Conor MacKenzie
Ornithologist.
- A bit late with this, but a round-up of Decembers birding in Oxon. A major influx of geese produced a 9 goose species day, which was the big excitement this month. A smattering of winter staples rounded the month off nicely #UKbirding. oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2026/01/dece...
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- Nipped over to Farmoor on a speculative visit, with lots moving around the country due to Storm Claudia. Absolutely buzzing then to pick out this 1w Kittiwake on F1, a county ✔️ and 190 for the Oxon Big Year. Unfortunately didn’t hang about. Black Red was also still present #UKBirding
- Nearly had a heart attack when this beast flew into view whilst working around London last week. A juv dark-morph Gyr Falcon causing absolute chaos. Several expletives followed and then eventual clear views of a bird with telemetry equipment! #UKbirding
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- Don’t often get to bird back in the homeland when I visit, so well chuffed to get over to South Gare for first time in yonks. OBP twitch with the eldest an unexpected bonus, whilst the Snow Bunting confiding as ever. Plus endless waders & seabirds - makes birding back in Oxon difficult. #UKBirding
- A guaranteed annual on the SW London Waterbodies SPA, but nice to find two of these loafs on Wraysbury Reservoir last week. Don’t often get much on here, so this and the Sabs Gull in the last few weeks have been a real highlight. Would love to see one of these tanks flying over the m25! #UKBirding
- 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...
- After my recent poor form/luck on the Oxon Big Year, it seemed appropriate I’d spend yesterday morning dipping Pectoral Sandpiper. Quite remarkable then that a pair of Twite were found on Farmoor later that day by the same observer! The first since 2011 and a county ✔️ for lots of locals. #UKbirding
- After the initial couple of flyby’s the juvenile Sabine’s Gull showed incredibly well. Not many birds that are as stunning in juvenile plum as adults but Sab’s are definitely one of those. Just a shame for it be on site with no access #UKbirding @birdguides.bsky.social @berksbirdclub.bsky.social
- Could not believe my eyes whilst surveying on Wraysbury Reservoir this morning when this juvenile Sabine’s Gull flew into view. Incredible views of a species I’ve only seen once before - just wish I had a better camera! #UKbirding @berksbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social
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- The Oxon birding round up for September now live. Obvious highlight a 1w Bluethroat at @rspbotmoor.bsky.social, the 3rd county record. Other highlights include a couple Manx Shearwater and plenty of wader action, although frequently not twitchable. oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/10/sept... #UKBirding
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- Well who on earth had Bluethroat on their Oxon bingo card? An incredible run of birds for the county continued with a 1w male Bluethroat at @rspbotmoor.bsky.social this morning, found late evening yesterday. Both a county and UK ✔️ for me! County Big Year now on 188 (+ GWT). #UKbirding
- 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...
- A good way to round out the summer fieldwork season, an atmospheric evening monitoring post-breeding flocks of Stone-curlew, just before the weather turned this week. A real pleasure to work with this species over the summer (under license of course). #ornithology #UKbirding
- Little Stint at Farmoor yesterday evening. Took some finding after disappearing at midday, but well worth the punt that it was still around. #UKbirding
- Finally a Wood Sandpiper in Oxfordshire this autumn. With so many records in bordering counties, I was beginning to wonder if we’d ever get one. #UKbirding
- Still ticking away on the Oxon Big Year with three new birds in August. Shag the standout rarity so far. Although very pleased to finally catch up with Greenshank (!) and Med Gull after worrying these may be glaring omissions. Now on 182, hoping for more wader action. #UKBirding
- After our summer break here is the Oxon birding review for the last 2 months. Nothing too unexpected, but with the Crossbill irruption gaining pace and some early Wader action there’s been enough to keep us going. That being said, bring on autumn! #UKbirding oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/08/summ...
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- Survey season pretty much closed out and it’s been a fantastic year monitoring my local ground nesting birds. Nice to see so many chicks, particularly Curlew, after a poor two years. Now looking forward to some quieter months though. #UKbirding
- Early visits to Farmoor paid off again today when a Turnstone dropped in, picked up initially calling over F1. A new bird for the Oxon Big Year (178)and only present for c.30 minutes before departing once it the site got rammed by summer sailing lessons - who can blame it really! #UKbirding
- A few visits to Farmoor this week finally paid off with a drake Common Scoter sat out on F1 yesterday am. A nice addition to the Oxon Big Year list, taking me to 177. Few bits also moving around - 2 Dunlin, 10+ Common Sand and 2 LRP in what felt like a birdy morning. #ukbirding
- An action packed May for Oxon birders with the obvious highlights of Red-footed Falcon and Savi’s Warbler. The latter being only the 2nd record for the county after a lockdown bird that, almost, no one heard or saw. #ukbirding oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/06/may-...
- April’s round up of birding in Oxon now up. A game of two halves with an uninspiring and quiet start broken by a classic Spring day at Farmoor with lots of Tern and Wader action - 120+ Arctic the obvious standout. oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/05/apri... #UKBirding
- Largely given up on out of county twitching these days, but a Spotted Sandpiper 10 mins from my survey site in Cambs was too tempting. A stunner in summer plumage! What I wouldn’t give for another Oxon bird. #UKBirding
- Bit late posting this write up, but here is the March Oxon Birding roundup. A stunning pair of sum plum Slav Grebe the obvious highlight. A probable Dick’s Pip at Banbury a tantalising record! Plus the welcome arrival of spring migrants, albeit slow going. oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/04/marc...
- Monthly round up of birding in Oxon now up in what was a relatively quiet period. Highlights include discovery of a 2nd Green-winged Teal and the Springs first arrival of Sand Martin. The latter coming only a 101 days after the last record in Nov! #UKbirding oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/03/febr...
- My eBird trip report from 2 weeks of birding in and around Nairobi, in between family commitments that is. A friendly bird filled city, looking forward to getting back again next year! ebird.org/tripreport/3... #birding
- Garden birding has been incredibly productive in the suburbs of Nairobi. 102 species seen in just under 2 weeks! Some highlights below - very lucky to have some very birdy habitat bordering the garden. #birding
- Mammals have also been a major highlight of the trip. 22 species seen between the NP and the local forests. #kenya
- Abundance and diversity of Sunbird has been amazing in Nairobi. 7 species seen on the trip so far, with 6 of those coming from the garden. #birding
- First experience of birding in sub-Saharan Africa. Fantastic amount of diversity in and around Nairobi and barely scratched the surface I imagine! #birding
- January’s roundup of birding highlights in Oxon now up. Bewick’s, Smew and GW Teal the major highlights! A smattering of lingering birds also got the county off to a great start. Details also on the Oxon Big Year some of us are attempting in 25. #UKbirding oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/02/janu...
- December’s round up of Oxon birding now up. Including 2024 highlights and lowlights, plus an excellent video review of the year. Some mega birds recorded but a meagre year total of 201 species, the lowest on record. No Turtle Dove the most bleak omission! oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2025/01/dece...
- The spoils of a Christmas Day outing with the kids, at least 5 Hawfinch in the trees above East Lockinge Church. Probably more but not easy to keep track of! Fantastic birds in a beautiful setting. #UKbirding #Oxonbirding
- It only took four visits, 8+ hours and a change of year until I finally managed to connect with the Bearded Tit pair at Radley GPs. Not an easy bird in Oxon so very pleased to finally add it to my county list. Well worth the frostbite this am for cracking views. #UKbirding #Oxonbirding
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- Reposted by Conor MacKenzieOn a day when house building is in the news, we publish a new report - LOST NATURE. In it, we asked if housing developers have been delivering their ecological commitments. Answer: NO. Read the report here: wildjustice.org.uk/general/lost... 1/8
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- With all the county mega’s in the last 4 weeks and having missed most of them, it was great to see one today. Purple Sandpiper at Farmoor was the 3rd record since 2021. I missed both birds in 2021 and the previous record was before my time (2011), so really pleased to see this beaut. #UKbirding
- Excellent blog post from Thomas. Well worth a read!
- A round up of Novembers birding in Oxon. A surprisingly busy month for the county bookended by county megas - albeit of differing scales of national rarity. Booted Eagle, Velvet Scoter, Snow Bunting and Bearded Tit the major highlights. #UKbirding oxonbirding.blogspot.com/2024/12/nove...
- More Water Pipit action this week, with the added bonus of a few Black-necked Grebe. Sparrowhawk and Peregrine patrolling kept most of the birds on the edge. #UKbirding
- Some very cold fieldwork today was brightened up by some classic winter species. Highlight though was an adult Kittiwake flying through at almost head height before departing NE. 2x Water Pipit, several Black-necked Grebe, Goosander and a handful of Goldeneye also made for a good day. #UKbirding
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- A non-birding 17k hike up in the Dales with my brothers and eldest boy at weekend. Despite the non-birding, nice to see Black Grouse and then finish the day with a Short-eared Owl and Barn Owl over the moorland. #UKbirding #Yorkshirebirding
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- GPS tagged LBB Gull “Francisca” who spent much of the last few weeks frequenting the gull roosts around my house, is now in Madrid! This where she spent last winter, before summering in the Netherlands. Fascinating to see these movements and certainly puts “local” birds in to context. #ornithology
