Hello
Today I was with local birder Mike Pollard conducting a Banbury Ornithological Society Long Day Count in SP54. This 10km tetrad includes much of the village of Middleton Cheney north of Banbury, right up to the northern limits around Moreton Pinkney all in South Northants.
Although the day started grey and windy, there were plenty of birds about and we soon connected with localised birds such as Little Owl, Lapwing and Grey Partridge. Small lakes provided Little Grebes and summering Tufted Ducks. Coal Tits were feeding young in a wall nest and a Red Kite (not yet common in this area) sauntered over.
Raven was found at four sites including two adults with four freshly fledged juveniles at one of them, and Common Buzzards were very high profile all day. Even Sparrowhawk showed on three occasions and singing Lesser Whitethroats were well distributed. Birds passing through the square included Sand Martin and Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls but we failed to locate any migrant waders. A Wheatear was found in a bean field near Grumbler's Holt and a Spotted Flycatcher sheltered in Halse Copse.
Other good birds for the day included a couple of Tawny Owls and a drake Mandarin Duck on a pond at Trafford Marsh. We failed to locate Yellow Wagtail and Nuthatch but Kingfisher and breeding Grey Wagtails gave themselves up at Edgecote.
Eleanor watched a hunting Barn Owl in a grass field in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this evening.
Regards
Neil M
Today I was with local birder Mike Pollard conducting a Banbury Ornithological Society Long Day Count in SP54. This 10km tetrad includes much of the village of Middleton Cheney north of Banbury, right up to the northern limits around Moreton Pinkney all in South Northants.
Although the day started grey and windy, there were plenty of birds about and we soon connected with localised birds such as Little Owl, Lapwing and Grey Partridge. Small lakes provided Little Grebes and summering Tufted Ducks. Coal Tits were feeding young in a wall nest and a Red Kite (not yet common in this area) sauntered over.
Raven was found at four sites including two adults with four freshly fledged juveniles at one of them, and Common Buzzards were very high profile all day. Even Sparrowhawk showed on three occasions and singing Lesser Whitethroats were well distributed. Birds passing through the square included Sand Martin and Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls but we failed to locate any migrant waders. A Wheatear was found in a bean field near Grumbler's Holt and a Spotted Flycatcher sheltered in Halse Copse.
Other good birds for the day included a couple of Tawny Owls and a drake Mandarin Duck on a pond at Trafford Marsh. We failed to locate Yellow Wagtail and Nuthatch but Kingfisher and breeding Grey Wagtails gave themselves up at Edgecote.
Eleanor watched a hunting Barn Owl in a grass field in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this evening.
Regards
Neil M
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| Juvenile Mistle Thrush |
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| Juvenile Grey Wagtail |
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