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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Oxfordshire birding (1 Viewer)

gareth_blockley said:
Apparrently it was seen again at 17:45. I certainly didn't see it in the hour and a half I spent there this afternoon :C

I didn't see the stint either but there was the ruff, 3 dunlin and a redshank.

Gareth
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Sorry you didn't get it Gareth. I'm inclined to agree with Birds4Ever that the 17:45 sighting may possibly not be correct, especially given that it wasn't around for the time you were present. I'll be checking the Meadow tomorrow morning and will certainly put the word out if it happens to be back.
 
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Birds 4ever said:
Yeees, I woke up at 5.30 and was there just before 8, I didn't dip out for once! I walked about the meadow till 11.30 and saw a redshank and a few snipes, but, unfortunately the little stint which I wanted to see had moved on.

A lesser yellowlegs was reported today in west midlands, I wonder if it's the same one?

There was a sighting this afternoon but I can't help thinking that it was a redshank from a distance that the person saw....
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Hi!
Glad you got the bird. Since you were there when the bird was reported to have left I'd be interested to hear whether there was any reason why it took off just after 8. Was is a dog or a runner by any chance, two flushing hazards for birds on the Meadow?
 
I know the guy who saw the Lesser Yellowlegs this evening. I've only been birding with him once but he seemed like a reasonable birder, even though he comes from Luxemberg (that's not a dig at Luxemburg birders...). I'd be surprised if he wasn't familiar with Redshank! Apparently he was with 2 other birders and saw the regular Redshank as well, so I think he probably wasn't stringing. He says it looked quite a nervous bird, feeding and moving about quickly, which seems to fit my observations of the bird on Friday much better than the Redshank.
 
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jimmyg said:
I know the guy who saw the Lesser Yellowlegs this evening. I've only been birding with him once but he seemed like a reasonable birder, even though he comes from Luxemberg (that's not a dig at Luxemburg birders...). I'd be surprised if he wasn't familiar with Redshank! Apparently he was with 2 other birders and saw the regular Redshank as well, so I think he probably wasn't stringing. He says it looked quite a nervous bird, feeding and moving about quickly, which seems to fit my observations of the bird on Friday much better than the Redshank.
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Thanks for that James. I managed to see the bird fly over the Meadow this morning so it's clearly still kicking around and my apologies to the other birders for doubting their sighting. Let's hope that it settles down again somewhere again.
 
No worries, gald you saw it this morning! Do you think it could be feeding along the river bank?

Overheard quite a few yellowlegs-related conversations in the biology department today!
 
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jimmyg said:
No worries, gald you saw it this morning! Do you think it could be feeding along the river bank?

Overheard quite a few yellowlegs-related conversations in the biology department today!
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Don't know about the river bank, it could be I suppose. It was back on the floods this evening so at the very least it seems to be roosting on the floods at present (see Port Meadow Birding blog for more details)
 
It's back? Well, not that I can go and see it, I've got school!

Anyway, when it flew off north on sun it just flew off, as far as I know it wasn't scared off by anything. Well, maybe a few telescopes staring at it!!
 
just walked up there during my lunch hour and it was still there, giving very clear views...

am strictly not a twitcher, but 20mins walk from my office I couldn't resist!
 
Well, I'm not a twitcher but half an hour cycling in the freezing cold at 7 in the morning, I couldn't resist.
 
The LESSER YELLOWLEGS is still present and was very obliging around mid-day (some records shots) also 2 Ruff, 3 Dunlin, Redshank and good numbers of Golden plover and ducks building up. There was also a Jack snipe reported mid morning.

Yesterday a Red-necked Grebe was at Farmoor. Quite a scarse bird in Oxfordshire. unfortunately not seen so far today.

Gareth
 

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I heard the Jack Snipe was reported from the north entrance to the meadow. Presumably up near the wolvercote carpark; it is quite boggy there.

Heard a smattering of Redwings going over throughout the day, and had a quick visit to the meadow to show a mate who'd come up from London, so it was nice to see the Lesser Yellowlegs again if only for a few minutes.
 
Thanks to Gareth's images, I ventured down to Port Meadow yesterday and was treated to seeing 2 ruffs and the lesser yellowlegs pretty close in.

Terrific birds and a good spot too. Might be one for future visits. Good to meet a couple of the locals too.
 

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There seems to be hundreds of waxwings coming in this year - I wonder if any will make it as far down as Oxford? There are few reported in London and Buckingham.... I'd love to see those birds.
 
An excellent day's birding today for me, starting at Farmoor, then moving on to Port Meadow and finally Otmoor.
The star at Farmoor was the Water Pipit; at Port Meadow the Ruff and the Yellowlegs: my shots below.
|:D||:D|
 

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Lovely photos - I really want to go to farmoor to catch up with wipit and the scaupXtufty duck!

Might drag my mum along to see them, but the weather's not looking too good for my mum to agree to take me there.....
 
JonnyK said:
Can anyone recommend a sight for Hawfinches?
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The only place that gets regular birds is Blenhiem Palace. The best time of year seems to be January/February. The last couple of years they have been seen in the trees around the model railway engine shed usually seen in the tree tops.

Last year however there was one bird recorded on two days (I believe). In 2009 up to 19 were recorded and 2008 up to 10.

In the year reports I have:
2005 - 3 Blenheim, 1 University parks, 2 Farmoor, 5 Kingston bagpuize, 1 Hethe and 1 Marcham (all winter),
2004 - 7 Blenheim with no records away from there, also stating 12 there 2003 (all winter),
1997 - Birds in Kiddlington but doesn't say how many (all winter),
1996 - 2 Adderbury (summer),
1995 - 5 Blenheim and 7 Nettlebed (winter),
1994 - Blenheim - no numbers or season and Warburg (2 adult and a juv in july),
1992 - Pair breeding in Blenheim and 4 in winter, 2 Kidlington (winter),
1990 - Blenheim - no numbers or season,
a few from the 80's - Blenheim or bust!


Hopefully this year being hyped up to be a good one with lots of birds we will get more.

Fingers crossed

Gareth
 
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