FARMOOR ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE YEAR

Since Farmoor reservoir was introduced to me a few years ago when my interest in 
birdwatching accelerated, some of my best and closest sightings of water birds have been located there. These have included great northern diver, black necked and red necked grebes, grey and red necked phalaropes and, just before Christmas, scaup and slavonian grebe. 

With a few hours to spare on New Year's Day morning, I headed over to the Reservoir to see these latter two species and put them near the top of my 2020 bird list. It had been overcast at home, but it looked like it might brighten up  and by the time I had reached my destination it was clear and sunny. 

There were a few cars in the car park, and a number of birders armed with tripods bearing telescopes or cameras were chatting as they strolled towards the reservoir. 

I knew where the slavonian grebe was likely to be as it had remained in this area for the past week or so, so I made my way across the causeway to the NW corner of F2, the larger of the two reservoir sections. The air was still, and so was the water, and the mild temperature made it a pleasure to be out and about. 

As I approached the aforementioned corner of the reservoir, I soon spotted the slavonian grebe amongst the little grebes and tufted ducks. It kept diving and often would come up on the opposite side of the pontoon, before diving again and returning to the original side.  Being somewhat nearer than it had been last time I visited,  I was pleased to be able to take some better photos though the  low sunlight made it difficult to show it in its best colour. 

 Speaking to a fellow birdwatcher who was also there for the same purpose, I enquired if he knew where the Scaups might be. He pointed me to an area on the eastern side of F1 which necessetated a return across the causeway where he said one of them had been fairly close in. As it was nearly time for my return home, I retraced my steps back across the causeway, and found the scaup amongst a large group of mostly sleeping tufted ducks. The scaup was one of only a few ducks who were active so was easy to spot, although it had retreated someway out from the bank. But at least I could add it to my year list. I wonder if it will be the only one I see this year. Quite likely, as when I saw it for the first time in December it was a 'lifer' for me. 

a still and quiet Farmoor reservoir

a flock of geese flew across the causeway in front of me, greylags with a snow goose amongst them

little grebes

great crested grebe

the scaup was amongst the tufted ducks to the left of this building

scaup amongst tufted ducks

WINTER SUNSHINE AT SLIMBRIDGE WWT

School finished yesterday so with a fine morning forecast for  today I paid a pre- Christmas visit to Slimbridge. Although fine at home, when I left at 8.30. am. I came through cloud and some light rain and fog but as I arrived at the wetland trust car park, a beautiful rainbow was showing over the centre. 

As I made for the hides, I noticed that it was making a full semi-circle over the flamingo pool outside the café, which made me reach for my camera.

There were a few Bewick swans still on the Rushy pen after their morning feed but most had flown off to other parts of the reserve to feed for the day. Other species seen there were pintails, pochards, mallards, shelducks and tufted ducks. 

From the willow hide it is often possible to see one if not more water rail at this time of year, and on enquiring I learned that one had been seen a few moments before but had retreated to the reeds. I waited and sure enough one soon appeared, followed by a second, which I was told were male and female, the female being slightly larger and fatter than the male!

Further down the Holden walkway, I reached the new Estuary Hide and climbed the three flights of steps to the open air top. I was the only one there but enjoyed the views of the flocks of geese together with a distant peregrine sitting on  dead tree. From the sightings blog I knew that a barnacle flock was often to be seen from this point, and that it currently held a bar-headed goose and a bar-headed-snow goose hybrid.  In the distance I could just make out a flock of what I thought might be the barnacles but certainly I would not be determine if there were any other geese amongst them, However, after a short while the whole flock took off and flew to another spot considerably nearer the hide, where a better view could be had through bincoculars. I soon spotted the odd one out, but it appeared more like a hybrid. 

Just then some other visitors arrived, and I was pleased to see one of them had a telescope!  Entering into conversation about the geese, he was able to verify the hybrid but then found the bar-headed goose further away and invited me to see through his scope. He also located the flock of eight pink-footed geese which had also been reported there. Pleased that I had now added a further two species to my year list, I left the hide to explore the remainder of the reserve. It was then I discovered I had left my flask of coffee in the boot of the car, so I paid a visit to one of the refreshment kiosks and had my lunch on one of the picnic tables. 

A visit to the shop completed my visit, until the next time, which I hope should be at the start of the New year. 

Species list for today:

bar-headed goose, pink footed goose, Canada goose, greylag, mute swan, Bewick swan, cormorant, herring gull,  Blck headed gull, shelduck, shoveler, mallard, teal, tufted duck, wigeon, coot, moorhen, water rail, crane, redshank, dunlin, snipe, lapwing, pochard, white fronted goose, pintail, heron, golden plover, wood pigeon, collared dove, magpie, blackbird dunnock, blue tit, great tit, wren, chaffinch, robin, peregrine, house sparrow, ruff, starling  (42)

Bewick swan

collared doves

grey heron

pintail

robin

shelduck

swans and ducks on the Rushy pen

view over Tack Piece

water rail

water rail seen in channel to the left

FARMOOR AGAIN

Another cold, still,  day so I paid a quick visit to Farmoor reservoir  this afternoon to try and get some better views of the scaups seen there last week. As an added bonus there had been reports of a slavonian  greb which would be an extra year tick for me. 

After I had crossed the causeway I came across  a couple of birders, one of which told me that he could  see the two scaups, and that the slavonian grebe was still there, albeit further away than it had been earlier. Grateful for his help,  I soon located  the scaups  which  were fairly distant to start with but gradually came a little nearer,  sometimes preening and often turning in circles as they did so!.  The grebe, however,  was content to remain fairly distant   and I had to be content with a couple of record shots  After watching them for a while, the light deteriorated as the sun gradually began to sink; a reminder that the shortest day is not far off so I headed home. 

white coot

female scaup

female and juvenile scaups

little grebe

Slavonian grebe

FROST AT OTMOOR

I fancied a winter's walk at RSPB Otmoor so got up earlier than usual on a Saturday morning only to find a blanket of fog.  Checking the met office forecast  it showed sun in Oxfordshire while at home in North Wiltshire it was still foggy. Not knowing the accuracy of this, I thought it might be a good idea to check out an Oxford webcam,  which I did, and incredibly it showed clearing skies. 

So having made sandwiches and a flask of hot chocolate I headed out along the A420..still foggy. But after about 20 minutes or so the round shape of the sun could be seen through the fog and soon it cleared completely. On arrival at Otmoor, the hedges were a beautiful picture of white  sparkling leaves and in the distance the moor looked stunning in its winter beauty. 

With everything still pretty frozen, there were not that many birds currently about, so I took the opportunity to  try out some winter photography. However at the hide the winter feeding scheme ensured that there were good numbers of reed buntings, chaffinches, and a few yellow hammers along with great tits and robin.

At the junction of the path to the first screen, there were a group of birders standing around at the junction with the track who had just been watching a weasel. And as I followed the path I caught up with another couple of birders who were also watching one, which I could see in the distance.  I did actually have another  two weasel sightings, the second one particularly close but although I waited with camera poised, sadly it did not reappear. 

At the first screen, I joined a few others who were watching a group of snipe on an island and flocks of teal wheeling round above the water but not landing. Here bitterns have been seen regularly and not so long ago a family of otters had been frequenting the area. But neither showed during my visit today. 

Birds seen:
coot, moorhen, swan, mallard, tufted duck, teal, snipe, Canada geese, redwing, great tit, pheasant, chaffinch, great tit, reed bunting, yellowhammer, buzzard,  linnet, cormorant.

IN SEARCH OF A SCAUP

After some very wet weather recently it was a pleasant change to have sunshine the whole day, even though the temperature had dropped.

Some scaups have been seen regularly at Farmoor Reservoir this autumn, and having failed in two attempts to find them amongst the similar looking tufted ducks, I decided to have a third attempt today.

The brightness of the  autumn sunshine meant I needed to cross the causeway to get round to a position where I could have a better view of the ducks but despite scanning the ducks through my binoculars I still could not make out any duck with a large patch of white surrounding its beak which would identify it as my target species.

Wondering what to do next, a birder ( who turned out to be the author of a birding blog that I read regularly! ) was coming towards me and I enquired if he had seen the scaup. He told me he had not yet found them but they had been reported there about an hour earlier and it was unlikely they would have flown off in that time.  I joined him and we continued to look, walking down the western side of both reservoirs which were the favoured areas but without success.  However he did point out a hybrid greater/lesser scaup.  As his more experienced eyes scanned the shapes of the mostly sleeping ducks, he also picked out a possible culprit but we could not verify it while its head was tucked in.

We continued walking and looking, mystified that we hadn't been able to locate it,  and then he went back to his car while I  went  to return to my own vehicle in the car park the opposite side of the causeway. Meanwhile the driver of another car which had passed us had stopped and got out a telescope and was joined by the birder who I been searching with earlier. Then I got a shout and quickly hurried over to where they had  been able to confirm the identity of the sleeping bird, it was in the fact the scaup. I peered through the telescope and saw it for myself as it lifted its head  exhibiting its large white blaze but as it was right out in the middle of the reservoir no photos were possible. 

It was however another year tick, and if it continues to stay, then there is a chance I might be able to see it again, as it has been known to be much closer in. 

Other birds seen included:

swan, mallard, wigeon, pochard, tufted duck, cormorant, great crested grebe, little grebe, grey lag geese, grey wagtail, common sandpiper. 

cormorants on a still lake

Farmoor F1

lesser x greater scaup