Farmoor & Folly Park Pond: 2nd September

A quick call to Dai on arrival at Farmoor confirmed that up to 5 Shags present, with one on the F1 side of the far end of the causeway. En-route along the causeway there was a male Yellow Wagtail. The Shag was very inactive, just sitting (or lying there) and very tame. Not the most exciting subject, but a genuine Oxon rarity.

juvenile Shag 

Go to my website for a larger image.

Thereafter, I tried the Pinkhill Hide which was again good for hovering Migrant Hawkers. As last week, there were also a few Common Darters around.

Migrant Hawker

It then clouded over and the dragonflies disappeared, so I retraced my way to the causeway, to find two Shags including the original in exactly the same spot (was it unwell?) and a more lively individual in the water. This allowed photos of the whole bird without the concrete, but they would have been better if the sun had been out.

A more lively juv Shag in the water.

Again go to my website for a larger image.

I then walked back the long way round F2 and spotted two Wheatears on the western side, one initially on the fence.

At Faringdon Folly Park Pond, the sun had come out again and the placing was buzzing with Odonata! The usual Small Red-eyes were again out on the floating vegetation but better was a single male Emerald Damsel in the vegetation on the near side of the pool. Other species included Migrant Hawker, Southern Hawker and Brown Hawker, as well as the usual darters (Common & Ruddy).

Emerald Damselfly

Migrant Hawker