Last of the summer migrants

As we moved through September and into October, summer visitors slowly thinned out and autumn began to take grip. The sound of Redwings seeping overhead again nearly upon us! 

September produced a few more local yearticks with a couple of Great White Egrets (including one over Brackley!), a brief, surprise Merlin from the garden out to the south edge of Brackley and a scruffy Barnacle Goose at Foxcote Res amongst the local Canadas.

Most pleasing find was probably the lovely juvenile Arctic Tern that graced Grimsbury Res on the evening of 11/09. My first juvenile at the res, completing the set, having previously seen a number of adults, as well as a notable Portlandica 2cy bird back in June 2017.

One of the more bizarre records of the month were a pair of juvenile Whinchat in the middle of central Brackley. Seen on an evening walk with family on 06/09, just a few minutes walk from home. I dashed back with bins and camera and was able to get some good views in the fading light.

I had recorded Wheatear every single year at Grimsbury Res since 2015 (!), however that was now under threat in 2024, having not bumped into one by the start of September! Thankfully however, a very showy juvenile spent a short time along the western perimeter on the early morning of 15/09 and saved the record for another year! It was so showy in fact, that it tried to land on a fellow birder's head!

In terms of other migrants, Common Terns too have been surprisingly thin on the ground at Grimsbury this year, with only my second of 2024 appearing on 05/09. Swallows and House Martins were still passing through, throughout the local area into the first week of October. Surprisingly good numbers for this late in the season. 

A 3rd-winter Caspian Gull was a decent find in the Upper Cherwell Valley on Friday 04/10. A particularly reliable area for them in October / November amongst the good numbers of larger gulls.

Wildfowl numbers have slowly increased in usual places, including c200 Teal at Bicester Wetland. Geese numbers have swelled too, pulling in a dubious Snow Goose to the Upper Cherwell / Grimsbury area from the end of September onwards.

Others from September...