I’ve been in Otmoor, just outside of Oxford, a few times during the UK’s dark and wet winter. Every time I cycled back into town, hands frozen stiff but sweating under my jacket, I swore that this had been my last visit. Fortunately, the summer sun erased those promises and I headed out again at sunrise, hoping that the returning warmth reinvigorated the birds as much me.
Bird activity was very high, with Eurasian Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers singing everywhere. The latter seemed to particularly zealous to show off their song, and I duly obliged by watching them for extended periods as they sang from the thickets and reeds alongside the path.
Cetti’s Warblers were also around, but getting a view of them required much more patience than for their cousins.
One of the highlights for me was watching a Common Cuckoo calling from an oak tree next to the path, uncommonly approachable for the species. Its atmospheric hoots carrying over the wetlands in the morning sun made for a very special moment.
At one of the hides, Western Marsh Harriers and Grey Herons were very active, the former engaging in breakneck antics over the reeds, while the herons tried to keep up with their chicks’ demands for food, which were easily picked up from quite a distance given their noisy begging calls.
It was very refreshing to visit the same site in sunny conditions and with the wetlands alive with birds. My friends always say that winter allows you to enjoy these moments more, but from having lived in the tropics for several years I think it’s perfectly possible to enjoy consistently high bird activity without any ghastly seasonal intermissions. Maybe this should be a criteria for me as I decide what to do after completing my studies.
Really interesting post, Luca. Thanks for sharing your observations and lovely photos from your Otmoor visit. Like you, although many years before, I grew up in South Africa. And where you spent time in Namibia and Sri Lanka, the other years of my youth were spent in Zimbabwe, England and California. Good luck with your MSc.
Thank you! That sounds like a really interesting background too – were you into birds when living in those places? I have great memories from birding in Zim 🙂