March 2026

Most of my birding in March was focussed on Blenheim with the highlight of the month being the return of the Sand Martins. It is always a little thrill to get your first sight of these birds again, and it came on the 5th of the month following a few early records in the county. From that point on birds were present most days with up to 40 at various times later in the month. On one sunny morning a few of the resident birds collected nest material from the areas around the bridge allowing for some nice close up shots. 

A flyover Curlew early in the month was only my second at Blenheim. The pair of Oystercatchers are firmly back on territory and look likely to use the Queen Pool island to nest again following last year's success. The pair had to see off an intruder late in the month and noisily chased it around the lakes.

The 14th March saw the arrival of the breeding Cattle Egrets. Each year they arrive back in a slightly different fashion, and this year was both quite early and in large numbers. Approximately 30 left the roost on the morning of 14th and since then it appears three or four pairs are now preparing to nest on the island. There are about six pairs of Little Egrets on the island with their nests dotted among the dozen or so heron nests. The purple lores and deep red feet of the Little Egrets in breeding condition gives them a totally different look to that we become familiar with. 

Dave Doherty found a singing Firecrest in the middle of the month and I saw it briefly once and heard it on a couple of occasions before it went quiet. It seems likely they will become a more regular occurrence given the increasing population locally. Crossbills and Siskins remain in the expected spots and singing birds suggest some of the winter glut may have remained to breed. A few Brambling remain but will no doubt depart before long.

The regular Caspian Gull continued to visit in the first half of the month, but it was an otherwise lousy spell for gulls with only a few days with any notable gatherings of Black-headed gulls. Overall it was a very disappointing winter for gulls at Blenheim.

The most colourful bird of the month was the fine drake Ruddy Shelduck that visited for a day early in the month. I certainly lucked out when it came to views as it was chased around by the resident Egyptian geese and came very close to the bridge giving the opportunity to pap it. 

A pair of Red-Crested Pochards have been lingering around the lakes later in the month making me think they may be the contemplating a breeding attempt. The first brood of Egyptian Geese ducklings arrived on 25th March, a little later than usual. There were ten young to begin with and by the end of the month they had lost six of them.

One for my exotics list at Blenheim was a drake Wood Duck on 31st. It didn't hang about before flying towards High Park. Odd how these things just turn up occasionally!

I have done well in recent months to collect a few more county ticks, and following Thomas Miller's fantastic find of a Ring-billed Gull on Port Meadow, I hoped to add that to my county list. It turned out to be a comical dip. I arrived early on the Sunday morning, but just missed it. I then left after a few hours, and shortly after it returned. I rushed back but it had gone. I then had to leave for an hour or two at lunchtime, but intended to return in the hope it would reappear in the afternoon or return to roost. It then transpired it had been back briefly in my absence but departed once again. The rest of the afternoon was spent trying not to string the superficially similar Common Gulls and Herring Gulls. Sadly it didn't reappear but it was an enjoyable day spent in good company. I did get a few year ticks, including a very unexpected flyover Woodcock and the point-blank Little Gull.

Despite missing the gull, I did see the America Wigeon fairly well on the Flood Field at Otmoor to satisfy the need to get at least one rare county bird this month. 

A few more photos from March...