Rosy, Rough and Recorded. 2-5 January 2019.

News broke on Wednesday of a Rosy (or Rose-coloured) Starling that was feeding on apples in the back garden of a house in Botley, Oxford. Enough details could be gleaned from the bird news services to at least get an approximate location and since we were in Oxford anyway we drove up there and toured around hoping to find the bird. We've seen Rosy Starlings in built up areas before, in fact they are most often encountered in such settings and remember our first, a cracking male, perched on a roof in Woodford Halse, Northants. We also saw a fine adult male in Scotland last June. But this bird was a potential county tick so it was worth looking for. 

Adult male Rosy starling, Torridon Scotland 12th June 2018

After half an hour of fruitless driving around and only finding Common Starlings and Redwings perched openly we bumped into a couple of other Oxon birders who had also latched onto the news. They had identified the garden that the Rosy had chosen had been seen in but it wasn't visible from the road at all. We tried hard to "pull" the bird out from the Common Starlings that were showing in the surrounding trees but it wasn't to be. At 15:30 it was already getting dark owing to the dull conditions and there were just four of us left standing in the street when the owner of the house appeared at her front door and asked if we'd like to see the Rosy Starling? Well, yes please!

We were welcomed into the kitchen which had a view of the garden, in which there was an apple tree with lots of fallen apples. On the windfall there stood a very dull looking adult (or maybe first winter) Rosy Starling! As I geared into action, a cat disturbed the bird and it flew up into the tree, perched for a few seconds and then flew to another apple tree at the end of next doors garden. A few seconds later it dropped to the floor and was gone. In the 15 seconds or so that the Rosy had been on view I took 6 frames. Unfortunately I had forgotten that I was now stood indoors and that the settings were all wrong so all 6 (in fact only 4 had captured the bird) were absolutely useless!!! But we were lucky to see it and I'm now on 230 birds seen in Oxon.

My best shot! Rosy Starling, Botley 2nd January 2019

On Saturday it was twitch day. It was high time that Rough-legged Buzzard was added to my life list and should be easy since one had been present at Holme Fen near Peterborough for some time. Firstly though we headed to Deeping Lakes, primarily in a quest to see the Long-eared Owls that roost on an island in the largest lake. Almost two years ago we had successfully found one of the roosting Owls after twitching a nearby Bluethroat but this time we failed. If any Long-eared Owls were present then they were remaining well hidden and no amount of scrutiny through the new scope could pull one out of the tangle of brambles and ivy covered trees. We also failed to find any of the Smew that were present the day before so had to be content with adding Goosanders and Goldeneye to the year list.

Female Goosander

Because of closures to railway level crossings we had to find Holme Fen via a circuitous route that did at least present us with an unusual lunch break in the shape of Chinese food in a Whittlesey cafe and good enough it was too! Holme Fen is a large area of birchwood and farmland with rough fenland at its northern end. This was the area that the Rough-legged Buzzard had been frequenting. We found the road at the northern end and drove slowly along looking to either side. In truth the road is in such bad repair that you couldn't drive in any other fashion. The first pass resulted in no sightings but when we returned I spotted a Short-eared Owl hunting amongst the grasses. Not very close to the road but still great to watch. At one point it stirred another up from its roosting spot but that one soon returned to its slumber.

Short-eared Owl

We were in an open area with no obstructions to our view so I set up the scope ready should I spy the Rough-legged Buzzard while we continued to admire the hunting Shortie. Other birds came and went, Ravens flew over, Stonechats perched high on the tallest grass stems and we could hear a Tawny Owl hooting in the woodland. Then I spotted a larger bird sailing past but that turned out to be a Red Kite. Eventually we were rewarded when I spotted the Rough-legged Buzzard far away over the fen. I quickly got the scope on to it confirming the ID and shared the bird with Mrs Caley. Even at the distance we were viewing at the magnificent new scope enabled us to see the pale plumage with the very pale tail with its black terminal band. The bird was persistently hovering too as they are prone to do. We could even make out clearly as the bird flew towards us, the bend in the wings at the carpal joint something Common Buzzards don't have. I took some record shots for posterity and you can just about make out that diagnostic pale tail.

Told you they were record shots! Rough-legged Buzzard

Despite being hopeful that the Rough-legged Buzzard would fly closer to us it didn't and we had to be satisfied with our distant views. I did find it perched on bushes a couple of times so at least added a couple more different distant record shots.

Rough-legged Buzzard, Holme Fen 5th January 2019

It had been a good day with a long awaited life tick added although we didn't get the views we'd hoped for and missed out on the Long-eared Owls earlier. Maybe a reason for a return trip later in the winter?



My thanks to @helen_geekmum for inviting us in to her house to see the Rosy Starling. Very much appreciated.