Our original intention was to go to Welney and the Ouse Washes but as these sites were subject to flooding, prohibiting access to hides, it was decided to go to Slimbridge instead. After the severe weather of the previous weeks it felt positively balmy at Slimbridge, sunshine and no wind. However there was still a lot of ice on the lagoons and scrapes and the ground was still hard under the surface.. The effect of this was for fewer waders than would normally be expected as they had gone to the salt water mud flats on the nearby Severn Estuary to search for food in the soft mud. 59 species were seen, including a Todd's Canada Goose although it cannot be verified whether this was a wild bird or an escapee.

Birds seen on trip

Once again this was a joint trip with the Vale of White Horse Local Group.  Forty seven of us travelled on a day of prolonged heavy showers.

Most of us made the Nettley’s hide our first port of call, just in time to shelter from one of the showers.  From here , as well as watching some of the commoner wildfowl species, we saw a Water Rail feeding just below us, two Peregrine Falcons flying on the far side of the reserve where, also, a ring-tail Hen Harrier was quartering the water meadows.   In other parts of the reserve, small birds such as Stonechats, Bullfinches, Long-tailed Tits, Treecreepers, Nuthatches and Marsh Tits were also active.   Crossbills eluded most of us; however, a few of our party did hear them.  A couple of people also saw a Barn Owl.  The Group total tally of species was fifty eight, a respectable number on a rather wet visit. 

Birds seen on trip

On a cool, bright and windy morning eight of us travelled by car to Wilstone Reservoir.  The sun was a problem for us here, reflecting off the water as well as shining directly into our eyes.  However, we managed to see a few water bird species, including Great Crested Grebes, Tufted Ducks, Eurasian Wigeons, Common Pochards, and Eurasian Coots in their hundreds.  We soon moved on to College Lake where up to 10 Common Snipe, a pair of Eurasian Oystercatchers and around 50 Northern Lapwings were on one of the larger islands – some of the latter species involved in breeding display flights.  Pairs of Little Grebe and Common Redshank were also seen displaying.  We logged 31 different species of birds through the day, a low number, perhaps due to the strong cool  breeze, which created small waves on the water and blew through the bare trees, causing birds to seek shelter elsewhere.

Birds seen on trip  

Once again members of the RSPB Vale of White Horse Local Group joined us for the day.  The weather was glorious: sunshine, little wind and a temperature of 17 degrees.  Soon after arriving at the Reserve we encountered two species which, due to their abundance, we were to hear and see throughout the day: Willow Warbler and Blackcap.  Everyone was able to see them clearly due to both species’ preference for prominent song-posts in the tops of the still leafless trees alongside the paths.  Most of us were hoping to see a Nightingale but, despite at least 4 males present, we only heard occasional snatches of their unmistakable song.  Some other species were also very scarce, with just a few of our party hearing Sedge Warblers and Common Whitethroats and seeing Barn Swallows and House Martins.  However, the nesting Cormorants and Grey Herons were very obvious, many of us had good views of Kingfishers and, though elusive, the Green Woodpeckers called all day long.  The tally for the day was 51 species, and everyone said how much they’d enjoyed the trip.

Birds seen on trip

Otmoor RSPB Nature Reserve

When David Wilding, the Reserve Manager, met the ten Oxford Local Group members who’d turned up at ten o’clock for a guided walk around the reserve the morning was fine and sunny but with the threat of a heavy shower.  Around the car park Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Common Whitethroats, a Turtle Dove and a Yellowhammer were some of the birds singing.  A Cuckoo and a male Bullfinch had been seen ten minutes earlier.

We walked  along the track to the west of the Car Park Field and across Greenaways.  Lapwings were displaying, and at one point several saw off a Red Kite.  A couple of Redshanks were briefly seen, calling as they flew.  Along the way David paused occasionally to tell us about the history, ancient and modern, of the moor and also about the work carried out over the twelve years since the RSPB purchased the first parcel of land to create the reserve.  He also explained about the seasonal management of the grassland and the reedbeds, including the control of water levels.  At the north end of Greenaways we obtained good views over the Barn Field and The Flood where breeding Shovelers, Wigeons and Gadwalls were dabbling and Little Grebes diving.  A Common Buzzard soared above.  As we walked past the viewing screens four Hobbys swooped for aerial prey over the reedbeds.  From inside the new hide which overlooks  The Closes and Ashgrave, we watched a pair of Little Ringed Plovers pottering along the edge of one of the pools.  After a very interesting and enjoyable tour round the reserve, we made our way back to the car park along the southern edge of The Closes, arriving at our cars just in time, as large raindrops started to fall.      

When the coach with twenty six of us aboard travelled south the weather was overcast with occasional spots of light rain and a light breeze, and this was how it remained all day.  We had a good start at Beaulieu Road where a flock of about 30 Common Crossbills were flitting about in the top of the grove of Scots pine trees, a Stonechat  was perched in the top of a gorse bush and a Skylark was singing on the heath.  As we entered the woodland in the Denny Lodge area a Blackcap, a Willow Warbler, Chiffchaffs and Song Thrushes were singing and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming.  A little later on a Hawfinch was spotted on the ground in a muddy area, presumably drinking from the puddles, a Treecreeper was going to and fro feeding young at a nest in the split trunk of a dead tree and a Common Redstart, the first of several seen, was perched on a low horizontal bough nearby.  The only raptors of the morning, and of the day, were a Hobby and a Common Buzzard, high over the heath.  At Bolderwood we had a good view of a Tree Pipit constantly demonstrating its parachuting song flight. However, the Firecrests eluded us, with the songs of Goldcrests, probably, causing some confusion.  One member of our group also heard a Wood Warbler singing.  All-in-all, though, despite the less than ideal weather conditions, we’d had a good day with 44 species logged.

Birds seen on trip

On a warm and sunny evening seven of us left Headington.   However, as others joined us at the reserve, our number gradually grew to fourteen, including  two from Coventry, who’d learned about the trip on our Website and had contacted the Group to ask if they could come along.  With no cloud cover, dusk occurred very late on this visit.  Small birds were very scarce, as was the case on last year’s trip.  Chiffchaffs, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and a Willow Warbler sang, later joined by a Garden Warbler which was also glimpsed momentarily.  One of our party saw a couple of Tree Pipits which had eluded the rest of us.  Roding Woodcock eventually appeared and later, in the dusk, a Nightjar started to churr, then appeared on several occasions in silhouette on overhead wires before flying towards us and disappearing into the darkening shrubs.  Reluctantly, we decided it was time to leave. 

Birds seen on trip