April Adventures 2023, Part 2

Thursday 20th April; I Do Like a Nice Bar!

One of the more difficult wading birds to see, especially in landlocked Oxfordshire, is the Bar-tailed Godwit. So when one was found at Balscote Quarry near Banbury it made sense to get up there after work and take the year tick. It was a fine male bird as well, fully decked out in its red breeding plumage. Fifteen minutes after we arrived it flew off. It's good that reserves like Balscote are there to provide stopovers for migrating birds and proves how important they are for many birds and not just the residents.

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)

Year List addition;

195) Bar-tailed Godwit

Friday 21st April; A Favourite Returns!

I've never made any secret of the fact that I adore Swifts. Apart from the mystical and almost mythical Capercaillie, Swifts are the best birds around. Any bird that can stay airborne for the first two years of its life once it's left the nest as a fledged juvenile deserves to have the utmost admiration.

On a day off and knowing that a few Swifts had been in the country, we headed up to Farmoor where there would sure to be a few. It wasn't the nicest of days, there was persistent drizzle interspersed with heavier rain and it was breezy with it. Farmoor isn't the most pleasant of places to be when the weather is inclement so it was hardly surprising that there were few other souls hardy, or daft, enough to be out.

We spotted Swifts immediately, and lots of hirundines as well, flying around the western end of the reservoirs. On our way to them we encountered a lovely male Yellow Wagtail, which offered a bolt of bright colour on such a sombre day.

Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava flavissima)

There were other freshly arrived migrants far out on F2, the largest of the two basins. We added a Little Gull to the year list and also spotted an Arctic Tern and at least ten Common Terns. Despite the weather, spring was well and truly springing. The numbers of hirundines were impressive for so early in the year. At least fifty House Martins, a hundred or more Sand Martins and even more Swallows zoomed over the water seeking any morsels they could find.

Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)

There were probably around twenty Swifts and they were bombing low and fast right over the causeway. No chance of getting any decent photos in the conditions but I was overjoyed to see them back for another summer. Nothing much beats a Swift and I could watch them forever. Luckily I have Mrs Caley to rein me in and keep me moving!

Swift (Apus apus)

The male Lesser Scaup that had teased us at Staines and then shown so well here at the start of March was still keeping company with the few Tufted Ducks that were still on the reservoir.

Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)

It was interesting to see many of the Martins and Swallows resting on the causeway road and walls. Presumably many were freshly in and the journey in the breezy conditions had sapped their energy. 

Swallow (Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Delichon urbicum) & Sand Martin

A Wheatear was adorning the low concrete wall of the causeway. I think it was a first summer male that was still moulting its juvenile feathers out. The Wheatear chased flies and the like although it was picky when it came to selecting some to eat.

Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)

A small group of Swallows had lined up on a steel railing. I think they all looked as if they wished they'd stayed somewhere a bit warmer for a while longer. We headed to the cafe.

There was already new life on the reservoir. A family of Mallard duckling huddled up to their mum for warmth. They needed to!

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Year List additions;

196) Little Gull, 197) Swift

 Saturday 22nd April; Going for a Song!

Our annual Nightingale fix which is special enough to be blogged up here

Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos)

Year List addition;

198) Nightingale

Sunday 23rd April; Two Hundred Up!

Another walk around Farmoor but this time concentrating on the Pinkhill end of the site and looking for more newly arrived migrants. We quickly added our first Common Whitethroats to our year list, several of which were in full voice.

Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)

The Grasshopper Warbler, another of my favourite spring birds to find and see, that reeled away from the grassy field on the opposite side of the Thames was tricky to find. Mrs Caley saw it but it took me quite a while before I found it as well. Fittingly our two hundredth bird for the year and comfortably the quickest that we'd ever reached that total.

Grasshopper Warbler (Locustella naevia)

The Little Gull, or another, was still present and we found our first Common Sandpiper of the year on the settling beds next to F1.

Year List additions;

199) Common Whitethroat, 200) Grasshopper Warbler, 201) Common Sandpiper

Monday 24th April; Easter Goodies!

The last day of the Easter holiday was spent strolling around Otmoor in less than enjoyable weather. However, there were some nice showy birds on offer including a fine Lesser Whitethroat in the hedge by the "Bittern Bench".

Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca)

The Garden Warbler that we found by the first screen was typically furtive and refused to be photographed. Luckily some of the other Warblers were more accommodating.

Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)

Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)

A high flying Hobby was also new for the year as it sailed over Greenaways. The year list was building nicely.

Year List additions;

202) Lesser Whitethroat, 203) Garden Warbler, 204) Hobby

Friday 28th April; Another Crown!

This was a twitch to see a bird that really deserved a blog post of its own but for some reason I never got around to doing one. 

On the Monday before a White-crowned Sparrow, a North American species, had been discovered in an area of scrub at Seaford Head near Brighton. The bird was typically elusive for the next couple of days before intrepid birders established a feeding area by scattering seed on a pathway through the scrub. The Sparrow, a common garden bird in the USA and thus well used to taking feed handouts, became a regular visitor to the seeded area on the Thursday. We headed south to hopefully see our latest lifer the next day.

We hit the road early but arrived on the south coast into a damp squib of a day, mist and drizzle making everything look grey. You couldn't even see the sea which was just a few hundred metres or so away from the carpark. It had only been (barely) light for half-hour but already birders were returning with the good news that the Sparrow was still present. We took the five minute walk downhill into the valley and joined another fifteen or so birders at the "feeding" site. Our friend Simon joined us and told us that the bird couldn't be seen from the main viewpoint so advised us to walk a little further onto another smaller path to overlook the area from a different direction. There was hardly room for five folk there and the path was sloping so standing still on it was uncomfortable but we wedged ourselves in and waited for the Sparrow to reappear.

It didn't take long, the White-crowned Sparrow shuffling out of the brambles to sit partially obscured on a twig about twenty metres away. It was still pretty dark so I didn't waste any memory space on the camera. We watched the Sparrow fly across the glade into a tree, further away but now in full view. North American Sparrows are more similar to our Buntings than our own Sparrows, primarily grey-brown birds but with striking head patterns. This species has bolder head markings than most with a black and white emblazoned head that's reminiscent of a Badgers. The bill was a peachy-orange colour which apparently signified it as a "Gambels" White-crowned Sparrow, a western subspecies. Otherwise the bird resembled the White-throated Sparrow that we'd seen in April 2021 a little further east in Sussex (read here).

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelli)

As the light improved the 405th and latest addition to our life list grew emboldened, dropped down to the feeding area to take its fill of the scattered seed, and gave excellent views to the assembled.

We left when the site became busier and went looking for breakfast. We made plans to visit Pulborough Brooks RSPB reserve about forty miles away but after sitting in a traffic jam for nearly an hour were soon regretting them. However, we did finally make it to the reserve in time for lunch at least. We walked to the furthest hide from the visitor centre only stopping briefly on the way to listen to Nightingales singing. Pulborough is a well known hotspot for the songsters but we'd already had some cracking views of the species the week before. I was more interested in the birds that could be seen from the hide. In just thirty minutes we added Greenshank, Whimbrel and Wood Sandpiper to our year list. Unfortunately all were so far away that scope views had to suffice.

Nightingale

We listened to the Nightingales again on the way back and enjoyed a brief period of sunshine when the woods seemed to come alive with so many birds heralding the spring.

Dunnock (Prunella modularis)

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

Year List additions;

205) White-crowned Sparrow, 206) Marsh Tit, 207) Greenshank, 208) Whimbrel, 209) Wood Sandpiper

Saturday 29th April; Reeling Them In!

On a fine sunny morning we were at our local Bicester Wetlands Reserve. We were hoping to see a Grasshopper Warbler because one had showed so well there the year before, and incredibly in exactly the same spot, a Grasshopper Warbler was indeed reeling away. Presumably the same bird, or one of its offspring, had returned for another summer. Groppers are one of my favourite warbler species and I could watch and listen to them for hours. To begin with though this bird was actually elusive although we did grab some snatches of views in the branches of a small alder tree.

Grasshopper Warbler

The Grasshopper Warbler was being harassed by a Sedge Warbler that was also holding territory. Sedgies are bigger than their cousins and much bolder birds. We were treated to a fine display as it perched on one of the higher branches of the tree. For the most part though the Sedge Warbler appeared determined to get the other bird out of its space.

Sedge Warbler

After a while the Grasshopper Warbler, having been ousted by the Sedge Warbler, popped up close to the post that was favoured the previous year. Now it was in full reeling mode and showed superbly to its audience of two for over fifteen minutes before shuffling off into the ditch and long grass again.

We ventured out again in the evening to Otmoor where a Spotted Crake had been reported singing the night before. It was good to catch up with so many of our local birders and friends for a change! A Short-eared Owl entertained while we waited for the sun to go down. The only photo that I took while waiting though was of a pristine breeding plumaged Great Egret that was feeding in one of the scrapes on Greenaways.

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

A flypast Cuckoo was our first of the year, a week or so later than usual. The Spotted Crake began singing its weird "whiplash" song right on cue as it got dark. The "huuit, huuit" sharp notes equally spaced at a second apart could be heard almost continually for the next half hour. Obviously the bird itself couldn't be seen but I'm happy to add the species to my year list on heard only basis. I've seen a few Spotted Crakes before. Some observers thought that they could hear two birds calling simultaneously but I wasn't too sure of that, although a few weeks later the RSPB decided that there were actually three! This is exciting news for the reserve because the presence of singing males will probably indicate breeding. It will be very difficult to definitely establish that though owing to the secret lives that the birds live.

A couple of Noctule Bats bombing around above the bridleway added to the atmosphere that birding at night can bring. A Tawny Owl was hooting too. It all whetted the appetite for seeing and hearing Nightjars during May.

Noctule Bat (Nyctalus noctula)

Year List additions;

210) Cuckoo, 211) Spotted Crake

Sunday 30th April; A Full Set of Owls at Last.

The only expected Owl species that we'd failed to find so far was finally added to the year list when we found one in a traditional territory near Banbury. The Little Owl was hard to find though and had settled on the furthest of the two trees that are used for nesting. In typical Owl fashion, it did nothing but stare back at us.

Little Owl (Athene noctua)

On the way home I stopped at Ardley to grab some photos of a pair of Mistle Thrushes that I'd spotted  feeding on a small patch of green. As Sods Law would have it as soon as I tried to get photos the birds were disturbed by just about everything you could think of; people, dogs, people walking dogs, children, children on bikes, children kicking balls, a tractor whose driver decided to park half on the road and half on that particular patch of grass while he ate a sandwich, a delivery man in a van, I could go on, and on. However, by hiding behind a litter bin and getting several curious looks while I did so, I eventually managed a few decent photos of a bird that often gets overlooked. Judging by repeated journeys being made by the two Thrushes to a large tree nearby, they were successfully feeding a brood of youngsters too. Spring was now well and truly unfurled.

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)

Year List addition;

212) Little Owl