Aston’s Eyot (East Oxford) vertebrate records - monthly sightings
Records included for Aston's Eyot (AE), Kidneys/Swan Is. (K), Iffley Fields housing (I), Meadow Lane (north) (Mn), Oxford Preservation Trust & Sea Scout land (Sc), Boat House Island (B), Long Meadow (LM); [some nearby records of interest, e.g. in Iffley Meadows, included in square brackets, not included in monthly totals]
[Notional central grid reference for Aston's Eyot: SP522050; BTO tetrad SP50H = OS SP5204; birds proved breeding during this year highlighted yellow, presumed breeders: grey (mostly confirmed in other years). possible breeders: dark grey (have bred in previous years, insufficient data 2013 though birds present)]
Brief description of habitats:AE: 12ha, deciduous woodland (some planted, some self-sown), scrub, open areas dominated by nettle & bramble, some restored flower meadow, surrounded by the Thames (=Isis), Cherwell New Cut & Shire Lake Ditch. K: 3.4ha, mown meadow, rough grass, some copses & bramble patches, river bank & 2 ditches. Sc: large lawn, fringing trees, deciduous copse, river bank. I: terraced housing with moderate to large gardens, one grand house with very large grounds (Fairacres Convent). B: former flood meadow now deciduous damp woodland; river banks, College boathouses (adjoins Christ Church Meadow). LM: undergrazed flood meadow with fringing trees along ditch, Cherwell & sports ground; seasonal pond (the whole site often completely flooded in winter).
Year’s highlights:
New species records on AE/Kidneys/Iffley Fields:none this year
Unusual/infrequent species for this area: Great Crested Grebe, Grey Wagtail, Reed Bunting,
New breeding records confirmed: Buzzard [at least nearby, as family party noisily present in September], possible Goldcrest
Observer: all Year: 2016
BIRDS / Yr / J / F / M / A / M / J / J / A / S / O / N / D / commentNo. of Species / 66 / 44 / 48 / 44 / 48 / 41 / 40 / 42 / 37 / 33 / 35 / 40 / 46
[# = flying over only]
Great Crested Grebe / 1> / 16/2 on Cherwell
Dabchick/Little Grebe
Cormorant / + / *1 / *1 / *1 / *1 / * / * / 2
Grey Heron / + / *1LM / *2 / *1 / *1 / * / * / *1 / *1 / *1
Little Egret / + / 2 / Long Meadow, late April
Greylag Goose (feral) / + / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / *
Canada Goose / + / 2 / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / *2 / * / *140
Mallard / + / *27 / * / * / * / * / *y / *y / * / * / * / * / *
Shoveler / + / *2
Teal / + / *4 / *4 / *4 / *5 / 2LM
Wigeon
Pochard
Tufted Duck
Scaup
Goosander
Mute Swan / + / * / * / * / 2t / 1t / *2 / * / *2 / * / * / *1
Osprey
Red Kite # / + / *1 / *1 / *2 / *1 / *1 / *1 / *1 / *1 / * / *2 / *1 / *2
Sparrowhawk / + / 1 / 1 / *1 / 1 / *1 / 1 / ? / 1K ov
Buzzard / + / * / *2 / *1 / *1 / *1 / *1 / *y / * / *
Hobby #
Kestrel / + / 1 / *1 / *1 / 1 / *1 / 1 / *1+
Grey Partridge
Pheasant / + / * / *1 / * / *2 / *1 / * / * / *1 / *
Water Rail / + / *1K
Moorhen / + / *2 / *2 / *3 / *2 / * / *y / *y / *1 / *1 / *2 / *3 / *3
Coot / + / *1LM / 1LM / *2tLM / 1LM / Bred on Long Meadow - ?failed
Lapwing
Redshank
Common Sandpiper / + / *1
Common Snipe
Jack Snipe
Woodcock
Black-headed Gull / + / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / *
Common Gull
Lr.Black-backed Gull / + / *1 / *1 / * / 2 / *1 / * / *1 / * / * / *2+ / *2
Herring Gull / + / *2 / *1 / *1+ / 1K / 2> / *2SF / *2SF / Regular winter pair on School Field present both winters
Common Tern / + / *1
Wood Pigeon / + / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / *
Stock Dove / + / * / *4 / *2 / *1 / * / * / * / *2 / * / 2
Feral Pigeon # / + / *o,g / *o,g / *o,g / *o / *o / *o,g / *o / *o / *g / *o / *o,g / *g,ov
Turtle Dove
Collared Dove / + / *g / *3K,g / *K,g / *g,K / *g,K / *g / *g / *g / 1g / *2g / *2g / *g
Barn Owl
Tawny Owl / + / *1 / 1 / *1 / *1 / *
Short-eared Owl
Cuckoo / + / *> / 7,10 & 18 May
Swift # / + / 2DB> / *o,g / *o,g / *o,g / First seen 29/4
Kingfisher / + / *1 / 2 / *1 / * / *1
Green Woodpecker / + / *1 / *3 / * / *1 / *1 / *1 / *1h / *1 / *1 / *1 / *1 / *1
Gr.Spotted Woodpecker / + / *1 / *1h / *1 / *1 / *ty / * / *1h / 1 / *1 / *1 / *2+ / *2
Lr.Spotted Woodpecker
Skylark #
Swallow # / + / sev
House Martin # / + / 2
Sand Martin
Meadow Pipit
Grey Wagtail / + / *1K / 2
Pied Wagtail / + / 1g / *g
Great Grey Shrike
Waxwing
Wren / + / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / *
Dunnock / + / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / *
Cetti’s Warbler
Grasshopper Warbler
Reed Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Garden Warbler / + / 1
Blackcap / + / * / * / *c / * / *2 / *
Whitethroat / + / *3 / * / * / 1 / 1
Lesser Whitethroat
Willow Warbler / + / *1h
Chiffchaff / + / *3+ / * / *2 / 1h / 2+ / 1h
Yellow-browed Warbler
Goldcrest / + / *2 / 1 / *2 / 1?y / 1 / 1 / 1 / May have bred
Spotted Flycatcher
Wheatear
Robin / + / * / * / * / * / * / *y / * / * / * / * / * / *
Fieldfare / + / 1K
Blackbird / + / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / *
Redwing / + / * / *4 / * / * / * / *
Songthrush / + / *1 / *3+ / * / *3+ / *2+ / * / *1 / 1 / *1+ / *2h / *1
Mistle Thrush/Stormcock
Long-tailed Tit / + / * / *6+ / 5 / *1+ / *5+ / 1 / * / * / * / * / *4+
Marsh Tit
Willow tit
Coal Tit / + / 1> / 1g / 24/2 singing, Wild Wood by Cherwell
Bluetit / + / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / *
Great Tit / + / * / * / * / * / * / *y / * / * / * / * / * / *
Nuthatch
Treecreeper / + / 1 / *2 / 1 / 1 / *1
Chaffinch / + / * / *4 / * / *1+ / * / * / *4
Brambling
Greenfinch / + / *1K / 1h / 1
Siskin / + / 4 / *2K / 2K / *1+ / *1
Redpoll
Goldfinch / + / * / * / * / *g+ / *g / * / *1h / * / *y / * / *3+ / *
Linnet
Crossbill
Bullfinch / + / *2 / *2 / *3 / *1 / *1 / * / * / *h / *2 / *1
Corn Bunting
Yellowhammer
Reed Bunting / + / 1♀K> / 27/1
House Sparrow / + / *g / *g / *g / *g / *g / *g / *g / *g / *g / *g / *g / *g
Tree Sparrow
Starling # / + / * / *g,o / *g,o / *g,o / *g / *g,o / *g / *g / *g / *g / *g / *g
Jay / + / *1 / *1 / *1 / *1 / 1K / *1 / *1 / *1 / *1 / *1+ / 1
Magpie / + / * / * / * / * / * / * / *y / * / * / * / * / *
Raven
Jackdaw / + / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / *
Carrion Crow / + / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / *
Rook
total birds / 66 / 44 / 48 / 44 / 48 / 41 / 40 / 42 / 37 / 33 / 35 / 40 / 46
MAMMALS
Roe Deer / *1LM / * / 4LM / * / * / * / * / *
Muntjac / *3 / *2 / *2 / * / * / * / *1 / * / * / * / *2
Rabbit / 1 / * / * / 1 / * / * / *1 / *
Hare
domestic cat / 1 / *1 / *1
Fox / *1g / * / *1 / *1 / *1 / *1 / * / *1
Stoat
Weasel
American Mink / 1> / 1 photographed at Muntjac Point
Badger / b* / *b / *b / *b / * / * / *+b / * / *+b / *b
Hedgehog
Common shrew / 1d / 1d
Pygmy shrew
Mole / b* / *b / *b / *b / *b / 1d;b / *b / *b
Bank vole
Short tailed vole
Water Vole
Wood mouse
Brown rat / 1d / ?
Grey Squirrel / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / * / *
Common Pipistrelle
Soprano Pipistrelle
Daubenton's Bat
Noctule
REPTILES
Grass Snake
Slow Worm
AMPHIBIANS
Common Frog / *w / * / * / *
Common Toad / 1 / *
Smooth Newt
Notes:
* = seen more than once in month
[number] = max number seen in month, if without ‘*’ then only seen on one occasion
Notes:
a = Active nest, nestlings visible
b = Burrow, b+ = active burrow
c = Carrying food/faecal sac
d = Dead animal found
f = Footprints/tracks, esp. in snow
g = nearby Gardens / housing (Iffley Rd & below)
h = Heard only (song or calls)
i = Incubating
n = Night visit
o = flying Over
pr = Pair
s = Singing (seen or heard)
$ = recorded on camera trap
t = bird seen aT or building nesT
w = spaWn
y = Young seen (not comprehensive!)
# = ID using bat detector
all seen on AE itself unless otherwise stated:
B = Boathouse Island
BB = Boundary Brook (passes though Ms)
D = Donnington Bridge
I = Iffley Meadows
K = Kidneys (incl. Swan Is.)
LB = Long Bridges
LM = Long Meadow
Mn = Meadow Lane & rec. field (N side of D)
Ms = Meadow Lane Nature Park & fields (S side of D)
SF = School Field (SSMJ/Isis campus, Meadow Lane)
observers:
*RA = Ruth Ashcroft
*LB = Laurie Burrell
*AC = Anthony Cheke
PC = Peter Comont
JH = Janet Hall
PJ = Paul Jepson
*TL = Tim Lee +
TM = Thelma Martin
CML = Claire Malone-Lee
CO = Clare Oxby
MO = many observers
JR = Jacqui Rose
StR = Steve Roby
*SuR = Sue Rowe
*GW = Greg Webster
*W = unidentified dog walker
* contributed 2016