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Oxfordshire birding (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter gareth_blockley
- Start date
hughlewiswright
Member
GD-ACM said:
I think this bird is pretty well-known so there isn't a problem posting directions here. North of Banbury is a village called Cropredy, go through there and on the north side take the right hand turning that heads NE towards Aston Le Walls. You go over the river and the canal and then it should be on the field on the left.
I've managed to find a lift so I'm gonna take a look this afternoon.
Cheers
Hugh
gareth_blockley
Smile people
Hello folks,
The crane is only about ten minutes drive from where i live and i've been working in bucks dawn til dusk so haven't seen it yet?! Apparantly has been around for about a week, why hasn't it been announced sooner? Anyways, if it stays til sunday i will definately be going to see it. Grid reference for birds location: SP475482
There has also been a report of Rough-legged buzzard at the MOD base Kineton (Warks) which is even closer to my home?!
Also reported; Caspian gull at Dix pit.
Hope you guys see the crane
Gareth
The crane is only about ten minutes drive from where i live and i've been working in bucks dawn til dusk so haven't seen it yet?! Apparantly has been around for about a week, why hasn't it been announced sooner? Anyways, if it stays til sunday i will definately be going to see it. Grid reference for birds location: SP475482
There has also been a report of Rough-legged buzzard at the MOD base Kineton (Warks) which is even closer to my home?!
Also reported; Caspian gull at Dix pit.
Hope you guys see the crane
Gareth
Barry Boswell
Well-known member
gareth_blockley said:
I saw the Crane this morning. It flew in around 10.30 am I believe and was certainly there until mid-day. Close enough to the road to give really good views.
Barry Boswell
gareth_blockley
Smile people
I spent the morning at Otmoor RSPB 44 species seen. Birds of note were Little egret and Red kite, also Peregrines and flocks of Dunlin and Knot reported. No migrants present yet.
Went on to see the Common Crane in Cropredy. Great veiws from the road (grid reference above). It was fairly distant but out in the open.
Also Caspian gull still present at Dix pit.
Lets see what we can find tomorrow!
Gareth
Went on to see the Common Crane in Cropredy. Great veiws from the road (grid reference above). It was fairly distant but out in the open.
Also Caspian gull still present at Dix pit.
Lets see what we can find tomorrow!
Gareth
gareth_blockley
Smile people
First spring migrant!
There was a single Sand martin reported from Farmoor reservoir on the 17th, as well as the longstaying Water pipit and even longer staying Shag.
The Common crane is still present at Cropredy but has apparently now changed its usual field and goes to the one next door.
Bit cold ain't it !
There was a single Sand martin reported from Farmoor reservoir on the 17th, as well as the longstaying Water pipit and even longer staying Shag.
The Common crane is still present at Cropredy but has apparently now changed its usual field and goes to the one next door.
Bit cold ain't it !
hughlewiswright
Member
GD-ACM said:
Yeah I got it in the end, nice adult bird! It also flew up while I was there and we followed it into Northants and back!
I'm back in Somerset for a month now and then when I come back to Oxon I'll have finals so not a great deal of Oxon birding for me in the next 3 months.
Cheers
Hugh
gareth_blockley
Smile people
A brief on the last few days:
Common crane at Cropredy still
Shag, Water pipit and and c.80 Sand martins at Farmoor with Iceland Gull, 2 Caspian Gull and a Med gull in the Gull roost 24th
Caspian Gull in Farmoor roost 23rd
Little ringed plover at Farmoor 22nd
8 Red-crested pochard at Dix pit
A week off so there will some more personal reports from me, anyone else want to share there birding experiences?
Gareth
Common crane at Cropredy still
Shag, Water pipit and and c.80 Sand martins at Farmoor with Iceland Gull, 2 Caspian Gull and a Med gull in the Gull roost 24th
Caspian Gull in Farmoor roost 23rd
Little ringed plover at Farmoor 22nd
8 Red-crested pochard at Dix pit
A week off so there will some more personal reports from me, anyone else want to share there birding experiences?
Gareth
gareth_blockley
Smile people
Hey folks
Last few days have seen the same birds returning on reports:
Croperdy - Crane.
Farmoor - Shag, Water pipit and Sand martin's (c.200), with Iceland, Caspian and Med gulls in the roost.
Otmoor - the usual with a Merlin on 21st (also being reported in Port meadow). There was a rarer bird yesturday but i'm sworn to secrecy.. for now! :-@
I went to both Farmoor and Otmoor today with 58 species seen in total. Highlights for Farmoor being the Shag on the tern raft, Water pipit on the causeway and several Chiffchaffs, distinct lack of Sand martins today though. Highlights for Otmoor were Marsh tit, Little owl (heard), Grey partridge (heard behing main bridleway), Shellduck, and Cetti's warblers calling.
More to come soon
Last few days have seen the same birds returning on reports:
Croperdy - Crane.
Farmoor - Shag, Water pipit and Sand martin's (c.200), with Iceland, Caspian and Med gulls in the roost.
Otmoor - the usual with a Merlin on 21st (also being reported in Port meadow). There was a rarer bird yesturday but i'm sworn to secrecy.. for now! :-@
I went to both Farmoor and Otmoor today with 58 species seen in total. Highlights for Farmoor being the Shag on the tern raft, Water pipit on the causeway and several Chiffchaffs, distinct lack of Sand martins today though. Highlights for Otmoor were Marsh tit, Little owl (heard), Grey partridge (heard behing main bridleway), Shellduck, and Cetti's warblers calling.
More to come soon
gareth_blockley
Smile people
Otmoor winter bird numbers
I attended the RSPB volunteers meeting for Otmoor this evening and thought I would share the numbers presented for wintering birds 2006/76- (most were much higher counts than previous year and some were site records):
Lapwing - 3160
Golden plover - 4670
Shoveller - 274
Wigeon - 2620
Gadwall - 108
Pochard - 43
Teal - 2777
Pintail - 544
Tufted duck - 55
Ruff - 57
Dunlin - 60
Yellowhammer - 70
Grey partridge - 16
Reed bunting - 120
Bittern - 1
Bewick's swan - 2
I attended the RSPB volunteers meeting for Otmoor this evening and thought I would share the numbers presented for wintering birds 2006/76- (most were much higher counts than previous year and some were site records):
Lapwing - 3160
Golden plover - 4670
Shoveller - 274
Wigeon - 2620
Gadwall - 108
Pochard - 43
Teal - 2777
Pintail - 544
Tufted duck - 55
Ruff - 57
Dunlin - 60
Yellowhammer - 70
Grey partridge - 16
Reed bunting - 120
Bittern - 1
Bewick's swan - 2
alan_rymer
Well-known member
Whilst driving back to Reading from visiting the Churchill Hospital this morning I saw my first ever Lesser Spotted Woodpecker fly across the road from left to right and land in a dead tree. Looking at a map later today, its seemed to be in the area of "Burcot"?.
Steve Seal
Well-known member
Hi Gareth
The Crane showed well today, ive uploaded a couple off images for you.
Steve...... for more images visit
http://steveseal.fotopic.net
The Crane showed well today, ive uploaded a couple off images for you.
Steve...... for more images visit
http://steveseal.fotopic.net
Attachments
nigeldphoto
Well-known member
Nice pics of the crane steve, Is it still there and is it far from Coventry?Steve Seal said:
Nigel.
Steve Seal
Well-known member
nigeldphoto said:
Hi Nigel
Yes its still there today, and it takes about 20mins from Coventry Airport roundabout on A45 Daventry rd.
Take the turning A423 towards Banbury. Just keep on the A423 round Southam and keep heading towards Banbury. Just past a village called Farnborough look out for a turning on your left signposted Cropredy.
Take that left and continue down into the village, you then come to a T junction, turn left then after about 500yds take the first right signposted to Appletree, cross over the canal bridge go round a sharp lefthand bend and the bird is 500yds on your left in the field with 9 Mute Swans.
Good Look and thanks for the comments.
Regards Steve...........
http://steveseal.fotopic.net
nigeldphoto
Well-known member
Hi Steve,Steve Seal said:
Thank you for the info and directions. If i can get a lift i hope to get there on sunday once again thanks.
Cheers,
Nigel.
gareth_blockley
Smile people
Spring migrants trickling through
Well the Common Crane is still present and is drawing plenty of Warwickshire's birders south
Top quality pictures turning up, Pixmania better give me my camera back soon! All i need then is some cammo gear, some worms and the poetry book Steve recites to lure the Crane in!!
Since my day around Farmoor and Otmoor there have been more birds present (typically!). The last few days at Farmoor have seen more Sandmartins, Swallows, a Male Wheatear, a Dunlin and Little gulls.
There are still half a dozen Red-crested pochard at Dix pit and the usual supects at Port meadow.
Gareth
Well the Common Crane is still present and is drawing plenty of Warwickshire's birders south
Top quality pictures turning up, Pixmania better give me my camera back soon! All i need then is some cammo gear, some worms and the poetry book Steve recites to lure the Crane in!!Since my day around Farmoor and Otmoor there have been more birds present (typically!). The last few days at Farmoor have seen more Sandmartins, Swallows, a Male Wheatear, a Dunlin and Little gulls.
There are still half a dozen Red-crested pochard at Dix pit and the usual supects at Port meadow.
Gareth
gareth_blockley
Smile people
I said that on Tuesday i heard of a rare bird present at Otmoor, i was sworn to secrecy at the time and i havn't heard any more about it so i will reveal now. Don't expect to get a new tick as you should have it by now. It was a Common Crane present in the afternoon of the 26th, definately a different bird to the Cropedy bird as they were present at the same time. Interesting eh?
Gareth
Gareth
gareth_blockley
Smile people
Well what a week we've had, the spring migration is well on its way now with several species being regularly seen now, this month is going to be amazing.
I still can't get over the fact i still hear flocks of Fieldfares and a Chiffchaff singing at the same time?!
Monday was the last day for our Crane which hasn't been reported since.
As for everwhere else Farmoor has seen most of the action. I've not heard much from other places, i may go to Otmoor to see whats about. Hopefully we'll get a few Ring ouzel at Aston rowant. Port meadow has had a single Wheatear last week (only heard about it this week though).
Farmoor birds seen this week (http://farmoor-birding.com/LOG-BOOK-):
1st - Plenty of Chiffchaffs singing, 3 Curlew, a Water Rail on Pinkhill. 4 Swallows and c100 Sand Martins. Still 26 Goldeneye on F.1. In the roost the second summer & first winter Mediterranean Gulls, 2 adult Little Gulls and the albino Black-headed Gull.
2nd - A Jack Snipe was seen at Pinkhill this evening and the second summer Mediterranean Gull again on F.2.
3rd - Very quiet. Just a handful of Swallows, c100 Sand Martins, the Shag still, 2 Shelduck on F.1 this morning. The 'white' Black-headed Gull in the roost.
4th - The still sizeable gull roost remains the main focus of interest with a classic first winter Caspian Gull this evening on F.2. together with the second summer Mediterranean Gull. During the day the first House Martin of the year plus 6 Swallows and c60 Sand Martins, an Oystercatcher flew over. Good numbers of Blackcaps now but migration pretty slow in the continuing cold north easterly airflow.
5th - 10 presumed feral Barnacle Geese on F.2 this morning. The Shag still. First winter Mediterranean Gull and adult Little Gull in the roost.
Happy birding folks :bounce:
I still can't get over the fact i still hear flocks of Fieldfares and a Chiffchaff singing at the same time?!
Monday was the last day for our Crane which hasn't been reported since.
As for everwhere else Farmoor has seen most of the action. I've not heard much from other places, i may go to Otmoor to see whats about. Hopefully we'll get a few Ring ouzel at Aston rowant. Port meadow has had a single Wheatear last week (only heard about it this week though).
Farmoor birds seen this week (http://farmoor-birding.com/LOG-BOOK-):
1st - Plenty of Chiffchaffs singing, 3 Curlew, a Water Rail on Pinkhill. 4 Swallows and c100 Sand Martins. Still 26 Goldeneye on F.1. In the roost the second summer & first winter Mediterranean Gulls, 2 adult Little Gulls and the albino Black-headed Gull.
2nd - A Jack Snipe was seen at Pinkhill this evening and the second summer Mediterranean Gull again on F.2.
3rd - Very quiet. Just a handful of Swallows, c100 Sand Martins, the Shag still, 2 Shelduck on F.1 this morning. The 'white' Black-headed Gull in the roost.
4th - The still sizeable gull roost remains the main focus of interest with a classic first winter Caspian Gull this evening on F.2. together with the second summer Mediterranean Gull. During the day the first House Martin of the year plus 6 Swallows and c60 Sand Martins, an Oystercatcher flew over. Good numbers of Blackcaps now but migration pretty slow in the continuing cold north easterly airflow.
5th - 10 presumed feral Barnacle Geese on F.2 this morning. The Shag still. First winter Mediterranean Gull and adult Little Gull in the roost.
Happy birding folks :bounce:
gareth_blockley
Smile people
Easter weekend in Oxfordshire
Seems it has been a good weekend, but i didn't spend much time traveling about, i just couldn't bring myself to do the driving about. Around home i got some Sand martin, my first Swallows and Blackcaps of the year, and a flock of Linnets.
My wish for a Ring ouzel came in the form of a female at Aston Rowant.
There was a Black redstart at Cowlease woods. A summer plumaged Black-necked grebe at Farmoor along with the Shag, Wheatears, Yellow and White wagtail, Swallows, Little gull and Med gull. A Merlin at Churn. Little ringed plovers at Standlake, Port meadow and Abingdon. Also seen at these sites were Cetti's warblers, Willow warblers, Garden warbler, Jack snipe and Red-crested pochard.
So its been a very good weekend!
Seems it has been a good weekend, but i didn't spend much time traveling about, i just couldn't bring myself to do the driving about. Around home i got some Sand martin, my first Swallows and Blackcaps of the year, and a flock of Linnets.
My wish for a Ring ouzel came in the form of a female at Aston Rowant.
There was a Black redstart at Cowlease woods. A summer plumaged Black-necked grebe at Farmoor along with the Shag, Wheatears, Yellow and White wagtail, Swallows, Little gull and Med gull. A Merlin at Churn. Little ringed plovers at Standlake, Port meadow and Abingdon. Also seen at these sites were Cetti's warblers, Willow warblers, Garden warbler, Jack snipe and Red-crested pochard.
So its been a very good weekend!
