All the local birding hotspots in an evening but no birds

Saturday 18 August 2012
A long but interesting day that started with moth trapping at Millbrook Mead, Benson (awaiting list) and ended with a balloon flight over Oxford to celebrate wifes birthday, though a year late!

Unfortunately not really stable enough or space enough for a scope otherwise I could have had a good evenings list! Apologies to any birders if we disturbed the birds!

Top - farmoor
Middle - Port Meadow
Lower - Otmoor

At last

Thursday 16 August 2012
I had just about given up hope of catching up with Brown Argos at The cress beds this year but this little beauty decided to pose for me today.

Sparrowhawk and Grey Heron were the only birds of note on the site today though I guess the Pheasant with three newly hatched young is worthy of note.  Very young Mallard and Moorhen chicks recently arrived which should provide food for the corvids! My local spy tells me there is a Green Sandpiper in the area so, hopefully, it will soon find the watercress beds.

Millbrook mead is looking good and I'm looking forward to moth trapping there friday/Saturday. As a taster this nettle-tap moth was flying around today.

BioBlitz

Tuesday 31 July 2012
At long last I have finalised the list of species found during the 14 hour bioblitz at Ewelme Watercress Beds LNR. A grand total of 593 species were found and identified including 146 moths and 135 flowers. Hoping to put the full list on the Ewelme web site when I find time.

Battle Farm survey

Saturday 28 July 2012
230 birds of 32 species. Highlights included a roost of about 30 Swallows in a small clump of Hawthorns, a good count of 8 Whitethroats and these were not family groups as singles and pairs  widely separated. In fact one male was getting very upset with me so I assume I was close to an occupied nest. Other sightings of interest werea Long-tailed Tit fighting with an enormous caterpillar and the first sighting for a long time of a Roe deer "Kangarooing" through the wheat crop. Less attractively a verbal battle with a security man, whose first language was not English, who tried to stop me walking a public right of way.

Gatekeeper at last

Friday 27 July 2012

About two weeks later than usual the first appearance of Gatekeepers today. Meadow Browns and Ringlets seem to have tapered off but a few Skippers to be seen.

Gatekeeper

Small Skipper

Dragons and Damsels

Thursday 26 July 2012

We don't get a lot of these at Ewelme - the water is too cold and fast moving. However today an Emperor and two Brown Hawkers plus a Blue Tailed and an Azure Damselfly.
At home a dragon was hawking over the hedge at the bottom of the garden and still at it when the dark sent me inside at past 9.30. Wonder what it was?

Kingfisher at last!

Monday 23 July 2012
I really don't believe I have made it through the year to this date before seeing my first Kingfisher of 2012. Apart from that somewhat ordinary with just 711 birds of 16 species though good to see 3 Lapwing (suspect they bred and 2 Oystercatchers)
Not sure what the Blackbird was doing in the garden this morning as it seemed to be offering dead leaves to a youngster. Perhaps it was the lesson for today "this is a leaf - we don't eat these but they can be used for constructing your nest".