Otmoor RSPB 17th May

0900-1100hrs

Glossy Ibis 3

Cattle Egret 1

Little Egret 2

Marsh Harrier 2

Hobby 1

Cuckoo 3

Farmoor Reservoir 17th May

Yellow Wagtail 2

Dunlin 5

Ringed Plover 1

Cuckoo 2 m/f

Common Tern 1

Common Swift 20+

Sand Martin 10+

Tar Lake 17th May

Cuckoo 4

Cattle Egret 

(S.K)

Hobby Otmoor rspb courtesy of Nick Truby 

 

Ardley Quarry 17th May

Ringed Plover c7

(JFT)

Farmoor Reservoir 17th May

Dunlin 5

Ringed Plover 

Yellow Wagtail 2

(per Ewan Urquhart)

Oxford: 17th May

Lesser Whitethroat: Singing in the car park at Thornhill Park and Ride. 07:30.

Ian Elkins

17 May 2026 07:42

Farmoor 16th May 2026

 

4 Dunlin were on the Causeway. Also, Yellow Wagtail and several Grey Wagtail.

A Cuckoo and Grasshopper Warbler were singing from Pinkhill. A Common Tern flew over the River Thames.

A fisherman reported being certain that a Turtle Dove had been singing from a hedge on the south side of F2.

Abingdon: Wilsham Road: 16th May

Yellow Wagtail: Flew over Hales meadow calling. 14:45.
Common Tern: Flew over hales meadow and along Thames. 18:45.

Jed Cleeter

16 May 2026 20:55

Otmoor RSPB 16th May

Glossy Ibis 3 from the Wetlands Watch hide (per Birdguides)

Clifton Pool 16th May

Cattle Egret 5 this afternoon 

Little Egret 

(S.B)

Fyfield Wick: 16th May

Hobby: Drifted S over garden quite high. FOY here. 11:33.

Jed Cleeter

16 May 2026 11:36

Tar Lakes: 15th May

Hobby 16:00.
3 Cuckoo: male. Singing. 16:00.
2 Oystercatcher: NCVW. 16:00.
2 Shelduck: NCVW. 16:00.

Jed Cleeter

15 May 2026 23:55

Churn 15th May

Quail calling (per Birdguides)

Otmoor: RSPB reserve: 15th May

3 Glossy Ibis: Together with Cattle Egret from Wetland Watch Hide. 13:35.
3 Cattle Egret 13:35.
Bittern: Heard booming. 13:35.
4 Marsh Harrier: One male seen transferring prey (water bird) to female. 13:35.
11 Hobby 13:35.
7 Redshank 13:35.
5 Cuckoo: 4m, 1f. Five heard and seen across the reserve including a male in pursuit of 'bubbling' female. 13:35.
7 Common Tern: On the nesting raft from 2nd screen. 13:35.
100 Swift: 100 plus feeding over the reserve. 13:35.

Steve Akers

15 May 2026 23:09

Farmoor Reservoir 15th May

1000-1130hrs

Common Swift 50+

Sand Martin 20+

House Martin 10+

Dunlin 4

Cuckoo 1m

Garden Warbler 3 

Access to the Otmoor RSPB Reserve

Our neighbours at the MOD will be working to replace their stock buts from 18 May -1 June. While Otmoor Lane will remain open, large lorries will be transporting stone and sand along the lane at times. For safety reasons, the MOD will install temporary traffic control during these periods - these will cause delays for short periods. We understand that transportation will happen on weekdays only. Thank you for your understanding. 

The Otmoor team.

 

 

Otmoor RSPB 14th May

Avocet 2 on Big Otmoor 18:09 

(per Luke O'Byrne et al)

Wood Sandpiper  on Noke Pool 18:24

Little-ringed Plover 2 Big Otmoor 

(Simon Myers)

Glossy Ibis 3

Quail calling distantly along the bridleway near the first bench

(per Birdguides, Ben Sheldon)

Greenshank 

(per Ben Sheldon)

Yellow Wagtail Stonesfield courtesy of Paul Wren

 

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland: 14th May

Hobby: Hunting over the marsh. 14:23.
2 Swift 14:23.
4 Swallow 14:23.
Grey Heron 14:23.
Reed Bunting 14:23.
3 Buzzard 14:23.
2 Red Kite 14:23.

Steve Akers

14 May 2026 17:45

Henley Road GPs: 14th May

Cuckoo 12:55.

Marek Walford

14 May 2026 12:55

Sonning Eye GPs: 14th May

Oystercatcher: Heard. 12:30.
Hobby 12:30.

Marek Walford

14 May 2026 12:32

Farmoor Reservoir 14th May

Dunlin 5

Ringed Plover 3

07:30 (S.M)

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland: 13th May

Swift 20:33.
2 Swallow 20:33.
6 House Martin 20:33.
Reed Bunting 20:33.
2 Song Thrush 20:33.
13 Mallard 20:33.
Kestrel 20:33.
Wren: Plus 3 Roe Deer - Buck and two Does drinking from river across the bottom section of wetland nr Swailsford Bridge. No sign of Common Sandpiper this evening. 20:33.

Steve Akers

13 May 2026 21:52

Farmoor Reservoir 13th May

Dunlin

10 Ringed Plover at approx 1100 which did not settle - per Dave Murphy 

1 Little Ringed Plover at 1300

7 Dunlin

1 Sanderling

Farmoor 13th May

Arctic Tern

Sanderling

Dunlin

Dunlin

Dunlin 9, Sanderling 2, Arctic Tern 1 early morning. After the rain storm, 1 Sanderling and 5 Dunlin.

 

Sonning Eye GPs: 13th May

Oystercatcher: Heard. 12:26.
Cuckoo 12:26.

Marek Walford

13 May 2026 12:26

Otmoor 13th May

Otmoor 

Little Ringed Plover - Ashgrave 

3 Glossy Ibis - The Closes 

Wood Sandpiper - scrape Noke end 

Male Mandarin duck -Big Otmoor

Bicester Wetlands Reserve 13th May

Dunlin 11:50 (C.O)

Key Holder Reserve 

Courtesy of Pat Gulka 

Otmoor RSPB 13th May

Wood Sandpiper present on the 'Stilt/Noke pool' viewable from the bridleway 07:50 (per Luke O'Byrne)

Glossy Ibis 3 (per Birdguides)

Cornwell Marsh and Wetland: 12th May

Common Sandpiper: On lower section of wetland nr Swailsford Bridge - first record here. 13:17.
Lapwing 13:17.
Grey Heron 13:17.
16 Swift 13:17.
7 Swallow 13:17.
5 House Martin 13:17.
4 Reed Bunting 13:17.
Sedge Warbler 13:17.
4 Chiffchaff 13:17.
2 Blackcap 13:17.

Steve Akers

12 May 2026 22:36

Standlake Pit 60: 12th May

2 Cuckoo: male and fem heard. 15:04.
4 Oystercatcher 15:04.
2 Little Ringed Plover: On the island. 15:04.
Great White Egret 15:04.
6 Cattle Egret: In fields to the east of Pit 60. 15:04.
Shelduck 15:19.

Anthony Roberts

12 May 2026 15:10

Blenheim Estate 12th May

Spotted Flycatcher 2 (D.D)

Farmoor Reservoir: 11th May

2 Cattle Egret: Flew NE. 13:21.
4 Hobby: 1 flew high NE 15.09, 2 briefly hawking insects over Pinkhill 16:28 & 1 flew N 16:49. 15:09.
2 Common Tern: Flew N. 16:42.
100 Swift: Approx Through during the afternoon. 16:42.

Jed Cleeter

11 May 2026 18:33

Otmoor: 11th May

Whimbrel 4 on the Flood field 20:50 (per Max Buckley)

3 Glossy Ibis: From hide. 11:20.
Redshank: From hide. 11:20.
Oystercatcher 11:20.
Grasshopper Warbler: From main track. 11:20.
5 Reed Warbler: At least from main path to Hide. 11:20.
Marsh Harrier: m. 11:20.
Hobby 11:20.

Ralph Watts

11 May 2026 16:29

Oystercatcher courtesy of Malcolm Bowey 

Henley Road GPs: 11th May

Hobby: Hunting over the waterski lake. 12:50.

Marek Walford

11 May 2026 12:51

Sonning Eye GPs: 11th May

Cuckoo 12:29.

Marek Walford

11 May 2026 12:30

Otmoor RSPB 11th May

Glossy Ibis 3 at the 1st screen this morning (per Birdguides)