Conor MacKenzie

September Review Highlights I set out on a somewhat dispirited version of the highlights section in late September , pointing out the lack of rarities and ...

The Oxon birding round up for September now live. Obvious highlight a 1w Bluethroat at @rspbotmoor.bsky.social, the 3rd county record. Other highlights include a couple Manx Shearwater and plenty of wader action, although frequently not twitchable. oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/10/sept... #UKBirding

Hardly any Hen Harrier nesting attempts on English grouse moors for second year running Natural England has finally got around to publishing the data for the 2025 Hen Harrier breeding season, which demonstrate very clear differences between areas managed for conservation and those man…

Natural England confirms ongoing & relentless illegal persecution is reason why Hen Harriers are still rare in England.

#RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime #Ornithology

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/10/02/h...

An excellent read Thomas, what a bird to end your time in Oxon on. Sorry to have missed your “final” Oxon twitch, good luck for the rest of the autumn!

A great find indeed, but to be clear not mine!

Well who on earth had Bluethroat on their Oxon bingo card? An incredible run of birds for the county continued with a 1w male Bluethroat at @rspbotmoor.bsky.social this morning, found late evening yesterday. Both a county and UK ✔️ for me! County Big Year now on 188 (+ GWT). #UKbirding

August Review Highlights One of the many great joys of birding is the appearance of a total wildcard. A totally unexpected species that not even the mos...

A round up of an exciting month of birding in Oxon - topped by a 2nd for the county and proper grip back for those who missed the 1st. Other highlights include an unseasonable Wood Warbler, a storm blown Shag and a southward bound Honey-buzzard #UKbirding
oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/09/augu...

A good way to round out the summer fieldwork season, an atmospheric evening monitoring post-breeding flocks of Stone-curlew, just before the weather turned this week. A real pleasure to work with this species over the summer (under license of course). #ornithology #UKbirding

Little Stint at Farmoor yesterday evening. Took some finding after disappearing at midday, but well worth the punt that it was still around. #UKbirding

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper in foreground, Greenshank in background

Wood Sandpiper

Finally a Wood Sandpiper in Oxfordshire this autumn. With so many records in bordering counties, I was beginning to wonder if we’d ever get one. #UKbirding

Shag (Juv).

Shag (Juv).

Mediterranean Gull with Black-headed

Greenshank

Still ticking away on the Oxon Big Year with three new birds in August. Shag the standout rarity so far. Although very pleased to finally catch up with Greenshank (!) and Med Gull after worrying these may be glaring omissions. Now on 182, hoping for more wader action. #UKBirding

Summer review Highlights After our usual summer break, I had hoped to be discussing a local mega disrupting this usually very relaxed birding period. In...

After our summer break here is the Oxon birding review for the last 2 months. Nothing too unexpected, but with the Crossbill irruption gaining pace and some early Wader action there’s been enough to keep us going. That being said, bring on autumn! #UKbirding oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/08/summ...

Wouldn’t be surprised at all, long touted as another species to be introduced by the usual suspects. I’d be taking a very close look at all these Night-heron records if I was on the local rarities committee.

Montagu's Harrier pair successfully breeds in England A pair of Montagu's Harrier, Britain’s rarest breeding bird, have successfully raised four chicks at a secret site in England, the first UK nesting success since 2019. Monitored by the RSPB and a farmer, the rare birds' return offers hope for the species' future in Britain.

Wonderful news this evening! A pair of Montagu's Harrier has bred at a secret location in England this summer, the RSPB has announced:

Little Ringed Plover chick.

Curlew chick

Woodlark family - newly fledged chick on right

Curlew chick

Survey season pretty much closed out and it’s been a fantastic year monitoring my local ground nesting birds. Nice to see so many chicks, particularly Curlew, after a poor two years. Now looking forward to some quieter months though. #UKbirding

Turnstone

Early visits to Farmoor paid off again today when a Turnstone dropped in, picked up initially calling over F1. A new bird for the Oxon Big Year (178)and only present for c.30 minutes before departing once it the site got rammed by summer sailing lessons - who can blame it really! #UKbirding

Common Scoter

Dunlin

Cattle Egret

Common Sandpiper

A few visits to Farmoor this week finally paid off with a drake Common Scoter sat out on F1 yesterday am. A nice addition to the Oxon Big Year list, taking me to 177. Few bits also moving around - 2 Dunlin, 10+ Common Sand and 2 LRP in what felt like a birdy morning. #ukbirding

May Review Highlights Well well, where to begin?! May is the magical month where things happen, spring migration reaches full throttle and with any l...

An action packed May for Oxon birders with the obvious highlights of Red-footed Falcon and Savi’s Warbler. The latter being only the 2nd record for the county after a lockdown bird that, almost, no one heard or saw. #ukbirding oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/06/may-...

April Review Highlights I think we can all agree that the early part of spring had not exactly got the gears going. Inland birding can often be bleak a...

April’s round up of birding in Oxon now up. A game of two halves with an uninspiring and quiet start broken by a classic Spring day at Farmoor with lots of Tern and Wader action - 120+ Arctic the obvious standout. oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/05/apri... #UKBirding

Largely given up on out of county twitching these days, but a Spotted Sandpiper 10 mins from my survey site in Cambs was too tempting. A stunner in summer plumage! What I wouldn’t give for another Oxon bird. #UKBirding

That’s really shocking and sad news, my condolences. Always a really nice guy to talk to at various twitches around Oxon.

March Review Highlights Quite often birding can hang on the ones that got away. This is especially true of county birding, where gaps between records a...

Bit late posting this write up, but here is the March Oxon Birding roundup. A stunning pair of sum plum Slav Grebe the obvious highlight. A probable Dick’s Pip at Banbury a tantalising record! Plus the welcome arrival of spring migrants, albeit slow going. oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/04/marc...

February Review Highlights With such a great start to 2025 it is not surprising that February was a somewhat quieter affair, mostly consisting of long-stay...

Monthly round up of birding in Oxon now up in what was a relatively quiet period. Highlights include discovery of a 2nd Green-winged Teal and the Springs first arrival of Sand Martin. The latter coming only a 101 days after the last record in Nov! #UKbirding oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/03/febr...

Kittlitz’s Plover

Small Buttonquail

African Openbill

Gabar Goshawk

My eBird trip report from 2 weeks of birding in and around Nairobi, in between family commitments that is. A friendly bird filled city, looking forward to getting back again next year! ebird.org/tripreport/3... #birding

I’ve been very lucky Tom! Hamerkop over the garden was a top highlight.

African Cuckoo-hawk

Lizard Buzzard

Hartlaub’s Turaco

Long-crested Eagle

Garden birding has been incredibly productive in the suburbs of Nairobi. 102 species seen in just under 2 weeks! Some highlights below - very lucky to have some very birdy habitat bordering the garden. #birding

White Rhino

Hippo

Lion

Giraffe

Mammals have also been a major highlight of the trip. 22 species seen between the NP and the local forests. #kenya

Bronze Sunbird

Green-headed Sunbird

Northern Double-collared Sunbird

Collared Sunbird

Abundance and diversity of Sunbird has been amazing in Nairobi. 7 species seen on the trip so far, with 6 of those coming from the garden. #birding

Superb Starling

Marabou Stork

African Fish Eagle

Ostrich

First experience of birding in sub-Saharan Africa. Fantastic amount of diversity in and around Nairobi and barely scratched the surface I imagine! #birding

January Review Highlights After 2024 somewhat underperformed, 2025 got off to a flyer, bringing some hope that this year might do a little better on the ...

January’s roundup of birding highlights in Oxon now up. Bewick’s, Smew and GW Teal the major highlights! A smattering of lingering birds also got the county off to a great start. Details also on the Oxon Big Year some of us are attempting in 25. #UKbirding oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/02/janu...

December Review & 2024 Highlights Highlights Firstly, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our readers – I hope you have managed a good break and maybe even caught...

December’s round up of Oxon birding now up. Including 2024 highlights and lowlights, plus an excellent video review of the year. Some mega birds recorded but a meagre year total of 201 species, the lowest on record. No Turtle Dove the most bleak omission! oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/01/dece...