Redwings etc.....

31 Mar - Close up views of Redwings the last few mornings, from the lounge window, feeding on the frosty lawn in the sun..... At CWP pit 74, a quick check revealed 41 Shoveler, 30+ Teal, 30+ Wigeon and a pair of Goosander, also a Little Egret in flight. Green Sandpiper was on Waterhay pools. The drake Teal was at Waterhay pools when I took the photo on 30th.

Some Easter birding

29-30 Mar - Still unseasonably cold and frosty, but dry and bright with an easterly wind. Slimbridge on the Friday morning was productive, with at least 3 Little Ringed Plovers (1), my first of the year, on a scrape near the Holden Tower - also here 3 Avocets on the ice in front of the Zeiss hide, and at least 6 Ringed Plovers with the Dunlin flock on the Dumbles. The Bean Goose still present with just 12 Whitefronts, and a lone Bewick's Swan flew over. A large female Peregrine hunted the foreshore. Oxfordshire holds a few unusual species at the moment - on Saturday morning, after a short wait, I had excellent views of the male Ferruginous Duck (3) at Otmoor (2).- also here displaying Curlew and Redshank, a calling Water Rail, and 5 Red Kites (5). 3 Golden Plovers moulting into summer plumage were with the Lapwings. Nearby Farmoor reservoir gave good views of at least 2 adult winter Little Gulls, distinctive with small size, pinkish underparts, dark underwing and lack of black primaries. The female Black Redstart (9) was feeding around the causeway, as were 2 male Wheatears (6) and 2 Rock Pipits (7,8). The 2 pairs of Scaup are still present, and a lone Sand Martin was feeding over the water - photos JM - (4) Robin at Otmoor.

A sign of spring?.......

24 Mar - Exceptionally cold weather for March in the last few days, with freezing temperatures and an east wind - despite that, a pair of Garganey found by Nigel Pleass in the CWP today at Shorncote, and seen well by me later by the first hide - with wintering Smew (still on 29/30/44) providing an interesting contrast! Also at Shorncote - 21 Shoveler, 50+ Teal, 3 Little Egrets, a Water Rail calling and a Barn Owl in flight. A few Fieldfares and Redwings also in evidence.

CWP - still chilly

17 Mar - A quick look at CWP this afternoon, the sun out after cloud and snow in the morning. Pit 74 was productive with signs of spring - an Oystercatcher and a Redshank were new in, 140+ Lapwings and 5 Pintails present (including 4 drakes) and 15+ Shoveler, with larger numbers of Wigeon and Teal. A Little Egret fed along the reed edge, and a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the trees with 2 singing Song Thrushes. Just one pair of Smew seen, they were displaying on pit 44.

Milestone Smews

15 Mar - At least I saw one of my favourite birds to celebrate my half-century - 2 pairs of very smart Smew, the males strikingly white in the cloudy conditions. These birds are surely about to migrate north to Russia for the breeding season.

Smew photos

10 Mar - as usual, the Smew were further away when I went with the camera today but I managed a few record shots......still 4 drakes and 6 redheads, also a pair of Goosander this morning.

And those Smew again.....

9 Mar - A record count for me of 13 Smew in the Water Park - 10, including 4 drakes, on pit 44 - and 3 including another drake on pit 30. They really are one of my favourite birds. Soon they will be heading to Russia to breed.

Avocets at Port Meadow.....

9 Mar- A good spring record at Port Meadow, Oxford this afternoon, with good views of a group of 5 migrant Avocets on the floods alongside 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 7 Dunlin, c50 Golden Plover and large numbers of Wigeon and Teal. Photo courtesy of Oxonbirds blog.

CWP.....

2 Mar - A quick look at CWP and just one drake Smew on pit 44 today. No Goosanders seen, they may have already left? A nice fine late winter sunset over pit 30. Photo JM.