Farmoor Osprey 7th September 2025

It has been a good few days at Farmoor Reservoir.

Yesterday, on arriving in the very early morning there was the birders dream of finding a rarity in the form of two Glossy Ibis, wandering amongst a large gathering of Coot at the water's edge but they flew off at just after seven before there was a chance of a photograph.However the ibis was a new bird for me at Farmoor so no complaints.

Today I returned with the ridiculous hope of maybe some more Glossy Ibis might have reached the reservoir.There has been a large influx of Glossy Ibis into Britain lately, possibly forced from their usual haunts in southern Europe by drought.

I resigned myself to the fact that I had to accept that Farmoor already had been delivered its quota of this southern ibis and there were to be no more prehistoric looking angular shapes stalking the reservoir's shores as they did yesterday

A slow walk up the causeway in a stiff southeast wind produced the attractive looking leucistic Pied Wagtail, a shock of white wings when it flew amongst its predominantly grey coloured fellow wagtails. Up to sixty wagtails congregate on the causeway in the early morning and late evening when disturbance is at a minimum, the attraction being the plentiful supply of insects.

Leucistic Pied Wagtail

I stood at the end of the causeway, the brisk wind roaring in my ears and was joined by Dave but we both agreed there was currently not much about but that might change. In situations such as this we adopt a wait and see approach and sure enough twenty minutes later a juvenile Peregrine put in an appearance.Sadly its immaturity manifested itself in not only appearance but also behaviour as it obviously had not read the Peregrine hunting instruction manual and initially tried its luck chasing prey that was far too large to capture such as Herring Gulls, Cormorants and even a Canada Goose.

Juvenile Peregrine

It also tried its luck with a newly arrived flock of eight Black Terns which would be more suitable victims but again was unsuccessful and retired to a tree.Not unexpectedly the terns promptly fled the reservoir.

The last we saw of the Peregrine was as it flew high in the sky but suddenly next to it was another larger and darker bird of prey - a Marsh Harrier, another excellent bird to find at Farmoor. 

Things were definitely looking up.

Time passed, the wind dropped to a whisper and I sat with Sally on the causeway wall.She comes every morning to try and see the last of the Swifts departing. It is getting late now but Sally has a thing about Swifts and is forever optimistic that just one more might pass through on its way to their winter home in the Congo in Africa.

Yet another Marsh Harrier appeared high in the sky above us and three Ringed Plovers and a Dunlin skittered along the water's edge below us.

Juvenile Ringed Plover

Juvenile Dunlin

Half an hour later I said to Sally

All we need now to make the day complete is an Osprey

She replied laconically 

There's one right in front of us 

I wish I replied, assuming she was joking

No there really is one  

Where?

There right in front of us in the sky

I looked and there before my eyes was indeed an Osprey.

It was facing us hanging in the wind high above the water of the smaller basin known as Farmoor One, its great wings spread wide.

It circled the basin and we watched it reconnoitering the placid water below.

There is no shortage of fish as Thames Water, at vast expense, stock the reservoir each year with trout for which fishermen pay a daily fee to come and catch. 

For fifteen minutes the Osprey circled, rising and falling but always at some height, would checking every bit of the water near and far.

On three occasions it looked to have seen a fish and would stall and half retract  its wngs and dive for the water, each time without success although on two occasions it actually plunged into the water.

Undeterred it would rise from the reservoir, shake off the water and commence gaining height to circle once again, head facing down to the water searching, searching, only one thing on its mind -food

A fourth dive came, and an explosion of spray as it disappeared underwater only to as suddenly re-appear and emerge with a small fish in its talons, then lifting off it ruffled the water from its feathers and flew to a distant tree on Wytham Hill to consume its prize

The Osprey was a young bird hatched this year, coming from most probably Scotland or possibly further north in Scandinavia. Being a juvenile, newly independent and inexperienced it is having to learn quickly so I suppose to catch a fish no matter what size is a step in the right direction and bodes well for the future. 

This will be its first flight south with still a long way to go to its winter home in southern Africa and it will not return, all being well for two years. The hazards facing it are many but for now all is well.