Sticking to a low key approach to our birding this year, most of our time at the end of March and during April was spent locally. We did however, have a couple of worthwhile excursions further afield to see some very special birds.
Saturday 28th March; Lesser is Not Always More!
Wanting to add some wintering birds to our list before they leave for their breeding grounds. To that end we made a trip into Worcestershire, and to Clifton Pits, to see a pair of Lesser Scaups, a species of duck that had eluded us so far this year. If success is measured by seeing a target bird then this was a successful mission. However, standing in a field, in a freezing cold stiff breeze wasn't much fun. It took me a while to find the ducks and when I did, they were way out at the far side of the pit. Sometimes getting a tick hardly feels like it.
Sunday 29th March; Going Out, Coming In!
A nice walk at Farmoor to end the month. Again it was breezy, still chilly but thankfully not quite as cold. For a change we got straight "into" the birds as soon as we left the marina. The female Greater Scaup that has wintered at Farmoor for a few years now, was close in on F1, and we saw her as soon as we hit the causeway. This winter the Scaup has only had the company of Tufted Ducks. She will disappear for the summer soon.
I scanned the smaller of the reservoirs for another winter resident. It took a while but I eventually spied the Great Northern Diver in the furthest north-western corner of F1. That meant of course, in order to get a closer view, that we'd have to walk halfway around the basin to reach it. I stopped often on the way round to check it was still there and hadn't relocated to another part of the reservoir. Fortunately it seemed happy to be in the far corner.
The cold and grey start to the day ensured that there were few people at Farmoor that morning. The little disturbance would explain why on my next scan of F1, the diver had swum in much closer to the bank than you'd normally expect. If we could get to it time then there'd be some good chances for nice photos. In the meantime a Pied Wagtail rested on the causeway wall for way longer than they usually do when someone approaches along the road.
Of course, when we did reach the Great Northern Diver it had gone further out. So we sat on the wall and waited for it to swim back in closer. Divers at Farmoor tend to feed fairly close in, where the water isn't so deep so I was confident that it would sidle back in at some point. They eat a lot of the invasive American Signal Crayfish that have (over)populated the reservoir bottom, and I imagine that the crustaceans inhabit shallower water. Five minutes after we'd sat huddled against the breeze, the diver suddenly resurfaced half the distance away.
We played the "guess where the diver will pop up next" game. Great Northern Divers can remain submerged for well over a minute, and can swim big distances while underwater. A few years back we estimated that another Great Northern Diver was travelling at least a hundred metres on every dive. Luckily this bird kept appearing in pretty much the same place so we didn't have to move at all.
After watching the diver for about half an hour, it finally surfaced with a crayfish in its bill. Before eating the crayfish, it has to be dismembered, and the diver achieves that by thrashing it on the water surface. Once the legs and pincers are removed, the body is swallowed. We had great views of a diver doing its best to reduce the crayfish population two years ago. Today's diver decided to swim further out and turn its back to us so we didn't get to witness the behaviour as well this time.
A pair of Grey Wagtails flew in and landed about twenty metres away. They hunted for insects along the reservoir embankment. Because we were already sat still, the normally wary wagtails didn't appear as concerned as they usually are, and were slowly edging their way to where we were. Good close photo opportunities with Grey Wagtails don't come along very often so I took this chance gladly.
When I looked up again, I couldn't see the diver at all. It was clearly out of view (ha; oxymoron) under the water. When we spotted it again it had moved a little further towards the northern side of the reservoir. We followed it, lowering our profiles by keeping slightly below the level of the perimeter wall by walking on the sloping embankment on the opposite side to the water. The diver was now proving tricky to keep up with, and it was diving more frequently. It always seemed to be one paddle ahead.
While it was underwater, I raced to get ahead of it, anticipating where it would resurface. After a bit of hit and miss, eventually I got it spot on, and was amazed to be eyeballing the diver from probably just twenty metres away. Of course, the diver also saw me, but allowed me a few seconds before it dived again Close up, a Great Northern Diver is a very impressive creature. As big as a Goose with a huge bill, and large dark eyes set into a massive head. The body is long, with the legs and feet set well back which enables the bird to propel itself powerfully through the water. Crayfish don't stand a chance against such an impressive predator.
The diver was obviously fed up, both with us and on crayfish, since it then drifted way out and tucked its head in on its back and went into snooze mode. It was time for us to go but not before we'd checked in on a pair of Goldeneye. The ducks would soon be on their way north soon. The first hint of spring though, was in the air, literally in the shape of a flock of fifty or so Sand Martins that dropped in and started swooping across the reservoir. A spring in the step after what had seemed a very long winter.
Friday 3rd April; More Garden Gold
As I prepared for a day at work, I noticed that my local Goldfinches were snacking on the lavender in my front garden. I gently opened the window and took some photos. Not the best I've ever taken, it was still pretty dingy at the early hour, but nice to record. Goldfinches are a mainstay of our garden feeders, and they have bred in our garden so I feel as if these are "our" birds.
Saturday 4th April; Mud, Glorious Mud!
With absolutely no sign of any life ticks available since we saw the Killdeer in January, we chose to water down our plans to "only travel" for new life birds, to rarer birds that would be new for the year, because of boredom. We've been active year listers for a while now but have become increasingly irritated by travelling in this country, and especially in the south-east which is pretty much gridlocked at the best of times so this year decided to put a stop to all the nonsense. However, we've never been able to bird solely on patch (except during the lockdown of 2020), probably because our part of North Oxfordshire just isn't productive enough, and have always wanted variety in our birding. Hence our willingness to get out and about to see different species in different habitats.
We decided that a 2nd calendar-year American Golden Plover that had been present for a couple of weeks along the River Hamble at Warsash next to The Solent in Hampshire, was worthy of a trip out. We had seen a few American Golden Plovers before. The first we saw, was a juvenile on Davidstow Airfield in North Cornwall, which remains our best view of the species. Golden Plovers are generally very wary birds so close views usually come at a premium, and most of our views of the species since then had been from a distance.
It was raining as we parked up in the convenient carpark right next to the marina close to the mouth of the river. The plover had mainly been seen at a place, aptly named for the Easter Holiday, Bunny Meadows which was about half a mile from the carpark, although it could range much further afield. I realised my first mistake when we emerged from a narrow path next to the river. It was very much low tide, and the river was half the width that its would be when the tide was in. As a result there was lots of mud exposed at the edges which would encourage birds to feed. Unfortunately most wading birds feed at the edge of water which was a long way from the path. But mud does attract wading birds so I was hopeful that the plover might be feeding at the river edge somewhere. I had the scope on my back soo we'd be able to pick it out and see it even at a hundred yards.
We could see Redshanks and a couple of Curlews from the marina as soon as we joined the river path. There were also a few of the expected Black-tailed Godwits in attendance as well. Blackwits are pretty much a ubiquitous bird around the southern coasts wherever there is mud.
Just a short way upriver, I could see some Brent Geese near to the bank so we made our way to them. Brent Geese are fairly easy to find on estuaries and tidal marshes but are seldom as close in as this flock of ten birds. As we drew up alongside them, only perhaps twenty metres away from the path, the geese paid us no heed at all. They were enjoying tugging at the uncovered seaweed to find tasty shoots to eat.
We walked on but found nothing more notable than a fine drake Teal, and a flypast Oystercatcher. We both scanned both the riverside and the marshes inland but found little of note. The error of not checking the tide times before arriving wasn't helping. At least by mid-morning the tide was looking as if it had turned, judging by the expanse of mud that was slowly being reclaimed by the water again.
We continued on our walk reaching a bridge over a small inlet probably a mile from where we began. There was still no sign of the American Golden Plover (AGP), and our hopes were fading. There had been no sign of any Grey Plovers either, which the AGP was supposed to be associating with. However, we did find a new bird for our year list. A Greenshank flew up from near the path and landed in a creek. It would have been closer had I spotted it before it flushed but we still had some nice views.
Thinking that we'd given it as much effort as we could, and with the realisation that I'd clearly got the timing all wrong with the tides, we essentially gave up and decided to return to the car. Even though he tide was almost fully in by there was nos sign of the target bird. As we walked back, a few Black-tailed Godwits had flown in close to the riverbank and were feeding in the shallower water. Most of them were transitioning into their fine reddish summer breeding plumage. Godwits make willing subjects for photographers and these birds were no exception.
We reached Bunny Meadows again and gave it a good working over in case the AGP had returned. It hadn't. The careful scrutiny did pay off though, since I found our first Spotted Redshank of the year feeding in one of the creeks. The "Spot-shank" exhibited that not only could it wade but it could swim as well.
There were Gulls around of course, including a Mediterranean Gull that appeared hitched to a Black-headed Gull. There was still no sign of the AGP though so we quickly moved on again, especially since it was now raining steadily.
And then the bit of magic that all birders hope for, happened! Five birds winged past us at head height, just offshore. I only caught a quick glance of them as they powered past. I swung round and saw them land on Bunny's Meadow where we'd been just moments before. I had looked at reports of the American Golden Plover for the past few days, and it had always been with three Grey Plovers. One of the five birds that had flown past was much smaller than Grey Plover sized, and was probably a Dunlin, so that left the quartet that I'd been expecting. We walked as quickly as we could back to the bridge but I started scanning the marsh well before we got there. My suspicion was confirmed when I found, first a couple of Grey Plovers, the Dunlin, and then the American Golden Plover. It had taken the best part of three hours but we'd found our target bird.
 |
| American Golden Plover (centre foreground) with Grey Plover (left & right), and Dunlin (back) |
At that stage we were the only birders there so we were watching the plovers by ourselves. However, it wasn't long before we could see a posse of birders heading our way, including our friends Kev & Kyle, the year list kings. The other birders had obviously read the tides situation better than I had. The birds were not close and conditions had gotten worse, but the AGP, and the Grey Plovers, felt like quite a prize, one that seemed to be worth far more than mere year ticks.
We stayed for around ten minutes, trying hard in vain to gain some better images. It also gave us a chance to catch up with our mates and to find out how well their Big Year attempts were going. I wouldn't claim all the credit but it was mine and Mrs Caley's own efforts at getting three hundred species in a calendar year needed to gain a "Big Year" that inspired them to do it as well. Good luck to my mates attempts, not that they'd need it since they were well on course for success. Doing a Big Year is an enjoyable quest but it does take a lot of careful planning and a great deal of time, and money for driving, to achieve. We did exactly 300 in 2022, and topped that with 315 the following year. Since then we've eased off a bit, but have still seen in excess of 280 in 2024 & 2025 (bolstered to 343 with a week on Lesvos). I think a par score for an inland birder such as we are, with a couple of holidays to bird rich areas, is around 250, so getting more than that takes a lot more endeavour.
Our walk back, with a little extra spring in our heels despite the less than spring-like weather, was much better than the walk out. With the tide in, there were birds everywhere, although it was a passerine bird that stopped us in our tracks first. A female Wheatear, another first of the year for us, was skipping along the edge of the path. It was always a few metres ahead and seemed to enjoy running just ahead of us.
We wanted to get away for a nice coffee so eventually overtook the Wheatear and left it to wonder why it had bothered coming back now instead of waiting for better weather. The profusion of stunning Black-tailed Godwits slowed my progress back to the car. With such willing subjects to photograph, it was worth withstanding the drizzle and chilly wind for a while longer. It would make the coffee even better. The Brent Geese were also renewed targets for my lens, and also for each other since there was a lot of squabbling going on..
I found a nice looking cafe just a few miles up the road, and a few minutes after taking a seat realised that we'd been in the same cafe before after seeing a Bluethroat just a bit further round the Solent a few years back. The fare was excellent. Next time I'll know exactly where to go without having to resort to a repeat internet search to find it.
There was still the afternoon for more birding. We chose to head to Salisbury Plain with a couple more targets in mind. Not the military ones of course that are dotted around the plain for the army to practise on, but Some of the Great Bustards that were reintroduced to the area around ten years ago, and Stone Curlews which would be back on the stoney fields ready for breeding by now.
What we hadn't bargained on was the wind that had strengthened since we'd been out and up on the exposed plain was getting to almost gale force level. We drove slowly along the perimeter track, and having seen the bustards several times over the past few years, I knew which area they'd be in. I found two males in one of the likely fields so stopped to grab a few photos. The force of the wind almost blew the car door off! Even though the sun had come out, it was positively baltic outside of the car. The Great Bustards were a good hundred metres away but they are so big that decent record shots could still be obtained. Despite the strong wind, a few Swallows flew past us, another sign that spring was springing.
We didn't find any Stone Curlews. In such windy weather they would find sheltered spots on the leeward side of the hills to hunker down. We would try another well known spot for them sometime over the next few weeks. On our way out I spotted a grounded Red Kite which appeared to be snacking on something. Raptors like Red Kites are most often seen soaring in the sky, we get several every day flying low over our house and garden, so seeing one on the deck gives a different perspective on the birds.
Sunday 5th April; Putting the Gloss on Otmoor!
A fine sunny start to the day attracted the Goldfinches back to the front garden lavender patch. The sunshine, even though it shone almost directly at me as I watched from the living room, helped to gain some better photos this time. Six of one of our most beautiful of garden birds graced us this time.
The walk to the first screen was fairly uneventful but we did enjoy being out in some nice sunny weather for a change after all the greyness of recent weeks. Curlews bubbled, and Redshanks peeped. It was a good morning to be out on the Moor. On reaching the screen wee gazed out at the lagoon and were surprised at how few birds were on view. We had expected more so maybe our early optimism was somewhat misguided.
There were very few birders there as well. Otmoor attracts a lot of "dawn chasers", birders who arrive at first light and soak up the atmosphere of a world coming alive. We've done it ourselves in the past, the dawn chorus and rarefied air make for an exciting experience. However, early starts seem to be more difficult to make nowadays so we tend to toggle along when we are ready, which on this occasion was more than halfway through the morning period. Most of the early birders had already left for home. Our friends, and Otmoor stalwarts Bark, Oz & JR would be around somewhere but they weren't at the first screen. We shared the space with just two other people.
Our morning came alive when the long staying trio of Glossy Ibises flew in and made for their favourite bush in the middle of the lagoon. They took me by surprise, which was surprising as well because despite having little to look at, I hadn't yet adjusted my camera settings to the prevailing conditions. The resulting images were thus a fine set of silhouettes. The birds landed on the bush and promptly disappeared within it, a skill of disappearing that many birds possess, and one that I have never fathomed how they do it.
Another enforced lull was broken by a Red Kite flying past the screen at head height. The fact that I raised the camera to take photos laid testament to the quietness of the morning since I rarely bother to photograph Kites anymore because they are a common sight everywhere you go to in our area. Obviously I must be primed though to take advantage of a good (unusual) photographic opportunity. This particular Red Kite was flying barely three metres above the water and probably only twenty metres away. It was a challenge to fit the whole bird in the frame. I just had time, after zooming out a bit, to take six images of which only three had captured the Red Kite whole. On review of those images, I noticed that the Red Kite had been carrying something in its talons. Closer scrutiny revealed the bounty to be rather gruesome, a severed Greylag Goose head!
Despite having witnessed the courtship of Great Crested Grebes many times, I'd never actually taken any decent photos of the act. The male and female approach each other and then dive under water. They resurface with each bird carrying a lump of weed and then rear up on their feet, far back on their bodies of course, so that they "stand" tall. They then gyrate in unison, with head turns and twists, and scuttle across the water. The dance is performed with much gusto but also with grace, and lasts for a good couple of minutes. The two birds performing in the sunshine on this morning were close enough for some nice images. The male is distinguishable by his more elaborate and larger head dress.
This was becoming a good morning for close views of several species. Next up was a Kestrel that flew directly towards the screen and then flew past almost as near as the Red Kite had. Again, I don't always lift the camera for Kestrels anymore, unless they do venture close. The familiar falcon is always worth a watch though, especially when hovering above a grassy field.
The three Glossy Ibises were in the air, whirling up high above the lagoon and then dropping down to their favoured resting bush again. They were likely reacting to one of the marauding Marsh Harriers that periodically check the surrounding reeds out for opportunities. When the Ibises settled down, they were on the screen side of the bush allowing for some nice views. The first Glossy Ibis that I ever saw was stood on top of a tree, something that I hadn't expected at the time since I'd spent over an hour checking creeks and marshes for the bird. I learned that day to never expect the expected and that birds like Ibises are quite happy and very likely to stand in trees.
We had a major surprise, also totally unexpected given where we were, when a small flock of a dozen Ringed Plovers sped north past the screen. I saw, and heard, them well enough to make the identification. They were too quick for my camera though. I did manage to take photos of them as they passed but the focussing wasn't quick enough to gain any sharp images. I had much better fortune with a Tufted Duck that flew across the lagoon a few moments later.
Our luck was to improve on the Ibis front when the three amigos flew up from the bush again. This time they flew directly towards us. I couldn't miss, with the sunshine directly behind us, the birds literally shone like beacons as they approached. However, I didn't quite get the exposure correct. It seems that here is always something lacking in my skills. The Ibises landed on Big Otmoor in the closest corner to the screen. Trees and bushes made it awkward to observe them clearly. My chance had passed and still ruing another mistake, I was about to return to looking out at the lagoon again, when the Ibises took off. They were obviously unsettled by something, maybe there was a raptor way up high that we couldn't see. This time, when they passed the screen, I was better prepared, with the camera exposure increased so that the radiant colours of the birds would stand out. Thirty seconds later, I had my best photos of Glossy Ibises in flight that I've ever taken.
Ibis, along with Storks, look positively pterodactyl-like in flight (not that I've seen one of those; I'm not quite that old) and provide a good example of the dinosaur-to-bird lineage. Some of the photos I took further underline the birds ancestral history.
There was one more bird we were hoping to see on the moor that morning, and a few minutes that target bird, a Bittern, dutifully flew out of, and over the reeds. It's leisurely flight, Bitterns don't anything in a hurry, and even seem to fly in slow motion. However, this one had to quicken its flapping when it was harassed by a male Marsh Harrier. Judging by the Bitterns consternation, it was far from amused by the unwelcome attention.
The pair of Great Crested Grebes appeared to be preparing for another dance. They were very close to the screen as well so I prepared for another bout of ducking & diving. The Grebes though had other ideas and after a few initial head turns, swam off to feed instead.
We really enjoy mornings like this one.
Monday 6th April; A Quiet Easter Morning
Easter Monday can be an awkward day for birding locally. The main sites such as Otmoor prove very attractive to many folk and get very busy so I've always tended to ignore them and head somewhere quieter. It was still too early for most spring migrants to arrive, and we were pretty lost for ideas what to do. So with a new, and prestigious job looming for the following day, I decided to take it easy and just spend a couple of hours at our local wetlands reserve.
The warden of the wetlands had reported some Little Ringed Plovers on the Cattle Bridge Pool at the far end of the reserve so we headed straight there first. Unsurprisingly given our recent track record, there was no sign of the early returning migrant plovers but we enjoyed a nice hour in the hide anyway, and were warmed up after a chilly start to the day by beaming sunshine. There were a few bright birds on offer too. A pair of Shelduck, not common here, were smooching about, and a pair of Black-headed Gulls appeared to be in the first stages of courtship.
A Little Egret awoke from its slumber and stalked along the far bank in search of breakfast. It was soon unsettled by a passing Crow, and took to flight spurring me into taking a few photos. We see Little Egrets on almost every visit here now, a far cry from when I first picked up binoculars in earnest over three decades ago. The Egret did an about turn and landed back on the pool.
It was a lazy day with little happening. I did get a surprise though when I glanced out of the side window of the hide and found myself staring into the eyes of a Fox. It wasn't a Happy Easter for the rabbit that it was carrying, which was presumably destined as a meal for the cubs back in the den. That Easter Bunny would at least make some other critters happy.
I stayed for a short while longer, taking a few photos of whatever came along, which in truth was little. The reserve here has been badly affected by the intrusion and expansion of the Bicester metropolis, where car parking and boutique shopping outlets reign supreme. It's with great credit to Alan, Colin and other volunteers that they keep battling on to provide this welcome oasis amidst the madness. The pair of Black-headed Gulls appeared content and were still noisily wooing each other.
After taking lunch at our favourite cafe, we spent a couple of hours at our local Goshawk hotspot. It wasn't a classic afternoon despite the clear sunny skies. This year hasn't been the best at the forest although we have had some nice, if distant, views of the Goshawks. On this trip a couple of the awesome hawks flew past but neither gave me the longed for close up photos that I so crave.
Friday 10th April; Last Ditch
One last fling for the year at getting some decent Goshawk photos ended in disappointment. In fact, most of the birds we hoped to see that day, largely avoided us. We checked in on our only known local spot for Little Owls, but they must have been tucked up in bed on what was a chilly and breezy morning. However, while searching for them, I found a decent sized flock of around twenty Fieldfares in nearby trees, which felt like a good find for the time of year since our wintering thrushes are usually gone by now.
We tried for Goshawks at our top place for them. We saw a second-year bird but again it stayed too far away for any photos. I live in hope that one day, one of the awesome raptors will fly right over my head. In the quiet moments while waiting for raptors we watched a fine male Pied Wagtail hunt insects on a rather smelly dung heap which the farmer had piled next to our parking area.
A Common Buzzard did do the honourable thing and sail over the road. The Buzzards, up to six, were involved in lots of courtship sparring in the skies above. This spring we had seen little display from the Goshawks, despite their numbers apparently increasing. Maybe they had chosen a different part of the forest this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment