Woodstock Wildlife Record

For 2025 I plan on focussing on my local patches again but will also try and visit some other local sites more often.  The Balscote Bewick's Swan got my year off to a nice start with a county tick.  A Marsh Harrier at Blenheim on the 8th was very unexpected. It's the first harrier species I've seen at Blenheim and I think only the second record of Marsh Harrier for the site. The fact it was a tagged bird added some extra interest and it seems to have made the local area its home for now. There hasn't been a great deal else of interest at Blenheim this winter. Low numbers of ducks generally and nothing unusual. I've not seen a Goosander here this winter which is very unusual. Far lower numbers of Pochard compared to last winter with only single figure counts so far. A pair of Pintail on a couple of occasions in January was nice to see. Since the Queen Pool has been deepened, it's not quite as attractive to dabbling ducks. Far fewer Teal and Shoveler winter now, b...

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...