A foggy start to the day, Nick and I covered 100 acre to the mound. Highlights included 2 Water Pipit, 3 Green Sandpiper, 4 Stonechat and 2 Wigeon. Ebird list HERE
Saturday 30 November 2019
Friday 29 November 2019
Local Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake congratulates Beddington Farmlands campaigners for succeeding in over coming the Liberal Democrats!!!
Click to Facebook to read discussion
In short, Tom Brake local MP (leading up to the general election) has congratulated us campaigners for the Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve campaign. This follows years of persecutory behaviour by his party to crush the campaign.
Discussion extract:
' He has only associated himself with this campaign after the council shifted to calling out Viridor following political casualties in Beddington North, the political capital liability of the incinerator in the context of recently declared climate emergency, the public petition to enforce planning conditions and the threat of direct action from Extinction Rebellion. The council and Tom Brake have been protecting Viridor for years and have ignored extensive scientific reports and media about the damaging delays to the restoration. There is strong evidence that the Lib Dems in cohorts with Viridor actively persecuted local campaigners (removal of funding, expulsion from committees, access restrictions, denial of access to funding, legal action threats etc). It's a bit rich that he is now congratulating people that he did his best (or rather the Lib Dem-Viridor partnership) to crush.'
Monday 25 November 2019
Weekend in Lisbon- PRC meeting
The world tick is a bit provisional- a Taiga Bean Goose which was found by Luis Gordinho a week or so ago. Magnus Robb found a Tundra Bean Goose as we arrived at the site (this will be a first for Portugal if accepted - by us!?!?) and then we also found Luis's Bean Goose which looked better for a Taiga Bean Goose - a larger, long necked bird with more orange in the bill and a white thin blaze on the rim of the bill. The two Bean Geese were not particularly associating with each other. Will be interesting to see more opinions on these birds- some video should emerge soon (NOW HERE ). All I managed to document was a very poor digi-scope image of the Tundra Bean Goose. We also had another first for Portugal candidate, a Snow Goose (which has been present for a while).
We also had Cat C Yellow-crowned Bishops, which was a WP tick for me (and plenty of Common Waxbills) but unfortunately despite much searching we failed to find the Cat C Pin-tailed Whydahs (which would have been a WP tick for Pierre).
So my listing totals are now: World List: 2933, WP List: 700, False WP List: 895
Contrary to this post HERE, I realised I've seen a lot more in the WP then I thought as Netfugl only count compliant ticks and I've got something like 112 non-compliant ticks because I haven't got round to editing the records properly. Another job on the to do list! I'm still working to my target of reaching 800 in the WP by the time I'm 80 years old (800 by 80) but now I'm a closer than I thought- will need to slow down even more! Life is long- there's no rush (my twitching moto).
More on what we do at the PRC here:
Tundra Bean Goose (top left)
Yellow-crowned Bishop - numerous in this area (unfortunately this was a road victim)
Twitch for the Tundra Bean Goose (with Magnus Robb, Pierre-Andre Crochet ((also below)) and XoFred
Wednesday 20 November 2019
Hardcore moths
I had the heath trap out at the Old Vic in between the frosts on Monday night. Still a few species out there.
December moth
Sprawler
Dark Chestnut
Winter moth
Sunday 17 November 2019
Farmoor- Greater Scaup and Lesser Snow Geese
A nice calm morning at Farmoor today. Ebird list HERE. Unlike yesterday where a sea duck at Staines some how managed to give me the slip despite two hours scanning for it, I did manage to find the Farmoor adult female Scaup that has been present for a while. Again like Staines the number of waterfowl seems quite low- maybe the widespread floods are encouraging dabbling ducks to flooded areas?
I finally managed to get a close encounter with the Oxfordshire Snow Geese. There's a feral (presumably Cat C, self-sustaining) flock of birds in the county which is pretty surreal to see. I made it 103 birds in total, 7 dark/intermediate phase and 6 juveniles. I presume they are Lesser Snow Geese (as opposed to the larger billed, thicker grinning Greater Snow Goose sub-species) based on the presence of dark phased birds (which are very rare within Greater Snow Goose populations). I'd be interested to know about the history of this population.
I finally managed to get a close encounter with the Oxfordshire Snow Geese. There's a feral (presumably Cat C, self-sustaining) flock of birds in the county which is pretty surreal to see. I made it 103 birds in total, 7 dark/intermediate phase and 6 juveniles. I presume they are Lesser Snow Geese (as opposed to the larger billed, thicker grinning Greater Snow Goose sub-species) based on the presence of dark phased birds (which are very rare within Greater Snow Goose populations). I'd be interested to know about the history of this population.
Adult female Scaup- the grey vermiculations on the mantle and scaps and the pale flanks and sides indicate an adult female. A juvenile female would be plainer brown and a first-winter male would not have the extensive white blaze around the bill.
Pale phase Snow Goose
Dark phase Snow Goose (aka Blue Snow Goose)
Intermediate phase Snow Goose- the white belly is the diagnostic feature for an intermediate bird
Juvenile Snow Goose- this years birds so clearly breeding somewhere 'locally'
In flight (above and below).
Had this aythya loosely associating with adult female Scaup - the off white blaze and pale ear covert patch, size and structure look good for a juvenile (pale yellow-brown eye) Scaup but the blue band on the bill suggests it might be a hybrid? Certainly looks different to the other Scaup-faced Tufted Ducks on the reservoir (below). Others on the Oxon birding blog are claiming this as a pure juvenile Scaup. Not sure how much of a deal breaker any blue on the bill is? Just been checking IBC and looks like a bit of blue in the bill is a variable feature in juvenile Scaup so considering everything else seems to fit- looks like within variation of juvenile Greater Scaup. Scaup identification is a somewhat troubling affair with ,according to Smallshire (1986), 20% of birds are hybrids between Scaup and Tufted Duck.
'Scaup-faced' Tufted Duck- are these birds expressing Scaup gene introgression?
Adult female and juvenile Scaup with Tufted Ducks
Juvenile Scaup- in this image the amount of black at the bill tip and nail looks quite extensive bordered with a blue band- is this within variation of a pure bird?
Here's another aythya (an adult female) from Farmoor from earlier in the year (from late summer)- another bird that looks like there could be some Scaup genes knocking about.
Adult female and juvenile Scaup with Tufted Ducks
Juvenile Scaup- in this image the amount of black at the bill tip and nail looks quite extensive bordered with a blue band- is this within variation of a pure bird?
Here's another aythya (an adult female) from Farmoor from earlier in the year (from late summer)- another bird that looks like there could be some Scaup genes knocking about.
Saturday 16 November 2019
Staines
Popped into Staines Reservoirs on the way to Oxford this morning. Pretty quiet (low numbers of wildfowl too) but the six Black-necked Grebes near the causeway were worth the effort. Ebird list HERE . I couldn't find the Long-tailed Duck despite intensively looking which was still present apparently.
Black-necked Grebes
Thursday 14 November 2019
Wednesday 13 November 2019
Beddington Farmlands- Gull Comeback
Another interesting day at the farmlands. Ebird list HERE. Viridor are tipping again on the landfill which is attracting several thousand gulls including a superb adult Caspian Gull. We thought we may have seen the last of this local speciality after the landfill was officially closed last winter so a very welcome (if brief) return. Apparently they need to tip some rubbish as the Incinerator is not fully commissioned yet. Also a first-winter Mediterranean Gull. Other highlights included at least 7 Water Pipits, 7 Green Sandpiper and 5 Stonechat and Frankie and Tank had Siskin and Bullfinch. Good numbers of finches about- the very good conditions of 100 acre and south-east corner are attracting both wetland and seed eating species.
Adult Caspian Gull (above and below). Extensive white in the primary tips indicates an individual from the west of it's range.
First-winter Mediterranean Gull
Meadow Pipit and Stonechat
Green Sandpiper
A sight we thought we'd seen the last of- good to see the gulls back for probably one last time
Sunday 10 November 2019
Otmoor Otter
A good day at Otmoor. Ebird list HERE. The hands down highlight was an Otter from the first screen, the first time I've seen one here. Jacob and I returned in the evening for the starling roost and we also had Barn Owl and Bittern. Also good to see winter numbers of Lapwing and Golden Plover building up and Wigeon numbers also building up. There's been Merlin, Short-eared Owl and Hen Harrier in the week- a pretty impressive inland wetland! For some cracking photos from today on the OOS blog see HERE.
Otmoor birding blog
Otter at Otmoor
Bittern on Greenaways- I couldn't work out whether it was standing in an awkward position or right behind a Short-eared Owl?
Part of the 30,000 Starling flock
Evening at Otmoor
Wednesday 6 November 2019
Beddington Farmlands- winter counts
A very pleasant walk round the farmlands this morning. Ebird list HERE. Following lots of rain the habitat is looking incredible and I counted a site population of over 2700 birds today without even looking at south east corner, the works areas and Horse and Biker's field. Surely at least 3000 birds on site without any visible migration at all today and not including the 1000 Ring-necked Parkeets that fly over to roost and the 5000 Jackdaws that will appear at dusk! . 60 species in total.
Female Stonechat- one of 6 today
Reed Buntings in the corn and sunflower sacrificial crops
One of at least 20 Robins across the site this morning
Green Woodpecker
Teals on 100 acre- approx 200 on site today, mostly on 100 acre
Common Darters- literally last knockings
Red Fox- saw about five this morning
View over northern lake. With the wet grassland and the whole of 100 acre wet at the moment this has to be the most extensive wetland cover in decades at the farmlands
100 acre (above and below). Looking in top condition at the moment with large numbers of Teal, Snipe and finches.
Lapwing habitat improvements on 100 acre- the islands are designed to provide predator proof nesting sites
Tuesday 5 November 2019
Day in Kent- Shellness
Tank, Kojak and I did Shellness and the Swale National Nature Reserve today. Ebird list HERE. With a north easterly blowing across the North Sea we decided to make the most of the last days of autumn. Highlights included 1 Woodcock over, 70+ Common Scoter in the Swale, 15+ Gannet, 8 Kittiwake, male and female Hen Harrier and 6 Short-eared Owls.
Female Hen Harrier
Flyover Woodcock
Common Scoters
Gannets in the Swale
Brents and Oystercatchers (above) and Brents and Curlew (below)
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