It's raining Kittiwakes!

The most striking trend from the first part of April was the influx of Kittiwakes, with a good run of inland passage Kittiwakes. Luckily, we didn't miss out locally and had an impressive THREE separate adults in six days at Grimsbury Res, Banbury - two of which I managed to find!

The first on 01/04 was also accompanied by my earliest ever Common Tern. Luckily I managed to get up to see them both, with toddler in tow! Another Kittiwake dropped in the following day (02/04), wiffling out of the clouds in front of me. Finally, the third (06/04) was an adult which suddenly appeared floating over the Res in a very heavy rain shower.

I've actually done rather well for Kittiwakes at Grimsbury - I think that takes my total to 9 separate sightings since 2014.

Probably the biggest surprise of the spring to that point, was a Crane over Bicester Wetland on a sunny 30/04. Walking out the hide, I was greeted by that familiar bugling high overhead and was chuffed to see that classic shape above me! It began circling over the town and gradually gain height and out of sight. Seemingly unringed, who knows it's origin - maybe Otmoor but at this time of year could quite feasibly be a continental wanderer too.  

There was an impressive fall of passerines at Grimsbury Res on 23/04, almost coastal-esque! The headline act sadly JUST eluded me - a female Ring Ouzel that showed for a short while in the cattle field. However, I did see the male Pied Flycatcher, showing distantly in the hedge at the southern perimeter of the cattle field. The hedges and fencelines around the cattlefields also hosted up to 3 Redstarts, 3 Whinchat and 5 Wheatear, as well as first of the year Lesser Whitethroat and clear, increased numbers of Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler and Whitethroat, plus Swift too. 

Other highlights during the period included a lovely summer-plumaged Bar-Tailed Godwit at Bicester Wetland (a reserve 1st), a drake Common Scoter for a day at Grimsbury, a vocal pair of Med Gulls at Foxcote Res, great views of Grasshopper Warbler at Bicester Wetland (perhaps last year's bird?) and a brief, early morning Greenshank at Grimsbury Res. 

Other pics from April - one of the garden Foxes, plus a selection from Grimbsury Res: