Wednesday 4 December 2019

Farmoor Birds 4th December 2019


Farmoor Reservoir's concrete environment does produce some good birds throughout the year as, fortunately, it is surrounded by woods and open countryside. The more rural northern end of the reservoir also has two tiny reserves, Pinkhill and Shrike Meadow, created by Thames Water, that lie between the reservoir and the adjacent River Thames.

The huge expanse of open water that comprises Farmoor One (the smaller) and Farmoor Two (the larger) reservoirs, each lying on one side of a central causeway  must be visible for miles to birds passing high above and consequently attracts a selection of wading birds, terns and gulls at the right time of year.

Here below is a subjective pictorial record of what I have seen at Farmoor this year, of both common and not so common birds. It is not comprehensive as I do not cover the reservoir every day and therefore miss some birds but even so the variety I have managed to see is still heartening. 

I hope you will enjoy my selection

The reservoir is open to anyone to walk around, even the car park is free at the moment and there is also Hackett's Cafe which is open to all, where you can sit and look out over the reservoir and have a coffee or tea and a slice of homemade cake. 

Maybe even join The Friends of Farmoor - which is also free!

Water Rail
Kingfisher
Common Goldeneye-drake

Common Coot - an aberrant white individual

Common Coot

Great Cormorant

Great crested Grebe

Red crested Pochard - drake
Yellow legged Gull - adult

Knot - juvenile

Grey Heron with Perch

Gadwall

Sanderling

Ringed Plover 

House Martin

Barn Owl

Sanderling and two Dunlin

Yellow Wagtail - male

Little Stint - juvenile

Slavonian Grebe
Common Chiffchaff

Greater Scaup - adult female
Common Kestrel - male

Common Tern

Ruff - juvenile male

Blue Tit

Mallard Ducklings

Turnstones

Snow Geese - part of a feral flock

Tufted Duck - drake
Common Cuckoo

Little Grebe
Blackcap - male
White Wagtail


Little Ringed Plover

Hybrid Greater Scaup x Lesser Scaup

Eurasian Sparrowhawk - male

Redwing

Northern Wheatear


Black Tern

Mute Swan

European Stonechat - male

Great Tit
Fieldfare
Dunlin

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