Blackcaps and Blackwit

Been a busy last few days at work and campaign work. Managed to get out to the Farmlands on Wednesday and yesterday evening briefly, the most notable thing was an influx in Blackcaps- 12+ between the lakes and Mitcham Common and a Black-tailed Godwit on the lake yesterday evening.

Back in Oxford this weekend for Jacob's second birthday. They guys have had a good morning at the Farmlands with Ring Ouzel, Glaucous Gull and Great White Egret this morning and last weekend they had Stone Curlew too. 

 Female Blackcap in Blackthorn 

 Male Blackcap (above and below) 

 Black-tailed Godwit 

 'White Wagtail'

 Male Teal- still good numbers of Teal about, 70+ on the lakes and 100 acre 

Beddington Farmlands Petition handed to Sutton Council with 6294 signatures

Mini-fall

Frontal conditions produced a little fall at the Farmlands today with site year ticks including 1 Little Gull, 1 Willow Warbler and 3 House Martins, with 12 Sand Martin, 5 Swallow, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap and a rather unseasonal female Stonechat.  

On the winter lingering front were 2 Green Sandpiper, 7 Water Pipit, 70+ Teal and 5 Snipe and there was also 4 Shelduck on 100 acre.

 First-winter Little Gull (above and below) 

 Female Stonechat - an April rarity locally 

 Teals over 100 acre- still 70+ around 

 'Silver Fox'

Frankie found this gall- one in the to be identified box 

Oxfordshire Weekend

A fairly quiet weekend . The highlight was the Orange Underwings on Saturday in Bucks and a Red Chestnut in the Old Vic light trap yesterday (moth lifer). Did Otmoor twice but pretty quiet: Ebird list. Only migrants that I could find were a Little Ringed Plover, a few Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap at Otmoor but also had a Swallow along the road and a House Martin in Thame. It was a bit disappointing as  elsewhere in Oxon there was quite a significant Spring push with big influx of Sand Martins (750 over Standlake and 200 over Farmoor) and goodies such as Garganey, Ruff, Ring Ouzel and the first Yellow Wagtail elsewhere.

I even did a noc-mig session but only had a single Redwing call, a Woodpigeon singing at about 3am and Moorhens and Pheasants calling through the night. It didn't help that Bryan fell asleep with the TV on and the window open right next to my microphone until 2am! 

Ice on the moth trap this morning so nothing but a single Hebrew Character. My moth trap got eaten by termites when in Ghana so looks like a whore's pair of tights at the moment- might use the opportunity to upgrade my moth trap as only using a 12V Safari trap at the moment. 

 Red Chestnut

 Aythya hybrid (TuftedxScaup?) with Tufted Duck at Otmoor. Presumably the bird that has been around for a while. 

 Third-calender year male Marsh Harrier at Otmoor

A Redshank from Staines on the way up here on Saturday. Not sure of the status of Icelandic Redshank T.t.robusta  in UK although this paper suggests they are common migrants (HERE). Typically birds are more heavily barred on the underparts than the nominate, a bit like this one. 

Orange Underwings

On the Oxford shift this weekend again. On the way up I popped into Staines but despite Little Gulls and Common Scoters etc being dotted across other reservoirs all I could muster up was the usual male Scaup, Ringed Plover, Redshank, a few Goldeneye and the two Water Pipits. 

This afternoon I took Jacob to Rushbed Woods, Bucks, to look for Orange Underwing moths after seeing a social media post that they were on the wing there- success! 

 Orange Underwing agg. Light Orange Underwing are known from Rushbed Woods but to be certain which species it is closer examination is recommended. 

 An amazing Early Spring atmosphere in the woods with Wood Anemones, Primroses and Violets on the wood floor and willow catkins and prunus blossom in the otherwise leaf less canopy. 

Jacob in the glade 

Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve Warden Job Opportunity

In another major positive step forward Sutton Council are now advertising for the Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve Warden. Click on the Birdguides article below for more details: 

Climate and Ecological Emergency in Sutton

Extinction Rebellion Sutton have started a petition to Sutton Council requesting that they declare a climate and ecological emergency in Sutton. Please sign HERE The petition reads: 

(A call to Sutton)..council to acknowledge the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s Special Report on Global Warming (October 2018). We request that Sutton Borough Council notes the London Assembly has declared a Climate Emergency, recognises the seriousness of the situation and welcomes further ambitious steps. We request that Sutton Borough Council acknowledges the action already taken by Bristol, Manchester and many other city councils around the UK and the world to declare and commit necessary resources to tackling a Climate Emergency. We urge you to declare a Climate Emergency, supported by specific plans of action to make Sutton carbon neutral by 2030, and to call on government to give Sutton Borough Council the powers and funding to make this possible. We ask that Sutton Borough Council, its partners and representatives work together to report back to council and petitioners within 6 months with specific proposals.

The Petition has made it onto the front page of the local Guardian ON LINE ARTICLE HERE

PETITION HERE

This petition will form the basis of a campaign focused on Sutton Council and also Viridor/Pennon to develop Beddington Farmlands and surrounding communities into the borough environmental epicentre to deliver ecological and climate recovery in the coreland of the Wandle Valley Regional Park and to provide ecological and environmental public engagement infrastructure to deliver borough wide behavioural change.

Part of the focus of the campaign will be the development of Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve into a premier flagship reserve and the adequate mitigation of the Beddington Farmlands Incinerator.

The plan over the next few months is to deliver Sutton and Viridor a list of local community requests/demands and campaigning for those requests to be met by a strategy of (in strategic order) a)Negotiation and Consultation b) Activism and Direct Action and c) Non-violent Civil Disobedience (NVCD).

Extinction Rebellion Sutton will also be supporting the national campaign focused in the Capital in mid-April which is focused on Central Government and national strategic objectives.