Conor MacKenzie

Only sensible option really..

Eastern Black Redstart at the point near the green beacon.
Pic: T Willoughby.
#spurnbirds
@rarebirder.bsky.social

1w Kittiwake with Black-headed Gull

Black Redstart

Nipped over to Farmoor on a speculative visit, with lots moving around the country due to Storm Claudia. Absolutely buzzing then to pick out this 1w Kittiwake on F1, a county ✔️ and 190 for the Oxon Big Year. Unfortunately didn’t hang about. Black Red was also still present #UKBirding

Gyr Falcon - captive bird

Gyr Falcon - captive bird

Nearly had a heart attack when this beast flew into view whilst working around London last week. A juv dark-morph Gyr Falcon causing absolute chaos. Several expletives followed and then eventual clear views of a bird with telemetry equipment! #UKbirding

Hen Harrier ‘Susie’, whose chicks were stamped to death in 2022, has been found dead on a North Pennines grouse moor with gunshot injuries If ever there was an example demonstrating the high level of persecution faced by Hen Harriers on UK grouse moors, the lack of consequences for the offenders, and the lack of justice for the victim…

Hen Harrier Susie, whose chicks were stamped to death on a Yorkshire Dales grouse moor in 2022, has been found dead on a N Pennines grouse moor with gunshot injuries.

18+ months of silence about this crime from the police & Natural England.

#RaptorResearch

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/11/14/h...

Olive-backed Pipit in dune scrub

Snow Bunting in amongst dune and foreshore habitat

Snow Bunting in amongst beach scree

Snow Bunting feeding on seeds in amongst dune and foreshore scree

Don’t often get to bird back in the homeland when I visit, so well chuffed to get over to South Gare for first time in yonks. OBP twitch with the eldest an unexpected bonus, whilst the Snow Bunting confiding as ever. Plus endless waders & seabirds - makes birding back in Oxon difficult. #UKBirding

Great Northern Diver - Juv

Great Northern Diver - Juv

A guaranteed annual on the SW London Waterbodies SPA, but nice to find two of these loafs on Wraysbury Reservoir last week. Don’t often get much on here, so this and the Sabs Gull in the last few weeks have been a real highlight. Would love to see one of these tanks flying over the m25! #UKBirding

October Review Highlights October continued the county’s excellent run of rarities, with three standout highlights punctuating an otherwise fairly quiet ...

October Oxon Birding round-up is now up! A superb month with the county in fine form for rarities: Bluethroat lingering into the 1st week, then a Pec Sand and finally two Twite – a real inland mega these days. And all 3 found by the same birder! #UKbirding oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/11/octo...

Certainly given him a good head-start if he is ever afflicted with the county listing bug!

Twite feeding on Mayweed sp. In amongst lichen and moss.

Pair of Twite feeding in amongst lichen and weeds of Farmoor Reservoir bank

Twite feeding on Mayweed sp.

After my recent poor form/luck on the Oxon Big Year, it seemed appropriate I’d spend yesterday morning dipping Pectoral Sandpiper. Quite remarkable then that a pair of Twite were found on Farmoor later that day by the same observer! The first since 2011 and a county ✔️ for lots of locals. #UKbirding

Certainly brightened up the morning Tom!

Juvenile Sabine’s Gull

Juvenile Sabine’s Gull in flight

Juvenile Sabine’s Gull

Juvenile Sabine’s Gull

After the initial couple of flyby’s the juvenile Sabine’s Gull showed incredibly well. Not many birds that are as stunning in juvenile plum as adults but Sab’s are definitely one of those. Just a shame for it be on site with no access #UKbirding @birdguides.bsky.social @berksbirdclub.bsky.social

Could not believe my eyes whilst surveying on Wraysbury Reservoir this morning when this juvenile Sabine’s Gull flew into view. Incredible views of a species I’ve only seen once before - just wish I had a better camera! #UKbirding @berksbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Oh lawdy...!!!
White-throated Needletail showing a bit well here at Bempton RSPB reserve @rarebirder.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

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