Showing posts with label Birding in England. Show all posts

14 July 2026

Oxfordshire Birding July 2026

Birding Oxfordshire

8-9 July 2026

Our house, Headington, Oxford

This morning, after having the moth trap up all night, we took out the moths to ID them, before releasing them. To our surprise almost 70 macro moths were in the trap in the morning, with over 100 micros! Of these, we were only able to ID a handful, since I have only just gotten into moth trapping and moths in general. Of the species we did manage to identify, here is a list

Moths caught in our garden

Least Carpet (below)

Bird-cherry Ermine (above)

Large Yellow Underwing

Elephant Hawk-Moth

Yellow Shell Moth

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Farmoor Reservoir

Today, (July 9th) my dad dropped me off at Farmoor Reservoir, one of the premier birding destinations in Oxfordshire and Southern England. It is the largest open body of water in Oxfordshire and therefore attracts a lot of waterbirds. When I arrived, I had to wait a bit for the Reservoir to open, so I stayed in the village, where my dad had left me. I was delighted to spot a Hobby flying low over the trees as I waited.

When I reservoir opened, I was surprised to find it quite empty. There were a few Cormorants, Coots, some Egyptian Geese, and some Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls, but it was otherwise very quiet, this was possibly caused by a foul odour that was probably because of some sort of chemical leak on Reservoir II, I therefore had to remain near the North Reservoir, with all the birds, if I were to survive the outing.

Coot

Cormorant

I spent about half an hour watching some odonata, including many Black-tailed Skimmers, and some damselflies, probably Azure damselflies.

Black-tailed Skimmers

I then walked around Reservoir I. I saw many more dragonflies, including Emperor and Lesser Emperor Dragonflies. I also heard a Yellow Wagtail, a year tick for me. I then crossed the causeway spotting the regular Yellow-legged Gull with a couple of Great Black-backed Gulls out on Reservoir I. Sadly, there weren't any waders on the causeway, but I did spot a couple Tufted Ducks, two of only four that I saw that day.

Lesser Emperor

Juvenile Great Crested Grebe

Great Black-backed Gull

Yellow-legged Gull

Yellow-legged Gull (and the origin of the unbearable stench)

Yellow-legged Gull audio recording

(click on image to open in Macauly Library)

Tufted Duck

Canada Goose

Wytham Woods

I then took the bus to Botley, from where I walked to Wytham Woods, at Botley Gate. My target here was Marsh Tit, a species I somehow haven't yet seen, and would therefore be a lifer for me.and would therefore be a lifer for me. Upon arrival, I heard a couple Spotted Flycatchers (year tick), and many Robins.

The back of a Spotted Flycatcher

While listening to a few Chiffchaffs, I suddenly heard the song of Marsh Tit, and Merlin also picked it up. I turned around, looking for any movement in the trees, and soon got eyes on my lifer Marsh Tit. I got a few photos before it dissapeared into the bracken.

Marsh Tit audio recording

(click on image to open in Macauly Library)

Marsh Tit

Wytham Woods is often regarded as the world's best studied woodland, with numerous studies on rodents, badgers, bats, moths, and most notably, the Paridae family. The ornithological studies here are run by Oxford University's Edward Grey Institute (EGI for short), and are overseen by my friend Professor Ben Sheldon.

As I walked some more around the forest, I heard Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Jay, and some Chiffchaffs with food. There was also a lot of Butterfly activity, with Large White, Red Admiral, Comma, and Small Skipper all being present in good numbers.

Red Admiral

Small Skipper

Comma

I then called it a day and took the bus back to Headington.

3 January 2026

Birding in French Polynesia - Day 1 - Way There

Birding in French Polynesia I

1 January 2026

Over the next 28 days, I will be spending my time birding on Tahiti and Mo'orea, two islands in the Windward Islands, an archipelago belonging to French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France.

Thursday Jan 1 2026 - Day 1

Today, we took the coach to London Heathrow Airport, we left around lunchtime, in order to arrive on time for our flight to Los Angeles International Airport, famously known as LAX. While we were there, I set up my scope facing south, looking out to the hills of Surrey, a county I have never birded in before. Therefore, I was looking for some species to complete my English eBird species map. After seeing a Carrion Crow and a couple Woodpigeons, I managed to add Surrey to my ever-increasing English county list.

Surrey encircled in red

After a bit of time, it got dark, and we boarded a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9. The aircraft was reasonably comfy, compared to the over planes we've taken to Hungary and to Spain. Most importantly for me, it had screens, which kept me and my sisters entertained for the whole 11hrs.

Flying over

After our flight, we took some time to pass the customs, after which, I was desperately searching for some birds to add to my USA list. I have been to the United States before, to San Diego, however, I was only a year old, and no birder, therefore I do not remember any of the birds I saw. Even a very common species in this part of the world could be a lifer for me. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to see any birds during our 3hr layover.

Birding at LAX (in the dark)

We then boarded our next flight on an , to Fa'a'a International Airport, on Tahiti. This flight was to last 8hrs, however despite getting much improved entertainment - better games, better shows, better map quality, and even a live camera from behind the gears and from the tail fin - I found myself feeling worse than on the previous flight.

31 December 2025

Week 52 - The End - Scotland Big Year

Week 52

25 - 31 December 2025

During my big year, I will update my blog most weeks. This is the fifty-second week's recap. The number next to the day indicates my Scottish year list at the end of that day. Birds written in italics indicate year ticks.

December 29 - Day 363: 208

Today, we were at Shotover CP, near where we live in Oxford. We didn't see many birds other than a Goldcrest, Red Kite, Wren, Robin and most exciting of all, a couple Nuthatches.

December 30 - Day 364: 208

Today, we were in Kidlington, near Oxford, at Cuttleslowe Park. We were with friends, so I couldn't do too much birding while we were there, I saw a Pied Wagtail and another Red Kite, but a highlight was hearing a flock of Ring-necked Parakeets.

That afternoon, I was at Christ Church, in central Oxford, in search of Black Redstart. I was busy scanning a flock of geese, when another young birder (quite rare!), bumped into me. We were looking at the many Canada Geese, and saw a couple of white geese, between some Greylag Geese. We first thought they were Snow Geese, but I soon got a glimpse of white primaries/secondaries, meaning they were just feral Greylags. We were chatting about our birding when I noticed a small bird flying by the windowsills of the building. A quick check with my binoculars revealed, its identity, a Black Redstart! I was very happy to find it, since to get into the gardens (where the bird was being seen), you had to pay, and the tickets had sold out. I also managed to get the other birder onto the bird, and we enjoyed short, but delightful views of the bird as it flew between the buildings.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S291325809

December 31 - Day 365: 208

Today, the last day of my big year, I will look back on the past 365 days, and wonder whether this was all a good idea, before deciding it was and starting all over again tomorrow! I hope you have all reached your birding goals for this year (if you had any) and that this passion for avifauna has brought you some joy. It sure has in my case, and I hope to keep learning, expanding my knowledge and seeing good birds in the years to come.

I am very excited about a trip we are going on next month. Leaving on January first, we fly from Heathrow to LAX, before arriving in French Polynesia for a month of birding, snorkelling, and relaxing, while still having to do homework from nearly 15,000km away! I will be sharing my birding and wildlife adventures from there as often as I can.

Here are some questions I've been asked about my big year:

Q: What was the best bird of 2025?

A: Red-breasted Goose on Islay in February (Week 7), since it was very rare and a self-found.

Q: What was your total?

A: 208 species.

Q: How many miles?

A: Nearly 10,000, although less than 7,000 were for birding.

Q: Would you do it again?

A: It was an amazing experience and I would do it again, however it would not be reasonable to do it every year and I think I will take a more relaxed approach to birding now my big year is over.

Here are some statistics from this year.

The column on the left show the % increase from my previous record of the list.

For the life list rows, it shows the % increase from the previous year.

Black Redstart on the top of the right chimney

6 August 2025

Week 31 - Scotland Big Year

Week 31

30 July – 5 August 2025

During my big year, I will update my blog most weeks. This is the thirty-first week’s recap. The number next to the day indicates my year list at the end of that day. Birds written in italics indicate year ticks.

August 1 - Day 213: 198

Today, my dad brought my grandpa and I to Wytham woods, before work, in search of Marsh tit. We soon discovered, however, that it was shut until 10am and that we needed a permit to enter. In the half hour we were there, we heard Treecreepers and a Nuthatch, before deciding to go to Farmoor Reservoir, instead, and it was a good idea, to say the least!

We took the bus from Botley, which we missed by just a few seconds, and arrived at Farmoor village 9:20am. We arrived at the reservoir 20 mins later. Before very long, I noticed a small yellowish wagtail. Later that day, I was able to confirm my suspicions of a juvenile Yellow Wagtail. Moments later, I noticed a “Larus” gull, feeding on a dead fish. I snapped some photos, confirming with some other birders that it was a Yellow-legged Gull! I then continued walked across the causeway, spotting an adult and juvenile Dunlin. I processed to walk back to the east side of the reservoirs. I walked around the north reservoir, since a female Ruddy Duck had been seen earlier that morning. I took some time to photograph a juvenile Common Tern and to show a female Red-crested Pochard to a walking group. They told me that some birders had just shown them the Ruddy Duck and pointed me in the right direction. Indeed, the next group of birders had cameras pointed at the large flock of Great-crested Grebes. The showed me the Ruddy Duck, in the flock of grebes, not only a year tick but a lifer! I continued walking, seeing some Chiffchaffs, the Yellow-legged Gull, an Egyptian Goose, a massive group of Coot, 5 Little Grebes and a couple Cormorants. At this point, I had been satisfied with my sightings and the calories I had burnt off! Therefore, my grandpa and I took the bus back to Botley, where we had lunch with my dad. We then proceeded to take 2 more buses back to our home.

August 2 - Day 214: 199

While my sisters were at some friends house, my parents, grandpa and I went to London Luton Airport again. On the way, we stopped at Aston Rowant NNR, in the Chilterns, in search of Silver-spotted Skipper and Chalk Hill Blue. My goal was to see a total of 10 butterfly species that day. Our first was Gatekeeper, followed shortly by Green-veined White, Small White, Large White, Meadow Brown, and Speckled Wood. Then, we saw a Small Heath, and, while I was trekking through the chalk grasslands, I noticed my first target: the Chalk Hill Blue (lifer!) as well as a Common Blue. My next target was going to be harder to find, but after a little while, I noticed on the path in front of me, a Silver-spotted Skipper. I later saw some more and a Six-spot Burnet moth. Birdwise, I got my first Green Woodpecker of the year. #UK 199!

At College Lake, that afternoon we didn't see much other than a Brimstone, Red Admiral and a Hobby.

August 3 - Day 115: 200

On our way up north from Oxford, we stopped at RSPB Baron's Haugh, in South Lanarkshire, in search of some Scottish year ticks. I saw a couple Nuthatches before entering the Marsh hide. There were Mallards, Teal, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Coot, and, to my delight, 3 Green Sandpipers. Happy with our sightings, and needing to hit the road again, we put an end to our short but fun birding session.

August 5 - Day 117: 200

Today, due to a storm yesterday, we went to Girdleness to see what was kicking about. Unfortunately, seconds after our arrival, it started raining. Therefore, my dad and sisters stayed in the car while I got out to do some seawatching. As I was getting my scope out of the car, I noticed an immature “Larus” gull, with a pale head and broad, black terminal band. Over the three years I've been birding for, I have seen too many self-proclaimed Caspian Gulls, but this one was different. Deciding not to do any seawatching, I followed the gull, getting distracted by a Painted Lady and a pale-morph Arctic Skua. While scanning Greyhope bay, I saw a flock of Turnstones, Kittiwakes, and some Sandwich Terns. Suddenly, the gull flew past and I managed to get some record shots.

Day 113: https://ebird.org/checklist/S264195631

Day 114: https://ebird.org/checklist/S264510726 ; https://ebird.org/checklist/S264512133

Day 115: https://ebird.org/checklist/S264842197

Day 117: https://ebird.org/checklist/S265448933