February 2025

February on the Ardley patch got off to a great start when Justin Taylor found a Green-winged teal on the Quarry lake on 6th. Fortunately it stuck and I was able to see it in the gloom the next morning. It seems a good chance it was the same bird that had been at Otmoor given their rarity, but then amazingly another was found the next day only a few miles away in the Mid-Cherwell valley, so at least two in the area. There have been up to 150 teal wintering at Ardley, using both the quarry lake and ERF lagoon. It was good fortune that the GWT picked probably the most viewable spot on the site and remained for the remainder of the month. I also managed to see the Clifton bird so it is fair to say I've had my fill of this species recently! 

The adult Caspian gull was still around at Ardley during the month. 

I don't often see foxes at Ardley and never two together before.

Gull numbers increased at Blenheim early in the month. Three Yellow-legged gulls in one afternoon was a good return having not seen many this winter. A Med gull would be nice but they seem hard to come by this winter in the county.

I managed to get my winter Goosander at Blenheim on the 12th having thought I may go a winter without one here. A pair of Shelduck on 11th was a nice record. I think I'm correct in saying once upon a time they were a breeding bird at Blenheim, but I count myself lucky to see them at all now at Blenheim. They didn't hang around and were gone by the next day.

Three pairs of Egyptian geese have been present around the Queen Pool at Blenheim. They seem generally pissed off most of the time, but have their moments of serenity allowing for some nice photos. By this time last year one pair had already hatched a small brood but, they didn't last long and the breeding success came later in the spring. 

The heronry on the Queen Pool island got going in the second week of February. It was almost overnight that all of a sudden a number of pairs were back on the nest platforms re-establishing pair bonds and preparing the nests. Next month should hopefully see the return on the egrets as they prepare for another breeding season.

A fly-over Curlew late in the month was a much anticipated patch tick. Additions to my Blenheim wader list are hard to come by now so it was very welcome.

The pair of Oystercatchers that have spent the breeding season at Blenheim for the past two years returned at the end of the month. It will be interesting if they make a proper nesting attempt this year.

Having seen the female Ring-necked duck in the gloom earlier in the year at the Lower Windrush Valley pits, I returned hoping to see it slightly better. I did see it slightly better, but also briefly before it headed elsewhere in the complex of lakes in the area.

Away from my usual sites, I made a trip over the border into Bucks early one morning to see the Richard's Pipit in Newport Pagnell. Fortunately my luck was in and I found it without much trouble and got nice views for 15 or 20 minutes before being joined by some other birders. It then promptly flew over an adjacent hedge and out of view and that was the last I saw of it.