Ripley Killdeer

January is usually a quiet time of the year for national twitching. Looking back through the past few years of my blog posts there was only one national twitch in this month (for the Northern Waterthrush) so I wasn't expecting anything this year. So when on Wednesday news broke of a Killdeer it was most unusual. What's more it was not on a distant Scottish island like they usually are but rather down in Hampshire, an eminently twitchable distance for me. What was not to like? It was found on Wednesday morning and I did contemplate cancelling all my meetings and rushing off but in the end decided against it. Instead I planned to go the next day after a morning meeting. I messaged a couple of birding friends who were both happy to tag along for the ride and the plan was set. All that was needed now was for the bird to be still present the next morning.

The bird duly obliged by staying put overnight so late morning I picked up PL and EU at a convenient rendezvous point and we set off on the drive down the A34 to Hampshire. The weather was decidely inclement and we regularly drove through heavy rain showers on the way down. As we headed along the familiar route there was the usual banter about past twitches and what we'd all seen and missed over the years. All classic stuff and thoroughly enjoyable. After what has been a rather stressful few weeks for me it felt really good to be out and about on a days birding with a couple of birding pals. We realised that the last time the three of us had been out on a national twitch together had been the Aquatic Warbler at Upper Beeding back in 2023 - good times! As we drove I mooted the idea of stopping off for the now-resident Great-tailed Grackle in Holbury on the way back. Having seen it myself when it was first discovered in Calshot, it would be nice to revist it in its new urban setting. PL had not yet seen it at all and was very keen. EU had already seen it in both settings but was happy to pay it another visit. 

Finally we turned off the A31 onto a very minor B road that lead south through the windy back roads of deepest darkest Hampshire towards our destination. The bird news services had warned about difficult parking and had suggested some parking sites quite some distance away from the bird. However, looking at the map I could see quite a few suitable locations pretty close by so had set the Sat Nav accordingly on a hunch that we would be OK. In the event, my hunch proved correct and we found a nice place in a layby no more than 100 yards from the path towards the bird. Given the showery weather I put all my waterproofs on before heading off towards the path. Then it was a walk of about 600 metres past a pig field on the right and a hedgerow on the left that was bordering a small farm reservoir. At the far end was a group of about 30 or so birders with scopes all pointed to the far side of the reservoir to a boggy field. This was the moment of truth! 

There was no need to worry, the bird was still there and several people offered views through their scopes of the target. Tick - and relax! It was hunkered down facing away from us, partially obscured by a small ridge with just its head and upper body visible. There it was, looking a bit cold in the dank conditions. I set up my scope and was just sorting out my digiscoping gear when a shout went up that a White-tailed Eagle was flying behind us along the boundary of the field. We all swivelled to look behind us and sure enough there was the unmistakable flying barn door. What a bonus! I'd certainly not been expecting that! It had been a few years since I'd last seen one so this was very nice to see. 

After the excitment of the eagle interlude it was back to the star bird. Eventually it got up and started to wander about so I was able to appreciate it in all its plovery glory. There were the classic twin breast bands and the long tailed, long necked look. All very nice! I set about taking some video and then trying to phone scope it. The persistent rain wasn't helping and my results were no more than record shots but still nice to get.

Some digiscoped footage of the star bird

 

Three phonescoped record shots

 

Looking across the corner of the reservoir to the boggy field beyond, where the Killdeer was located

The obligatory twitch shot of the crowd admiring the bird

After about an hour I checked in with the other two who were both happy to head off so we retraced our steps to the car, stopping for a celebratory selfie in the rain on the way.

"We've just seen a Killdeer!" - three wet but happy birders

Back at the car I set the Sat Nav for Holbury where the Grackle was located, some 45 minutes away. The bird had relocated here after first making landfall at Calshot where it had been found. On the way we stopped at a small village for much appreciated lunch and some hot drinks. Then it was back on the road through the familiar expanse of the New Forest and then back onto more major roads before finally arriving at Holbury. Then it was down a couple of side roads to a corner where EU assured us the bird was always located. We pulled up and before we even got out of the car I spotted the unmistakable silhouette of the Grackle, sitting on top of a metal pole in its favoured garden. We got out and took some photos but with its high perch, it was rather back-lit and harder to photograph properly. It then proceeded to have a little fly around, perching on several telegraph poles for extended periods of time, making it even less photographable I tried to tempt it down with some crumbled up flapjack on the grass but it was clearly too well fed as it wasn't interested. 

The Grackle turning its nose up at my flapjack offering

So it was time for another celebratory selfie before we got back in the car.

The three of us and the "Hand of God" pointing out the Grackle on the pole behind us

 

With it now being rush hour the Sat Nav was saying longer to get back but we didn't mind. We stopped off on the A34 at a service station for hot drinks where a lovely roost of 100+ Pied Wagtails were all gathered on the roof and then in the neighbouring trees. Finally we were back at the rendezvous point where the other two disembarked and we all headed home. It had been a lovely day out with a couple of very nice target birds seen and a lovely Eagle bonus. Top craic!

2025 End of Year Review

I thought I would make a concerted effort this year to get my end of year done in reasonable time rather than leaving it until mid January. In traditional fashion for me, it's broken down into Patch, County and National birding with an interlude for non-birds. Each section will have a much coveted Bird of the Year Award which I know my readers will be dying to find out about! So, all in all, it's been a very good year with two of the three sections having a very solid year. So, without further ado, let's kick things off.

Port Meadow Birding

This was the one section which has a poor year. The unseasonal weather meant that the flood waters, that are so vital to the patch birding, dried up in mid April, thereby depriving us of many vital wader ticks that we could usually rely on. Also there were no stand-out rarities at all, just a suite of "good patch birds". So things like Marsh Harrier, Crossbill, Siberian Chiffchaff, Woodcock, both Partridges (sadly both untwitchable) and multiple Tree Pipits were all seen. These are all great "padder" birds and good birds to have on the patch but sadly, that one star bird that would have made the year, was never seen. This combined with a certain phasing on my part as far as the patch is concerned has left the Patch birding scene a bit in the doldrums this year. To reflect that, the Patch Bird of the Year award is going to be left unawarded this year, a sad testament to a more humdrum year.

 

County Birding

Constrast this with the Oxfordshire birding year which has been stellar. This was due in no small part to the phenominal bird finding efforts of Jeremy Dexter who single handedly found the vast majorty of the top county birds this year.

It all kicked off in late May when a visiting birder claimed a Savi's Warbler in the Otmoor reedbed. Initial scepticism was soon quashed when early county birders confirmed the ID. This was a county tick for everyone and a mass twitch ensued.  

Savi's Warbler courtesy of Ian Lewington

 

The next county gem was a Marsh Sandpiper, found by JD at Pit 60 in Standlake. News didn't break until after dark so it was a dawn twitch for many county birders who had missed the only other one back in the day in Abingdon.

Marsh Sandpiper courtesy of Thomas Miller

The JD finding machine stepped up another gear with an amazing Bluethroat at the second screen at Otmoor at the start of October. Yet another county first for everyone, this was totally left field. Fortunately it hung around for a while so many people connected.

 

Bluethroat courtesy of Richard Stevens

There was one more county tick for me this year when JD found a pair of Twite at Farmoor one blustery and rainy afternoon. Pandemonium ensued as people tried to get to the birds. I managed it and finally got back a county blocker of many years.

Farmoor Twite courtesy of Jeremy Dexter

 

There was also a lovely supporting case of good birds with Slavonian Grebe, Scaup, Temminck's Stint, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Bean Goose and Common Scoter. Combined with some other county birds that I didn't see such as Red-footed Falcon, Pectoral Sandpiper, Honey Buzzard and Manx Shearwater it was by any measure a great birding year in the county.

My personal Oxon Bird of the Year is a tricky one because I am rather spoilt for choice. Any of my four county ticks could legitimately claim the prize. The Marsh Sandpiper and Twite had prior county history and I guess a Savi's Warbler at Otmoor isn't altogether left field. However, a Bluethroat at Otmoor would never have been on my bingo card so it has to go to that.

Finally for the county section, here is the traditional Gnome Oxon Birding Review for 2025. Expect the usual frenetic sound track and high octanse bird photos! 

 

Other Stuff Interlude

These days, other stuff consists of the two O's: Orchids and Odonata so very much confined to the summer months. On the Orchid front I finally managed a genuine Pugsley's Marsh Orchid as part of the summer Uni Run.  

Pugsley's Marsh Orchid on Anglesey

There was also a trip to deepest, darkest Suffolk to see a Greek Plowshare Tongue Orchid that had turned up in a wildflower meadow at a vineyard.

Greek Plowshare Tongue Orchid

The only Odonata action this year was to twitch a Norfolk Hawker that had been found at Blenheim. This species is normally confined to East Anglia but I guess it must be expanding its range as one was seen at Otmoor last year and this as well.

 

National Birding

My national birding trips are an important part of my enjoyment of this hobby and this year was a good year. With five BOU approved ticks and 3 Gnome Ticks it was certainly better than my usual efforts.

It all started back in February with a weekend away to see the Marazion Booted Eagle. After giving me the runaround for a couple of days, I finally connected on the morning of my departure.  

In the end I got great views of the Booted Eagle

Next was a Uni Run up to York where, at the second attempt, I saw the Bourne Dark-breasted Barn Owl. A lovely looking varition on our usual Barn Owl, it was well worth making an effort for. 

 

In the spring was a trip to Slimbridge, finally to see the regular summer visiting Bluethroat. This was a "White-spotted" subspecies tick for me as hitherto I'd only seen a first winter "Bluethroat species".

Then followed, the first of two birding trips to Suffolk, firstly for the immature Black Stork which showed ridiculously well.

Then it was back to Suffolk for the Zitting Cisticola which I struggled fully to appreciate due to hearing and binocular difficulties.

The discovery of a Grackle down in Hants made for a nice easy twitch. The ID kept changing but DNA analysis has now confirmed it as Great-tailed Grackle. 

December punched above its weight with two trips. Firstly I had a fun weekend chasing the Lesser Crested Tern around the Exe Estuary in a howling gale. With a Cirl Bunting bonus it made for a great weekend away.

Secondly, an early evening twitch to a Swansea Park gave me a lovely Scop's Owl sighting and sweet revenge for dipping one back in 2017. Talking of owls, this year I set myself the "Five Owl Challenge" to see all five UK owl species in the year. Not a difficult challenge I know and it could even be done in one day. I managed not only the core five easily enough fairly early on in the year but with the Dark-breasted Barn Owl and the Scop's Owl in total I managed seven. Not too shabby!

The Swansea Scop's Owl

So all in all a great year from a national birding perspective. As far as the the National Bird of the Year is concerned, there are a few to choose from as it's been a fruitful and enjoyable national year. In terms of being the hardest work and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat the Booted Eagle has to have it though an honourable mention should be made of the Scop's Owl revenge tick.

 

There you have it. It only remains for me to wish all my readers a very Happy and Bird-filled New Year!