Blog Header Text

For questions you can contact Adam at: adamchartley "at" gmail "dot" com or Jason at: jasoncppk "at" yahoo "dot" co "dot" uk

Sunday, 22 March 2026

Grimsbury Reservoir 22nd March

Swallow
Sand Martin 2
Wheatear 12:04

08:09 (JFT et al)

Wheatear courtesy of Edwin Barson 


Otmoor rspb 22nd March

Glossy Ibis 12:42 on Big Otmoor (G.L)

Rushy Common 22nd March

Long-tailed Duck male still present (per Birdguides)

Balscote Quarry Reserve 22nd March

Wheatear male 12:04 
Green Sandpiper 

(M.P et al)

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland: 22nd March

Green Sandpiper 07:41.
Little Egret 07:41.
3 Teal 07:41.
26 Mallard 07:41.
3 Lesser Black-backed Gull 07:41.
Black-headed Gull 07:41.
8 Reed Bunting 07:41.
2 Yellowhammer 07:41.
2 Chiffchaff 07:41.
2 Red Kite: pair. Copulating in tree - much mewing. 07:41.
2 Kestrel 07:41.
2 Buzzard 07:41.
4 Long-tailed Tit 07:41.
5 Wren 07:41.
2 Song Thrush 07:41.

Steve Akers

Devil's Punchbowl: 22nd March

Devil's Punchbowl
2 Wheatear

Mark Merritt

Saturday, 21 March 2026

Rushy Common 21st March

Long-tailed Duck male again from the screen (per Birdguides)

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland: 21st March

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland
Green Sandpiper 08:05.
Little Egret 08:05.
2 Grey Heron 08:05.
14 Mallard: First ducklings of the year - 8 seen with mother on the wetland. 08:05.
Black-headed Gull 08:05.
Lesser Black-backed Gull 08:05.
2 Grey Wagtail 08:05.
Reed Bunting 08:05.
Fieldfare 08:05.

Steve Akers

Blenheim 21st March

Sand Martins gathering nest material around the Grand Bridge.





Otmoor: 21st March

Otmoor
American Wigeon: Still present on the Flood Field at 18:00. 18:00.

Felix Bird

Lower Shiplake: 21st March

Lower Shiplake
4 Raven: Feeding on polo field. 14:00.
5 Chiffchaff: All birds seen or heard on our walk round. 14:00.

Ralph Watts

Blenheim: Blenheim Lake: 19th March

Blenheim: Blenheim Lake
3 Egyptian Goose
115 Canada Goose
145 Greylag Goose
2 Oystercatcher: On the island.
3 Mute Swan
7 Cormorant
17 Great Crested Grebe
7 Lesser Black-backed Gull
7 Sand Martin

Bob Pomfret

Blenheim: Blenheim Lake: 19th March

Blenheim: Blenheim Lake
2 Cattle Egret: Apparently nesting on the island agan.
7 Little Egret: on the island.
13 Grey Heron: 13 nests at least on the island.
4 Shoveler
52 Tufted Duck
245 Mallard
50 Coot
14 Moorhen

Bob Pomfret

Farmoor Reservoir 21st March

Cattle Egret 1

Common Sandpiper 1
Common Snipe 3
Dunlin 1

Tawny Owl 1 calling male 
Common Goldeneye 2 pair

Blackcap 2 singing males
Cetti's Warbler 2
Common Chiffchaff  widespread


Port Meadow: 21st March

Port Meadow
Black-tailed Godwit
2 Little Ringed Plover
3 Great White Egret
4 Oystercatcher
2 Lesser Redpoll: In the usual place by the canal near Aristotle Lane.

Adam Hartley, Jacek S

Oxford 21st March

Black Redstart male still present 09:00 on and around Christ Church college (per Luke O'Byrne)



Radley GP: 21st March

Radley GP
Swallow: FOY here. 07:45.
Sand Martin 07:45.
2 Oystercatcher 07:45.
Egyptian Goose 07:45.
Raven 07:45.
Water Rail: Heard. 07:45.
Lesser Redpoll: Song-flight. 07:45.

Ian Elkins

Otmoor rspb 21st March

AMERICAN WIGEON still present on The Flood field 07:18 (J.S)
Glossy Ibis 2 (D.L)

Bletchingdon: 21st March

Bletchingdon
2 Mandarin Duck: Pair seen in flight twice - prospecting?. SP510181. 07:53.

David Watkinson

Friday, 20 March 2026

Day's Lock/Bishop's Court Farm - Fri 20th

Swallow 1

Cattle Egret 5

Little Egret 1

Shelduck 3

Oystercatcher 3

Shoveler 28

Wigeon c180

Teal c100

Cetti's Warbler 1

Curlew 1 on the 18th.



Marsh Baldon 20th March

Cranes 2 flying high over Marsh Baldon at 4pm heading NW (general direction of Kennington).

(per Ben Carpenter)

Rushy Common 20th March

Long-tailed Duck male from viewing screen (per Birdguides)

Otmoor rspb 20th March

Glossy Ibis
Osprey reported 

(per Birdguides)

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland: 20th March

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland
Green Sandpiper 12:42.
2 Snipe 12:42.
Shoveler: drk. 12:42.
31 Mallard 12:42.
Water Rail: Heard. 12:42.
Moorhen 12:42.
2 Grey Heron 12:42.
2 Stonechat: pair. 12:42.
6 Reed Bunting 12:42.
2 Grey Wagtail 12:42.
2 Pied Wagtail 12:42.
Chiffchaff 12:42.
Great Spotted Woodpecker 12:42.
2 Kestrel 12:42.
3 Buzzard 12:42.
3 Red Kite 12:42.

Steve Akers

Cholsey: 20th March

Cholsey
Oystercatcher: On the flood next to Wallingford Road, with 1 lapwing and 8 teal. All birds had gone by 10.30am. 10:00.

Michael Pocock

Port Meadow 20th March

Little-ringed Plover along the northern edge of flood 
Sand Martin 

(T.M)

Balscote Quarry 20th March

Little-ringed Plover 
Green Sandpiper 
Shoveler 7
Wigeon 2

(et al)

Thursday, 19 March 2026

Letcombe Regis: 19th March

 

Lapwing displaying in fields northwest of Letcombe Regis

RSPB Otmoor Thursday 19th March

Glossy Ibis 2
Bittern 4
Little Egret 2
Curlew 7
Redshank 8
Oystercatcher 4
Common Crane 1

Otmoor: The Flood Field 
American Wigeon: Still late afternoon.
Great White Egret

Adam Hartley

Courtesy of Di Stone 


Oxford 19th March

Black Redstart male still present on and around Christ Church college (per Birdguides)

Henley Road GPs: 19th March

Henley Road GPs
2 Shelduck: m+f. North Lake. 12:59.
6 Egyptian Goose: 2ad+4juv. 12:59.

Marek Walford

Farmoor Reservoir

Scaup f on F1
Marsh Harrier Pinkhill

(per Paul Butler)

New Marston: New Marston Meadows: 19th March

New Marston: New Marston Meadows
Brambling: Marston Hamms, by river. 09:26.

Steve Jennings

Eynsham: 19th March

Eynsham
Brambling: Female in the garden, first time in garden. 07:49.

Yacky Morris

Wednesday, 18 March 2026

Port Meadow 18th March

Wheatear courtesy of Carl Stockwell 


Dorchester: Days Lock: 17th March

17th March

Dorchester: Days Lock
2 Shelduck 12:30.
2 Oystercatcher 12:30.
2 Cattle Egret: Had what seemed to be a small mammal in its bill. 13:00.
Sparrowhawk: Grabbed an unsuspecting Starling and flew off with it. 13:00.

Oliver Hedley

Pit 60 Standlake 18th March

Hen Harrier rt 
Marsh Harrier 
Oystercatcher 2

(per Debbie Cummins)

Key Holder Reswrve

Hen Harrier courtesy of Debbie Cummins 


Otmoor rspb 18th March

AMERICAN WIGEON drake still present 15:44 on The Flood field, #4 on map,viewable from the bridleway east of Oddington.

Glossy Ibis (per Birdguides)
Great white Egret 3
Bittern booming

(per Simon Myers et al)

Little-ringed Plover on Ashgrave in front of the Wetlands Watch hide (per Steve Roby)


Blenheim: Grand Bridge: 18th March

Blenheim: Grand Bridge
6 Sand Martin 16:21.

Matthew Lloyd

Rushy Common 18th March

Long-tailed Duck male still present and viewable from the screen 13:57 (per Ewan Urquhart)

Radley GPs 18th March

Marsh Harrier over Orchard Lake 09:04 (W.B)

Tuesday, 17 March 2026

Port Meadow: 17th March

Port Meadow
White Wagtail
4 Oystercatcher
3 Shelduck
Great White Egret
53 Gadwall

Adam Hartley

Gallowstree Common: 17th March

Gallowstree Common
3 Tawny Owl: male. Wyfold Wood. 20:27.

Ian Young

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland: 17th March

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland
2 Grey Heron 16:15.
15 Mallard 16:15.
2 Canada Goose 16:15.
2 Reed Bunting 16:15.
Grey Wagtail 16:15.
2 Linnet 16:15.
3 Buzzard: Including a pair who were copulating perched on a gate post. 16:15.
3 Red Kite 16:15.

Steve Akers

Farmoor Reservoir: 17th March

17th March

Farmoor Reservoir
Common Sandpiper: By pumping station channels at far end of causeway. 11:15.
Redshank: Heard calling but not seen so must have been flying over. 13:45.

Farmoor Resr
Curlew Sand.: Along causeway , not there when crossed earlier . Large wader almost sandy coloured , seemed longer legged & larger than Dunlin , no hint of any black underneath & v. cleanly marked . It did not behave like Dunlin but might have been a large Dunlin. 13:10.

Peter Scudamore

Henley Road GPs: 17th March

Henley Road GPs
2 Oystercatcher 13:00.

Marek Walford

New Marston: New Marston Meadows: 17th March

New Marston: New Marston Meadows
Stonechat: fem. Marston Hamms, still. Also a very vocal male peregrine tussling with a pair of red kites for a good 5mins. 10:04.

Steve Jennings

Otmoor rspb 17th March

GREEN-WINGED TEAL male on The Flood field 
AMERICAN WIGEON male on The Flood field
 
Also 
9 Black-tailed Godwits
 
per Thomas Miller 08:28

Viewable from the bridleway east of Oddington 



Monday, 16 March 2026

Port Meadow 16th March

Sand Martin 2
White Wagtail

(M.G et al)

Rushy Common 16th March

Long-tailed Duck male from the screen 17:25 (per Birdguides)

Otmoor RSPB 16th March




Glossy Ibis
2

Merlin 1
Marsh Harrier 2
Common Crane 1
Bittern 3 booming males
Great Egret 1



Wytham: Field Station: 16th March

Wytham: Field Station
4 Cattle Egret: SP476090. 09:05.

Steven Portugal

Day's Lock/Bishop's Court Farm

The 2nd c/yr Caspian Gull here on Friday 13th, Yellow ring code B:G was ringed at the nest on De Kreupel island, Ijsselmeer, Netherlands 16/5/25

Tate Lloyd reported it was also seen at the Ogmore estuary, South Wales, 4th March.






Chipping Norton: 16th March

Chipping Norton
3 Raven: Flew over The Leys calling loudly. 14:46.

Steve Akers

Otmoor rspb 16th March

AMERICAN WIGEON drake still present 14:40 on The Flood field, #4 on map,viewable from the bridleway east of Oddington.
Glossy Ibis 2
Crane 2

(per Paul Willis et al)


Farmoor Reservoir: 16th March

Farmoor Reservoir
Little Ringed Plover: Along the causeway on F1. 12:57.
2 Cetti's Warbler: Heard but not seen along Thames at Pinkhill and shrike meadow. 12:57.

Richard Parsons

Marsh Baldon: 16th March

Marsh Baldon
Brambling: Brambling visited garden feeders with Siskins and Goldfinches. SU565999. 07:04.

Paul Torevell

Courtesy of Paul Torevell