Thursday 21 December 2017

New Patches Review 2017

2017 was certainly a year of some big changes, or rather one big change (the arrival of Jacob) that set off a series of other changes. The timing couldn't have been any better, as Beddington is in such poor quality at the moment and considering we are living between Holly's in Oxford and mine at Beddington, there was the perfect excuse to start regularly birding at not only sites around Holly's (Otmoor, Farmoor and at the Old Vic) but also a half-way there patch (Staines). 

Turned out in the end that is was also a good year's birding at Beddington too despite the terrible habitat management and conflict so what with Jacob and all the extra birding away- 2017 was definitely one of the best years ever. 
OXFORD PATCH 
SPRING 2017 


 First-winter Bonaparte's Gull at Farmoor in April 
 Black Tern at Farmoor in April
 Turnstone at Farmoor in May 
 Temminck's Stint at Otmoor
 Grass Snake at Otmoor 
 Fallow Deer in Spring around Holly's. The Oxfordshire countryside around Holly's hosts good populations of Deer including Fallow, Roe, Muntjac and Chinese Water Deer. 
 Roe Deer
 Chinese Water Deer 
 Muntjac in Holly's garden (in autumn) 
 Spring Bluebells at Aston Rowant

SUMMER 2017 

 Forester on Common Spotted Orchid at Bernwood Meadows 
 Common Cranes at Otmoor- the breeding pair 
 Marsh Helleborine at Lye Valley 
 Brown Hare at Otmoor 
 Bank Vole at Otmoor 
 Spotted Flycatcher at the Old Vic 
 Frog Orchid at Aston Rowant 
 Green-winged Orchids at Bernwood Meadows 
 Pale Tussock at the Old Vic 
 Drinker at the Old Vic 
Varied Coronet at the Old Vic 
Waved Black at the Old Vic 
Turtle Dove at Otmoor

AUTUMN 2017
 2017 was the autumn of the Hawfinch and we had several over the Oxford area. This one was at the Old Vic (Holly's garden) 
 Juvenile Knot at Farmoor in September 
 Shag at Farmoor in September 
 Osprey over Otmoor in August 
 Bittern at Otmoor in October 

WINTER 2017
Golden Plovers at Otmoor

The 2017 crew

STAINES 2017

The half way there patch performed in style. The draining of the Staines Res South Basin was a bonus with some excellent wader habitat through the autumn. 

 Great Northern Diver, April
 Black-necked Grebe, April 
Little Gull in April 
 Greater Scaup in April 
 Whimbrels in May 
 First-summer White-winged Black Tern in May 
 Arctic Skua in September 
 Grey Phalarope in September 
 Red-necked Phalarope in September  
 Little Stints in September 
Merlin in September 

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