the strip of land between the river and the floods was noticably wider. The receding water appears to have taken some of the waders with it, with no sign of the godwits nor the ruff. However the four DUNLIN were still present resting quietly opposite the house boat. A single REDSHANK was feeding along the river bank and more could have been further along the river though there was no sign of them on the floods. A kingfisher was once again seen near the moored boat and there were once more plenty of winter thrushes about. A party of five GOOSANDER flew over heading north west (possibly making their way to Farmoor). Occasionally when the floods are big enough this species does drop in though they never stay long as I guess the water is too shallow A chiffchaff was reported near the weir. Plenty of ducks still including the PINTAIL.
A mid morning run along the west bank of the river found the edges of the floods still frozen but everything bathed in glorious sunshine. All the duck were out in the middle where it was just shallow enough for them to upend themselves and grab the grass on the bottom. The usual suspects, including the PINTAIL, were all there. The current wader hotspot seems to be opposite the house boat where there was a flock of about 250 lapwings with 4 DUNLIN in amongst them. Also there were 5 REDSHANKS feeding away so perhaps I was mistaken yesterday to say that there was only one remaining but they can often go AWOL for a while (often along the river bank). Two of the BLACK-TAILED GODWITS were still there and a single RUFF flew in to join the party whilst I was there. A sprinkling of loafing black-headed gulls with a single lesser black-backed gull completed the picture. All this within a comparatively narrow area which can conveniently be viewed from the top of the arched footbridge near the boat yard. Further along the river the huge number of geese were still doing their thing along the bank and in the Hinterland. Various thrushes were feeding in the hawthorn near the moored boat. I forgot to mention that yesterday I got great views of a kingfisher at this location: it paused just long enough for me to get my camera gear ready before darting off before I could take a shot.
This morning raining first thing but then brightening up with some sunny intervals though rather breezy.
The Meadow was on top form this morning when I visited. I started off viewing from the east side of the floods before moving over to the west bank of the river which actually turned out to be a much better viewing location. There were three BLACK-TAILED GODWITS feeding in the floods near the house boat. In amongst a rather large but flighty flock of lapwings there were some other waders which turned out to be 5 DUNLIN and about 12 RUFF. I couldn't relocate the ruff later so they may have moved on. Just a single REDSHANK remained from yesterdays five, feeding along the grass near the sailing club. The usual large numbers of ducks including 16 PINTAIL today. Barry the BARNACLE GOOSE was back as was Bernard the BAR-HEADED GOOSE in amongst the huge flocks of geese. The one bird which is notable by its absence is golden plover which I've not seen there for some time though they could be coming in to roost later on and they might have moved further north up the Meadow.
Late afternoon update:
Back to the Meadow to check out the gull roost. Viewing once again from the west bank of the river, conditions were very nice with a bit of late afternoon sun illuminating the roost with a warm golden light. Perhaps three thousand birds present with the highlight being a single adult YELLOW-LEGGED GULL. A few greater black-backed gulls and common gulls also providing a bit of interest.
A lunch-time run around the patch found the floods extended once more with just a thin strip of land between the river and the floods now. Plenty of birds around though without my scope I was somewhat limited in what I could see as everything is very far away now. Lots of lapwings about and huge numbers of geese, mainly the feral grey lags and canadas with at least one bar-headed still present. They made a wonderful sight grazing on the boggy Hinterland and honking away. The usual ducks are all spread out along the North Shore though I didn't really look at them in too much detail. There were now 5 REDSHANK with their melancholy piping calls just adding to the wonderful atmosphere. Plenty of loafing gulls about as well.
In Burgess Field a glimpse of a bullfinch disappearing into a hedgerow, plenty of thrushes of all types in the NE corner again and a lovely treecreeper creeping up one of the trees: actually my first personal sighting of this species on the patch this year.
It was very much a case of visit interruptus yesterday with two trips two the Meadow broken off for something else. Firstly, Farmoor regular Tom Wickens was down on the Meadow in the morning where he'd found four REDSHANK and now two BAR-HEADED GEESE as well as about a dozen PINTAIL still. At that point he got a call saying that there was a shag at Farmoor and he had to break off to race up there. Later that afternoon I was there for the gull roost and just starting my first scan through when I got a call saying that there was a black-throated diver at Farmoor so I too had to break off to get there. All I can say was that the floods were slightly more extended and there were loads of birds around to be scanned through.
For those who are interested, my non-Meadow birding exploits can be followed on my personal blog.
The only news today was from photographer Pete Styles who reported that he didn't see any of the waders nor the Egyptian geese though a cormorant was by the river and the BAR-HEADED GOOSE still present. I'll have to think of a name for him though "Barry" which be the most obvious is already taken. Perhaps I should rename the barnacle goose to "Barny" or something. In Burgess Field he reported winter thrushes in the NE corner and a SPARROWHAWK overhead.
Addendum:
Julian Mole reports that he saw some golden plover in flight and 3 REDSHANK as well as plenty of the usual birds.
Early morning rain gave way to sunny intervals this morning down on the Meadow. The floods have actually receded slightly since I was last there on Friday and the channel of water from the river to the floods has now disappeared though I imagine it won't take much rain to bring it back. The floods do still to all intents and purposes look like a lake and the birding is top quality at present with plenty to look through. Unfortunately yesterday's godwit and dunlin were nowhere to be seen though the three REDSHANKS were still about. The usual wigeon, teal, shoveler and gadwall in good numbers and a dozen or so PINTAIL still present. Lots of geese along the North Shore including the BAR-HEADED GOOSE still in amongst the very large canada goose flock. Three EGYPTIAN GEESE arrived in the middle on the lake and worked their way over to the bank near the house boat. Gulls seemed to be arriving throughout the time I was there and settling on the water so there were several hundred by the time I left with a greater black-backed gull being the most interesting. Plenty of redwings and fieldfares buzzing around in the surrounding trees and the usual plethora of piedwagtails and meadow pipits though with the increase in floods I expect the linnets have been pushed north into the Hinterland.
Late Afternoon Update:
A brief return to look at the gull roost found a pair of BLACK-TAILED GODWITS at the North Shore. Let's hope they stick around for a bit. There were at least a couple of thousand gulls in the roost though nothing of particular note.
I wasn't able to get down to the Meadow but fortunately young birder James Grundy did. He reported the following:
1 BLACK-TAILED GODWIT
3 REDSHANK
1 DUNLIN
1 CASPIAN GULL (looked like the same bird as recently)
Several greater black-backed gulls
1 YELLOW-LEGGED GULL
1 bar headed goose
After a rainy start this morning the sun came out but it was windy and cold. It makes one realise how spoilt we've been temperature-wise recently with the unseasonally warm weather that we've been having now that we are reverting to more usual levels.
The floods had extended even further since yesterday and the Meadow is now to all intents and purposes in "Lake Mode" where there is just one huge expanse of water. In such circumstances there is usually a narrow raised strip of land between the lake and the river and this is currently the case. This strip can often be a productive area to look and this morning the REDSHANK was still present working its way along this area in the company of some loafing black-headed gulls and a flock of lapwings and two lesser black-backed gulls. The rest of the birds were mostly at the north end spread along the shore line though there was a good flock of teal in the middle diving to feed on the just submerged grass. All the feral geese and also the much increased canada goose flock (now numbering several hundred) were along the shore so it was "goose city" out there. In amongst them I saw a BAR-HEADED GOOSE (obviously an escapee) though I couldn't relocated it once they were all disturbed. All the ducks were about in good numbers. In amongst the wigeon there are now good numbers of shoveler about and the PINTAILS and gadwall are still present.
When in lake mode there is a chance of some diving ducks being lured in, thinking that the water is in fact deeper that it actually is though they don't usually stay too long. Lake Mode is often very good for the evening gull roost with sometimes many thousands of birds present. The river has not really burst its banks yet, it's more a case of having seeped over at the edges so I'm not sure how many fish will be trapped there yet. With a bit more rain the flooding process will be more thorough and should populate the floods with some fish which, unfortunately for them, once the waters recede will end up being picked off by herons and egrets.
This morning the wind had eased but it felt distinctly colder though with some sunny intervals. The flood waters have extended again and there is even now a water channel from the river opposite the house boat onto the floods. These extended floods are great for attracting birds and the gull roosts should be much better now but it does mean that the birds are generally further away and harder to see and photograph (am I never satisfied?). Still the Meadow does seem to be back in its stride with the full compliment of winter water fowl now present: as well as large number of wigeon and teal there were a dozen or so PINTAIL back again, increased shoveler numbers and some 15 gadwall fresh in this morning. The large contingent of canada geese were still grazing in the Hinterland and Barry the plastic barnacle goose was back in amongst them. Good numbers of black headed gulls with a couple of lesser black-backed thrown in for good measure. Our first REDSHANK since the floods were re-created was present along the North Reach which seems to be a popular location for this species. All in all one can confidently say that the Meadow is now fully back in business!
Late afternoon update:
A late afternoon visit to check out the gull roost found a modestly sized roost of perhaps a thousand birds of which the vast majority were black-headed gulls but there were perhaps one hundred or so larger gulls of which the most interesting was an adult greater black-backed gull. There was also a single common gull.
After very stormy conditions overnight the Meadow was this morning bathed in bright sunshine though still very windy. The floods had been topped up even more and there is now a finger of river water stretching out over the bank at the lowest lying area though the rest of the bank is still holding. Plenty of birds around though nothing particularly unusual. Good numbers of gulls but no sign of the Caspian this morning, nor yesterday's oystercatcher nor pintails. Plenty of wigeon and teal and Shoveler numbers have now increased to a dozen but there are no gadwall as yet.
Lunch-time update:
A run around the patch produced a few fieldfare and redwings and a couple of snipe at the north end of Burgess Field NR. Loads of pipits and wagtails along the North Shore, a large starling flock feeding on the sodden ground and a pair of skylarks. The river is overspilling its banks in two places at present: opposite Medley sailing club and opposite the house boat. It's not going to take much more before we have a proper flood and so ensuring Meadow birding is properly set for the rest of the winter.
A later afternoon return to the Meadow to check out the state of the gull pre-roost found the wind much increased which made viewing conditions much harder. However there were plenty of gulls by way of compensation for the conditions with at least 500 birds present though they were rather mobile and flighty. The vast majority were of course black headed gulls, followed by lesser black-backed gulls and then herring gulls but the star of the show was a wonderful adult CASPIAN GULL which gave good close views for about ten minutes before flying off, presumably to roost at Farmoor.
The adult Caspian Gull
A wider shot which allows comparison of the bill and mantle colour with a neighbouring herring gull.
The underwing shot here shows rather a lot of P10 black so is at the end of the acceptable range for a Caspian.
This morning windy, overcast and drizzly. The floods have increased in size once again and are now looking quite reasonable in size. The birds certainly seem to be relishing it and there were good numbers of them to look through this morning. Along the South Channel there were the now usual loafing gulls with perhaps up to 100 black-headed gulls with 16 lesser black-backed gulls and one herring gull. There were also good numbers of lapwing there. In the North Channel there were very good numbers of wild fowl with estimates of 450 wigeon and 150 teal. New in today were also the first PINTAIL of the season with 9 males and 2 females present. There were also 5 shoveler (3 males) to round of an interesting variety of duck. To cap it all there was a single OYSTERCATCHER near Stint Corner hidden in amongst the foliage and the masses of ducks. To the north the large canada goose flock was still present though I couldn't see Barry in amongst them this morning. Plenty of meadowpipits, starlings, linnets and wagtails still about.
This morning a steady downpour gradually gave way to windy but sunnier conditions. The overnight rain had topped the floods up nicely and the river from a distance looked a bit closer to flooding. The birds appeared to be relishing the damp conditions with lots of feeding going on amongst the usual residents. The black-headed gulls and lapwings were loafing down the west side of the South Channel and the mallards, wigeon and teal, noticeably increased in numbers, were at Burgess Creek and the North Channel. There were even a couple of grey herons along the North Channel though there certainly won't be any fish in the water so it would have to be earth worms that they are looking for. The usual smaller birds were still about: starlings, meadow pipits, linnets, pied wagtails and this morning there were quite a few chaffinches around the Trap Ground Creek area.
One of the most exciting events on the Meadow is when the large feral geese flock suddenly take flight en masse and fly straight towards you and I was fortunate enough to have this happen this morning: one has to hold one's nerve and keep still and they part around you but it's quite thrilling to have 200 heavy geese charging straight at you! Talking of geese, new in there were at least 180 canada geese in a large flock to the north of the floods and in amongst them was our old favourite "Barry" the barnacle goose, unfortunately rather "plastic" but nice to see nonetheless. On the way back a grey wagtail was heard but not seen by the Walton Well Road car park.
Now that the floods are back we're really just waiting for something interesting to drop in, whether this be a late migrant or overwintering wader or perhaps an interesting duck or swan. Still there are at least plenty of birds to look at and sort through on the Meadow these days.
Today overcast and turning rainy later but remarkably warm for the time of year. A morning run around the Meadow found things pretty much the same as in recent days. The duck flock, still mostly wigeon with some teal were still hanging out near the Trap Ground allotment area. The black-headed gulls with one lesserblack-backed gull were in the South Channel together with some lapwings and fourteen golden plover. A good sized linnet flock was buzzing around and still plenty of meadow pipits, pied wagtails and a few skylarks. One snipe was flushed from the Hinterland and a grey wagtail flew over. A few redwings could be heard calling from within the allotments. A fleeting glimpse of a bullfinch was had within Burgess Field NR.
No visits to the Meadow today. However this morning Farmoor regular Dai John saw two divers fly over Wytham Hill and one of them came down on the reservoir and was identified as a GREAT NORTHERNDIVER which stayed for a good part of the day there. The other bird was not identified and flew back over the hill. This is relevant to this blog as the Meadow is the other side of Wytham hill from the reservoir so the diver would have technically been visible from the Meadow and may well have actually flown over it. A bit tenuous I know but in the present circumstances one needs to clutch at all the straws that come our way.
A couple of days to report on: yesterday there were a moderate number of wigeon and teal about when I visited in the morning but a dog chased them away and the vast majority left and were not seen again that day. There was not much else of note except that an evening stroll along the river (which is rising nicely but still needs a couple of feet before we get a proper flood) found very large numbers (70+) of pied wagtails congregating together. This lead me to wonder where they might roost as this species is well known for coming together in large numbers for their evening roost. Just a single golden plover was seen in the evening.
Today on a wind-swept Meadow I found about 300 wigeon about and much closer in near the Trap Grounds Creek but with only a handful of teal in amongst them. Clearly both species come and go; I wonder where they are when not on the Meadow. There were two or three lesser black-backed gulls in amongst the black-headed flock on the Meadow. The usual grassland birds (linnets, mipits and wagtails) still around together with a couple of skylarks. Burgess Field was quiet except for a skulking redwing at the north end.
A later afternoon visit to the Meadow today in order to see what sort of gull pre-roost there might be. The answer was that there was a modest one with about 50 black-headed gulls, a dozen or so lesser black-backed gulls and a few herring gulls. However the birds were flushed by someone walking too close to them and they all departed over the hill for Farmoor. I think that the floods are a bit too small in size at present to allow plenty of room for the birds without getting flushed by dog walkers etc. There was a steady stream of gulls all heading west to Farmoor going over but not much else to report on with the strong wind probably putting off many birds.
What a difference a day makes! Today, in the morning at least, weather conditions were perfect with not a cloud in the sky, brilliant sunshine and very little wind. Conditions were ideal for photography and I was hoping to get some close-up shots of the ducks but they'd been pushed to the far reaches by another photographer who only had an SLR. The wigeon and teal seem happily ensconced in their winter residence though there were only a few golden plover about this morning. Now that there's some water there are reasonable gull numbers starting to appear and whilst they were all black-headed gulls this morning there were several lesser black-backed gulls present yesterday that I forgot to mention. We might even start getting a decent gull pre-roost in the evening now. The grass was absolutely full of meadow pipits though try as I might I couldn't find any rarer pipits: a water pipit was found on Otmoor yesterday and would be most welcome to grace the Meadow floods. Some chaffinches and greenfinches bathing and drinking near Burgess Field and lots of starlings, linnets and piedwagtails enjoying the abundant food in the rain-soaked grass. With reasonable flood waters about now we can start to hope for wintering dunlin, ruff and redshank to put in an appearance.
A wild and woolly day today with rain and very strong winds. A late morning visit to the Meadow found that the rain flood waters have now extended so that even down to the South Tail there is some flood water and birds were plentiful everywhere. It was the same birds as yesterday but somehow it felt like the Meadow was back to what it should be, what with the extensive floods, the wind and rain and the piping wigeon and teal grazing away, plentiful snipe probing the newly softened mud, the hunkered down golden plover and lapwings. The large feral goose flock were all on the floods and only served to add to the wonderful autumnal tableau. There were plenty of meadow pipits, piedwagtails, starlings and linnets around and one somehow gets the sense that something much more interesting could turn up in amongst them or along the flood shore line any day now.
With persistent rain from yesterday afternoon onwards the Meadow water has been topped up yet again and are now looking almost worthy of the name floods. The North Channel now stretches basically its full length and there is a reasonable pool near the allotments. In recognition of its status as now officially flooded, the wigeon and teal were finally back in good numbers with about 200 of each along the North Reach. There were also good numbers of mallards around on the grass as well. Golden plover numbers have increased again with two flocks: one in the North Channel and one in the South with the combined total making about 550 birds. There were about 30 or 40 black-headed gulls loafing in the North Channel. Starlings were also present in large numbers with probably in excess of 200 around. The usual meadow pipits, linnets and piedwagtails were liberally sprinkled across the Meadow and a few snipe were buzzing around, no doubt relishing the return to more snipe-favourable conditions.
Burgess Field NR also had good numbers of birds with large numbers (c. 50) of goldfinches along the hedgerow with lots of chaffinches as well. There were also lots of redwings and fieldfares in the north west corner and one snipe flushed from the snipe field.
A lunch-time run around the patch found a little sunshine trying to break through the thick blanket of cloud briefly. There were still some small pools of water along the north channel and a little near the Trap Ground allotments and there was plenty of bird life to go with it. There were a pair of EGYPTIAN GEESE (a very welcome patch year tick in these lean times) on the grass near the North Channel though they later made their way over to the boat moorings and the river. On the floods themselves there were two groups of goldenplover totalling at least 300 birds. There were also about 30 or 40 black-headed gulls, a similar number of lapwing and a single winter-plumaged DUNLIN though there was no sign of the ruff. Lots of linnets, meadowpipits and pied wagtails as usual and a single stock dove in amongst the wood pigeon on the grass. One snipe was flushed from the Hinterland area.
In Burgess Field there was a flock of 12 fieldfare feeding in the hedgerow. Despite the terrain looking ideal for this winter visitor, they are not actually seen that often within the patch except as flyovers. At the north end of the nature reserve was a lovely male stonechat and three snipe were flushed from the boggy grass area.
An e-mail on this subject by Keith Dancey taken from OxonBirds:
I have live in Wolvercote for well over thirty years, and in that time I have found it rare for the Meadow to hold flood water around the Aristotle Lane entrance beyond the winter months. It normally floods once (maybe, twice) a year during winter, and the low-lying fingers of Meadow opposite Medley trap the river water and fish. These fingers do not drain back into the main course of the river because of higher ground between them and the river. Hence, the "floods" ability to persist beyond the river being in spate. These fingers of low-lying ground do not form any significant catchment area, however, so it is even rarer for them to "pool" significantly from mere heavy or persistent rain. I have known several years when the river has never burst it banks, not even in winter, and the Meadow has not held any significant standing water at all in those periods. Up until recently, the "normal" course of events is for a varying degree of flooding to occur, usually but not always, in winter, and for that flooding to disappear by summer. Also, up until recently, those winter floods regularly froze, allowing local people to ice skate on the Meadow. Not every flood reaches Wolvercote Common, in the north, however. That is fairly rare. Up until recently, then, the Meadow is normally bone dry in summer, including even the "seasonal pools" alongside Godstow Road. I can remember when these pools always dried out in summer.
In the summer of 1976 I walked across the Thames at Godstow Bridge, barely getting the soles of my sandals damp. The River was just one or two feet wide and easily jumped. In those days - before the Law insisted on manned supervision - there was a thriving river bathing place, complete with changing huts, below the bridge (all gone now, along with Longbridge, Tumbling Bay, Parson's Pleasure...) In that
summer, all the canal locks were sealed shut.
I think, if you inspect the vegetation, you will not find a great deal of the typical wetland grasses of semi-permanent wetland, testifying to the seasonal nature of the Meadow's past flooding. However, our climate is changing, and the pattern of flooding on the Meadow has recently changed dramatically. I would say that since the "Great Flood" of 2007, the Godstow Road pools have never dried out, and the fingers of low-lying Meadow remained completely flooded, for the first time ever, for more than two full years. Since then, wetland grasses have started to appear. But will they last? It is interesting to note that the "Great Flood" was a July event; not a typical winter flood. Climatalogically speaking, July is unique in that, over recorded history, it holds the thirty-year average for both the driest and wettest month! However, those changes in climate were not being driven by the same forces which are beginning to play havoc now. In the last three years, local birders have "benefitted" from the Port Meadow floods, but it remains to be seen whether these will continue on quite the same scale. Wetland birds, and birders, may be disappointed.
Unfortunately with all the birding excitment in the county in the last few days (rose-coloured starling, black redstart, snow bunting, slavonian grebe and red-breasted merganser) I've been a bit neglectful of the Meadow. I hope to get back out there in the next day or two.
From private e-mail (MBG):
"The single RUFF was still in the North Channel yesterday afternoon (Monday); three cormorants were in one of the poplar trees."
A run around the patch on a glorious morning with bright sunshine and a bit of a nip in the air found lots of interesting bird life. The small pools of water on the flood area are still there and along the South Channel there was a resting flock of 70 odd lapwing with a sleeping male RUFF in amongst them. Later a couple of dog walkers went through the flock and the birds re-located to the North Channel. There were the usual linnets buzzing around and a flock of 30 odd black-headed gulls in the North Channel. In amongst the pied wagtails was a single GREY WAGTAIL near Burgess Field NR gate. A flock of 60 odd sky larks flew over to the west which was highly unusual. There were also quite a few around the flood area. A single snipe was flushed from the Hinterland.
In Burgess Field NR there was plenty of bird activity along the hedgerows with a noticable increase in greenfinches in amongst the goldfinches and chaffinches. There were several bullfinches along the north end as well as quite a few meadow pipits. A single snipe was flushed from one of the north fields.
Today there were some very large numbers (e.g. 25,000+) of wood pigeons recorded in vis. mig. sessions in neighbouring counties from elevated view points. Whilst the Meadow is anything but elevated, this morning I happened to look out of my window and in 5 minutes I saw three flocks, totally about 150 birds flying rapidly south, following the line of the canal (and therefore in Port Meadow patch air space!).
A brief late afternoon visit found the same birds as usual and the modest flood water still in place. It was interesting to watch a golden plover flock come in to roost: the flock made a number of rapid passes over the area, initially from a reasonable height and then gradually getting lower and lower with each pass until they are only a dozen feet or so of the ground before eventually decide to land. They made an impressive sight in the evening sunlight flashing alternately gold and white as they twisted and turned.
A later afternoon visit to the Meadow found that all the recent rain had resulted in some flood water: actually just a small pool but technically floods none the less. A couple of snipe by the pool were the most exciting bird to find and one hopes a taste of further wader delights to come. Apart from the snipe there were the same birds around as usual: the linnet flock seems well in excess of 100 birds now and they are quite an impressive sight to see as they fly around. There were a reasonable number of golden plover with more coming in to roost as I was leaving. Meadow pipits, lapwings and pied wagtails were about as usual.
A digiscoped videograb of the golden plover in the last of the day's sunlight.
The video footage from which the videograb was taken
An afternoon family walk over along the west side of the river found the female escapee RING-NECKED DUCK still present in the company of a number of mallards. It was happy to take some offered bread as were the increasing numbers of black-headed gulls that are now on the Meadow. In the distance on the still-dry flood area were a flock of around 200 golden plover. There was also a flock of at least 100 linnets so their numbers are continuing to increase also. A few skylarks, lapwings and meadow pipits were also seen distantly.
A Saturday morning run around the Meadow found the same birds as usual but in good numbers. Notably there was a really good flock in excess of 300 starlings on the Meadow. Plenty of meadow pipits, linnets, pied wagtails and lapwings all frequenting the former flood area. To the north in the hinterland it was pretty quiet though I did flush a flock of 6 skylarks with at least 4 others seen including one in full song. In Burgess Field a red kite flew low over the NR giving excellent views.
At the north end on Wolvercote common there were a couple of wigeon and four or five teal on the small pool by the road near the railway. A small fraction of the numbers of wintering duck that we should get once the floods return but still nice to see them nevertheless. Lots of duck were also reported as flying over the Meadow that evening (JG private e-mail).
A morning run was early enough to catch what will probably turn out to be the sunniest part of the day. There was plenty of bird life in Burgess Field NR though it was the usual common residents. On the Meadow itself the recent rain had refreshed the flood area though there was still no standing water. Nevertheless the plants that have grown there and which had been looking decidedly limp have perked up. This seems to have done the insect population a lot of good also because the flood area was teeming with birds. There seems to have been another influx of pied wagtails passing through and there were also the usual meadowpipits and linnets around. There were also ten snipe in total, most of which were unusually along the flood line. There are twenty or thirty black-headed gulls around, many of which are often to be found sitting in the dead tree in the river by the poplar trees.
A morning run around the patch found conditions rather overcast and this probably contributed to the fact that there were a lot of snipe around on the hinterland. In fact 13 were counted in total which is a good count for the conditions. Apart from that there was just a single golden plover and the usual mipits and wagtails.
"this evening heard Lapwing and Wigeon over the meadow, and a Tawny Owl in Burgess Field."
The tawny owl is another year tick for the patch: the year list has really ground to a halt over the last few months so any new tick is most welcome. It's also nice to have a wigeon at least fly over the meadow though until we get some floods back we can't really expect any to stay.
A later afternoon run around the patch found very little: there were just 6 golden plover which flew in whilst I was there so it's possible that more might come in to roost later. A single snipe was flushed from the hinterland. There was a small party of perhaps a dozen black-headed gulls loafing on the Meadow though they soon flew off. The usual meadow pipits, pied wagtails, lapwings, linnets and goldfinches still around on the Meadow itself but otherwise very quiet at present.
A morning run around the patch found the birds within Burgess Field more active: there were goldfinches and chaffinches about and singing robins and wrens. The highlight was the first three redwings of the season, one already getting stuck into the plentiful berries there.
The Meadow itself was rather quiet with one snipe flushed from the hinterland and just a few meadow pipits and skylarks around. The large wagtail contingent had moved on leaving just the usual number of birds present. No golden plover this morning and just a handful of lapwings.
One or two nights ago I did listen out of my window and heard a very distant owl calling from across the Meadow. I couldn't quite make out whether it was tawny or little owl which is a shame as otherwise I could have counted it on the year list!
An evening run around the patch found conditions rather pleasant with lots of autumn sunshine and little wind. The main thing of note was the large number of pied wagtails around. I counted at least 75 and there were probably a lot more. There are not normally anything like this many so they must be on the move. They were rather aggressive and kept chasing meadow pipits, goldfinches and even starlings. Just half a dozen or so golden plover this evening and fewer meadow pipits around than usual. There was a flock of 25 or so goldfinches feeding on the thistles in the hinterland and a similar sized flock near the car park on Walton Well road. Linnet numbers seemed to have increased slightly as well with getting on for 40 or so birds. About half a dozen sky larks were also seen.
Today I went for an early evening run around the Meadow and it was interesting to note the differences in the birds at that time. At least 6 snipe were flushed from the hinterland (I need to add this area to the map but it's basically the large swathe of grassland to the north of the floods). During the day these birds are not present so perhaps they are coming in to roost on the Meadow. Another birder is reporting flushing snipe from the same area on evening walks so it must be a time of the day thing. There was a large flock of around 180 golden plover present. In fact they were so well camouflaged that I nearly ran right into the entire flock, spotting them and veering off just in time. Around 30 meadow pipits were also around though in a slightly different place to usual. Also around 30 linnets still buzzing about the place and a similar number of goldfinches in the trees in the mini "park" just by the junction between Rutherway and Walton Well Road. I wondered whether they too were roosting there. But the prize for top bird of the day (and indeed for several months now) goes to four RUFF which were circling the Meadow a number of times before flying off to the west. They were probably wondering where all the water was that they usual enjoy.
Given the lack of flood water I'm usually visiting the Meadow whilst on a run so I've not taken any photos from Port Meadow recently. Therefore, continuing the theme of recent wild geese visiting the county, here's a photo of a dark-bellied brent goose that was on Farmoor Reservoir today.
All quiet on the western front, well at least the west side of Oxford that is the Meadow. Whilst we've had some proper rain at last, we're going to need a lot more of that before we've got any kind of floods on the Meadow. In the mean time its the same birds as previously with meadow pipits, golden plover, lapwings, skylarks and linnets making up the main interest on the Meadow itself though on a visit today recorded numbers were lower than last week for all four species. There was no sign of any winter thrushes yet and Burgess Field was extremely quiet. A few black-headed gulls along the bank and a couple of great crested grebes about on the river as well.
With recent interest at Blenheim where the large population of fairly plastic geese are occasionally attracting some good vagrants (five Greenland white-fronted geese yesterday), I scoured the Meadow feral geese carefully but there was nothing of note in amongst them apart from one canada goose.
One of the five Blenheim Greenland white-fronted geese. Let's hope that we get some vagrant geese on the Meadow this winter.
Addendum - Mary Gregory (private e-mail)
In the rain this pm, around 4.30, there was a large and restive flock of golden plover in the usual place, where the north channel used to be. I guesstimated at least 300, but it was a very rough count. A flock of at least twenty Canada geese were nearby; some days there has just been the one, in among the greylags but flocks are appearing more frequently. I put up a single snipe again - same place, north of the channel and towards the mound. There was a flock of goldfinches around the thistle heads towards the Aristotle Lane entrance. Water was beginning to collect in the indentations in the channels so maybe things will start to pick up. Nothing at all in BF except a green woodpecker yesterday, and a pair of deer on three consecutive days a couple of weeks ago.
It's been a while since my last update and this mainly reflects that not much has changed on the bird front on the Meadow. Numbers of GOLDEN PLOVER have been building up steadily with a count of over 150 birds this morning. There are still good numbers of meadow pipits dotted around the Meadow, particularly in the "hinterland" to the north of the former flood area and roughly opposite the poplar trees and the north end of Burgess Field. This morning an estimate of at least 60 birds was made. There was a noticable passage of skylarks this morning, most of whom seemed to be travelling in a westerly direction for some reason. Plenty of linnets are feeding on the Meadow with counts varying between 20 and 30. Still plenty of pied wagtails about though the yellows all seemed to have moved on now. A couple of kestrels were seen hunting earlier in the week. Recently a LITTLE EGRET and a cormorant have been reported (OOS MBG).
Some of the golden plover. They tend to congregate in what was the north channel of the floods where the ground is rather pitted and they can hunker down out of the wind. This photo demonstrates their rather good camouflage on this terrain and they can often be rather hard to spot.
A lunch-time run around the "patch" today found some signs of change. Burgess Field was very quiet with not much around at all. However on the Meadow itself there were large numbers of meadow pipits newly arrived. I estimated at least 60 birds, many of which were feeding in amongst the cattle à là YELLOW WAGTAIL (of which there were only three). In amongst the many pied wagtails were at least 2 WHITE WAGTAILS. Five GOLDEN PLOVER were flushed from roughly opposite the poplar trees and they flew over to the former flood area. There were at least 40 lapwings about and the flock of 30 odd linnets were still buzzing around the grassland. Two buzzards were soaring at quite low altitudes, at times being harassed by crows.
A late afternoon walk through Burgess Field and back across the Meadow in gorgeous golden autumn sunshine found a few birds of interest. There was a noticable passage of swallows and martins overhead with perhaps 100+ birds in total. There were about 30 lapwings on the Meadow which took flight along with 3 GOLDEN PLOVER. It's nice to know that the plover are happy to congregate on the Meadow still in the absence of any water. A "winter" flock of 30 odd linnet were buzzing around the Meadow. In amongst the cattle there were at least 25 YELLOW WAGTAIL feeding away at the feet of the animals. There was not much of note in Burgess Field itself apart from a juvenile pheasant skulking in the undergrowth.
Three SNIPE were reported as being flushed from just north of the former flood area (MBG).
A late afternoon visit to the Meadow found the cattle up near the poplar trees and a good number (20+) of YELLOW WAGTAILS in amongst them. They are very difficult to digiscope due to their habit of feeding in amongst the feet of the cattle and moving on from cow to cow very quickly. Nevertheless after a bit of patience I managed a few record shots. There are plenty of pied wagtails around as well though they don't tend particularly to favour the feeding cattle.
Mary Gregory reports: "The hybrid goose with the white eye-ring has beenin the flock at Godstow picnic area in the last few days. Still quite a few swallows and martins at the river, esp between Medley and the Perch."
A run round the patch today in very windy conditions found a WHEATEAR in Burgess Field along the main path. It flew into the base of a bush where it stayed hidden from view, sheltering from the wind presumably. On the Meadow itself there were plenty of birds feeding in amongst the cattle and horses including at least 12 YELLOW WAGTAILS.
Still very little to report on the Meadow. Lapwing numbers are building up with perhaps 30 or 40 now hanging out on the former flood areas. I noticed a flock of 30 odd linnet as well so their post breeding flocks are now forming. Last week there were a few juvenile warblers about in the hedges including gardenwarbler, a very pale leucistic whitethroat, willow warblers and a wheeling buzzard mewing overhead. The black-headed gull numbers are now much reduced though last week there were in excess of 150. The main bird of interest at present is the YELLOW WAGTAIL with at least 4 seen on an outing last week and at least 8 on a visit this week. They give their presence away by their distinctive flight call and either land on the northern former flood area (which seems very rich in insects) or they head for the cattle which of course are continually disturbing the insects.
As a point of interest, the mass of tiny red flowers that are now growing where the flood waters were are called "redshank". It's quite remarkable how they mark out where the flood waters were.
There is very little butterfly action on Burgess Field any more, mostly speckled woods and large whites. As I've not been out to the Meadow for a while I thought that I would show a photo of a humming bird hawk month taken from my garden close to the Meadow. It's been part of a buttterfly bonanza in the garden in the last month with peak counts of 11 painted ladies, large numbers of large and small whites and also red admirals, small tortoiseshells and comma's all visiting one small buddhlia bush.
As some of you may know, Port Meadow is one of the few sites in the world (until recently the only site) where the rare plant Creeping Marshwort grows. With the Meadow having been flooded for the whole two previous years it's been having a tough time of it but is still to be found on the Meadow. Some of the Oxford Rare Plant Group will be on the Meadow doing survey work this Saturday and if asked politely they may well point out this inconspicuous plant to you.
There also be opportunities to help out as well if anyone is interested: if you would like to help out this Saturday 29th August then meet at 10 am at Walton Well Rd car park, or walk out and find them on the Meadow near the Aristotle lane entrance. Bring a packed lunch if coming at lunch time. The session will probably end at 3 or 4'ish. It would be helpful (but not essential) if you are coming along to contact Camilla Lambrick to let her know.
Still not much to report but without any flood water this is hardly surprising. A COMMON SANDPIPER was seen by the river on the 21st, feeding quietly along the bank. Despite a few black-headed gulls being on the Meadow albeit in much smaller numbers, there's been no sign of the Med. Gull since the first sighting. A LITTLE EGRET was seen on the 18th (MBG) and the adult and two juvenile COMMON TERNS have been seen on and off. A juvenile HOBBY has been seen on a couple of occasions flying quite high from Kingston Road though it was certainly in the Port Meadow patch air space when first sighted (and can therefore go on the year list!). One was reported at Wolvercote on the 19th as well which was probably the same bird. On the 23rd an OSPREY was seen flying south rather low at Wytham Mill. It headed across the A34 and may well have gone over the Meadow: it might have been following the river. Apart from that there are the usual suspects on the Meadow itself: lapwings numbers are building up and there are loads of corvids and woodpigeons together with plenty of young pied wagtails still. Burgess Field is rather quiet with reduced butterfly numbers though speckled woods are still plentiful.
After an absense of about two weeks a lunch-time return visit to the Meadow found it looking rather colourful: a small red flower seems to be flourishing where the mud once was creating a wonderful carpet of delicate red across large sections of the Meadow. There were a huge number (I estimated 1000) of black-headed gulls present feeding on the abundant insect life and in amongst them was a single juvenile MEDITERRANEAN GULL, distinguishable by its black legs, smaller size and more strongly scalloped back markings from juvenile common gulls which are also about at this time of year. In amongst the gulls were also two adults and a juvenile COMMON TERN. This morning a juvenile HOBBY was also seen flying east over Kingston Road and probably came from the Meadow. There were also about 20 lapwings arond and at least 50 canada geese.
Apart from the excellent Med. Gull there has not been much to report over the intervening weeks. The main highlights have been a COMMON SANDPIPER (Roly Pitts private e-mail) down on the Thames by Willow Walk and a REDSHANK and LITTLE EGRET (OOS MGB). The COMMON TERNS have been seen on and off over the weeks and the female escapee RING-NECKED DUCK was around for a while but has not been seen recently.
On Burgess Field NR the grasses are passed their best and the abundance of grassland butterflies have gone as well. There were just a few very tattered gatekeepers left and a couple of common blues. Down at the far end by the buddlia there were the usual large and small whites, a comma a peacock and several painted ladies. Various speckled woods were to be found along the pathways by the trees. A few "hueeting" willow warblers could be heard as well as some overhead linnets but it was rather quiet on the bird front.
Another week with little of great note leaves us following the subtle changes in the wildlife in and around Port Meadow. The first thing to report is the successful fledging of the two remaining lapwing chicks. A couple of evening walks across the Meadow earlier in the week had found the chicks still to be present with the parent birds as attentive as ever at protecting them. However by the end of the week the two youngsters were flying around with the main lapwing flock which is now numbering over 40. The two birds can be picked out by small white markings in their wings and some missing tail feathers. It's great that there has been this successful raising of a couple of chicks in what I think is a rather difficult environment, given the numbers of people and dogs that frequent the Meadow.
Apart from the lapwings, the Meadow itself is home to the usual wood pigeons, rooks, jackdaws and pied wagtails with plenty of youngsters about. There has been a single canada goose on the field this week. A common tern or two is seen occasionally along the river or flying along the canal.
Burgess Field NR is full of fledged youngsters: greenfinches, great tits and a lovely chiffchaff family have all been encountered. I also saw a young warbler, fresh out of the nest which still had down on its head making it a little difficult to identify though I think that it was a young garden warbler.
On the butterfly front gatekeepers have taken over as the predominant butterfly in amongst the grasses with the ringlets and marbled whites very faded now and much reduced in numbers. There are quite a few commas around and still plenty of speckled woods with singles of a peacock, a red admiral and a male common blue also seen. Large, small and essex skippers are all still about as well as the usual large and small whites.
We've been lucky to have Roly Pitts patrolling along the river in the evening and he has been reporting back to me. One bird of note is that the female escapee RING-NECKED DUCK is still around along the Thames. I thought that I would include a report from him as it rather nicely sums up the birds that can be encountered along the river at this time of year
"On Thursday evening two Common Terns were on the separate posts at Godstow lock. One of them was cleaner and whiter than the other, which had a greyish tinge to its breast. The latter was chattering away rapidly like a nagging wife or a demanding child. When a boat approached they both took off and flew away along the river together. later I saw them along the river towards the perch and I saw them again this evening.
This morning I saw 2 goldfinches fluttering against and pecking at the wall of the lock-keeper's cottage at Godstow lock. About half way along the towpath there is a small copse adjacent to the towpath and separating two fields, with various small trees and bushes in the field on the Perch side of the copse. The trees and bushes can sometimes be quite lively and this morning they contained another 4 or 5 Goldfinches, a small gang of Long Tailed Tits, several Chiffchaffs, a Whitethroat, Dunnock, Wren and Great Tits. A couple of hundred metres before the Perch there were 2 more Goldfinches and right at the gate was yet another. Given the distance between all of these I suspect they were all different birds.
This evening a Green Woodpecker flew from Port Meadow over the Thames and across into a tree on the far hedge of the field on the Perch side of the small copse. I have seen and heard one here several times recently.
I've looked for the Ring-Necked Duck several times since youir last mail, but without success until this evening. It was down near the pointy-end of a wooden boat called October that has been moored for several weeks next to the towpath about 100 metres before the gate to the Perch coming from Godstow. It is indeed very tame, as I approached the water's edge bank it swam towards me and although it stayed in the water I suspect it is used to being fed and hoped that I might oblige.
There was a heron fishing on the Port Meadow side of the Thames this evening close to where I spotted the Ring-Necked Duck." - Roly Pitts
Another week of butterflies and juvenile birds on the Meadow with not much that's radically different but still enough variation to keep it interesting.
On the Meadow itself it's business as usual with the usual Meadow birds: wood pigeons, corvids, lapwings, starlings, skylarks, linnets and pied wagtails can all be found feeding on the Meadow. Swallows, swifts, house martins and sand martins by the river are all to be seen as well. There is at least one lapwing chick which I've seen and is now relatively mature though I don't think it is flying yet. Whenever one walks onto the part of the Meadow where the young are situated the parent birds get agitated and start flying around and calling as a distraction technique. Despite knowing that the young are there it's remarkably difficult to find them: I suspect that once the alarm has been raised they hunker down and freeze and are then very well camouflaged.
My suspicions about the OYSTERCATCHER feeding along the river shore have been confirmed with a sighting a single bird there and on another occasion four birds flying along the river (Roly Pitts private e-mails). Roly has also seen a pair of COMMON TERNS on a couple of occasions: apparently they often hang out by Godstow lock, sitting on the posts there. Roly also reports some mute swan cygnets down by Fiddler's Island and some grey herons along the river.
Within Burgess Field there are still plenty of butterflies about including Ringlets, Marbled Whites, Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns though the first two are starting to look rather faded now and may not be around for much longer. Last week I raised the identification issue of small versus essexskippers. After further research I am pleased to report that both species have been found. The only way to tell them apart is to view them from head on and to examine the underside of the bulbous tip to the antennae: small skippers have orange tips whereas they are black for the essex. Other species that have been seen include: a very worn Painted Lady, a Peacock and a Small Tortoiseshell as well as Small and Large Whites and Speckled Woods.
Addendum:
Late afternoon on Saturday a LITTLE EGRET was seen down by the river (Roly Pitts private e-mail)
A marbled white, now starting to look rather faded
A small skipper from the side... ..and from head on. If you look at the underside of the tip of the antenna on the left of this rather fuzzy picture you may just be able to see that it is orange, identifying it as a small rather than an essex skipper. A young carrion crow pestering its parent for food.
The five knot (all asleep) lined up in front of the lapwings © Adam Hartley
As I found him, half submerged on the floods...
...and in my bag ready to be taken home © Adam Hartley
The five knot, conveniently briefly all in one place for a photo © Adam Hartley
One of the knot © Adam Hartley
The moon rising over part of the gull roost © Adam Hartley
One of the four knot standing next to a ruff © Adam Hartley
A neat line-up of a dunlin, a knot and a ruff © Adam Hartley
A better view of the dunlin though the knot and ruff are tucked up in this one © Adam Hartley
Some black-headed gulls on the floods - taken a couple of days ago when there was more light © Adam Hartley
One of the five over-wintering redshanks © Adam Hartley
Two of the tufted duck from last week when everything was still frozen. The four birds that were seen today were all males however © Adam Hartley
A first winter male pied wagtail feeding on the ice
One of the cormorants in the "cormorant tree" © Adam Hartley
Some of the cormorants in their regular tree © 
The great-crested grebe with it's crests once more on show © Adam Hartley
Siskin © Roly Pitts ( e-mail: 
The arctic conditions on the Meadow at present © Adam Hartley
This coot was much more obliging than the water rail but is not quite as exciting! © Adam Hartley
A digiscoped video grab of the one of the redshanks © Adam Hartley
One of the three redshank currently present © Adam Hartley
A lapwing along the narrow strip of land between the river and the floods © 
The Siberian bar-tailed godwit © Adam Hartley
The wonderful little tern that spent and afternoon on the Meadow © Adam Hartley
The splendid adult Caspian Gull © Adam Hartley
The December spotted redshank © Adam Hartley
There were quite a few meadow pipits and also pied wagtails feeding on the ice today © Adam Hartley
A videograb record shot of one of the three ruff © Adam Hartley
A fieldfare © 
... and a close-up videograb © Adam Hartley
A pair of PINTAIL on the ice © Adam Hartley
A videograb of this morning's shelduck taken at a distance through the mist © Adam Hartley
A couple of yellow-legged gulls together in the roost © Adam Hartley
The black swan at sunset © Adam Hartley
A view of the extensive floods, packed with birds © Adam Hartley
Some black-headed gulls bathed in the light of the setting sun © Adam Hartley
Some of the ruff on the floods this morning © Adam Hartley
Two black-tailed godwits in the usual wader hot spot © Adam Hartley
Two of the dunlin with a lapwing © Adam Hartley
One of the five redshank © Adam Hartley
The three black-tailed godwits © Adam Hartley
...and again, showing off their striking wing pattern © Adam Hartley
A feeding song thrush in Burgess Field © 
"Bernard" (?) the bar-headed goose © 
A videograb of the Egyptian Geese taken across from the other side of the "lake". © Adam Hartley
One of the many black-headed gulls on the Meadow at present © Adam Hartley
This morning's redshank. Given the distance and the strong wind I opted for a videograb record shot though there was reasonable light this morning. © Adam Hartley
A wider shot which allows comparison of the bill and mantle colour with a neighbouring herring gull.
The underwing shot here shows rather a lot of P10 black so is at the end of the acceptable range for a Caspian.
This was taken a couple of days agao when the ducks were all resting whereas today they were all very actively grazing on the grass or swimming around in the flood water © Adam Hartley
An archive photo of Barry the (plastic) Barnacle Goose © Adam Hartley
The lesser black-backed gull, taken yesterday in sunnier conditions © Adam Hartley
Any excuse to show my one good Great Northern Diver photo! Taken at Farmoor © Adam Hartley
A rather wind-swept pied wagtail © Adam Hartley
Gulls on the Meadow (taken from our archive of photos). © Adam Hartley
One of a huge number of meadow pipits about on the floods this morning. © Adam Hartley
Meadow scene. Á lá "Where's Wally" If you look carefully you should be able to spot a golden plover and a snipe in amongst the teal and wigeon in this rather wind and rain blurred photo. © Adam Hartley
A teal © 
An Egyptian goose (taken at the Thames at Goring earlier this year) © Adam Hartley
This ruff photo was taken earlier in the year when there was proper flood water but the plumage is identical to today's bird so I thought that I would include it again. © Adam Hartley
A digiscoped videograb of the golden plover in the last of the day's sunlight.
Golden Plover in flight © 
A feeding wigeon. It's nice to know that they are at least somewhere on the Meadow.© Adam Hartley
A pied wagtail on the Meadow (taken last year) © Adam Hartley
It's nice to see some gulls back on the Meadow albeit in small numbers. This black-headed gull shot was actually taken last year © Adam Hartley
A robin © 
A juvenile goldfinch © 
Given the lack of flood water I'm usually visiting the Meadow whilst on a run so I've not taken any photos from Port Meadow recently. Therefore, continuing the theme of recent wild geese visiting the county, here's a photo of a dark-bellied brent goose that was on Farmoor Reservoir today.
One of the five Blenheim Greenland white-fronted geese. Let's hope that we get some vagrant geese on the Meadow this winter.
Some of the golden plover. They tend to congregate in what was the north channel of the floods where the ground is rather pitted and they can hunker down out of the wind. This photo demonstrates their rather good camouflage on this terrain and they can often be rather hard to spot.
A linnet
Yellow Wagtails in amongst the cattle.
As I've not been out to the Meadow for a while I thought that I would show a photo of a humming bird hawk month taken from my garden close to the Meadow. It's been part of a buttterfly bonanza in the garden in the last month with peak counts of 11 painted ladies, large numbers of large and small whites and also red admirals, small tortoiseshells and comma's all visiting one small buddhlia bush.
Creeping Marshwort © from the the 
The adult and one of the two juvenile common terns © Adam Hartley
A comma butterfly © Adam Hartley
A male common blue, not that common in Burgess Field © Adam Hartley
Gatekeepers are numberous at present © Adam Hartley
A marbled white, now starting to look rather faded
A small skipper from the side...
..and from head on. If you look at the underside of the tip of the antenna on the left of this rather fuzzy picture you may just be able to see that it is orange, identifying it as a small rather than an essex skipper.
A young carrion crow pestering its parent for food.