Saturday September 7

This morning required an early start because it had been designated as the day of the autumn West Mids all-dayer competition. With Dave still away, and no ringers in action I was a solo team. I was also unable to arrive until 07.10, thus jeopardising my chance of recording any owls.

My first good bird of the day was a Redstart, but unfortunately I saw it fly into a hedge bordering the Henley road, and thus a kilometre short of the patch on my drive from home, so it didn't count. It wasn't long before I saw a decent bird which did count, as a Hobby flew low over Netherstead coppice. A little later I was pleased to see a couple of Song Thrushes, always tricky at this time of year.

A single goose flew over the ridge field some distance away. I thought I could see some white on its head, but as it turned south the upper surface looked grey and black chequered. I was thinking Barnacle Goose, but it just got further away, and I couldn't rule out hybrid goose. Very frustrating.

An absolutely massive tit flock went around the edge of the chat field, and I estimated 55 Blue Tits and 20 Great Tits along with smaller numbers of Long-tailed Tits, Chiffchaffs, and single Goldcrest and Willow Warbler.

I finally arrived at the Flash field, and quickly picked out a Little Owl.

Little Owl

The remaining incumbents were just the usual species, except that the Wigeon had gone. Mallard numbers are now up to 114, which suggests that there may be some shooting here once the season starts. I hope not. The only waders were 30 Lapwings, 10 Snipe, and two Green Sandpipers.

A trickle of Meadow Pipits were heading south, a total of 20 through the morning, while hirundines were in short supply until a flock of 36 House Martins went south, and 27 Swallows did likewise. A Kingfisher called from the Kingfisher Pool, and by the time I had returned home for a break at 10.30 I was on 52 for the day.

Forty minutes later I was back, parking at the church with a list of potential ticks in my head. Straight away a Grey Wagtail went over, and I heard a distant Raven. Then I started to get lucky, a Tawny Owl called from Bannams Wood. Down at the Chat field a couple of tackers turned out to be Lesser Whitethroats, and nearby a single Whinchat popped up.

Whinchat

I decided to walk across the weedy crop field in the hope of some buntings. This did produce 18 Reed Buntings and 22 Skylarks, but nothing new for the day until I scoped six Rooks on wires in the distance.

At the Kingfisher Pool a Roe Deer stood in my path, apparently ignoring me, its attention fixed on something over its shoulder. Eventually it became aware of me and it dashed off. I scanned for birds and spotted a disturbance in the water. To my utter amazement this proved to be an Otter, the first I have seen here. This was no doubt what had fixated the Roe Deer.

Otter

It came closer and closer, seemingly oblivious of me. It dived frequently, and on a couple of occasion it seemed to bring something to the surface and it would roll like a crocodile trying to pull chunks off its prey (as seen on the telly).

Eventually it was right under the bank, so close that I could hear it breathing out in long sighs after each dive. It finally swam out to the middle of the pool and dived before disappearing, having presumably caught my scent.

Two more birds were added, Starling and Nuthatch, before I returned home for lunch on 60 species with several "easy" ones still missing.

By late afternoon the sun was out, and the birds were hiding. Nevertheless it didn't take me long to add my last four birds; Sparrowhawk, House Sparrow, Collared Dove, and Chaffinch. I also had an exceptional sighting of six more Grey Wagtails flying south.

I also got my last butterfly tick of the year as I spotted a Small Copper in a hawthorn hedge.

Small Copper

So 64 species of birds in total, my most glaring miss being Coal Tit.

Bring on the next All Dayer.