The BBOWT Birdrace differs from more standard versions of the event, because it requires each team to visit 3 BBOWT nature reserves and there are points gained for inventive team name, least miles travelled and best non-bird highlight as well the best bird of the day and highest number of species recorded between 9am and 4:30 pm.
This was my first ever birdrace and I joined up with my fellow Biodiversity Conservation Trainee Neil Fletcher as team captains. We had planned out a route together previously and Neil had kindly done a recce of the timings to reach each site the day before.
The 3 BBOWT sites we visited were Dry Sandford Pit, Lashford Lane Fen and Parsonage Moor, we also visited sites such as Dix Pit, Didcot Sewage Farm and rubbish dump, Farmoor Reservoir and RSPB Otmoor.
We decided that we would need an itinerary that would incorporate as many different habitats as possible.
We did very well at most of the sites visited, finding most of the birds we were hoped for, plus missing a few as well as some unexpected additions.
We finished the day with a grand total of 77 species which was the highest total ever recorded on the event.
Kestrel (Ian Loyd)
Our highlights included; Slavonian grebe close to the causeway at Farmoor Res, a pair of Scaup hidden amongst the flock of Tufted duck there too, a flock of 10 Ruff and 30+ Snipe at Otmoor plus a brief view of a Short eared owl. Adding species such as Nuthatch, Kingfisher, Chiffchaff and Grey wagtail can always prove difficult but we had success with most of the more tricky species. However we embarrassingly failed to see a Canada goose all day.
We drove a distance of 72 miles and our name was decided to be "Ruff and ready" but "There is Farmoor at Otmoor" was also considered.
The organiser of the event; Colin Williams's team stumbled across a mega find in the shape of a Hawfinch whilst at Dry Sandford Pit (the first record for the site and birdrace).
This is the fun of a Birdrace, you never know what you will see!
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