Well, what a year! 2015 was the B.O.S. Big Bird Year and 126 species were recorded. I didn't think that would be easy to beat but somehow, we did and recorded 128 species around the patch this year. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed with sightings and photos over the year but especially the volunteer work party who work very hard to maintain and improve the nature reserve for us to all to enjoy. So here is my little review and highlights of the year.
The first winter period was quite good for wildfowl and we recorded all of the commoner and expected species early in the year, including up to 9 Goosander and a Goldeneye. The Willow Tit and a Chiffchaff wintered in the wood and the Willow Tit was actually recorded in every month this year, which is the first year I have known that to happen. A Green Sandpiper and Stonechat were seen in the Upper Cherwell Valley as were good numbers of Lapwing and Golden Plover (mostly flying over). Barn Owl and Great Black-backed Gull was also recorded up the valley. By February birds were starting to move around ready for spring and a Mediterranean Gull, a Curlew and a Shelduck were all recorded. In March spring migration really kicked off, especially for hirundines, and we recorded another two Med Gulls, an Oystercatcher, Little Ringed Plover, a Little Egret, the three hirundines and a Rock Pipit. Two Egyptian Geese flying over in March were a new species recorded at the reservoir.
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| Courtesy and copyright of John Friendship-Taylor |
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| Courtesy and copyright of John Friendship-Taylor |
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| Courtesy and copyright of John Friendship-Taylor |
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| Courtesy and copyright of Roger Wyatt |
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| Courtesy and copyright of Dave Fuller |
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| Courtesy and copyright of John Friendship-Taylor |
By April the spring migrants were arriving rapidly with most of the commoner migrants arriving by the end of the month and with them came a few highlights. The first was a Black-necked Grebe in near full summer plumage at the Borrow Pit pool, a species rarely recorded in the area. A Garganey was also recorded there later in the month. I wouldn't have guessed when this pool was created that we'd be recording birds like this there! A Wood Warbler singing in the woodland NR one morning, but only seen very briefly, was a new species for the reserve. Other highlights included a Little Gull, an Osprey and one (possibly two) Kittiwakes at the reservoir.
In May the last of the warblers arrived with a Grasshopper Warbler in the U.C.V. There was a good wader passage that allowed us to record a Turnstone and a Sanderling. An Arctic Tern made a fleeting visit and a Nuthatch was heard one morning near the Water Treatment Works.
Rather against the usual pattern for here, we saw more Redstarts and Spotted Flycatchers in spring than autumn this year and even had a Redstart singing one morning. Breeding was well underway for most species and Grey Wagtails nested near the entrance to the reservoir and Sparrowhawks nested in the wood.
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| Courtesy and copyright of Colin Wilkinson |
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| Courtesy and copyright of John Friendship-Taylor |
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| Courtesy and copyright of Derek Lane |
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| Courtesy and copyright of John Friendship-Taylor |
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| Courtesy and copyright of John Friendship-Taylor |
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| Courtesy and copyright of John Friendship-Taylor |
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| Courtesy and copyright of Colin Wilkinson |
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| Courtesy and copyright of John Friendship-Taylor |
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| Courtesy and copyright of Kyle Smith |
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| Courtesy and copyright of Mike Pollard |
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| Courtesy and copyright of John Friendship-Taylor |
June and July were rather quiet, as to be expected, but we did record an Oystercatcher, some Common Terns that we were unsure about which way they were travelling and the first Yellow-legged Gulls started arriving. We turned our attention away from birds slightly and managed to confirm Scarlet Tiger moths on site and found Bee Orchids and a single Pyramidal Orchid up the valley.
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| Courtesy and copyright of John Friendship-Taylor |
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| Courtesy and copyright of John Friendship-Taylor |
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| Courtesy and copyright of John Friendship-Taylor |
Through August and September our minds were truly back on birds during the autumn migration. Another Osprey was seen flying south, Black-tailed Godwits, Ringed Plover a Black Tern and three more Med Gull, a Tree Pipit, Whinchats and returning Spotted Flycatchers and Redstarts were all seen during August. In September a returning Green Sandpiper, a Little Egret, another Med Gull and another Tree Pipit were recorded. A really good record was a flock of 37 Wigeon that flew over.
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| Courtesy and copyright of John Friendship-Taylor |
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| Courtesy and copyright of Mike Pollard |
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| Courtesy and copyright of John Friendship-Taylor |
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| Courtesy and copyright of John Friendship-Taylor |
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| Courtesy and copyright of Colin Wilkinson |
October passed us by without any storm driven sea birds but we did see another Rock Pipit, a group of five Pintails, a Marsh Tit (that stayed to the end of the year), two drake Mandarins and we had Redwings, Fieldfares and other passerines flying over. In November a Great Black-backed Gull was seen at the reservoir and two Shelducks and the first Goosander of the winter were recorded on the same day. Remarkably an Otter was also seen again in November with two sightings in the same week. By December I think we had all thought the year was more or less over and we would struggle to see anything new this year. however, a large number of gulls had started loafing in the fields of the Upper Cherwell Valley during the day which also attracted Caspian Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls. One evening a Caspian Gull was recorded at the reservoir (a site first) and there was a very interesting record of an albino Herring Gull.
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| Courtesy and copyright of John Friendship-Taylor |
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| Courtesy and copyright of Mike Pollard |
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