Review of Oxon Birding in May is now up. Top highlights include the 4th record of Black Kite for the county. An excellent find by @tmbirding.bsky.social and @sheldonbirds.bsky.social. And a brief Red-footed Falcon found by @benhall41.bsky.social. #UKBirding oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2026/06/may-...
May Review & Highlights
The Highlights Not to be outdone by the previous two months May delivered on the unexpected and continued the fine form of 2026. For inla...
oxonbirding.blogspot.com
More news on the satellite-tagged White-tailed Eagle that 'disappeared' on a grouse shooting estate in the North York Moors National Park. #RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/06/03/m...
More news on the satellite-tagged White-tailed Eagle that ‘disappeared’ on a grouse shooting estate in the North York Moors National Park
On Monday the news broke that a young satellite-tagged White-tailed Eagle had ‘disappeared’ in suspicious circumstances on a grouse shooting estate in the North York Moors National Park…
raptorpersecutionuk.org
Arrived just in time for the Red-necked Phalarope at Farmoor this afternoon. What a superb bird, I saw the spring female on Port Meadow in 2018 but it was a distant spinning speck compared to this. Another great find from Roger Wyatt and another great record for Oxfordshire this year #ukbirding
Natural England has revealed that it does not believe White Storks to be native to Britain – and it views releases of the species as not a conservation priority:
White Storks 'not native' and releases 'not a priority', says Natural England
The government's nature agency said growing interest in rewilding projects involving storks had raised
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Another excellent month of birding in Oxfordshire, a county 3rd and 6th. Unfortunately another month I find myself writing about a county mega I missed! #UKBirding oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2026/05/apri...
April Review
The Highlights 2026 continues to deliver on its excellent form and for the second time in as many months I find myself writing about a co...
oxonbirding.blogspot.com
Round up of some fantastic county birds in March, topped by an excellent Ring-billed Gull found by @tmbirding.bsky.social. April looks set to continue the great form the county is currently in, quite the start to 2026. oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2026/04/marc... #UKBirding
March Review
The Highlights After a period dominated by visitors from the East, March provided some much-needed variety with several rarities from the ...
oxonbirding.blogspot.com
A bit late with this, but a round-up of Decembers birding in Oxon. A major influx of geese produced a 9 goose species day, which was the big excitement this month. A smattering of winter staples rounded the month off nicely #UKbirding. oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2026/01/dece...
December Review
The Highlights As is often the case, December started off as a quiet and mundane affair, with genuinely very little to discuss in the first...
oxonbirding.blogspot.com
Eastern Black Redstart at the point near the green beacon. Pic: T Willoughby. #spurnbirds @rarebirder.bsky.social
Nipped over to Farmoor on a speculative visit, with lots moving around the country due to Storm Claudia. Absolutely buzzing then to pick out this 1w Kittiwake on F1, a county ✔️ and 190 for the Oxon Big Year. Unfortunately didn’t hang about. Black Red was also still present #UKBirding
Nearly had a heart attack when this beast flew into view whilst working around London last week. A juv dark-morph Gyr Falcon causing absolute chaos. Several expletives followed and then eventual clear views of a bird with telemetry equipment! #UKbirding
Hen Harrier Susie, whose chicks were stamped to death on a Yorkshire Dales grouse moor in 2022, has been found dead on a N Pennines grouse moor with gunshot injuries. 18+ months of silence about this crime from the police & Natural England. #RaptorResearch raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/11/14/h...
Hen Harrier ‘Susie’, whose chicks were stamped to death in 2022, has been found dead on a North Pennines grouse moor with gunshot injuries
If ever there was an example demonstrating the high level of persecution faced by Hen Harriers on UK grouse moors, the lack of consequences for the offenders, and the lack of justice for the victim…
raptorpersecutionuk.org
Don’t often get to bird back in the homeland when I visit, so well chuffed to get over to South Gare for first time in yonks. OBP twitch with the eldest an unexpected bonus, whilst the Snow Bunting confiding as ever. Plus endless waders & seabirds - makes birding back in Oxon difficult. #UKBirding
A guaranteed annual on the SW London Waterbodies SPA, but nice to find two of these loafs on Wraysbury Reservoir last week. Don’t often get much on here, so this and the Sabs Gull in the last few weeks have been a real highlight. Would love to see one of these tanks flying over the m25! #UKBirding
October Oxon Birding round-up is now up! A superb month with the county in fine form for rarities: Bluethroat lingering into the 1st week, then a Pec Sand and finally two Twite – a real inland mega these days. And all 3 found by the same birder! #UKbirding oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/11/octo...
October Review
Highlights October continued the county’s excellent run of rarities, with three standout highlights punctuating an otherwise fairly quiet ...
oxonbirding.blogspot.com
After my recent poor form/luck on the Oxon Big Year, it seemed appropriate I’d spend yesterday morning dipping Pectoral Sandpiper. Quite remarkable then that a pair of Twite were found on Farmoor later that day by the same observer! The first since 2011 and a county ✔️ for lots of locals. #UKbirding
After the initial couple of flyby’s the juvenile Sabine’s Gull showed incredibly well. Not many birds that are as stunning in juvenile plum as adults but Sab’s are definitely one of those. Just a shame for it be on site with no access #UKbirding @birdguides.bsky.social @berksbirdclub.bsky.social
Could not believe my eyes whilst surveying on Wraysbury Reservoir this morning when this juvenile Sabine’s Gull flew into view. Incredible views of a species I’ve only seen once before - just wish I had a better camera! #UKbirding @berksbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social
Oh lawdy...!!! White-throated Needletail showing a bit well here at Bempton RSPB reserve @rarebirder.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social
The Oxon birding round up for September now live. Obvious highlight a 1w Bluethroat at @rspbotmoor.bsky.social, the 3rd county record. Other highlights include a couple Manx Shearwater and plenty of wader action, although frequently not twitchable. oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/10/sept... #UKBirding
September Review
Highlights I set out on a somewhat dispirited version of the highlights section in late September , pointing out the lack of rarities and ...
oxonbirding.blogspot.com
Natural England confirms ongoing & relentless illegal persecution is reason why Hen Harriers are still rare in England. #RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime #Ornithology raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/10/02/h...
Hardly any Hen Harrier nesting attempts on English grouse moors for second year running
Natural England has finally got around to publishing the data for the 2025 Hen Harrier breeding season, which demonstrate very clear differences between areas managed for conservation and those man…
raptorpersecutionuk.org
Well who on earth had Bluethroat on their Oxon bingo card? An incredible run of birds for the county continued with a 1w male Bluethroat at @rspbotmoor.bsky.social this morning, found late evening yesterday. Both a county and UK ✔️ for me! County Big Year now on 188 (+ GWT). #UKbirding
A round up of an exciting month of birding in Oxon - topped by a 2nd for the county and proper grip back for those who missed the 1st. Other highlights include an unseasonable Wood Warbler, a storm blown Shag and a southward bound Honey-buzzard #UKbirding oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/09/augu...
August Review
Highlights One of the many great joys of birding is the appearance of a total wildcard. A totally unexpected species that not even the mos...
oxonbirding.blogspot.com
A good way to round out the summer fieldwork season, an atmospheric evening monitoring post-breeding flocks of Stone-curlew, just before the weather turned this week. A real pleasure to work with this species over the summer (under license of course). #ornithology #UKbirding
Little Stint at Farmoor yesterday evening. Took some finding after disappearing at midday, but well worth the punt that it was still around. #UKbirding
Finally a Wood Sandpiper in Oxfordshire this autumn. With so many records in bordering counties, I was beginning to wonder if we’d ever get one. #UKbirding
Still ticking away on the Oxon Big Year with three new birds in August. Shag the standout rarity so far. Although very pleased to finally catch up with Greenshank (!) and Med Gull after worrying these may be glaring omissions. Now on 182, hoping for more wader action. #UKBirding
After our summer break here is the Oxon birding review for the last 2 months. Nothing too unexpected, but with the Crossbill irruption gaining pace and some early Wader action there’s been enough to keep us going. That being said, bring on autumn! #UKbirding oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/08/summ...
Summer review
Highlights After our usual summer break, I had hoped to be discussing a local mega disrupting this usually very relaxed birding period. In...
oxonbirding.blogspot.com
Wonderful news this evening! A pair of Montagu's Harrier has bred at a secret location in England this summer, the RSPB has announced:
Montagu's Harrier pair successfully breeds in England
A pair of Montagu's Harrier, Britain’s rarest breeding bird, have successfully raised four chicks at a secret site in England, the first UK nesting success since 2019. Monitored by the RSPB and a farmer, the rare birds' return offers hope for the species' future in Britain.
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Survey season pretty much closed out and it’s been a fantastic year monitoring my local ground nesting birds. Nice to see so many chicks, particularly Curlew, after a poor two years. Now looking forward to some quieter months though. #UKbirding
Early visits to Farmoor paid off again today when a Turnstone dropped in, picked up initially calling over F1. A new bird for the Oxon Big Year (178)and only present for c.30 minutes before departing once it the site got rammed by summer sailing lessons - who can blame it really! #UKbirding
