We had a brief trip down south to visit friends and family and our first stop was near Oxford so this gave us the chance to go to RSPB Otmoor reserve. It was a fine, dry day and quite warm so we had high hopes of perhaps getting Turtle Doves and Lesser Whitethroats. We saw neither species – presumably because it is a little early in the year. We did get a number of year ticks, though.
In the car park we immediately heard the singing of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs ans as we got to the end of the main track onto the reserve we stopped by the feeders and we could hear a Grasshopper Warbler reeling away. Noone had actually managed to see it though it sounded really close.
Walking down the track to the main hide we were on the lookout for early Cuckoos but, although we heard two calling, we could not see any. We did get a single Hobby – our frst of the year as well as lots of Marsh Harriers and Red Kites. We also got our fist Swallow of the year and at the hide we got our first Linnets and a single Yellowhammer. Down the other track we got a couple of our first Sedge Warblers for the year.
So, all in all, not bac with forty-six species and eight year ticks. Still, it was shame not to see any Tyrtle Doves or Whitethroats but everyone has been commenting on the late spring and there is a fear that it will come and go in a day or two !
Bird Sightings : RSPB Otmoor
| Greylag Goose | 24 |
| Canada Goose | 50 |
| Mute Swan | 6 |
| Mallard | 8 |
| Northern Shoveler | 10 |
| Common Teal | 6 |
| Common Pochard | 4 |
| Tufted Duck | 40 |
| Common Pheasant | 2 |
| Great Crested Grebe | 1 |
| Grey Heron | 1 |
| Eurasian Marsh Harrier | 1 |
| Red Kite | 8 |
| Common Buzzard | 2 |
| Common Coot | 4 |
| Eurasian Oystercatcher | 2 |
| Northern Lapwing | 20 |
| Common Redshank | 3 |
| Eurasian Curlew | 1 |
| Black-headed Gull | 20 |
| Common Cuckoo | 2 |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | 1 |
| Eurasian Hobby | 1 |
| Eurasian Magpie | 6 |
| Eurasian Jackdaw | 10 |
| Rook | 10 |
| Carrion Crow | 10 |
| Sky Lark | 10 |
| Barn Swallow | 1 |
| Great Tit | 5 |
| Eurasian Blue Tit | 8 |
| Eurasian Wren | 2 |
| Cetti’s Warbler | 2 |
| Willow Warbler | 6 |
| Common Chiffchaff | 5 |
| Sedge Warbler | 2 |
| Common Grasshopper Warbler | 2 |
| European Robin | 2 |
| Eurasian Blackbird | 3 |
| Dunnock | 3 |
| Meadow Pipit | 4 |
| Yellowhammer | 1 |
| Reed Bunting | 6 |
| Common Chaffinch | 10 |
| European Goldfinch | 1 |
| Common Linnet | 20 |