30th Apr 2023

Monday - Another adult Kittiwake (the 5th of the year!) early on. Also 1 Lesser Whitethroat and a pair of Gadwall.

Tuesday - Whinchat, female Redstart, 1 Common Sandpiper. 

Wednesday - 1 Reed Warbler, 3 Common Sandpipers, Yellow Wagtail, 4 Sedge Warblers, 3 Willow Warblers, 1 Garden Warbler.

Thursday - Garden Warbler, Common Sandpiper, 1 male and 2 female Yellow Wagtails.

Friday - 2 Garden Warblers, 4 Sedge Warblers, 1 Lesser Whitethroat singing, 1 Swift.

Saturday - Greenshank early on and flew north, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Arctic Tern briefly, Common Tern, 5 Swifts, 1 Garden Warbler, 4 Sedge Warblers, Hobby.

Sunday - 6 Swift, Common Sandpiper. 

Various observers - thanks!

Photos courtesy and copyright of JFT

23rd Apr 2023: Pied Flycatcher and RING OUZEL!!

Monday - Shelduck over flying North, 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 singing Whitethroat.

Tuesday - Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail.

Wednesday - 1 Whimbrel feeding in cattle field early on but soon flew off in NE direction. 4 singing Sedge Warblers and 2+ Whitethroats.

Thursday - 1 singing Sedge Warbler.

Friday - Plenty mixed hirundines. Swift, 1 male Yellow Wagtail, 2 singing Sedge Warblers, 3-4 singing Willow Warblers.

Saturday - 2 Common Sandpiper, Whitethroat, 2 Yellow Wagtail.

Sunday 23rd - a great fall (and a day I regrettably missed!). A Pied Flycatcher was found early on by Mike Pollard and early afternoon a RING OUZEL (which is a site first I believe) was found by Mark Ribbons. There was also 1 singing Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Whinchat, 8 Wheatear, 3 Redstart, Swift, 3 Whitethroat.

Various observers - thank you!

Courtesy and copyright of Mike Pollard

Courtesy and copyright of Kyle Smith

16th Apr 2023

Monday - Common Scoter, Grasshopper Warbler and 2 Wheatear. male Redstart and Yellow Wagtail. Little Ringed Plover.

Tuesday - 2 male Redstarts.

Wednesday - 1 male Redstart (possible female too), Oystercatcher over south, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 1 White Wagtail, 8+ Willow Warbler, 7 House Martin + others. 200+ Swallows & 6 Yellow Wagtails in the evening.

Thursday - 2 (2+?) Redstarts male and female, 2 Yellow Wagtails, White Wagtail, 15 House Martins, Lesser Redpoll.

Friday - Common Sandpiper, male Redstart, Wheatear, 2 Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Sedge Warbler.

Saturday - male Redstart, 5 male Wheatear, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 2 White Wagtails, Little Ringed Plover, Snipe, 2 Lesser Redpoll.

Sunday - Common Sandpiper, Wheatear, male Redstart, Common Whitethroat, 2 Yellow Wagtail.

Various observers - thanks!

Courtesy and copyright of Mike Pollard

9th Apr 2023: Oystercatcher (and another Kittiwake!)

A much quieter week again this week, especially compared to last week.

Kev saw a late Redwing on Wednesday and Mike had a House Martin with c.150 Sand Martins and a few Swallows.

Thursday morning there was a brief visit from a Yellow Wagtail and another good group of hirudines including 2 House Martins. A bit later John found another Kittiwake, our fourth of the year!

This morning I had a Little Ringed Plover fly over west and possibly the same or another heard again later. An Oystercatcher flew in and landed at the reservoir, then moved to the cattle field and then flew off north after about 25 minutes.

Courtesy and copyright of JFT
(last Sunday's bird)

Courtesy and copyright of Mike Pollard

Courtesy and copyright of Mike Pollard

2nd Apr 2023: Kittiwakes and spring migrants

The headline bird/s for this week was not one but two different Kittiwakes, with an adult bird dropping in for most of the day yesterday and another one today. Initially I assumed today's bird would be the same as yesterday, but when John started reviewing photos it was clearly a different individual with no grey on the ear coverts. With one back in January, having three different birds now seems a bit greedy! Other than that there was a load of incoming spring migrants to enjoy.

In general news, the female Mute Swan starting egg laying and by the end of the week is sitting tight on at least two eggs. There's been plenty of Sand Martins passing through (including 60+ on a few days) and numbers of Swallows building up with several seen on Saturday and a group of c.15 today.

Monday afternoon Kev found our first Yellow Wagtail of the year, a really early record for us, and a Little Ringed Plover also present. The Yellow Wagtail was still there Tuesday morning (and I assume the same bird actually around all week) and Mike P had 40 Common Gulls.

Wednesday lunchtime Mike P had our first Dunlin and Wheatear of the year and later John had our first Willow Warbler and 150 Common Gulls.

Ian found our first Blackcap of the year on Thursday and confirmed the Dunlin was still around. Friday morning he had 2 Blackcaps and Sandra B saw our first House Martin of the year and a Wheatear in the Cattle Field. Clare Curnow also had a Wheatear near the Borrow Pit pool and a Peregrine over.

Saturday morning Adrian T had our first Sedge Warbler, and another House Martin. Later in the morning Ian had our first Common Tern and found that day's Kittiwake. At least one White Wagtail was seen whilst we were enjoying views of the Kittiwake.

This morning the Common Tern was still around. John picked up today's Kittiwake drop in at just gone 9:30 and both Yellow and White Wagtail were seen. This evening there was 2 Yellow and possibly 2 White Wagtails. 
There was also an Arctic Tern reported today but so far no one knows who saw it or reported it, if it was you or you know who saw it please let us know. 

A very enjoyable week! Cheers for all the new sightings and updates throughout.

Courtesy and copyright of JFT

Courtesy and copyright of JFT

Courtesy and copyright of Mike Pollard

Courtesy and copyright of JFT

Courtesy and copyright of JFT

26th Mar 2023: Early spring migrants

It was a fairly mixed week, but spring migrants are definitely moving in. As well as Chiffchaffs singing from seemingly every direction there's also been a steady trickle of Sand Martins passing through.

Tuesday morning I had a pair of Shelduck drop in briefly, which flew off as soon as the Mute Swans were on to them, and a single Lesser Redpoll along the river. Later on Sandra had 35 Tufted Ducks at the Borrow Pit pool, far more than I had at the weekend, and Mark had a Barn Owl hunting in the U.C.V. 

Thursday evening Mike P had a Raven over. Friday evening I found our first Little Ringed Plover of the year.

Saturday morning there was 6 Lesser Redpolls along the river, just into the wood, and several Siskins. Two flocks of Fieldfare flew over east totalling c.180 birds and there was an impressive number of Common Gulls passing through (I assume from the Boddington roost) with c.450 birds by 8:30.

Sunday morning John found our first Swallow of the year with 2 Sand Martins, which stayed around most of the day being joined by several more Sand Martins.

19th Mar 2023: Sand Martins

On Wednesday Mike found our first Sand Martins of the year, with 3 and then 4 feeding over the reservoir. There was also a/the male Stonechat and a Peregrine over. Ian had a group of 12 Meadow Pipits drop in during the rain too.

Thursday morning John had 4 to 6 Sand Martins again and a few Chiffchaffs along the river, almost certainly the first new ones in from wintering further south. Later in the morning Adrian had 30+ Sand Martins, a good early arrival of multiple birds.

Friday morning Ian had 5+ Chiffchaffs and 25-30 Siskin.

Saturday morning I had 9 Sand Martins through and 10+ (probably over 20) Chiffchaffs. 3 Redpolls were feeding in the Alders along the river and 4 flew past me a bit later. There were 5 Gadwall up at the Borrow Pit pool. 

On Sunday morning I had 3 Coot on the reservoir, which is odd for here, but not a lot else. A little later Clive had a Peregrine over.

Courtesy and copyright of Mike Pollard

Courtesy and copyright of Edwin Barson

12th Mar 2023

Very quiet this week. Adrian had a Chiffchaff on Monday and the male Stonechat was still around on Thursday and Saturday at least.

Photos courtesy and copyright of JFT

5th Mar 2023

It's been another fairly quiet week, but there has been a few bits and bobs to keep the interest levels ticking over. 

On Tuesday a male Stonechat was along the western path, which seems likely to be a migrant bird away from the usual wintering locations, and was still present up to Saturday at least. Two Peregrines were seen flying over on Tuesday and a single bird also went over on Saturday.

Up to two Lesser Redpolls were seen a few times this week and on Saturday John had c.10 Siskins. Four Ravens flew over on Saturday too.

26th Feb 2023: Red-crested Pochards

Mike had a pair of Red-crested Pochard and a drake Wigeon on Thursday. Otherwise though, it was just the usual.

Courtesy and copyright of Mike Pollard

19th Feb 2023

Another quiet week. John had a Peregrine over carrying prey on Wednesday morning and Edwin had a Stonechat just north of the reservoir, but that was about it!

12th Feb 2023

It's been a quiet week and for the first week/post this year there were no year ticks. John had a male Peregrine over yesterday morning. This morning there was a Chiffchaff along the river and 5 Gadwall (4 drakes) on the Borrow Pit pool.

(photos are actually from Balscote Quarry)

5th Feb 2023: Shelduck

Thursday morning Bruce Hendrie found a Shelduck at the reservoir and thankfully it stayed around for a while. Mike P also saw c.300 Lapwing over the UCV.

Courtesy and copyright of Bruce Hendrie

Saturday morning I had a walk around and although there are many more birds singing now, including my first singing Reed Bunting of the year, there was little of note. There were 4 Lesser Redpolls feeding in Willowherb along the canal and 4 Gadwall (3 drakes) at the Borrow Pit. As I was leaving a Mistle Thrush flew over the water treatment works. 

29th Jan 2023

Friday afternoon a pair of Peregrine flew over towards town, there was at least one Redpoll in the finch flock along the river and c.65 Greylag Geese came in to roost as it got dark (too dark to get an accurate count). There was at least 3 ringed Black-headed Gulls stood on the railings. One had only a metal ring but the 2 with darvic rings were from Norway (white ring J0913) and the West Midlands (black ring 2HLJ).

Fairly standard Saturday morning, but there was a pair of Sparrowhawk displaying over the wood and c.300 Lapwings over the valley.

This morning with JFT, the Greylags had been in overnight again and I saw c.45-50 before they left, but as they were already leaving in small groups when I arrived I expect there were more. A flock of c.510 Lapwing flew over the reservoir and then back up to the UCV, where we later saw smaller groups up a few times. The Sparrowhawks were displaying again. There was a Gadwall and female Stonechat at the Borrow Pit and a Raven over. We had 4 Snipe and a Jack Snipe and Woodcock in their usual locations. Also a Redpoll again, briefly, along the river as we were leaving.

This evening Mike Pollard recorded an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

22nd Jan 2023

Thursday morning Mike Pollard saw several Siskins, including 2 males singing, and Adrian B had a female Peregrine over.

Saturday morning Kirsty had a female Stonechat up by the Borrow Pit pool and later I had 2 Gadwall at the reservoir.

This morning the Gadwall were still there and there was a single Teal in amongst the gulls in the middle of the mostly frozen reservoir. There was also 3 Egyptian Geese in the fields up the valley.

Siskin courtesy and copyright of Edwin Barson
https://www.facebook.com/EBarsonphotography/