7th Dec 2025

Highlights this week were a flyover Great White Egret, heading south-west on Friday morning, and this morning Clive had 2 Egyptian Geese. He also had a distant goose in flight that could have been the Pink-footed Goose, but unfortunately not able to confirm.

30th Nov 2025: Pink-footed Goose!!

Yesterday morning JFT found a PINK-FOOTED GOOSE in the cattle field! This is almost certainly the same one he saw a bit further south down the Cherwell valley last weekend. This incredible record is the first for the patch and a very good bird for the county. There was also a female Goldeneye on the reservoir and the pair of Stonechats.

Unfortunately, the Pink-footed Goose was not seen today around the reservoir or just north into the Cherwell valley. There was actually very few geese around at all and I expect they've moved to flooded areas down the valley. The Goldeneye was still on the reservoir and there was at least 3 Chiffchaffs on patch. I also noted at least four other Chiffchaffs near home and along the river up to the reservoir as well, so there's still a good number around passing through.

There was also a very intriguing record today from someone else looking for the goose, of 3 yellow-billed swans flying south towards Banbury. Unfortunately not seen well enough to identify but a good chance they flew over the patch.

Photos courtesy and copyright of JFT

23rd Nov 2025

Back to being fairly quiet again this week, with Shoveler, Yellow-legged Gull, Marsh Tit and the pair of Stonechats the highlights. 

16th Nov 2025: Little Gulls

It had been a fairly quiet couple of weeks, with an irregular pair of Wigeon and the Marsh Tit the only interest. Then today after a strong north-easterly there was suddenly a increase of activity and some good birds in the mix. 

As I was walking up and paying attention to a passerine flock along the river, I wasn't paying attention to the large number of gulls flying over... when JFT had a Little Gull go high east and a flock of 1 Gadwall and 3 Wigeon fly around. We met up at the top end and we had a Snipe and a group of 13 Lapwing over. As JFT was walking back to the car park I could see him waving his arms about and there was another Little Gull! This one dropped in for a very brief moment and also headed off east. I heard Golden Plover calling somewhere above but we couldn't pick it out. A Mediteranean Gull went through south with another load of gulls and 2 Wigeon got harrassed by a/the pair of Peregrines as they came through.

Courtesy and copyright of JFT

2nd Nov 2025

The highlight of the week was a Great White Egret that JFT saw drop in on Tuesday morning. It showed very nicely for him but unfortunately it didn't stay very long. 

The Cormorant numbers continued to rise through the week to an impressive 83 yesterday morning. 

Other bits seen this week were the Marsh Tit (singing), Blackcap and Chiffchaff, a Yellow-legged Gull, a few Redpolls, and the pair of Stonechats.

Egret pics courtesy and copyright of JFT

26th Oct 2025

Our first Great Crested Grebe of the winter arrived this week and the number of Cormorants continued to build.

This morning we had 3 Crossbills again, which left the wood and flew south. We were able to see one was a red male and I assume this is the same three birds that have been seen intermitiently over the last few weeks. Also this morning, 3+ Redpolls over and a few Siskins amongst a noticible movement of Chaffinches. There were 3+ Chiffchaffs around and the pair of Stonechat.

19th Oct 2025: Rock Pipits, Goldeneye and Pintail

We had a nice week with a few good birds recorded. The highlight being multiple Rock Pipits during an influx of passage birds into the country. We also had two new birds for the year with Goldeneye and Pintail.

On Tuesday, following a report of 15 (!) Rock Pipits at Farmoor, JFT checked Grimsbury and found 2 present but they were seen flying off north. On Wednesday morning Ade and Fances Buckel found the Goldeneye and another Rock Pipit. I visited early afternoon to see the Goldeneye and found the Pintail and there were 2 Rock Pipits, later Clive had 3 Rock Pipits and by late afternoon Jon Bowley had 5 Rock Pipits. On Thursday morning Ian had 4 Rock Pipits but there were no more for the rest of the week. For us to get multiple Rock Pipits in any year or in one day is very notable, but to get 5 in one day and a minimum of 7 over two days is exceptional.

Other interest through the week was up to 7 Wigeon, 2 Shoveler, 2 Yellow-leeged Gulls, a high count of 58 Cormorants, as well as a Mistle Thrush, the Marsh Tit, 3 Stonechat and a couple of Redpolls. 

This morning JFT had another 3 Crossbills fly out of the wood and 90 Fieldfare and 14 Redwing over.

Courtesy and copyright of JFT

12th Oct 2025

It was generally quiet this week, but a few bits and bobs kept us ticking over.

On Tuesday there was a steady flow of a small number of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks with a few Siskins too. The Marsh Tit was still in the wood and a Lapwing flew over the Borrow Pit pool. At the reservoir a ringed Black-headed Gull turned out to be a returning bird we've seen a over the last few years - EMK1, ringed as juvenile in the Netherlands in 2022.

On the Wednesday morning a Mistle thrush was at the reservoir and in the rough field up the valley, just north of the M40, there was a pair of Stonechats, a Redpoll and a Whitethroat.

This morning Clive saw 9 Wigeon, 10 Siskin, 2 Redwing and a Little Egret at the reservoir.

5th Oct 2025

A single Dunlin was still present on Monday morning and there was also a female Goosander that flew in and around but didn't land, seen by Ian.

Yesterday evening JFT saw 3 Shoveler and this morning he saw 2 Wigeon.

Photos courtesy and copyright of JFT

29th Sep 2025: Dunlin and Crossbills

Generally there was very little of note all week but the Marsh Tit was seen again on Friday. 

Today, things really changed with a few good patch birds making it a really nice morning in what has been a generally really poor autumn so far. Clive and John B found 2 Dunlin and a Snipe along the western shore, all of which flushed but the Dunlin reappeared and despite further flushes apparently stayed all day. The Dunlin were the first of the year and Snipe are very rarely seen on the deck here.

As we were stood chatting at the northern end 3 Common Crossbills flew in calling and appeared to land in the wood. Shortly after a single bird flew west. I searched the wood for them but there was no sign of them. These were the first crossbills recorded here since 2020.

On my way out I stopped to get a better look at the Dunlin and a Rock Pipit flew along the west shore and landed south of me. It was flighty and flushed every time people/dogs walked by, even going into the cattle field briefly, and the last I saw of it it flew to the eastern bank.

21st Sep 2025

This week really felt like autumn and there was a little variation of birds recorded.

There has been a Common Sandpiper around on most days still and a couple of Ravens have been present on a few days. On Tuesday there was 1(+) Mistle Thrush I heard flying over the wood, Ian picked out a Garden Warbler in the scrub on the western side and JFT saw a Common Tern in the evening.

The Marsh Tit was still around, seen on Wednesday and today, and there have been a few more Siskins, with half a dozen in the wood today.

14th Sep 2025: Marsh Tit

The main news from the last couple of weeks is the presence of a Marsh Tit in the wood with the roving flock, seen last Sunday and today and the first record since 2021. Clive and I had both thought we'd heard one over the previous few of weeks but couldn't be sure.

Four Gadwall on the 5th coincided with a noticeable local influx. A Skylark and 11 Meadow Pipits over south on the 6th were the first of the Autumn and there have been a few Siskins too. Otherwise there has been a Common Sandpiper around most days, presumably the same one, regular Kingfisher and a few Yellow Wagtails.

31st Aug 2025

It's been another fairly quiet couple of weeks really. The 2 Spotted Flycatchers from Sunday 17th were still present on the Monday morning, but otherwise very little of note.

The gull numbers appear to be dropping again but there's still been 1-2 Yellow-legged Gulls on most visits. As well as the odd Common Sandpiper and Yellow Wagtail.

17th Aug 2025: Spotted Flycatchers

Generally this week has been the same with large numbers of gulls being the general interest, which has pulled in a few Common Gulls, and on Thursday evening there were 3 Common Sandpipers.

Today Clive and John Beak found 2 Spotted Flycatchers in the wood. Our first of the year.

10th Aug 2025

It's generally been a quiet couple of weeks with little change and not much to report. With the large number of gulls around, particularly Lesser Black-backed Gulls, there's normally been a few Yellow-legged Gulls around too with up to six on some visits. There's also been the odd Little Ringed Plover and Yellow Wagtail of note, but very little else.

Today was a bit different though with JFT seeing a juvenile Mediterranean Gull and 2 Mandarin Ducks early on and then a second juvenile Med Gull stood on one of the nearby warehouses. As well as that, as he was leaving a Common Tern flew in for a couple of minutes.

Photos courtesy and copyright of JFT