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...

Bringing the Birds of the Lye Valley to the people of Headington Quarry, Oxford, this evening. Great to share pictures and stories about local birds with so many interested people. I’m repeating this talk in January, watch this space! @friendlyevalley.bsky.social #patchbirding #headington #Oxford

Delighted to spot this Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) in the Valley this morning. An occasional visitor here, they love fishing in our ponds. 😍 #birds #UKWildlife #OX3 #OxfordshireFens 📷 @everyheron.bsky.social @judywebb.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social

Finally caught up with the Kingfisher that has been visiting the Lye Valley top ponds. Also a Blackcap and a couple of Chiffchaffs are still hanging on into November in the Lye Valley woods. @friendlyevalley.bsky.social #ukbirding #OxonBirding

If you are in the Oxford area next Thursday, I’m giving a talk on the birds of the Lye Valley area. It’s a multimedia presentation (pictures and calls!) covering the resident and migratory birds recorded in this part of the city. See you there! @friendlyevalley.bsky.social #Oxonbirding #Oxford

Are you ready for the annual eBird/Clements taxonomy update? Happening as soon as tomorrow! Details at ebird.org and explore the species on Birds of the World (birdsoftheworld.org). The site will be open access from 29 Oct-7 Nov. birdsoftheworld.org/bow/home

Comet Lemmon was visible between the clouds over Headington, Oxford this evening. Pictures taken on my phone, through my birding ‘scope. #CometLemmon #Oxford @headingtonnews.bsky.social

Twite is a rare bird in Oxfordshire, the last being in November 2011. News of two birds at Farmoor late afternoon led to mad dash out to the reservoir on the bike, but great views in fading light and rain #Oxonbirding #UKbirding

The first hour of light produced a decent selection of overhead migrants over the Lye Valley area, Oxford, this morning, incl the 8th Linnet and 5th Brambling records for this site. The audio highlights are here: macaulaylibrary.org/asset/643926... @friendlyevalley.bsky.social #ukbirding #vizmig

Great find and pictures Conor, what a memorable experience!

A longer blog post about a week on Fair Isle with @sheldonbirds.bsky.social: www.outofthebluesky.co/2025/10/11/a... Many thanks to all at @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social, a fantastic place with incredible food! Honourable mentions for @lukemarriner1.bsky.social and @philwoollen.bsky.social #ukbirding

Leaving Shetland after 8 super days birding Fair Isle & Shetland with @tombedford.bsky.social. A superb mix of rarities, scarcities, common migrants, seabirds & spectacular scenery based at the brilliant @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social - thanks to all. eBird trip report ⬇️ ebird.org/tripreport/4...

A bit of relief to get flight off Fair Isle this morning ahead of impending arrival of Storm Amy, otherwise we'd have been stranded till Monday! A great first visit, capped off by @tombedford.bsky.social and I finding an Olive-backed Pipit (first seen yesterday evening, not confirmed till today)

Day 3 on Fair Isle: SE gale again, but pre-dawn rain & heavy cloud brought in new birds with many Song Thrushes & Goldcrests in sheltered geos. Highlights of the day a Corncrake by North Light (@tombedford.bsky.social photo), stunning male Red-backed Shrike trapped at Obs & Red-Breasted Flycatcher

Just back from a pelagic trip out to the Whittard Canyon area on the continental shelf edge with @scillypelagics.bsky.social @scottinscilly.bsky.social @nomadbirder.bsky.social Madeiran Storm Petrel reclassified from MEGA!!! to scarce summer visitor in one evening with 84 counted last night! 😂

An exceptional day river watching at Severn Beach. Highlight was the 1st Sooty Shearwater record for 51 years. I even managed to see it from upstairs for my 169th species seen from home. Other sightings included Sabine's Gull, 3 Grey Phalarope, 3 Leach's Petrels, 4 storm Petrel, Arctic Skua etc

Coal Tits migrating at Falsterbo... Their excitable flocks were wizzing past at eye-level into a strong head-wind today, then climbing south.

Common Grackles are great generalists - likely to have survivorship on boats as they do things like [checks notes] killing and eating Snow Buntings! see: ebird.org/checklist/S1... 4/4

Mostly cloudy in Oxford, but a brief glimpse of the lunar eclipse over Headington this evening, the Earth’s shadow covering the right-hand side. #lunareclipse #oxford @headingtonnews.bsky.social

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...

Good to see this being discussed.

Ropey pic of the juvenile Marsh Sandpiper found yesterday at Standlake Pit 60 by Jeremy Dexter but not confirmed until this morning. In the pouring rain! #ukbirding

Incredible footage of Goshawk predating Hobby chick. Will likely return 😬 - watch live here: www.youtube.com/live/MJaRwj4... #birds #ukbirds #ornithology Web cam by the amazing Wildlife Windows www.wildlifewindows.co.uk

Watch Out!

The first Spotted Flycatcher of the autumn arrived on Warneford Meadow, Oxford, this morning. This is the equal earliest ever, after a bird on 11th August 2022. The latest Lye Valley area record is 30th September, a long migration window here. #ukbirding @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

Vance is staying at Dean Manor, the home of Johnny Hornby, founder of lighting firm Luceco. The village has a rich tradition of hosting clowns, formerly being home to comedian Ronnie Barker. It was also David Cameron’s constituency home as MP for Witney. #fourcandles

Tree Pipit over my Headington, Oxford garden this morning! #ukbirding #monstergardentick macaulaylibrary.org/asset/640070...

A blog post from the incredible oak and chestnut forests of north-east Portugal: www.outofthebluesky.co/2025/08/01/i...

Motherfucking wind farms…

❗ ANNOUNCEMENT ❗ It's not currently possibly to safely or easily walk the full length of the Lye Valley after some mindless vandal(s) set fire to part of the boardwalk last night. The City Council are aware of the situation, and are visiting today. @headingtonnews.bsky.social

Incredible garden bird on Saturday morning, in urban Oxford, a flyover Mediterranean Gull, calling constantly! Just about managed to record two calls on my phone before it disappeared (volume up): macaulaylibrary.org/asset/638850... #gardentick #ukbirding

Trying to identify birds on the Tour de France coverage usually involves looking for birds flashing by or for soaring raptors. Until today! Stage 3 saw an extended discussion about a nearby bird reserve, plus Common Terns, Little Egrets etc on screen! #birdsoftheTourdeFrance #ukbirding #birdsontv

Patch mega! A singing Reed Warbler in urban Oxford, in the tiny patch of reeds in Churchill Meadow this morning. Only my second record (and the patch 4th) in 7 years. #patchgold #patchbirding @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

Remembering this great tweet on the Summer Solstice

The Ravenscar "bottleneck" came into its own this morning with a decent southerly finch movement. Highlights 165 Crossbills and 619 Siskins. Full counts here: www.trektellen.nl/count/view/1... @nybirdnews.bsky.social @northyorksbirds.bsky.social

The Lye Valley area of Oxford was full of young fledged birds this morning: ebird.org/checklist/S2... Winning the numbers competition was Eurasian Jackdaw, with a record patch count of 136 birds, about half of which were juveniles @friendlyevalley.bsky.social #patchbirding

AUDENSHAW RES, Gtr Manchester - MEGA!! SURF SCOTER found by Rob Adderley this morning! first for GM apparently @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirdalertuk.bsky.social #ukbirding

Great to meet @anthrobirder.bsky.social today and show him the Lye Valley, as part of his patch birding project: andrewjwhitehouse.wordpress.com/patch-birdin... In sweltering 31 degree heat, Oxford probably felt a very long way from his patch at Girdleness, Aberdeen! #ukbirding #patchbirding

This is the last thing the BBC needs

Great to catch up with this bird (and @tmbirding.bsky.social!), just a few km outside of Headington, for all of three minutes before it flew off west!

It’s great to see the #Goosander chicks thriving again this year at Waterstock Mill Local Wildlife Site (LWS) ! Thanks to Henry Manisty for sharing the video with us 😄 Share your sightings in #Berkshire and #Oxfordshire!

An amazing moment this morning, as 4 Crossbills flew from the Lye Valley towards Warneford Meadow, over the Churchill Hospital in urban east Oxford. Constant “chip-chip-chip” flight calls, and huge bills seen! Second patch record ✅👌🏻 @friendlyevalley.bsky.social #PWC25 #patchgold

SCOPS OWL caught in the Gully Heligoland trap at around 21:00hrs last night! This is the Isle's third record, the last being 19 years ago in 2006. Keep up to date with all recent sightings here: www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸A Penn

Superb write-up of a packed month of county birding by @conormackenzie.bsky.social. Shame that the Hoopoe was untwitchable yet flaunted all over social media by the photographer - seems par for the course these days #ukbirding oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/06/may-...

This Reeves’s Pheasant was filmed yesterday by runner Julien L’homme (one of the fastest men in the county) on Shotover Hill, Oxford. An impressive burst of speed as the pheasant overtakes Julien, this is the nearest thing you’ll see to a Roadrunner in Oxfordshire! #ukbirding #OxonBirding

A chance to appreciate this great local project, for anyone in the Oxford area #oxford #birds

Summer plumaged Grey Phalarope found by Phil yesterday morning. I got to see it in late evening light last night around 9pm! So glad I did! Look at those feet! #shetland #springbirding #greyphalarope

An absolutely stunning female Grey Phalarope in summer plumage at Loch of Spiggie, Shetland today. Unlike their Red-necked cousins which breed here in small numbers, Greys are extremely rare in spring and thus rarely enjoyed in this incredible plumage. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #Birds