Woodstock Wildlife Record

After a really good first half of the year on the Ardley patch, the hope for a good autumn on the wader-front well and truly materialised. After Redshank and Greenshank in June and July the goods kept on coming at regular intervals. It was pretty much one out one in as the passage period progressed. The water levels on the lagoon were ideal and continued that way through late summer into early autumn.  Common sandpipers were pretty regular from early July onwards, usually individuals but three together on 11th July was the most I've had here in one go. Another species on the radar in July was Black-tailed godwit, and lo and behold JFT found a couple on 23rd. I headed over on the afternoon he found them expecting they wouldn't hang about but, I need not have worried as they stayed for a few days. Green sandpiper numbers build in July and into August. Ardley is clearly an important site for them on migration and it's easy to get a bit blasé about them. I think 11 was the peak...

I've had a good run of birds since mid-July on my Woodstock patch. Five or six Whinchats has been a great return. It seems to be a magnet for them. A rooftop Tree Pipit was a crazy bit of luck and a Common Redstart was a hoped for patch tick. On the morning of 14th September I took in my usual walk of the fields north of Woodstock. What was clear was the large influx of Meadow Pipits. Easily three figures in this relatively small area. A couple of Kestrels kept them nervous and they would perch on the overhead wires to keep an eye on them.  As I watched the spectacle, I glimpsed a bird hop up onto the wall surrounding Field Barn Farm. I couldn't quite believe it when I saw it was a Black Redstart. It quickly dropped into the yard and I didn't see it again over the next 45 minutes before needing to head home. I managed a few shots during that first sighting. It remained for the rest of the day as others were able to see it. Hoping it would hang around, I set out early the ne...